Page 150 of Seer Prophet

“Do you not want this?” he asked her. “Is it only me you are worried about? Hurting me? Or do you not want this with me? Don’t let me push you, cousin… please. Tell me the truth, and I will leave you alone. I promise I will. You have no reason to fear me.”

She stopped pushing at his chest.

She looked back at his face.

He saw the thoughtful look return there.

He felt her light start to open to his again.

He caressed the hair out of her eyes, tracing her mouth with the fingers of his other hand. He cupped her jaw in his palm. He saw her looking at his mouth, then at his eyes. He felt pain in her, enough that he let out a low sound, focusing back on her mouth. He struggled with his light to keep from pulling on her, from coaxing her into him.

“Tell me,” he said. “Tell me if I can kiss you.”

“You’re hurt,” she chided him, smacking his chest lightly. “You heard what that other woman said. You know the one I mean,” she said, frowning at him. “The one who had her damned hands all over you every five seconds.”

His pain worsened. He ran his thumb over her mouth.

“Were you jealous?” he asked, unable to keep himself from asking.

She didn’t answer.

Seeing her frown, he let out another low sound, kissing her jaw.

“She knew this might happen,” he said, softer. “It is why they left us alone. They have been teasing me about you. Ever since I first saw you in that horrible place. They were teasing you, by touching me. Mika and Rex, especially.”

“Teasing, huh?” She quirked that dark eyebrow at him.

She was looking at him, though, and that anger had softened in her eyes.

“Yes.” He fought another hard pulse of pain.“Gaos.Yes. I will introduce you to all of them, cousin, and you will see. They are not bad people… and Mika was not trying to seduce me. Seers like to tease, but I will tell them not to touch me if you like.”

Her smile returned.

He saw so much warmth in her eyes and mouth that time, he pulled her mouth down to his. Kissing her carefully, he released her slightly, but she didn’t move away.

He kissed her again, closing his eyes, inhaling her scent.

Gods. He wanted this.

He wanted this so badly.

“Just kissing,” he murmured against her skin. “Only that… I promise,ilya…”

She let out a laugh, raising her head.

“You just want to kiss,” she said, bemused. “You ask me if I’m jealous. You’re calling me pet names. You want to introduce me to your friends… tell them not to touch you around me.” Shaking her head, she burst out with another laugh, still giving him an incredulous look. “Are you asking me to be your girlfriend, Loki?”

She said it teasingly, but once he’d thought about her words, once he understood how she meant them, he found himself answering without hesitation.

“Yes,” he said. “Yes, I am asking that of you, Gina.”

Her cheeks grew pink.

His pain abruptly worsened. He found himself thinking that some of her reaction came because he’d used her given name.

“Can I call you that?” he clarified. “Gina?”

She nodded, still looking at him in a kind of stunned silence.

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