The Girl Across the Hall

by Thayer King

  Noah wrapped a securing arm around her waist. He tucked away a stray lock of hair that had escaped her bun while she was cooking. His gaze held hers. “Have you come to a decision yet?”

  She shook her head. “I need more time.”

  “You’re killing me, baby. I want to kiss you, but….”

  “But what?”

  “I’d only be torturing myself.” Groaning, he dropped his head to her shoulder. His stubble scraped against the sleeve of her shirt. “I want to hold you in my arms, kiss you all over, and hear your moans as I-”

  “So this is about sex,” she interrupted, stiffening on his lap.

  Noah’s head snapped up and his gaze captured hers once more. “Don’t pretend that you don’t want to fuck me, Zoe.” A quiver of arousal moved through her belly. When she remained silent, he nodded. “It’s not just sex. I enjoy being with you and I’d like to be able to call you mine. How much longer do you need?”

  Zoe wet her lips. She knew she was being unfair to him. “Tomorrow. Just one more day, okay?”

  “Okay.” He gave her a kiss but did not deepen it. “I’m not kidding about the trade though.” He slid her off his lap. “I’ll go get the pie.”

  “More flowers?” Luke asked. “This guy must really like you.”

  Zoe merely smiled. Noah had sent her a dozen long stemmed pink roses. She’d told him that pink was her favorite color.

  “So who is he? You haven’t told us you were seeing anybody,” Justin said.

  She considered her co-workers to also be her friends, but they rarely discussed anything except electronics or entertainment. She knew it was because each of them rarely had anything else to discuss. Justin and Luke were as socially inept as she was.

  “He’s-”

  “He hasn’t given up?” Felicia asked upon entering their workspace. “Perhaps you should just give him my number and I’ll tell him myself that I’m not interested. Besides, why does he think sending you flowers will help him with me? Why not send me flowers? Not that I’d want them.” She rolled her eyes. “Henry would be absolutely furious!”

  Zoe hadn’t spoken to her cousin since the last flowers arrived other than to say a brief hello in the morning when she arrived at work. And Felicia only sought her out when she wanted something. Zoe was hesitant to correct her about Noah, but she knew she had to do it eventually. She cleared her throat and straightened in her chair. “He sent them to me because he’s asked me to date him.”

  Felicia’s eyes narrowed. “Well, you have to tell him no,” Felicia ordered.

  Her imperious manner made Zoe bristle. Felicia was her cousin not her dictator. “And why is that?” she asked coolly.

  “We discussed this already. You can’t handle that type of man. Trust me, I’ve seen his type before. He’s after only one thing,” she said with tons of innuendo, “and once he gets it, he’ll be in the wind.”

  “I’ve already told Noah that just because we’re dating, it doesn’t mean that I will immediately….” She broke off, glancing at her officemates who were making no attempts to conceal their eavesdropping. “That I will do that with him. And he was fine with it. He…really likes me.”

  Felicia seemed doubtful. “Zoe, you don’t know men the way I do. You could never keep a guy like that. Just get rid of him. There will be some really nice men at my engagement party. We’ve decided to have two. There will be my farewell slash engagement party. Everyone from work will be invited. Then there will be the more formal party held at a later date. I’ll get Henry to introduce you to someone suitable,” she said with a nod as though the matter were settled. Her phone buzzed and she glanced down at the screen. “I’ve got to go.”

  “Felicia-”

  “Don’t worry, Zoe. I won’t forget to ask Henry.”

  “No, that’s not what I-” But she was talking to herself. Felicia was holding her phone to her ear and walking off. Scowling, Zoe crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Who is this guy?” Justin asked with a frown. He pushed his thin-framed glasses up his nose. “Do we need to meet him?”

  Good grief, Zoe thought. Now Felicia had roused some dormant protective instinct in Justin. And it was all so unnecessary. “Thanks, Justin, but I can handle it.” She picked up her phone and sent Noah a text.

  ***

  My answer is yes.

  “Yes!”

  “Win the lottery?” Warren asked with a grin as he slid a book onto the shelf.

  They’d been shelving a new release when Noah had felt his phone vibrate with the incoming text. “Something like that. She said yes.” He grinned down at his phone.

  Warren frowned. “Said yes to what? You’re not getting married, are you?”

  Noah laughed. “Little early for that,” he answered, surprised that the mere mention of marriage wasn’t freaking him out. “No, we’re just dating. It took her a while to decide if she wanted to take that risk of being more than friends.”

  “So Mom was right? You’re dating Avery?”

  “Where would Mom get that idea?”

  “Dad said that you were in here on Saturday asking for dating advice.” Warren shrugged. “We all automatically assumed-”

  “All? Did I miss a family gossip session?”

  “Kelsey and I dropped by to see Mom and Dad on Sunday. We’d been out to dinner and since I hadn’t seen them this week, I thought I’d check in. Mom was so excited about the prospect of having another daughter-in-law that she it was all she could talk about.”

  “That woman needs to get a hobby,” Noah grumbled. Louder, he said, “I’m not dating Avery. She’s seeing some guy she picked up Friday night.” He thought back on his Mom’s odd behavior when she’d dropped off the pie. She’d been very happy and she kept dropping hints about his using the pie to entertain someone. And Avery had been very complimentary to his mother on her key lime pie in the past. Damn. Why hadn’t he picked up on that until now?

  “She’s already got another guy?”

  “Pretty women don’t stay on the market long,” Noah muttered, waking his phone’s screen and finding his mother’s picture among his contacts.

  “So who’s the lady you’re dating?”

  Noah put his cell to his ear. “Her name is Zoe. She lives across the hall.” He listened to the phone ringing on the other end.

  “Noah, how are you, darling?”

  “I’m fine. I’m here at the store with Warren. He tells me that you think I’m interested in Avery. Dad was mistaken. The girl I’m interested in is Zoe.”

  “Oh, dear!” she exclaimed.

  Something about her tone put Noah on edge. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  “Well, I’d already talked to Avery’s mother. You see, she also thinks that you and Avery would make an excellent couple. She’d like Avery to find someone she can rely on. She’ll be so disappointed.”

  Noah knew that Avery’s mother and his mother were good friends. He wondered if Avery knew that their parents had been conspiring to pair them up. She’d probably be furious if she found out. Noah closed his eyes and rubbed his hand over his jaw. “Mom, why would you tell her anything…? I mean, what did Dad tell you? I never once even mentioned Avery’s name to him.”

  “Oh, but we just assumed! You’ve never mentioned any other girl.”

  He groaned. He didn’t talk to his parents or his brother about his affairs. Mostly because they were just that—affairs. Why talk about a girl you’d never see again? He certainly wasn’t going to introduce them to his parents. That would imply a depth of commitment he had no intention of making. But he could see he’d made a mistake in not telling them about Zoe.

  “Mom, the girl I’m seeing is named Zoe.”

  “Are we going to meet this one?”

  He didn’t care the implication in her tone that Zoe was one of many. But since he’d never been in this position before he supposed he could display some patience. “I’m dating her, so, yes, eventually, you’ll meet her.”

  “What
does she do for a living? Where did you meet her? Is she-”

  “Mom, we can discuss all that later. I need to get back to work. Love you.” He disconnected before she could object. “They’re going to give me a headache.” But then he perked up as he remembered that Zoe had said yes. He couldn’t wait to see her tonight. Warren was placing the last book on the shelf. “You know what this means right?” he asked his brother with a broad grin on his face.

  “No, what?”

  “I have a girlfriend. Now the parents will have only one thing to focus on. Time for you to make a baby.”

  Warren jerked, sending several of the books he’d just placed on the shelf to go flying.

  Noah let himself into his apartment and withdrew his cell from his pocket since it was creating quite a racket. He didn’t feel particularly like answering it. He wanted to shower and shave again before seeing Zoe. They hadn’t made any plans, but now that they were officially a couple, he didn’t want to stay away.

  Hoping to keep it quick, he answered the phone. “Hello.” He undid his jeans as he made his way to his bedroom.

  “Hey, I heard that you had pie at your place.”

  “Avery?” He put the phone on speaker and tossed it onto his bed.

  “Yeah. Why haven’t you invited me over for pie? Or did you eat the entire thing?”

  Noah stripped off his shirt. “Actually I traded it for baklava. How did you even hear about it?”

  “Through the grapevine. My mom asked me if I enjoyed it and I was confused until she explained.” Avery giggled.

  “So you’re not mad?”

  “Mad about what?”

  “My mom brought me the pie thinking that there was something going on between us. I didn’t know that at the time or I would have told her about you and Avery.” He toed off his shoes.

  “Oh. Well, that might not be too serious.”

  Noah shoved his jeans and underwear down and tossed them onto the bed. “What? Does that mean you don’t want to check him out for you on Saturday?”

  “What is that sound? What are you doing?”

  He picked up the phone and took her off speaker. “Taking off my clothes. I was going to take a shower. Can we talk about this Saturday?”

  “Have you got a date?”

  “Sort of.” He would if he could convince Zoe to attend.

  “Oh. Okay. Yeah, I’ll see you Saturday and I’ll be sure to bring Avery.”

  “Okay. Bye.” Noah glanced at the clock on his phone. He hoped he had enough time to shower, jerk off, and shave before going over to see Zoe. Masturbating before—hell, and often after seeing Zoe had become a habit. Because he was under no delusion that she would immediately want to have sex. That she wanted him, he had no doubt. He’d noticed the way she stared at his mouth and his hands. And his dick. Yeah, couldn’t miss that.

  He turned on the water in the shower and hopped in as soon as it got warm. In his head, he replayed the moment when Zoe had licked his lip and sucked it into her mouth. That was all it took to get him hard. He ran his hands down his body and gripped his shaft. Wanting to keep this quick, he wasn’t gentle. His strokes were strong and fast. He relived their only serious kiss, saving the moment when she had twisted her fingers in his hair and slid her tongue in his mouth for last. Noah’s head fell back on his shoulders and he growled as his cock swelled. He ran his thumb of the slick head and it was the final push he needed to push him over the edge. Hot cum flowed over his fingers.

  “This is crazy,” he muttered, stroking out the last of his seed and cleaning himself off. He’d never been turned on by so little. Zoe was always covered from neck to ankles. The woman could have a full body tattoo and he wouldn’t know it.

  There was a knock at the door as he was wrapping a towel around his waist. He grabbed another towel and ran it briskly over his hair as he went to the door. He grinned when he spotted Zoe holding up a bag of takeout from the Italian restaurant he’d taken her to on their first date. Well, she didn’t think it was a date, but that’s what he considered it.

  “Hey, baby.” He leaned forward to kiss her cheek. Her eyes widened as her gaze scanned him from head to toe. Noah smirked and closed the door behind her. He wiped his hair once more and then draped the towel around his neck. When she just stood there, mouth agape, he took the bag from her hand.

  “Y-you have a…a tattoo.” She pointed at where ink covered his shoulders and stopped mid-arm. His tatts weren’t visible when he wore a shirt.

  “They don’t bother you, do they?” He couldn’t tell from her stunned expression.

  She tilted her head to the side, studying the interlocked vines, and flowers and animals. Interweaved in the design were quotes from his favorite books, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Milton’s Paradise Lost. He was almost afraid to turn around where the tattoo spread over his back. “I…I like it,” she said faintly at last. “You’re beautiful.”

  “Zoe,” he groaned. His little shy girl was a temptress. He shoved the bag back at her. “Thank you. I’d better dress.” Especially before she spotted the tent that was forming in his towel. “I’ll only be a minute. Can you put the food in the kitchen?”

  She nodded but her gaze was focused somewhere around his belly button. Clearing his throat, he yanked the second towel from around his neck and held it front of his crotch as he left for the bedroom.

  ***

  “Snap to, Zoe,” Zoe hissed at herself. So what if the man looked like he was ripped off the cover of some fitness magazine. She’d known he was fit. But damn. Seeing it was different from merely suspecting what might be under his clothing. His tight abs alone had turned her into a drooling simpleton.

  She realized suddenly that she could never have sex with that man. She had an okay body, but she didn’t have a sculpted anything. Felicia was right. She was in way over her head. But Zoe had been goaded by Felicia’s command into doing the exact opposite of what she’d advised. If it hadn’t been for Felicia, Zoe would probably still be wavering over her answer. Nothing irritated Zoe more than being ordered around by someone who had no right to do so. It made her contrary and rebellious.

  What was she going to do? They had only just begun, but she couldn’t keep seeing him. That would be leading him on and that would be cruel.

  She’d have to break up with him. And right away. A pang like a knife being shoved between her ribs made her catch her breath. No matter how much it hurt, she would have to do it.

  She’d unloaded the food quickly and searched Noah’s cabinets for dishes. She was laying out the flatware when he came in running his fingers through his slicked back hair. He smiled at her and pulled her into his arms. “You made me so happy today, baby.”

  Though it killed her to do so, she slapped her hands against his chest and turned her face from his kiss. “I can’t do this.”

  His answering scowl was fierce. “What do you mean?” he asked roughly, his arms going rigid around her.

  Zoe winced at his tone. “Noah, I’m…Oh, hell, I saw you. You’re un-freaking-believable. There’s no way I can ever take my clothes off around you.”

  Noah burst out laughing. “You’re kidding me?”

  She glared at him. “No, I’m not.”

  He shook his head. “Zoe, do you know what I was doing before you got here?”

  “No.”

  He cupped her chin and tilted her face up to his. “I was taking a shower and jerking off because I knew I’d see you soon. I do it every night, too, thinking about just your smile or the kiss we shared. Just that little bit is enough to get me hard as fuck until I can’t stand it. So no matter what you look like under your clothing, I’m going to want you.” He kissed her forehead. “Now, you can forget about dumping me. Give your man a kiss.”

  She lifted herself onto the tips of her toes and pressed her lips to his. Noah groaned and his tongue came out to play. Heat curled low in her belly and down between her legs. She slid her fingers in his hair. It was still damp. He walked her backwards u
ntil he had her pressed against the counter. And if she’d doubted his desire for her before, he made sure she was aware of it now. He rolled his hips, branding her with the rigid outline of his erection.

  Zoe gasped and Noah deepened the kiss, his hand spreading across the back of her head as his mouth slanted over hers. Zoe sucked his tongue and rubbed herself against his cock, wanting to feel it again.

  Abruptly, Noah broke away from her, his breathing rough and choppy. He dropped his forehead onto hers. “Give me a second and we can eat.”

  “I want another kiss,” she whispered.

  Noah groaned. “If I give you another kiss, I’m going to fuck you on the counter, Zoe. And you’re not ready for that, are you?”

  Heart pounding, she shook her head.

  “I didn’t think so.” He removed her fingers from his hair and stepped away from her. “Thank you for dinner,” he said, and pulled out a chair for her.

  She sat and waited for him to sit beside her before dishing out the pasta. They’d been eating for several minutes when she realized she’d forgotten to get them drinks. She got beer for him and water for herself.

  “Zoe, my friends Ty and Julie are having a party on Saturday. Would you like to come with me?”

  She grimaced. “I’m not good in crowds.”

  “I’ll be with you the entire time and we don’t have to stay long. I’d probably back out, but I promised Avery that I’d be there to vet her new boyfriend. Well, I don’t know if you could call him that. They just met last week. She’s just been through a bad breakup and she’s wondering if she’s picking the wrong men.”

  “I don’t know.” Her stomach was churning already and it was only Wednesday.

  “Please, Zoe, I’d like to introduce you to my friends. It would mean a lot to me.”

  She sighed. How could she say no?

  Chapter Nine

  What the hell was she thinking? Zoe grabbed the neck of her blouse and used it to fan herself. She moved so that she was standing under the air conditioning vent. Oh, why couldn’t she have come down with some illness? Right about now a mild stomach virus would have been a blessing.