Her voice is fragile, soft in a way that cracks something open in my chest.
My gaze drops from her wide eyes to her lips, parted slightly. The air crackles between us, thick with unspoken words and a tension.I can’t stop myself.
I lean in slowly, deliberately, giving her every chance to pull away, to stop me. She doesn’t. She stays right there, eyes locked on mine, her breath hitching as her body trembles faintly.
Then I press my lips to hers.
I kiss her gently, cherishing this moment for as long as I can.
Her lips are warm and soft against mine. Her breathcoming out in jerky little pants. I’m not sure if it’s from excitement or nerves, so I cautiously hold back.
My hand comes up to cup her jaw, slow and unthreatening, my thumb stroking the sweet skin there. I taste her, a hint of honey and something uniquely Tansy, and I let out a low, contented rumble.
This is what I’ve been starving for.
This quiet, intimate moment where the world shrinks to the two of us.
Tansy lets out the quietest whimper, and I pull back enough to breathe.
Her eyes are dark and bright all at once, lashes fluttering and cheeks flushed like she’s been warmed from the inside out. She looks dazed in the sweetest way.
I lift my thumb again, brushing it along her cheekbone, memorizing the way she leans into the touch without even thinking about it.
“You’re so beautiful,” I say, my words coming out rougher than I mean them to.
Tansy’s breath stutters at that, and she ducks her head, shy, but I don’t let her disappear completely. My fingers slide lower, finding the thick braid draped over her shoulder. I wrap it slowly around my hand, feeling the weight of it, the softness. It feels intimate in a way I hadn’t expected, like she’s trusting me with something precious.
Then I slowly tug, making her lift her head.
“You okay?” I ask quietly.
“Um.” She rocks from one foot to the other like she’s uncomfortable, then her expression shifts.
It’s subtle. A tightening around her eyes.
Then her shoulders pull in, like she’s suddenly realized how small the room is and how close I am. Her smile fades and the scent of fear fills mylungs.
My stomach drops.
Fuck.
I release Tansy’s braid instantly, my hand falling away as I step back a full pace. Then another. “I’m sorry.” I reach for the pantry door, opening it wide, then lift my hand in a clear, open gesture. “You must be hungry.”
Tansy freezes.
For half a second, she doesn’t move at all, like her body is bracing for something horrible. Her eyes flicker to my hands, to the open doorway, to the space I’ve put between us. Confusion crosses her face first. Then disbelief.
I don’t say a word. I stay put.
Then slowly, cautiously, she shifts her weight. Her shoulders stay tucked in as she inches toward the door, like she’s not entirely convinced I won’t change my mind at the last second and attack her. She ducks her head as she passes me, braid slipping over her shoulder, gaze fixed on the floor.
I hold my breath until she’s clear of me.
Only then do I move, turning slightly so my body is angled away, making the path unmistakably open. I don’t follow her. I let her go, even though every instinct in me wants to stay close.
She slips out into the kitchen, pauses there for a heartbeat, staring at my face, before she walks off.
I’m left standing in the pantry, heart pounding, wondering what the hell scared her.
