Mae’s smile lit something in Riven, something deep and rare. And the fact that she didn’t flinch, didn’t pull away, that she smiled at him after their first kiss? That was everything. He didn’t wait this time. Riven leaned in again, this time slower, deeper, his hands gently cupping her face as he kissed her like he’d been holding that need back for years instead of days. The kind of kiss that wasn’t rushed, but meant. Mae didn’t hesitate.
Her breath hitched softly as she leaned into him, her hands rising to grip his arms, pulling him closer. She could feel the warmth of his skin through the sleeves of his shirt, the strength in the way he held her, but not tightly, not possessively. Safely. Intimately. Like she mattered. There was something different in this second kiss.
Something deepe
