Reclaiming Love (Tainted Love Book 2)

by Lily Zante

  “Strange?”

  “As in, good strange.”

  She waited for him to say whatever it was that was clearly on the tip of his tongue and hoped that the silence would give him the space to spell out what it was he was having trouble saying to her. “If I was to be completely honest with you”—he looked down at his bottle, before his warm eyes looked up and into hers—“I was kind of hoping we’d bump into one another somewhere different from the coffee shop.”

  His words encouraged her. “It makes a change,” she agreed, “to meet someplace different.”

  “And I kind of feel like you’re not such a stranger anymore, because we keep bumping into each other all the time.” She loved that he was so upfront, not needing to hide behind anything. She propped her elbows on the table, and rested her chin on hands clasped together. It was as delicious as warm apple pie, falling into his words, falling into him.

  “We’ve had lunch together, so that doesn’t make us strangers anymore.” She tried to inject a touch of humor to the situation. He put down his bottle. “I have a confession to make.”

  Now her heart tripped. She angled her head, all the while excitement mounted higher inside her. The place they were in disappeared, the noise, the heat, the crowdedness of it all. Her ears strained for his words and she leaned in to hear them better.

  “You never did introduce me to your new friend.” Heather’s giggly voice killed the magic moment.

  Chapter 25

  Noah looked up at the girl with the wild blond hair who had interrupted them at such a crucial moment. She smiled at him. “I’m Heather. Melissa’s roommate.” She stood between them, her hands tracing the edge of the small table, barely big enough to sit the two of them.

  Noah returned her smile. “Hi, Heather.” Melissa’s heated face didn’t escape him; he leaned back, waiting for her reaction. With no other stools available, Heather half squatted on the floor, balancing on the tips of her toes, while her elbows now rested on the table. She looked comfortable—a lot more comfortable than Melissa.

  “And you would be?” Heather asked him.

  “I’m Noah.”

  “Noah? I don’t think I’ve heard your name mentioned before.” She gave Melissa a pointed stare. “It’s nice to meet you, Noah.”

  He saw Melissa shuffle in her chair and noticed the distinct lack of conversation between the girls. Obviously Melissa wasn’t going to be forthcoming. Not that there had ever been anything to report back.

  He didn’t know these girls too well, but it seemed to him that Melissa would have a lot of explaining to do when they got back.

  “Are you still going to the party?” Melissa asked her.

  His insides clenched.

  “Doesn’t look like it. It’s late anyway and now wouldn’t be a good time to move. We might as well stay here for the rest of the night.”

  Melissa looked at him and smiled. No party. She was going to stay here. Great.

  “Where have you been hiding him?” her friend asked, still in good spirits and not in the slightest bit perturbed by Melissa’s apparent discomfort at her question.

  “We keep running into each other at the coffee shop.” Noah came to the rescue.

  “Running? Do you go to the gym too?” Heather asked, not putting two and two together.

  Melissa answered for him. “He’s nothing to do with the gym.”

  “Nice find,” said her friend, getting up off the floor. “New Year’s strikes in less than half an hour. We’ll be over there, if you want to join us.” She winked at Melissa, “if you can bear to tear yourself away.” She smiled at Noah and left.

  Noah felt as relieved as Melissa looked when her friend disappeared. Half an hour to go. Had the time flown past so quickly?

  “Sorry about that,” Melissa said.

  “Sorry for what? She seems interesting.”

  “She’s harmless enough and a good friend, but she can be a bit nosey sometimes.”

  “She seems to care about you,” he offered.

  “She does.”

  “Are you staying here or moving on?” she asked as she looked over at where his friends sat. He turned to see and noticed that a few of them had scattered. But he was in no rush to join them. “I think we’re staying.”

  Her lips curled up at the edges.

  So far so good, thought Noah. He wondered again, for the millionth time that evening whether she was single or not. He’d been trying to figure it out for a long time now. But now that she was here in the flesh, he wondered more than ever. Because his next actions depended much on it.

  He’d thought of her on and off over Christmas, even during that difficult time. The first anniversary was the hardest, so people told him. Memories of Bree started to slip through his fingers. He always had her in his heart and mind, but now that he’d made this decision to move on, he found himself increasingly thinking of Melissa.

  She’d said she’d come alone. But it still didn’t tell him what he needed to know.

  “You’re not waiting on anyone?”

  “Huh?” She looked away and took a sip of her drink.

  Not single? he assumed, with disappointment.

  “We could just hang out here—if you’re not waiting on anyone.”

  She blushed, then swallowed. “I’m not seeing anyone, at the moment, if that’s what you’re asking, Noah.”

  He cleared his throat. “I wasn’t sure.” He looked at her, a hundred questions running wild in his brain. Though hope rekindled deep inside him.

  They sat, gazes interlocked, the thrum of electricity between them. Her lips, the way she smiled, she seemed both unsure and sure, sweet and sexy all at once—it made him want to lean over and put his lips to her mouth. Because from the way her eyes darkened, infinitesimally, the way her lips parted, he wasn’t so sure she didn’t want him to.

  The roar in the bar suddenly exploded and the countdown began. From ten … the decibel level rocketed, egged on by a dizzying, whirring, frothing frenzy of racing excitement. She looked his way and if she kept that up any longer, her eyes shiny, her face heated, her lips apart, and her mouth begging to be kissed, he wasn’t going to be able to hold back a moment longer.

  The cries reached a crescendo at the stroke of midnight. Lost in the mob of adrenaline and the cacophony enough to rival stampeding elephants, they both jumped to their feet, along with everyone else.

  “Happy New Year,” he shouted, desperately wanting to grab her by the arm and pick her up. His stomach knotted; it was hard keeping his emotions reined in, especially here where things had throttled into chaos and people around them were letting loose with abandonment.

  “Happy New Year!” she yelled right back, her fingers entwined in her hands, fidgeting, restless.

  This wasn’t it—this formal spoken greeting could not be it. It didn’t feel right. It didn’t feel enough.

  She held out her hand, in a hand shake gesture. But he shook his head. No, not like this. Adrenalin surged into his veins, and his heart seemed to soar physically in his chest. Unable to hold back, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. She came willingly, like a ribbon undone, without an ounce of resistance.

  Her gaze dipped to his lips and she blushed some more. The look, this feeling, this moment, sent goose bumps up his back and he knew right then. She felt it too. He inched closer, as did she, until soon they were joined at the hips. She looked up at him and licked her lips.

  “Happy New Year, Melissa.” He leaned in a little, felt her soft body sink against his until he was holding her weight completely and then he kissed her soft, wet lips.

  They fit just right, like the pieces of a puzzle slotting perfectly into shape the way only two perfect pieces could.

  Chapter 26

  The sizzle sizzled, even her fingers tingled when he kissed her for eternity, and she melted right into him.

  He slowly pulled his lips away and stared at her as if looking for her reaction. She gazed back at him with drunken eyes, feeling t
he rush of blood through her body, feeling fuzzy and faint.

  Her body wanted his kiss, his lips, his touch, his feel, as much as she wanted to breathe. She drew her head towards him, felt his fingers tighten around her waist as she looped her arms closer around his neck.

  All the while he looked at her, a silent request for permission, which she gave, moving her head in for another kiss. She angled her head and met his lips, so soft, so warm, so lovely, as they sank against hers, his arms wrapped around her lower back wedging her against his body.

  This time their kiss was longer and deeper, as tastes mingled, scents meshed, and left her wanting more.

  She moved against him, feeling needed, feeling warm and soft as his tongue played with hers. It was a mixture of too much and not enough. She tightened her hold and moved her arms, a little more confidently, across his shoulders, claiming him, and moaned softly, never once breaking the kiss. More shivers showered her, arousing her further, until he broke the heat and pulled apart, needing to breathe. His lips brushed her forehead and they stood together, arms entwined, hearts beating, joined all the way.

  She tilted her head back and looked at him in silence for a while. Then she asked him, “What are you thinking?”

  His cheeks lifted when he smiled and he tightened his hands around her waist. “I’m thinking what a great start it is to the new year.”

  The warmth from his words, from him, spread all over and when he bent down again, and kissed her—a longer but lighter kiss this time. Her belly flopped. She ran her hands through his hair, refused to let him pull away, taking her time to explore his mouth and suck his lips. She felt more daring with him. It was something she could never be with Matt.

  Matt.

  The unexpected thought crashed into her and her eyelids flew wide open. She stopped mid-kiss and jerked back, breaking the kiss. It took a moment for her to recover herself. He looked at her, his face a question mark.

  “Too sudden?” He reached out and cupped the side of her face in his hand.

  “No,” she replied quickly and reached out to touch his lips. “Not too quick.”

  With his arm still around her, holding her close, he told her, “I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time.”

  She gazed at him happily. They weren’t aware of the overexcited people surrounding them, or the almost deafening noise. They were still caught up in their own private cocoon.

  Which was the state in which Heather found them. “Happy New Year,” she yelled, more than a little tipsy. Exuberance spilled out of her as she exaggeratedly observed their tight embrace. “Hell, honey. Way to go!”

  Melissa hoped she wouldn’t have to babysit her all the way home. The way she felt right now, she didn’t want to move from Noah’s arms.

  Finn had his arms around Heather’s shoulders, and another round of Happy New Year greetings was exchanged. This time, Noah and Melissa moved apart and stood side by side. But he slipped his hand easily around her waist, as if to tell the world she was his. It was a new sensation for her, to feel cared for and wanted by someone she wanted right back.

  “Coming with us? To par-tay?” asked Heather, as Finn grappled with her, holding her tight with her back to his chest.

  The idea didn’t appeal to Melissa, but looking at the state Heather was in, she knew she couldn’t let her go alone, Finn or no Finn. She caught Noah watching her. What did he want?

  “Come along. It’ll be fun.” Heather waved her arms at Noah in a feeble attempt to catch his attention.

  “Yeah, dude. You’re more than welcome to come with us,” Finn told him, and the two of them fooled around, not in any rush to move off.

  “I have to go,” Melissa told him. “I have to make sure she gets home okay.”

  Noah held her hand. “I know.”

  “Come.”

  “Do you want me to?”

  “I want you to.”

  “I want to, too.” He leaned in and kissed her again, and this time, her body tingled all over.

  They walked to the party for what seemed like more than an hour. But despite the cold, the chill, the dark, the distance, Noah held her hand the entire time. When they got there, people were spilling out onto the street. The front door was wide open and inebriated people loitered everywhere, inside and outside. They followed Heather, Finn and the rest of the group into the house.

  Inside the huge, multi-level house, encased in darkness and noise, they moved through hallways filled with people holding plastic cups.

  Going up the stairs to another level, they’d lost Heather and Finn who had been leading the way. Now the two of them walked around the dimly lit rooms hand in hand.

  “I don’t know anyone here,” Melissa shouted into Noah’s ear.

  “Me neither,” he shouted back and led her out of the noisy room where music blared out and bodies, back-lit from lights at one end of the room, gyrated slowly, surrounded by the smell of smoke and alcohol that stained the air. Melissa wished they’d stayed at the bar.

  Until Noah pulled her into an empty room. A rectangular black fabric lampshade with a gold orb-shaped base threw warm light onto the bed. They closed the door behind them, shutting out the noise and stench outside.

  Noah asked her, “Do you want to go out and mingle?”

  “No.” She gripped his hand.

  “Do you want to dance?”

  “No.”

  Here, they had privacy. She locked the door. “Just so that people won’t walk in.”

  “I know,” he said.

  “I’m not saying that we’re going to do anything,” she said hastily, not wanting him to get the wrong impression. Somehow, she didn’t think Noah would get the wrong impression.

  “I know.” He turned to her and his gaze dipped to her lips. She reached out the same time as he did, and they touched fingertips, and slowly her lips sought his, his fingers entwined with hers, until their bodies held tight, lips moved, tongues felt.

  She’d never felt so hot for anyone before. The long, gradual buildup, slowly formed over months, and lusted after for weeks, came together in a desperate, wanton hunger for each other.

  She kissed him as though she wanted to devour him and had never known herself to possess such feeling for someone she hardly knew.

  He touched her, nowhere overtly sensual, but his fingers were sensual, his touch sublime. His fingers traced along her neck, then gently below the rise of her collarbone, slid along her jaw while his other hand clasped her firmly around her waist. She pressed against him, her body feeling the pressure of each part of him. Before long they were on the bed, fully clothed, with not a button undone, yet hungry to touch and kiss and explore safe ground for now.

  It was mutual, this safe haven. She wanted him, right here, right now, but she also knew, even caught up the headiness of lust, that dragging it out, making this be enough for now, was enough.

  A couple of times, Noah stopped, pulled his mouth away, his fingers frozen in motion. He’d look down at her, smile, go slow, stop to stare, and each time she’d be the first one to move in, lift her head, fix her lips to his, move her hands up and down his fully clothed back.

  And wonder what it would feel like to be naked and sweaty and hot beneath him now.

  But that could wait.

  When he dipped his tongue further in her mouth, she arched her back, needing to feel him while she suffered the sweet torture of restraint.

  Chapter 27

  She stared at the clock on her bedside table and noted the time. Still early for a late night. The clock, more a memento now than serving any useful function, had been a present from her mom when she worried that her daughter might have problems waking up on time. Her mother couldn’t get her head around the idea that these days Melissa used her cell phone for pretty much everything else, including relying on it to wake her up on time.

  Including now, when she stared at the text message from Matt. He’d sent her another one a few hours ago. This time with a different photo of her: it wa
s tamer than the first one she’d seen in Zoot. She still had her blouse on in this one. Perhaps he had finally understood something.

  What r u doing? Where r u?

  Call me

  She remembered this picture. It had been the first one he’d taken—that first time they’d ever had sex. She’d held out for months and in the end it hadn’t quite happened the way she’d hoped it would. That had been the first time he’d asked her to pose suggestively.

  Why had she complied?

  She’d woken up and only read the message now. He’d sent it around five in the morning. Five in the morning as they’d all walked home once the party wound down.

  She’d fallen asleep in Noah’s arms. Three hours of sleep after a good many hours of heavy making out. They’d fallen asleep until Heather’s shouting outside the locked door broke their sweet slumber.

  He’d gone home and she’d come back with Heather and Finn. Last night had meshed into early morning and she’d fallen asleep on her bed still in her day clothes. She’d been too tired and drunk on Noah to think rationally about anything else.

  A heavy feeling settled in the base of her stomach as she glanced at her cell phone. He’d called her eight times since midnight. So much for giving her breathing space. She turned it off knowing that he’d call her again today and the last thing she wanted was for him to intrude into her life.

  Today she wanted to think about Noah. They’d been so busy swapping feelings and touches and kisses that they’d forgotten to swap contact details.

  Her heart raced at the memories and the way he’d kissed her and held her, the way his hands had roamed all over. She didn’t want to go too long without feeling that again. Without wanting more of it, now that her body was ripe for Noah.

  “You up?” Heather shouted outside her door.

  “Yeah,” she replied, wearily. Her chance of wallowing in Noah moments were now shot to pieces.

  Heather walked in slowly, balancing a small tray in her hands. She seemed remarkably cheerful despite the lack of sleep. “How long have you been up?” she asked, walking over to the bed. Melissa’s gaze fixed on the coffee cups on the tray.