Chapter 5
Noah passed a plush white towel across his skin, swiping at the water that saturated the surface. He had needed a cold shower to stall the rise of desire that was sweeping between him and Catherine. He hadn’t known what to expect when she’d invited him to her room but what he hadn’t anticipated was feeling as connected to her as he did. They were having an amazing time with each other. She was fun, and he felt completely at ease in her presence. And he wanted her, the intensity of his desire was consuming. But she wasn’t looking for forever and he didn’t know exactly what he was looking for. It was confusing, and a wealth of emotion was clouding the situation.
In all his years, he couldn’t remember ever feeling so unsure of himself or his feelings. But he was sure of one thing. He wanted her. He wanted her like he had never wanted any other woman. And if he were honest with himself, he had wanted her since they’d been seventeen years old when she used to give him grief after football practice. But under their current circumstances he didn’t have a clue where that would leave the two of them when all was said and done.
He took a deep breath as he wrapped a towel around his waist. Suddenly, he knew that making love to Catherine and walking away wasn’t fathomable. He could never walk away from her and all they had done thus far was lay the foundation for a beautiful lifelong friendship.
Minutes later when Noah stepped out of the bathroom he was fully dressed. Catherine stood in the center of the room, her arms wrapped tightly around her torso.
“I think we should call it a night,” Catherine quickly said.
“Yeah, I really should be going,” he said almost before she could finish her statement.
There was a sudden awkward silence that swelled thick and full between them. Catherine was biting down on her bottom lip, nervous tension pulling her mouth into a frown.
She shook her head. “You must think I’m a crazy woman,” she said, her voice a loud whisper.
“No. What I think is that I want to make love to you. And I think you want to make love to me. And if we make love I think we both know that it’s not going to be a casual encounter that either of us is just going to forget about. So we need to regroup. That’s what I think.”
His comment struck a nerve, and she nodded, tears misting her gaze. “I should probably warn you that I’ve never done well with relationships,” Catherine said.
Noah smiled. “Well, there’s a first time for everything.”
She smiled back. “I really had a great time tonight.”
“So did I.” He moved to her side and grabbed her hand, entwining their fingers together. “Walk me to the door,” he said as he turned in the direction of the exit.
Catherine followed behind him, her other hand pressed against his lower back. Standing in the entranceway, Noah turned to face her. His eyes danced over her face. Leaning forward, he pressed a damp kiss to her cheek, his lips lingering. His touch ignited a raging flame deep in her core.
Pulling back, he lost himself in her eyes. Her stare was intoxicating. He pressed his hand to the side of her face, his fingers trailing the line of her profile. She leaned into his palm, closing her eyes as she relished the intensity of his touch. And then he kissed her. “You take my breath away, Cat Moore,” he said as he met her gaze. He gave her one last peck on the lips then he turned, heading down the hallway.
Catherine stood staring after him. When he turned the corner, disappearing from sight, she began to shake. Her heartbeat was racing, and her eyes darted back and forth anxiously. The emotion was combustible. This was not how their night was supposed to end. She didn’t want him to leave. She suddenly raced down the hall behind him.
Noah was standing in front of the bank of elevators. The conveyor door had just opened when Catherine rounded the corner. She called his name just as he stepped inside. He thrust his hand and arm between the closing doors to keep them open. Stepping back out of the conveyor, he embraced her as she threw her body against his, wrapping her arms around his neck. He held her tightly, nuzzling his face into her neck.
“Stay,” Catherine said, lifting her eyes to his. “Please.”
Noah stared intently, his gaze questioning.
Reading his mind she nodded. “I’ve never been more certain of anything else in my whole life.”
* * *
There was nothing shy or quiet about Noah Stallion between the sheets. The man was dominating and powerful, and Catherine had absolutely no control, something that was completely foreign to her. But once the door had been locked behind them, Noah had taken command and she’d followed willingly.
He was playing her body like a master musician, knowing every key to strike, every note to play. Noah was successfully eliciting the most beautiful music from her, the sensations sweeping. Every one of her nerve endings was on fire, her interior combustible as his body danced in sync with hers.
Catherine clung to him, her long legs wrapped easily around his broad backside. Her hands skated across his back and shoulders as he pressed himself into her. Every stroke was slow and deliberate and teasing. Catherine felt as though he’d pierced her core, his touch soul deep. No one had ever reached her so intensely. Loving Noah was like nothing she’d ever experienced before.
His hands kneaded and caressed every square inch of her flesh until she was a quivering mess. He pushed and pulled himself in and out, their intimate connection a beautiful give and take. The sensations sweeping between them grew to a rousing crescendo sending them both spiraling off the edge of ecstasy at the same time.
Noah collapsed against her, panting heavily. Beneath him, Catherine gasped, fighting to catch her own breath. The moment had been telling—nothing about their encounter was what she had imagined. They clung to each other. She held him tightly as if she were afraid to let go. With a deep inhale, Noah rolled onto his side, pulling her closer against him.
Grabbing his hand, Catherine drew it to her lips and pressed a kiss against his palm. She kissed him a second time before folding his fingers into a fist as she closed her eyes.
Noah smiled and drifted off to sleep with her, his hand clutched to her heart.
* * *
As daylight seeped through the window, Noah lay flat against the mattress, his naked body sprawled beneath a white sheet. Still drifting between a state of slumber and wakefulness, he wasn’t sure where he was or whose bed he was in. But then the memories came flooding back to him. Every sweet, decadent minute of his night with Catherine like a dream come true. He’d slept well and his dreams had been sweet. He didn’t have one regret, their time together everything he had hoped it would be.
Beside him he felt Catherine’s body shift onto the mattress top. He turned his head, opening his eyes. She sat cross-legged, staring down at him as she sipped on a cup of black coffee. He couldn’t help but smile. She looked absolutely radiant.
“Good morning,” Catherine chimed sweetly.
Noah rolled his body over so that he was now facing her. “Good morning.”
“There’s fresh coffee. Would you like a cup?”
He shook his head against a pillow. “No. Thank you. I don’t drink coffee.”
Catherine paused midsip. Her expression was incredulous. “What do you mean you don’t drink coffee?”
“I don’t. I don’t like the taste.”
“That’s a problem for us already. I can’t be with a man who doesn’t drink coffee.”
“Why not?”
“I just can’t. What’s going to happen when I come to your house and you don’t have a coffeepot? It just won’t work. I have to have my daily infusion.”
He laughed. “I have a coffeepot, Cat. You’ll be fine. You’ll be able to feed your addiction with no problems. I will even brew a fresh pot for you.”
“You would do that for me?”
He trailed his thick fingers across her leg. “Only for you.”
Catherine finished the sip she’d started. “Do you have any other weird dislikes for beverages or foods
I need to know about?”
“No. Do you have any other deal breakers I should know about?”
She paused before answering. “Give me some time. I’m sure I can come up with something.”
Noah shook his head. Rolling in the opposite direction, he threw his body off the side of the bed, moving onto his feet. He palmed his manhood as he moved into the bathroom, his naked backside waving in the new day.
“I left a new toothbrush on the counter for you,” Catherine called after him, smiling as she watched him sway into the other room.
Minutes later Noah returned to the bed, his pearl-white teeth brushed and flossed, his face washed, his bladder empty. He leaned down to kiss her mouth. She tasted like coffee, sugar and minty toothpaste.
Catherine pressed her palm to his cheek. She loved kissing Noah. Loved how his mouth fit so perfectly against hers. How swiftly his tongue tangled with her tongue. His taste and scent were the sweetest delicacy. In the past twelve hours they’d kissed a lot. And she looked forward to that never stopping anytime soon.
“Do you have plans?” Catherine asked as Noah settled back down against the mattress. “For today, I mean.”
“I was going to spend the day with you, unless there was something else you had to do.” His gaze was narrowed, the look he gave her taunting.
A wave of heat suddenly washed over her entire body. She grinned, her expression eager. “No. I was hoping to spend the day with you, too.”
He nodded as he reached for her cup of coffee, taking it from her hands. He turned and placed it on the nightstand. Rolling back toward her, he bent his index finger and gestured for her to come to him. The hint of a smile pulled at her lips as she leaned into him, excited to follow wherever he planned to take her.
Noah pulled her into his arms and kissed her again. His hands rested against her hips then moved beneath the thin material of her tank top. He began to slowly massage one breast and then the other. Her lips parted as Noah’s tongue pressed between them. Catherine eagerly accepted it, letting it probe and explore as she closed her eyes, losing herself as his hands teased and felt her up.
He slid one hand down between her legs and into the boy-cut panties she wore. She was slick to the touch, the thin material of her underwear soaked with her arousal. He hummed as his kiss deepened, his mouth racing against hers.
His fingers slid across her pubis, the pad of his index finger rubbing circles around her clit. When he sank his hand inside the deep gash, massaging her inner walls slowly, a spark of electricity ignited throughout her body.
She felt the hardness of his member rubbing against her as he pulled her body next to his. She reached down to the girth hanging between his legs, her whole hand wrapping around his magnificence. The heat from her touch made him moan. She began to stroke him slowly over and over again. With each pass of her palm she felt him harden more and more.
Noah then kissed and licked his way down her breasts, suckling on her with his lips and trapping each chocolate nipple between his teeth. He took complete control of her body.
Reaching across to the nightstand, he pulled a condom from a newly opened box and sheathed himself quickly. Rolling above her, Noah pushed her legs apart. Catherine allowed him to spread her thighs wide, knowing, waiting, ready to accept what was coming. She took a deep breath, the anticipation consuming. When he entered her, the intensity of his possession was overwhelming.
His strokes were long and deep as he pulled out and pushed in slowly. His pace intensified as he began to speed up moderately, then faster. Her whole body burned, waves of heat shooting from her feminine spirit. He gripped her buttocks with both hands, plowing into her.
Catherine wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, holding tightly as he pumped inside of her over and over again. She felt her inner lining convulse around him, pulsing with a vengeance as the blood boiled through her veins. She suddenly climaxed and before she could catch her breath a second orgasm swept through her body. When Noah finally had his own orgasm, she’d lost count of the number of times he’d taken her to the edge of ecstasy only to pull her back and do it all over again.
* * *
When the alarm on Cat’s cell phone sounded Monday morning, she reluctantly opened her eyes. She and Noah had existed in a state of mindless bliss for more than forty-eight hours and she wasn’t ready for it to end.
Extending her arm across the bed, she expected to find Noah lying next to her, but he wasn’t present. She jumped abruptly, rolling against the mattress as she looked around the room. Noah stood in front of the dresser and mirror pulling on his clothes. She lifted herself up on her elbows to stare at him.
Noah tossed her an easy smile. “Good morning.”
“What’s so good about it,” she said, feigning an exaggerated pout. “Our mini vacation is over. Now we have to go back to our real lives.”
Noah nodded. “We do, but that doesn’t mean you and I have to be over. Unless you want us to be.”
He turned, staring at her. Her hair was tousled atop her head. Sleep still teased her eyes, and her skin was flushed from the heat in the room. The sheets were pulled up to her waist and her breasts were exposed, her nipples standing at full attention. She looked beautiful as always.
“Have you ever had a long-distance relationship before?” she asked. She pulled her knees to her chest.
Noah shook his head. “No. Have you?”
“I’ve never been able to do a relationship in my own backyard, so long distance never stood a chance.”
“So where does that leave us, Cat?” Noah moved from the mirror to the bedside, taking a seat beside her.
Their gazes locked, his stare intense.
“I like us, Noah. I really like us a lot.”
Noah smiled. “Then we’ll work it out.” He leaned to kiss her cheek. “Right now, though, I have to run. I need to stop home before I head to the station. I’ll call you later today. We can talk then about what we’re going to do next.”
She nodded, reaching her arms upward to wrap around his neck. She hugged him tightly, her bare breasts pressed against his silk T-shirt, her face nestled against his chest. He hugged her back, holding her tight. Both inhaled simultaneously. She took in deep breaths of his scent, wanting to hold on to the sweet aroma she’s quickly grown to adore.
Noah kissed the top of her head, her forehead, her cheek, before kissing her mouth one more time. “Have a safe flight,” he said as he stood back up. He reached for his jacket and slipped it on.
Catherine nodded. “Thank you,” she said. “This was the best weekend I’ve had since forever.”
Noah winked at her. He smiled, then without another word he was gone.
Sliding off the bed, Catherine rushed to the door, peering out as he sauntered down the hallway. When Noah had disappeared around the corner she shut the door, securing it tightly. Tears pressed hot behind her eyelids. For reasons she didn’t understand, she felt like crying. It took everything she had not to blubber like a baby. She wrapped her arms around her torso and hugged herself tightly.
She missed Noah already, feeling like she’d lost a piece of herself. Missing him hurt, and she didn’t know how she would handle that kind of pain.
Moving back to the bed, Catherine crawled between the covers, pulling the sheets up over her head. The entire weekend with Noah had been one learning experience after another. Catherine had discovered much about herself in the short period of time they’d spent together.
She had enjoyed not thinking about business for a moment, something she hadn’t done since starting her own business fifteen years ago. She liked the way Noah challenged her to rethink ideas she’d once been certain of, concepts she never questioned. He was intelligent and pragmatic and he had a keen sense of humor.
Noah made her laugh, laughed at her jokes and found the things she laughed at funny, as well. They’d debated politics, science, cartoons and theology. There was no topic they hadn’t touched upon and she still had a
long list of things she wanted to discuss, interested in his opinion. She was anxious for another opportunity to spend time with him.
She let out a deep sigh as she thought about him and their time together. The sex! Oh, the sex! Catherine clenched her knees tightly together to stall the quiver of heat between her legs that abruptly craved attention. Noah had taken her to new heights. He’d been gentle and attentive to her needs, but also domineering and possessive. He’d loved her with every square inch of his body, and it had been the most beautiful experience that had her craving for more. Catherine had never wanted for anything the way she was suddenly wanting Noah.
She tossed aside the covers, grabbing her phone to check the time. Minutes later she stood beneath a cold shower, willing the icy flow to cool the heat that raged over her body. She knew what she was feeling wouldn’t last forever. In less than an hour she would be back on one of her planes headed to the east coast. By the evening it would be business as usual and the weekend would be nothing but a sweet, sweet memory.
Chapter 6
When Noah arrived home, Naomi was blending fruit and vegetables in his premium blender. She came to an abrupt stop as he entered the room.
“Hey,” he said, tossing her a look.
“Really?”
“What?”
“You’ve been gone all weekend and all you can say is hey?”
“I sent you a text message that I wouldn’t be home.”
“That was two days ago! I figured that meant you weren’t coming home Friday night, not that you’d be gone the entire weekend.”
“Did you miss me, little sister?”
“No.”
“Then it’s all good.”
Naomi shook her head, rolling her eyes before she turned back to the blender. “Do you want a smoothie?”
Stallion Magic Page 5