Lyra’s POV
His mouth was warm against mine, and for a moment I couldn’t react. My whole body went still because I didn’t know if he was going to pull away or if this was another way to silence me. I waited for him to step back, but he didn’t. His hand stayed on the back of my neck, steady and sure, and his other hand came to my waist, pulling me closer until my chest pressed against his.
I froze again, but this time it wasn’t fear. It was the shock of how gentle he was being, even though his grip was firm. His lips moved slowly, like he was giving me time, and something inside me loosened. The heat in my chest spread down my stomach and I felt myself lean into him without thinking. My hands lifted and touched his shirt, and I held on to the fabric because I needed something to steady mys
