The Next Line ( The Lineage Series #2)

Chapter 18

She looks at me like she wants to be kissed but refuses to ask for it. Like she's daring me.

I brush a knuckle along her jaw, slow, deliberate.

She shivers.

"Still gonna pretend you don't want this?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

She exhaled shakily. "You're so full of yourself."

I grin. "You didn't answer the question."

She glares, but it's weak. "Jamie will kill you."

I hum, leaning in closer. "That's what's stopping you?"

She doesn't answer.

She doesn't need to.

Because if it were really just about Jamie, she would've pushed me away by now.

She would've left.

She wouldn't be holding her breath, waiting to see what I'll do next.

I tilt her chin up slightly, making her look at me.

"Say you don't want this, and I'll leave you alone."

Her eyes dart to my lips.

Then—back to mine.

Fuck.

She's so close.

One more push and she'd be mine.

Her breath stutters.

Her lashes flutter.

She leans in.

And then—

She blinks rapidly, snapping out of it, suddenly shoving me away.

I let her go, but not before catching the way her hands shake.

She looks wrecked.

Like she's about to break, but she won't let herself.

"I can't," she whispers.

I clench my jaw. "Can't what?"

She swallows hard. "Can't do this."

I exhale slowly, dragging a hand down my face.

She's always running.

And I'm always chasing.

But the thing about running?

Sooner or later—

I will always catch up to her.

𐦟𐦟𐦟

Aurora

Then I tilts my head down, so close that I can feel his breath against my lips.

I suck in a shaky breath, my fingers gripping his jacket on instinct.

"Still gonna pretend you don't want this?" he whispers, voice rough.

I hate him.

I hate that he can do this to me—pull me in, break me down, make me forget everything except him.

I open my mouth, ready to argue—

But he doesn't give me the chance.

Because that's when he kisses me. It's not soft.

His lips crash against mine, a low, possessive sound escaping from his throat as he pulls me even closer, his grip on my waist like steel.

I gasp, and that's all it takes.