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Misha wrinkled her nose and rolled her eyes, then suddenly crossed them for him and grinned. "Funny how that works," she replied lightly. "People get all sorts of pre-conceived notions about places and people." She lifted their linked hands and shifted and pulled them a bit until they rested on her knee. The insides of her wrist was exposed and her forearm, all of it faintly lit by the ambient lingering light, looking golden.

"My mom is full-on Lebanese. You can imagine what that gets her sometimes." She shrugged it off, dismissing it with a proud smile. "She's the best, though. Speaking of New York, she took me up there when I was eight for my very first Broadway show. Have you ever been to New York?"

"Tri-lingual. I'll try anything once." A wicked little smirk flashed over her expression before settling back to warm amusement. She squeezed his hand. "Seriously, though, I speak three languages. French, Arabic, and English. Born and raised with them, too, which made for some fun times in kindergarten, let me tell you. Code-switching five-year-olds are adorable... Or not. My poor teachers."

She tipped her head to one side then and Misha studied Brian's face for a moment. "Curious is good. It's how we find out things. I hereby give you permission to ask me anything..." She suddenly leaned closer and dropped her voice to a whisper, light and teasing, "If you ask, I'll even take you to a Broadway show."

His unexpected kiss, that moment of direct affection and the first initiated by him, melted her a bit and Misha resisted the urge to snuggle in and rest her head on his shoulder in a mixture of gratitude and attraction. Because Misha had eyes and would never deny the good looks of a man like Brian. She could, however, behave and realize that planting a rewarding smooch directly on that mouth would likely send him running... Or into heart failure. She could not smother the smile completely, though, and she studied him from under her dark lashes. "You think so?" she murmured. "Then are you sure you're safe out here alone with me?"

It was light. It was teasing. It was non-committal. Except that it was also warm and close and she was still leaning just that slight bit forward.

"Don't know. I mean..." Misha released a soft sigh, reveling in the heat and the surprising playfulness Brian was offering her. It was another unexpected aspect of him, she considered. On the mountain, he radiated competence and seriousness and focus - except when she prodded him into laughter. She never would have guessed he could match her like this.

She was not complaining. Not one bit.

In fact, she tightened her fingers on his and, with a gentle but insistent tug, drew him even closer to her. Much like the setting sun moment earlier, it was increasingly hard to tell where she began and he ended. Their body heat melded, raising her internal temperature further. Their mouths were even closer and Misha kept her lashes lowered as her gaze turned almost inward and her movements became instinctual. Her tongue flicked out to wet her upper lip and Brian felt the faintest brush as a result.

Then, swiftly and smoothly, she shifted forward and twisted slightly. Her full lips pressed against the corner of his own mouth for an instant before she slid past, cheek to cheek. Misha only stopped when her mouth was close enough to his ear for him to hear her short, fluttery breathing. "Threat implies you wouldn't enjoy it," she finally whispered in a painfully velvet tone.



WC: 2052

As a small whimper escaped her at the feel of his teeth against her earlobe, Misha told herself there was absolutely no shame in reacting to Brian's actions. The man clearly had skills, if not necessarily game, and, if she were honest... Her teasing had been done partially to see how he would react, half hoping he would react favorably.

Favorably was proving to be an understatement and she felt goosebumps spring to life along her arms and the back of her neck. A delightful shiver slithered down her spine. Who would have thought? What a pleasant surprise indeed...

Misha tipped her head slightly more to one side, offering more of her neck to him, savoring the feel of his breath on her skin. When he drew back and chuckled instead of pursuing the opportunity, though, she made a strangely eloquent noise in the back of her throat. He started this but he was most certainly not allowed to finish it until she gave him permission.

With that thought firmly in mind, she firmly drew him even closer. A tug brought his hand forward and a deft twist of her own in his loosened the hold abruptly until she could settle his palm flat against her hip beneath the heavy fabric of her sweatshirt. She pressed her hand down atop his then to keep him in place. Then, with a little hum, Misha leaned in further until her lips brushed the strong curved turning of his jawline just beneath his ear. A little further and her soft lips caught his earlobe before her teeth returned his earlier delicate nibble.

Only then did she pull back with a soft, shakey giggle. Not all the way. Just enough to give a bit of breathing room. "Well, hello," she whispered.

The thought of dodging the kiss clearly never entered Misha's mind if the way her lips pressed against his were any indication. Soft and warm and pliant, her mouth moved against his in gentle exploration. She did not push or rush but there was an element of irresistability to the kiss. Misha wanted this kiss and would not be denied. She brought her free hand up to touch his shoulder gingerly before resting it there.

This? This was so very nice and she felt something inside relaxing and unwinding and he was very, very good at this.

The kiss was almost chaste but it lingered and drew out for long moments. Then Misha gave a little hum of pleasure against his mouth. Her hand edged up his shoulder to brush the bared skin of his neck. She smiled but did not pull back. "Wish come true?"

"Sure. Especially if I can make it happen again." Misha shifted her hand to better cup the back of his neck and, while he could not see her smile in their current position, he certainly could hear it.

She liked him, she decided with warm certainty. Anyone with eyes could see Brian was handsome but his strength and charm were the sort of things that just were - not flashy, not pushing himself forward. She trusted him. He was someone special. A good person, a good man.

Leaning in a scant hairsbreadth, she allowed her lips to brush against his again, feather-light, as she added in a soft whisper, "I don't mind at all."