That was why he was going slow. Not so much the nose-bumping and headbutting--though he was glad to avoid those too--but to keep from spooking her. He wanted to give Xan a chance to make her own decisions about what was happening tonight, giving in neither to her fear or to thought-fogging desire. He wished her clear-headed when she decided how far this evening should go, so she could wake tomorrow with no regrets.

Her fingers in his shirt was promising, though. Clutching fabric was usually a stand-in to suggest that they were seeking more and he was game to give it to her. Now, Hya opened his mouth to her, his tongue running along the sweet curve of her lower lip. No more than that, though. If she wished for more, she'd need to ask, in word or (even better) in deed.