30. Max #2
“Doesn’t it make you feel small?” she asked quietly.
“Maybe,” I said, though my eyes stayed on her. “Or maybe it makes me think that the important stuff isn’t as complicated as we think.”
She looked at me then, her eyes soft and searching, before she turned back to the glass.
We stopped at the jellyfish tank, where the whole wall seemed to be pulsing slowly.
They drifted up and down in a lazy rhythm, like living lanterns suspended in water.
Emma leaned in closer to the glass, her shoulder brushing mine, and I could smell her perfume, which was light, floral, and so completely her.
“They look like lanterns,” she said, voice soft. “Beautiful, but dangerous if you forget what they are.”
I looked at her instead of the tank. “That’s you right there.”
She turned her head, her green eyes sharp but amused, the corner of her mouth curving. “Careful, Max. That sounds like you’re asking for trouble.”
I shrugged, but I couldn’t help but smile. “Maybe trouble’s exactly what I want.”
She laughed, almost reluctantly, but she didn’t move away. She stayed close, her shoulder against mine, both of us watching the jellyfish glow in the dark.
By the time we reached the stingray pool, casual touches had become second nature. Her hand found my arm whenever she leaned closer to read a plaque or point something out. When the path dipped, my hand brushed the small of her back to steady her. She didn’t flinch; instead, she leaned into it.
“Are you allowed to touch them?” she asked, leaning over the pool.
I grinned. “Want to find out?”
“Nope,” she said immediately. “But you can. If you get stung, I’ll just make fun of you.”
I lowered my hand and pretended to try and touch one.
“No, don’t do that,” Emma squeaked and grabbed my arm, both horrified and thrilled. Her fingers curled tightly around my sleeve, and a jolt went straight down my spine.
“You sure you don’t want to try?”
Her nose wrinkled adorably. “Not a chance.”
She didn’t let go of my arm right away, though.
As we continued through the aquarium, the corridors became quieter, making it feel like the entire space was ours.
We found ourselves facing the biggest tank, a floor-to-ceiling glass wall that was an endless blue, full of silver fish that darted like threads of quicksilver.
Emma leaned against the railing and looked up.
The glow of the water painted her skin in varying shades of blue and green.
I moved closer, so close that I could feel the warmth of her body next to me.
“See?” she whispered. “Magical.”
I nodded, but I wasn’t really looking at the fish anymore.
I was looking at her again. She must have felt my stare, because she slowly turned towards me.
For a split second, her face changed – not a smile, not exactly surprise, just this thoughtful look, like she was turning something over in her mind but wasn’t quite ready to say it out loud.
Then it was gone, replaced with a small, soft smile.
My hand found hers on the railing before I had even thought about it. Her fingers curled around mine like it was the most natural thing in the world. We stood there for a few seconds, our hands intertwined, until all I could feel was her skin against mine.
My breath stuttered. Subtle, but enough to embarrass the hell out of me.
I brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. My knuckles grazed her cheek, lingering a second longer than they should have. She didn’t move away. She looked up, breath unsteady. “This feels… nice,” she whispered, almost surprised by it.
“Emma,” I said, rougher than I meant to.
Her breath caught.
I leaned in slowly, giving her every chance to stop me.
But as soon as my lips touched hers, she kissed me back.
Soft at first, tentative, then deeper, hungrier, like she’d been holding it back as long as I had.
She opened her mouth and brushed her tongue against mine.
For a moment, everything else – the glow of the tanks, the sound of the water, the whole damn city outside – disappeared.
And something in me settled, like my whole damn chest exhaled at once just from touching her.
I held her jaw in my hand and stroked her cheek with my thumb. My other hand slid to the small of her back, bringing her closer until there was no space between us. She leaned into me, wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling me in even closer, like she needed the kiss as much as I did.
She made a small sound against my mouth – half gasp, half laugh – and I eased her gently into the quiet corner near the tank, the glow from the glass flickering across her skin.
I drew back just enough to catch my breath, our foreheads touching and our breaths uneven.
For a second I just looked at her – flushed, breathless, perfect – and my heart raced.
Then I kissed her again, slower this time, just to feel the shape of her mouth against mine.
Her fingers tightened at the back of my neck, keeping me there like she wasn’t letting me go – fuck, as if I’d ever want to be anywhere but right here with her.
When we stopped kissing, we just stayed there, close enough to feel each other breathe.
“Emma…” I started, voice low.
She swallowed, her eyes bright, as if she didn’t know what to say.
I planted a soft kiss on her temple before forcing myself to give her some space, even though every part of me hated the distance.
“You have no idea how much I want more nights like this,” I whispered.
Her smile was small but steady. “Then keep asking.”