When Elise and Arthur parted away, her heart was still pounding.
The kiss was brief, yet it left her longing, encapsulating all her conflicts and anxieties in that fleeting moment. She heard Arthur's response. His tenderness and firmness almost made her drop her guard.
She was still gripping Arthur's shoulders, and her breathing was uneven. After a while, she realized that she was sitting on Arthur's lap, her arms wrapped around his neck.
This position made her cheeks flush, and instinctively, she wanted to get up, but he pressed gently on her waist.
Their foreheads touched, and Elise could feel his breath lightly on her face, the closeness making her heart race faster. She unconsciously traced the buttons on his shirt as if this could calm her down a little.
Last night's argument, he
