Lyra’s POV 

Before I could get up, he crashed his mouth to mine, sitting on the sofa and pulling me onto his lap. It was the kiss I had been dying for since the fleeting kiss he gave me on Hera’s birthday. I had no idea what had stopped him from kissing me last night, but I was glad he overcame all his inhibitions. 

He clasped the back of my head, holding me still while his tongue worked on my lips. I wrapped my arms around his neck and melted against his body, sinking into his warm ...