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 snapped tight 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.
I became suddenly 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. No one had ever said it like that before.
H
