Her legs tightened around his waist, holding him close as their kiss deepened again.
His mouth moved over hers with a hunger that was no longer hiding behind patience, yet every touch carried a restraint that revealed just how tightly he was holding himself back for her.
Her breath trembled against his lips. "Ashen…"
His name sounded different this time. Softer, needier, and for the first time, he let his smirk show fully.
"Keep saying my name like that," he whispered against her mouth, his words brushing heat across her skin, "or I might lose the little patience I have." She shivered.
Her blind eyes lifted toward him as her trembling fingers brushed his jaw, unsure but wanting. He caught her wrist gently, guiding her hand to his cheek so she could feel exactly where he was.
"There," he murmured. "Touch me properly." She swallowed and did, mapping his face with shy, searching fingers. He kissed her fingertips slowly, one by one, heat curling through his voice.
