by Lily Hayden
“Oh.” Taylor nodded, reaching for the bag at the feet. “Of course.”
She fumbled awkwardly with the door handle, feeling a little disappointed, when Noah stopped her.
“Unless…” He sounded a little hesitant. “You wanna come help?”
Taylor didn’t even have to think about her response.
“I would love to!”
Noah gunned the engine, the van kicking up dust from the side of the road as it sped off back in the direction of town. As he drove, he explained to her what he would be doing and why, and she felt her heart quicken with excitement at seeing the man in action. Only minutes later, they drew up next to a single storey building and Noah hopped out of the van, beckoning for Taylor to follow.
A short, curly-haired lady, wearing knee-length shorts and a tank top, hobbled from the porch where she’d been waiting.
“Thank you for coming, honey.” She drawled. “Sorry to interrupt your night, but he’s been hanging around out back and I can’t risk letting the dogs out. They’re going crazy inside.”
She gestured towards the house, where Taylor could hear a persistent high-pitched yapping of an excited pair of lap dogs.
“No problem, Sue.” Noah waved away her thanks.
He turned back to the van, grabbing a roll of tape and tossed it to Taylor. She caught it and followed him around the back of the house, through a chain-link gate into the woman’s backyard. They walked past the rusted garden furniture and a child’s sandpit at the side of the house, stepping out onto a vast lawn. There was no fence at the back of the garden, just a tangle of bushes marking the property boundary and Taylor could see that a shallow pit had been dug out, possibly the start of some footings for a shed or an outhouse that had been abandoned or postponed for some time as the basin was half-filled with water, where the large pest was bathing. His beady eyes fixed upon them as they approached, and Noah circled the reptile once, deep in thought.
“He’s gonna be a handful.” He announced to Taylor and Sue, but his tone was light, and he looked completely calm and unphased.
“Sorry I ain’t gonna be no use to you.” Sue apologised, gesturing at her knee. “I ain’t no use to myself with this knee.”
Noah grinned at her. “Don’t you be sorry about nothing, Sue. I got myself an assistant.”
Sue smiled warmly at Taylor. “And a pretty one, too!”
“You gonna be ok to follow my instructions?” Noah looked at Taylor expectantly. “This fella is only about six foot, but they’re a pain in the ass at that size. They’re flexible and can wriggle about like crazy. I might need you to get in front of him once I’ve got him outta there.”
Taylor’s pulse quickened, but she forced her face to remain cool and calm as she nodded her head.
“Yeah, no problem.”
Noah looked back at her suspiciously, as if surprised by her response. She met his look with a little frown of indignation and he turned back to the gator. He kicked off his boots and pulled off his socks. For a moment, Taylor thought that he was going to re-enact the phone recovery, but sadly his top and jeans stayed on his body.
He stepped into the ankle-deep water, behind the gator, and Taylor held her breath as the creature turned deceptively quickly to face him. Noah took a step towards it, bending low at the waist and reaching his hand towards the gator’s head. There was a flash of movement as it snapped its giant jaws open and closed, frighteningly close to Noah’s fingers. He stepped back, hopping up onto the side of the pit. He circled the creature once more, but it followed his every move with surprising agility. Taylor watched on as Noah stalked the reptile around and around the makeshift puddle. He managed to grip a hold of its tail, but it rolled violently over and over in the shallow water, freeing itself from his grasp.
They completed another three-hundred-and-sixty-degree turn until the gator was back in its original position, facing the back of Sue’s house and Noah was a couple of feet in front of it, his back to Taylor. He stepped back into the water, frighteningly close, and without warning, he leaped from one side of the pit to the other clean over the top of the gator’s back. The gator whipped around, confused, searching for his predator and as he did, Noah was back in his original position, but the gator’s back was now to the house. With lightning reflexes, Noah had a hold of the long, thick tail and had pulled it clean from the water.
Sue grabbed Taylor’s shoulder, dragging her back towards the house.
“Taylor.” Noah called out, his back to her. “Can you get around to the front of him for me? Give him a wide berth, ok?”
Taylor’s heart was racing now, and she eyed the strong, powerful jaws as she obediently crept around the creature, who was wriggling against Noah’s stronghold.
“All you’re going to do,” Noah instructed her, his confident drawl calming her jangling nerves. “Is have that tape ready for me. You can do that, right?”
“Uh-huh.” Taylor could feel fresh sweat, that had nothing to do with her recent exercise or the temperature, start to prickle at her forehead.
She fumbled with the tape, trying to find the end of the roll.
“And whatever you do.” Noah continued, still holding the strong creature by the tail. “Don’t panic!”
No sooner had the words left his mouth, Noah released the animal and it darted forward, but before it had even moved a metre closer to Taylor, Noah had deftly leapt onto it back, wrapped his hands around its jaw at the base, sliding them upwards forcing the reptile’s mouth firmly shut.
“Tape please?” He said, his tone as calm as if he was ordering a beer at the bar.
Taylor could almost hear her heart now, hammering against her ribs, but she obediently wound out the tape, stepping terrifyingly close to the subdued beast. Noah kept the jaw closed with one hand, taking the tape and swiftly wrapping the creature’s mouth. He shuffled backwards and lifted the reptile into his arms.
“Thank you!” Sue called, from her position by the back door. “Let me get you some beers!”
Noah carried the creature around to the van, sliding it into a collapsible metal cage in the back. He took the beers from Sue, leaning down to kiss her cheek before he and Taylor hopped back into the van. As they drove away, Taylor turned to Noah, impressed.
“That was awesome.” She told him, not caring how uncool she was being. “What do you do with it now?”
“I think someone’s been feeding this guy.” Noah said, ignoring her compliment. “He wasn’t remotely scared when we walked into the garden. I’m going to pop him up to the centre and see what they want to do.”
Taylor glanced over her shoulder at the beast. She wouldn’t want him roaming around her garden, but she didn’t like the thought of someone killing him.
“Don’t look like that.” Noah said, making her head turn back quickly to look at him.
He was staring out at the road ahead.
“I wasn’t looking like anything.” Taylor frowned, annoyed at his assumption.
“I see enough of you city girls.” He shrugged. “If he’s not scared of humans, then he’s too dangerous to be out here. Nothing more to it.”
“I know.” She bit back with a little more force than she meant to.
When they had dropped the alligator off to the capable hands of the staff at the Conservation Centre, they headed back to Taylor’s.
“You can take those beers.” Noah offered gesturing at the six-pack Sue had handed over in payment. “Consider it your first payment for pest removal.”
Taylor laughed. “You did all the hard work. You keep them.”
Noah grinned lazily at her across the cab of the van. “You were a good assistant. How about we split them?”
He pulled three beers from the pack and dropped them into her carrier bag. She took the bag, accidentally brushing his fingers as she did. Taylor felt a little spark of excitement at his touch.
“You wanna come in for a celebratory beer?” She asked before she could stop the words coming out of her mouth.
She watched, horrified by her invitation but elated to see his eyes light up. God, she had been here so many times. They both knew there was chemistry. They both knew where she was going with this invitation.
His mouth stretched into a smug smile. “Sure. Why not?”
Taylor led the way to the house, glad of the heavy bag in her hands. She could feel her palms were sweating and she was already regretting her decision. She wanted to sleep with Noah. He was sexy. He was strong. He was intelligent. So were all the guys she slept with. So, why was she feeling so anxious about this one?
Uh? Because you weren’t with Deon then! Her inner voice reminded her in a judgemental tone.
Taylor ignored it. Fuck Deon. He was the one who had cheated on her multiple times. He was the one who hadn’t supported her career. He was the one who was calling and texting her every day trying to talk her into going back to New York. And it had been seriously pissing her off. Mainly because she was so tempted by him. He got under her skin. And that scared her.
“Nice place.” Noah commented as she led him into the kitchen.
Taylor took in the mess that the other four had left in their rush to get out to party and looked back at Noah. One look at his face told her he was joking, and she laughed in response. She quickly unpacked the groceries, leaving two beers out.
“You wanna come through?” She gestured to the beat-up sofa and he followed her, sitting down next to her.
They both sipped their beers and Taylor used the silence to take her time appraising him. He almost dwarfed the small sofa with his six-foot, muscular frame. She liked the way he relaxed, not sitting awkwardly close to her like some guys did or showing any sign of nerves at what they both knew was coming. She let her eyes travel over his broad shoulders to the strong, chiselled jaw. He always had a little golden stubble and she liked it. Most of the guys she met were either clean-shaven or had designer beards. There didn’t seem much in the middle, but Noah had it just right. His sun-kissed hair was slightly too-long, falling over his forehead and she had an overwhelming urge to touch it. She couldn’t imagine Noah preening in the bathroom mirror or frowning as he peered into a huge, walk-in wardrobe every day. He was undeniably raw and masculine.
Her phone rang, on the arm of the couch, next to her and she glanced at it.
Deon.
She could feel Noah’s eyes watching her as she flicked the phone onto silent and turned it face down. She turned back to him.
“You wanna get that?” He asked, meeting her eyes.
She shook her head and rested the bottle against her lips.
“It’s not important.” She ignored the little bubble of guilt.
Noah’s eyes moved to the bottle at her lips.
“You sure?” He tilted his head questioningly.
She nodded her head, leaning forward and holding her bottle out towards him.
“I feel we should be toasting our new partnership.” She said provocatively, keen to move the conversation on.
He clinked his bottle against hers, never taking his eyes from her face. She turned her body towards him. Her long, slim legs brushing against the fabric of his jeans. He shifted his weight, as he took a long swig of the beer, bridging the gap further. He was so close that she could smell the masculine scent of him. Any guilt was replaced by a burst of desire and she was the one that made the first move. She reached for the beer, taking it from his hand and she felt a flutter of excitement as she recognised the surprise in his eyes at her boldness. She leaned across and pressed her lips gently against his, tasting the malty beer. She felt him hesitate, for just a split-second, before his mouth parted and he was kissing her back. She placed the beers gently on the ground beside them, still kissing him, and both hands, now free, moved instinctively to run across the hard muscles of his chest and shoulders. She gasped as his big, rough hands found her exposed waist, bare beneath her cropped running top. He held her there, his fingers curving around her abdomen, stroking the soft skin and bringing goose-bumps to her flesh.
His tongue explored her mouth and she kissed him back hungrily. She felt him lift her easily onto his lap and she couldn’t help but grind against the hardness beneath the heavy denim. She slid her hands underneath his cotton t-shirt, tracing the defined muscles of his body with her fingertips. She pushed it up further, pressing her own chest against his skin and suddenly he pulled away from their fervent kiss. His eyes were glazed with longing and he slid his fingers beneath the Lycra band of her crop top, pulling it over her head and tossing it away carelessly. She watched, enjoying the desire in his eyes, as he regarded her naked chest. He ran his hands up her body, cupping her full, pert breasts before he moved his mouth to her nipples. She moaned involuntarily as his lips sent shockwaves of pleasure throughout her body. Beneath her, she could feel him grow harder. She rocked against his erection, pleased that he was well-endowed. He brought his mouth back to hers and she pushed her breasts against his hard chest as she abandoned herself to his delicious taste.
His hands worked over her body with an expertise that delighted her. She already knew that he would be a good lover from the way he touched and the way he kissed. She ground herself harder against him, suddenly desperate for the orgasm she knew he would deliver. His hands ran over her ass and she held her breath as she felt his fingers slip inside the thin fabric. She rose a little, to allow him to tug away at the skin-tight leggings. He dug his fingers into the flesh of her ass and his groan of pleasure vibrated through her own mouth as they kissed deeply, sending her wild with pleasure. She felt herself arching her back, suddenly hungry for his touch between her legs.
She felt one hand release the curve of her ass and she held her breath with anticipation. Her heart was pounding in her ears as they kissed hungrily, and all her senses were fixated on the experience, so she didn’t notice at first when he moved his mouth from hers and muttered something into the delicate skin of her throat.
“Taylor?” He pulled away and looked at her. “I think there’s someone at the door.”
“Mmmm?” She moved her mouth back to his. “Ignore it.”
He pulled back and tilted his head to the side, withdrawing his exploring hands from her pants.
Annoyed, she sat up straighter and listened. He was right. Someone was hammering at the door.
“Taylor!”
A familiar voice, that she would recognise anywhere, called out, muffled but identifiable through the heavy locked door.
Fuck!
The desire drained away and cold fear replaced the heat in her veins. Her eyes darted to Noah, her mind already desperately trying to figure out a plan, but he nodded his head, as if understanding and gently removed her from his lap.
“That your boyfriend?” He asked, his tone cool.
“He’s not my boyfriend.” Taylor stuttered in response, suddenly feeling awful. “He’s an ex.”
“I’ll see myself out.” He got to his feet, smoothing down his shirt.
She opened her mouth to protest, but for once she felt lost for words and she simply nodded gratefully as he chivalrously handed over her top. She straightened herself up and watched, helplessly as Noah left the house by the back door.
Boardroom Secrets
Shauna scribbled notes furiously as Rebecca deftly answered questions on her presentation to her newest clients. A strand of long red hair had escaped her ponytail and she pushed it back from her face with the bottom of her pen, before she sat up and looked around at the faces of the team from Marin Hotels International.
They all looked impressed, Shauna thought, pleased for Rebecca. Rebecca had been working flat-out on the project for months and, although Shauna had only been working for her for the last few weeks, she had immediately taken to the woman. Both Rebecca and MLB Designs had a lot riding on this contract, but it was clear to see from the audience that this final meeting had gone well.
Rebecca and some of the Senior Team were taking the clients out to dinner, so Shauna hung back, tidying up t
he boardroom as they filed out. She gathered up papers, clutching them to her chest, and stood for a moment, reflecting on the meeting, gazing out at the city through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Rebecca’s job was exactly what Shauna wanted to do. Despite the false start, she was glad that she had taken the role. It had proven to her that this was exactly what she should be doing. Rebecca had been impressed with her and had even mentioned the possibility of a salaried junior position coming up in a few months. Shauna had assumed that she would go back home to Washington, or maybe start out in her college city of Chicago, but she’d been really enjoying her time in Louisiana since Aaron had taken her under his wing. When she had had time to reflect on Rebecca’s hint of potential employment, she had realised that she could see herself staying here.
New Orleans was a great place. She’d even adjusted to the southern heat, but more importantly, she’d actually made some good friends at the office. After their evening at the racetrack, Shauna had felt a little apprehensive about what Aaron wanted from her. They’d been out for dinner and drinks on several occasions since, but he hadn’t made any attempt to kiss her again. Shauna liked him, but not “liked him” liked him. Deep down, she knew that she was still holding out for something to happen with Armand, but she would never have had the nerve or the heart to turn Aaron down, so she was grateful that he seemed to view her as a friend and nothing more.
The door to the boardroom opened, interrupting her thoughts, and she turned to see who it was, but before she could speak, a man’s voice burst out angrily. She jumped, shocked by the unexpected interruption, and it was only then that she realised that, stood by the window, she was obscured by a floor-to-ceiling pillar to anyone entering the room.
“For fuck’s sake!” The man exploded. “I can not believe he’s fucking done this!”
“Just calm down!” A female voice tried to soothe him. “We knew that this would happen sooner or later.”
Shauna recognised the voices of Aaron and Sylvie immediately and she hovered nervously, wanting to announce her presence but too embarrassed to call out to them.
