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This was our reward—hidden and safe behind a locked door. So why did it feel like the worst kind of punishment as his gaze fastened on mine and his awareness sharpened to daggers.
After the longest moment, his shoulders heaved. His voice was achingly quiet as he muttered, “You missed two.”
I frowned, bundled in my blankets. “Missed what?”
He looked away, keeping his eyes resolutely on the carpet. “Tears. There’s two on your bottom eyelashes, just waiting to fall.”
My chest squeezed.
The cost of that.
The battle he’d won to tell me.
“Thank you.” Dabbing my face again, I made sure to swipe beneath my chin for any stragglers before smoothing out the sheet and sitting tall. “You can look now.”
Reluctantly, he turned all the way to face me. Slowly, his chin tipped up, and his eyes skated over every inch. Finally, he nodded and gave me a tragic half-smile. “Better.”
I flushed beneath his intensity. “I-I’m sorry about the cufflinks. I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s fine. They’re fine. I overreacted.”
“They obviously mean a great deal to you.”
His hand went to his pocket, patting them through the material. He gave a sad shrug. “They belong to my brother.”
My heart kicked, immediately thinking about Krish. “I have one of those too.”
“I remember.” He snorted. “Although…I can’t imagine he’s like mine.”
I shook my head, fondness and longing squeezing my chest. “No, I can safely say mine is nothing like yours. He’s…different. Wonderfully different.”
He stiffened. “Just like you’re different?” Swallowing hard, he shook his head. “Don’t answer that.”
His gaze dropped to my collar.
His hands balled.
Whatever he saw when looking at me summoned silver shadows in his stare.
Ever so slowly, he stood.
My skin prickled.
My nipples pebbled.
Every urge and ache from before returned with a desperate, unwanted agony.
I hated that I wanted him to touch me.
I cursed myself that I desperately needed him to—
“Don’t.” Looking away, he ran both hands over his face. “Christ, don’t.”
Don’t?
Don’t what?
Be vulnerable?
