She hid her face behind her hair as they fell in front of her face. With him walking beside her, she looked short and more petite. His towering and muscular body always intimidated her and the others around him.
Yet, Kaelith surprised Amara with his gentle hold on her hand. As they neared an ice cream stall, the scent of waffle cones and sugary delights filled the air. Kaelith noticed the rumble in Amara's stomach.
Amara’s mouth watered at the sight. “I didn’t realize how much I was craving this.” She shyly muttered as Kaelith looked down at her.
His heart skipped a beat. In the season, she was in his tunes, now day and night were one when she was with him. In his wakeful eyes, her desire adorned itself.
Kaelith chuckled,“Well, let's fix that, shall we?”
They approached the ice cream stall, the vibrant colors mirrored in the sky's changing palette. Kaelith helped Amara choose a flavor with a teasing glint in his eyes. His unexpected gentleness tugged at the edges of her heart.
He softly muttered.“Chocolate or vanilla?” She placed her finger under her chin wondering. Kaelith knew she’d chosen chocolate over anything.
And it didn’t surprise him when she said,“Chocolate.”
Henibbledonhislipsandlethisgazelingeronherbeforelookingattheman.Hisgaze immediately hardened and his expression turned cold. The man flinched at the sudden change as Kaelith muttered without any emotion.
“One chocolate.”
The man nervously nodded and made a full cone. Amara asked.“Do you not want it?”
“No. I don’t eat ice-creams.” He said ushering her towards the bench after paying.
“Then don’t ask me to give you a bite later.” She grumbled thinking how could someone resist the temptation of Ice cream.
Kaelith looked at her while she indulged in devouring the ice cream, a small drop of melting ice cream escaped down her knuckles. Kaelith noticed immediately and pulled out his handkerchief from the pants.
He gently wiped her knuckles as she looked startled at him.“You don't want to get your hands messy now, do you?”
The touch was harmless yet filled with an unspoken intimacy that lingered in the air. Amara caught off guard felther heart flutter. The warmth of the evening was not just from the fading sun. But his occasional touches.
So harmless…. yet dangerous for her heart.
Amara quickly pulled her hand back.“I-I’ll clean it.” She took his handkerchief and roughly wiped her knuckles.“Thank you.”
Kaelith bit his lips, his gaze lingering on the small amount of chocolate on the side of her mouth etching his fingers to wipe it. He could hear Amara fumbling with her words but his intense gaze zeroed on her lips.
“You didn’t have—” Amara stilled. So suddenly like an erect tree, his thick fingers brushed against her lips. It was like she was in a slow-motion rom-com movie as his thumb brushed over her lower lip, pulling it out and lingered there for a teasing second before he lifted his hand.
Amara’seyes widened as he put the thumb into his mouth and licked it.
“Delicious” He grunted as if he just didn’t set her world on fire.
She unconsciously touched the side of her mouth where his thumb was.“You…”
“Let’s get you in, it’s getting cold.” Kaelith cut her words off, grabbing her by the hand and pulling her up with him.
Amara held her breath in, the ice cream melted in her hand absorbing in the handkerchief asKaelith pulled her with him.
She kept thinking about his touch on her lips as her mouth opened and she couldn’t think straight.
She felt it, all together. He walked her into the building, into the elevator, and the hallway of the apartment.
Before she knew it, they were in front of the door as Kaelith slowly turned her towards him by her shoulders,placing his hand on either side of her face, he tilted her head to the side with his hands.
His pale eyes held an intensity speaking fires, a silent language exchanged in the stillness of the moment. Amara's breath caught as the proximity heightened the awareness between them.
Kaelith leaned in, a whisper away, and time seemed to pause, creating a suspended moment of anticipation. The air was charged with an unspoken connection, and as their lips drew nearer, the world outside that door ceased to exist.
