Arthur was utterly spellbound. The rhythmic melody of the waves and the salt-kissed air seemed to vibrate in harmony with the proximity of Natalia, her voice a soft, tethering anchor calling him hers.
He had been wrong about so many things before, but he was certain of this: nothing in his life had ever reached such a pinnacle.
This was, unequivocally, the best moment of his existence. He couldn't suppress the wide, genuine smile that tugged at his lips, though a shy, warmth-filled flush deepened across his cheeks.
His gaze kept tethering itself to their intertwined fingers, as if his mind couldn't quite reconcile the reality of their touch. Natalia, ever perceptive, noted the way his eyes lingered.
Slowly, with a deliberate grace that forced Arthur to focus on every fleeting second, she raised their joined hands to her face. She held his gaze, her expression unyielding, before pressing a tender, lingering kiss to the back of his palm.
