Thea
The way he looked at me made the biting night wind vanish in an instant.
It wasn't just intense; it was honest. There was no game in his dark eyes, no practiced charm or hidden agenda. Just raw, absolute certainty in me, in my dream, in a future I had spent years defending against a world that constantly tried to tear it down.
A sudden, dizzying wave of heat rushed straight beneath my skin, burning hot and thick behind my ribs. My pulse hammered in my throat, so loud it sounded like an engine at full throttle.
Miles didn't give me a chance to put my armor back up.
His hand slid smoothly from behind my ear to cup the side of my jaw, his calloused thumb resting against my cheekbone. Before I could catch my breath, he lowered his head.
His lips met mine.
A sharp gasp hitched in my
