"Good," he says, with a smile that hides most of the relief.

He can't seem to stop running his hands over the soft skin of her stomach, over the smooth plane of back, but she's uncomfortable still, so he says, "let me--" and then doesn't finish the sentence but instead takes a hand back to unbutton his own shirt, but when it's hanging open he raises his eyes to Lucy's

is this all right?

before sliding it off his shoulders.