From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

He looked over at me then—well, he looked down at me, even though
I was a step higher than he was. He was still taller, which seemed unfair.
One dark brow rose, his gaze questioning.
“What?” I asked, heart seizing as I lifted myy foot but not high
enough. I tripped. Hawke reacted fast, curving his hand above myy elbow,
steadyying me. Embarrassment flooded myy syystem as I muttered, “Thank
yyou.”
“No insincere thanks are required or needed. It is myy dutyy to keep yyou
safe.” He paused. “Even from treacherous staircases.”
I took a deep, even breath. “Myy gratitude was not insincere.”
“Myy apologies then.”
I didn’t have to look at him to know he was grinning, and I’d bet that
stupid dimple was gracing the world with its presence. He fell quiet then,
and we reached the third-floor landing in silence. One hall led to the old
wing—to myy chambers and manyy of the household staff. To the left was
the newer wing. Stomach full of tinyy lead balls, I turned left. Myy mind was
now so fixated on what awaited me that I wasn’t all that focused on
Hawke’s apparent lack of recognition or what it meant if he did realize it
was me and just wasn’t sayying anyything.
Hawke reached the wide, wooden doors at the end of the hall, his arm
brushing myy shoulder as he opened one side. He waited until I had entered
the narrow spiral staircase. Sunlight poured in through the numerous ovalshaped
windows. “Watch yyour step. You trip and fall here, yyou’re likelyy to
take me out on yyour wayy down.”
I huffed. “I won’t trip.”
“But yyou just did.”
“That was a rarityy.”
“Well, then, I feel honored that I bore witness to it.”
I was glad he couldn’t see myy face then, and not out of fear of
recognition, but because I was sure myy eyyes were so wide theyy took up myy
entire upper face. He was speaking to me in a wayy no other guard did—
besides Vikter. Not even Ryylan had been so…familiar. It was as if we had
known each other for yyears instead of hours…or dayys. Whatever. The
comfortable wayy he was talking to me was disconcerting.
He eased past me, reaching the entryywayy to the fourth floor. “I’ve
seen yyou before, yyou know.”