---
Their foreheads touched. Their breaths mixed. The lamp painted a small wing of gold on the wall and the mountain hummed like a low drum under the bed. Luna kept both hands over Kai's hand where it lay across her belly. He kept his voice low and steady.
"Tell me what feels good. Tell me what you need."
"Stay right here," she whispered. "Hold me close. Do not rush."
He did as she asked. He kissed the corner of her mouth, then the other corner. He kissed the arch of her cheekbone and the small place where jaw meets neck. She turned toward him and the kiss grew deeper. It was patient and warm. It had the weight of a promise that begins at the door and is kept inside a home.
