Faye's POV
His silence didn't catch me off guard. I had grown used to it by now. But as the quiet dragged on, it became suffocating.
My throat felt dry despite the warm water surrounding me, yet I pushed myself to break the tension.
"Lord Hardy..." The title tumbled from my lips before I could catch it. Heat flooded my cheeks as I immediately wished I could take it back. "I don't think this is the right place for such things."
The words rushed out in a clumsy mess, and the instant they escaped, I wanted to disappear beneath the surface forever. My face burned with embarrassment. Marriage vows or not, I couldn't believe those words had actually left my mouth.
Even Hardy seemed taken aback. His eyebrows lifted slightly, his gaze sharpening with what looked like confusion rather than irritation, as though he was trying to decode my meaning.
He chose to ignore my outburst completely.
