That tiny contact made her slip the tea from her grasp.
Thud!
Aether muttered before her lips,
"You can't hide it from me, love… not now, not ever. I saw the way you looked at me on that stage. The shyness, the affection you tried to bury under that tyrant mask the whole world believes in."
His hand slid along her jaw.
"Don't try that with me. I feel it… I see it. And right now? I can tell exactly how much you want me."
Sandra's cheeks turned red as her eyes for a second lowered before she moved and kissed his lips roughly, her breath hitting his mouth before the kiss landed, soft for half a heartbeat… then suddenly hungry, desperate, as if she had held back for far too long.
Her fingers curled into his robe, pulling him closer with a force she didn't even try to hide.
