Bold, soft lips

[shootingstar]

(William, talking on the phone)
'You weren't there, Gloria. The pain's too big. I couldn't bear it, I just couldn't.'
He heard her breathing, imagined her flowery fresh fragrance. She felt very close, as if he could have put his finger on the cross-hatch of the receiver and been able to feel her bold, soft lips.

(From A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe, Part III Family Business, scene 44)

What does "bold" mean in this context?

 

[jutfrank]

I'd interpret it to mean that her lips stand out in some way. Either because she has full lips, or that she's wearing a bold-coloured lipstick, or even just that he's imagining them so longingly that they seem to be at the front of his mind. It really just means he wants to kiss her.

 

[Skrej]

It might even be a synonym for 'large' (with a positive connotation).