Nora snorted, squeezing his hand. “Alright, okay.”
He leaned in, his tone fiery and intent. “Just listen. The stories. They looked . . . cliche. Like it was fake, how love happened. But love really is like that, Nora. The feeling slowly builds until it is all you can see.”
Nora’s eyes lost their humor and turned into something softer. Her heart pounded at his words. “Simon. . .”
He leaned into her again, kissing her, before pulling back and holding her close. He took his hand and put it right over her heart. “I like feeling your heartbeat quicken when we touch. That and how your temperature rises. Those were the first signs I had that you were feeling something back for me.”
Nora sighed, feeling her heartbeat gallop even faster. “That obvious, huh?”
His voice dropped to a velvet tone. “Yes, once I realized what it was.”
She reached up and tugged on her hair. “Well . . . it felt right last night.”
Simon grinned, mischievously, folding her in his embrace.
Nora settled more comfortably on his shoulder.How long he must have known I wanted him, huh. It was a forgone conclusion this entire time.
Simon’s hand stroked down her hair. “Yes, it did feel right. Tonight we will do more. Then let’s go gather some more scrap tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
“And then . . . are you open to exploring?” His fingers trailed down her side.
“Exploring?” Nora’s voice raised at the end, her brows puckering.What kind of . . .
An amused huff left Simon. “Ah. Well, besides that, I meant for other, more habitable spots. The drone let me have the data. If we have enough gas, we can take a trip and pull the little hover along as a backup as well, so we will not be stranded with just the scooters. We don’t have to decide right then, but we can look and see. At what is still out there.”
Oh. That kind of exploring.Nora closed her eyes, feeling the uncertainty.Everything is a risk. But then again, I took a risk putting Simon back together and that paid off.She pulled away from Simon and glanced out the window. “Yes. Let’s look first though. And then come back. I don’t like that Max knows about you. It might be better to just start fresh in a new spot. Only thing tying me here is the memories, and Anna.”Oh, Anna.Just saying that, and the thought of leaving Anna, made tears prick at her eyes.
Simon sighed beside her. “Would Anna ever leave?”
Nora shook her head. “No. Anna isn’t happy but . . . I don’t know. She might feel differently, like I did, once that baby gets there.” She added in an undertone, “I know I would think different having Paul as my husband. She might find it in her to get away.”
“Hmm. We can ask.”
“Yeah, I will.” Nora leaned into his hug and settled against his chest. “Can tell Anna too, if she ever needed help, once we find a good spot.”
Her body loosened in Simon’s arms as he held her and hummed a tune she didn’t know, from the past. The song felt warm in her veins, her body responding to his touch.
He stopped humming and then let her go, his touch lingering. “I’d take you again this morning, but that would be irresponsible.”
Nora smiled, wishing they could do just that, but also knew Tilly came first during the day. “Let me go check on Tilly, okay?”
Simon nodded and released her, turning back to the dishes. “The weather isn’t so hot today. I’ll show her some yard games. Do you have a ball anywhere?”
“Yeah. In the garage.” Nora started to move away before Simon came back and bent down, giving her a long, measured kiss and gripping her bottom with his hand.
Her breath caught and she swatted at his hands, unsure how to react. “Damn, Simon.”
“Tilly’s right, you do swear a lot.” He tapped her on her rear slightly after letting go and then returned to the dishes like nothing happened.
She called back to him, adjusting her shirt. “How else should I react to that?”
Simon just chuckled, not turning around. Nora took a few seconds to breathe deep and get herself under control before she walked outside.
Immediately, she found Tilly in the front yard, lining up the rocks she’d collected. “You okay? Your stomach hurting at all from that food?” Nora leaned down to poke her stomach. “Where did it all go in there?”
Tilly giggled and jumped out of Nora’s reaching hand. “Nuh uh. Simon even made more. Can I eat that too?”
