Page 55 of Meet Me at the Metro

Those words are the only permission I need. My palms trail to the nape of her neck, my fingers tangling into her caramel-brown hair as I pull her mouth to mine.

Our kiss is hungry, neither of us caring to catch our breath as our tongues intertwine and our bodies grow closer. She moans against mylips as my fingers tighten in her hair. I can tell she’s just as eager for this as I am when she leans further into the kiss and presses her hips against me.

My hands are greedy, fighting to memorize the feeling of her soft hair and her body’s perfect divots and curves. I’m so thankful for the emptiness surrounding us up here on the balcony because I don’t want to stop. Just the feeling of her body flushed against mine has my entire head spinning.

This feels so good... it feelsso fucking right.

Needing to catch her breath, Nora breaks away from our kiss again. She smiles at me, so real and broad. “How did you know?”

“What’s that?”

“How did you know to take me here?”

“I think that’s for me to know and for you to never find out.”

“Tell me, asshole,” she giggles.

“I’ll tell you what,” I negotiate, “you let me take you somewhere else tonight, and I’ll think about telling you.”

“You’llthinkabout it?”

“I’ll think about it.”

“And where would that be, Teddy?”

Leaning past her, I grab the crutches propped along the balcony railing and offer them out for her to take. “You hungry?”

In ridiculous timing, her stomach growls loud enough for both of us to hear. “Bloody hell. Sounds like I already got my answer.”

“Will you ever stop picking on me?”

“Never. Come on, Chewbacca. Let’s get you something to eat.”

Our laughter follows us through the music hall as we leave.

Nora’s insistent on going to that damn Thai place again, so that’s exactly where I intend to take her. Besides, who am I to argue with a girl on crutches?

I force her to piggyback on me most of the way to the restaurant, refusing to put her down—despite her continual protests—until we’re standing right outside its double glass doors.

“You are so extra,” she sighs.

I carefully lower her feet to the pavement and hand her crutches back. “You’re gonna kill that ankle by walking on it too much. I’m doing you a favor.”

Light pink particleboard booths fill the tiny dining establishment. After making our selections at the cashier counter at the front, we seat ourselves in one of them in the far back corner of the restaurant.

“I let you have your way, Teddy. So now you get to let me have mine. Tell me how you knew to take me toWiltonstonight.”

“I’m intuitive like that,” I shrug. “I figured you’d like it there.”

“Nope, wrong answer. That’s not the only reason, and you know it. Barbra Streisand is my all-time favorite performer, and somehow you knew that, didn’t you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes, you do.Have you been stalking me?”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

“Tell me!” She playfully kicks me under the table, making me choke on theCokeI was about to swallow. “How did you know I liked her so much?”

---