My mind flickered back to the summer after seventh grade. To Becca’s backyard.
To the moment her boyfriend gave the signal, and his dog came at me from behind.
Stop.
I shoved the memory away before it could go any further.
“That must’ve been a big dog,” Theo said quietly, his fingers moving slowly along the scar again, almost like he was tracing the shape of it.
“It was,” I murmured.
“How are you around dogs now?”
Was he stalling? Asking random questions to keep me here with him just a little longer?
He cleared his throat. “I’ve heard of people getting phobias after something like that.”
“I like little dogs,” I said, wanting to stall right along with him. “Like the pug Charlotte and I saw at the park last week. That one was really cute.”
Theo huffed out a soft laugh behind me. “But you don’t like big dogs?”
I shook my head. “Not really.”
Big dogs were scary.
The owners of certain big dogs were even worse.
The thought passed through my mind before I pushed it aside.
I wanted to focus on the present moment. This moment right here with Theo. Focus on the way his nearness made it impossible to breathe normally. The heat of him standing so close behind me.
What would it be like to kiss him?The thought slipped in before I could stop it.
His mouth moving with mine would feel so nice. I could almost imagine the exact way he would kiss me.
His lips would be warm. Firm.
Careful at first… like he was testing whether it was okay.
My stomach fluttered as the picture became more vivid.
Would he pull me closer?
Would his hands settle at my waist the way they had on the dance floor?
Would he tilt my chin up and deepen the kiss until it made my head spin?
Heat crept up my neck just at the thought of it. Pretty sure kissing Theo would be a life-altering experience.
“Nora,”Theo mumbled, his hand sliding up my back to rest lightly on my shoulder.
And just the way he said my name made my pulse jump.
His hand slid gently along my arm, turning me toward him.
When I faced him again, he was closer than I had expected. Close enough that I could see the conflict in his eyes.
Close enough that if either of us leaned forward, even an inch, our bodies would touch.