Page 47 of The Kitchen Contract

“I think I’m ready to stop trying to deny the fact that I feel something for you, Alex.” Her eyes stay locked on my face, searching. “I’m almost sure that you feel the same way, so this is me, taking another chance today and hoping it turns out as well as the first one.” She smiles and fingers a lilac streak skimming the side of her face.

My hand rises of its own accord, and I skim my fingers lightly through the color, pushing it back from her face so that I can see her blue eyes more clearly. I’m aching to lean down and kiss her. I’m positive at this point that she’d welcome it, but I still hesitate for all the reasons I already reminded myself of.

She blinks slowly, waiting for my response. My self-control is almost at its limit, but I inhale deeply and give her one more chance to come to her senses and make a different choice. “You could do better than me. You know the things I did in my last relationship.”

“I know. And I don’t think you’re the same person anymore. You’re wiser, more mature. You’re also thoughtful, smart, funny, a good uncle and brother, handsome…”

I cup her cheek in my hand, my thumb brushing gently over her cheekbone. “Handsome, huh?”

“That’s the only thing you heard out of that list?” Her laugh sounds breathless.

“No, I heard it all.” I heard it all and my heart swelled more with every word. I want it to be true. I want to be the man she described. Maybe all I have to do is decide that’s who I am and live it out. And maybe I can do it with Nora at my side, encouraging me and holding up a mirror to show me who she sees, who I can strive to be.

I can’t hold back any longer. With one hand still cradling her face, I wrap my other arm around her waist and pull her to me. Her hands slide up to rest on my chest, and she rises on her toes to meet me halfway, our lips melding together with all the longing we’ve been denying these last few weeks.

My hand slides back to tangle in the soft hair at the back of her neck, and I angle my head to deepen the kiss. She matches me in fervor and eagerness and I feel a bliss unlike anything I’ve ever known. My senses are on high alert as I taste her, smell her, hear her quickened breathing, and feel her hands slide up around my neck, her fingers brushing against the sensitive skin on the back of my neck.

Reality comes crashing back in with an unexpected and unwelcome jolt as the smoke alarm starts to blare deafeningly above us.

Nora jumps back and presses her hands to her ears as I whirl to the stove and grasp the handle of the pan containing the now charred mushrooms and peas. I douse the whole thing in the sink and grab a chair so I can reach the smoke alarm and stop the high-pitched beeping.

When I turn back to Nora, I’m breathing hard, a combination of the kiss and the adrenaline the alarm triggered. Her lips look pink and swollen, and her is hair mussed where I’d had my hand in it, but she looks happy. Her eyes crinkle at the corners as she breaks down in hysterical laughter. Her mirth is contagious, and I can’t help but join her, despite the mess I made of our dinner.

I reach for her as the laughter starts to wind down, pulling her to me. Her arms come around my back and she lays her head against my chest. My chin rests on top of her hair, and I hold her tenderly, amazed by how perfectly she seems to fit against me, like two puzzle pieces clicking into place.

“Well?” I ask. “Did that turn out well enough for you to keep taking chances?”

I feel her nod, her response muffled in my shirt. “Yep. That was a risk worth taking.”

“I’m sorry I burned the food. Guess that means I need to keep getting cooking lessons from you, huh?”

She pulls back to look at me, eyes shining. “I think so. But never fear, we can still salvage those noodles.”

I release her with a smile. “You’ll have to show me what to do. I only had one idea and it literally went up in smoke.”

She reaches up and pats my chest with one hand. “You drain those noodles and I’ll grab a few things.”

Minutes later, we’re enjoying a simple but satisfying meal of cacio e pepe, which I am told means “cheese and pepper.” Nora made sure I knew it wasn’t authentically Italian since we had to substitute parmesan for pecorino romano cheese, but it tastes great to me.

“What should we do after dinner?” I ask around a bite of pasta. Nora sits beside me at the island, so close our knees keep brushing, which sends constant tingles of electricity dancing through me.

“Oh, I have an idea,” she says slyly, and I grin, pretty sure we’re having the same thought. “I owe you a bucket of ice water, remember?”

That is most definitely not the thought I was having, but I did tell her she could, so I resign myself to a chilly evening. Maybe we’ll have a few minutes to warm up after.

28

NORA

“Come on, pull it together,” I manage to say around my giggles. “We need to get this video done and then we can do whatever we want.” I plant my hands on Alex’s chest and push him away. His arms reluctantly release their hold around my waist.

“I know. But I haven’t seen you all week.” He heaves a dramatic sigh, and I secretly agree. It’s been a long week with me picking up extra shifts to cover for a sick coworker, along with the regular editing and management tasks that are becoming standard for the From Couch to Potatoes blog and video channel. We’ve sent each other about a million texts, but it’s not the same as being in person.

“I’ve missed you too, but we have to film this. Everything is going so well with the show. I don’t want to lose all our progress.”

I smooth back my hair, and Alex presses a quick kiss to my cheek.

“You know I wouldn’t want to do anything to sabotage the show. I have it to thank for bringing you into my life, after all.”

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