Stay With Me

by Alexa Powers

  “Sounds lovely.”

  “It was.” As Emma thought back to that day, she was coming to realize that her time with Noah was just as wonderful.

  Making their way back to the house, they found Lily and Josh playing Frisbee on the beach.

  “Hey, you guys getting hungry?” Noah asked, as they got closer.

  “Starved,” Josh replied simply.

  While dining alfresco on the deck, Emma remembered how concerned she was that Noah would get on her nerves, and almost laughed at the thought. She was thoroughly enjoying herself. Noah was as charming as always, and certainly wasn’t hard to look at in a pair of board shorts.

  Too many hours and drinks later, Lily was tipsy and reminding Emma of ‘the history of rap’, a video they’d found online when Lily had visited her over the summer. With nothing else to do one day, they’d spent hours practicing the dance moves, but Emma had quickly forgotten about it.

  Until now.

  “Let’s do it,” Lily demanded.

  Emma’s stomach sank, as she watched Lily get more and more excited by the horrific idea. “No way. You’re crazy,” Emma laughed, her anxiety ratcheting up at an alarming pace.

  “Oh, come on, Emma,” Lily pouted. “It’ll be fun. Now get up and let’s do it.”

  Ignoring Emma’s protests, Lily reached for her tablet and began searching for the video. With a level of concentration that was actually impressive, based on the amount of alcohol she’d consumed, Lily scrolled through the options until she happily announced that she’d found it.

  Emma wanted to crawl under a rock.

  This level of humiliation required more alcohol, she thought, and knowing Lily wouldn’t let it go, she grabbed her beer and quickly downed it, then grabbed another and started to down that one too.

  “Fine. You’re such a pain in the ass, Lily. You know that?” she complained, but her own level of intoxication was now easing the burden of her mortification somewhat.

  Lily let out a quick burst of laughter. “Of course I know it. Now it’s time to shake yours.” Lily gave her a conspiratorial smile, playfully smacking Emma’s backside.

  Josh sat up and took a long pull of his beer. “Oh, you are going to love this, Noah. It’s bloody fantastic.”

  Lily propped the tablet on the coffee table so they could follow along, as they took their places in front of the large fireplace facing Noah and Josh.

  “I feel like I should apologize in advance for this. Oh my God, this is going to be so embarrassing. I hate you, Lily,” Emma snickered, shaking her head.

  Lily hit play and it all quickly came back to Emma, as they started mimicking the video, with Lily acting out the part of Jimmy Fallon and Emma as Justin Timberlake. They messed up in a few spots, but other than that, they were pretty good. Reality was probably closer to marginal, at best, but beer goggles were a wonderful thing when complete humiliation was on tap.

  Daring to glance at Noah, Emma found him watching her intently, with what could only be described as a ravenous look in his eyes. His pretty blue eyes actually looked black as he followed her movements. Shifting in his seat, Noah leaned forward, resting his chin in his hands, his lips turning up in a hungry grin that released a swarm of butterflies in her stomach.

  When they were done, Josh pulled Lily onto his lap. “Well done, babe.”

  Emma felt awkward, as she collapsed on the couch, after slipping into the kitchen to get another beer. She’d hoped taking a few moments would calm her sudden bout of nerves, but it wasn’t working.

  “Well, that was um…entertaining,” Noah finally spoke after a prolonged silence.

  She giggled nervously, watching him lean back into the couch cushions. “More like utterly humiliating. We were bored that day, and had nothing better to do than surf the web and make fools of ourselves.”

  “For the record, you didn’t make fools of yourselves. It was a lot of fun to watch. Really enjoyed it, actually.” A wicked smile spread across his face, as he placed his arm along the couch behind Emma and twirled a lock of her hair around his finger. Emma always loved the feel of a man running his fingers through her hair, and goose bumps rose across her skin as he continued to toy with it.

  “Thanks. Like I said, we were bored.”

  He shifted to move a little closer to her. “You had me at ‘push it’ and then my brain stopped working at ‘I wanna take my clothes off’, that little shimmy you did…fucking sexy.” His voice trailed off and she watched his eyes linger on her lips before slowly crawling up to meet hers. As he paused to let his words sink in, knowing his brashness would excite and shock her at the same time, Emma never wanted to be kissed more than she did in that moment.

  Admitting that he was completely turned on by her was probably a bad idea, but experience had taught him that honesty was the best policy. He felt the attraction growing between them, and loved catching her stolen glances when she thought he wasn’t looking. And seeing her cheeks turn an adorable shade of pink when he walked around without a shirt on was totally worth it.

  “Oh,” she said slowly, as her eyes darted to his lips and then back to his eyes. “Well, it was never intended to be resurrected again. Lily has a big mouth when she’s been drinking.” Emma started to laugh as she spoke the last sentence loudly for Lily’s benefit.

  “Do not. I just wanted to have some fun. Admit it. You had fun, Emma. Didn’t you?” Lily demanded in between kisses from Josh.

  “Yes, Lily, I had fun,” Emma begrudgingly admitted, but Noah didn’t miss the happy glint in her eye. The copious amount of alcohol she’d consumed may have loosened her up a bit, but Emma wasn’t that starchy. She was just a little shy. Which he actually liked.

  Lily and Josh made their excuses and went to bed, leaving Emma alone with Noah. Her heart was ready to explode out of her chest at the realization that Noah might actually want to be more than just friends with benefits. She definitely had reservations about beginning a relationship with him, but the memory of their kisses still made her cheeks flush and her heart soar to unbelievable heights. She couldn’t stop thinking about the feel of his soft lips against hers and the taste of him. If just his kisses left her breathless, how much more would his touch affect her?

  Emma let out a shaky breath, leaning her head against the hand that was still playing with her hair, and as he cradled the back of her neck, she slowly turned her face towards him. Feeling overwhelmed by the flood of emotions, she suddenly felt wary. Taking time to explore the features of his face, from his scruff covered jawline to his gorgeous blue eyes, and everything in between, what she found there, the way he was looking at her, told her everything.

  He wanted her. Badly.

  Noah sat patiently as Emma checked him out, waiting for their eyes to meet once again. When her gaze fixed on his mouth, a sexy smile crossed her lips and he stifled an audible groan. She was so beautiful, and his thoughts were consumed with kissing her again. He needed to kiss her again.

  When her eyes finally landed on his, he slowly pulled her towards him.

  “I’m going to kiss you now. Alright?” he asked, once their mouths were only a breath apart.

  Words escaped her, along with the ability to think, leaving Emma only able to nod in agreement before Noah’s lips were pressed deliciously against hers. The hand that had urged her closer, slid into her hair, holding her there.

  Time seemed to stand still as he coaxed her lips to open for him, and she willingly obliged. One thing she knew for sure at that moment was that she could see herself becoming addicted to the feel of his lips against hers as he turned her inside out with only the slightest touch.

  Emma placed her hand on his arm and felt the muscles quiver beneath her fingers, as they explored the contours of his bicep before continuing up and over the cap of his shoulder. He was so strong, but still gentle as he held her and it emboldened her. As if they had a mind of their own, her fingers combed through his thick head of dark hair, tugging on it as she gripped the soft strands between her f
ingers.

  Noah groaned, as he gently nipped at her kiss-swollen lower lip, then soothed it with a slow kiss. When Emma softly moaned, he shifted closer to her and slid his free hand around her back. Her raised arms lifted her top, exposing a thin strip of bare skin, and his fingers skillfully stroked her there. And she melted.

  “Um. That was…” Amazing, spectacular, fan-freaking-tastic. She didn’t know where this was going with Noah, but the attraction was too strong to deny. He was looking at her with hunger in his eyes and a goofy grin on his face, and she was sure her expression mirrored his.

  No kiss had ever affected her like that before. She couldn’t think straight. She could only focus on the impossibly charming man sitting in front of her, and the feel of his thumb caressing her side left her wanting to crawl into his lap and cuddle.

  “Yeah, I know,” he replied, pressing his forehead against hers, still trying to catch his breath. Gazing into her eyes, he felt his heart twist. He’d never believed in love at first sight, but Emma had an inexplicable hold on him from the minute he’d laid eyes on her in the club. He didn’t want to fight it any longer. He needed to be with her as badly as he needed his next breath.

  Even though he was pretty sure he’d felt the earth shake beneath his boots every time his lips came in contact with hers, it wasn’t like him to be thinking about forever after only a few kisses, so he reminded himself that he needed to proceed with caution.

  Noah refused to dwell on the fact that she’d be leaving at the end of the year. When he dared to envision his future, Emma was there with him, by his side. He knew the odds were against them, but it didn’t matter, he wasn’t a quitter and if they were still together, he’d find a way to make it work.

  Chapter 9

  The following morning, Noah found Emma relaxing on the deck, reclined on the chaise lounge, with her face tilted towards the sun. A pair of fantasy-inducing legs were stretched out in front of her, and crossed at the ankles, which left Noah unable to swallow past the lump in his throat.

  Her eyes were closed and she had a blissful smile on her face. He found himself standing in the doorway quietly observing her, taking in the gentle curve of her long neck and the classic lines of her face. She was exquisite.

  Trying to pinpoint the one thing that made her different from all the others was impossible; she was a collection of the senses. Not only was she achingly beautiful, but the sound of her voice was like the finest of wines, smooth and satisfying. Even the slightest touch from her delicate fingers left a wake of goose bumps in their path and his heart flipping over in his chest, and she smelled so damn good he wanted to bathe in her, just to soak up some of her sweetness.

  He’d only had the tiniest taste of her, but it left him ravenous and ready to devour her, inch by delicious inch.

  Shaking his head and wondering where he’d left his man card, Noah finally cleared his throat and smiled when she turned towards him.

  “Good morning, sunshine,” Noah said, feeling the full impact of her gaze upon him. Closing the distance between them, he joined her on the chaise lounge, needing to be near her.

  Her sweet smile had his heart ready to tumble. “Good morning, Noah. I was just thinking about you.”

  “Oh yeah? What were you thinking about?” he requested eagerly, then bristled. When did he become so desperate for any morsel of validation?

  A pretty pink tint bloomed across her cheeks, and he secretly delighted in the sight of it. “Oh, I don’t know. Just how happy I am to be here.” Her emerald eyes sparkled in the sunlight, and he was happy she was here, too.

  Noah placed his hand on her thigh, his thumb stroking her there, unable to resist the pull she had on him. And as he leaned in to give her a gentle kiss, everything felt…right.

  “You look very pretty this morning.” Her long hair was pulled back into a ponytail, exposing flawless skin, and she wore a temptingly short pair of denim shorts with a white tank top, which stretched tightly over a mouthwatering pair of breasts.

  “Thank you, you’re very sweet.” The soft touch of her hand as it traced the edge of his jaw distracted him for a minute, as he let her explore, hoping she’d take it a tad further south. “So, what’s the plan for today?” she asked.

  Feeling a little disappointed when she removed her hand, and ignoring the deep longing in his chest for her missing touch, he filtered through the things he thought she might enjoy. “We could hike The Mount if you’d like. The weather’s good and there’s a beautiful view from the summit,” he added encouragingly.

  He needed to burn off some energy, and figured a sweaty bedroom workout with Emma was not an option at this point, so he’d have to settle for a vigorous tramp up the mountain. He also wanted to share one of his favorite places on earth with her.

  “That sounds like fun. Are Lily and Josh up yet? Do you think they’d want to go?”

  “I’m sure they will, but if not, then we can do it just the two of us,” he said, smiling against her lips, just breathing her in, before giving her a proper good morning kiss.

  Emma’s fingers raked through his hair, and he couldn’t hold back the groan as he deepened the kiss. He could not get enough of this woman, he thought to himself. She tasted of mint and something uniquely Emma, and her skin felt like the finest of silks.

  Sliding his hand from her thigh, over the soft swell of her hips, he hesitated when he reached her waist. Clutching her tightly as she pressed her luscious curves into him, the feel of her breasts against his chest made his fingers itch with the need to touch them.

  She let out a low whimper as Noah inched his fingers beneath the hem of her top, slowly exploring her ribcage, giving her the opportunity to turn him away. But praying she wouldn’t. He felt her tense for a brief second, then relax as he finally reached his desired destination, teasing her as his thumb caressed the underside of her breast.

  When she sucked on his tongue and released a pleading moan, he completed the journey, gently squeezing and kneading her as she arched her back, encouraging his touch. Her hardened nipple pressed against his palm, through the silky material of her bra, and he longed to taste her there. Just touching her wasn’t enough, would never be enough; he was greedy like that.

  Emma instantly felt chilled when Noah suddenly slipped his hand from beneath her shirt. The man had magic fingers and she wanted to drag him to her bedroom…more please.

  Breaking the kiss, he pressed his cheek to hers and whispered, “We have company,” in her ear. Day-old stubble lined his face, awakening her senses as it abraded her cheek.

  His touch had the blood pumping through her veins at an alarming rate, and left her feeling dizzy. Taking a deep breath, she smoothed her hands over the length of her shirt to straighten it, as Lily walked outside. Still tingling from his caress, her breasts were heavy with need. As if they knew Noah’s skilled hands were only inches from them, her nipples tightened into firm little points, practically reaching out to him.

  Damn.

  She was thankful Noah had the presence of mind to still be aware of their surroundings, because she certainly didn’t. It was as if the rest of the world had vanished, leaving only the two of them. If Lily had witnessed what they were up to, or God forbid, Josh, she’d never have heard the end of it.

  “Hey, guys,” Lily chirped, practically skipping along the deck.

  “Hey. You’re way too perky this early in the morning, Lily,” Emma pointed out.

  “I can’t help it, Emma. Life is beautiful.” Her attitude was infectious as Lily settled into a chair with a satisfied sigh. “And speaking of beautiful…” Lily smiled demurely as Josh walked outside and took the seat next her.

  Josh nodded to Emma and Noah. “Morning.”

  “Emma and I were just talking about hiking The Mount today. You want to come along?” Noah asked.

  Lily let out a loud snort. “Is that what you were doing? Didn’t look like there was much talking going on to me.”

  Emma felt her cheeks catch fire as she
quickly glanced at Noah, “Oh, dear God, Lily. Pot, meet kettle.”

  “Hey, I was just stating the obvious. No judgment here. Good on ya, Emma,” Lily responded with a dismissive wave of her hand.

  “Well…do you want to go with us?” Noah requested again, getting them back on track, as he turned towards Josh and Lily.

  “What do you think, babe? You up for a tramp?” Josh asked Lily, placing his arm over her shoulder.

  “Sweet as. I haven’t been up there in a while and the view from the top is brilliant, Emma. You’ll love it.”

  “Alrighty then. Let’s get something to eat and then head out,” Emma said, as she slid her legs off the chaise lounge and stood to her feet.

  To say that Noah and Josh set a brisk pace, as they hiked to the summit of Mount Maunganui, was a vicious understatement. Emma was sure they made it in record time, as she breathlessly dropped her backpack and hastily downed a bottle of water. Wiping the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand, her legs were on fire and she was pretty sure her face had taken on the color of a ripe tomato.

  She would’ve preferred a leisurely climb, to appreciate the beautiful scenery, but unless she wanted to be left behind, she had to keep up the exacting pace they’d set. The fact that Noah had barely broken a sweat both impressed and annoyed her at the same time.

  Reclining on a large outcropping of rocks, lining the edge of the summit, they were rewarded with the awe-inspiring sight of Papamoa Beach and the Bay of Plenty. Emma snapped a few photos with her phone, wanting to remember the picturesque view, as she caught her breath.