The plastic surgeon's face softened, eyes sparkling in joy as his hands rose to cup her cheeks softly.
Their faces got closer, sharing the same oxygen. She could smell the faint peppermint gum he had chewed on earlier, feel the slight exhales of his breath move the hairs around her face.
He tenderly stroked her nose with his own, once, twice, until finally, their lips met.
Mouths moving against one another's, sparks flying where they met.
It was everything she'd never experienced. A kiss to begin all kisses. The kind she'd daydreamed of when she was younger, before the world had torn her innocence away, and she'd abandoned all fantasies for harsh realities.
The kind of kiss her mum always spoke so tenderly about.
Mark pulled back, leaning his forehead against her own, murmuring breathlessly, "Goddamn. That was better than my wildest fantasies."
Charlie giggled bashfully, feeling the blush creep up her neck, skin heating up under his attentive eyes.
"Yeah," she whispered, biting into her lip, before leaning up and dragging his lips back to her own again, "I'm thinking we can do better than 'goddamn'."
He chuckled, nodding his head slowly, though his eyes seemed alight with an icy fire, "Yeah, I think we can Ace."
And just like before, their lips met in a flurry of tenderness and passion. Tongues stroking one another, breaths mingling.
Straightening the feelings neither was ready to admit to.