She was still trying to calm her racing heart after his whisper, the warmth of his fingers still lingering faintly beneath her chin, when he let out a breath and stepped back, raking his hand through his hair with a frustrated exhale.

“I shouldn’t have said those things to you that night,” he muttered, his voice sounding a little rough, “I was angry, not at you, just angry.”

She blinked, surprised at his shift in tone.

He hesitated, then glanced away, his hand dropping to ...