Their mouths met again, and this time there was no carefulness, no hesitation between lips and tongue, only heat and pull, the kind of kiss that didn't ask or wait but took.
She felt herself melting into it, into him, into the weight of his body and the pressure of his hand as it moved lower, down past her waist, slow and steady, until it slipped beneath the waistband of her pants.
She shifted against him, lifting her hips in silent surrender, and he tugged the fabric down her thighs, dragging it over her skin with a patience that made her shiver.
The cool air followed the path of his hands, chasing the heat he left behind, and when his mouth pulled from hers, she made a sound of protest, breathless and wanting.
He didn't answer.
He looked at her, dark eyes steady, quiet, unreadable, and said only one word.
"Easy."
Then he stood.
