Nessie froze when he kissed her. She had never kissed or been kissed by anyone that wasn't a relative, at that didn't count. Before she could ever react, it was over, and James was looking down. Nessie swallowed, conscious now of how close they were together, she could feel his heart beating beneath her fingers. 

"James" she didn't stutter his name, her voice soft, her tone pleasantly surprised. "James, I..." Speaking never got her anywhere it seemed, so she gently took his face on in her hands, tilting his head up. She was confused, surprised, yet staring into his eyes, she felt safe. She felt as if she didn't have to speak, didn't have to do anything to simply have him there, and that meant a lot to Nessie. She smiled. She seemed to be doing that a lot, around him. 

He made her feel better, made her feel as if she meant something, and she treasured that. She kissed him softly.