Dancing and my piano are my guilty pleasures.”
“I guess I’ll get to see you, seeing as I’ll be here all the time.”
“Yeah.” Her hands stopped chopping, and her shoulders tensed. “Maybe.”
“Will that be a problem?” I asked, stepping around the counter. My body was drawn to her; for some inexplicable reason I needed to be close. She remained silent for the longest time, and I didn’t think she was going to answer. She simply continued chopping.
She sniffed.
I waited.
She sniffled again. I sidled up beside her to get a better look, and clear as day tears were streaming down her face. Panic hit me with a force, and I almost staggered back.
“I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
“Onions get me every time.” She laughed. Her cheeks flushed, and she looked up at me. Her big brown eyes were glossy and amused. It was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. I must have stared too long because she lifted her hand and wiped at her eyes and then cried out.
“Mother-fluffing-chicken. Why did I do that?” She ripped her glasses from her face and lifted her hands to wipe at her stinging eyes again, but I grabbed her wrists to stop her. Her eyes were screwed together, and her nose was all wrinkled.
“Ryan, it hurts.” She wriggled, trying to free her hands, but I held on.
“Don’t touch your eyes; it will make it worse. Come on.” I grabbed a towel from the worktop and pulled her to the sink. She stumbled, so I brought her close. I turned the faucet on cold and held the towel underneath, clenching my fist around the wet rag to squish excess water out. I released her wrist and cupped her chin, lifting her face up to me. She had one eye closed and was squinting at me with the other. I held the towel up to show her what I was about to do and brushed it over her eyes.
She sucked in a breath. I wiped from her cornea outwards. Her lashes looked super long and dark. I gazed at her a moment, her mouth slightly agape, her cheeks pinked, as I held her face in my hands. She was pretty tall, but still her forehead was just above my chin. I wanted to slide my hand into her hair and release it from that messy bun, see it tumble down her back. I wondered how long it actually was. Would it be to her shoulders or further? Straight or curly?
“Okay,”
She blinked slowly, her lashes fanned against her creamy skin, long slow waves, as her dark chocolate eyes focused. They had small flecks of gold near the pupil, radiating out like an exploding firework. A little bloodshot, but still stunning. She looked dazed as she stared up at me.
“You okay?”
“Hmm?” She licked her bottom lip, pulling it into her mouth and scraping her teeth over. I stared at the ripe plump and incredibly ruby lip. I yanked my hand away and stepped back. Stunned by my sudden movements, she blinked rapidly and adjusted her glasses into place before muttering something I didn’t catch. She turned to the counter she had been working at. I watched her as her lips moved, talking silently to herself. The angry set of her shoulders and aggressive chops at the onion kind of indicated she was pissed.
I grabbed my beer and took a healthy swig, Aloura craned her neck to look at me, and the corner of her mouth lifted in a cute smile.
“What do you think?” She nodded to the beer in my hand.
I was a little taken back at first that she wasn’t making things awkward, but then maybe she hadn’t noticed my reaction. Maybe I read the situation all wrong, and she wasn’t pissed.
“You can grab a Bud if you don’t like it,” she offered.
“I like it.” I cleared my throat. “It’s actually really nice. You may have converted me.”
Her delicate chuckle warmed a place deep inside.
“Thanks for...” She pointed her finger to her eyes. “I’m not generally a klutz in the kitchen.” She grinned before turning to continue chopping.
“Onions are pesky things,” I said dryly, earning me a soft laugh. I stepped closer to her again,
“I guess I’ll get to see you, seeing as I’ll be here all the time.”
“Yeah.” Her hands stopped chopping, and her shoulders tensed. “Maybe.”
“Will that be a problem?” I asked, stepping around the counter. My body was drawn to her; for some inexplicable reason I needed to be close. She remained silent for the longest time, and I didn’t think she was going to answer. She simply continued chopping.
She sniffed.
I waited.
She sniffled again. I sidled up beside her to get a better look, and clear as day tears were streaming down her face. Panic hit me with a force, and I almost staggered back.
“I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
“Onions get me every time.” She laughed. Her cheeks flushed, and she looked up at me. Her big brown eyes were glossy and amused. It was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. I must have stared too long because she lifted her hand and wiped at her eyes and then cried out.
“Mother-fluffing-chicken. Why did I do that?” She ripped her glasses from her face and lifted her hands to wipe at her stinging eyes again, but I grabbed her wrists to stop her. Her eyes were screwed together, and her nose was all wrinkled.
“Ryan, it hurts.” She wriggled, trying to free her hands, but I held on.
“Don’t touch your eyes; it will make it worse. Come on.” I grabbed a towel from the worktop and pulled her to the sink. She stumbled, so I brought her close. I turned the faucet on cold and held the towel underneath, clenching my fist around the wet rag to squish excess water out. I released her wrist and cupped her chin, lifting her face up to me. She had one eye closed and was squinting at me with the other. I held the towel up to show her what I was about to do and brushed it over her eyes.
She sucked in a breath. I wiped from her cornea outwards. Her lashes looked super long and dark. I gazed at her a moment, her mouth slightly agape, her cheeks pinked, as I held her face in my hands. She was pretty tall, but still her forehead was just above my chin. I wanted to slide my hand into her hair and release it from that messy bun, see it tumble down her back. I wondered how long it actually was. Would it be to her shoulders or further? Straight or curly?
“Okay,”
She blinked slowly, her lashes fanned against her creamy skin, long slow waves, as her dark chocolate eyes focused. They had small flecks of gold near the pupil, radiating out like an exploding firework. A little bloodshot, but still stunning. She looked dazed as she stared up at me.
“You okay?”
“Hmm?” She licked her bottom lip, pulling it into her mouth and scraping her teeth over. I stared at the ripe plump and incredibly ruby lip. I yanked my hand away and stepped back. Stunned by my sudden movements, she blinked rapidly and adjusted her glasses into place before muttering something I didn’t catch. She turned to the counter she had been working at. I watched her as her lips moved, talking silently to herself. The angry set of her shoulders and aggressive chops at the onion kind of indicated she was pissed.
I grabbed my beer and took a healthy swig, Aloura craned her neck to look at me, and the corner of her mouth lifted in a cute smile.
“What do you think?” She nodded to the beer in my hand.
I was a little taken back at first that she wasn’t making things awkward, but then maybe she hadn’t noticed my reaction. Maybe I read the situation all wrong, and she wasn’t pissed.
“You can grab a Bud if you don’t like it,” she offered.
“I like it.” I cleared my throat. “It’s actually really nice. You may have converted me.”
Her delicate chuckle warmed a place deep inside.
“Thanks for...” She pointed her finger to her eyes. “I’m not generally a klutz in the kitchen.” She grinned before turning to continue chopping.
“Onions are pesky things,” I said dryly, earning me a soft laugh. I stepped closer to her again,
Similar Books
