...at what moment he decided to kiss Maria. Perhaps it was spur of the moment--one blinding instant, like a flash of lightning during which is seemed only fair that the woman who'd talked him into manning the Kissing Booth be a subject of the booth's trade. Perhaps it had been building since he arrived at Goldfest. The party atmosphere was relaxing, and Andrzej hadn't relaxed in many weeks. And then there she was, standing in front of him, surveying the booth critically. Had she thought it wouldn't be ready in time?

Satisfied with the decoration of the booth, she lowered her eyes to look at him. Not just a fleeting glance, but a real look. It was so rare one person actually LOOKED at another during these functions. Her moss green eyes glistened and she parted her lips ever so slightly, as though contemplating saying something.

Maybe that little motion was what did it, but without realizing what he was doing, Andrzej reached for her. His hands skimmed up her arms, caressing the bare skin with a feather-light touch. One hand stole around to her back, pulling her closer, and as his other hand sank into her long brown hair, he brought his lips down on hers.

Now, you must understasnd, this was not a gentle kiss. Oh, he was anything but cruel. But Andrzej had never done this before...this kissing for sestercii...and wasn't exactly sure how much of his soul he should put into kisses sold at a booth. So, for some strange reason, at that particular moment the need to kiss her felt like a matter of self-preservation.

Startled by his unexpected move, Maria gasped and started to pull back, but he tightened his grip, pulling her more firmly into his arms and deepened the kiss until he heard her moan softly. His urgency seemed to inflame her as well and soon she was returning the kiss with equal fervor, her arms twined around his neck.

Through a barrage of surprising (and barely controlled) desire, the sounds of Goldfest finally floated back to him. Andrzej pulled back enough to look down at the woman in his arms. Maria's head was tilted back, her eyes closed, and a dreamy smile played about her lips.

"Well, my dear?" Andrzej asked with a roguish smile. "Would something like that be worth the price of admission?"