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Augustus grinned, and for a second, Mara saw the stars under his skin.
"You glowed for a second. You have stars inside of you," she said, her hands searching his chest and waistcoat for where they could've gone. She realized what she was doing, her hand still caught under his ribs somewhere and froze.
"Oh no, this was a bad idea," she whispered, feeling the warm hardness of his body.
Augustus looked down at her hands on him. "I don't know about that. You can keep searching if you like."
Mara giggled, her hands moving to rest on his chest. "You are the worst influence on me."
"Excuse me, I didn't make you drink the ambrosia," he replied, mock offended.
Mara was half leaning on him and playing with his tie. "I'm not talking about just the ambrosia. You've made me join this world again, be remembered by you, coming on your outings because I can't say no. I'm pretty sure my mother is cursing us both in the Afterlife."
"I'm sure she would've loved me," Augustus said confidently.
Mara shook her head. "I doubt it. She didn't even love me."
"I don't believe it. You are one of the most lovable people I have ever met. I hate everyone, and I've had no defenses against you from day one. You're terrible for my self-preservation."
"Maybe I wasn't the only one that was lonely, Augustus." Mara looked about her. "Everyone is staring at you because they are surprised to see you here."
"Darling, everyone is staring because you are here with me, the biggest bastard in Melbourne."
Mara smiled. "You're not as big of a bastard as they all think. You are happy to have them keep believing it."
"They harass me too much as it is, that's why." Augustus's fingers twisted in one of her curls. "Knew it. Soft as spider silk, and twice as lovely."
The ambrosia was dancing inside Mara, and she was glad of it. There was no way she would've been brave enough to stay slumped against the sorcerer's chest otherwise. It was precisely where she wanted to be.
"I have a confession to make," she said quickly.
"Excellent. I hope it's a salacious one," Augustus replied, fingers still stroking her hair and neck in delicate patterns.
Mara licked her lips, suddenly nervous. "The last time we were drunk together…"
"When I ended up in your apartment?"
She nodded. "I might have accidentally kissed you goodnight."
Augustus's eyes widened. "Accidentally?"
"Yes. You were asleep, and I tucked you in, and it kind of happened. I'm sorry," she said in a rush.
"Don't be sorry. It's been driving me crazy because my lips remembered being kissed, but I thought it was the Madeira wine messing with me." Augustus's expression went from shocked to sly in the blink of an eye.
"You naughty little kiss stealing saint. I'm surprised Anea didn't strike us both with a lightning bolt."
"She was probably too horrified," Mara said miserably. "You forgive me?"
Augustus made a show of thinking about it. "I suppose I can forgive you on one condition."
"What condition?" Mara asked, suddenly suspicious.
Augustus brushed his thumb over her bottom lip. "Kiss me again, so I can remember it."
"What? You want me to kiss you?" Mara's heart started to race.
"I've thought long and hard about it, and yes, I really do," Augustus replied with a decisive nod. "I want you to kiss me like you haven't been taught to hate sorcerers your entire life and like I'm not the fuckup who broke magic and myself in the process. I want you to kiss me like you didn't meet me as a complete wreck of a man."
