While Kai was thinking of things to do to atone for his sleight of hands, Lianne was sitting down on the floor in the bedroom. Her knees were up to her chest and she hugged them while leaning on the door.
Even now, she could still feel his soft lips on hers, his gentle touch on her body that ignited everything that he touched. For the first time in her 20 years of life, her body had been aroused.
She was not prepared for the intensity of the feeling.
She peered down her shirt.
Well, at least he had started touching her from her stomach, and it had been dark. Otherwise, he would have felt and seen the five-inch scar that was in the middle of her chest, starting about four inches below her collarbone.
The remnants of the heart surgery she had done so long ago, to close two holes in the valves of her heart. Luckily, everything had gone well and she hadn't needed any lifetime medication. She did, however, have a pacemaker that was just where the cut was.
Lianne sighed and pulled her shirt more to look at her bare chest.
She saw how her nipples were all puckered up, and touching it slightly, felt the tingle all the way down to her core - that was, undeniably, very wet. This feeling was akin to having her period but without the soreness or pain.
And it was a different kind of 'wetness' down there.
Lianne groaned and took several deep breaths.
The feelings and sensations were things she had never experienced before. Heck, she had never also touched herself before, thus all of this was new.
If she hadn't woken up, she knew very well that they would have gone all the way.
Damn, that man was dangerous.
She remembered her mother telling her once (to her utter dismay then), that when one was aroused for the first time, the feeling was beyond words. One could so easily be carried away by those sensations, more so when it's invoked by someone you feel strongly for.
This was why her mother always stressed that she should never - ever - be alone with a man unless she was prepared to go all the way.
Lianne had thought it was just her mother being overprotective.
And Kai didn't seem like the really perverted type, nor one who would be controlled by his d*ck … it wasn't to say that she thought he didn't want her, but rather, that he could control himself.
Obviously, she was just too damn naive about these things.
To his credit, he did not press force himself on her despite the way she had responded to him earlier. How many men would be able to do that?
Lianne buried her face inbetween her legs and sighed.
The problem now was, her body seemed to respond to him quite well.
In short, she was sexually attracted to him and she didn't know how long she could hold him back.
Hold *herself* back, too.
She knew that it would not be wise to take that step right now, no matter how strongly they felt for each other. That would be going in too fast, too soon and they could crash.
From all the readings she had done (yes, she actually did read up on this), there were various 'timeline' given. Some said you should be three months in the relationship, at least, before having sex.
Another said after three or five dates.
All, of course, stated 'never on the first date' - which was what she had told Zero that time.
At the end of the day, there was no 'right' length of time.
The point was, the 'right' time was when you are in a confirmed relationship and you trust the person. You are ready to 'take the relationship to the next level', so to speak. Never when you're just dating.
Does not have to be after marriage, but at the very least, when you are committed to the relationship.
On Kai's side, he was already thinking and seeing her as his wife but it was different for Lianne. It wasn't that she couldn't envision him as her husband but rather … she didn't trust the situation around them to allow them to be together.
She learned one thing from her own mother's experience.
Love is not enough.
'Love conquers all', to her, was a whole load of bullsh*t.
It was actually coined by the Roman poet Virgil in Ciris: "Omnia vincit amor: quid enim non vinceret ille?" roughly translated to say, "Love conquers all: for what could Love not conquer?" which basically meant that "True love triumphs over adversity".
Lianne wished that could be true …
And it could, really …
But it depended on a lot of things.
How strong is your love, really? Are you willing to sacrifice anything and everything to stay together? How powerful are you to be able to stand against the forces around you?
Lianne knew very well that she did have the background to stand against the Shengs, but what is the point of that if the one she is fighting to be with - is unable to stand beside her?
At the end of the day …
She loves him but she doesn't trust him fully.
She doesn't dare believe that his love for her is true, and will stand the test of time.
It wasn't that she was going to test him or have him wait years. She just needed to be able to see that he can, and will, stand beside her. Right now, everything seemed fine and hunky-dory but what will happen when they face their first hurdle?
Lianne took a deep breath and decided.
She knew that she would be facing a lot of bumps in her relationship with Kai. To expect him to prove himself to her over and over again would be ridiculous, but just trusting that he will not let her down at all was also stupid.
Since he said that his grandmother was the true power behind the Shengs, then that will be the ultimate game changer.
She will see what he will do, and whether or not his grandmother would approve. If she doesn't, what will his next action be?
While it was important that his grandmother accepted her, what was more important here was how Kai would handle whatever situation that they are faced with. If he can pass that test …
Lianne smiled to herself.
She will put her trust in him.
To take care of her, and her heart.
She could do this.
She would find the courage to love him fully.
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When Lianne woke up again, the sun was already streaming into her room. She stretched and rubbed her eyes, feeling slightly empty inside.
It had only been two days and she was already getting used to his presence beside her. So much so that when she woke up and he wasn't holding her, it felt strange. It was also stranger that before this, she was not comfortable with anyone sharing her bed.
Lianne shook her head and sighed.
Obviously, Kai had already left for work. She had heard him bathing just as she was falling asleep, and so she figured he must have wanted to go earlier after being kicked in the balls like that.
She pouted a bit but felt it was perhaps, for the best.
Getting out of bed, Lianne unlocked her door and walked out to the living room.
Only to be greeted by the sight of Kai at the dining table, doing his work. He looked up when she exited.
Seeing him there, looking at her, Lianne gasped out a startled "F*ck!", then ran back inside her bedroom, slamming the door.
Kai blinked.
Damn.
He just got a sight beyond his expectations.
His Angel wearing only a T-shirt that barely covered her, showing off her fair legs.
He took his cup of coffee and gulped the hot drink down, feeling that his Angel really was a Devil every morning.