“Really?” Nina tilted her head at him. “Compared to you, I must seem like a tired mom with no direction in life.”
“I don’t believe that at all,” Theo said. “I’m sure you have plenty of dreams, but you’ve put your son first, which is incredibly selfless and brave. And you might seem tired now and then, but only because you work hard. I’ve seen firsthand that you’d do anything for Jack.”
“I would,” Nina nodded, “I’d do anything for the people I love.”
Their eyes met again. Theo leaned ever so slightly closer, barely realizing that he was doing it. Her hand rested on the back of the sofa, just inches from him. He lightly brushed his fingertips across the back of her hand.
“I believe it.”
“I…” Then, suddenly, Nina sat up straighter, brushing her hands over her legs. “I’d better go to bed.”
Theo’s heart sank. This was just like the last few times they’d hung out after Jack’s bedtime. They’d talk and laugh and tease, but the moment things got real, Nina would flee to her room. At first, that had been okay for Theo. He’d been avoiding realness, too. But now, he wanted to continue their conversation. He wanted more chances to see the real Nina.
He wanted to kiss her.
“Wait.” As she stood, Theo stood, too. They were very close now, just a few inches of empty space separating them, and Nina’s blue eyes were wide. She was shorter than him, so she looked up at him through her lashes. Her raven-black hair was now loose around her shoulders, shining a little in the light from the lamp on the side table.
“Okay,” Nina tilted her head. They stood for a breath, a heartbeat, just looking at each other. Then Nina asked softly, “What am I waiting for?”
Theo didn’t know what to say or how to say it. He’d never been the kind of guy who was good at talking about feelings. He didn’t like sharing his inner thoughts with anyone. But now, he had to try. Otherwise, Nina was going to go upstairs, and he’d miss his chance, once and for all.
“I…” He trailed off. “You…” He sighed. “We’re good together. Aren’t we?”
“We are,” Nina agreed. Her voice was soft, and her cheeks looked ever so slightly pink. He could feel the warmth of her body, so close to him. If he lifted his hands, they’d be resting on her hips. If he bent his head and leaned forward, their lips would brush. If he took a step closer, he’d be holding her in his arms. The feeling was heady.
“I think…” Theo couldn’t finish his sentence. It wasn’t as if he could promise her forever. This was only temporary, and it had to stay that way. But he didn’t want there to be distance between them. Not anymore. He wanted Nina. All of her. He wanted to give in to the feelings that were no longer pretend, at least for tonight.
Then, Nina lifted onto her tiptoes and kissed him. Her lips were soft, and she tasted like mint and something sweet. Her arms settled around his shoulders, and she folded against him. For a heartbeat, Theo couldn’t believe this was happening. Then he pulled her closer, his arms wrapping around her waist as he deepened the kiss.
It was everything he’d dreamed of. It was better.
The world around them fell away. They were no longer a single mom and a billionaire CEO. They were no longer pretending to date. They were just Theo and Nina, just the brush of lips, the press of their clasped hands, the soft whisper of breath as Theo kissed her softly.
Theo’s hand went to the curve of her lower back, and Nina sighed softly against his lips. He kissed her cheek, nibbled the edge of her ear, and planted searing kisses along the curve of her neck. She swayed against him, her fingers tangling in his hair to pull him closer.
After what could have been minutes or hours, they separated. Nina’s lips were pink, and her cheeks were flushed. Her hair, usually so neat, was tousled. Theo knew he must look just as undone. They stared at each other, breathing in unison. Nina’s lips parted, perhaps to speak, then closed again.
It was as if they both knew that talking would ruin this moment.
Then they were on the couch, Nina pulling Theo on top of her. They were a tangle of limbs and kisses, Nina’s hands skimming across his back. Theo sat up and pulled off his shirt, and Nina’s eyes widened. She sat up, too, kissing him again, and he reached for the hem of her shirt. Her skin beneath was soft and smooth and warm, like silk. He wanted to kiss every inch of her.
“Wait.”
Immediately, Theo stopped. He dropped his hands and pulled away, looking deep into her eyes.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
“No,” Nina said. “Yes. Jack could wake up, so we should go upstairs.”
“Ah,” Theo said. “Of course.” He stood, holding out a hand, and she took it, letting him pull her to her feet and into his arms. He kissed her again, then they turned towards the stairs and hurried up. Theo’s bedroom was the closest, so he pushed open the door, and they went inside, closing the door behind them.
By silent mutual agreement, they went straight to the bed. Theo reached for Nina’s shirt, and this time, she held up her hands so he could pull it over her head. Then they were kissing again, more passionately than before.
Theo had kissed his fair share of women. But never before had just kissing felt so powerful. His world spun on its axis as he held Nina close, brushed the bare skin of her lower back, and kissed the curve of her neck. He would have been happy to make out with Nina all night, as though they were teenagers, but desire drove them both forwards.
There was no more denying the attraction between them. There was no more denying the invisible force pulling them towards each other again and again. Their relationship may have started off fake, but this was completely real.
And though Theo knew it was going to make everything much more difficult, he couldn’t regret a second of it.
