I swallowed hard, staring down at him, trying to ignore the way my chest ached for reasons I couldn’t name. My pride wanted to scoff, to roll my eyes, to mutter what an i***t.
But none of that came out.
Instead, I just… looked.
The dim light from the lantern hanging by the window stretched across his face, softening him in a way that was unfair. His eyelashes were longer than mine—seriously, what kind of man had lashes that perfect? His nose was sharp, his cheekbones smooth, his skin sun-kissed but calm in rest. And then there were his lips.
My gaze lingered on them far too long, drinking in their shape, their softness, the faint curve that looked like he might smile even in sleep.
Something in me shifted, a pull I didn’t want to acknowledge. My fingers twitched at my side before, rec
