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We stay like that for a few beats longer, swaying slowly to the music, the rest of the bar fading into the background. It takes a minute before I realize Sally left and it’s just the two of us.
I move my hands down to the small of Penelope’s back, gauging her reaction. When she doesn’t make a move to pull away, I keep my hands there to stay in this moment.
She’s staring at me intensely, and I see my own hunger reflected back. We sway gently as her hands slide down my neck to grip my shoulders.
Out of nowhere, the song changes, shattering the moment. Penelope pulls away. I do the same, following her lead.
“I need to use the bathroom. I’ll meet you back at the table,” she says breathlessly into my ear.
She kisses my cheek and quickly leaves through the crowd.
I’m rooted in the spot, in the middle of the crowded dance floor by myself, holding my hand where her lips just were. Damn it, I want nothing more than to feel those lips on mine.
Before I can think about it too long, or decide it’s a bad idea, I push through the crowd and head in the direction of the bathrooms. When I get there, I see her standing with her back against the wall, trying to catch her breath.
I need her.
“Brent?” she asks, with desire written all over her face.
Without saying a word, I crash my lips against hers, reveling in the taste I’ve craved. The taste I’ve been thinking about ever since the night we first kissed.
My hands move up to her face, into her hair, and onto the back of her neck. I tilt her head back and deepen my kiss before pulling away. Her hands run through my hair as she gasps, working to catch her breath.
The bar is packed, and someone could walk around the corner at any moment and find us. All of Winterberry would know by tomorrow morning that I was caught kissing Penelope. The last thing I need is for people to talk.
“I’m sorry. I had to do that,” I whisper, moving a stray piece of hair out of her face.
“Don’t apologize. I’ve wanted to kiss you again since the other night. But I didn’t know if that’s what you wanted.”
“Wait, what do you mean?”
“Once Nora was in bed, I thought that maybe you’d kiss me again, but you didn’t. You just let me leave your house and you haven’t tried to be alone with me again since. What was I supposed to think?”
Her cheeks are pink and her eyes avoid me. I can tell it’s taken a lot for her to tell me this.
“Wow, I didn’t mean to give you the impression that I didn’t like the kiss or that I didn’t want to do it again.” I lower my voice. “Trust me, I liked it. Maybe a little too much. And I’m sorry I made you think otherwise.”
“You have no idea how glad I am to hear you say that,” she says, finally looking at me.
And in her eyes, I see someone who I’m starting to have real feelings for. Someone who fits perfectly in my life.
Someone who I was seriously considering punching Jerk in the face for.
I’m scared of those feelings, but at this moment, I can no longer deny them. So instead of pretending like they don’t exist anymore, I bend down and plant a small kiss on her lips to let her know I mean what I say.
When I pull away, she has a small smile on her face—I want her to keep it forever.
“Should we go back to the table?”
“That's a good idea, Sally will probably be looking for me.”
We walk back into the bar, with me following close behind her, and reach the booth where Dominick and Sally are deep in conversation.
“There you two are. Was my dancing too much for you?” Sally asks Penelope as we approach.
“Not at all. I haven’t had fun like that in longer than I can remember. I just had to use the bathroom after Brent so heroically saved me from dancing with that stranger,” she says, keeping her gaze locked on me.
“I did see that guy, he wasn’t giving up was he?” Sally asks.
