She laughed. Soft giggles that filled his heart full of her. Encouraging him to greater strides of teasing. He did not think she could tolerate the reality of what came so suddenly upon him. The weigh of it made even him unsure. Not of how he felt but how to proceed and cautiously. But she drowned out all those deeper thoughts with her laughter.<br/><br/>Infectious laughter. The kind given freely and taken serious enough to chuckle in response. His hands wandering against her curves for he was drunk on her joy as if they had shared an intoxicating drink or smoke together and laughed in fits unable to stop.<br/><br/>It was her touch that did him in. Her wonderful fingers tracing along his chest. She played in his coarse hairs that made his skin come alive. His muscles tense to please her. Letting her feel the ripple she caused in them with just that light breath of warm air.<br/><br/>He gathered her against him as she protested mildly. His mouth and his mustache chasing every twinge and wiggle. His arm cradling her head tenderly. Giving her room enough and only that much.  The need to touch her skin to skin growing.<br/><br/>Tristan thought to tease her more. He felt her hands slid to his shoulder as he came up for air. His eyes met hers. Saw her for the first time. He looked deeply into those dark eyes as they danced and sparkled. In that moment he knew she smiled for him.  Opened just that much, revealing the real Astrid that had been beaten into hiding where no one could touch.<br/><br/>She caught him completely by surprise. He had expected anything but that. She had been so guarded. She had to be so guarded here. Protecting her from careless hands. He would do everything in his power to protect her but she could not show this to anyone else.<br/><br/>"Oh ...damn..," He whispered as he slowly pressed his lips to hers in a deep fiery hot flame that was so much more than lust.<br/><br/>