“What?” she demands with a high-pitched squeak getting everyone’s attention from the beach. “That’s ridiculous. She deserves what she got and more. She beat you up and told my brother he was having a kid. Hell, I would have got in on that action if Rivers wasn’t holding me in his steel, freaking grip. I mean, just once I would have liked to feel her face beneath my fist.”
“You did feel her face beneath your fist,” I remind her, referring to how she pummelled her in the student parking lot at school, right after Noah took her down.
“Yeah, that clearly wasn’t enough,” she tells me. “Please don’t tell me you feel guilt over it?”
I shake my head. “No, not guilt. I…I don’t think I can explain it. I guess, I just thought it would feel better. She hurt me and all I’ve thought about for the past few weeks was making her suffer and when it finally happened, I couldn’t give a shit. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it was great watching her go down, but I thought it would make me feel better.”
Tully reaches across and takes my hand before curling into my side. “It doesn’t work like that,” she tells me. “Not for people who have a good conscience. For people like Monica, hurting others and watching them being torn down is what gives them life. They thrive off other people’s pain. But people like you, it doesn’t work that way. Seeing others suffer, no matter if they’re good or bad, it doesn’t sit well with you and that just goes to show that you have a bigger heart than you even realize. You did what you needed to do to move on and that’s it. It wasn’t supposed to feel good. It wasn’t supposed to get you hot. It was supposed to show Monica that she can’t fuck with the people of Haven Falls and get away with it, and that’s exactly what happened.”
I let out a heavy sigh. "Where would I be without you?”
“Probably tied up in a basement somewhere for Noah to use as his sex slave.”
“Ewwww,” I laugh, but then…being tied up by Noah doesn’t sound so bad.
“Do you feel better?” she questions with hope.
“Only a smidge.”
“Well, would it make you feel better to know that Rivers ruined me for other guys? I can’t cum anymore.”
I spin around to face her better. “What? What do you mean you can’t cum anymore?”
“I can’t cum,” she repeats. “Every time I try to get off…nothing. Nada. No sexy time. No ‘gasm train. No scream out, earth shattering, toe curling, sex for me.”
“What?” I laugh. “Why the hell not?”
“Because all I can think about is him. Every time I…you know, his stupid face pops into my head and, usually, that was the only thing that would work for me, but now all I can think about is how much better it was when he was the one doing it, and, you know… the piercing. Then… it just doesn’t happen. I haven’t cum for weeks. It’s fucking killing me. I need to get off.”
“Well, your brother does this one thing and it gets me-”
“Stop,” she screams. “I cannot hear what my brother does to get you off.”
“Sorry,” I laugh, shrugging my shoulders. “I was just trying to help.”
“That’s not the kind of help I need.”
“Well, it’s not like I’m about to offer to do it myself.”
Tully lets out a frustrated groan and slams her hands down in the sand. “I tried with someone else. It didn’t work.”
“Wait. What? You slept with someone?” I grunt out. I mean, she’s no stranger to sleeping with random guys, but since Rivers, it’s kind of been a ‘no go’ zone.
She scrunches up her face as guilt comes over her. “Yeah. I was just so mad at Rivers for pushing me away and I just needed to hurt him like he hurt me.”
“Does he know?”
She shakes her head. “No, and I don’t intend for him to find out. I mean, I know I’ve been putting on a show of flirting with every guy I find, but he knows it means nothing. I was just trying to get under his skin and I figured he’d come around eventually, but he never did and it was killing me.”
I wrap my arm around her. “I’m sorry,” I murmur. “I couldn’t imagine being in your position. It must really suck.”
“It sure does,” she sighs. “I just…out of all the guys I could have chosen, why did it have to be Spencer?”
“What?” I shriek. “You slept with Spencer?”
She cringes before a laugh slips out. “Yeah, at Kaylah’s party last weekend. I got there before you did, and I’d just had another fight with Rivers, and it just…. Arghhhhhh. I can’t believe I did it again. Spence was there trying to avoid Candice and we were just talking and drinking and before I knew it, we were up in Nate Ryder’s bedroom fucking. I mean, you’d think being in his room would be enough to get me off, but nothing. I’m fucking broken. Rivers broke my pussy.”
A deep scoff comes from behind us that has Tully shooting to her feet. I spin around to see Rivers standing right behinds us with nothing but a deflated look on his face. “That’s fucking perfect,” he mutters, looking at Tully with a deep betrayal. “And here I thought I was coming to apologize for being such a dick these past few weeks. Good fucking job, babe.”
Tully sucks in a breath, her eyes filling with unshed tears as Rivers turns on his heel and walks away.
And just like that, whatever hope was growing inside Tully is crushed. A heartbroken sob comes tearing out of her and she looks down at me with the tears finally starting to fall.
I’m about to pull her back down to the sand and wrap her in my arms when she takes off down the beach at a near sprint. “Tully?” I call after her, but it’s no use. She needs to be alone.
I look back up at where Rivers had walked away to find him looking after her, still with that same devastation on his face. He goes to go after her before hesitating and changing his mind. Not a second later, he’s gone, making me realize that whatever they had is completely gone.
They’re done.
Tully and Rivers have run their course and it breaks me even more because all this time I had thought that out of anyone, they were the couple that would make it. I thought they’d fight through all the bullshit and somehow come together, realizing where they belong, but now, I don’t think there’s a way back for them.
Now I fear both their hearts are hurting and they’re both too stubborn to find their way back to one another.
Knowing this, I pull myself up out of the sand and dust off my ass. I suddenly have an overwhelming need to find my place in Noah’s arms and let him know that no matter what, I’m not going anywhere.
There’s something that’s been swirling around inside my brain and seeing the struggle that Tully and Rivers have been going through, makes me realize that I’m a damn fool for holding it back.
Chapter 21
I slam my way through Noah’s front door to find him walking up the hallway and into the living room. His eyes roam over me, making sure I’m alright as the way I just stormed in here would make anyone think otherwise.
“What the fuck is going on?” he demands, hurrying to me and pulling me into his warm arms. “Rivers just stormed through here as though he was about ready to kill someone, Tully just hung up on me, telling me to go fuck myself, and now you're busting your way through the door as though the fucking Angel of Death is after you.”
“I’m fine, we’re fine,” I rush out. “They’re…fine.” Or well, mostly fine. I mean, they’re not physically hurt and I guess that’s all that matters right now. Their lives aren’t in danger and their hearts will eventually stop hurting, but Noah doesn’t need to know all that.
Though, I do suppose Spencer's life is in danger. Damn, I could just imagine what Noah would do if he was there to overhear that little conversation too. Shit would hit the motherfucking fan.
Noah runs his hands up and down my arms. “If you’re fine, why the fuck do you look so freaked out?”
I suck in a breath. “I don’t look freaked out,” I defend, “I look fucking badass.”
Noah rolls his eyes, trying t
o appear unaffected, but let’s face it, he can’t pull it off. “Yeah alright,” he grins, bringing his lips down on my neck. “You looking fucking badass and sexy, and damn near dangerous.”
I tilt my neck, loving how his warm lips feel against my skin. “Are we alone?” I murmur, scrunching his shirt between my fingers and desperately needing to feel his skin against mine.
His response is his hands winding down my body until he’s lifting me from under my ass. I wrap my legs around his waist as his lips meet mine.
I’d dare say we’re alone.
Noah walks us down to his room, kicking the door closed with his foot behind us before crashing down onto his bed. He sits up against the headboard with me straddled on his lap, feeling every bit of him as he grinds up into me.
His desperate kisses meet mine and it’s like a fight for dominance – who can take charge and run the show, but when it comes down to it, Noah will always win, and let me tell you, he always lets me win before he brings home the grand prize.
I distantly remember that I wanted to tell him something, but as for right now. It’s going to have to wait until my brain isn’t so foggy, besides, this is so much better than whatever crap was going to come pouring out of my mouth.
Noah reaches for the hem of my shirt and drags it up my skin, painfully slow.
He watches me as he works, his eyes heating with every inch of skin he reveals. It’s like a hidden treasure that he’s been longing for and has worked his ass off to get, and now finally, it’s all his and he doesn’t want to rush a single moment.
My shirt finally comes off over my head and it’s like I can breathe again. His warm hands come down on my skin, claiming it as his own as they roam over me.
I press my body more firmly into his, needing more. I need to see the tattoos and feel his burning skin on mine. I just need him, all of him.
Sensing that desperation within me, he leans forward off the headboard and my hands instantly shoot down, grabbing his shirt and ripping it over his head. None of that slow, torturous bullshit for me. I know what I want and I want it now.
Noah’s lips lift into a grin against mine, loving that raw, animalistic craving I have for him. One hand claims my waist as the other slides up my back and fingers the hook of my bra when that reminder shoots through my head again.
I wanted to tell him something. No, I need to tell him something, and this time, I don’t think I should hold back.
I’m done holding myself back.
“Wait, wait, wait,” I hurry out, desperate to put a pause on this little show before he removes my bra, as the second that happens, there’s no chance for talking. That’s game time. This is just the warm-up.
Noah’s sensual assault on my body comes to an alarming stop. “What’s wrong?” he questions with concern, as after all, I’ve never dared stop him in the middle of this before, and I mean, why the hell would I? The way he touches me and brings my body to breaking point is too damn good. It’s like one of those old school kettles. He works me, boils me up until I can’t possibly take anymore, and then suddenly I’m screaming the house down, letting the whole world know I’m finished.
I pull back slightly as his hand falls away from my bra strap, landing softly on my waist, though with the size of his hands compared to my waist, he’s still very much claiming me without even realizing.
His eyes study mine, wondering what the hell is going on and what could possibly be so important to ask him to stop. I pull back to get a better read on him, and honestly to give myself a bit of space. His lips hover just in front of mine and biting down on that juicy lip is way too enticing.
So, instead, I bite down on mine, unsure how to even do this.
My heart hammers away as my body calls for him. He places his thumb just below my lip and releases it from the confines of my teeth. “What is it, Spitfire?” he murmurs into the now too quiet house.
I let out a shaky breath as my hands come down on his strong chest. “Tully said something to me a little while ago.”
“Wait,” he cuts me off. “You’re thinking about my sister right now?”
I playfully slap him across his chest but momentarily get distracted by how good it felt. “No, you idiot. Shut up.”
He grins back at me, always loving how easy it is to get a reaction out of me, but thankfully, he does what I ask and zips his lips, patiently waiting for whatever I need to say. “She told me that I love you and for the past few weeks, it’s confused the shit out of me.”
I watch as he straightens a little, the playfulness slipping from his eyes and being replaced by a seriousness that knocks me off my feet. His thumb runs back and forth over my waist, momentarily distracting me before he brings my attention straight back. “And?” he prompts, nowhere near ready to let this conversation go.
“And it seems your sister is right,” I tell him. “I’m so freaking madly in love with you that I can’t even see straight. When you’re around, it’s like you call to me, I can’t help but move to your side. My body is so in tune with yours, and I swear, my heart beats a little faster every time you’re around.”
Emotion fills his eyes as he watches me with a joyful smile teasing his lips. That cocky sureness that drives me wild comes over him and he squeezes my waist a little tighter. “You love me,” he says, but it’s no question. It’s a damn, way too sure of himself statement.
“Yeah,” I tell him. “I do.”
He leans in and softly brushes his lips against mine. “I know, Spitfire,” he murmurs against them. “I worked it out weeks ago, and for the record, I fucking love you too.”
My heart fills with joy, finally hearing the words. I mean, after he got arrested didn’t count. My brain is choosing to ignore it. “You’re sure?” I question.
“Never been so sure of anything in my life,” he tells me.
I chew on my bottom lip again. “So, how the hell did you know that I did when I hadn’t even worked it out?”
Noah brings his hand up and trails his knuckles down the side of my face, making my face tilt into his touch. “That night in the kitchen, you know, the day you got hurt. You were an open book. It was written all over you and it was exactly what I needed to keep me there. I was so ready to go and take Monica down, but you needed me and I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving you like that.”
“You loved me then, too?” I don’t know if it’s a statement or a question, but I put it out there as a question, just so I can hear him say it again.
“I think I loved you from the second you poured your lunch all over me,” he admits. “And I really am sorry for blurting it out in the car like that the other day. I didn’t intend to try to take away from its meaning or use it as a tool against you to earn your forgiveness, but I was desperate. I saw you slipping away. You’ve never quite been that mad at me and I didn’t know if that meant I was losing you,” he takes a breath and focuses in on my eyes, making sure I hear him clearly. “I need you. You don’t need me, you’re strong and independent. You can handle yourself without me, but me without you is nothing but a lonely man. You give me something to live for, something to push myself towards. With you, I see a future I could never see before.”
“For the record,” I breathe. "I need you more than you could know.”
Those fingers weave into my head and he pulls me in, holding me close to him as we take in the moment. A heavy sigh leaves me as I think about exactly what he said. I was mad at him. I’m always mad at him over something and that constantly leads to us fighting. It’s either him angry at me or the other way around and that couldn’t possibly be healthy.
I squish my face into his chest, loving the steady rhythm of his heart. “Are we bad together?” I ask him, impatiently waiting for his response.
Noah’s hands come up and take possession of my shoulders, pushing me back so he can look me in the eye. “What the hell are you talking about?” he demands, that deep concern from earlier marring his face once again.
“We always fi
ght. Every chance we get. That couldn’t be a good sign, right?”
“Spitfire,” he sighs. “I fucking love fighting with you. Watching you get all worked up, knowing that it’s me who did it, that it’s me in your head driving you insane. It’s like an inferno building inside you and when you explode…fuck, babe. It gets me off. Nothing is sexier than you speaking your mind and putting me in my place. Every time you yell at me, I see the little she-devil shining through your eyes and it reminds me of that girl I first met in the cafeteria. You were mine even then.”
“Are you saying you push my buttons on purpose?”
He grins back at me. “Sometimes.”
“You’re an ass.”
“Don’t pretend you didn’t know that from the very start,” he says. “Besides, you like makeup sex just as much as I do.”
I can’t help but lean into him once more, my lips coming down on his. “You know what other kind of sex I like?”
He doesn’t respond. He doesn’t need to.
Noah’s hands come up and my bra disappears quicker than I could even blink. “You’re so fucking beautiful,” he tells me, taking me by the waist and lifting me off his lap.
He lays me down on the bed and comes down on top of me, his lips instantly on mine. Though, the reckless, passionate, crazed animals from before are no longer here. He slows it down. His fingers brush over my skin sending goosebumps sailing right over me. His lips find my neck. His hands squeezing and touching every inch of my body.
This is no longer about screwing and getting off for a good time. This is more.
This is Noah Cage showing me how damn much he loves me.
Clothes get tossed aside.
Underwear is slipped down my legs.
Noah is freed from the confines of his jeans.
Before I know it, Noah is pushing up into me with a raw gentleness that has my eyes rolling to the back of my head.
It’s pleasure in its purest form and it’s simply the most beautiful experience of my life. This isn’t Noah wanting me to feel good, this is the pack leader, falling to his knees before the woman he loves as though she’s his oxygen.
Unbelievable: Haven Falls (Book 2) Page 20
