The Twelve Zenati Pt. 20

"It's hardly stealing when you know what's coming." He stepped closer to her and lifted his hands to cup her neck and jawline, gently tilting her face up to his, and taking a breath as he closed the small distance between them. Then he angled her head slightly, as he softly pressed his lips to hers.

This wasn't the hot, hard, clashing of mouths after arguing or teasing to the point of distraction that she was used to. This kiss was soft and tender, a melding of lips that told of restraint and desire in the same moment. Marcella parted her lips as his tongue gently ran over the seam of her closed mouth, as if asking for entry and, once granted, continued the same slow, languorous pace as his tongue explored her own, twisting together in a slow waltz, rather than a hot devilish tango. The kiss seemed to last forever and yet seemed far too short, as they finally broke apart, both breathing heavily and staring at each other. Marcella was stunned and, for once, wasn't sure how to react to what had just happened.

"So, you didn't call a foul ball over the quads." Noah finally broke the spell and stepped to the first quad, holding out a helmet to her. "Boring safety guy lecture first, but then we can have some real fun getting to second base," he chuckled, and winked at her.

Despite herself, and the strange gentleness of the kiss, Marcella laughed with him. She was enjoying this more relaxed and easy-going side of Noah. She had a feeling that she was seeing more of the real him, the one that he hid behind the suit and the lawyer face he put on in the city. She listened carefully to all his instructions, and let him show her how to attach and undo the chin strap on her helmet. She watched his mouth as he talked and she really wanted to kiss him again, but she couldn't bring herself to be the one to instigate it, after the last kiss that was so different to what she was used to from the men she hooked up with.

"I'll go slow at first. Just follow behind and, once you get the hang of it, you can take the lead for a while, if you like," Noah suggested. "It's pretty much one long track, I think. There are only a couple of forks in the road, and as long as you keep to the left, we'll get to where we are going."

"Sounds like a plan," Marcella nodded, and as he turned to get on his own quad, she accelerated off slowly. It was stable and easy, and she felt comfortable on the big machine, despite her diminutive size. It took no time at all for Noah to catch up to her, as she took her time navigating the small track through the dense foliage. Noah didn't seem to mind her pace and hung back a little, so as not to push her to go faster.

The ride seemed to go on forever, and the vibrations of the quad began to make her feel queasy after the food she had eaten at their beachside picnic. Just as she thought she may have to pull over and take a break from the ride, the trail in front of her ended abruptly in a small clearing, and she braked, pulling over to the side and shutting off the engine, grateful that she could take a rest. She sat there for a few minutes, stretching out her legs and wishing that she had worn shorts rather than jeans, as the day heated up.

"What now?" she asked, as Noah approached her, leaving his bike a few feet from her own.

"Now," he grinned at her. "We take that leap of faith you were talking about and jump without parachutes."

*****