“Yes.” He nodded as a certain song about women wearing thongs came on and threatened to ruin the mood. “Do you want some air?”
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak again. He led her away, and they headed outside to the terrace.
Outside in the cool night air, Duncan found them a bench away from the door where they had a touch of privacy. He wrapped his arms around her as they watched the city below. When she felt calmer, she turned to face him.
“I have a confession to make; you weren’t the only one who was a coward.” Her voice was still a little shaky, but she had to get this out.
He brought his arms down and took her hands in his.
“Is that so?”
Aurora opened her mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t come out. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It was important she look him in the eye when she told him this, damn it. Steeling her resolve, she gazed into Duncan’s eyes and said, “The anonymous green candy cane … was from me.”
His jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”
“I’m dead serious, Duncan.”
“Why? Why the secrecy?” He gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Because I was so awkward and scared. The chances of you liking me back were … so slim.” Aurora smiled, tears filling her eyes. “I’m not sure if you know this about me, but I’m a little shy.” Her tone was sarcastic, but it was true. All of it.
His eyes filled with worry, his thumb stroking her hand as she talked. The words spilled out on their own.
“I realize now that a lot of my social problems were due to my abysmal self-esteem. I was doing so much better with that as an adult. I promise you I was.”
He nodded, letting her continue.
“But then Jeff got sick. And I think I regressed a little …” Aurora glanced downward in shame.
Duncan tucked two fingers under her chin and lifted her head back up.
“All that matters is the fact that it was you. And that you didn’t rule me out after I tormented you in sixth grade.”
Aurora grabbed his hand with both of hers. “You were worried about that? I forgave you eons ago.”
“It’s why I never broached the subject myself. And why I didn’t kiss you when I had the chance.” Sliding forward on the bench, he cupped her face in his hands. “As for the rest … I don’t give a damn what they think.” He lowered his mouth to hers as her arms wrapped around him.
They sank into the kiss, and his hands started to move. One moved to the back of her head and held her tightly to him. The other grazed her bare shoulders on its way to the small of her back. That tender touch of skin-on-skin was enough to elicit a soft moan from her. He groaned in response and thrust his tongue inside her waiting mouth. Their tongues tangled and teased, their arms wrapping tighter around each other until neither could tell where one ended and the other began. Aurora lost all sense of time; there was only her and Duncan. Nothing else existed.
Until they heard an unfamiliar voice cry, “OH MY GOD, let’s go back inside.”
The spell broke, tearing them apart, panting and staring at each other with eyes like saucers.
“Some adults we are.” Aurora’s voice peppered her laughter with sarcasm. “Forty-three years old and we get caught making out at the dance.”
Duncan laughed harder. “I don’t know about you, but I am way hornier as an adult than I ever was as a teenager.”
“Actually, I hear that’s true for a lot of people.” She tried breathing to control her laughter. “It’s a good thing the students left before dinner. Katie would kill me.”
Duncan’s breathing slowed, but his grin didn’t dim. She smiled back, her eyes sparkling.
“Think it’s safe to go back?”
“If experience has taught me anything, if we don’t go back soon, we’ll get busted by security.”
When he didn’t say anything, she added, “That woman probably complained.”
His eyebrows shot up.
