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His eyes flicked up to meet mine across the room

I instinctively looked away because I was staring

His boots sounded against the floor as he approached

I inhaled a deep breath when he drew near, both intimidated and comforted

He took the seat beside me and continued to eat

In silence, we sat together No eye contact No conversation

My eyes found the courage to look at hiot from that stare returned My heart raced and slowed all at the sa for food My fingers instantly twitched because I wanted to grab on to his arm and pull him close It was more than physical It was more than emotional Claire had been my crutch at the cult, but now Benton was the foundation beneath my feet

I stared

He chewed his last bite of food before he set the plate on the coffee table

My stare continued My heart raced as I waited for hiertips were numb and hot at the same time I craved his touch, his safety, the comfort that only he could deliver

He drank his water then sat there, his eyes on the dead fireplace

My eyes bored into his flesh He must have felt it Must have felt it like the sun on a summer day That was exactly how I felt whenever he looked at me

Then he did

He turned his head, locked his beautiful eyes on me, and stared

I forgot to breathe His stare was so powerful His presence was so strong

The breaths I forgot to take suddenly ca up for the air that I’d lost My eyes dropped when I spottedfingers I watched as a bystander, a witness rather than a participant

My fingers slid over the back of his large hand,into the spaces between his joints He was searing hot, like a dish that had just been taken out of the broiling oven

He didn’t pull away

I stared for several more breaths before I raised my look and met his