““His mouth descended upon hers and swallowed up her cry. She'd been kissed sweetly before, stylized expressions of courtship during some of the dances favored by Queen Mary's court. This kiss bore no resemblance to those. This was a ravishment, a demanding plunder of her mouth. He stole her breath, but she was so surprised by the sudden invasion, she didn't think to pull away. She froze like a coney confronted by a fox. He filled her with breath from his own body, warming her to her toes. 'I should be revolted. I should be screaming to get away.' But then his mouth went suddenly soft and beguiling on hers. Elspeth had never imagined the like. 'How strange, this shared breath, this mingling of souls.””
