Chapter 95

Lyra’s POV

All Alistair ever did was distract me from cooking. Every time he wandered into the kitchen, I felt this comforting, relaxed warmth wash over me—as though nothing else in the world mattered except the two of us.

“You’re a distraction,” I said simply, waving a spatula at him as he leaned against the counter. He’d already managed to pull my focus away from the sizzling pan and the carefully chopped vegetables I’d spent the afternoon preparing.

He just grinned. “And you’re my distraction.”

At that, I squirmed free of his easy embrace. “You’re insane.”

He laughed, because he always had a clever retort ready for everything I threw his way. I stood there for a moment, marveling at how he could spin any line into a joke. “How do you do that?” I wondered silently as he stepped closer.

I was about to turn back to my cooking when he drew me in again and kissed me with sudden urgency. I kissed him back just as fiercely—his tongue sliding ac