Smiling, Gazing, Drowning
His eyes are gentle as he runs the fingertips of one hand over her cheek. She is very aware of his touch. Every inch of skin that his fingers trace over tingles pleasantly, persistently. The tenderness in his eyes only intensifies the feelings.
She moves slightly and suddenly he is cupping her face instead of just smoothing patterns over it and his is gazing at her with those eyes of his and she is drowning.
She wants more than anything for him to close the remaining distance between them and kiss her.
He doesn't.
Rather, he tucks an errant strand of hair behind her ear and strokes her cheek one last time. He smiles at her. "You okay?"
She nods, doesn't speak. She doesn't trust herself to speak.
His smile softens and he nods, taking a step back.
"Good," he says simply.
He looks at her as if he wants to say more, as if he wants to do more and she urges him silently on.
He turns.
She watches him leave and as she does so, she traces her face with her fingertips where his just laid claim on her.