Playful distancing was the key. The television off, nothing remained between them other than the soft thumping silence of each heartbeat playing to the inner ear. Her head tilted up, Stevie's eyes flitted between her son's eyes and his slightly parted lips.

Stevie shifted again, swivelling her hips and settling back down so that her entire body was now facing him. The warm palms of her hands ran down his smooth, strong arms until they found his hands, and by then she had gathered enough friction that their fingertips vibrated with static energy.

Suggestively she pulled at his right hand, hinting that he should turn a little more to face...