by D. Kelly
“Don’t you mean completes you for now?”
Noah pushes me down into the sand and rolls on top of me. “For now, for next month, next year, and for the rest of our lives. Maybe there’s someone else out there for the both of us, but they’re just going to have to keep looking for whoever else matches them because we’re off the market.”
“We are?” I whisper as his lips inch closer to mine.
“Most definitely.” His mouth covers mine. Noah takes his time kissing me, drawing out the pleasure as his body moves against mine. My hands wrap around his neck to bring us even closer. As his tongue sinfully dances with mine, my body arches against his. Everything about this man sets my soul on fire. I’m a fool to try and convince myself otherwise because there’s nothing more exciting than the thought of spending forever with him.
We’re both breathless when we break apart.
“Did you send Sawyer out here earlier to talk to me?”
Noah stills at my words, rolls off me, and sits up.
“No, I didn’t. What did he want?”
“Hey …” I reach for his arm and pull myself up, turning his head toward mine. “Why are you mad?”
“I’m not mad. I just don’t want Sawyer making things worse.”
I wish he wasn’t so on edge about Sawyer all the time now.
“He made things better, Noah. Your brother loves you and he wants you happy. I felt better after talking to him, and I feel even better after talking to you.”
His silence lingers between us as he turns his gaze back out to the ocean.
“If you want to do something that would make me happy, you could start by forgiving Sawyer. He’s trying, Noah. Of all the weeks in the year, this is when you should be thankful for him most, even if he’s a pain in the ass at times.”
My own lies are eating away at me. I should have told Noah what Sawyer said to me on the bus before Vegas, but it would only make things worse. If I thought it was something to be worried about, I would, but the more time that passes, the more I feel like he was just trying to get a rise out of me. And the last thing I want to do is put a bigger wedge between the two of them. Their relationship is priority number one.
“Would that really make you happy, or are you trying to guilt me?”
“It really would make me happy. I’m sure your parents would love to see the two of you without picking up on any underlying tension as well.”
He laughs and turns back to me. “Have you been talking to Rory and Diane?”
“Hell no. The thought of meeting your family terrifies me. I’m not jumping into that pool any earlier than I have to.”
“They’re going to love you. After you meet them, you’ll feel better. One more day and you’ll realize you’ve been worried for nothing.”
“I hope so.”
Just The Two Of Us
Later, Noah and I have the whole house to ourselves. When I get out of the shower, I’m surprised to find him in bed with a room service cart filled with candy next to the bed.
“A cart and everything?” I ask with a beaming smile I couldn’t hide if I tried.
“Well, you know … you seemed a little disappointed it was missing from our Vegas vacation, and since I have your favorite movie queued up and ready to go, I figured it was a necessity.”
“You didn’t! You got Stealing Home?”
He waves the remote in the air, and I take that as my cue to pounce on him. When my lips meet his, he pulls me close and his hardness hits me in just the right spot.
“God, Noah … I think we should work up an appetite first.”
“I think you’re reading my mind.” He pulls my shirt off, exposing my breasts. His hands move quickly to my waist and he flips us over, tugging my shorts down in record time. His shirt is off before he even stands, and he makes fast work of getting rid of his shorts and boxers.
The tip of his cock is glistening already, and I quickly lean down and suck him into my mouth. “Fuck … Mel, your mouth feels so good.” I pull him in deeper. His hands weave through my hair as he sets the pace.
“Enough,” he says, pulling back out of my reach. “I want to come with you tonight. Lie back.”
I do as he says, and he opens the nightstand, searching for a condom. When he doesn’t find what he’s looking for, he moves to the top dresser drawer.
“Shit.” He picks up a towel lying on the top of his hamper and wraps it around his waist. “I’m out of condoms. I’m going to go grab one from Sawyer’s room.”
He’s back a minute later with a few condoms in hand, drops the towel, and climbs into bed. “Now, where were we?”
“I think right about here.” I pull his mouth back to mine. Letting myself get lost in Noah’s kisses is the easiest thing in the world. His hands caress every inch of my body they can reach, but his mouth never leaves mine.
Suddenly but smoothly, he flips us over so I’m on top of him. The hooded look in his eyes fuels my desire to make him scream this time. I scoot down enough that my head is at his stomach and take my time kissing and licking my way up his chest.
“Shit, Mel … you feel so good.” His enjoyment is obvious by the way his cock is pressing against my leg. When I flick his nipple with my tongue, he hisses. I do it again and he groans in pleasure, pulling me to him and taking my mouth with his.
“Uh uh,” I tell him softly as I pull away. “It’s my turn to play,” I whisper into his ear before sucking his earlobe into my mouth. My lips travel down his neck, and for a minute, I consider leaving my mark, but we’re not teenagers anymore and the press would have a field day. I suck just long enough to have him writhing beneath me, calling out my name.
“Jesus, Mel, what are you trying to do to me?” he groans as he rips a condom open and slides it on.
I position myself over him with my lips a breath away from his, answering him as I slide down onto his firm length, “Make you lose control.”
An indecipherable moan of pleasure falls from his lips as I pull him into my heat. His hands move to my hips as he tries to set the pace.
“You can hold on for the ride, but this is my show,” I tell him softly. His grip loosens, and my body curves to his. I’m riding him slowly, and as I lower my mouth to his, he opens to me immediately. Our kiss is slow, sensual, our tongues dancing to the pace of our bodies. Making love to Noah is an incomparable high.
While we’re kissing, he moves his hands to my ass, pulling me tighter to him. Based on the increase of our collective moans, I can tell he’s as close to coming as I am. But I want this to last a little bit longer. I shift my body, placing my hands on his chest and sitting straight up. His knees are against my back, and I lean against them, trying to pull him even deeper inside of me. Noah’s hands go to my breasts as he arches into me.
“Noah!” I cry out as he hits my g-spot again and again. This is supposed to be my show, but damn, he feels good. I pull myself up, just out of his reach, and his cock hovers at my entrance.
“Mel …” His breathless cry spurs me to slam back down on him, taking him all at once. His cries prove he loves the feeling, and each time I do it, he gets louder and louder as my orgasm builds to the point of no return.
“Come with me, Mel. Please come with me,” he calls out as he takes back control, arching into me again and again. His fingers squeeze my nipples as my walls quiver around him.
“Noah!”
“Oh, baby, yes! Mel … fuck!”
I love the sound of him losing control as our bodies come together. I fall against him, still pulsing around him, and his hands go right back to my ass, pulling me as close as possible as he fills me with his release. Our hearts beat as one loud drum until we both finally calm from the exertion.
He bends slightly and kisses my forehead. “That was incredible.”
“Mmhm.” My fingers dance across his chest. I feel his chuckle rumble through his chest as I continue listening to his heart.
A
few minutes of silence pass as we lay together. “What are you thinking?” It brings a smile to my face. He asks this almost every time we have sex. Only this time, I don’t want to tell him because it’s embarrassing.
“Nothing important.”
He carefully peels me off of him and takes off the condom and ties it off before coming back and scooping me into his arms.
“Bullshit. Tell me what you’re thinking about. You know you can talk to me about anything, right?”
“Of course.”
Except Sawyer. I can’t be the one to wreck his relationship with his brother.
“I was just thinking maybe I should make an appointment to get an IUD.”
Concern fills his features. “Is that something you want to do?”
“I think so. Being allergic to the pill sucks, but it’s never mattered much before. After Eli, I focused on me. I had a couple of short-term relationships over the years but nothing that ever had long-term potential.”
“And you think we have long-term potential?” he asks, unable to hide his smile.
“Yes, I do. What we have is incredible. Tonight, I realized I want to be able to feel all of you, to take all of you, and not have to fear getting pregnant. Then maybe, someday, when the time is right, we can revisit that topic.”
Noah leans in and kisses me softly. “If that’s something you want to look into, of course I’d be all in. I’m not a fan of condoms, but I’m a big fan of you, and I’ll wear them for as long as I need to. I just don’t want you to feel like this is something you have to do for me.”
Could he be any sweeter?
“It’s something I want to do for us. I’ll call my doctor next week and see if they can get me in over the holidays when we’re back for Christmas and New Year’s.”
He places a kiss on the tip of my nose and nods.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Anything, anytime, anywhere,” he answers.
“Why do you ask me what I’m thinking after we have sex? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind, I’m just curious.”
“I always want to know what you’re thinking. I guess after we have sex it just seems like the perfect time. The world has slowed down and there’s no one around but the two of us. There’s nothing getting in our way, no interruptions … Well, hopefully.” He chuckles. “I don’t know exactly how to explain it, but it’s when I feel the most connected to you, so I want to know what you’re thinking in those moments.”
“Okay, that’s fair, but I might start asking you the same question.”
“Anything, anytime, anywhere. I’m an open book.”
I laugh and shake my head. “Maybe you need that tattooed. Or you can get three As.”
“I’d actually need four.”
“Why four?”
“Anything, anytime, anywhere, and Amelia. You’re the only person I’m an open book for.”
This man steals my heart one word at a time. As much as I hate the idea of someone having the power to hurt me more than Eli or my parents ever did, it’s too late. There will never be anyone for me other than Noah.
“You still want to watch the movie?” he asks.
“Yup.” I pop a kiss on his lips. “Just give me a few minutes to clean up and get dressed.”
“Clean up and stay naked. We’ve got all night, two more condoms, and a locked door. Plus, all the snacks we could want.”
“The only snack I want is you … and maybe some popcorn. We’ll see.” I duck into the bathroom and hear his laughter behind me. That sound will never get old.
While we watched the movie, I mostly watched him. I’ve seen it a million times, but seeing his expressions while he took it all in was priceless. He teared up where it was sad—even if no tears fell—and he laughed hysterically at the dink and promised never to be caught in shorts and black socks again.
When the movie finished, Noah is smiling at me.
“Well … what did you think?”
“It was really good. I’m not sure I would watch it four times a year because it’s kind of sad, but I get the appeal.”
“Would you watch it once a year?” I ask sweetly.
“With you?” he teases, and I nod.
“Of course I would. There’s not much I wouldn’t do for you.”
“Would you buy my tampons?”
His eyes grow wide with my question, and I hold back my laughter. I would never ask a man to buy my tampons unless it was an emergency.
“Somehow, I would get you tampons if you needed them, but it might involve paying off a woman shopping at the same store or calling one of my sisters for help.”
Finally, I let my laughter out. He just shakes his head at me.
“Don’t worry, I try and stay well stocked. I think there are some things us women should get for ourselves.”
“That’s good to know.” He pulls me into a hug.
“So is there anything I should avoid saying or talking about around your family?”
“Mel, just be yourself. I promise they’re going to adore you as much as I do. My family is normal. I mean, they all have their ticks, but the most important thing you can do is just be you.”
“Yeah, okay.”
“Hey …” He tilts my chin up so my eyes meet his. “Is there a reason you’re so worried?”
“I haven’t met anyone’s parents since Eli’s. Like I said, there weren’t really many other guys, and none of them with long-term potential. With Eli it was different because we were kids, meeting the parents was kind of mandatory. But this is …”
“What, Mel?”
“It’s so grownup!” His lips meet mine as he kisses me through his laughter. “Laugh all you want, but you don’t have to meet my family. You get the easy way out.”
“I would have been happy to meet your family. They couldn’t have been too bad. They gave me you, after all.” His solemn words calm my nerves.
“That’s a good way to look at it. Thank you.”
“Anytime.” His lips begin a trail of kisses across my shoulder, up my neck, and eventually make their way to my mouth. “I think you need to be distracted from your thoughts, don’t you?” His husky tone sends chills through my body.
“Distract away, Mr. Weston.”
Meeting The Family
Of course, today of all days, I was up at sunrise as usual. Even three rounds of incredible sex with Noah last night didn’t knock my sleep schedule off track. Thankfully, Sawyer has a Keurig here with a much more impressive selection of coffee. I’m the only one awake, so after grabbing a pack of Pop-Tarts and my coffee, I head back to Noah’s room.
I’m curled up in a chair by his window watching the dolphins and the whales as the sun rises. I’m as excited as a little kid at Sea World watching them and wishing I could go down and swim with them. Maybe I can talk Noah into a trip to Sea World over the next break so we can feed the dolphins. Knowing him, he’d try and one-up me and plan a vacation to swim with them instead.
My phone vibrates on the table and I hop up to grab it.
Belle: I just finished puking my guts up. Come talk to me in the living room. I know you’re up.
Poor Belle. I don’t envy her.
Mel: On my way.
When I enter the living room, I notice the crackers and ginger ale on the table.
“You going to be able to sit at the table with all that food tomorrow?”
She looks up at me with a frown. “God, I hope so. I want sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes and rolls.”
“Carb central. You’ve got to be having a girl,” I reply with a laugh.
“Look, Mel, I have to tell you something. It’s important.”
“What’s up? You look like your dog died.”
“That would almost be better,” she responds dryly. “When I woke up this morning, I had an email from Slammed’s PR team. They picked the winner for the concert Friday for the video shoot. She returned all the pape
rwork for her and her guest.”
“I’m sure that’s exciting for them.” I’m still not understanding where she’s going with this.
“For the winner, yeah, but for her guest, not so much. Look, Mel, I don’t know how to say this except to just say it. The winner was Jessie, and she’s bringing Eli as her guest.”
“Eli’s cousin?”
“Yes.”
Holy shit.
“Jessie is a huge BAD fan. She always posts about them on her social media accounts, but I doubt Eli is.”
Yes, I still talk to Eli’s cousin on social media. She stayed out of our breakup and we remained in touch occasionally. When I set up my Facebook account, she was one of the first people to send me a friend request. I denied Eli’s.
“You know he’s only going for one reason. To see you, Mel.”
“I have to go, Belle. It’s one of the biggest angles for the story.”
She reaches over and grabs a cracker to nibble on. “I know, babe, that’s why I’m telling you now. You’ve got to tell Noah. For the record, I tried to get her disqualified, but Slammed’s PR team is eating it up that Eli is coming with our winner. They said as long as the forms were filled out correctly, it’s a done deal.”
“Thanks. I’m excited to see Jessie, but …”
“Yeah. Eli, not so much.” Belle tucks herself into the corner of the couch and nibbles on another cracker.
“You guys have a plan yet for breaking the news about the baby?” I ask, changing the subject from Eli.
Belle shrugs. “I think they’ll see me throw up before Darren figures out who to tell first, or how, but we’ll see. It’s his family, and I’m nervous enough to meet everyone as it is, let alone having to explain to them I’m a slut who got herself knocked up.”