Heart of the Maze

"Hsst, Devlin."

He did not want to wake. His dream had just reached a most interesting point. In it, Cilia sat astride his hips and her long hair tickled his chest.

"Devlin."

Familiar muffled giggles that had no business in his erotic dream banished the last dregs of it from his mind. His eyes opened to see his younger sister, Sophia, standing a few steps away with her hand clamped over her mouth. Her grey eyes, so much like his own, sparkled with laughter and were not nearly as scandalized as they should have been.

He grimaced, unable to believe he had slept the night through in his library with Cilia on his lap. Sophia pantomimed eating and then tootled her fingers at him. Her coltish strides carried her out, leaving him to deal with his current dilemma on his own.

A single ray of sunshine stole through the curtains. Its end touched Cilia's hair to reveal all the subtle shades of gold and copper hidden by lamplight the evening before. He wondered what that same soft light would do to her eyes. As though in answer to an unspoken wish, her lashes fluttered open. His breath caught. His heart paused, and then rushed forward. Moss green encircled rust, reminding him of autumn foliage. All thought left him then and only a thrumming need to taste remained.

The intensity of his gaze brought a flush to Cilia's cheeks. The blond stubble covering his cheeks beckoned her touch. Tentative fingers reached out and revelled in the differences between his skin and hers. His arms tightened, lifting her closer. When his lips lowered to cover hers, she forgot to think.

Passion spiraled and grew. Never before had a simple kiss inflamed him so immediately, so completely. She responded with an untutored fervor to match his. Encouraged, he let his tongue gently nudge her lips, teasing them gently to open. They parted and he thought it felt like coming home. Her one hand clung to his lapel. The other threaded through his hair at the nape of his neck, sending shivers down his spine. Their embrace intensified. Tongues tasted and explored, escalating their ardour to new heights with each stroke.