His hands was firm and steady, holding at her waist tightly.
She tilted her head up, her gaze locking on the most striking face she had ever seen. Sharp, aristocratic features, dark eyes like obsidian and a presence so commanding it stole the air straight from her lungs.
She didn't move. She couldn't.
Her eyes lingered, tracing the hard lines of his jaw, the cool curve of his mouth, the unreadable mask in his expression.
Such a fine man… almost too fine.
Her heart drummed wildly against her ribs. She cursed the way her breath betrayed her—shallow, uneven, trembling.
A low, deep voice broke the silence, vibrating through the narrow space between them.
"Are you done staring?" His lips curved just faintly, though his tone was laced with mockery. "Like what you see?"
The words cut through her daze, and heat rushed to her cheeks. Still, she smothered it with a scoff, lifting her chin as if the soft blush on her face didn't matter.
