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She waited, but didn’t say anything.
After taking a deep breath, he leaned in again. Pain sparked through his lips as he made contact again.
“Ouch.” He inched away and dropped his head to his hands. She waited quietly as he counted to eleven.
The third attempt, he only made it to seven.
The next time, when the pain came, she tried to back away, but he reached out and held her cheeks. “Can you just... stay here? Let me get used to the feel of your lips on mine?” He counted to seven and then leaned in. She froze as he pressed her lips to his and continued to talk. “I need to get used to the pain. Let’s talk about something.”
She laughed. “What?
“I’m serious. Let’s talk about something, anything.”
“You want to have a conversation while our lips are touching?”
“Sure, if it distracts me.”
“Fine, but I’m going to close my eyes.”
He chuckled, and for a moment, he forgot what they were doing. But then he watched her eyes dance behind her closed lids. She was beautiful. He caressed one side of her cheek as he kissed her again.
His pain became a numbing sensation, and he closed his eyes and deepened the kiss. Something in his chest stirred as she responded enthusiastically, almost too much and pressed harder against his lips.
He backed away, bringing a tiny pout to her lips.
“That... was good,” she said smiling. “How was it for you?”
“It was... better than I imagined it could be, but I need a break.”
Her hands traced the lines in his face. “I think you deserve a cookie.”
He chuckled and was grateful to lean back against the couch while she moved away to retrieve the plate. She handed it to him, and he chose a lemon-flavored macaron.
She picked up a lime one and munched on it thoughtfully. His gaze fell to her lips and the desire to pull her back into his arms grew. He hadn’t expected for things to go so well. It almost... scared him how much progress they had made in a few minutes.
“Are you in pain?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Not exactly. I just feel funny. Kind of lightheaded, maybe a little nauseous. And I think I’m done experimenting for the day.”
A hint of disappointment passed over her face, but she hid it well the next second. “Well, that was definitely a big step, but we have plenty of time to perfect it.” She handed him the plate. “You deserve every single one.”
Relief washed over him as he took the plate and scooted away again. Even though they’d shared a moment, he could clearly see her need of physical touch increasing. She looked over at his mouth with interest as he took his first bite.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled.
“Don’t be. That last kiss was amazing.”
“Right. If only I could make some progress with Sabum in class. He looked ready to murder me at the last practice.”
“I know it doesn’t seem like it right now, but you’re doing amazing. Slow and steady will win the race, and I’m just glad I get to be here for it.”
He took her hand and squeezed her fingers. Somehow, he knew she was right. If he had her, he could do anything.
20
Hannah
On Monday afternoon, Hannah led the way down the steps to their spot for lunch, talking animatedly about the relay races she’d competed in against the other staff.
