one of his hands was spread around the back of her skull , fingers entwined in her hair , tugging it to shift the position of her head as he broke from her mouth to rain hotly possessive kisses around her face , her ears , her eyelids , her temples , and she was kissing him , too , his cheek , his neck , laying claim to him , fastening on the pulse at the base of his throat as he clutched her head to hold her there , under his chin , holding her to the beat of his heart .