Blue Comes Through

Chapter Eleven

I say nothing. I am mute in his presence again.

"If I kiss you, you must promise me, you won't bolt." His voice is husky now and I still say nothing.

"Promise me." he coaxes.

I manage a jerky downward motion of my head. I'm conscious that this close, he can see the cuts and although they're healing, they are still there. It doesn't change anything, I still want him to kiss me.

It doesn't change anything for him either, because I hear him sigh and his warm breath brushes over my face, as his mouth moves slowly closer. I lean forward a fraction and I hear a soft growl. My eyes close as finally his mouth is on mine.

It's a gentle kiss, a soft brushing of lips. It's a good kiss though and it's me that presses closer, sliding my hands over warm skin to clasp his arms under the soft cotton of the sleeves of his T-shirt. His arms are braced on the chair, so the muscles in his biceps are taut and I can feel his strength as I press my hands around them.

It's me that also deepens the kiss, tentatively stroking my tongue along his lower lip and I hear another growl as his mouth opens and our tongues tangle and one big warm hand leaves the arm of the chair to circle my waist and span my back, pulling me closer. He's very gentle and very tender, slowly moving his lips over mine and it crosses my mind that he really is a very good kisser and one hand grips his arm a little bit tighter and the other hand slips around his trim waist.

I'm just thinking continuing to even sit upright may be a problem, when I hear an anguished groan. It comes from neither of us and Finn curses softly.

"No bolting." He breathes in my ear, pressing his lips to the top of my head and then he straightens, leaving me a bit dazed and instantly missing his warmth.

He doesn't move away completely, but turns the chair slightly so that the back is towards the stairs. My hands have fallen away from his arm and back and they're in my lap and he reaches to clasp my wrist, rubbing his thumb gently over the faint blue veins there. He can probably feel my racing pulse. But his touch is soothing and makes the abrupt withdrawal a little less final.

I push my hair away from face and freeze as I realise somebody is coming down the stairs. Finn laughs softly as the person comes into view.

"You've surfaced then." He says with a grin and receives a mumbled incoherent response. It must be Josh, coming down to join Sam at hangover central. "Sam's in there with Cheryl" I see Finn's grin widen as Josh groans again.

"I'm just going through a few things with Maddie." He turns the chair slightly so I can see Josh. The poor guy looks awful, almost grey. He gives me a weak smile before gingerly going through to the breakfast room.

When we're alone again, Finn turns the chair back. Josh's interruption has had the same effect on me, as the ice bucket challenge. What was I thinking? The chair is turned fully and Finn hunkers down, his hands back on the arms of the chair.

"Maddie look at me." His tone is coaxing but there's a slight warning edge too and I lift my head to look at him, but I can only meet his eyes for a second. It's long enough for him to realise what I'm thinking.

He swears softly. "You promised no bolting." I did promise that, but I wasn't thinking straight. I go to speak, although I don't know what to say and he sighs and takes my hand, rubbing my wrist again. "It was just a kiss, Maddie." He taps my forehead with a gentle finger. "Don't over think this."

It wasn't just a kiss though and my troubled gaze meets calm blue. "We have to be careful." he tells me. "This is way too soon for you." I see his eyes rest briefly on the cut on my lip and tentatively flick my tongue over it. He was very gentle, it's fine.