The gentle play of fingers, the pull of her lips on his, sent a shiver trailing down his spine. It dawned on him that it had been a very long time since he had kissed a woman, and that yes, it was different, gentler somehow--and that it was good. Different, but the same, and she threaded a hand in his hair that he rubbed back against before he could help it, feeling comforted and--it hummed all through his skin, lazy easy desire that wasn't focused down, that mostly just wanted to touch back. How interesting.

His outer hand slipped from her ankle and smoothed upward, tracing the curving swell of her calf and squeezing carefully, fingers curling along the back of her knee. Ankle tendons ran all the way up the leg. This would help soothe the hurt.

She was cool and satiny under his hand.