Chapter 6
The last few days had been tortuously hard. Amaris had gone out of her way to avoid Noah. They were never in a room together for more than a few minutes at a time and even then she kept her distance. Conversations were short and limited to mostly small talk. Since that day in the kitchen, Amaris was struck with one simple fact. Unless Noah was ready to want her now, he would never want her. She’d pushed the sexy red lace to the back of the drawer and put her plan on hold. Amaris wasn’t completely convinced that Noah wasn’t interested, but she wouldn’t throw herself at his feet hoping he took the bait. So, she kept space between them as awful as it was. Amaris wasn’t excited about the deviation from her plans. She’d wanted nothing but for him to pull her back into his arms since he’d released her and left her sitting on that counter. A series of emotions passed through her body as she’d sat there. First, there was shock that he could kiss her so passionately and then simply walk away. She could still feel his lips pressed against hers and feel his palms against her skin. The heat from his body sometimes crept upon her at night and she would toss and turn for hours before drifting off into a fitful sleep.
Amaris knew she couldn’t keep this up, but she wasn’t ready to throw in the towel. She wanted him in as much heat for her as she was in for him. She wanted him to drop his restraint and reach for her without reservation. His nobility was wonderful for his job, but it was hell for her libido. She needed Noah to break. It wasn’t a choice for her and Amaris couldn’t understand why it was a choice for him.
Amaris threw the covers back off of her naked body. The dark of night was unbroken by moonlight, but the chill of fall slipped passed the drapes to fill the room. She stepped into her slippers and picked up her robe from the foot of her bed. She pulled it on just as she was reaching for the door of her bedroom. Maybe a drink of wine would calm her enough to get to sleep. Amaris walked blindly through the darkness of the house. She’d grown so acquainted with the flow of the space that she didn’t need light to guide her through the night. The house had been a Godsend. Since being here, she’d been able to rest peacefully and wait with little anxiety for the day of trial. There were still days that anxiety about what was happening filled her head, but it hadn’t claimed her the way it did before. Noah would protect her, she knew he would. He wouldn’t rest until she was safe and eternally out of harm’s way.
Amaris settled on a sweet red and curled up in the big chair in front of the fire place. In the days since being here, the slouchy oversized chair had become her favorite. It was definitely meant for someone more Noah’s size than her, which made it great for napping and curling up with a good book. A few orange embers still burned in the fireplace, but was slowly dying out. Amaris dropped a piece of wood on the embers. The fire began to build again, just enough for her restless sitting at this late hour. She knew without further investigation that Noah was out wandering the property. It was his nightly routine, to lock up the house with her inside and wonder until he was satisfied that they were still undetected. She’d hear him come in during the early am hours and the scent of fresh earth would still be lingering in the hallway when she crawled out of bed. She could recognize that scent as his even in a room of a thousand men covered in expensive cologne. It was ingrained in his skin and Amaris loved it. It was sexy, and strong. Everything about it spoke of who Noah was and Amaris couldn’t stop herself from feeling there was even more to know about him.
Amaris moved from her seat. She took her wine and collected the throw from the back of the sofa. She sat in a huddled pile in front of the fire with her wine in her hand and the throw draped over her shoulders. On a night like this, it would be great to be sitting here with Noah. She didn’t need him to say anything, she just wanted him here. She wanted the comfort of his presence beside her as they watched the fire die together. Although she’d deliberately limited their interaction, she was growing more and more attached to having Noah in her life again. She’d actually come to expect his heavy steps creeping into the house late at night after his runs. It was only then, when she knew he was safely inside that she’d settle enough to drift to sleep.
There was something Amaris didn’t want to admit to herself. She didn’t think it would take this long for Noah to come for her again. It had been almost two weeks since their kiss. Now that it had, she had to wonder if she were projecting her feelings for him. What she was reading as his desire for her could actually be a fun house mirror reflection of her desire for him. Noah was a man who got things done. It was possible he realized she was feeling vulnerable and acted on her attraction to him. When he’d come to her aid, it had been because he thought she was in danger. Otherwise, she may not have seen him naked at all. Her robe peered open and her nipples hardened in the open air. Amaris didn’t even notice. She was too lost in her thoughts. She just didn’t know how she could be so wrong about him.
Amaris didn’t even hear the door creak open behind her or the solid footsteps coming to stand within reaching distance.
“What’s wrong?” asked Noah.
Amaris almost jumped out of her skin. She tipped her wine over as she scramble to close her robe and collect herself. She cursed as she sought something to clean up her mess. Her mind was racing. Noah scared her shitless when his voice broke into her thoughts. It worried Amaris that she didn’t hear him come in. she had to be more alert than that. What if it hadn’t been Noah? Anyone entering with ill intent could have gotten the best of her before she had the chance to respond.
“Nothing,” she mumbled as she mopped the wine up with a throw. “I just…couldn’t sleep.”
Her cheeks were flushed as she spoke. She felt winded from having reacted so quickly, but mostly it was because of that smell. Earth and masculinity. Wet dirt and masculinity. Noah. She was on all fours, using the throw to clean the last of the wine up. She’d rinse it out in the sink and toss it directly in the wash to make sure it didn’t stain, but right now it was her best choice. She extended her arms further to clean the tiny stream of red liquid that threaten to run down the wood floor. Amaris didn’t know how she missed him coming into the house. Especially when something as silent as the sharp inhale he took as her back arched to lengthen her reach, wasn’t lost to her. She closed her eyes and snapped her mouth shut. Her body grew warm all over. Her core started to moisten and all Amaris could think was that she needed to finish cleaning her mess so that she could get out of here. He wasn’t going to reach for her and she wasn’t going to sit her while he stared down at her pinning for him.
Amaris cleared all she could see, picked up her wine glass, and rose from the floor.
“I’m just going to rinse this out, and get back to bed,” said Amaris as she attempted to step around Noah. She had to get out of there. Her body pulsed with adrenaline and desire. She needed to get back into the quiet safety of her room in order to keep her vow to not force herself on him.
She turned to her side to squeeze between him and the sofa, but before she could clear the space his arm wrapped around her waist. Amaris gasped. She looked him in the eyes for the first time in several days and struggled to breathe. There was dirt smudged on his jaw, a sexy five o’clock shadow of dark brown hair was coming in and his mouth was set in a stiff line. His eyes, dark and brooding searched her face for something. The gold ring around his iris seemed to be set ablaze. His hand was beneath her robe, against the bare skin of her hip bone and his lips were only inches away.
“Stop avoiding me,” he demanded.
Amaris shivered. His hands were cold, but her body was on fire. The tone in his voice was one of both authority and molten lava. He expected her to relent, but Amaris would hold her resolve. She wouldn’t let him turn her gears, only to leave her spinning again. Amaris blinked away her heated thoughts. She kept her voice even when she answered.
“I’m not. I just wanted to give you the space you needed to do your job,” said Amaris. She tried to walk from his embrace, but he held her steady.
“You’re lying. You’
re punishing me and I have never been a man who accepted that,” said Noah, “Stop it.” He didn’t blink and his grip on her hip tightened.
Amaris could feel her temperature surging. She’d hoped that she was getting to him on some level, but to hear him say it was because he didn’t like to be punished, frustrated her. Her attraction to him was thick enough to slice with a knife and he was angry at her for not spending every minute in his presence. She was taken by his audacity. Obviously, he didn’t know how much of her had changed after her parents died. She wasn’t that naïve insecure girl who was eager to please any more. Amaris was a woman who knew well what she wanted and expected the same from her partners.
“Noah, you’ve made it clear that your job comes with restrictions. I’ve chosen to respect that. If that is a punishment for you, then that is your problem. Now, let me go,” said Amaris firmly.
She pulled away and his hand slipped from her hip. She didn’t want him to feel her trembling from his touch. She didn’t want him to know how wet his nearness was making her, how he stirred an ache in her that only he could heal. It was too heavy a revelation for someone meant to ignore their attraction.
“Or what?” asked Noah.
“What?” asked Amaris.
“What if I refuse to let you go?” he asked as he turned her to face him. He reached into her robe and his fingers splayed over her hip once more. Cool air rushed in as Noah widened the gap in her robe.
“Noah, you were the one who made the rules. I’m just trying to follow them,” said Amaris.
“Don’t toy with me Ris,” said Noah. His expression softened.
Amaris’ bravado faltered as he called her by the only nickname she’d ever had, the one he’d given her.
“You know why I’m doing this. You know why we can’t. Don’t make this harder by shutting me out,” said Noah.
“You want me to pretend that I don’t still want you and I can’t. So, I’m doing the next best thing,” Amaris freed herself from his grip and turned to walk away.
She only made it three steps away before Noah pulled her back into his arms. His chest pressed against her back and his pelvis pushed against her buttocks. His stiff cock burned a thick line against her back. His hands were above the robe and over her breast. Her stiff nipples rolled like sweet taffy, molded by his fingers. She had no time to fight her urges. She moaned at his teasing caress and leaned her head back against his shoulder. Noah pressed his mouth against her ear. His arms snaked around her waist and one hand slipped into her robe.
When Noah’s hand traveled up her stomach and to Amaris’ full breasts, she knew this was a losing battle. He rolled her hard nipples between his thumb and index finger. With no fabric to protect her from his searing touch, Amaris could only whimper as Noah stoked the fire in her. His mouth covered the meeting of her throat and shoulder and Amaris reached to push her fingers through his messy hair. His mouth went back to her ear, as he forced her hips back to greet his growing bulge.
“Tell me Amaris. Does any of this feel like I don’t want you?” Noah asked, but it wasn’t a question.
Amaris closed her eyes as his mouth went back to her throat. He released the sash on her robe and it fluttered open. Noah’s hands were everywhere at once on her body and Amaris tried in vain to breathe. It was no use, everywhere Noah touched was scalded with the print of his hand. What was he doing to her? Amaris was convinced Noah didn’t intend to take things all the way and she couldn’t bear more of his touch without a guaranteed release.
“Noah, please. Don’t tease me. Don’t touch me like this, when you know what I want,” said Amaris out of desperation. She couldn’t take any more of his hot mouth against her skin or his large hands cupping her breast and tweaking her hard nipples. She grew wetter with every flicker of his tongue against her pulse. She groaned as his callused hands traveled her body in calculated teasing.
When he cupped her mound, Amaris thought she might faint as he grazed over her clit. Noah’s fingers spread the slick lips of her body and found her clit, throbbing and sensitive to his touch. He held her clit between his fingers and rubbed her there. Amaris leaned against Noah’s rock solid build for support. Her lips quivered, her tongue pushed against the rough of her mouth. She turned her mouth toward his and he kissed her over her shoulder. When their mouths touched, what little resistance Amaris still held was dissolved. Noah kissed her with the insistence of a man starved for intimacy. Noah kissed her like she was already his. His fingers were long, and thick. Amaris had never known such sweet torture. She groaned as their kiss deepened.
Their kiss finally broke and Amaris felt drugged with passion. His tongue, explored her mouth and hers did the same to his. He held her tightly against his body. Amaris rocked her hips back and forward against his hand. Her building climax teased just below the surface. She wanted to get there more than she wanted anything. Amaris clung to Noah’s rippling biceps as his hand worked feverishly against her clit. She cried out into the night as Noah slipped two fingers inside of her dripping wet entry. The meeting of her thighs were covered in the slippery nectar of her body. She was going to lose it. She was going to break into a billion pieces and fall right here at Noah’s feet. She couldn’t hold back much longer. Noah growled in her ears and Amaris quaked in his arms at the sound.
“You’re so fucking tight and you smell so damn sweet,” said Noah through gritted teeth.
Amaris had never heard his voice this gruff nor had she ever heard him curse. Both were enormously sexy in their current state. As his fingers pushed deeper inside of her, she felt her body growing weaker. All of her energy was being diverted to one cause. She had to come. She needed to orgasm for him right now.
“Oh Noah, I’m so close,” she said between sharp breaths.
Her cries grew more intent. She mumbled his name until her words became incoherent. Her body was under his skillful persuasion and all she wanted to do was erupt. As she gave into her needs, she felt her inner muscles contracting around his fingers. The tightening sparked a reaction from him. He clenched her body closer, and rubbed her faster and harder. The more she mumbled and muttered, the more he attended to her body. Amaris’ release was a storm cloud of epic proportions. It was only his strength holding her up and her orgasm wouldn’t be contained. She spilled over his fingers and a stream of sweet honey traveled down her legs and dripped to the floor. The harder she came, the more he rubbed. Her climax was his mission and he always completed his missions. Noah didn’t let up until Amaris pushed his hands away still writhing from the waves of her orgasm.
She nearly stumbled to the floor. Noah caught her just as her legs threatened to give out. He spun her in his arms to face him. His dark eyes looked black as night except for the gold rim that shone brightly. Amaris didn’t know what the look meant, but if her climax was any indication, the look meant she would never be the same. She couldn’t speak. Amaris only stared at Noah as he brought his fingers to his mouth and sucked her honey from them.
Protected by the Alpha - Volume 1 Page 7