“What the hell are they doing? Are they on a date?” Noah asks, standing back up.
Arielle and Eli have been casually hooking up for years, nothing serious. But I’ve wondered about them with how they’ve been acting lately. Are they getting more serious? Or is their FWB situation imploding?
Still confused, Noah rambles, “And isn’t Eli into guys?”
“Eli’s into anything with a pulse,” I correct him. “And your sister’s hot. Did you not know that they’re FWBs?”
“Excuse me? FWBs? What the fuck?” Noah growls, looking toward the door of the diner like he’s considering chasing them in there. “How long has that been going on?”
“Quite a while,” I tell him. “You seriously didn’t know?”
Noah’s eyes narrow and he shakes his head sharply. “I try to respect her boundaries, but . . .”
“They’re fine,” I tell him. “Probably fueling up for a night of—"
I cut off my supposition when Noah clenches his jaw.
He glances at me and sighs. “I’m sure you’re right. They’re fine. Arielle’s fine.” He sounds like he’s trying to convince himself more than anything.
A giggle bubbles up at how dramatic he’s being. I mean, Arielle’s grown, and it’s not like Eli is her first or only partner.
Noah grimaces sheepishly. “I’m being an asshole again, aren’t I?”
I hold up my thumb and index finger a solid three inches apart. “Little bit. But you’re a big brother, and that’s expected in Arielle’s case.”
With a sigh, he lifts his hands over his head, wiggles them around, and inhales deeply. He’s doing what I coached him through, and the idea that it meant enough to him to remember means a lot.
“Okay. Arielle is FWBs with Eli. They’re getting food. That’s perfectly natural and fine.” He sounds like he means it this time, and I grin.
“You know you’re the one out on a date with your sister’s best friend,” I tease, letting my fingers dance up his arm.
“You’re right. I am,” Noah says huskily. “But I haven’t thought of you as ‘Arielle’s friend’ in a while. You’re more . . . the woman I want to know everything about.”
There’s so much depth in his comment that it catches me off guard and has my desire at white-hot levels. Confident, assured, intelligent, and . . . God, he’s perfect for me.
“Riley, what is it?” Noah asks, tracing along my cheekbone. “Your eyes went all dreamy.”
“I want to thank you, Noah. I . . . this side of you, I never knew it existed,” I admit to him. “You’re a lot more than I expected. Even after the chats and the cheesecake.”
“I did enjoy the cheesecake, though,” Noah teases before getting serious again. “I didn’t realize that you were so . . . fun. No, more than fun, you’re . . . vibrant, infectious energy. You’re an amazing woman.”
Our hands touch, and I realize the magic of what’s occurred. Without the filter of our previous notions and the week of getting to know each other online, we’ve been able to really see each other’s souls.
They say you can travel the world without meeting the one person who’s your best partner. But would I have ever realized that my perfect match was right under my nose all this time? That I was blinded by a bad first impression and couldn’t see the strong, intelligent, soulful man right here in my arms now?
Well, that’s going to stop. I see Noah for who he is, and right now, I don’t want this night to end. We already know each other. I feel like I might know him better than nearly anyone at this point. Same for him with me. I’ve shared things I haven’t told anyone.
"Thank you. You’re amazing too, Noah.” Our eyes lock, our breaths pacing with each other, and fireworks shooting between us. “I think I want to continue where we were before . . . at your place.”
It doesn’t even take him a heartbeat to catch on to what I’m saying. “Are you sure, Riley?” I nod, and he steals my breath, not with a kiss but by opening the door and almost shoving me inside the SUV before running around to the driver’s side.
Chapter 12
Noah
The elevator dings, and my nerves are raw. I never expected to be this unfiltered, unarmored. With anyone. I told Riley about my dad, for fuck’s sake, and the only people who know about that are Mom, Arielle, and River. My control is slipping from my fingers, but instead of scrabbling to get it back, I want to let go completely.
She’s worth it. She deserves that.
And now, here I am, showing her a part of myself that I don’t even think I can put into words. This apartment is both my pride and my biggest guilt. I could live in a cheaper place, freeing up money to send more home to Mom and help Arielle out, but this is what makes me feel like I’ve made it. Like I won’t ever again be that little boy who was hoping for a trash sandwich. And I’ve seen Mom’s eyes when she comes over—the relief that we all survived, her pride that she was able to provide for Arielle and me, and her joy in my success.
It’s ridiculous to be nervous about an apartment. I know that. And I’ve had women here before. But none of them knew me the way Riley does, and that makes all the difference.
I snag my keys and finally get them in the lock, twisting the key and opening the door. “Come on in.”
From the moment I hit the lights and we walk in, I know I worried for nothing. Riley looks around with interest, but there’s no judgment. She’s not impressed by trappings that way. Instead, I think she’s enjoying seeing how I choose to live, what creature comforts I’ve chosen, and getting to know me in another new way. I feel the weight of nervousness lift off me.
“Wow, I love it,” Riley says as she crosses my living room, dropping her purse on my small dining table.
Seeing her here fills the space with a life I hadn’t noticed it was missing, like she brings energy with her, sprinkling it in her wake with every step.
“Me too. It’s not as cozy as your place, but it’s home, you know?”
She beams at the compliment to her apartment. “I like bright colors and suns, and the clean background to let them all shine. But that’s not you. This is you. Classic, quality, and maybe a bit showy.” She winks with the last bit, and I shrug, not offended.
“Confident, not cocky,” I say, agreeing with her. “Look at this.” I guide her over to the window on the far left of the living room and place my hands on her upper arms, lining her up just right in the prime spot for the view. “Right there,” I say, pointing out the window across the span of sky and buildings. “You can see the logo on the top of Life Corp. It’s what let me know this was the one. I can see my future from here.”
“It’s beautiful,” she whispers reverently, understanding why that would be so important for me.
With her back to my chest, part of me wants to jump right back to where we were, push her up against the window, and ravage her.
I want her. Desperately. But I want more than that with Riley.
“Would you like some wine?”
She looks over her shoulder at me, nibbling her lip nervously, and I know I made the right choice.
“Sit down. Let me grab it.” I step back from her, feeling the loss of her heat, and head to the kitchen. I can still see her over the island counter as she sits down on the leather couch, crossing her legs demurely.
I pop the cork on a bottle and pour two glasses. Carrying them back to her, I hand her one and sit down beside her.
“Thank you. A toast?” she asks, holding her glass with delicate fingers.
“To pasts that shaped us, presents that fulfill us, and futures that are better than we can dream.” I clink my glass against hers, and we take sips, eyeing each other over the rims.
“Mmm, that’s good—the wine and the toast. I haven’t heard that one.”
I chuckle and shrug. “That’s because I just made it up.”
Her brows jump in surprise. “Really? Quite poetic, Mr. Daniels.”
I bow my head with a smug smirk and Riley grins back
. I like that she can see my humor in the cockiness now. It tells me that the past is truly gone to time and she’s here in the now with me. “I try. Tell me, what’s the future you dream of?”
Riley takes another sip, thinking before she answers. “Honestly?” Riley says, and I nod. “I want to help people for as long as I can. I want to make the world a better place, as silly and beauty queen-like as that sounds. And I think I’m doing that. As for how long I can do it or how that takes shape through the years, I don’t know.”
“It doesn’t sound silly at all. You are doing that for so many. You’ve already done it for me, changed me,” I tell her honestly.
Riley blushes but looks pleased. She wiggles happily. “What about you? Got any more brilliant apps in that brain of yours?”
“Not yet. There’s still too much to do with BlindDate, and I hope we can make it the number-one dating app. Especially since it seems to work so well.” I lift a brow her way. “Ninety-six percent.”
She smiles, and I continue, “I’m going to work my ass off on BlindDate, and then we’ll come up with the next thing, and then the next. I plan to work my way to the top, earning it every step of the way. The sky’s the limit.”
“Why stop there? There’s an entire universe beyond that.” She’s serious, not being facetious.
“Well, in case you hadn’t noticed, I’m a planner. So step one can be the sky. Step two can be the universe. I wish I could be a fly by the seat of my pants type sometimes, like River.” I hate to mention one of the elephants in the room, but it’s pertinent to the conversation. “He’s so adventurous. Someone could say ‘wanna skydive?’ and I’d do it, but I’d still be checking my chute, making alternate safety plans, and confirming the landing zone while River jumped out the plane with nothing but an umbrella to slow him down. But somehow, he makes it work.”
Riley leans forward. “Because of you. He makes you do big things, and you make him do them correctly. You’re a good team. Maybe like us?”
I grin. “We might be a good team too, a little sunshine and a little rain, but I can guarantee you that I’ve never wanted to sip wine from River’s lips the way I want to taste yours right now.”
Riley licks her lips as though she can taste the wine there herself. I take her glass and mine, setting them both down on the coffee table.
I reach out, and Riley meets me halfway, straddling my lap as her lips find mine again. Our kiss is heady, intoxicating, and it’s not because of the wine but the woman I’m kissing. It deepens, our tongues twisting and tasting each other until Riley pushes me back into the cushions. “Noah . . . I need you.”
“I need you too,” I tell her honestly, reaching a hand up to knead a soft breast through her dress, which has slipped up her thighs enticingly. “I want you. But I don’t want to rush this. I want to enjoy it, enjoy us.”
I kiss her again, my thumb finding her nipple through the thin cotton. Riley gasps, arching her head back, and I roll her, pinning her to the couch as I rain kisses on her skin and down to the hollow of her throat.
“Mmm . . . you taste good,” I growl against her throat. “The rest of you?”
Riley reaches down, squeezing my ass through my slacks and pulling my hardness against her thigh. “You . . . can find out,” she gasps as I lean in, nipping her throat again. I pull back just enough to let her sit up, pulling her dress from her shoulders and letting it pool at her waist.
Of course her lingerie’s yellow. But against her creamy skin, it looks golden, and there’s only one word that comes to mind as I look down at her in admiration. “Sunshine.”
Riley reaches up, sliding a shoulder strap down and tugging a cup until one breast tumbles out. I ravenously bury my face between her soft mounds, sliding halfway down the couch before kissing over to a perked up, hard nipple that rasps against my tongue. Needing more and wanting to see if the other breast is just as delicious, I reach beneath her, undoing her bra to remove it and expose her breasts completely. I worship them both, using my hands and mouth.
“Noah . . . oh, yes,” Riley moans. I grin, planning to taste every inch of Riley’s body and bring my name to her lips again and again.
I lift up to give myself some room to work and pull her dress down her legs and off with her help. She lies before me in matching yellow panties and those pink heels, her little yellow toes peeking out.
Using my hand, I urge her thighs apart, and she whimpers as I knead my way up from her knees. Her yellow panties gleam mellowly in the soft light of my living room, and I look up at Riley’s half-closed eyes, her breasts heaving in deep breaths.
I grin at seeing her even wilder than usual, especially when I’ve never felt more in control. I run a fingertip along the lacy edge and feel her shiver in anticipation. A dark spot appears, her arousal and moisture soaking into the fabric. “Is there something you want?” I ask huskily.
Riley nods, lifting her hips just enough to boldly tug the triangle covering her pussy to the side, and I see . . . heaven. “Is there something you want?”
As if there’s any doubt.
“Fuck yes.” With almost an animalistic ferocity, I bury my face between her thighs, consuming her with a desire and passion I’ve held back for too long. She’s tangy and sweet, better than the wine and more nourishing than the burgers we ate. Because with every suck, every stroke of my tongue along her lips, I hear her pleasure.
I hear her moans.
I feel . . . enlightened. I feel like my soul’s being transformed with each scoop of my tongue, each tug of her fingers on my hair.
I suck her pussy, kissing her center as my hands clamp on her thighs, holding her open to me. Not that Riley needs encouragement. She’s practically yanking my hair out because she’s pulling on me so strongly, wanting more. Actually, she’s demanding more. I love that she’s passionate and powerful, willing to guide me exactly where she wants me while letting me explore every inch of her. I want to know her fully and completely.
But I want to draw this out, to savor her, so I pull back just enough to tease and flutter the tip of my tongue over the jewel of her clit that’s glistening at the top of her slit.
She cries out, bucking against my face. “N–Noah!” she softly screams, her eyes fully closed and her face lit with a smile. Since we started dancing—no, longer than that, as far back as when we were messaging and her face was still a blur—I’ve wanted to see her like this, ultimate joy etched on her face.
She’s my Riley now. The world be damned. Everyone else can fuck off. She’s mine.
Riley’s stomach clenches, and I see her arms shaking from being so close to the edge of a big orgasm. I draw it out as long as I can, wanting to watch and relish this moment forever. There’s only one ‘first orgasm’ with a lover, and with Riley, I want ours to be like something neither of us has ever felt before.
I want her to know this isn’t a game to me.
I don’t just want her pussy.
I want Riley.
I tongue her clit with a broad, flat stroke that makes her legs stiffen. She throws her head back, a harsh breathless cry rasping from her panting lungs before she soaks my chin and lips in her sweet juices.
“Wow. Noah,” she gasps when she can form words again.
I get up, looking down on her limp body. My shirt’s half torn off, and I can feel my cock throbbing in my slacks. With a weakened arm, Riley reaches for my belt, but just before she can touch it, there’s a thump at the door.
“Noah!”
I look up in shock, and Riley’s eyes widen. We both know that voice.
“What do we do?” Riley whispers.
“I don’t know,” I whisper back, shrugging.
She eyes me, and I realize this is on me. I’m the one who needs to have a plan and handle this. Riley is counting on me.
“River?” I say hesitantly.
“Yeah! Open up, man! I need to talk to you!”
Oh, fuck. He knows.
Maybe he saw us. Maybe someone saw us and
told him. Shit, it doesn’t matter how, only that he knows. And he’s here.
Hurriedly, Riley scrambles off the couch and grabs her things before scampering toward the back of my apartment. I wipe my face with my shirt sleeve and then pull it off because it’s wrinkled as hell and River will know something’s up with that.
Fuck.
“Noah, come on, man. This is fucking important!”
I hurry to the door, praying that River doesn’t smell his sister’s pussy on my breath as I open up, not quite letting him inside. “River? What’s up?”
“Hey, man, I just had this great idea for the app,” River says, pushing his way inside.
I blink, stunned. “App? Dude, it’s nearly eleven at night. And you come to my place to talk about the app?” I’m relieved it’s about the app and not Riley, but also . . . seriously?
“Yeah, well . . . I figured you’d be working. You always are,” he teases. But then my lack of clothing hits him and his eyes go wide. He whispers urgently, “Holy shit, am I interrupting something?”
I quickly shake my head but still start herding River out the door. “No. Nothing that you need to worry about. Just a long day,” I assure him. “But can we talk tomorrow or Monday about the app? I really need to get a shower.” It’s the best idea I can come up with to explain my half-nakedness and messy hair.
“Yeah . . . nah, that’s cool. Take a shower, and I’ll see you later,” River says, but then he winks outrageously.
Shit. He doesn’t believe me.
“Looks like you’ve got some stuff to take care of, anyway.” He lifts his chin toward the two glasses of wine of the coffee table and the purse on the dining table. “Bye, Noah!” he calls out too loudly, presumably for the benefit of whoever he thinks I have hiding here.
He leaves, and I lock the door after him, bonking my forehead on the doorframe in surprise at what just happened. That could’ve been bad. Really bad.
I will have to have a hard conversation with River at some point, but I’d prefer not to do it half-dressed, with Riley’s juices on my tongue. He deserves more than that. She does too.
The Blind Date Page 16