by Claire Adams
I frowned at him. “What day are you talking about?”
“The day that Noah Webber actually gives a shit about a woman,” he said. “And I mean, really care for someone else besides himself.”
He laughed when I shoved with him a scowl on my face. I finally found my keys in my pocket and walked toward my car, flipping him the bird the entire time.
“See you Monday,” I said. “Maybe. We’ll see how this weekend goes.”
I didn’t wait to hear what he said in return. I slipped behind the steering wheel and drove back home with his words echoing in the back of my mind. He was right, no matter how much I wanted to fight it. I cared about Iris more than I ever thought I would.
It didn’t matter, though, I reminded myself bitterly. She was gone. She blamed me for everything, and I didn’t blame her for putting it all on me.
My heart skipped when I pulled around the corner to see a familiar car parked in my drive. I pulled up next to it and glanced at the driver sitting behind the wheel nervously while I cut the engine off. Iris’ sandy-blonde hair fluttered prettily around her freckled face in the spring breeze when she stepped out of the car the moment I stepped out of mine.
We stared at each other with my car in between us. Iris fiddled with an errant string in her purple sweater. She never looked more beautiful than right there and then. I would’ve kissed her if it weren’t for the tension floating in the air between us.
I stared at her warily. While a part of me rejoiced at her being here waiting for me, I didn’t want another verbal beating. I was tired and dirty from working with Hunter all day long. The last thing I wanted was to be yelled out again.
“I’m sorry,” Iris said, abruptly. She looked at me with guilt shimmering in her eyes when I arched an eyebrow at her in confusion. “You don’t have to say anything. I know you probably don’t want to talk to me after what happened, but I just wanted you to know that I’m sorry. I was out of line. I shouldn’t have said what I said to you.”
“You were upset,” I said, shrugging my shoulders. “You had every right to be angry about what was happening.”
“I shouldn’t have taken it out on you,” she said, aghast. “You were only trying to help me, and I shoved that back in your face. I’m good a pushing people away because-”
I held up a hand to stop her. “Please, come inside, and we can talk. I have-”
“Just let me get this out,” she insisted, reaching up to run a trembling hand through her hair. “Let me get it out now before I chicken out of saying it.” I nodded reluctantly with hope that my neighbors weren’t feeling too nosey tonight.
“My life has been dysfunctional since day one. My parents hated each other, and a few years ago, my dad divorced my mom to marry another woman and have a family. It just made me wary of people ever since then. When I found out that Bailey had told the dean about us, it felt like the viscous cycle all over again.” Tears filled Iris’ eyes.
“I don’t want to end up like my mother, bitter and drowning my sorrows in a bottle because that’s the only thing I know won’t disappoint me. I had promised my mom that once I graduated, I could help her get help… But everything fell apart, and I feel like I just let everyone down again.”
Deep down, my heart ached to feel the compassion that Iris had for people who didn’t deserve any of her attention. I understood well the bitter feelings divorce left behind. I felt it still to this day with my parent’s divorce, despite their civil faces toward one another.
“Your mother’s drinking isn’t your problem, Iris,” I said, softly. “You know that it isn’t, but I know you love her. It’s hard to look away from your parents.”
She nodded as she wiped at her eyes with the sleeve of her sweater. “I know. I love her so much that I just had thought something good might cheer her out of it. It’s made me one screwed up person.”
I walked around the car to pull her into my arms. To my relief, Iris immediately relaxed into my grasp and rested her head on the center of my chest. I relished in the feeling of her petite frame pushing up against mine.
“I’m the screwed-up person here,” I said, burying my nose in her sweet smelling hair. “For the longest time, I slept with women because I thought it would fill a hole in my life. The more I tried to fill it up, the bigger the hole got, and I acted out in the worst way possible.”
“We’re just two screwed up people then, aren’t we?” She sniffled into my shirt.
“Unfortunately,” I said, tightening my hold on her. I didn’t care then if the neighbors were watching. It just felt good to have Iris in my arms again after everything. “We will work things out, I promise. I have no intention of letting you go. I knew that from day one, like I was some crazed stalker.”
She snorted out a laugh against my chest. She raised her head to look up at me with red-rimmed eyes, still a beautiful evergreen color. I tucked a piece of hair behind her tenderly with a smile.
“I can’t believe you gave up your job for me,” she said, reaching up to cradle my cheeks in her soft palms. At my confused look, she continued. “Jen’s father is the dean at the University of Utah, as you probably know. He told her about you resigning because the dean wouldn’t reinstate me, despite the pay raise and coaching gig you were offered. That came from the staff, who said the dean is not happy with you or the situation.”
I rolled my eyes at the mention of Miles. “I’m sure he isn’t, but I wasn’t going to accept anything he had to offer unless he gave you something in return.”
“Well, either way, thank you for doing that.” She smiled up at me with a tenderness in her eyes that cut right through me in all the best ways. “For the longest time, I never believed in love because of my parents. I never believed that people could truly care for one another until now.”
“I know that feeling well,” I replied, quietly. “I felt the same way for a long time, too – until recently.”
The smile on Iris’ face grew.
“I’m sorry for everything,” she said. “I can’t say it enough, but I’m sorry for pushing you away when I should’ve – mmph!”
Unable to stand it any longer, I pressed my lips against her in a kiss that made my heart pound and blood race through my veins.
This was what I wanted. I wanted Iris, and that was all I needed to feel happy. Now that I had her in my arms again, I had no intention of ever letting go.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Iris
Noah’s lips crushed up against mine when I tried to apologize again. I let out a soft sigh of pleasure as his arms cradled me close to him, one hand tracing errant patterns on my lower back.
Nothing would ever make me regret being with Noah. It felt right being in his arms, and this time, we didn’t have the consequences looming over us as an ominous and dark cloud. I stood on my tip toes to get the leverage to kiss him deeply, but he pulled back right as my lips brushed against his.
“We should take this inside,” he said, the husky timbre in his voice promising of what was to come. “I don’t want my neighbors getting a free show when they can pay for it on their own televisions.”
“Right,” I laughed, and cast a furtive glance at the houses around us. I had completely forgotten we hadn’t even made it inside. “Is it okay if I take my bags inside or-”
“Yes,” he replied, rolling his eyes at me. He poked me in the hip before taking a step back to head back to the trunk of my car. “I tried to tell you to bring them here in the first place. You made a big deal about it.”
“I know.”
I popped my trunk and helped Noah carry the bags inside. The second I tossed them down to the ground near the front door, I felt his arms wrap around my waist tightly. His hands gripped my hips and rubbed at them through the fabric of my leggings in a sensual gesture that set my mind racing. I didn’t need coaxing when he tugged me to face him, and our lips met again in a passionate kiss that stole the breath out of my lungs.
His hands were everywhere – curving
along my back, gripping my shoulders, and skimming around on my stomach. I clutched at the fabric of his shirt as we stumbled down the hallway in the direction of the bedroom blindly without breaking our kisses.
At one point, Noah hooked his hands behind my knees and encouraged my legs to wrap around his waist as he pinned me against the hallway wall. Something crashed down to the ground, but I didn’t bother breaking the kiss to see what it was. His lips trailed down to nip and suck at my neck while his hands gathered the fabric of my shirt.
I threw my head back to give him better access. Every inch of my skin was crawling with sensation, hot beneath Noah’s expert fingers.
He knew where to bite down at to make me weak with desire. He knew how to wiggle me out of my shirt, toss it to the side, and then slide his fingers up beneath the wire of my bra to cup my aching breasts. He knew how to work the flesh there until I arched against him shamelessly to show him my need. He knew exactly what I wanted, and how I needed it.
Distantly, I felt Noah lift me away from the wall and move along the hallway while his mouth dipped down to suckle at my breast. I groaned as pleasure scorched through my veins and pooled down to the one place I wanted him to be. Gathering the fabric of his shirt that smelled of oil, I tugged it up his back until it bared his shoulders to me.
The softness of blankets and pillows greeted my back as Noah settled me down to briefly toss his shirt off to the side. He stood at the edge of the bed, fumbling with his belt before pulling his jeans down his legs. My eyes landed on the impressive bulge in the fabric of his boxers.
Hesitantly, I crawled up to the side of the bed as he slipped out his shoes and socks. I reached forward to touch the hardness beneath the fabric. His reaction was instant.
He bucked against my hand as I trailed my fingers up and down in amazement at how hard and smooth he felt. The heat of his skin nearly scorched my fingers, and gently, he pried my fingers away after a few seconds.
“You didn’t hurt me, or do anything wrong,” he explained with a chuckle when I looked up at him in confusion. “It feels too good with those little wicked fingers of yours on me.”
“Oh.”
I blinked hazily when he kissed my fingers and nudged me to settle back in the middle of the bed after he tugged his boxers down. He crawled over to settle between my legs, and I wrapped my legs eagerly around him to get closer.
For days, all I had been able to think of was this feeling right here: being beneath his naked and muscular body while my fingers felt along the strong muscles of his back.
His lips pressed up against mine in a few more passionate kisses with our tongues battling each other before he started his way down to my breasts again. He lingered there for a few minutes until I was writhing and breathless with desire to have him in me again.
“Noah-” I started, reaching down to touch his shoulders as he shimmed both my underwear and leggings off in one sweep. “Please. I can’t take it anymore.”
The corner of his lips arched up into a sensual and teasing grin. “Really?” he questioned, fingers trailing up my inner thigh. The second they brushed against me, bright lights exploded in front of my eyes. He continued to stroke me slowly until I was nearly blind from the building tension.
I desperately waited for him to crawl up between my legs. Instead, he flipped us over so I straddled his hips uncertainly. Nerves shot through me at this new angle.
“I’ve never done it like this before,” I whispered, using his chest to steady myself. I was thankful my hair had tumbled out of its bun to fall around my face and shield my embarrassment.
Noah chuckled deep in his chest. I felt the vibrations beneath the palm of my hands.
“I know,” he said. “Just trust your instincts. I’ll help you.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but he lifted me slightly to nudge me intimately. My next breath escaped my lips in a wavering hiss as I felt my eyes water at the new sensations wracking my body.
My fingers dug into Noah’s chest as the tension in my body mounted even more when he arched up against me with a groan. I opened my eyes to take in Noah’s expression with a bit of smugness to see his face screwed up tightly in sheer pleasure. Out of curiosity, I rolled my hips forward and received an eager groan and thrust in return.
His fingers floated up to my thighs before clenching my hips as he helped establish a slow and steady rhythm that had us both arching in pleasure. Eventually, the slow pace became too torturous, and feeling daring with this new position, I quickened the pace slightly, despite Noah’s feeble protests to go slow and enjoy ourselves.
His fingers pressed into my thighs. “Iris-” he warned, looking up at me with hooded eyes filled with nothing but desire for me.
I leaned down to kiss him. “I know,” I whispered against his lips. “Come with me.”
He nodded mutely as I straightened up with his help and ground our hips together in fast rhythm that brought us both barreling down the same tunnel. Something brushed against the bundle of nerves between my legs, and I let out a sharp cry when it happened again.
“Now,” Noah clenched out, thrusting up against me desperately.
A delicious and warm haze crashed down upon me. I fell into it willingly as pleasure unlike the previous times wracked through my body in pounding waves. I twitched helplessly against the sensation as I felt Noah thrust up into me one more time before going limp with a throaty groan.
I collapsed on the bed next to him as we laid there in the dark on the blankets, our pants echoing around the room.
“I’m glad you came to apologize,” Noah said, breathlessly. His hand patted me on thigh teasingly. “If this is how we make up after fights and misunderstandings, then I’m game to keep doing it.”
I laughed as Noah pulled me onto him, not even caring that we were both drenched in sweat. I rested my head on his chest as I listened to his heart hammer against his ribs. Silence filled the space between us for a long time while we trailed our fingers softly down each other’s body in light caresses.
The rumble of a snore caught me off guard a moment later. Careful not to wake him, I lifted my head to look up at Noah’s face utterly relaxed in sleep. His dark hair was a tangled mess from my hands burrowing themselves there.
I would never get tired of moments like these with him. There was no doubt in my mind that I was falling for him – big time. I felt it every single time I found Noah looking at me with that small smile on his lips. I felt it in the way he touched me like I was the most cherished thing he ever had in his hands.
Sleep tugged at my weary body. I tried to fight it, wanting to savor this moment as long as I could, but my eyes closed on their own accord. I fell asleep within seconds of resting my head on Noah’s chest, wishing that I could always live in moments like this.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Noah
Warm, rhythmic breaths against my bare chest startled me out of sleep. A soft, naked, and warm body was pressed up against my side intimately with a leg thrown over mine. Supple breasts were pushed up against my side, brushing against me every time I exhaled.
This was something I would have to get used to. Years ago, I never let a woman crawl into bed with me after sex. It was too personal, and I liked having my space to sleep without someone there.
That had been different, though. I never cared for them enough to be comfortable with them sleeping next to me in the middle of the night. Now, with Iris snuggled up to my side, I couldn’t imagine sleeping without her.
I opened my eyes to take in Iris’ face buried in my chest, still asleep, and her hair spread out across the both of us. She looked entirely at peace as she slept, and I didn’t have the heart to wake her, despite my left arm starting to tingle. Trying to move little as possible, I attempted to free my arm out from beneath her body to relieve the tingling sensation. The movement only succeeded in stirring her awake as she lifted her head to look at me with a sleepy frown.
“Am I too heavy for you?” she asked, voic
e still husky from sleep.
Her eyes squinted at me in an adorable attempt to wake up. I leaned down to kiss her before I let her roll away from me slightly. I let out a relieved sigh and flexed my arm to work the tingling sensation out of it.
“My arm went numb,” I told her, rolling onto my side to prop myself up on an elbow. “How did you sleep?”
“Hmm,” Iris hummed out, stretching her arms above her head. I felt myself harden slightly as her breast jiggled with the stretching. “I slept well. You should’ve shoved me off if your arm was going to sleep. I know you aren’t used to someone sleeping with you.”
“How can you tell?” I asked, curiously.
She looked up at me with an amused smile. “Because you’re normally cocky in situations that you are used to. You look unsure about what to do with me in your bed right now.”
I hooked an arm around her waist. “Oh, I know what to do with you in my bed,” I said, staring down at her with hooded eyes. “Should I give you another taste of last night? Long and slow?”
“Sounds delightful,” she said, leaning up to kiss me on the lips. “However, I do have somewhere to be within the next hour.”
I pulled back to look down at her with a frown. “What do you have to do this morning?”
“I have to register for online classes at the University of Utah if I want to get my degree before the end of the summer,” Iris said. “Jen called in a favor for me, so not all hope is lost.”
“That’s great,” I said, grinning. “Things are working out for us both, I would say.”
“They seem to be.”
I nuzzled against the side of her neck sensually and ground my hips into her thigh when she rolled away from me with a giggle.
“How about we celebrate?” I breathed into her ear, nipping at the earlobe there. “You can afford to be late to register for classes.”
“Not really. I hate to say this, but we can celebrate later tonight.”
“Tonight?” I repeated with a scoff. “Where are you going to be all day?”