Peter Kraus is head over heels in love with Rachel Lindsay.
Whether or not he wins the final rose (see The Bachelorette spoilers for the latest on that subject) there is simply no doubting this fact.
The 31-year-old gap-toothed Wisconsin native has been charming Bachelor Nation since his very first moments on the ABC hit show.
Rachel appears to be equally charmed, for her part.
With his good looks, instant connection with Lindsay and emotional honesty, it’s no surprise that he’s emerged as a contender in 2017.
But what if … you know, it doesn’t work out?
There can be only one winner, after all, which means by the end of each Bachelor and Bachelorette season, there will be some heartbreak.
Among fans, and the contestants themselves. By the time we get down to the final 3-4, everyone remaining is a pretty strong candidate.
And, in turn, the potential next Bachelor star.
If you ask Peter about that – and Entertainment Tonight did – he doesn’t sound like a man focused on anything but wooing his true love.
“Right now to be completely honest, Rachel’s definitely my focus,” he revealed when pressed about being the 2018 season’s lead.
“I haven’t met anybody in my life quite like her, so if I can be that final person with Rachel at the end I will be the happiest man that I can possibly be.”
Wow. If that’s not a man in love, what is.
And this, despite saying in his high school yearbook that his dream is to be on The Bachelor (yes, he did, and yes, it’s been on that long).
So you KNOW he’s serious now!
(And also hot. See below.)
Again, you can read Bachelorette spoilers if that’s your thing, but some are interpreting this as a sign that he does in fact win this season.
Others say he could be playing it close to the vest, knowing he makes it far but not wanting to reveal whether he’s the last man standing.
Either way, the bond he has with Rachel is real. “I feel like we’ve had a good connection since the very start,” Kraus said of Lindsay.
“With Rachel’s it’s an instant connection.”
“I mean it’s not hard to connect with someone who’s that intelligent, sophisticated, adventurous, outgoing, all that.”
“She’s really all those things you kind of look for in a partner, so it was easy to fall for her real quick,” he added.
Clearly he’s a man with his eyes on the prize.
If Kraus were to become The Bachelor in 2018, he would no doubt be a popular figure, not to mention an attractive candidate.
Superficiality does play some role, after all.
Where do you think he’d rank among the hottest Bachelors of all time? And who do you think Rachel will choose this summer?
Hit the comments below to discuss!