"Please, Tavi," wheedled the girl in the predawn darkness outside the stead-holt's kitchen. "Just this one little favor?"
"I don't know," said the boy. "There's so much work today."
She leaned in closer to him, and the boy felt her slender body mold against his, soft and lower-scented and delightful. She pressed her mouth to his cheek in a slow kiss and whispered in his ear, "I'd be very grateful."
"Well," the boy said. "I'm not sure if, um."
She kissed his cheek again and whispered, "Please."
His heart pounded more quickly, and his knees felt weak. "All right. I'll do it."