Cormac saw the surprise and almost moved away again. For some reason, he wanted real, concrete permission from her. When she didn't actually move away, he stayed where he was. He just stared at her, silently asking her for permission to touch her, to kiss her.
When she leaned forward and kissed him, he didn't hesitate anymore. His hand laid on her cheek, gently resting there. His mouth moved against hers slowly. He wanted to go faster, to deepen the kiss, but he held himself back. He didn't want to pressure her or to make her pull back. He'd already proven to her once he was a good kisser, now it was time to prove he could be gentle and take his time. There was nothing to prove this time, no arrogant need to show her he was a good kisser.
After a soft kiss, he pulled back himself both to keep himself from trying for more and to look at her. Why was beyond him. His hand still rested on her cheek as he looked back at her with a small smile tweaking at his lips. "Oh, no, Astoria, you could never be boring even if the mystery disappears," he whispered, not fully moving back.