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Finn's expression turned wary. “On what?”
“On whether it’s okay formeto kissyou.”
“Mutual kiss understanding is a definitehells yeahfrom me.”
“It’s a yes for me too, but I should warn you—my past experience hasn’t been the best, so I may not know exactly how to approach this.”
Finn’s crooked smile was back, and Gany couldtotallyimagine pressing his own mouth against that little upturn of his lips, maybe for the rest of time. “If you’re looking for a place to practice, then I volunteer as tribute.”
Gany shuddered, visions of Iphigenia and too many other unwilling sacrifices to count dancing in his mind. “Not tribute, please. That makes it sound like you’re justenduringthe torture.”
“Trust me, Gary.” Finn’s thumb stroked a fiery path along Gany’s cheekbone, igniting something deep in the pit of his stomach, stirring somethingbelowthat, too. “This is a dream come true for me. But I don’t want you to feel like you’re being pressured or—”
“No!” Gany lifted a shaky hand and brushed Finn’s hair off his forehead. “I don’t feel that at all.”
Finn searched his face, gaze intent. “You’re sure?”
“Absolutely.” Gany hadn’t gone through months of twice-weekly therapy with a psychologist so handsome he could give the gods a dash for their ducats without making real progress. Being in control of his body, his life, his choices—that made all the difference.
“Okay then. If you’re ready, here goes.”
Finn lifted his head and fitted his lips against Gany’s, andoh.
Gany’s heart fluttered and thenbloomed, opening in a swell of warmth that filled his chest and… and…otherplaces, too.
Finn’s mouth was soft, his lips plush, his kiss gentle.Respectful. Giving, not taking. Inviting, not demanding. And Gany wanted to accept that invitation because he knew, down in the most secret places in his heart, that if he wanted to sayno, ornot this,ornot yet,that he could.
Gany whimpered, just a thread of sound, barely voiced, but somehow Finn heard it because he pulled back, peering up at Gany with worried eyes.
“Is this all right? It’s not too much?”
“Totally all right, and not too much.” Gany’s gaze dropped to Finn’s mouth. “Maybe not enough. Could you… do it again? For science?”
The worry in Finn’s eyes vanished, and he grinned. “Science, huh? Well, you’re a fan of flipping the script, so why don’t you try it this time?”
“But I don’t know how!”
“You know enough.” Finn touched Gany’s lips. “You’ve got your first experiment in the can, and trust me, you totally nailed it. You’re welcome to repeat the process to see if you get the same results, or test another hypothesis and see what happens. Believe me, I’m happy to be your test subject—or rather, your lab partner. I’d welcome your mouth anywhere on my body.”
Gany nipped Finn’s finger. “Anywhere?”
Something hotter kindled in Finn’s gaze. “Anywhere.”
“Let’s start here.” Gany lowered his head and followed the elegant double swoop of Finn’s eyebrows with a trail of tiny kisses, like butterflies playing hopscotch. He was rewarded with Finn’s quick intake of breath and the subtle shift in his hips.
“Th-that’s a good start,” Finn croaked.
“I liked your lips on mine, though. I think we should conduct that experiment again.” Gany wrinkled his nose. “Ugh, let’s leave the science metaphors and go with something I know more about. This is like baking, right? We can test and taste. If we find a flavor we like, we can make it over and over.”
“Over and over, huh?”
“Yes. We couldgorgeourselves, but just because we like one recipe, doesn’t mean we can’t try others. We might find one that we like just as well, or even better.”
“Yeah?” Finn cradled Gany’s face between his palms. “What would you call our first dish, then?”
“Hmmm.” Gany pretended to consider. “I’d call it… an amuse-bouche.”
Finn chuckled. “Yourbouchedoes more thanamuse, Gary, and I’d be happy to keepamusingall night if you wanted.”
