Astoria hated the idea of pulling back but she knew she had to, if only to regain a modicum control over herself. It was hard to do anything, however, when his touch felt so good. She concentrated on the feeling of his fingers running through her hair and trailing down her back. He seemed satisfied with simply holding her for now. It surprised Astoria more than anything. She was sure most men would take advantage of the position and she honestly expected no less from Cormac. It gave her a little hope, she wasn't sure of hope for what exactly, but she was glad. It wasn't as if Astoria didn't want him -- she did -- but she enjoyed that moment just as much, in a very different way.
When his hand stilled on her back Astoria sighed. It felt like an expectant moment, as if they were both waiting for something. She just didn't know what that something was. She didn't like the uncertainty between them or the fact that she had no clue what was going on. It was easy to tell herself to just enjoy it and much harder to put that advice into practice. She let the thought pass, however. She was unwilling to ruin this again with her uncertainty. It was something she needed to deal with alone and not in his presence. Finally, Astoria disentangled herself from his arms and moved back. She stayed close, refusing to back away completely, and smiled at him. She felt uncharacteristically shy in that moment. It was strange. She was sure she'd never felt shy in Cormac's presence before.
"So…" she started, her smile growing wider, "Better than a strawberry crepe?" Astoria asked in reference to the kiss. It was a silly joke meant to restore the easiness between them.