Is This A Date?

He couldn't see Evie's eyes, but her head twitched and told him that she was attempting to take in everything at once. A man had been yanked from the group, and Luke was instantly flooded with relief that it wasn't him. Evie however, was practically leaning out into the street, and her pulse had quickened in her wrist, pulsing against his thumb. A woman in a bright costume spotted Evie, and Luke watched as she made her way over, knowing that the redhead was her target.

A smile tugged at his mouth as the woman grabbed onto Evie's free hand and guided her into the middle of the performance. Evie didn't even resist, if anything she glowed brighter than any dancer in the entire show. Luke was transfixed, staring as she twirled around, hair flailing out. The largest smile he had ever seen was on her face, and he heard a pure laugh escape as she came to a stop.

Luke may as well have been up there with her at that moment, as blood pumped through his veins until they throbbed uncontrollably. He thought back to the first time he'd seen her, she had been just a beautiful girl who was completely out of reach. It should have worn off by now, the jolt he felt whenever he saw Evie, but if anything it was stronger. She was stunning, and her spirit made him want to feel alive with her. Evie was close to him, a few strides away, and the shadow of her smile clung on persistently.

It wasn't a careful decision. Luke didn't weigh the positives and minuses before he acted. From the moment he had seen her spinning in front of him, he'd known that he couldn't wait any longer. He didn't want to sleep another night not knowing what she felt like pressed against him. She was searching for the wizard, but Luke was already moving towards her, gliding through the people as if they didn't exist. He caught Evie's eye, and determination set in his jaw.

As he took the final step, one hand slunk around her waist and gripped her hip, drawing her in. The other wound itself into her hair, locks tangled between his long fingers as he guided her face to his. His breath caught in his throat from anticipation before he finally crushed their lips together. Sparks sprang from their contact, and sprayed through him like a drug, until every piece of him was focused on the girl in his arms. Evie was warm and soft, contrasting with the firm way he moved his lips against her. She smelled sweet and fresh, and he inhaled her scent as his brain attempted to remember the exact way it made him feel. Luke had kissed girls in the past, but nothing made his mind shatter the way it did with her. This was what authors wrote about, what performers sang about, what people searched their entire lives to feel. Nothing would ever be better than kissing Evie Gilbert, it was the surest he'd been on anything.

He broke free of her for a moment, searching her eyes for a sign of how she was reacting. His thumb trailed down the back of her neck and he held on a little tighter. "I couldn't go through my life never knowing what that felt like," he breathed, hoping that she would take it as an apology if he'd overstepped. Although truthfully, as he tasted the witch on his lips, Luke didn't care if he had.