His hands found her hips, the swell of them beneath a waist narrow enough that he could nearly span in entirely between the circle of his fingers. Tipping up his chin, he met her eyes, his expression clear and unguarded.

His nose brushed hers, feeling the flutter of her breath against his lips, dragging the moment out until it was sweet and aching. When his lips pressed against hers, it was soft, shallow, a tender acceptance that this was inevitable from the moment she'd first appeared in his kitchen.