I had come to lose myself in the beauty of the river, but now I was drowning in the beauty of the man beside me. He was beyond beautiful, regal even, like a prince carved from marble, unshaken despite everything. My gaze lingered on the sharp line of his jaw, the way his hair fell just so, and I felt my resolve crumbling.
His gaze flicked to mine. I dropped my eyes instantly, shame burning through me. A chuckle escaped him, low and warm. I forced myself to look up, confusion flickering in my chest.
“Is it that bad now?” he asked softly. “You can’t even look me in the eye?”
I swallowed, my lips parting. A small, broken laugh slipped out of me. “Sorry,” I mouthed, the word catching on my tongue.
He turned toward me fully then, his body blocking the light, his eyes cutting straight throug
