Charlie didn't step away immediately. He just stood there, looking into her eyes. His fingers softly rubbed at her hip, and others had started playing with her hair, causing the ends to dance over her skin.
He licked his lips, which felt dry all of a sudden, and it meant he might have licked hers too with how close they were. Just a light touch. He took a slow breath, and somewhere inside, he was glad that it wasn't ragged. The slightly intense stare softened, turning to a smile. His head tilted a little, and he pressed a surprisingly chaste kiss on her cheek.
"But we aren't on a date," he said as he stepped back. "You can keep the tarts. You need more fruit." Charlie thought everyone needed more fruit.