Chapter 27

“Wait, my food is burning.” I panic as the smell of smokey vegetables hits me, and I pop upwards to stand. Realizing on top of a burning, I might start a kitchen fire. I am way too distracted.

Dane yanks me back down, leans back so the cooker is in touch range, and switches it off before coming back to me and using his foot to pull out the stool next to me. He sits down, stretches my arm over the surface before him, and dabs at the last drips of moisture before inspecting it again. His eyes are zoned in on my arm, and he seems oblivious to anything else.

“You're lucky it was just hot water and not oil. Be more careful in the kitchen, Kales. You’re clumsy by nature.” He scolds me gently, with no malice in his tone, and I find myself sighing and watching his expression closely while it’s his side profile. His pretty grey eyes on my fingers, searching out the extent of damage with such a mildly worried expression, and I suddenly feel tearful. Choking up on something so dumb.