My snippet comes from The Scholar's Heart again this weekend. This takes place at Etan's birthday party. Tristan is dancing with Etan's younger sister Meriall.
But he had to look like a dark cloud among the dancers. The traditional gray he wore for Dariela’s death stood out among the bright gowns the ladies wore and the myriad colors of the men’s clothing. Meriall’s gown was a confection of rose-pink silk and ivory lace that stood out next to his stormy gray. Etan would too—he looked edible in rich ruby red with the stark white of his shirt peeking out from beneath. The bold color suited Etan, highlighting the lines of his body and heightening his dramatic coloring. Tristan liked the way he looked in it, but he thought he’d like to strip it off him even more and see what was beneath.
He glanced back, toward where they left Etan, and found him still standing there. Watching. Watching Meriall. There was a fondness in Etan’s eyes he reserved only for her. But then Etan shifted his attention and met Tristan’s eyes again. Etan’s were still too full of emotions for Tristan to understand what was happening, but the intensity of Etan’s gaze... that he could see, could feel. He shivered from the feeling of that intense gaze on him.