Page 53 of The Heir
A small line appeared between Linea’s eyebrows and she opened her mouth to speak but closed it again. “Is it… hmm.”
“It’s a yes or no answer,” I said and chanted mentallyCan I kiss you? Can I kiss you? Can I kiss you?
We were close enough for our knees to touch and with our intense eye contact the situation felt intimate. I got the feeling that she was looking into my heart and I had to hold myself back from reaching for her hands.
Linea took her time and at least a minute or two went by as we sat in silence with our gazes locked.
“If your question is what I think it is, then my answer is yes.”
“Your answer is yes?”
She nodded with a smile that made a dimple on her right cheek pop out. “Yes.”
That was all I needed to lean forward and press my lips against hers.
At first Linea gasped and put a hand to my collarbone. It separated our lips, but with my heart pumping fast in my chest, I stayed put, looking into her eyes. She didn’t pull away, so I kissed her again. At first it was one-sided, but then her eyes closed, and I felt her taste my lips. Her participation made burning heat rush through my body and in my eagerness to deepen our kiss, I leaned into her personal space and cupped her face with both my hands. With Linea moving back and me wanting more, she ended up with her head pressing against the armrest of the sofa. Never had I experienced a hunger so strong for a woman and with the way her nails bored into my shoulders it seemed mutual. Our minds had connected through the mind-reading exercise but now my tongue, lips, and hands were exploring her as well.
Ever since I was a teenager, women had offered themselves to me. At times I had been tempted, but with the press making a big deal out of every encounter that I had with a female, I was extremely careful not to give them the wrong impression.
With Linea, however, I didn’t hold back. I wanted her too fucking much and not for a second did I fear that she wanted me because of my status. If anything, Linea was kissing medespitemy role as the heir.
When we broke off the kiss, we were both out of breath. Her hair was tousled from my hands fisting through her long locks and our lips were puffy from the intense kissing.
Panting she asked, “I’m sorry, but what was your question exactly?”
“I asked if I could kiss you.”
“Oh, right. Well, that’s not what I picked up.”
“What did you think I was asking?”
“If I liked you.”
With a wide smile, I cupped her face with one hand. “And you still answered yes.”
Pushing me back gently, Linea created some space between us and straightened her clothes. “To be honest, my brain and my heart were debating the answer to whether I liked you or not.”
“I assume it was your heart that won?”
“Mm-hmm, my heart is more forgiving than my brain.” Linea tapped her index finger against her forehead. “Pride and judgment live here. I’m working on starving them to death, but the two are resilient beasts.”
“I can relate.” I brushed a hand through my hair and looked down at the massive tent in my pants.
Linea followed my gaze before asking. “What now?”
“Hmm. How about we bury the hatchet? The strong attraction between us doesn’t seem to go away so we might as well admit that it’s there.”
“Huh. Wouldn’t you say that you admitted your attraction back in the Motherlands when you asked if I wanted to have sex with you?”
“Fair enough. What I meant was that it’s time you admitted that you’re attracted to me as well.”
Linea touched my knee, opened her mouth and closed it again.
“Say something.”
“I’m not sure what to say to that. I told you about my dilemma.”
“What dilemma?” I had made myself vulnerable by admitting I had feelings for her. What I needed was for her to assure me it went both ways.
