Days In The Sun

Cliche

It was different now. Mal could always feel his eyes on her. Sure, that hadn't changed, but the way it felt sure had. She felt it all the way up her body, the pressing sensation of his considerations.

When they first started dating in earnest it had been a whisper. It was as if his fingers would have been playing along her form in their wonderfully chaste, adoring way. His warm smile would brush against her cheeks and hair. It had been so innocent and sweet. Almost naive, in retrospect.

Since the cotillion, as disastrous as it was, his look had shifted. It had become more intense, more real. The feather like wonderment was all but gone.

She almost felt scandalised, at times. He would lean his head back and his eye lids would dip. That was when she would feel them, his hands, as if they were physically on her. His gaze would start at her ankles, an odd fascination she'd been slightly startled by. Then it would begin its slow, agonising journey up her calfs, thighs and pause at her waist.

There her breathing would hitch, involuntarily, as she pictured his hands gripping her firmly. His sure, large hands, so warm and worshipping. His lip would pull up in mischievous delight before falling back into his damning smirk.

After making her nearly hyperventilate, he would be on the move once more. It would ghost over her ribs, the only time he was as cautious as before. Sadly, she had enough sense in her not to taunt him into more unsavoury consideration for fear he'd call her bluff.

So, when she would feel the heavy weight on her shoulders and back, she would nearly gasp. Her face would heat and chest constrict as he moved up her neck. Her scalp would tingle as his eyes focused on the light that played in her hair.

The worst? When he would focus on her lips. The very thing he had declared he'd wanted to taste since they'd met. His desire to claim them was becoming so singular she was sure she could feel it even when they were lands apart.

"Audrey." She was at her wits end and wanted some answered. "Can I ask you a quick question?"

Audrey glanced up from phone for a moment and opened her mouth, a slight frown playing at its corners. "Sure. I have a minute, I think." Her phone dinged and she held up her finger before raising her gaze and waving her hand to the purple haired fairy. "You have 30 seconds to peak my interest before I have to get to something more interesting."

Mal swallowed her groan. "Did you ever kiss Ben?"

Audrey blinked before sniffing dismissively. "That's a silly question. Of course not."

The girl rolled her eyes at Mal's look of confusion. "You shouldn't be that surprised, Mal. You do know about the power of true love's kiss. I heard about Ulla."

"Uma."

Audrey closed her eyes in frustration. "Yes. That's it. I don't know why I can't remember that one." Mal laughed nervously with the girl and tried not to let her annoyance show. "Anyway, well, some people still believe that's actually the only real magic still running unchecked by Fairy Godmother. You know, true love's first kiss?"

"Ben believes in that?"

Audrey let an indulgent smile grace her lips. "Yeah. I tried to talk sense into him, but he's old fashioned. I suppose he's an old soul. He solidly thinks that real, true love is magical. No kissing unless the love is real."

Mal thanked her distractedly and began to leave before a thought struck her. "Not you, though? You kissed Chad like it was nothing. That wasn't real?"

Audrey gave her another indulgent lift of her lips. "Are we still together?"

"But he's still following you around like a lost puppy."