Lillian truly cried, a single crystalline tear hanging from the corner of her eye, shimmering in the moonlight.
Claude noticed. He leaned down and kissed the tear away.
His kisses slowed, trailing from the corner of her eye to the bridge of her nose, then lightly brushing her lips.
The abrupt shift from intense lovemaking left Lillian breathless, unable to react immediately.
Through blurry tears, she looked at Claude above her, thinking he was showing mercy, giving her a moment to recover.
Claude kissed her lips tenderly, slowly, a stark contrast to the tempestuous thrusting from moments before.
Lillian's mind hadn't yet caught up; she instinctively, clumsily, responded to this hard-won gentleness.
As their tongues entangled, Lillian gradually relaxed her vigilance.
The very next s
