”Does … it … feel like that?”

Xena wanted to laugh, but was too uncertain, so she just smiled down at the lovely bard. ”No. Nothing like that.

”NOTHING like this?”

”So curious.”

Gabrielle licked her lips, and then closed them so she wouldn’t ask any more silly questions to a woman so learned in the ways of physical love. It was embarrassing to know so little. She stared quite accidentally at Xena’s lips, as she had done countless times before.

”You don’t have any more questions for me …?” Xena teased gently, leaning down a little closer so that her hair fell to her left side. It was a curtain for them both, allowing only slivers of morning light pass through.

Gabrielle brought her free hand up to feel the dark hair’s rough texture in comparison to her own – often silky – hair. She combed the coarse strands behind Xena’s ear. ”Kiss me?”

Without a word, Xena dipped in close and simply laid her lips on Gabrielle’s. It was innocent enough on its face, but behind the kiss was a fire teaming with chemistry that had never been released.

Being completely inexperienced, Gabrielle had every intention of allowing Xena to take the lead, but there was just something about Xena’s lips on hers. She kissed her back stronger that time around, with both hands in the tangled, raven-black hair.

Just when Gabrielle was certain it couldn’t get any better, she felt something warm and wet against her lips: Xena’s tongue.

”Mmm …” she whimpered quietly, shy of making such a noise, but unable to hold it back. It took her a while to realize that Xena would enjoy her tongue as well, and when she did finally tease Xena’s lips with it, there was no containing their desperation. First Xena’s tongue slipped into Gabrielle’s mouth – prying, feeling, licking, conquering – and then it was Gabrielle’s turn to feel the power of her own touch.

Without noticing they were moving at all, they rolled over each other in turns, kissing and pulling at hair and clothes until they were worked into a frenzy.

Xena was throbbing madly, but she wanted to take her time. She felt so deeply for Gabrielle that she wouldn’t have ever asked for more, if it wasn’t for Gabrielle’s other next inquiry.