Stood

Standing this close, he noticed how long her lashes were even without mascara. She was certainly not an exceptional beauty like the ones who kept him company, but he could not stop looking at her eyes. There was something about her which captivated him, but not in the way a full chest or a tight rump did. Rather, he regarded her in the same light he saw an adorable child. His long-untapped paternal instinct bubbled in his chest at the sight of her visage, making him forget all at once that she was an intruder and that he was fearing for his life.