\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 84 An Unzipped Moment\u00a0<\/p>\n
453\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
He peered cautiously around the kitchen doorframe, his gaze sneaking into the room. Scarlett stood at the sink with her back to him, meticulously washing her hands. The zipper running down the back of her dress had slipped halfway down, revealing a long, slender expanse of pale, smooth skin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent lingered in the doorway for a long moment, but Scarlett, absorbed in her task, remained completely unaware of his presence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The sight of her unexpectedly bare back stirred a strange restlessness within him. Almost against his own will, he found himself stepping fully into the kitchen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When he came to a stop directly behind her, he reached out, his fingers gently grasping the small metal tab of her zipper, and slowly drew it back up to its proper place.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett started violently at the sudden contact. She spun around, her eyes wide with initial alarm, but the moment they landed on Vincent, the tension visibly drained from her shoulders, replaced by a shaky, relieved exhale.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Watching the rapid transition from fear to calm on her face, a faint, almost imperceptible smirk touched Vincent\u2019s lips. He wasn\u2019t entirely sure why he felt the need to explain, but the words came out anyway. \u201cYour zipper was undone. I merely rectified the situation.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett looked at him, and for an inexplicable reason, she suddenly felt an immense, invisible chasm stretching between them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It took her a few seconds to find her voice. \u201cThank you,\u201d she finally managed, her tone quiet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent\u2019s eyes drifted to the pot of oatmeal simmering gently on the stove, its contents soft and creamy. Seemingly out of the blue, he stated, \u201cFrom now on, include my breakfast in your preparations while you\u2019re here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett turned her attention back to the pot, watching the fragrant plumes of vapor rise. \u201cThere is always a sufficient quantity prepared. You are welcome to help yourself if you wish,\u201d she replied, her focus seemingly entirely on the food.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent remained standing close behind her. \u201cOkay,\u201d he acknowledged softly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The oatmeal looked plump and inviting, and a steady cloud of steam continued to billow forth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But just then, the building pressure of the steam began to violently rattle the steamer\u2019s lid, causing scalding hot water droplets to sputter and spit in all directions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before Scarlett could even process the danger, the force of the steam dislodged the lid completely, sending it tumbling downward toward her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her instinct was to flinch away, but suddenly, a pair of strong arms encircled her waist from behind, pulling her securely against a solid frame while simultaneously reaching forward to deftly catch the falling lid.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In an instant, Scarlett found herself completely enveloped in Vincent\u2019s embrace. He was so much taller; his chin came to rest naturally on her shoulder, his broad chest pressed firmly against her back, his arms a protective cage around her waist as he held the rescued lid.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:09 Thu, Jan 8 \u2013\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 84 An Unzipped Moment\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
From any observer\u2019s perspective, it would have looked like a tender, intimate hug-him holding her close, shielding her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With the lid safely caught, Scarlett remained trapped within the circle of his arms.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was the first time in what felt like an eternity that they had been this physically close.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was only in this unexpected proximity that Vincent became acutely aware of how soft Scarlett\u2019s body felt against his, and how pleasant, how uniquely her scent was.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His chin was nestled in the hollow of her shoulder, and with every breath, he drew in that faint, gentle, and strangely comforting fragrance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett, acutely conscious of being held captive in Vincent\u2019s arms, froze completely, her entire body going as stiff as a board.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The feel of his chest against her back was like a mountain of burning coal, radiating an intense heat that threatened to melt her very resolve.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Neither of them spoke for a long, suspended moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Time itself seemed to hold its breath. If not for the water still dripping from the retrieved lid, or the persistent roar of the gas flame beneath the pot\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
A treacherous thought crossed Scarlett\u2019s mind. If only time could freeze right here, perhaps it wouldn\u2019t be such a terrible thing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But it was merely a fleeting, foolish fantasy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There was no universe in which her relationship with Vincent could ever be described as \u201cbeautiful\u201d or \u201cright\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t know how much time had passed, but the tension finally became unbearable. \u201cVincent,\u201d she called out, her voice barely a whisper.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The sound of her voice seemed to break the spell. Vincent carefully set the lid down on a clear spot on the stove, took a deliberate step back, and released his hold on her waist.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNext time, place a weight on the lid. It\u2019s a safety hazard otherwise. Be more careful.\u201d His voice was utterly flat, devoid of any discernible emotion-as if he were merely commenting on the weather.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Scarlett knew him better than that. He never offered such mundane advice, least of all to her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a bewildering second, she wondered if she was trapped in some bizarre dream.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yet the lingering, burning sensation across her back where his chest had been insisted that this was all starkly real.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a prolonged pause, she finally summoned a quiet, \u201cOkay.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A moment later, she heard the sound of Vincent\u2019s retreating footsteps as he left the kitchen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Only then did the tense rigidity finally leave Scarlett\u2019s body. The areas his arms had encircled and where his chest had pressed against her still tingled strangely, almost numb.\u00a0<\/p>\n
12:09 Th\u1ee7, Jan 8\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 84 An Unzipped Moment\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finishers\u00a0<\/p>\n
The oatmeal wasn\u2019t fully cooked yet. Scarlett moved to replace the lid, but as she pulled her hand back, the tip of her finger accidentally brushed against the scalding-hot metal rim of the pot.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A sharp, searing pain lanced through her. She gasped sharply and couldn\u2019t suppress a small, pined cry.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent, who had just stepped out of the kitchen, heard her sharp intake of breath. He halted his steps. He hadn\u2019t planned on turning back, but before his rational mind could intervene, his feet were carrying him back into the kitchen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He came to stand behind her once more. \u201cWhat happened?\u201d he asked his tone brusque\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett had already thrust her injured finger under the stream of cold water from the fauces. The sound of his voice started her, but she quickly schooled her features into neutrality. \u201cIt\u2019s nothing\u201d she replied, her voice deliberately even.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent, with his significant height advantage, leaned slightly and could clearly see the angry red burd blossoming on her fingertip. He didn\u2019t press for further explanation Withour another word be turned on his heel and left the kitchen for the second time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1.0K\u00a0<\/p>\n
Silent Dreams Never Die \u2014 Author: John Miller 84 \u00a0 Chapter 84 An Unzipped Moment\u00a0 453\u00a0 Finished\u00a0 He peered cautiously […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[81],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27448","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-impossible-condition-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27448","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27448"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27448\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27448"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27448"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27448"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}