Her eyes close again and she pulls me closer, closer, until our bodies are pressed together, molded like they’re supposed to be, like they were made to be.
I lean down and lick my lips and she whimpers as if she’s been waiting an eternity for my lips to find hers, and it does feel that way. I feel a powerful sense of relief, like I’ve found a part of me that I didn’t know was missing.
I rest my hand on her cheek and there’s barely an inch between our mouths. She’s breathing so softly, as if I’m the fragile one, and she’s being careful not to break me.
Her lips taste like sugar and she’s my favorite dessert.
I’m gentle with her, gently pressing my lips against the corners of her mouth, and she makes a noise in the back of her throat that makes my head swim. I feel dizzy when her mouth opens and her tongue gently meets mine.
It’s the best kind of disoriented and I never want to think straight again. The hand of mine that’s not on her cheek moves to her back and I press her soft body against mine until there’s not a single inch between us.
Through her soft lips, she whispers my name, and I’ve never felt this type of rush before. She pulls away for a moment and I feel lost, like I’m swimming out in the middle of nowhere, and when her mouth finds mine again, she’s found me and anchored me to her.
A vibration buzzes against the counter and the music I had forgotten was even playing fades out.
It’s like I’ve lost the last few minutes of my life, but I never, ever want them back. I want to stay here, lost with her.
But reality has other plans and Nora pulls away, taking the silence in my mind with her.
She grabs her phone from the counter and looks at it quickly as she swipes her finger across the green circle. I lean against the counter to steady myself and she apologizes and steps into the hallway.
A few seconds of silence pass and I can hear her talking but I can’t make out any of the words. Her voice gets louder and I force myself not to move closer to eavesdrop on her conversation.
“I have to go,” she says when she comes back into the room. “But I’ll be back in the morning to help you decorate the cake. I’ll wrap it up so it won’t get stale.”
She moves across my kitchen and I notice the change in her demeanor. Her shoulders are slouched, and every time I try to catch her eyes, she avoids mine.
A thrumming rises in my chest.
“Is everything okay? Is there anything I can do to help?” I ask. I decide in this moment that there are only a few things in this world that I wouldn’t do for her.
I know I’m insane and that I barely know her. I’m aware that it’s hard to protect someone that won’t allow you to. I’m also aware that I have a messy on-and-off relationship with someone else, but there’s nothing I can do to go back now. I can’t make the last few minutes disappear—and even if I could, I never would.
“Everything is fine. I just have to go back to Lookout, my boss needs me,” she says with a weak smile I can see right through.
I stand in silence as she layers Saran Wrap around the cake pan and grabs her shirt from the back of the chair. She tucks her tie into the back pocket of her black pants and walks to the entry of the kitchen.
Her eyes still won’t meet mine and it makes my stomach hurt. “Don’t worry about those dishes, I’ll get them in the morning.”
I nod, not knowing what else to say. The bliss from our kiss is evaporating faster than I can blink, and the endless questions I have for her are filling my head.
“I’m sorry,” she says, and I truly feel like she means it. At least there’s that.
She disappears through the doorway and I stand still for a few minutes, recollecting every moment we just shared. From the sweet taste of her sugary kiss to the desperation in her fingers as she clutched the fabric of my sweatshirt.