Part 10: A Little Closer
“An entire day with you?” I asked, pretending to think. “I suppose I'd survive.”
He gave me that look. The one that said he was already planning his next irritating remark.
“Survive, darling? I'd have thought you'd be counting the minutes until you could have me all to yourself.”
“Your imagination is a fascinating place, Mr.Lion.”
“And yet, you keep visiting.”
I laughed, but he caught my hand before I could step away.
“Come here.”
“That's not how you ask nicely.”
He smiled and gently pulled me closer. “Would you please come here, my beautiful, unreasonable lioness?”
“Better.”
I let him draw me into his arms.
For a few seconds, neither of us spoke. His hand rested against my back, and mine found its way to his shoulder. It felt strangely natural, standing that close to someone who had once been just another name on a screen.
He looked down at me.
“What?” I asked.
“I'm trying to figure out how you manage to look so innocent while causing so much trouble.”
“Perhaps you're easily distracted.”
“By you? Dangerously.”
I smiled, lowering my gaze, but he tilted my chin gently until our eyes met again.
“Don't hide that smile from me.”
“Who's hiding?”
“You. Right now.”
“Maybe I don't want you getting too confident.”
“Too late, darling.”
I shook my head, laughing softly. But when I looked at him again, the teasing had settled into something quieter.
“Can I tell you something?” he asked.
“Depends. Is it another one of your dramatic speeches?”
“Probably.”
“Go on, then.”
He brushed his thumb over my cheek.
“I used to imagine what it would be like to have you beside me. Not through a screen, not as a voice I had to miss when the call ended. Just here.” He paused, his eyes holding mine. “And now that you're here, I'm discovering that I have absolutely no idea what to do with myself.”
For once, I had no sarcastic reply.
So I did the only thing that felt right.
I leaned in and kissed him.
His surprise lasted barely a second before his arms settled around me, drawing me closer. When we parted, his forehead rested against mine, and his smile was enough to make me want to kiss him again just to wipe it off his face.
“You know,” he murmured, “I had a whole speech prepared.”
“Tragic. All that effort wasted.”
“Heartless woman.”
“Your heartless woman.”
His expression softened.
“My favourite words tonight.”
I ran my fingers lightly through his hair, watching his eyes close for a brief moment.
Oh, this man.
He could turn the simplest touch into a reason for me to forget every clever thing I'd ever said.
When he opened his eyes, I was still looking at him.
“What is it, Lioness?”
“Nothing.”
“Liar.”
I smiled and rested my head against his chest. He wrapped his arms around me, pressing a kiss to my hair.
And for a while, we stayed that way, trading little remarks and occasional kisses, neither of us in any hurry to turn the moment into something more than it needed to be.
Then his voice broke through the quiet.
“Stay a little longer.”
I lifted my head. “I thought you wanted an entire day.”
“I did. I'm trying to negotiate an extension.”
“Very ambitious.”
“I've always been a man with unreasonable expectations.”
I pretended to consider it before reaching for his hand and intertwining our fingers.
“Fine. But I have one condition.”
“Anything.”
“Tomorrow, you call me first.”
He stared at me, almost offended.
“Darling, I was planning to call you before you even woke up.”
“Good answer.”
“And if you don't pick up?”
“Try again.”
His smile turned tender.
“And if you still don't?”
I leaned closer and whispered, “Then you'll have to miss me until I decide to forgive you.”
He laughed, pulled me gently back into his arms, and kissed my forehead.
“I'm in trouble, aren't I?”
I smiled against his shoulder.
“Terribly, LionHeart.”
And when he held me a little closer, I didn't tease him for it.
Because somewhere between all our challenges, stolen kisses, and ridiculous little arguments, I had begun to understand something.
I didn't just want the moments when he made my heart race.
I wanted the ordinary ones, too.
The calls that lasted longer than planned. The comfortable silences. The familiar hand reaching for mine without a second thought.
I wanted to know what we would become when there was nothing left to prove and no game left to play.
But tonight, I wasn't going to ask.
Tonight, I simply lifted my face, stole another kiss, and smiled when he looked at me as though I'd just given him his favourite answer.
“What's that for?” he whispered.
I brushed my lips against his cheek.
“Just because, my Lion”
And judging by the way he smiled, I had a feeling those two little words were going to cause him far more trouble than all my teasing ever had.
Waiting for you...
“An entire day with you?” I asked, pretending to think. “I suppose I'd survive.”
He gave me that look. The one that said he was already planning his next irritating remark.
“Survive, darling? I'd have thought you'd be counting the minutes until you could have me all to yourself.”
“Your imagination is a fascinating place, Mr.Lion.”
“And yet, you keep visiting.”
I laughed, but he caught my hand before I could step away.
“Come here.”
“That's not how you ask nicely.”
He smiled and gently pulled me closer. “Would you please come here, my beautiful, unreasonable lioness?”
“Better.”
I let him draw me into his arms.
For a few seconds, neither of us spoke. His hand rested against my back, and mine found its way to his shoulder. It felt strangely natural, standing that close to someone who had once been just another name on a screen.
He looked down at me.
“What?” I asked.
“I'm trying to figure out how you manage to look so innocent while causing so much trouble.”
“Perhaps you're easily distracted.”
“By you? Dangerously.”
I smiled, lowering my gaze, but he tilted my chin gently until our eyes met again.
“Don't hide that smile from me.”
“Who's hiding?”
“You. Right now.”
“Maybe I don't want you getting too confident.”
“Too late, darling.”
I shook my head, laughing softly. But when I looked at him again, the teasing had settled into something quieter.
“Can I tell you something?” he asked.
“Depends. Is it another one of your dramatic speeches?”
“Probably.”
“Go on, then.”
He brushed his thumb over my cheek.
“I used to imagine what it would be like to have you beside me. Not through a screen, not as a voice I had to miss when the call ended. Just here.” He paused, his eyes holding mine. “And now that you're here, I'm discovering that I have absolutely no idea what to do with myself.”
For once, I had no sarcastic reply.
So I did the only thing that felt right.
I leaned in and kissed him.
His surprise lasted barely a second before his arms settled around me, drawing me closer. When we parted, his forehead rested against mine, and his smile was enough to make me want to kiss him again just to wipe it off his face.
“You know,” he murmured, “I had a whole speech prepared.”
“Tragic. All that effort wasted.”
“Heartless woman.”
“Your heartless woman.”
His expression softened.
“My favourite words tonight.”
I ran my fingers lightly through his hair, watching his eyes close for a brief moment.
Oh, this man.
He could turn the simplest touch into a reason for me to forget every clever thing I'd ever said.
When he opened his eyes, I was still looking at him.
“What is it, Lioness?”
“Nothing.”
“Liar.”
I smiled and rested my head against his chest. He wrapped his arms around me, pressing a kiss to my hair.
And for a while, we stayed that way, trading little remarks and occasional kisses, neither of us in any hurry to turn the moment into something more than it needed to be.
Then his voice broke through the quiet.
“Stay a little longer.”
I lifted my head. “I thought you wanted an entire day.”
“I did. I'm trying to negotiate an extension.”
“Very ambitious.”
“I've always been a man with unreasonable expectations.”
I pretended to consider it before reaching for his hand and intertwining our fingers.
“Fine. But I have one condition.”
“Anything.”
“Tomorrow, you call me first.”
He stared at me, almost offended.
“Darling, I was planning to call you before you even woke up.”
“Good answer.”
“And if you don't pick up?”
“Try again.”
His smile turned tender.
“And if you still don't?”
I leaned closer and whispered, “Then you'll have to miss me until I decide to forgive you.”
He laughed, pulled me gently back into his arms, and kissed my forehead.
“I'm in trouble, aren't I?”
I smiled against his shoulder.
“Terribly, LionHeart.”
And when he held me a little closer, I didn't tease him for it.
Because somewhere between all our challenges, stolen kisses, and ridiculous little arguments, I had begun to understand something.
I didn't just want the moments when he made my heart race.
I wanted the ordinary ones, too.
The calls that lasted longer than planned. The comfortable silences. The familiar hand reaching for mine without a second thought.
I wanted to know what we would become when there was nothing left to prove and no game left to play.
But tonight, I wasn't going to ask.
Tonight, I simply lifted my face, stole another kiss, and smiled when he looked at me as though I'd just given him his favourite answer.
“What's that for?” he whispered.
I brushed my lips against his cheek.
“Just because, my Lion”
And judging by the way he smiled, I had a feeling those two little words were going to cause him far more trouble than all my teasing ever had.
Waiting for you...
