Broken luck

As the final notes of the music faded into the background, Mallory was left breathless from her shared closeness with Hadeon. With fluid grace, he slowly let his hand slide from her waist, leaving a lingering warmth in its wake. 

"Milady," he bent down with a gentleman's finesse, taking her hand and pressing a soft, lingering kiss to its back, his lips brushing her skin with a tantalising gentleness that made her heart swell in her chest. 

As Hadeon raised his head to look at her with his eyes meeting hers and his hand lowering hers as if returning it to her, he said, "Did I tell you how lovely you look tonight? Like a star that burns brightly even though it is surrounded by darkness. It is an admirable quality."

If Mallory's heart hadn't skipped a beat before, it certainly did now, the sound echoing loudly enough that Hadeon must have heard it. No one had ever uttered anything like that to her.