From up close, the Commander's eyes weren't as dark as Irene was expecting them to be, but they lacked the warmth they usually carried.
However, his proximity was paralyzing to her, and rather than escaping, she merely stared up at him with wide, green eyes. The expression he wore made her think she really might get reprimanded for running into him so abruptly, but the way he had caught her and made sure she didn't fall communicated something else.
It was probably only a second, but it felt like ages before his warm hand on her waist soon disappeared, and coldness took its place. He acted as if she were the flame and he didn't want to get hurt, but the truth was that it was she who realized just how warm he was before it was taken away.
Almost as terrifying as his proximity was his ability to hide away the hurt expression and lock it behind an incredibly fortified wall of self-control.
