“To Grace, these were the things that mattered: my hands on her cheeks, my lips on her mouth. The fleeting touches that meant I loved her.”

“And then I opened my eyes and it was just Grace and me - nothing anywhere but Grace and me - she pressing her lips together as though she were keeping my kiss inside her, and me, holding this moment that was as fragile as a bird in my hands.”

“See how she leans her cheek upon her hand. O, that I were a glove upon that hand That I might touch that cheek!”

“Channie laid her head over his heart and closed her eyes. Josh kissed her cheek … and screamed. ~***~ “Josh! What happened?” “My mouth.” He touched his lips and grimaced. “What’s wrong with your mouth?” “It feels like I kissed the inside of an oven. Did I burn you?” “No, not at all.”

“I thought about how I'd held her in my arms and run my hand through her hair, along her cheeks, and down her neck, how her lower lip opened just slightly when I brushed my fingers against her breast...”

“Her perfectly shaped eyebrows furrowed as she ran through what i said. I loved how her lips twiched in humor and a blush touched her cheeks.”