The Ice Queen's Comeback
A sudden, deep softness crossed his severe features, a look he only ever allowed me to see when we were completely shielded from the world.
"The dorms are going to be freezing, Anastasia," he murmured, his voice dropping into a rough, quiet register. "They shut down the central heating in the residential wings during the holidays to save on utilities."
"I'll manage," I said, offering him a faint, defiant smile. "I'm the Ice Queen, remember? The cold doesn't bother me."
He let out a low, breathy chuckle, his eyes darkening as they drifted to my lips. "Stubborn. Always so damn stubborn."