Page 120 of A Lab Rat's Guide to Fated Love
Her fingers curved around his wrists. She stared at him for a long moment before letting out a shaky exhale. “Yes,” she whispered. “Yes.” And as Nori spoke the words, a tightness she hadn’t even known lurked inside her chest slowly began to dissolve. Warmth replaced each tiny fizzle, little by little, till warmth was all that was left.
A smile tugged at Vir’s lips, squeezing the unshed beads of moisture down his face.
“I love you,” Nori said.
His smile froze in place, before, a heartbeat later, it took over his features entirely. “This is the first time you’ve ever said it out loud.”
“No.” She chuckled. “That can’t be right. I’m sure I’ve told you at least a hundred times already.”
Vir shook his head. “Even though there were instances where the sentiment was easy to read in your emotions before… quite intensely so… This is the first time you’ve actually spoken the words out loud.”
“What?” She laughed again. “Then I should rectify the error immediately. Don’t get sick of me for saying this, but I love you. I love you. I love—”
His mouth crashed into hers, and she was finally home.
“I love you. I missed you,” Vir rasped between kisses that told her exactly that. Kisses that were gentle and rough and soft and hungry all at once.
Her eyes fell closed while she savored the taste of him, her pulse quickening to match thethump thump thump thumpof his heart under her palm. It was her favorite sound, his heartbeats.
Closer.Her fingers wove through his hair, pulling him to her.
As if he could hear her mind, his arm wrapped around her waist and pressed her to him, making their bodies smush together into two fiery hot blobs. Blobs that were kindling. Blobs that were melting.
Except for all the clothes.
Dumb fabric.Nori tugged at the hem of his shirt, and Vir drew back to let her peel it off him.
“I was right.” She grinned. “Abs.”
“Come here.” He laughed, kissing her again. But when she started pulling her own shirt off, he grabbed her wrists to make her stop. “Nori…”
She recognized the concern in his eyes. “Vir,” she said, “I’m fine. I am.”
He didn’t move. It was is if he didn’t believe her. Which, of course, she couldn’t really blame him for. The predicament was of her own making.
“As I mentioned before,” she explained. “It took some work. Well, a lot of work, but I’m better now. I’m not saying I won’t ever have a panic attack again, but I haven’t had one in years. And I know how to deal with it safely, if I ever do.”
Vir continued to stare at her while his expression remained unchanged.
“So, if you want to…” Heat flooded her cheeks. “Would you…” she mumbled the rest of the words inaudibly.
“Would I what?” He tucked a loose curl behind her ear and a corner of his mouth twitched as if he was trying not to laugh.
“Would you make love to me?” she blurted out, her face melting. His answering smile made the rest of her melt, too.
And when he kissed her again, it was so painstakingly soft and slow. Yet it left her burning more than any other kiss had before.
“Tell me what you like,” he rasped against her mouth, before moving to her ear and whispering, “Tell me everything you want,” making goosebumps erupt all over her skin.
“You.Allof you.”
His hands brushed under the hem of her shirt and slowly dragged upwards against her belly, her ribs. They pulled the fabric up and over her head before returning to the underside of her bra.
Her breath hitched as his fingers dipped under the cup, and he pulled it down, just enough to let a hardened nipple peek through before rolling it between his thumb and forefinger. When he added a pinch with the slightest bit of pressure, it made her hiss through her teeth.
“Vir…”
“Do you want me to stop?”
