Bloom

2. Ignition

"Changing the world doesn't happen all at once. It isn't a big bang. It's an evolution, the sum of a billion tiny sparks. And some of those sparks will have to come from you."

~Katie Couric~

•••

     His lips are soft as they meet mine. Heat rushes through every fiber of my being when I realize that he's kissing me back, and that this is definitely all that I've ever dreamed of. Sparks dance wickedly, fueled by the energy of the moment, pulling us closer to each other.

    The sparks finally ignite.

     I crave more, need more, of his touch, so I unlace my fingers from his and move my hands to his neck, winding my fingers up through his hair in need of something to hold onto as our kiss deepens.

     I nearly come unglued when he runs his tongue along my lower lip, but my heart rockets out of orbit to join the stars beyond us, sending my thoughts cascading into pure fantasy when our tongues meet. It's almost too much for me to handle, and my heart thunders in my chest.

     He breaks the kiss, and I open my eyes just as he opens his.

     "We're going to suffocate if we don't get a chance to breathe," he says, breathing ragged.

     I'm in no better shape than he is, panting like my life depends on it. I didn't even realize I needed air, I didn't care. I still don't care.

    I want more.

     Hell, it's not even a want at this point.

     I need more.

    Get your lips back here.

     He smiles and presses a kiss to my nose as he says, "You're looking at me like I'm your next meal. Relax, Chris. We've got all night."

     I finally take a breath.

     Sebastian gently runs his fingers through my hair, pressing his forehead to mine as he draws closer. I honestly don't know why we aren't all over each other right now, but if anything, his self-control is probably the reason.

     I finally manage to get ahold of my breathing, heart rate slowly coming back down.

     "C'mere," I say softly.

     "I'm right here, babe," he teases.

     I smile.

     There we go.

     Nothing has changed.

     We're still hopelessly goofy.

     "What's on your mind?" He asks, smiling softly. "Not only are you looking at me like I'm your next meal, you've got this sparkle in your eyes I've never seen before, and on top of that, you sound like you have something to say."

     I grin and grab the front of his suit jacket.

     As I move further onto the bed, closer to the pillows, I pull him with me, saying, "Get your ass over here, Seb."