Meg & Leo: Chapter 8

First kisses...(p.s consent is sexy)

Are you ready for more? I’m #sorrynotsorry I left you (and Meg and Leo!) on a cliffhanger last time, so here’s what happens next to hopefully satisfy your appetite 😉 Warning: spicy scene incoming!

If you’ve missed any previous chapters, here’s a quick rundown:

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7

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I managed to hold myself back with the same polite and restrained applause as the rest of the audience at the end of the concert, and to behave with enough decorum to gather my coat and make my way out calmly with everyone else, but once I make it to our agreed meeting place and see Leo walking towards smiling everything breaks free and I fling myself at him.

With my arms around him and my face pressed into the curve of his neck, the first thing to strike me as I gush my appreciation and then haul in a breath is his scent.

Warm and rich, a heady mix of sandalwood and citrus and the underlying aroma of him. His heated skin radiating an unmistakable masculinity that is intoxicating.

I have to pull away before I succumb to its allure, but I’m only granted a split second to take in the raw expression on his face as he rasps out my name, before he’s kissing me.

Leo Blake. Kissing me.

His mouth claims mine in a fierce crash of lips, his slanting against mine in a way that both demands what he wants and invites me to take what I need too.

So I do.

I meet the energy I feel vibrating through him with desire of my own, my fingers diving into the dark lengths of the hair at his nape, finally feeling how thick and soft it is, and raising myself up on tiptoes which has the dual benefit of bringing me even closer to his mouth, and pressing my body tighter against the hard strength of his. I’m aware of his arms around my waist and his hands that have found their way inside my coat, pressing into the muscles of my back, the warmth penetrating the fabric of my dress and making my body melt and burst into flames all at once.

I know I haven’t been kissed in a really long time, but even I remember that none of the previous ones were anything like this.

Confident, needy but giving, as if he’s pouring everything into it while hoping it’ll slake some deep thirst.

I don’t want it to end.

But suddenly Leo wrenches his mouth from mine, takes a step back that leaves me unsteady on my feet, and gulps in air, a look of shock on his face. I suspect there’s a similar one on mine.

“Oh my god, Meg, I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have done that, I should have asked you first, I didn’t mean…I just…” He scrubs a hand over his face, his eyes ablaze with confusion. “You look incredible tonight, and seeing you here, and with the music, and I always get a bit worked up after playing like that…but I shouldn’t have forced myself on you…I’m so sorry…”

The horror and regret on his face is genuine, and it makes me respect him more that he would apologise.

The fact that my lips are still tingling and every nerve ending in my body feels electric, an urgent heat has pooled between my legs and I’m struggling to breathe myself – not to mention that I was an equally enthusiastic participant in that kiss must surely tell him his advances weren’t unwelcome?

He’s still stood a foot away from me, his shoulders tense and his hands clenched at his sides (I’m hoping that means he’s trying not to reach out to me again), his chest heaving, and a storm of emotions swirling in his eyes below brows drawn together in worry.

He looks so guilty and apologetic that I can’t help but take a step forward, moving in closer to him again, my hands lifting to rest in the centre of his chest, hoping that my warmth will seep in and help calm the racing heart I can feel pounding under my fingertips.

“No, Leo, please, don’t apologise. It’s fine. More than fine. It was…” A shuddering sigh escapes me, my warmth breath curling in the cool air between us. “It was…I wanted you to kiss me. It was…wonderful. And in case you didn’t notice, I was right there with you, definitely not pushing you away.”

I let one hand smooth its way up the front of his shirt, over the ridge of his collarbone to find the bare skin of his neck, my fingers sweeping the tense line of his jaw and feeling the twitch of a muscle under my touch, before my thumb finds the corner of his mouth and I let the pad stroke once over his lower lip. I hear the catch in his breath and can’t help a small smile.

I might still feel like a quivering mess, but he’s not unaffected either. Which is a remarkably powerful feeling.

……

The feel of her hand on my skin is soothing, calming some of the torrent of emotion and desire coursing through me after that kiss. But at the same time, I want to let my tongue dart out to taste the thumb that barely grazes my lips, to suck it into my mouth before I take hers again.

I don’t often let my emotions overwhelm me like that, but something about Meg has pulled me in since the first time I saw her, and I couldn’t not kiss her with my arms full of her curves and her scent making my head swim and my body combust.

But I should have been more of a gentleman about it, rather than trying to devour her like a ravening animal.

Her words finally penetrate my brain, and I take in her expression of tender forgiveness and concern mixed with wicked feminine confidence, and yes, that flicker of desire too.

“Are you sure?” I manage to get out, “I would never want to take advantage or hurt you…”

She smiles, her hand still cupping my jaw and her thumb swiping gentle strokes that begin to persuade my teeth to unclench.

“I’m sure. Really. I…if it didn’t sound completely cheesy and awful I’d say thank you for kissing me…” Her eyes dip and she blushes adorably. “I…I’ve wanted you to almost since you caught me falling off that ladder. And I understand, about the music and the getting worked up I mean…it was…Leo, you were…well, I feel it too.”

Her smile quirks up on one side, and her emerald gaze is direct, warmth smouldering and causing an answering heat in my own eyes. I bring one hand over hers where it’s still resting over my heart which is still thudding against my ribcage, but gradually settling now that I know I haven’t scared her off.

“I…” I start but have to swallow hard and collect my thoughts before continuing. “Seeing you in the audience tonight, watching you as I played, it was…you looked like you understood everything I was trying to say through the music, and I…well I don’t think I’ve ever experienced that with anyone before. And then when I saw you out here, it was like…like I had to know what you were feeling, and the only way I could show you how I felt was by…kissing you…”

Her blush deepens, and her breathing is shallower, her pupils dilated in the dim light, and I finally lift my hand to trace the line of her cheek with my thumb, my fingers cupping the curve of her jaw. Her skin is so soft, cool to touch in the chilly night air, but warm underneath.

“Now that I’ve…” I huff out a chuckle, “got that out of my system, can I…can I kiss you again? I’ll be gentler this time,” I promise, hoping I’ll be able to keep it.

Her eyes twinkle and crinkle up at the corners when she smiles this time, nodding her permission as she moves in closer, her face coming to meet mine, the space between us narrowing until I only just catch her whispered “Yes…please…” before her lips meet mine.

This time, now that I have her consent, and the memory of her earlier response, I’m able to temper my own enthusiasm. This kiss is softer, sweeter, a much less frenzied exploration. A give and take, questions and answers as we each learn the other.

Her cool fingers tangled in the back of my hair send shivers down my spine, and my hands, though they really want to be everywhere at once, are content for now to anchor her against me with one at the small of her back and one caressing the soft skin of her neck.

Time seems to stand still, moonlight and shadows cocooning us from the rest of the world. The barest wisp of a thought flits through my head.

I don’t think I ever want to stop kissing Meg.