You Look Beautiful

He told her often enough with words. And the sentiment was never diminished no matter how he told her. Cora had been praised for her beauty for most of her life, but it was always different to be told by the one person whose opinion truly mattered to her. It was different to be told she looked beautiful by the man she loved.

Sometimes, though, Robert wouldn't tell her with his voice. She could see it in his eyes. She could see the way his jaw would drop for a fraction of second before he smiled and his eyes would sparkle as they roved up and down her body.

The best way he ever told her she was beautiful, though, was with his kiss. She always recognized those kisses immediately. His lips would press against hers once and then he would move his lips over hers with a heated urgency. His tongue would swipe lightly against her bottom lip, and Cora would feel her heart flip upside down in her chest. He would always pull back, then. Sometimes that was the end of it. They would smile at each other, and he would offer her his arm to lead her out to wherever they were going that had created the occasion for her to look beautiful. But other times, he would lean in and kiss her again, more passionately. His intent then was always quite obvious, and Cora was eager to be swept into those passions as well.

It was always that specific kiss that he gave her that always meant you look beautiful, but that was the wonderful thing about being in love with her husband: Cora felt beautiful whenever Robert kissed her.