Page 65 of A Lab Rat's Guide to Fated Love
She turned to find him peeking sideways at her. As if seeking permission, a small smile playing on his lips. It grew wider the moment she wove her fingers through his and resumed typing one-handed.
“Stop staring at me like that.” She laughed, glancing at him again.
“Or what?”
“Or I’ll kiss you,” she blurted without thinking, and her face flamed hot.
“Are you threatening me with a good time?” Vir laughed. He leaned forward and planted a quick peck at the edge of her mouth. But just as he started to retreat, something shifted in his eyes. They flickered to her mouth and lingered there, his throat bobbing.
A split second later, he bit down on his lip and dragged his gaze away.
“Vir…” Nori whispered, her heart thrumming in her chest as she closed the gap between their mouths. Mouths that were both hesitant, as much as they were hungry.
Her hand flew to his chest, only to realize it wasn’t justherheartbeat going haywire. His heart, too, hammered right under her palm. Equally crazy. And strong. Alive.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
The beat lit a fuse inside her brain. It made her head swim. Her fists bunched the fabric of his shirt, pulling him to her, while an embarrassing moan escaped her throat as she tasted the irresistible curves of his lips.
Vir’s breath hitched, and the next moment he was kissing her like he’d been parched for days and had just found water.
Her heart threw itself harder against her ribs as his mouth roamed every inch of her face, her neck, the insides of her wrists… She was so hot. And so greedy. She didn’t ever want him to stop.
His lips found hers again, while her hands dragged under his shirt, wanting to rip the useless piece of fabric off him. The top few buttons of her own shirt had come undone. What were a few more?
A nagging voice at the back of her head asked her if she was forgetting something.
What could she possibly be forgetting? And did it even matter?
All she could focus on was him. The texture of his skin beneath her fingertips, the sound of his breaths as they sped and faltered and hitched at her touch. Did she sound like that to him, too? Could he also feel her flesh simmer from the heat radiating between them?
It baffled her, the ease with which he brought out this raw, ravenous side of her, full of fire and lust and desire, and a desperate need to be touched by him and to keep touching him. To never stop.
Vir made a sound in the back of his throat before pulling away from her. “We should stop,” he rasped, glaring at her through hooded eyes. His chest moved as if he was struggling to breathe.
“No, wait.” She pulled him back to her by his shirt’s placket—the dumb fabric was useful, after all—and kissed him again.
“Nori,” Vir whispered, breaking apart after a few more seconds of bliss, “I can feel it.”
He was right. Drawing a shaky, resigned breath, Nori slumped back in her chair.
“Do you hate this?” she asked in a small voice. How could he not?
Vir shook his head.
“Why don’t we take things slow?” he asked, redoing the buttons on her shirt. “Glaciallyslow. Or… it’s also fine if we don’t—”
“Slow—” she cut in before he could finish, “—sounds good! Slow’s perfect.”
Vir nodded, brushing a stray curl from her eyes before gently tucking it behind her ear.
“I can sense the subtle shifts in your emotions. It’s a lot more accurate, since I’m so attuned to you now. But you have no idea how hard it is to stop and pay attention to anything else when—” He broke off. “Nori, I’m afraid of making a mistake and hurting you again.”
“You won’t—”
“You have to use your words, if we’re going to continue at all. Tell me right away if you’re even a little bit uncomfortable. Or if something feels off. If you forget words, just Karate-chop me into oblivion. I won’t mind.”
“Taekwondo. I don’t know Karate,” she said. “Yet.”
