Running a hand through his hair, he sighed, and the sound was so weary, she itched to use her magic hands to work the kinks out of his back until he relaxed. The man was one big knot of stress. “No. I should be. But you made her smile. I can’t take that away from her. And anyway, you’re right. It will be a good lesson in responsibility.”

It was perhaps the sweetest thing she’d ever heard, made all the sweeter because she sensed he didn’t let his softer side show very often. He was more complicated than she’d assumed.

“She’s lonely,” Aria said. “I could tell.”

“And you wanted to help?”

Aria drew back, studying his face, the planes and shadows of it. How was it that normal human kindness seemed strange to him? “Of course I wanted to help. I’m a nice person, Eli. This is a small town, and we do what we can to help each other out.”

He stepped toward her. Taken by surprise, she moved back, and he circled around until she felt the wall hit her back and realized she was trapped between it and him.

“You’re not what I expected.”

His voice was low and rough. She should run away, but how could she, when staying seemed like an exciting prospect? Besides, his proximity had turned her legs to jelly, and if she tried to run, they might collapse beneath her. He leaned closer, and she caught a whiff of some expensive cologne. His nostrils flared, and she wished she’d worn perfume. It didn’t seem to matter to him; his pupils dilated, and the deep blue irises ringed them, mesmerizing her.

“I live to surprise people.” The breathy quality of her voice embarrassed her.

He shifted even closer, resting his arms on the wall, caging her. The position shielded his face from the light, emphasizing the hollows under his eyes and the shadow beneath his bottom lip. Her heart stuttered, and warmth flooded her.

“You should back off,” Aria said more weakly than she would have liked. “I can’t think straight when you’re so close.”

“Don’t think,” he replied, smoothing his palm down the side of her face, his eyes never leaving hers. His intensity unnerved her, but in a good way. She’d never met a man like him. “For a moment, just don’t think.”

“I can’t stop.” Even now, her brain was firing a million miles a minute, wondering how she’d gotten herself into this situation, what he’d do next, what she wanted him to do next. She couldn’t forget he was a complicated, powerful man capable of destroying her, but she could pretend it didn’t matter. She whispered, “Are you going to kiss me, or what?”

“Aria.” Amusement tinged his voice. “You must be the least patient person I know.”

She winced. “I know. It’s a character flaw.”