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And fuck, I do.

Her laugh might be the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard. Not because it’s loud or perfect, but because it’s hers. Because every time it slips past that carefully guarded composure, I get to see a little more of the woman she keeps hidden from the rest of the world.

She tilts her head, studying me.

“Why?”

I frown. “Why what?”

“Why do you like it?”

For once in my life, I don't have to think about my answer. “Because when you laugh, Artemis, you make me believe there are still beautiful things in this fucked-up world.”

Her smile falters.

I lean back slightly, keeping my eyes on hers.

“You make me want to pick up a pen and write a thousand fucking songs.”

Her breath catches.

“I…”

She stops.

A flicker of panic in those honey eyes, so quick and unexpected that it nearly knocks the breath out of me. I’ve seen Artemis face cameras, crowds, and the kind of pressure that would make most people crumble. I’ve watched her stare down the world without so much as blinking.

But a compliment?

Apparently, that’s what brings the Ice Princess to her knees.

Fuck.

She’s adorable.

“You don’t have to say anything, baby.”

“I—I thank you.”

The words come out quietly, and she looks almost shy as she says them.

My heart squeezes.

She’s embarrassed. Maybe overwhelmed. Maybe she simply doesn’t know what to do with the fact that someone sees her as more than the diamonds, the headlines, and the perfect woman the world expects her to be.

And I don’t want to make her uncomfortable.

I steal a piece of food from one of the side dishes and lean back in my chair.

“Tell me something nobody knows about you.”

She considers this for approximately half a second.

“My father killed his father.”

I nearly choke.

“What?”