Page 113 of A Lab Rat's Guide to Fated Love
Alight drizzle began by the timethey pulled into Nori’s driveway the next evening. She’d offered to cook a new fried rice recipe she’d found online.
“Look, I don’t have a wok,” she admitted, stepping into the kitchen. “No judgments, okay.”
“No judgments.”
While she washed and chopped the vegetables, Vir stood there, making unwelcome attempts at assisting.
“Stop meddling if you want to stay here.” She scowled at him. “Or else you can go and sit over there.”
“No more meddling.” He sighed in mock defeat. “I promise.” Then casually leaned against a nearby counter to watch her sauté the ingredients together.
A stray curl pried itself loose from her hair-tie and fell against her cheek. His fingers itched, desperate to reach out and tuck it behind her ear. And to let his thumb graze against her soft bottom lip that was jutting out ever so slightly. Just once.
She absentmindedly bit her lip right then, and with a quiet, shaky breath, he forced himself to look away.
For the remainder of the duration Nori cooked, Vir focused on the sputtering contents of the pan, only letting himself glance at her sporadically, to nod along or chuckle as she told him about the funny video she’d seen.
“Then he saw another plastic colander on the shelf—” Turning the stove off, she reached for a plate on the other side. “—and that’s when he completely lost his shit.”
“Careful!” Vir moved her hand out of the way of the hot pan. “Ow!” But his own knuckles grazed against one of the other scorching surfaces instead.
Nori swore under her breath as she grabbed his wrist and led him to the sink. She let the icy water run over the burn for a while before turning the faucet off to assess the damage.
“It’s not that bad,” he mumbled.
“Wait here.” She walked away briefly before reappearing with a tube of ointment.
The cool salve tingled against his skin as she carefully dabbed it on with a cotton swab. But that was just background noise.
All he could focus on was how close she was.Too close.
So close, the heat radiating off her skin conversed with his own in whispers, pulling him to her like gravity. Her soft, subtle scent that he’d never been able to attach comparable notes to intoxicated his brain, making him draw his next breath in even deeper. If he leaned forward just a little…
No.Vir clenched his jaw, keeping himself perfectly still.
He waited for her to step away. But she didn’t move. She was still staring at his hand. Still standing too close.
Move.He reluctantly willed at her. Because he couldn’t.Please.
She made an O with her mouth and blew cool air over his knuckles, making goosebumps erupt all over his skin.
If he just—NO!
Nori chose that exact moment to glance up at him. And all the clashing bargainers inside his head stilled under her gaze. He’d been so lost in his own internal chaos, he hadn’t been paying attention to the storm brewing insideher.
And now that he did, he watched his own longing mirrored in her eyes.Oh.
Her gaze dropped to his mouth and lingered there. As it slowly drifted back to his eyes, her chin quivered. Her palm rose to rest against his cheek, and he leaned into it without thinking.
“Can I kiss you?” Nori asked, barely audible.
Vir was vaguely aware of breathing out an answer before he pressed his mouth to hers. Soft kisses. Gentle. Delicate. Hesitant.
He felt a layer shift—hers or his—he couldn’t really tell.
But with a shudder, her lips parted at the same time as his. And they were no longer soft, but ravenous mouths that seemed to want to devour each other whole. Their tongues danced together with a mind of their own. And for the first time in a long time, Vir’s mind was completely devoid of thought.
A low groan built in his chest as Nori’s fingers dragged across his scalp, curving into fists, pulling him closer. The feel of her. The taste of her. He’d remembered it all wrong. It made him want to weep, knowing how badly time had diluted his memories of her.
