So much said that her brief whisper seemed to travel straight from her lips to lodge underneath his heart. Before Rory could think to stop himself, he'd cupped his hands over Pippa's shoulders and lowered his head to brush his lips against hers.

He kept the kiss brief, much as he longed to crush her to him and devour her mouth. "I have missed you, a muirnín." Trained as his voice was, it still shook slightly. "So, so much."