Though she was stiff at first, Crow felt Penelope ease into the kiss over time. He was glad his idea for a distraction seemed to be working, and he pressed into her deeper still, his heart pounding as her arms snaked around his back. He slid his hand down to the nape of her neck and used his other arm to hold her close by the waist, sinking into her touch. For a moment, he forgot why he had kissed her in the first place. All he was aware of was the touch of her lips against his and the caress of her hands against his shoulders.

When she finally pulled away from him to catch her breath, he had to stop himself from leaning into her again. He closed his eyes, shuddering slightly as she kissed him along his jawline. She had a way of making him feel so good. He had never met anyone else who could make his heart hammer like she did.

“Mhm,” he sighed dazedly when she thanked him. Coming back to himself a bit, he noticed that she was still tensing whenever thunder sounded outside. He wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace and laid down, holding her so they were lying face to face in the hay. Though it was cold in the stables, he was comfortable with her warm body pressed against him. He ran his hand slowly down and up her back, hoping to keep her from thinking about the storm.

Despite the booming thunder, it wasn’t long before he began to have a hard time staying awake. His eyelids drooped wearily and he bit his tongue to stifle a yawn. As tired as he was, he couldn’t let himself fall asleep while Penelope was still awake. He couldn’t leave her alone while she was frightened.

“Tell me about how you knew William before this mission,” he murmured, hoping a story would keep him awake and distract her long enough for the foul weather to pass.