Since I didn’t get into my usual blog roll last night (too busy with real work 😉 ) I missed the opportunity to jump on the actual Kissing Day Blogfest, but I’m going to jump in today and pretend today is yesterday (by back dating my post), though that would mean I’ll deal with two Mondays. Ah. Such is life.

I think this is a wonderful idea, so I’m throwing out a scene from THE GIFT OF SIGHT. 🙂 Read mine, read others’ and check all participants out at Making a Dream Become Reality — Sherrinda’s Blog.

On to the topic at hand…

Let me set the stage. Sarah’s home has been ransacked and Ryan has offered, no, pushed himself into helping her reorganize. She’s pretty sure he’s going to find all sorts of secrets about her, but she needs the extra hands. She’s also emotionally wiped out as this isn’t the first of her woes in recent days. Here Ryan is trying to boost her spirits and reminder her how good a person she is. He’d already told her, now he’s getting her to let go and tell him what she sees. And it leads to … ?

—–
“I think you’ve gathered more than you admit. I’m a trained observer, so I’m always looking for this and that to create my own basis for understanding. It’s very nice when my assumptions are on the mark. You’re an observer of life too— in your own way. Tell me what you’ve seen, perceived.”

Sarah cleared her throat. This was a new experience. To make it worse, Ryan moved back — closer to her. “Tell me what you feel.”

“Um, well.” Not normally at a loss for words, Sarah struggled with those floating about in her mind. “Ah, uh. God, this is terrible. I sound like some high school kid standing for her first speech.” Sarah ran her hands through her hair, forgetting it was in a rubber band as she got it caught, had to yank it out and replace it so it was straight, tight and back in place. Not that it mattered. He was right about one thing, she always finished what she started and it was both blessing and curse.

“Ok, let me try again.” She closed her eyes as she spoke.

“The first time I saw you, in the doorway of the hospital, you held flowers and told me your parents asked you to deliver them. Well, I thought that guy must truly love them. Then, you came to a makeshift family dinner where you basically knew no one and had been invited by a perfect stranger. You fit in just as well as anyone there — so either you blend well or you enjoy people.

“Then, at the restaurant, you moved faster than Jeff. The slow poke.” Sarah interrupted herself with a laugh, opening her eyes briefly and meeting his quickly before closing them again.

“Which means you care about others innately — you have a kindness about you. It would have been as easy to stay put and assess, you know. Then you asked question after question gathering data, you—,” Sarah paused to think for a moment. “You observe but you also analyze and I can’t wait to see the results of your data gathering. You’ve seen so much of me that having it written on my forehead isn’t even necessary.”

She let out a breath and continued. “You’re strong — I can see the muscles through your t-shirt by the way.” A smirk sneaked its way onto her face. “That was very girly to say.”

Ryan smiled back at her as she continued.

“You’re all business when you need to be, but have a more casual side. That’s why Jeff likes you so much.” She didn’t add that she felt the same as her brother.

“Anything else?”

“I’m sure there is, but it’s not coming to mind quick enough for me to relay it.” He was so close again she could feel his body heat and the tremor in her voice certainly gave away her thoughts.

“I could give you something else that might help.” Ryan looked into her eyes. Waited. Then he moved closer — if that were even possible.
In the softest voice Sarah thought she’d ever used, she said “you could.”

Ryan leaned down and ever so gently brushed his lips across hers. His hands, which moved to hold on to her upper arms squeezed ever so slightly while hers continued to dangle absently at her sides. In her nearly thirty years, she never thought she’d experience a more sensual kiss.

Ryan moved his hands from her arms to her back and let them rest above her hips. His lips remained riveted to hers, moving ever so slightly back and forth across hers, he pressed with a little more force, though never too telling, revealing or harshly.

Sarah pulled her hands away from her body and reached up to Ryan’s face, slowly let her arms fall back down behind his neck while her fingers tangled together to hold. She pushed the kiss the slightest bit farther — pressed herself against him in response to his movement. Her mind was as blank as could be or so she thought.

Nothing from the day could permeate the barrier that his touch created for her.