Heart Stealer

Chapter 2 Dirty Little Secret

Trepidation over what surprise Matteo had planned for me gripped me from the moment I woke up till the moment I reached school the next morning. I was standing by my locker when a pair of arms wrapped around me and a ticklish kiss touched my cheek.

"Morning, beautiful. Gosh, I missed you. I haven't kissed you since Friday," Matteo said, hugging me. I giggled nervously.

"Heh, heh, yeah, I haven't been kissed at all since Friday..." I stammered out, trying not to let the image of Pierce's steamy kiss from last night circle in my head.

"So I've been thinking all night..." Matteo said, turning me around and draping his arms around my waist, "And I finally came up with the perfect pet name for my girl."

"Really? All night?" I asked, blinking. He must have put a lot of thought into this. "What did you come up with?"

"You'll see," he said with a playful smile. Jules walked up just then.

"Mornin' lovebirds! Hey Sterling, you're gonna get it from the principal one of these days. I mean I get what you did was sweet and all, and no doubt no one else what have thought of that—"

"Jules! You're rambling," I interrupted her. She slapped her head with her palm.

"Sorry. Anyway, you're one lucky girl, Thea. I bet the whole school knows by now," she said with a wink.

"What are you talking about? Knows what?" I asked with a confused look. Matteo quickly grabbed a newspaper from a passing student and held it in front of me. I gasped when I saw a large front page picture of me and Matteo dancing at the homecoming party under the headline 'Homecoming Sweethearts'. Beneath was a large caption saying 'Thea. My Belle Amour. Because no one is as special as she is to me.' I looked up at Matteo.

"You got that printed in the school newspaper?" I asked in amazement. He drew me close so that our faces were an inch from one another and gave me a dazzling smile.

"Surprise, Thea," he said, looking thrilled. I took a look at the paper once more to make sure it was real.

"English didn't have enough names for me to pick from so I chose something in French. You're my beautiful love, Thea," Matteo said, making my heart flap wildy. I threw my arms around him, touched beyond words.

"Oh Matteo, I love it! This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me!" I told him, feeling so happy I could fly. He pulled me back to capture my lips in a searing kiss.

"Aw, that's so sweet. I'm gonna give you tsome privacy, you two don't forget you have to get to class!" Jules said impertinently and skipped off. I giggled against Matteo's lips.

"I can't believe you spent all night thinking about this," I sighed contentedly. I suddenly snapped my head up.

"Wait, won't you get in trouble for this? Jules said the principal would be after you. I don't want you to get in trouble for me." Matteo simply nuzzled against my cheek.

"I want the whole world to know how much you mean to me, Thea. I'm done hiding the way I feel about you. And now, I've left it in the records. Bellfort will forever know that I am in love with you. It's in the print. And if detention is the price I have to pay for it, I'd do it a thousand times." I felt like swooning at his words. Was this guy sweet or what? Oh gosh, I felt overwhelmingly fluttery inside. What did I ever do to deserve such an amazing guy?

"So... We have a few minutes before class..." He said rubbing the small of my back with his hands. I felt pleasantly skittish at his intimate touch.

"What did you have in mind?" I asked with an uncontrollable smile. He ducked his head into the crook of my neck, his lips pecking below my ear.