Defiant Heir (The Heirs 3)

Before she can finish the sentence, the words burst from me, “No!” I bring my hand to her chin and nudge her face up until I feel her breaths fluttering over my jaw. “I absolutely hate that you got hurt.” I shake my head. “I respect you too much to pity you, Fallon.”

Her fingers wrap around my wrist. “Thank you, Kao. I needed to hear that.”

Having Fallon in my bed and feeling her breath on my face makes anticipation begin to build in me.

More than anything, I want to kiss her right now. Yesterday it happened suddenly, and it was so emotionally charged, I didn’t get to savor her.

I inch a little closer and whisper, “Can I kiss you?”

A tense moment passes before she nods. “Yes.”

Getting her permission, I focus on her breaths warming my face, until there’s nothing but Fallon. Slowly, leaning in, my lips brush against hers. I pull back and breathe in her exhales as they speed up. My eyes drift shut as I press my mouth to hers. Using my body, I push against Fallon until she’s flat on her back. I tilt my head and breathing in her intoxicating scent, my lips begin to move.

Fuck, it’s hard to keep the kiss slow.

My tongue brushes against her bottom lip, begging for entrance, and the moment she opens for me and I get to taste her, my self-control slips. The kiss becomes more intense, our tongues exploring each other. A soft moan drifts from Fallon, robbing me of all my senses and the urge to consume her overwhelms me.

My teeth scrape over her bottom lip before my tongue plunges back into the warmth of her mouth. It feels like our lips are melting together, and I can’t get enough of how good she tastes.

I always knew kissing Fallon would change my world, but I never knew how much. She’s become my every breath, and I know I won’t survive a minute without her.

Even if my sight never fully returns, I won’t be able to let go of her.

My hand slips over her cheek and into her hair, and wanting to show her that I love every inch of her, even the scars, I break the kiss and feather kisses over her cheek.Chapter 18FALLONWhen Kao’s lips brush over the scars, it takes every bit of strength I have not to pull away. A war erupts in me, half of me wanting to hide my disfigurement from him, and the other half needing to feel that he accepts me as I am.

Kao’s mouth comes back to mine, and he presses a soft kiss to my lips before pulling back. “I’ll never be able to let you go again.”

His words make tears push up my throat, but I swallow them back down and whisper, “Promise?”

“I promise.”

Kao pulls me against his chest, and I feel his breath on my forehead, then he lets out a chuckle. “God, now that I’ve kissed you, it’s all I want to do.”

“You took your sweet time,” I playfully chastise him. “I know you said we should take things slowly, but I never thought you meant this slow.”

My teasing draws another chuckle from him. “I’m done taking things slow.” He pauses for a moment, then asks, “Can I take you to dinner tonight? It won’t be any place spectacular, just the campus restaurant.”

Grinning, I nod as I wrap my arm around his waist. “I’d love that.”

We lie in silence for a while, then I ask, “How’s the migraine?”

A mischievous smile spreads over his face. “Instantly cured, the second your lips touched mine.”

We grow quiet, and I try to process everything that’s happened between us. From the heartache to the kiss, my life feels like a coin being flipped in the air, and God only knows where it will land.

Lying in Kao’s arms, and feeling the warmth from his body, makes me swallow hard on the emotions whirling in me.

I really thought I lost him. It’s scary how convincing he was.

“What are you thinking?” Kao whispers, his arms tightening around me.

Hesitant to bring it up again, I say, “Nothing.”

Kao pulls back a little. “I can feel you thinking.”

“It’s just…” still feeling apprehensive, I have to force the words out, “you were really convincing when you told me you only wanted to be friends.”

Kao brings his hand to my right cheek, and I instantly cringe, but he doesn’t let it stop him from tenderly brushing my hair back and tucking the strands behind my ear. “I just wanted to protect you. In hindsight, I was stupid as fuck.”

“You got so angry with me,” I murmur, my brows drawing together as the residual heartache clenches my heart. “I’ve never seen you behave that way, and it was scary,” I admit.

Kao presses a kiss to my lips, then says, “I’m sorry.”