by S A Clayton
“She hasn’t caved yet, but I’m not giving up.” Sarah gives me a knowing look as she walks around the room and looks at all the desks.
“Are these the letters?” She picks one up and silently reads it. “These kids are the sweetest.” I smile, knowing my kids are the best. Last week, I told them about our plan for today, and they were all for it. So, I contacted the retirement home down the street and kindly asked for some information on the residents that could take part. We then paired up the kids with a specific resident and…voila! Our plan came into being.
“What time is she coming?” Sarah asks, putting the letter down and heading to the door.
“How do you know she’s coming here?”
“Because I know you, and I know part of your plan is for her to see you in your element—which is around these kids who love you.” She’s not wrong.
“She’s bringing the cookies here just before lunch ends.” She smirks as she heads out the door without a word. Val doesn’t know it yet, but I’ve run out of patience. Today is the day things change, whether she’s ready to admit it or not.
“Noah?” My body constricts at the sound of her voice, and when I look to my right, the sight greeting me would’ve brought me to my knees if I weren’t already sitting at my desk. “Hey, there you are.” She walks all the way into the room, and I take in her long, blond hair that falls freely past her shoulders where it curls slightly. She’s in a pair of ripped jeans and a pink flowing top that leaves everything to the imagination. Fuck, this woman has no idea what she does to me.
“Hey, sweetheart.” She blushes at the endearment as I stand, making my way over to her. The enormous box in her hands looks awkward, and I immediately grab it and place it on one of the kids’ desks. “What do you have in here? Bricks?” This monster is heavy, and when I hear her subtle laugh behind me, I turn to see that gorgeous smile across her face.
“Well, there are seventy cookies in there. One cookie might not weigh that much, but put that many together? It gets heavy.” I open the top and inspect her work. I’m floored. They look incredible and smell amazing.
“Val, these are…” I look up, and her eyes meet mine. “Incredible,” I whisper as I take a step toward her. “You’re meant to do this, you know?” She blushes as I continue getting closer until I’m an inch away from her and can feel her breath against my skin. My fingers find hers as they brush together, and when I hear her intake of breath, I take it up a notch. I lean in, my nose trailing up the column of her neck to the shell of her ear. Her head leans back, giving me what I want as my hands grip her hips and bring her body flush with mine.
“Noah,” she whispers, her fingers digging into my shirt, pulling me closer.
“Are you gonna finally admit you want this?” I ask, already knowing the answer. “I’ve been a patient man, sweetheart, but I’m at my limit here…” Her gasp makes my whole body come alive as I lean back and trace her jaw with my thumbs. Her tongue darts out over her bottom lip, and I lean in, knowing her lips will taste and feel just as good as they do in my imagination.
“Mr. Taylor!” The greeting is screamed from the doorway as a sea of small children make their way into the room. I was so distracted by Val that I didn’t even hear the end-of-lunch bell.
“They served hot dogs for lunch!” Kaylee, one of my cutest students, screams as she makes her way over to her desk. I take a quick look at Val, who has that sexy blush covering her skin that I love so much.
“If you’re not careful, I’ll want to see exactly how far that blush goes…” I whisper as all the kids take their seats. Val smacks my arm, and for a split second, I wonder if I went too far, then I look up to see that smile of hers. I sigh in relief.
“Guys, I’d like for you to say hi to Ms. Valentina, she baked all these cookies,” I say, pointing to the box on Derek’s desk. He looks my way, and I nod my head. He opens the top.
“Holy cow! You made all of these? There has to be a million in here!” I laugh at the exaggeration and feel my chest compress when Val crouches down beside Derek’s desk.
“Unfortunately, there aren’t a million, but there are enough for you guys to bring with you to the retirement home down the street.” Derek smiles at her, closing the box.
“Everyone, I want you to find your letters and line up at the door. I will be right back.” I motion for Val to follow me into the hall, and when the door closes behind her, I spin, pinning her to the lockers and then taking a quick look around.
“Noah, what are y—?” I don’t let her finish before my mouth finds hers. I couldn’t take one more minute of not knowing what she tastes like. I was right, her lips are everything I wanted them to be. On a moan, she opens for me, and I slip my tongue inside, groaning at the feeling of her against me.
One of my hands wraps around the nape of her neck, pulling her close, and the other grabs her ass and brings her heat straight against my aching cock. “Val, I know you’re scared of this,”—my voice lowers as her breathing increases—“but this is right…this feels right.” She nods her head, and I breathe a sigh of relief. I kiss her lightly, feeling her body relax against mine.
“Noah, this is insane. I’ve only known you a week!” Her head slams back against the lockers as I smile down at her scowling face.
“Sweetheart, I need to get back to class, but I’m not leaving this hallway until you agree to go out with me.”
“And if I say no?” The sass makes my cock strain against the zipper of my jeans.
“Don’t joke about denying me what’s mine…” I say, tracing my fingers up the curve of her neck, cupping her jaw, making her gaze meet mine. I know if I don’t stop soon, I won’t be able to, so I pull away, hating every second.
“God, Noah, what are you doing to me?” I don’t know if the question is actually for me, but I answer anyway.
“I’m making a move, something I’ve been dying to do since the moment I saw you. Now, will you agree to go out with me so I can take my class to the retirement home?” She smiles, taking my wrist in her hand, pulling my fingers away from her neck.
“Tell you what,” she says, taking my phone out of my back pocket, then using my thumb to unlock it. “If you text me later to let me know how the trip was, I’ll consider it.” She types in her phone number and hands the cell back to me.
“Trust me, baby, I will be calling you tonight.”
“I close at eight,” she says as she gives me a kiss on the cheek. She winks as she traces a finger over my chest, making me harder than I’ve ever been in my life. From the look in her eye as she walks away, she knows exactly what she does to me.
EIGHT
My whole body whines as I shut my front door and head into my bedroom.
All I want is a hot shower so I can wash all the flour off my body. But once I sit down on the side of my bed, the only thing I can think about is shutting my eyes and getting some sleep. Yet sleep doesn’t come. I lie there, eyes open, brain wide-awake, planning the next day’s events. Just as I shut off my bedside light for the fifth time, desperately trying to get some sleep, my phone goes off.
Noah: You awake?
Me: Unfortunately, yes.
Noah: I can text you tomorrow if you want.
Me: No, it’s fine. This happens to me all the time. My brain doesn’t know when to shut off.
Noah: Long day?
Me: Yes, but some parts weren’t so bad.
Noah: I hope the good parts included me…
Me: Some of them, yes. ;)
Noah: Go out with me tomorrow.
Me: You don’t mess around, do you? Getting straight to the point.
Noah: I know what I want.
Me: And what about what I want?
Noah: What do you want?
Me: To know how the field trip went. You did promise.
Noah: I did. It was awesome. The kids had a great time and ate every single one of your cookies.
Me: Did you try any?
Noah: I tried, but there wer
e none left.
Me: Well, I guess I better make you some so you don’t feel left out…
Noah: I would prefer a date.
Me: ;)
Noah: Is that a yes?
Me: Ask me again tomorrow.
Me: Night, Noah.
Noah: Night, sweetheart.
NINE
I wake up to a text from Noah, and I wonder if I’ll ever get the butterflies to stop fluttering around every time I think of him and the way his lips felt on mine.
Noah: Morning, beautiful.
Me: Morning.
Noah: You have my breakfast ready?
Me: Not yet.
Noah: Get going, woman, I’ll be there soon.
Me: With that attitude, I might just make you wait for it.
Noah: Sweetheart, I’ve been waiting for you for weeks, a few hours will be a piece of cake.
Me: You gonna ask again?
Noah: You’ll just have to wait and see.
TEN
His texts are starting to become a part of my morning, afternoon, and nightly routines. I find myself looking forward to them more than I ever thought possible.
Noah: Put a guy out of his misery and come out with me tomorrow…
Me: You looked perfectly fine this morning.
Noah: I was dying inside, Val. You’re killing me.
Me: Maybe that’s my plan, wait until you give up.
Noah: You don’t want me to give up.
Me: No?
Noah: No. But I’ll text you tomorrow just to make sure.
Me: Night, Noah.
Noah: Night, sweetheart.
ELEVEN
I wake up and instantly grab my phone, wanting to text Val like I have every morning for the past two days. But when I grab my cell, I realize there’s already a text waiting for me. My heart stops when I read it.
Val: Ask me.
Me: Morning, beautiful.
Me: Will you go out with me tomorrow?
Val: Yes.
Me: You’re actually saying yes?
Val: What, you don’t believe me?
Me: It’s just been so long that I honestly don’t know what to do right now.
Val: If you’ve changed your mind…
Me: Don’t you dare take that answer back, I’ve waited too long.
Val: You’re the one that was questioning my answer. ;)
Me: Be ready tomorrow at 7, I have a plan.
Val: What should I wear?
Me: You want my honest answer? ;)
Val: I doubt it…just let me know if it’s fancy.
Me: Wear a dress.
Val: Yes, sir.
Me: Val, I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.
TWELVE
Noah: I’m on my way.
I look at the text again and then glance at myself in the mirror. Noah not only texted the night I dropped off the cookies but also every night since. After the third day, I couldn’t say no anymore. My reflection looks like a version of myself that I haven’t seen in years. For the first time in a long while, I borrowed some of Mandy’s makeup and one of her dresses that seems to be smaller than I remember her explaining. My hands tug at the hem, making sure it covers my ass as I walk into the kitchen and fill my purse.
Just as I’m about to go back upstairs to check my outfit again, my phone rings. “Hello?” I say, knowing it’s Mandy before I hear her talk.
“Don’t be nervous,” she declares as I roll my eyes. “Don’t you roll your eyes at me, young lady. I know you’re freaking out, and you don’t need to.”
“Sure, but—” I don’t finish before she interrupts me again.
“No buts. That man has asked you out every day for a week. He kissed you in the hall of an elementary school, and he all but demanded you go out with him. You can’t tell me you’re not interested.”
“I said yes, so of course I’m interested,” I say as I pace my living room, looking out the window to see if he’s here yet. “It’s just that the last time…”
“The last time you did this, the jerk broke your heart,” she finishes for me, and I nod, thinking of Chris. “Val, I’m going to say this once and that’s it. Chris was a fucktard that only thought about himself. I never liked him, and I’m glad he’s gone.” I gasp because she always said she liked Chris.
“But…”
“No buts. That boy wanted nothing but a trophy wife, and he realized you wouldn’t lie down quietly and live your life in his shadow. I want you to find someone willing to live in your shadow. Val, you deserve that.”
“And you think Noah’s that guy?” My voice is unnaturally soft as I make my way back into the kitchen and lean against the island.
“You will never know until you give him a chance. I have no doubt he would drop everything just to see you smile. So, just let this happen, okay?” I roll my eyes at her, even though I know she can’t see me. “What do you have to lose? It’s just a date. Give the man that, at least.”
“Fine,” I capitulate just as the doorbell rings. “Gotta go!” I say, hanging up before she can say something inappropriate.
I make my way to the entryway, wiping my palms on my black dress, hoping I look okay. The minute I open the door, my mind stops. Noah is standing there in dark-wash jeans that hang low on his hips, a black, long-sleeve t-shirt that’s tucked in and shows off the physique that I knew was under those sweater vests. He has a couple of days’ worth of scruff on his jaw, causing my hands to pulse, wanting to feel it against my skin. His hair is styled lazily and falls over his eyes, which are gazing darkly at me in what feels like slow motion.
“Jesus…” he growls as his eyes rake over every inch of my body. “You look…” He shakes his head as his fingers tangle into his hair, making it look even sexier.
“This okay?” I ask, turning around on the spot and blushing when he growls from behind me. As our eyes meet once again, I can feel the heat coming off him in waves, and my whole body starts to react to the idea of his hands on me. Before I can do or say anything, he has me against the wall, the door still open, his hands on my hips. He brings me flush against his chest, and I feel exactly what this outfit does to him. I moan on contact, my head hitting the wall behind me, causing a picture to crash to the floor.
“I love that my touch makes you crumble. It’s so sexy.” His lips find my pulse, sucking the skin and eliciting a sound so loud, I imagine my neighbors can hear. His fingers flex as his lips travel up the curve of my neck and pause at the edge of my lips. “You’re so beautiful…” he whispers, placing a soft kiss to the corner of my mouth and then stepping away. I shake myself out of the haze his body created and turn to shut the door, trying to rein in the need coursing through me.
Once the door is closed, I realize my mistake. The air in the house has become so charged, I keep my back to him, knowing that if I turn around, I’ll jump him and ask for whatever he’s willing to give me.
“Do you want a drink?” I ask, heading toward the fridge, needing something to distract me from the tension that’s building.
“No.” His voice is like gravel as I turn and see he’s standing not two feet from me. Without thought, I take a step back, but when he steps forward, I realize I’m trapped against the island.
“No?” I squeak, my hands bracing behind me on the edge of the countertop. My eyes never leave his as he steps even closer, the fabric of his jeans grazing my exposed thighs.
He shakes his head as his fingers lift and caress the side of my cheek, then move down my jaw and stop at my pulse. “All I can think about is how amazing you look and how I want to know what you look like out of that dress.” I can’t help but whimper at the words. I’m not a stranger to dirty talk, Chris used to do it all the time, but when Noah talks like this? My whole body goes on high-alert, and I can’t deny the heat coursing through me.
He smirks as my pulse spikes, his fingers tracing down past the curve of my breasts and down over my stomach. My muscles bunch as those same fingers find the hem of my dress and li
ft the edge, exposing more of my legs. “Sweetheart, I’ve thought of nothing but this moment for a week. If you don’t tell me to step away, there’s no way I will be able to stop. You feel too good against me.” Our eyes lock, and pure want stares back at me. Suddenly, I know I can’t stop this. I’ll hate myself for letting this moment go, so I do the only thing I can think of, I take his face in the palms of my hands and bring his lips close to mine.
“If you stop now, I’ll never bake anything for you again.” His grin sends heat straight through me as my head tilts back, and his lips sear mine, his fingers gripping my thigh in an effort to get closer.
“Noah…” I moan, my fingers finding their way into his hair, feeling the silky strands as I bring him closer.
“Val, sweetheart, I promised you a date…” he says with his lips on mine, and I laugh at the sheer desperate tone of his voice. There is no way we are leaving right now, not when he’s making me feel the best I’ve felt in years.
“Fuck the date. I need to feel you…” I sigh as Noah grinds himself into me, sending shockwaves through every part of my body. I don’t know what I want him to do, but I know I need more. So much more.
“Shit, I need to know. I need to know how wet you are for me.” I can’t respond because his fingers graze the edge of my panties, and all rational thought leaves my brain. It’s been over a year since a man has touched me, and fucking hell, it’s like a revelation to feel the heat of his touch against my skin.
“Baby, please…” Noah stops, pulls away, and our eyes meet. “Why did you stop?” I ask breathlessly.
“You have no idea how good it is to hear you call me that.” I look at him questioningly, forgetting I even spoke. Then he leans in, his tongue tracing the shell of my ear as he whispers, “Baby…” Just as the words leave his mouth, his fingers delve under the edge of my panties, and any response I thought I would have goes right out the window. “Jesus, you are so ready for me, aren’t you?” All I can do is nod my head as his fingers push into my heat, making my knees buckle.