Kissing Him

*Ainslee*

Rafe’s arms are around me again. I take in deep breaths of his floral, woodsy scent, and want to stay this way forever. We stand like that for minutes, or maybe hours, I can’t tell. Then I pull away. “We can’t,” I say brokenly, pressing my hands against Rafe’s marble chest. “We just… we can’t. I can’t, right now.”

“Okay.” Rafe captures one of my hands and kisses my fingertips. “Not now.”

I want to say the responsible thing. I want to say ‘not ever,’ but I know I won’t. I can’t. And it will happen again. And again. It’s just a matter of time.

“Tell me about your big adventure,” Rafe interrupts my thoughts. “Did you… spend a lot of time with… the king?”

I know what he means, and I know how hard it was to force himself to say it. “I didn’t spend time with the king except in the carriage and in public. When we stopped at various places, I had my own room.”

Rafe sags with relief.

“Would that mean so much to you?” I ask slowly. “I mean, someday, I’m supposed to… spend time… with