Seeing his wife's flushed face and stubborn refusal to admit it, Ryan's heart softened. Cleo happened to be nowhere around, and the mindscape felt unusually quiet.
He reached out and pulled Mary into his arms, holding her close. His voice dropped, low and teasing. "You're still denying it? Just looking at you like this makes me miss you."
Mary struggled instinctively. After his cultivation breakthrough, his strength had clearly increased, and she couldn't break free at all. Instead of shouting, she protested in a low, annoyed voice, "What are you doing? Let go. It's too hot holding each other like this."
She felt it clearly. The temperature in the mindscape hadn't changed, yet once he hugged her, her whole body felt warm, almost overheated.
Ryan lowered his head slightly, bringing their faces close. Before Mary could say anything else, his lips brushed against hers. The kiss was gentle at first, then deepened naturally, filled with familiarity and longing rather than urgency.
