Page 20 of Pallas & Kawehi

Pallas opened his mouth to speak and found his lips dry, likely from nerves around her. He licked at his lips to ease the tight stretch and pull.

She mirrored his movements and he found himself focused on her lips. Plump and full, he wanted to feel those lips against his.

"Is it wrong," he let out a breath, "that I want to kiss you, right now?"

Her mouth curved up in a smile for a moment and then he saw it falter.

"Too much?" He hoped that she'd say no, but he also hoped that whatever she said was the truth. He didn't want her to say something just to make him happy. He had a feeling that she'd done too much of that around... him.

He lifted his hands from her hips and felt the loss of her heat immediately. "I should-"

"No." Her answer seemed to shock her. Her eyes widened and her tongue swept over her lips again.

The delicate, feminine movement wreaked havoc on his heart and all the other places where blood was furiously pumping.

"Not too much." She gently caught at his wrists and settled his hands back to her hips. "I don't want you to go just yet."

He smiled and another breeze cooled the back of his neck. It was a good thing. Fortuitous.

Pallas had a feeling that heat wasn't going to be a problem around Kawehi. Cooling down? That was going to be the hard part.

"I liked those games we played," he swallowed and met her gaze with his own unerring look, "but there was a lot of noise and I wanted to talk with you."

Her gaze dipped away for a moment. "I know what you mean. So many voices, but when we did talk, and you leaned in closer, I felt your breath on my cheek." She gave him a smile that settled right in his chest. "It felt like we were really... close."

"Close?" He leaned in until they were almost nose to nose. "Like this?"

He felt her body shift under his hands. She stepped back against the wall and a moment later he felt her hands settle on the sides of his waist.

"Close," she bit into the side of her lower lip, "but I think we were... a little closer."

"I think you're right." He had a feeling that he just might spontaneously combust if he got any closer, but he wasn't about to stop.

Not yet.

He leaned in another... inch or so? He had to turn his head ever-so-slightly so that he didn't bump his nose against hers. He didn't want to look like he'd never kissed before.

And that's what he was hoping might happen.

"Better?"

They were close enough to each other that she had to look down at a steep angle to see.

"Closer, I think." She drew in a breath and the sound in his ears sounded like the soft sweep of waves over the sand. "I can't feel your breath on my cheek yet."

What the lady wanted, he told himself, he'd give it to her.

He moved one foot forward and felt the toe of his shoe touch hers, but she didn't startle or pull away.

Pallas leaned in until he could feel her heat against his cheek. The warmth of her skin was there but they weren't physically touching. "Now?"

Before she answered, he felt her shiver through the contact he had with his hands on her body.

"I can feel you."

Her answer seemed to have more layers than the one at the surface, but he wasn't going to take anything for granted.

She'd been taken for granted too long.