Page 14 of The Heir
“Don’t talk to me that way! You are no better than that horse. You’re as stubborn and scared as he is.”
“Ha!” I gave a grimace and looked to the closed door. My instinct was to get out, but Linea’s pushing had backed me up against the bed and I would have to physically move her out of my way to get out.
“Your tough façade is wasted on me, Thor Aurelius. I see you for who you are. I knew you when you were a little insecure teenage boy who tried hard to impress the older kids. I see through your shield of arrogance. You’re so proud that you would rather battle your demons without weapons, and lose the fight, than ask for help.”
My face flamed red with anger for her calling me out. “You don’t know me at all.”
Linea was smaller than me by almost a full head, but the intense fire in her eyes made it feel as if she grew taller and stared me down. Desperate to shut her up, I stepped into her personal space.
A man would have taken my aggression as an invitation to fight, but Linea didn’t back down. Instead she spewed, “The one person in this room who can’t see you for who you are isyou,Thor!”
I needed to shut her up. Out of the hundred things I could have done, my choice landed on something unexpected. I cupped Linea’s face with both hands and muffled her gasp when I planted a solid kiss on her mouth.
CHAPTER4
Unexpected
Linea
We were shouting at each other when out of nowhere, Thor kissed me. It was so unexpected that I stood there with my brow raised high and my eyes widened in shock.
His kiss was long, hard, and more punishing in nature than loving. Back when I had my crush on him, I’d fantasized about kissing Thor a million times, but never like this.
When he released his tight hold on me, we stared into each other’s eyes.
My fingers touched my lips as if they were searching for proof that the kiss really happened, and my eyes blinked in confusion. “What was that?”
“It was either that or spanking you,” Thor said without stepping away.
My lungs worked fast to keep up with my racing heart, and my hand lowered from my lips to my chest. “You can’t just kiss me.”
“I know.” He still didn’t move away.
“You don’t like me, Thor.”
“No, I don’t.” His brown eyes were stormy as his gaze lowered to my lips again.
I should have moved back, but the little butterflies I used to get in my stomach around him as a young girl were back in a grown-up version that spread intense heat to the area between my thighs.
“Can I?”
“Can you what?” My mind wasn’t working right but at least his wetting his lips warned me before he kissed me again.
This time his kiss was softer, and his arm snaked around my back to pull me close to him.
It took me a few seconds to register what I was doing and how messed up it was. “Thor, don’t.”
His hold on me tightened like he didn’t want to stop, but as soon as I pushed at his shoulders, he released me.
Being close to him was like an intense rollercoaster of emotions. His energy had gone from defensive anger to raw arousal, and now I sensed pained rejection.
“Thor, listen…” He stiffened when I touched his shoulder. “You need to meditate and find balance. I can’t keep up with your mood swings. One second, you’re scared, then you’re angry, horny, and sad. Was this your attempt to distract yourself?”
“Distract me from what?”
“From the message I came to deliver.”
With a groan, he pushed past me, his face tight and unexpressive. He had a hand on the door handle and was on his way out when he paused for a moment. “All right, let me hear the stupid message then.”
