Page 103 of Ascending
“Then, I would love to dance with you, Lizzy.”
“This is better than at the ball anyway,” Elizabeth said, pulling up her music app and searching for her song. “You would’ve been dancing with a Queen at my coronation, and we would have had to do some type of waltz; all eyes would have been on us.” She pressed play. “Now, it’s just the two of us, and you can hold me close if you want.”
“Oh, Iwant,” Palmer replied. “What song is this? I don’t recognize it.”
Elizabeth sat her phone down next to the flower she’d just given Palmer and answered, “A Love that Will Last.”
“Come here,” Palmer said, taking off her coat, hanging it on the only chair in the room, and holding out her arms.
Elizabeth walked into them, pressing her body against Palmer’s fully before resting her head on her shoulder, turning her face into Palmer’s neck. Palmer’s arms wrapped tightly around her as the slow, almost jazz ballad played in the background. Palmer’s head rested against Elizabeth’s shoulder, and they swayed back and forth, mostly using the dance as an excuse to hold on to one another. Outside the greenhouse, Elizabeth heard light tapping sounds; too light to be rain.
“It’s snowing,” she said when she opened her eyes to look outside.
“I’ve seen snow before,” Palmer muttered against Elizabeth’s neck. “I’ve never danced withyoubefore.”
Palmer’s lips touched Elizabeth’s skin, and Elizabeth shuddered at the contact.
“Sorry,” Palmer said, pulling her lips back a bit.
“No, don’t be,” Elizabeth told her. “Will you do it again?”
Palmer pressed her lips to Elizabeth’s neck again, lingering this time. Her hands also moved from around Elizabeth’s waist to rub up and down her back over her sweater.
“Under, Palmer,” she whispered into Palmer’s ear.
Palmer slid both hands under Elizabeth’s sweater and the shirt beneath. Her lips continued to place kisses on Elizabeth’s shoulder and neck.
“You feel so good,” Palmer said so softly, Elizabeth almost didn’t hear her.
“Palmer, I…”
“It’s okay. This is enough.” She kissed her again.
“No, that’s not…” Elizabeth leaned back to pull Palmer’s face up, cupping her cheeks. “I have no idea what the future holds, but today has been the best day I’ve had in a very long time, and it all started with waking up next to you.” She pressed her forehead to Palmer’s. “Thank you for sharing your family with me on a day I thought I’d be spending alone.” Elizabeth kissed Palmer’s nose. “And thank you for your gift. I can’t wait to read it.” She kissed her cheek. “And thank you for being so sweet and so patient with me.” She kissed Palmer’s other cheek. “And, God, I just need to kiss you right now.”
Palmer’s lips formed a small smile, and Elizabeth leaned in to kiss it. When their lips finally pressed together for their first real kiss, Elizabeth gasped and pulled back before she smiled and pressed them together again. She parted her lips to let Palmer know what she wanted. Palmer didn’t disappoint. Her hands on Elizabeth’s back pulled Elizabeth in tighter as their lips danced together. The song had ended already, but Elizabeth had wisely placed it on repeat and was now enjoying the slow start to it again as Palmer’s tongue moved into her mouth tentatively until Elizabeth met it with her own.
When Palmer moaned, Elizabeth sighed internally. She had only ever kissed one other person like this in her life, never letting any of those early kisses with boys get this far. It had been so long since she and Teagan had shared a kiss like this, and as the snow fell outside the greenhouse, the temperature inside the room went up. Palmer’s lips were fire. Elizabeth wanted more of them. She wanted them everywhere on her body, all at once. Palmer’s tongue was searching, exploring, and would then pull out, and Elizabeth would do exploring of her own. It was perfect, and she wanted more, but she wasn’t sure she was ready for more yet.
She worried she’d have to slow things down and that Palmer might be disappointed, but before she even had the chance, Palmer’s hands on her back slowed and stilled, and her lips pecked Elizabeth’s once and then again before she kissed her forehead.
“I know,” she said softly.
“You know?” Elizabeth asked, surprised she could even string two words together.
“We need to stop.”
“I don’t want to,” Elizabeth said. “I’d love to keep kissing you all night.” She moved Palmer’s dark hair behind both of her ears.
“Will you at least stay over tonight?” Palmer asked, sliding her hands out from under Elizabeth’s sweater and placing them on her hips instead.
“I’ll call security and ask them to bring–”
“You don’t need to. I have everything you need here. Just stay. Please. Tomorrow night, if you want, I can stay with you at the hotel.” Palmer kissed her sweetly.
“Okay,” Elizabeth replied. “You’re not upset I’m basically acting like a sixteen-year-old virgin and making you go this slow?”
Palmer smiled at her and said, “No, but I would like to kiss you more tonight when we get to my room.”