[ His gaze drops to where her hand presses over his heart and she might feel the way it lurches beneath the surface. Or maybe that’s just his imagination.

He swallows thickly for a moment before giving her a half-hearted smile that doesn’t reach anywhere close to his shadowed gaze. ]

I learned a long time ago to not ask for that. You don’t have to worry, Hilda. I wasn’t trying to make things more complicated.