She felt him smile against her jawline, and the same feeling of contentment it signified radiating outward from him. She would have found it difficult to describe, the sudden presence of someone else in her mind. It was like nothing she'd ever felt before.

It multiplied her affection for him tenfold. That they could share this. That he had opened his mind to her so willingly.

Suddenly, it was all too much - keeping still and silent wasn't an option any longer. She whimpered softly as he dropped fleeting kisses along her jaw, turning her head to meet his lips with hers. She dropped her hand from his face - would it break the connection? She hoped not, but she had to touch.

Her hand found Ayel's breast, cupping it gently in her palm, her thumb beginning a rhythmic stroking across his nipple.