Gazing upward into darkness, she exhaled in tiny gasps, feeling her blood pound beneath his fingertips.
He slid his fingers beneath the collar of the cloak, curving them to cradle the base of her neck. His palm pressed against the side of her throat.
The air in her lungs rushed past her parted lips in a long whimpering sigh. Her eyes closed and she sagged against the bars of the portcullis, going limp from the sensation of his warm skin against hers. She dimly realized that his left hand had closed around her upper arm, supporting her. The hand at her throat had also moved, sliding around to support her head. She kept her eyes closed, trying to will strength back into her trembling legs. Finally she managed to straighten her knees and stand a bit more steadily, still leaning against the portcullis to keep her balance. His left hand loosened its hold - seemed about to let go of her completely - then his palm pressed against the edge of her arm and swept upward to clasp her shoulder. The lining of the cloak rubbed against her skin, transferring his movement through the thick material into a smooth silken caress. She could feel goosebumps forming on her arms.
She would never remember how to breathe properly if he kept touching her like that, she mused dazedly.
Her stomach muscles clenched involuntarily as his fingers tightened, bunching the material at her shoulder. The lining moved upward, kssing the edge of her shoulderblade in a long, flowing wave of silk.
The hand at the back of her head slowly withdrew, sliding down her neck, under the collar, warm palm leisurely brushing her throat, finally pulling away to rest hesitant fingertips on the clasp that nestled between her collarbones. She cautiously lowered her chin but couldn't look at him directly, choosing instead to stare off to one side, trying to pick out where the blackness of his shoulder ended and the surrounding darkness began. She made no sound, no move to stop him, but neither did she make any sign of encouragement. She chose to simply wait.
If it happened...it happened.
For one tense, anticipatory eternity, neither moved. Then his fingers closed over the clasp, opening it. Nudging the collar out of the way, he touched two fingertips to the hollow of her throat, tracing the ridges of bone beneath her skin.
His fingers were trembling ever so slightly.
The hand on her shoulder was clenching and relaxing...clenching and relaxing...
She suddenly knew that the next move was hers to make; he would go no further without her express permission. She saw quite clearly that the time for hesitation was long past; there could be no holding back, no passivity on her part.
This was going to happen.
Locking her eyes with his, she unclenched her hands, letting the edges of the cloak drop, and stepped forward to wrap her arms around his waist.. The cloak fell from her shoulders, the lining slithering down her back as it plunged to the floor. His arms wrapped around her, one palm covering her left shoulderblade, the other resting against her ribs. She leaned against him, every inch of her - from her knees to her forehead - pressed against his warm, solid body. Lifting her head from his shoulder, she leaned forward and kissed the side of his throat, feeling him tremble against her.
She rose slightly on the balls of her feet, rubbing the entire length of her body against his as she moved. Using this added height, she trailed tiny kisses up his throat. Pressing her lips against his skin, she opened her mouth and touched the tip of her tongue to his surging pulse. His whole body jerked and she smiled, pleased by his reaction.
Slowly she pulled back, brushing her cheek against his jaw. She realized that the mask did not hide his entire face; his chin and mouth were uncovered. Looking up, she met his eyes.
He lowered his head....her eyes fluttered shut as their lips touched. Heat uncoiled in her stomach, spreading out to cover every inch of her body.
She melted against him, fusing her mouth to his, telling him without words how much she loved him, assuring him that she would never, ever leave him.
