It didn't matter that she had only given Ewan a second to push Victoria away when the latter had sneaked up beside him; that all her riotous feelings had taken place in mere nanoseconds; that Ewan had been torn between looking at her, admiring her, and glancing at whoever had grabbed his arm—Athena felt only justified when she kissed Antonio in public.
She kissed the surprised fellow fully on the lips on the elevated platform, after taking him along to give a short speech, after thanking him for being on her side through the ups and downs, confirming the rumors and guesses that had buzzed around the party hall.
Her lips lingered on his just long enough to ignite whistles and claps, her chest tightening at the warmth of his hand that instinctively cupped her cheek before sliding down to hold her.
