Her eyes fluttered for one dangerous second, and when she opened them again, she looked angry at herself for reacting. Phei's mouth curved, but he did not tease her:
Because if he teased her, she could bite back. If he was gentle, she had no shield ready.
"You are enjoying this," she whispered.
"I am enjoying watching you remember you deserve this much of simple and genuine gestures, Adriana."
Her throat moved.
That hit too deep.
She looked down at him, at the boy, no, the man kneeling before her, his eyes lifted to her face, his mouth near her hand, his presence filling the room without crowding her. The old Phei she remembered had been quiet, looked down on, dismissed, the Charity Case she used to treat with sharpness, rude and harshly because it had been easy to be cruel from above.
Now he knelt before her like a prince choosing worship over arrogance, and the contradiction made something twist painfully behind her ribs.
