"What does that look mean?"
I didn't answer but began stalking her. She backed away from me slowly.
"Are you ticklish?" I asked her.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" She edged sideways, putting the blanket between us.
"I believe I am about to find out," I replied. I dashed counter-clockwise around the blanket, and, shrieking, she ran around to the other side. We came to another stop, separated by six feet of blanket with the cooler still on one edge.
"I do not believe you should start a tickle fight," Zoe declared.
"Why not?"
"Because I would be at a distinct disadvantage. And therefore, only I am allowed to instigate tickle fights."
I began edging around the blanket to the other side. "I am not sure I agree to this rule."
Zoe held her ground for a moment, but then I lunged for her, slowly, and she skipped away.
"Tell me, Elisabeth," she said.
"Yes?"
"Do you believe that 'no' means 'no'?"
"Of course."
"Then if you don't want to hear these lips --" and she gestured to her mouth "--utter the word 'no' in a very forceful fashion, you'll agree to any stipulations I require."
I made another dash around the blanket. Zoe tried to run, but I easily caught her about the waist then pulled her onto the blanket and laid her down on her back, partially covering her with a leg.
She was shrieking and giggling while trying to squirm away, but I held her in place.
"If I am not allowed to instigate tickle fights," I asked, "just what am I allowed to instigate?"
She turned her face towards me. "I will allow you to instigate kissing."
I took my time. I climbed on top of her a little more fully, pinning her to the blanket. Her face was flushed, and she'd been sweating a little bit. I didn't mind that. I brushed a few errant hairs from her face.
She stilled her attempts to escape; they weren't doing her any good, anyway. We stared intently into each other's eyes, hers flicking back and forth between mine.
"Promise to be gentle," she whispered.
"I will be very..." and I leaned down and kissed the corner of her mouth. "Very..." I kissed the other corner. "Gentle."
Her eyes were closed by the time our mouths fully met. She parted her lips immediately, and I accepted her invitation.
She tasted good. Underneath me, she felt good, too.
I had human friends, although not many. Michele Lassiter and Nick Tate, Scarlett's father, came to mind. And I frequently dealt with humans. But I'd never kissed a human woman before, and I'd never found human males attractive. Frankly, if I wanted a male, even Rory, as immature as he could be at times, was closer to my type than any human male I'd ever met.
But Zoe tasted good. She felt good. Her lips were soft and her body welcoming. She wrapped her arms around my back, her hands splayed against my shoulder blades, holding me to her.
And so we kissed. We kissed deeply, our tongue teasing each other. I supported most of my weight on one leg, stretched along her body, and one elbow, while pressing her body to the ground with a portion of mine. Underneath me, she squirmed and moaned, and her hands curled into claws against my back before pressing against me again.
Finally I broke the kiss. Her eyes opened, and we stared into each other from inches apart.
Her lips were moist from our activity. I stared at her mouth for a moment then lifted my eyes back to hers.
"Wasn't that better than a tickle fight?" she asked.
I rolled off of her, bringing her with me so she was lying partially atop me. I bent one arm to provide myself a pillow, and Zoe laid her head against my chest.
"The moon is rising," I said.
"Does that have significance for you?" she asked. "The full moon?"
"Beyond making for a lovely evening?" I clarified. "We're a very outdoorsy family. At home, Lara and Michaela are probably out for a run right about now. The moonlit forest is beautiful, after all." I smiled.
Her hands began roaming across my body, finally slipping under my shirt. She laid her hand flat on my stomach.
"I can feel
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