Page 20 of Omega's Formula

No. I’m not ready. I’ll never be ready for this.

“Yes,” I say.

Sun arrives two minutes later and sets up in the living room, his Bureau credentials displayed prominently on the coffee table. Sara arrives shortly after, slightly breathless, her red hair windblown.

“Sorry I’m late. Traffic was—” She stops when she sees us in our suits. “Oh, you two look lovely.”

“Let’s get this over with,” Nolan mutters.

The ceremony is brief. David Sun reads from a standard script, something about the sanctity of matched bonds that draws compatible pairs together. I barely hear any of it. I’m too aware of Nolan standing beside me, rigid and silent, his scent growing stronger with what I recognize as stress.

I want to reach out to ease the tension radiating off him. I keep my hands at my sides.

Sara is standing to the back of the room, taking photos with her phone. I want to tell her to stop but then I remember that she told me she would. We need wedding photos. I’m supposed to put one on my phone as a screen saver. That’s not going to happen.

Sun finally finishes his preamble and gets to the important part.

“Do you, Erik David Nilsson, take Nolan Christian West as your lawfully wedded spouse?”

“I do.”

“And do you, Nolan Christian West, take Erik David Nilsson as your lawfully wedded spouse?”

There’s a pause. Long enough that I wonder if he’s going to refuse. If he’s going to walk out and damn the consequences.

“I do,” he says finally, his voice rough.

“...and now, the physical confirmation of your bond,” Sun says, looking up from his tablet. “A kiss, please.”

Nolan goes absolutely still.

“No,” I say, but I can’t help but look at his lips and wonder if they’re as soft as they look.

“It’s tradition,” Sun says. “The Bureau requires physical confirmation to complete the match.”

Physical confirmation. How ridiculous. I’m half expecting him to insist that I bend Nolan over right here and now.

The thought sends fire racing through my veins. I inhale sharply.

Across from me, I see Nolan scowl. His eyes meet mine and then his skin flushes a bright red. He’s thinking the exact same thing that I am.

I turn away from him, and make sure I only look at Sun. “We signed the paperwork. Isn’t that confirmation enough?”

Sun’s expression is patient but unyielding. “The kiss, please. It doesn’t need to be elaborate.”

I can feel Nolan’s fury like heat against my skin. He turns to face me, and his eyes are blazing.

“I—” I start.

“Fine.” He cuts me off. “Fine. Let’s just do it.”

I step closer. His scent intensifies, sweet and heady, and I have to force myself to focus. Part of me realizes how insane this all is.

I raise my hand to his jaw, tilting his face up toward mine. His skin is softer than I expect, warm under my fingers. His breath catches, and I feel the vibration of it against my palm.

“I’m going to kiss you now,” I say quietly, for his ears only.

“Then do it,” he breathes. “Stop talking about it. Get it over with. And get your hands off me.”