The kiss lingered.
Soft.
Warm.
Full of everything neither of them had said out loud yet.
When they finally parted, their foreheads stayed pressed together. Tatiana's breathing was a little faster, her cheeks flushed a soft pink. She kept her eyes closed for a moment longer, as if she was still savoring the feeling.
Liam brushed a loose strand of her crimson hair behind her ear, his thumb gently tracing her cheek.
"You okay?" he asked quietly.
She nodded, smiling shyly.
"More than okay."
She opened her eyes and looked at him.
There was no hesitation in her gaze now.
Only warmth.
And a quiet kind of courage.
"I want you," she whispered.
Liam's hand paused on her cheek.
"Are you sure?"
Tatiana nodded again, her voice soft but steady.
"I've never been more sure of anything."
Liam searched her face for even the smallest doubt.
He found none.
