28. Nora / Wes

TWENTY-EIGHT

If I knewbook signings were this fun, I would have been to a lot more of them. Maybe that's just the magic of May Mackenzie because she has really gone all out.

Her book that was published last year is all about her life growing up as a teenage girl and all the things she wished she knew. It's funny and light-hearted whilst also dealing with serious stuff, and seeing so many women here empowered by her words, it was like taking a breath of fresh air. If Elle and Cat were here, they'd love it just as much as I do.

Even better? Watching the way Wes looks at his mom. He watches her like she's the best film he's seen in his life. Like he's so utterly captivated by every word she says, even when he'll never understand the complexities of womanhood. He just looks happy to be here, and so am I. Especially when we got to the after-party that's being held in a separate building a few blocks away from the bookstore.

There's an array of things going on here that make it hard to focus on one thing. Wes and I immediately went to the bar before going to the makeshift dance floor. I have no idea what's in the funky purple drink I ordered, but it tastes amazing.

"You having fun, Stargirl?" Wes asks, stepping with me to the beat of whatever pop song is playing.

"Of course I am. Remind me to publish a book so I can host a party as good as this one."

"You wouldn't need to publish a book to throw a party," he replies.

"You're so right," I say. He just laughs, shaking his head. "How about you? You're not stressing about the interview, are you?"

"I wasn't until you reminded me."

I wince. "Sorry. No more interview talk. Let's just have fun."

"Trust me, I'm having fun," he says. He pulls me into him by the waist, pressing our bodies together. His heat makes my head spin. Or maybe that's the alcohol. I don't know. Either way, I love it.

"Yeah?"

"If I'm on a dancefloor with you, I can guarantee that I'm going to have a good time," he whispers, his breath hot on my neck. "You have that effect on me, Nora."

"And what effect is that?" My voice is a strained whisper, not wanting to break the moment we've caged ourselves in.

"The kind that I can't get out of my mind even when we're apart," he murmurs, pressing a kiss on my neck. My mouth parts, desperate to say something, but the words don't come. "All I have to do is close my eyes, and you're right there."

"Is this some sort of fantasy of yours, Wesley?" I ask, trying to add humor to the conversation.

"No, it's my reality, and every day it's getting harder to pretend you're not all I think about."

This time I really try to say something. Think of something that isn't the millions of thoughts surrounding my brain. Again, nothing comes. Even when we pull apart, and I'm just blinking up at him, no words can describe the weird feeling I've got in my chest. Mostly because I'm still annoyed that he's shut me down twice and he still says things like that to me without a care in the world.

The moment passes, and we continue swaying together to the music until the Cha-Cha Slide comes on, and everyone moves onto the dance floor. Even May joins in next to us and we're all dancing to the classic whilst I try to keep most of my drink inside my glass. I let myself get lost in the moment, feeling ridiculous and euphoric all at the same time. I used to think partying with older people would be boring, but they're surprisingly fun. This song always gets people up and dancing, and I'm so glad to be a part of it.

When the song ends and fades into another upbeat song, Wes reaches over to grab my glass. "Hey, what are you doing?"

"Let me have some. It looks good," he says, licking his lips like he's actually thirsty. He does this all the time. He doesn't want something until I have it, and then he's all over me like a dog.

"Then go get your own. The bar is right there," I say, stupidly gesturing with my glass because it only gives him the leverage to take a quick sip. I find myself laughing despite his stupidity. "Wes, stop."

"Hey, just give me some," Wes argues, trying his hardest not to shout. I lift the glass higher above my head, only for him to tug my arm down.

"Go get your own, you thief," I mumble, pulling my glass closer to me.

"You're not being fair, Stargirl. I just want a taste."

His words are not purposefully sexual at all, but my body doesn't know that, so I continue playing this game with him. He pushes, and I pull back. We keep going back and forth until we're just staring into each other"s eyes, not giving a damn about the full glass between us until it tips right over me and stains my white dress purple.

"Fuck," Wes breathes.

"Yeah, fuck." We both stare at my dress when the crowd starts to disperse, leaving us right in the middle of the dance floor, stupidly staring at each other. I feel the embarrassment wash right over my body. I close my eyes, hoping that what feels incredibly see-through isn't actually visible. "Can you see my–"

"Yep," Wes says, snapping his eyes up to mine. He turns his back to me, finding my hands behind him. I keep my chest close to his back as he starts walking. "Come on. Let's sort this out."

Part of me wants to burst out laughing at the fact that we just completely embarrassed ourselves in the middle of this event, and another part of me wants to kill any person who got a fresh glimpse of Nora's boobs through the material of the dress.

I managed to maneuver us out of the hall as quickly as possible, fast enough to shove her into the nearest bathroom with my shirt along with her. I'm lucky I didn't get anything on me, and I'm fine with walking around topless if she's dry and covered up enough until we get back to our hotel.

I'm standing outside the bathroom door, my head tilted back into the opposite wall as I stand guard. Honestly, I should have known the night would end up like this. Every time I think it's going to be a normal night, something Nora-related is bound to mess it up. And I fucking love it. There's this constant excitement whenever she's around. You never know what"s going to happen and the anticipation is more than enough for me to get drunk on.

"I'm sorry," she calls again through the bathroom door. I don't know how long she's been in there or what the hell she's doing, but she's clearly having some internal freakout.

"It's okay," I say softly.

"This is the worst thing that could have happened," she grumbles.

I laugh. "It's okay, Nora, seriously."

The door clicks open as she continues apologizing. "But it's not, and I–"

I can't tell if her voice trails off or if my brain short circuits because when she steps out of that bathroom with my shirt on, I swear I almost pass out. The button-down is more than long enough that it cuts off around mid-thigh, exposing to me her long, tanned legs that dip into the flats she's wearing. The shirt is unbuttoned at the top, and it's insanely oversized on her, but it doesn't stop me from imagining what I saw when the drink went through her dress. The sleeves are rolled up, her hair is no longer in the bun it was in before as it falls in waves on her shoulder.

I press my fist to my mouth, and my eyes shoot all over her body. Nora Bailey in my shirt, with almost nothing underneath. My cock stiffens at the sight, and I let out a quiet, tortured groan. She looks like trouble, and she looks like she's all mine.

When my eyes find hers again, she blinks. "What?"

"I– Nothing." I shake my head because I thought she'd disappeared the first time. But she doesn't. She's still standing in front of me, practically half-naked. "Let's go."

I start walking ahead of her until she catches up with me. "Are you annoyed at me?" I don't say anything because if any words leave my mouth, I'm going to fuck everything up. We get outside and walk along the sidewalk until we get to my car. I open the passenger door for her, but she doesn't go in right away. Instead, she turns to me and continues this conversation. "It"s completely fine if you are. I made an absolute fool of myself in there, and you had to save me like–"

"Can you just get in the car?" I snap. She nods and slides into the seat.

I keep my eyes on the road the entire time it takes us to drive back to our hotel, and I don't give myself the chance to look at her until we shut ourselves in the elevator up to the twenty-third floor. The silence is eating away at me, too, but I'm not going to be the one to break it.

"Wes." Her voice shakes, and I finally turn to her. "Look, I'm sorry–"

"Don't apologize," I bite out. I take a step towards her.

"No, I'm being serious. I'm so–"

"Did you hear what I said?" I take another step closer to her now until her back hits the back wall in the elevator. I grip her chin with my fingers, forcing her to look up at me. Her lips part. "You can stop apologizing, Nor."

She shakes her head. "I know, but I just feel like the worst person ever. I can't go anywhere without something insane happening, and I embarrassed myself, and you, and probably your mom. This was a big event for her, and with everything going on with your dad, this was supposed to be something good, and I ruined that. Like always."

She takes a deep breath, blinking at me rapidly. "You didn't ruin anything, Nora," I say gently. She bites on her bottom lip, and the sight distracts me when my hands slip from her chin around her neck, curling my hands in her hair. "You need to stop telling yourself that because I hate hearing you talk about yourself like that."

"But it's true, Wes, and–"

I shut her up the only way I know how.

My mouth collides with hers, and for a second, I think I've made the wrong decision, the selfish decision, but her body softens against mine, and everything rushes to me in the most delicious ways. She tastes just like she always does, like sunshine and sweet fruits. My hands tighten in her hair, and she lets me, opening herself up willingly as I push my tongue into her mouth.

This is nothing like the other kisses we've had. This one is just for us. This one is passionate and adventurous, and it's ours. I tilt her head back, needing to deepen the kiss, and again, she lets me. My vision starts to blur, and my head thrums against my skull as I break apart from her for a second. Her lips are red, her cheeks inflamed as she looks up at me. She looks at me like the times I could have kissed her and didn't.

"God, Nora," I mutter, leaning down to kiss her again. "You just don't know when to shut up, do you?"

She blinks up at me, her eyes filled with worry. "But the rules–"

"Fuck the rules."

She takes a deep breath, searching my face for the confirmation she needs. "Fuck the rules," she repeats before kissing me again.

Both of her arms wrap around my neck as mine slide down the length of her. She touches my bare skin like she just knows exactly what to do with me. Her hands run across my shoulders; my skin becomes hyper-sensitive to her touch.

God, she feels too fucking good. Too fucking much. Her hands twine in my hair, and she lets out a soft noise when I pin her to the wall with my hips. My cock is aching, and I know for a fact she can feel it. She kisses me back harder and I'm wondering if the elevator is even moving at all. The thought doesn't last for long because when my hands move down to the exposed skin beneath the shirt, her legs lock around my waist, and I can't help but think if she's wearing any panties.

I push her against the railing, and she gasps, her head tilting up. I kiss across the redness on her neck rapidly, tasting every inch of her as if I've been starved. My hands travel across her thighs, and we're panting, trying to get the air we both need.

"Is this good?" I ask into her skin. "Is this okay?"

"Mmhm," she murmurs. I rock my erection into her, and she moans. I'm dying to swallow the sound, but I continue worshipping the sensitive skin on her neck. "Keep going."

Her voice is so desperate that it almost undoes me. "Fucking look at you, Stargirl," I mutter, looking at the space between us. "You look so good when you're wearing my clothes."

She tightens her fingers in my hair, tilting her head to the side. "That's a little narcissistic, don't you think?"

I hum, kissing along her jaw. "No. It just confirms that you've always been mine." She gets impatient and tilts my head so she can kiss me back deeply, pulling back just so she can bite on my bottom lip. Fucking hell. That motion alone drives me crazy. "You need to tell me to stop, Nora. Please tell me to stop."

"No," she whispers breathlessly. "Don't stop."

I agree and continue kissing her senseless. We're both desperately gripping each other, and when my hands find their way under the curve of her tits, I look up at her. "Is this okay?"

"More. I need more," she murmurs, frantically undoing the button of her shirt until she guides my hand where she wants it. I feel the fullness of her tit beneath my hand, and when I swipe my thumb over her nipple, her head drops backward, and a soft moan leaves her mouth. "Jesus Christ, Wes."

I lock my mouth with hers again, dying to get another taste of her. "You're going to kill me, you know that? You don't understand how long I've wanted this."

She comes up for air, smirking at me. "You've wanted me to spill a drink all over myself, have to wear your shirt, and embarrass myself at a book signing!?"

I shake my head, unable to stop laughing. "Jesus, woman. Just shut up and kiss me."

She lets out a raspy laugh. "As you wish."

I don't know how long we stay there in the elevator, feeling each other up like a bunch of horny teenagers, but when the doors ping open, we break apart and shoot to opposite ends of the cart.

We walk out silently to our room, and I have to embarrassingly rearrange the bulge in my pants as I walk past an elderly couple. Nora's shirt is buttoned incorrectly and it's only then that I really realise that I'm still topless. We both look ridiculous, and I can't help but laugh silently to myself when we walk down the lobby to our room.

The room door clicks behind us and Nora spins on her heels, holding her fingers up to her lips. "We shouldn't have done that."

The words don't sting the way I thought they would because I know her better than that. She tries to take off to go into the ensuite but I grip her hand, bringing her to the bed. "Hey, don't run off on me now, Sunshine. We're going to talk about it."

She sighs dramatically. When I go to sit down, she just stands at the edge of the bed, starting to pace back and forth.

She glances up at me, and she rolls her eyes. "Can you put on a shirt, please?"

"You're wearing it, remember?" I wink at her, but she doesn't crack.

"Then find another one," she demands, walking the opposite way.

"Why?" I tease, leaning back on my hands. I'm having way too much fun with this. "Is all of this distracting you?"

She stops still, staring at me. "Well, considering the fact that I just stuck my tongue down your throat just then, yes, Wes, I'm distracted by your body. Sue me."

I tut as she continues pacing. "Nah, Sunshine. I think I know what this is."

"And what's that?"

"You're attracted to me, and you hate yourself for it." She just scoffs. "Oh, come on. You've wanted to do that for weeks, and now you're annoyed at yourself because your self-control snapped."

She stops then, turning to me. "You're the one that kissed me."

"And you begged for more."

Her cheeks beat when she remembers the way she told me to keep going and let me touch her in ways I've only dreamed about. "Oh my god. I did, didn't I? What's wrong with me?"

Her hands fly to her face, and I stand from the bed. I walk towards her, gripping her hands and pulling them down to run my thumbs over them. "Nothing. I'm just irresistible," I say sweetly. She narrows her eyes at me. "Look. What do you want to do? Do you want to pretend this never happened or let it happen some more? It's completely up to you. You can tell me to forget it, but I won"t, and I think you know I won't."

She nibbles on her bottom lip, thinking intensely. "Can we— Can we put a pin in it?"

I bark out a laugh. "You want us to put a pin in it?"

"Yes. Don't laugh at me like it's not a real thing," she argues.

"It's a real thing, alright. But more in a business kind of way."

"Well, that's the best I can do for now. I"ve got a lot going on with the show when we go back. I can"t mess this up now." She holds out her pinky to me, tilting her head to the side. "The big sell, remember?"

"The big sell," I repeat, locking my pinky with hers. I lean into her, loving this new game we've created, as I drop my forehead to hers. "You're probably right. It would be a bad idea to fuck your brains out before the show. Don't want you to damage your vocal cords."

"How do you know you won't be the one screaming?" she murmurs. I know what she's like when she's out of control, but I also know what she's like when she's bossing me around. Both of those versions of her in a sexual context could severely alter my brain chemistry.

"Fuck," I breathe into the space between us. "You're right. Let's put a pin in it."