Hearts & Minds | WATTY Winner

Chapter 20 | Demons | Part 2

     Theo nodded.

"I get it," he said. "You've moved on. I don't blame you."

What did he just say? She shook her head. The nerve of him, to assume such things, to not even think about his engagement.

"That's not true. Not at all!"

The warmth behind her words seemed to catch at him. He searched the edges of the room again.

"Come on."

He put his arm around her shoulder and steered her out a side door into a deserted hallway. He took her wineglass, and quickly put it alongside his own on the floor. Before Nora could say a word, Theo was pulling her into an urgent kiss. Nora's response to him was swift. She pressed against him, at once closing the gap between them.

Unfortunately, she couldn't fully lose herself in the moment, too distracted by the guinea pig, which she cradled against her chest. Theo sensed her distraction and pulled away, his breath coming fast. When their eyes met, he closed his.

"I'm sorry. I should have asked if that would be okay," he said. "To kiss you."

"It's okay."

"Good. Because I've been dreaming about it for a very long time." He opened his eyes and leaned his forehead gently against hers. "GP is kind of killing the moment."

Nora laughed.

Theo shook his head, rolling it against her own, just enough pressure. She savored the warmth of his breath on her face.

"Nora, I have demons," he whispered. "I'm bad news bears."

"We all have demons," she murmured.

"You can't possibly. You're too angelic for that. You practically have wings. And a halo."

"Hardly."

To prove it, she kissed the scar on his chin, his lips, drawing her arm around the back of his neck, pulling him closer, nudging her hips into his. He pressed her against the wall, marking the skin on her earlobe, her throat, her chest with soft, burning kisses, his hands palming her. She tried not to make too much noise and closed her eyes. When she blinked them open, two women were slowing down as they walked by, watching them openly and smirking.

"I like the guinea pig," one said.

"Yeah, nice touch," said the other.

Theo paused mid-nuzzling. Nora's cheeks flamed. He took a step back. Not too far back.

"We need to stop making out in public."

She tried to stifle her giggles because she was afraid she might not stop.

"You're here with Rainey."

"Yes. How did you know?"

"She texted me."

Nora nodded. Of course. "So you're texting buddies with my sister?"

"Well, I don't have many friends. And you were dissing me." He took another step back. "Anyone else?"

"What?"

"Did you come with anyone else?"

"Just Bart. You?"

He shook his head.

They needed to cool down. To figure things out before they caught on fire again. She thought of something that would do the trick. "Carlo said it wouldn't be appropriate for us to dance together."