Highly Strung_Prelude Series_Part Three

by Meg Buchanan

  She shone out as the most beautiful person in the room. But she’d kept a lot of secrets from him. Her past, Eva, that Tomas who might still be in the picture. And it had taken her three weeks after she must have got back from Wellington to come and find him.

  His hand tightened around the neck of the empty water bottle. He’d made the decision to live without her. He had something good going with Dana. And Natalia could be hard work. It did look like he wasn’t a secret any more.

  “If we are over, Lion,” she said so quietly he had to lean forward to hear her. “I would miss you.”

  “Noah.” He corrected. “I’m Noah.” Whatever happened tonight, he wasn’t going to be her pet lion again.

  She nodded, her lips slightly parted. He could remember the taste of her, the feel of her. Everything about her called to him.

  To hell with it. She was here. Dana wasn’t. He wanted her.

  He dropped his head the last few centimetres and felt her arms go to his shoulders. He slid his around her waist, the water bottle pressed tight against her as he deepened the kiss.

  He heard Luke’s voice in the back ground. “Fuck. How long has that been going on?”

  “For years,” said Adam. “You just don’t pay attention to anything that doesn’t involve you.”

  The next morning, when Noah rolled over, he found Natalia already awake and watching him the way she did in the mornings. She touched his lips the way she’d done at the pub last night.

  He took her hand and kissed the palm. “So much for us talking.” He still had his doubts about the wisdom of this. It had taken her four years to drive the hour from Paeroa to Hamilton to spend the weekend with him and share the vodka Ash had rejected. Even since they’d split it, had taken her three weeks to get here. The fantasy seemed a bit jaded now.

  She nodded, then ran her fingers through his hair. “You’ve cut off your mane. I like it. It makes you look older.” She couldn’t ever get away from the age difference.

  She moved closer and lay her head on his shoulder. “It was so noisy last night. Is that what Saturday night is always like for you?”

  “Yeah.” As usual the party at the house had gone on until sunrise.

  Her hand strayed down his chest. “It must be very quiet for you at my home.

  “It’s another world.” He’d been living two lives. One with light and noise and people. The other with Natalia, in the dark womb of her house, secret and claustrophobic, with their games, the constant need to please her, and the excitement of extreme pleasure laced with pain.

  He was sick of it. Before this went any further, he’d change the rules. He caught her hand again. There’d been no sex last night. He’d seen to that. He’d used the excuse he was exhausted, so they’d gone straight to sleep. And there’d be no sex this morning until they’d cleared a few things up.

  “What’s wrong, Noah? Why don’t you want to fuck?”

  He rolled away from her, pushed the sheet back, and swung his legs so he was sitting on the side of the bed.

  “I don’t want to fuck because I want to make love. And first I want to be sure that’s what we’re doing.” He stood up. “I’m going to have a shower.”

  “Then?” she asked.

  “Then we go out for breakfast. There’s a nice café down the road by the river.” It felt like betraying Dana to take Natalia there because that’s where he went with her, but he couldn’t think of anywhere else.

  Natalia pulled the sheet back up over her body. “Why not talk now?”

  He considered that. But he just wanted to yell at her, and maybe if they were in public he wouldn’t.

  “No. This flat is going to be a circus again as soon as everyone wakes up. We’ll go somewhere we can talk.” He opened his wardrobe, pulled out a couple of towels, one for her, one for him, and some clean clothes.

  After his shower, he went to the kitchen to wait for Natalia to get ready. As he passed through the lounge he saw Isaac and Jess asleep on the mattress on the floor. Tessa sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee. All the party debris sat around her. Last night, when Natalia arrived, Tess must have kept her cougar and child molester thoughts to herself. He leaned against the doorway.

  She smiled at him. “I’m sorry about dropping that on you. I didn’t know what to do when she turned up. Did you sort things out?”

  He shook his head. “A few more things we need to talk about.” He knew a lot more about Natalia than he did a few weeks ago. Now, what to do about it?

  “Do you want coffee?” Tessa made no effort to get up and get one for him.

  “No. Natalia and I are going out for breakfast.”

  Tess put the mug down, set her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her fists. “What happens with Dana?”

  He sighed. “I don’t know.” The thing with Dana had just started. He’d had five years loving Natalia. He couldn’t decide. He heard the bathroom door open.

  “Natalia’s nice, Noah. She’s nothing like I thought.”

  Yes, she could be nice. But she could be a bitch too. If he was having anything more to do with her, a few things had to change. No way would he share her. And no way would she call all the shots.

  He didn’t know Natalia was behind him until he felt her touch his shoulder.

  “Are we walking to the café, Noah?” She had the red shoes with the impressive heels in her hand and was wearing one of the black sleeveless dresses, her hair hanging loose again.

  He nodded.

  “Is it far?” She looked past him. “Good morning, Tessa. Are you coming to breakfast with us?”

  Tess glanced at him and he gave her a brief shake of his head. No spectators needed for this conversation.

  “I think I’ll wait for Luke to wake up. We might join you later,” said Tessa.

  “It’s not far,” he said to Natalia. “But we could take the car if you don’t have sneakers in your bag.”

  Natalia laughed. “You know I don’t own sneakers. I can manage in these.” Then she delicately rested her manicured hand on the doorframe, arched her back, and lifted one foot, small and dainty, toenails painted bright red, to slip her shoe on. It had to be the sexiest thing he’d seen for a while. Then just as gracefully she lifted the other foot behind her and put that shoe on too.

  He could see Tessa watching Natalia’s performance. She seemed to be having trouble keeping a straight face. But he’d seen Tess do similar stuff when she wanted to catch Luke’s attention.

  He could hear waking up noises coming from the lounge. He checked he had his wallet in his pocket. If they didn’t leave now, they’d be waiting for everyone to get dressed and come with them, and nothing would change.

  He released his breath. Maybe he didn’t need to lay down any rules. He didn’t know how she would react. They’d done just fine up until now the way they were. Maybe they should just go back to bed.

  No.

  He grabbed Natalia’s hand. “See you later, Tess.”

  “Okay.” Tessa picked up her mug again and took a sip. “Enjoy your breakfast.”

  As they walked out the gate, Natalia stopped, a puzzled frown on her face. She looked at their linked hands then up at him.

  “What’s going on, Noah? Why didn’t you want Tessa to come with us?”

  He stopped walking too and faced her. “Last night you said you wanted to talk, and we haven’t talked. So, start talking.” He’d let her have her say first. It would take them ten minutes to get to the café. By then they’d better have a few things sorted, and maybe he could enjoy breakfast.

  “I hurt you, didn’t I?” said Natalia quietly. “How?”

  He stared at her. How could she be so thick? He said he loved her, she just dismissed it, then a few days later she told him she was still fucking someone else.

  “I tell you I love you, and you tell me it’s none of my business who you sleep with.”

  She stepped closer and stroked his cheek. “I don’t think that’s what I said, Sweet Boy.”
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br />   All the pent-up anger at her came to the surface.

  “Noah. My name is Noah,” he exploded.

  “Noah,” she agreed. “Don’t yell, Noah.”

  He shook his head. “Why not?” He kept his voice loud. “It’s the only way you listen to me.”

  Natalia walked on a few steps. “Are you going to stamp your foot too? You aren’t as grown up as you think you are.”

  That was a low blow. He wasn’t going to let her get away with that. He grabbed her arm to stop her walking away but spoke more quietly.

  “You told me you were still fucking Tomas.”

  “No.” Natalia looked at the hand holding her arm then shook her head. “I told you not to judge me for sleeping with him.”

  Maybe she did say that. He let her arm go. Maybe he’d remembered it wrong.

  Natalia frowned a little and rubbed her arm. “Noah, Tomas still visits me, but we are friends not lovers. You have nothing to be jealous about. That’s why I’m here. I couldn’t bear the idea I had hurt you.”

  He wasn’t sure he believed that completely. It took her a month to get here. “What about keeping me a secret?”

  Natalia made a palm raised gesture like she couldn’t win with him.

  “I’m here. All your friends know about me now.”

  “And Eva, will you tell her?”

  Natalia shook her head. “No. Not Eva.”

  Nothing had changed. If he went back to her, he would still be her secret. And if he did go back, he would hurt Dana for what? Nothing. He stared at the riverbank he Dana had sat on and watched the sunrise six times now. And where he’d kissed her for the first time. Then he studied the café at the end of the road they’d go to.

  If he went to the café with Natalia, his friends would never tell Dana. He kept their secrets, so they kept his. And if the staff there mentioned her, he could pass her off as a mad aunty. Then he could just let her go home and never visit her.

  No. His turn to talk. He held Natalia’s hands. Dana would be back tomorrow, and he didn’t need a massive bruise on his cheek to explain away.

  “I’ve got something to tell you.” Natalia looked at him warily. He drew in a deep breath. “I’m seeing someone else.”

  It took her a moment, but finally Natalia asked, “Do you love her?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know, but I like her a lot.”

  She pulled her hand away from his and stroked his cheek.

  “I’m pleased for you. My beautiful Lion has a mate.”

  She had class, he’d give her that. “What do you want to do now?” he asked.

  Natalia smiled. “You know I don’t eat breakfast. Perhaps you should take me to my car.” She stretched up and kissed his lips. “I’ll miss you, Lion.”

  He watched her drive down the street away from him, and then turned and walked around to the front porch where he’d sat with Ash that night. He could hear movement and talking inside the flat. Everyone must be awake now. They’d probably all head for the café at any moment and expect him to join them. He’d sit here and catch his breath before he had to talk to anyone.

  He rested his head back against the weatherboards and shut his eyes.

  Had he done the right thing? He had no idea. From the moment Natalia had turned up at the pub, he’d wanted her in a way he’d never wanted Dana. But being with Natalia was so all-consuming. And she could be bloody difficult. At least being with Dana was uncomplicated and left room for other things; like thinking and studying.

  He heard the door behind him open. He looked up and Tessa was standing there. She came out and carefully shut the door behind her.

  “Are you all right?” Tess sat down on the step beside him.

  He nodded.

  “Has Natalia gone?”

  “Yeah.”

  “For good?”

  “Yep.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  He shrugged.

  “Poor Noah.”

  He looked at her and gave her a wry grin. Maybe Tessa could solve his biggest problem.

  “When the others have gone, will you do something for me?” he asked.

  Tessa hugged her knees. Blonde curls tumbled around her face.

  “What?”

  “Give me some pointers on what’s normal when you make love to someone for the first time?” He didn’t want to frighten Dana off too.

  Tessa snorted then stood up. She grabbed his hand and pulled him up too.

  “I’ll think about it,” she said. “Now come to the café and have some breakfast.”

  About the Author

  Meg Buchanan lives in Paeroa, which is in the Coromandel in New Zealand. Her husband and a black labrador live with her.

  Meg has been writing for the last five years, most of her books are set in the Coromandel as it has a rich history and is spectacularly beautiful. It also has advantage beautiful beaches, amazing scenery and Paeroa has streets that already have names, couple of rivers and a mountain nearby, and neighbouring towns, so she saves time on world building.

  Also by Meg Buchanan

  Out of His League - Prelude Series Part 1

  Song for Jess - Prelude Series Part 2

  Highly Strung - Prelude Series Part 3

  Scavenger Hunt

  Trojan Gene