“You hit me the instant I saw you." he said, gruffly. "I couldn't look away. I wanted you immediately. Excessively. Almost violently.”

“A re you going to kiss me now or what?” I finally blurted out.“No,” he said.“Then why is your face like two inches away from mine?” I asked.“I just like to look at you,” he said seriously. “I want to look at you.” His expression was almost pained.”

“You looked at me like you saw something good. You made me remember everything I loved about you, before I'd fallen. And how could I ever damn such a beautiful creature? I couldn't. That look made me want to be a better man, for you”

“And that the first time I saw you, now, in the present, you would...take my breath away.""Well." Heat crept up my chest to my face. He looked up at the night sky, peaking his next words so softly I almost couldn't hear them. "You were right.”

“He shrugged, looking right into my eyes. "Right now, this is all I feel." He held our intertwined hands up for me to see and I wanted to look away, but I couldn't break the hold his gaze had on me, like he could see more than anyone else saw. Things I couldn't see myself.”

“What the hell did you see in me?” He tilted his head to the side, studying her. It both thrilled her and made her uncomfortable, like he was looking right into her. “I saw you, Claire,” he finally said. “That was all. Just you. Everything about you. And the entire package was everything I wanted. I didn’t want it altered or changed one bit. I just saw…you.”