Building the Tension | ✔ | 18+

Chapter 33 - The Final Countdown

As Lissa and I walked in to Christian's room, he eyed me suspiciously.

"Does she really need to be here?" he asked.

"I'm here for moral support," I told him.

"Why would Lissa need moral support - other than from me - when talking to me?"

"It's fine, Rose," Lissa said, "Why don't you head back?" Through the bond, Lissa said, Can you listen in? And stay close?

I nodded and left on my way back to hang out in the dorm lobby, then opened my mind up to the bond as I sat down.

-=o0/&\0o=-

Christian laid down on his bed, his body propped up with one arm, and motioned for Lissa to join him. Lissa laid down on the bed beside him and he circled his other arm around her. Laying down together on the same bed was against the rules, but she was too distraught to care. Normally, this would be something they could get busted for by the dorm matrons, but this close to the end of the semester, things got a little lax.

"Liss, what is it?" he asked as he gently stroked her back with his hand.

"Christian, have you ever heard of the quorum law?" Lissa asked.

Christian made a puzzled face as he answered, "It sounds familiar, but I can't think of what it is. Does it have something to do with making a new law?"

Lissa shook her head. "Not really. It's about getting a seat on the council."

"Okay ... and?"

Lissa hesitated and then plunged ahead. "In order for someone to have a seat on the council, that person must have another member of their royal family present."

"So you're worried that you can't take part in any of the votes because you're the only Dragomir?"

"No! I mean, yes, maybe a little - at first - but, no! Christian, it just seems like this is an awful lot of pressure on you. I don't want to lose you."

"Lissa, why would you lose me?"

I could feel her frown as Lissa looked into his crystal blue eyes. "Because you might feel like if you were with me, we'd have to get married and start a family right away."

"Lissa, are you ready to get married? Or to be a mother?"

"Well, no," she said, "Not for sure. But the council seat -"

Christian interrupted with, "Will wait until you're ready for it. Do you love me?"

"Yes, with all my heart."

Christian kissed Lissa's forehead and then asked, "And if we were both ready to get married and I were to ask you, would you say 'yes'?" Lissa took a moment and then gave an uncertain, shaky nod. "Then don't worry about it, Liss."

"But -"

Before Lissa could protest any further, he cut her off with a searing kiss. I figured it was my opportunity to get out of there when he broke off the kiss again and said, "Lissa, I love you more than I've ever loved anyone else. You're the only woman I want. You are my family and, one day, I'll be happy to call you my wife - when you're ready. If that was what you wanted, I'd be happy to marry you tomorrow, but I'm not going to help make them force you into anything you're not ready for. There's no urgency to be on the council before you're ready. When you are, I'll be there - if you want me to - but not until then."

Lissa started to fight back tears of joy. "Christian, you're too good to me. I love you."

-=o0/&\0o=-