I looked up at him. That was a mistake. His eyes were already on me.
His eyes were dark and intense in a way that made it hard to breathe.
I gasped. The connection between us tightened again, stronger than before. It felt like standing too close to something powerful and not knowing if it would burn me or pull me in.
I swallowed. We stared at each other. He didn’t look away.
Suddenly, I became aware of everything - his hand at my waist, the small space between us, the way my heart was beating too fast.
He lifted his hand slightly and brushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear. The simple gesture sent a shiver down my spine.
“You are…” he paused briefly, like choosing the word carefully, “…beautiful.”
My heart completely lost control.
His words made my chest flutter even more.
I
