I'm back from a trip to the Netherlands, so this took a little longer than expected. Thanks everybody for reading, I really appreciate it. :)
A Sweet Taste
3. Almost
His lips tasted like she had expected. A mixture of cigarettes, alcohol, and a slight pinch of salt. Though, they were surprisingly soft and very inviting. She was thrilled that her own movements were so stable and that the kiss almost felt natural to her until she noticed Sanji's warm breath nervously stroking her cheek. His whole body was trembling under her touch and seemed almost stiff and slightly fragile. Not wanting to harm her, or even to touch her, he simply gulped in confusion and tried to find some answers in her still closed eyes.
As Nami's eager confidence began to fade, she felt a wave of embarrassment rushing over her. Maybe she had the calculations wrong or Sanji was more of a gentleman and less of a pervert than she had thought. To be honest, she had always imagined he would have been more excited about a situation like this. Or at least that he would have been more involved. For God's sake, she had made a move on him! How could he simply resist every urge to do at least something about it. Something useful for once.
Before she opened her eyes she tried to ignore the pressure around them. Every second that passed seemed to last for an eternity and his silent stare was not helping at all. Quite the opposite, it made her nervous and uncomfortable.
"Nami-san, I.. I", Sanji was the first to break the imaginary wall of silence but failed to complete his sentence and was suddenly more interested to observe the little dust particles on his shoes. It appeared that Nami's plan had failed in every possible way and that the treasure could actually never be hers. When she finally opened her eyes she threw a short glance at the door to the storing room, feeling all bitter and disappointed. Damn it, she was so close. So very close. Although she knew that money alone could never replace true happiness and that she would probably break Sanji's heart in the pursuit of her shallow dreams, she decided to actually give it another try. Well, he was most likely not taking advantage of the situation because he thought she was drunk. Silly cook. All the alcohol she had been giving him was to prevent this unnecessary thinking but at least it proved he was a quite sincere and sweet guy. Though not very helpful from her point of view.
"Sanji-kun", her voice was lower than expected even if it did underline the partially faked desperation she wanted to portray, "please, kiss me." As she waited for his answer she brought their bodies closer once more and pressed her well build breasts seductively against his chest. Trailing his features she moved her hands up and down, trying to corner him with daring touches. She moistened her lips as the distance between them became less and less. "Please", she repeated while her facial expressions spoke one lustful and demanding language she knew every man would understand. In hopeful anticipation she closed her eyes until only a vague picture of Sanji's face remained, which was gently stroked by her own irregular and hot breath.
Time seemed to pass at the slowest speed possible or appeared to stop instantly as she felt a rather delicate, almost non-existent, touch. He had answered and was softly pressing his lips against her own. Enjoying the tender kiss, a complete difference to the brute forceful one earlier, she let out a sigh of unexpected felicity as he finally found the courage to nest his fingers in her hair and slightly moved his head to intensify the simple touch. A warm, very cosy feeling began to expand inside of her and she almost bemoaned the moment she had to inhale for another breath, reminding her that time hadn't come to a complete stop. Since her eyes had magically closed in the process her other senses started to develop a greater importance and as she felt Sanji's thumbs caressing her temples, her own hands moved along his hip line to the slender features of his back.
One thing was clear: he was a remarkable kisser. If all cooks were like this she would have given it a try years ago. Though it still wouldn't change the fact that she liked to be the one in control. The one pulling the strings. As much as she enjoyed soft and tender kisses, this was not what she initially wanted. Adjusting the ankle a little she slightly opened her lips and made room for Sanji to explore the rest of her mouth. It took him a moment to realise the forwarding signal Nami had send but as his right hand moved down to her back he deepened the kiss as well as their hugging body contact. A deep, very seducing moan filled their surroundings when he finally touched her tongue with his own. Shy at first but growing more demanding he moved his lips to the rhythm she provided. It was almost perfect.
Almost. While Nami was struggling to fully loose herself in the kiss – and her left hand buried in his blond hair was a very good indication – she tried really hard to keep an eye on the store close to them. Loosing control of the situation would be the worst thing imaginable and she definitely wanted, no she needed, that map. If only his lips weren't so distracting.
Observing the store as best as she could she noticed that the bartender started to pile empty cases and beer barrels. It was almost time. Feeling that their little 'show-act' was in need of a more convincing set-up she grabbed Sanji's right hand, still resting well-behaved on her back, and manoeuvred it down to the silk fabric of her blue skirt. Just to be certain the owner wouldn't notice anything suspicious or unusual of course.