The first kiss did not last very long, but it left its impact. A giddy chuckle escaped his lips as he opened his eyes to look down at her reddened cheeks. He imagined he looked similarly, but there was no time to be embarrassed; they only had minutes, and he was determined to make it last for the two, three, however many days they would have to go before they had another moment of alone time. As her hands slid up his shoulders and onto the sides of his face, his hands naturally found their place at her waist. It was a more comfortable position than holding her face to his, and probably even more comfortable for her, too.

He kissed her again, gentle but firm. His arms snaked around her backside and he pulled her closer. He did and always would love that Sloane was so much shorter than him, but this would be much easier if he had somewhere to sit down—or if she had a stool. His chest shook with silent laughter at the mental image. As much as he would have enjoyed kissing her until one of their team-mates stumbled upon them, his neck began to ache and he had no choice but to reluctantly pull back.

"Was that okay?" he asked his voice hoarse and breathless.

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