~Ava
The room was so quiet I could hear her heartbeat, fast and rabbit quick, under the thin cotton of her shirt.
She didn’t move.
Didn’t speak.
Didn’t say stop.
I took that as permission.
I shifted closer, slow as breathing, until our knees touched. Then I cupped her face with both hands, gently, reverent, the way no one had ever touched me when I needed it and brushed my lips against hers.
Once. Barely there.
A question.
She shivered, but her lips parted on a tiny exhale.
I kissed her again, softer, lingering this time, letting her taste me, letting her decide. When she kissed back, hesitant, curious, I felt it like a victory and a surrender all at once.
I kept it tender.
I kept my promise.
My thumbs stroked her cheeks as I tilted her head, deepening the kiss just enough
