Chapter 9 #3
He watched as she joined the other women on the floor, all of them jumping around, laughing, singing along.
He lifted his glass to Gretchen in a silent toast, when she turned to look back at him.
The smile she gave him was bright and so happy it took his breath away.
Then she gave him a shy wave, the gesture so adorable he fell even deeper.
“You’ve got it bad, bro,” Sam said, shoulder-bumping him.
Theo chuckled, but before he could respond, he caught sight of someone over Sam’s shoulder and growled. “Scottie is here, doing his slimy politician act.”
Sam didn’t even bother to turn around. “Saw him when we walked in. Nodded my head, acknowledging him. He gave me a dirty look and turned his back. Because he’s an asshole like that.”
“He’s pissed because he knows he can’t beat you.”
Sam shrugged. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that. I entered the mayoral race pretty late, and there are plenty of people in town who think he’s done a decent job. Suspect there are people who prefer the devil they know versus the one they don’t.”
As always, Sam was selling himself short. Theo spent a great deal of time in the brewery, socializing with their patrons, and all he’d heard was overwhelming support for Sam and relief that they wouldn’t have to deal with the pretentious Scottie for much longer.
And to prove his point, he and Sam spent the next half hour chatting with countless locals, all coming over to wish his brother luck. The election was only six days away, and Theo knew Sam, who’d been doing quite a lot of campaigning, would be glad when it was finally over.
Theo was planning a celebration on the down-low with Gretchen.
The day after the election and Sam’s win, they wanted to hold a victory party at the brewery, where people could raise a glass and participate in a happy hour with their new mayor.
If—God forbid—Sam didn’t win, he would be none the wiser that there’d even been a party planned.
When a slow song came on, Theo excused himself, quickly moving to the edge of the dance floor, ready to intercept Gretchen on her way off. She smiled when she saw him waiting, and there wasn’t a drop of hesitance as she accepted his outstretched hand.
Theo pulled her back onto the floor, lifting both her hands to his shoulders before pushing the eye patch up—he didn’t want anything obstructing his view of her—then he grasped her waist, drawing her close.
Gretchen sank into his arms, and he released a long sigh. It had been a rough week of second-guessing himself. For the first time since that kiss, the world felt right again.
Because she belonged here.
In his arms.
The two of them swayed as Rihanna sang “Lift Me Up.” The lyrics and beautiful melody felt as if they were written just for them.
“This is our song,” he murmured.
Gretchen lifted her face to him as he spoke. “We have a song?” she asked, her eyes shimmering. Had she been on the verge of crying? Was the song affecting her the same way it was him?
“We do. This one.” Theo sang the words of the chorus in her ear as Gretchen rested her forehead on his shoulder.
“It’s a beautiful song. The words…they’re nice. Peaceful. I like the idea of being safe and sound.” She lowered her gaze, and he got the sense she was trying to compose herself.
Theo hated that she considered being safe and sound an idea rather than a reality, and he decided there was a special place in Hell for her mom and stepfather, mistreating her the way they had.
He put the thought away because this dance was too perfect to waste by not living in the moment.
“Lift me up,” he sang to her, placing a soft kiss on her cheek. Then he went for broke, his lips touching hers. He intended to steal a quick kiss, but his lips had other ideas, especially when Gretchen returned it.
Sadly, she recalled herself too quickly. She stiffened, broke off the kiss, and glanced around again, searching for witnesses. “Theo,” she started, the same tone of warning in her voice she’d used at the table.
“I’m not your boss anymore,” he said.
Gretchen stopped dancing, gasping.
Shit. She’d misinterpreted his words, because now she looked panicked and upset.
“Nora is,” he hastily added. “You’ll answer to her from now on. Which means you and I are nothing more than colleagues.”
Her shoulders visibly relaxed, though she rolled her eyes. “I’m pretty sure it doesn’t work that way.”
“It does,” he reassured her, forcing her to start dancing again, a strong arm looped around her back. “You said we shouldn’t give in to this attraction to each other because I’m your boss. I’m not anymore.”
“That’s not the only reason. We barely know each other.”
“We’ve spent every single day together for the past five weeks, and every time we say goodbye, I start counting the minutes until we’re together again.
Gretchen, I know this is fast, but this has never happened to me before.
I’ve never felt a connection like this with anyone.
We can take things slowly if you want, but I’m not going to pretend the attraction isn’t there.
And we’re not going to hide our feelings from everyone.
It would be pointless anyway, since I already told my brothers and Nora, and they told everyone else.
So you can stop looking around to see if anyone is watching us. ”
Gretchen’s eyes widened. “You what?”
Theo leaned closer, her breath hot against his face. “When I kissed you…you kissed me back. Both times.”
“I know,” she said, “but I shouldn’t have.”
“You feel this thing too, don’t you?”
She stared at him, biting her lower lip.
Theo reached out, using his thumb to tug it loose. “Tell me,” he prodded.
“Yes. I feel something, but I can’t act on those feelings. I’ve made bad decisions in the past, Theo. Really bad ones, and now, I don’t trust my instincts. I can’t trust them.”
Wow. As far as info dumps went, that was one both telling and severely lacking.
Before he could question her about those decisions, she stepped out of his arms and walked away. Theo reached her at the edge of the dance floor, halting her escape, his hand on her upper arm as he spun her back to face him again.
“Don’t run from me, Gretchen.”
She closed her eyes, suddenly looking weary. “Sometimes running is the smartest thing a person can do.”
That answer upset him. Had he gone too far? “Do I scare you?”
She was shaking her head before he finished asking the question. “No. You don’t. Not at all.”
“All I’m asking for is a chance to date you. Me being your boss was a roadblock, so I took care of it.”
“That’s not the only roadblock,” she whispered. She was still holding on to some heavy baggage.
“What else?”
Theo watched as she closed down, the walls she erected around herself fortified once more.
While she claimed five weeks wasn’t long enough to get to know someone, he knew her well enough to know this conversation was over. “I hope one day you’ll trust me enough to tell me.” He’d said those words to her before.
“I hope so too,” she said quietly.
“I’m not giving up,” he warned her, cupping her cheek affectionately. “We Storms are notoriously stubborn. A force of nature.”
The heaviness of the moment lifted, and she smiled. “Then you’re appropriately named.”
“I know life hasn’t been good to you, so I understand why you might question this, question me. But I swear to you, Gretchen. I’ll never hurt you.”
This time, there was no denying the glassy tears in her eyes…or the fact she didn’t believe him.
And if that was all he saw in her expression, he would have been hurt. Devastated even. But there was also hope in those bright blue eyes of hers, and that was the part he held on to.
She might not believe his promise right now, but she sure as hell wanted to.
Theo bent his head, sealing his vow with a kiss. Now, as before, Gretchen returned it, letting it linger. When they parted, she didn’t bother to look around.
“You’re not going to stop kissing me, are you?”
Theo grinned. “Nope.”
“We’re taking the pin out?”
He nodded. “Pin is out. Time to see where this thing between us is heading.”
Gretchen’s mouth quirked in amusement. “Okay. I guess we can take a tiny peek, see where it leads us.”
It wasn’t the exact answer he wanted, but for now, he’d take it.