The Banished Centaur

"I like you," she said. "And if you can't go back to your home, you're coming with me." She grinned up at him, and his wide eyes made her giggle. Her hand slipped down his arm, walked down the tattoos with her fingertips, and ended in his palm where they slipped between his fingers. "I know the others wi—"

He took her jawline into his fingers, the same as she had him, and kissed her. His was not a tiny kiss; his lasted. He nudged his lips into her, softly, lovingly, and when she saw his closed eyes relaxed with bliss, she just fell into him and did the same. Caution to the wind. She kissed him back, pushed into it harder than he did, and melted all over him like a love sick girl. A teeny tiny Menala voice in her head screamed about how stupid it was to be romantically kissing someone she'd just met, let alone a wild beast, but each passing moment under the rugged man's touch made the voice grow quieter, and quieter, until it was gone.

"I like you too," he said. He nudged his nose against hers, and raised a hand to touch her bottom lip with his thumb.

"Ok... I...." She just stared into his eyes while he caressed her lip. Her breath had vanished, stolen by the perfect kiss, and it took a few moments to find it. "Um. I... ok. More, more kissing later, definitely, when we get back to Sparta... after we find a nearby stream. We need a bath."