“Or your office?” she suggested.
“That could work,” he said.
The first floor didn’t have a formal dining room, but the great room was huge. It encompassed the living area, with a fireplace faced with dark gray tile and trimmed in more creamy white molding, a substantial dining area and the gorgeous kitchen. The cabinets were white Shaker style and the counters a sparkly quartz. It was clear Tammy had chosen everything for both personal taste and resale value.
“This place is great.” She walked to the linen-covered sofa, the only piece of furniture in the space besides a big flat-screen TV set on the floor next to the fireplace. “This couch is pretty nice, but you need stuff, Noah.”
“Stuff?”
She nodded. “Stuff will make this place feel much more comfortable.”
“What kind of stuff?”
She ran a hand over the tall counter bracketing the kitchen, the stone cool beneath her fingers. “Barstools would be the first things I’d buy,” she said. “At least you and Max would have somewhere to eat. You’ll need a dining table too, but we’ll see what the store in town has in stock.” She saw that a couple of boxes sat on the back counter. “You’ve got dishes and things, right?”
“The basics,” he said.
“Okay. Then let’s go upstairs and see what you need up there.”
He arched a brow and she waved a hand.
“I told you, that wasn’t going to happen again.”
“That?” he asked, a slow smile curving his lips.
She had to laugh. He was so darn charming when he was teasing her. Which was, when she came to think of it, pretty much all the time since that first night they’d talked on her back deck.
“Upstairs, Noah,” she said.
He waved her ahead and she climbed the polished wood stairs to the second level. A wide landing capped the top of the stairs, leading to a hallway with several doors. One door was open, and by the twin bed and Star Wars toys she glimpsed inside, she guessed that was Max’s.
“Max will love this room,” she said.
“I hope so. He’s a pretty easygoing kid, though. He even liked his room at the apartment.”
“Then let’s leave his stuff alone,” she said. “We won’t get anything new for in here, and just rearrange things a little bit.”
She directed Noah and soon the room looked bigger and more comfortable. Together they made up the bed with the clean linens Noah dug out of one of Max’s boxes and the room was set. She had to admit, watching his muscles flex and stretch his shirt across his back was a great view. His arms looked pretty nice, too.
“Okay,” he said, straightening to push his hair off of his forehead. “Now my room.”
She headed down the hallway to the opened double doors that apparently led to the master bedroom. And got a glimpse of a squat dresser and the largest bed she’d ever seen.
***
Noah hid his smile as Jessie came to a standstill in the bedroom doorway. He’d known when he set the bed up this afternoon that he wanted her in it.
“Is there a problem?”
She looked at him, her eyes wide. “No problem. It’s a good thing this room is huge.”
“This mattress is the only piece of furniture I put any thought into buying.” He sat down on the edge, pressing his hands beside him. “Memory foam.”
“It’s nice.” Her voice sounded a little weak. “You have bedding and stuff?”
He stood, grabbing the box of sheets and linens. Together they made the bed like they had Max’s, but as she stroked her hand over the Egyptian cotton he couldn’t help but think about having her hands on him the other night. Heat spread through him, causing his groin to tighten. Stepping back, he grabbed the quilt and tossed it onto the bed.
Jessie spread it evening, smoothing the bedding and somehow making it look fresh and welcoming. “There,” she said, putting her hands on her hips.
“Right there?” he asked.
She quirked him a smile. “Ready to go?”
“Let’s hit it.”
They went back downstairs and she did that tilted-head thing as she surveyed the layout again.
“What?” he asked.
“I see lots of pillows in your future, Noah,” she said with a smile.
“You’re in charge, Jessie,” he told her.
She winked. “Just remember you said that.”
Grinning, he led her to the garage in back of the unit and they got into his truck. “Where to?”
“There’s a retail warehouse behind the old hardware store in the city center,” she said. “Just off New York Street.”
He drove as she took out her phone and began to tap in some notes. He wondered if she knew she hummed as she worked. He’d caught bits of that sound before, when he’d come upon her working at the Institute, studying her laptop at her desk in the Sales Center. It was adorable, but he preferred the soft moans she’d made when she came. Just the memory made his body tighten.
They arrived at a place crammed full of furniture and accent pieces, and he discovered she was tenacious when she set her mind to something. What he thought of as her Institute outfit, sneakers, trim khaki shorts and a soft polo, were the perfect clothes for her expedition.
She led both him and the kid working there through their paces, picking out a dining set, barstools, a big chair and coffee table to add to great room, and a nightstand she said he needed in his bedroom. Pillows and a blanket were apparently next, and she paused only to ask him for a color choice.
“Blue’s my favorite, Jessie,” he said. “Something to remind me of the ocean.”
Her brows shot up, and he saw something spark in her eyes. Crossing to a wall of pillows, she began to choose. “Let’s make things feel beachy,” she said. “Turquoise, cobalt. A throw in a sandy taupe.”
“So blue and tan.”
She smirked at him. “Trust me, these will look great with the new chair and your linen couch.” She bit her lip, scanning for something.
“What are you looking for?” the kid asked her.
“I’d like some big pillows,” she said. “For a deep window seat.” She faced Noah. “We won’t bother with a cushion. A few big pillows can be arranged as a backrest or positioned flat to make a seat.”
“For the office?”
She beamed. “So that’s your office? Good. Max will love hanging out there with you while you work.”
Her words put the picture in his head, and he liked what he saw. His throat got thick as he imagined making a home for his son. Even if it was only for a couple of days a week right now, he knew they’d be comfortable there.
She hurried over to a maze of knickknacks and that was when he was in over his head.
“Jessie, I’m going to make a phone call.”
“You don’t want to pick out lamps and accents?” she teased.
“I trust your judgment.”
He left her to her work and took out his phone, tapping on Nadine’s number. She answered on the second ring.
“Hey, Noah,” she said. “What’s up?”
“Hey, Nadine. I wanted to let you know that I took a place in Cypress Corners.”
“You bought a house?”
“No. I’m living in a townhouse near the town center. I think Max will love it.”
“He will, I’m sure. When are you moving in?”
“I’m in. Just getting settled. Can I talk to him?”
“He’s out with Paul.”
Paul. Nadine’s boyfriend. “Why didn’t you go with them?”
“I had some stuff to do.” When Noah didn’t say anything right away, she went on. “They’re just getting ice cream, Noah.”
He wondered if she’d picked up on his possessiveness. He shouldn’t be jealous of Nadine’s guy. Just because he got to see Max any time he wanted to. Got to take the kid for ice cream in the middle of the week.
“Okay.” He ran out of things to say, which pretty much summed up the extent of his relationship
with Max’s mother. “Give Max a hug and kiss for me when he gets back?”
He didn’t want to say “home.” He was trying to create a home for him here, and he hoped that Max would stay at Nadine’s place only half of the time. If he could manage to pull that off. Today wasn’t the day for that conversation, however.
“Sure thing,” Nadine said.
He disconnected the call and lifted his head to find Jessie standing in front of him. “Hey.”
“We’re all set,” she said. “They can deliver the chair and dining set tomorrow, and we can take the coffee table, the barstools and the rest of the stuff.”
“Stuff, huh? Well, you said I need stuff.”
She laughed, the sound light. “So go and pay. Don’t worry. I buy a lot of things here so they gave you my discount.”
“So I owe you.” He smiled. “Again.”
His transaction was all but wrapped up, so he paid and he and the kid lugged bags of pillows and boxes of lamps and stuff. He closed the tailgate of the truck and shook the kid’s hand.
When he and Jessie were alone, he put his hand on her shoulder. “Thanks, Jessie. I don’t know how I’m going to repay you.”
“You’ll think of something.”
The two of them climbed into his truck and he faced her. “How about dinner? It’s the least I can do, tonight anyway. We can pick up a pizza at the tavern and take it to the townhouse.”
“That works for me. I can’t wait to see this stuff in your house.”
“Not house. Home,” he said. “You’re helping me make the place a home.”
“Home,” she said with a nod.
He started the truck’s engine and drove them back toward Cypress. Back toward home.
Chapter 11
Jessie swiveled on the cushioned, wrought-iron barstool to face the great room. Biting off a chunk of her pizza crust, she regarded the space. “I think the pieces we picked out will look great in here, Noah.”
He refilled her wineglass, shaking his head. “You picked them out. And if they’re anything like these stools, I think they’ll look great.”
She grinned. She couldn’t help it. “Staging’s one of my gifts, or so Tammy always says. It’s different picking out pieces that are actually going to be lived with, though.”
Noah sat on the stool next to her. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“They’ll text you the delivery time.” She took a sip of her wine and then wiped her hands on her napkin. “Let’s get started.”
He chuckled and held up his hands. “Have at it, Pixie. You’re the brains in this outfit.”
She flushed at his praise as she hopped off the stool. She soon lost herself in pillows and accents, stepping back now and then to take in the overall effect. Pillows in blues and browns rested near the thick armrests of the linen couch, instantly making the piece of furniture more inviting. The coffee table she’d picked, a whitewashed oversized plank thing that he and Max could play games on, now held a rustic lantern painted a pale turquoise, some pieces of bleached coral and a couple of starfish. A cobalt bowl of dark twig balls finished the table scape.
She ran her hands over the front of her shorts and faced Noah. “What do you think?”
He smiled as he picked up one of the starfish. “I did say ocean.”
“Which I took to mean beachy.” She ran a hand over the smooth tabletop. “Plus, there’s still lots of room for Max to play on here.”
He picked up one of the twig balls and starting tossing it up and down.
“Not with those,” she said. Laughing, she caught it in the air and set it back in the bowl.
“You picked out a lot more stuff,” he said.
“Yep.” Crossing to the big plastic bags of pillows, she carried one over to his office. “Just a couple of pillows in here will work.”
He followed behind her as she plumped the blue, taupe and coral pillows onto the window seat. “Max will love sitting there.”
“I think so,” she said. “Reading or whatever as you work.”
“I like it.”
She smoothed the fabric of one of the big, square pillows. “I used to love to watch my dad work. He’d always have his nose in a book.”
“What did he do? Your dad.”
“He taught history at the high school. You should have seen how many students, past and current, came to his funeral.”
Blinking the tears that almost always threatened when she thought about those dark days after his death, she turned and left the office. “Let’s put out some of the accents in the kitchen.”
Glass canisters, a wooden tray and three squat navy blue coffee mugs popped on the sparkly white counter. A couple of brushed metal letters, about ten inches high, propped against the white backsplash.
“You could use some greenery in here,” she said. “Do you want me to get with Lettie? She’ll know what you can use for a couple of easy-care houseplants.”
“Sure.” He touched one of the letters. “N and M. I like them.”
“Good. You can hang them on this wall, between the pantry and fridge.” She smiled. “I assume you know how to use a hammer?”
“Funny.” He stepped beside her and looked out toward the great room. “The place looks great, Jessie.”
Warmth filled her. “It’s nothing.”
“It isn’t nothing.” He took her hand in his, his thumb rubbing gently over her palm. “It’s everything.”
The floor shifted beneath her sneakers. She lifted her chin and fought her attraction to this man so intent on making his son happy.
“Once the big chair and the dining set get here, I think you’ll be off to a good start,” she said. “You’ll need some artwork for the walls. Maybe some photos.”
“Thanks, again.”
They stared at each other for a beat, and she would just bet he could hear her heart pounding.
“I think I’m going to go,” she said.
“What about upstairs?” he asked.
Teasing she could handle. The other? The making-her-feel-things stuff? That was a whole lot tougher.
“I think you can manage your room, Noah.”
He tugged her closer and she went pretty easily. “Maybe I think I need your help. With that bed.”
She swallowed, staring up into his blue eyes. “We already made the bed.”
“Yeah, we did.” He moved his hands up her arms, sending goosebumps chasing over her skin. “Come and mess it up with me.”
Licking her lips, she gave a tiny shake of her head. “I’m not going up there with you.”
“Then stay down here.” He danced her toward the now very comfy looking couch. “Mess up these pillows with me.”
She sank down on the cushions, settling back against one of the new pillows. “This is very comfortable now.”
He sat beside her, his big body angled toward hers. He hadn’t let go of her, either. He continued to rub his hands over her arms.
“I wasn’t kidding, Jessie. This means a lot, having your help with this.”
Pressing her hand to his cheek, she felt the bristles there. “You showered but didn’t shave.”
He smiled, his cheek moving beneath her palm. “No time. I had to make sure I could sweet talk a certain Pixie into helping me.”
Heat sparked between them and she tried to ignore it. “We’re done now.”
He turned his head and dropped a kiss in the center of her palm. “No, we’re not.”
He brought his sculpted lips to hers and gave her a gentle kiss.
“Noah,” she breathed, her pulse beginning to race.
“Jessie,” he answered, dropping his face to her neck. “You smell good. You always smell so good.”
“Always?” She leaned her head back as he nibbled on the side of her neck. “When do you…smell me?”
His laugh fanned his breath across her skin. “I mean you smell sweet and hot.” His tongue flicked out to tease her skin. “Perfect.”
His words were powerful. No on
e ever called her perfect. She was too small. She was too shy. She was too…weird. Except for hanging out with her dad, she always felt just a bit out of place. Oh, but this place? On Noah’s couch and in his arms? She felt at home.
The next instant she grabbed his shoulders, giving in to the sensations he was sending through her. His hands were under her shirt now, stroking her belly as he brushed right beneath her breasts. She pulled his T-shirt up, running her hands greedily over his smoothly-muscled back. She was under him now, and when his face dipped down to her belly she nearly sobbed with need.
“Your skin is so soft.” He dipped a tongue in her belly-button. “Delicious.”
She closed her eyes, murmuring something as he unbuttoned her shorts and eased them down her legs along with her panties. She should stop him. This couldn’t lead to anything good. And then, it did.
Placing one hand under her butt, he spread her thighs with the other. “I’m going to make you come again, Jessie.” He rubbed the roughness of his cheek against her inner thigh very close to her center. “I can’t wait to make you come.”
She bit her lip as he began to kiss her there. Hot and cold flashes struck her, making her ache for him. Her center throbbed along with her racing heartbeat as his tongue began to swirl all over every aching nerve ending.
“Oh, my,” she gasped, her breath hitching in her chest. “Oh, Noah.”
He kissed her belly again and suckled her clit, one strong finger slipping inside to stroke her just right. She came a second later, bucking on his nice comfy couch as she let loose with a soft cry.
Her breathing was shallow as she slowly came back down from the high ceilings.
He was smiling at her, his face very close to hers. “You look so beautiful when you come.”
His words made her heart race for a different reason. No man had ever looked at her quite the way Noah was right now. Even Mitch couldn’t match the combination of sensuality and sincerity on Noah’s handsome face. She knew this couldn’t last. She wasn’t enough for any guy to make him stick.
So she’d make sure she made him feel as good as she did. In this moment.
***
Noah could touch and cuddle with Jessie all night, but he’d seen the flicker of apprehension in her eyes. Once they’d refocused after her stunning orgasm, that was.
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