by M. Malone
When she suddenly opened her eyes, he wasn’t ready for it. They stared at each other, naked emotion on display for a few seconds before she shocked the hell out of him by tugging on his hand until he sat on the couch next to her. She scooted over to make room for him.
“How do you do it?”
Her voice was soft in the quiet of the room but still penetrated all the way to the deepest part of him.
“What?” he asked gruffly.
“How do you live without knowing why?”
Surprised to see her eyes wide open and completely alert, Noah wasn’t prepared for her to ask that. “That’s not really a middle of the night conversation, princess. Go to sleep. You’ll feel better in the morning.”
Lucia sat up in bed and crossed her arms. “I’m not drunk, Noah. I was drinking virgin drinks all night.”
“I saw you do a shot.”
“Yeah. A shot. As in…one. I was able to fool JJ into thinking I was partying before that but then she wanted to do shots. I couldn’t really ask the bartender for a shot of apple juice.”
Noah laughed. “Why do you hang out with her, anyway?”
At that, Lucia glared at him from the corner of her eye. “Maybe she’s loud and brash and occasionally pushes me to do things outside my comfort zone but you know what else she is? Honest. With JJ, what you see is what you get. She would never lie to me. That’s just not how she rolls.”
Noah closed his eyes. “I know you’re still angry with me.”
She had every right to be pissed at him but it wouldn’t change anything. He still couldn’t confide in her, and he was still going to annoy the hell out of her by hovering.
“I miss him so much.”
When he looked at her again, Noah was shocked to see tears streaming down her cheeks. Lucia was an emotional person but carried herself with such dignity. He’d only seen her cry the day of Rafe’s funeral. She’d put on a stoic face as she consoled her grandmother that terrible day and every day since. But apparently Lucia was as skilled at hiding her true feelings as he was.
Moved by her emotion, he moved closer and gently thumbed away the tears. She sighed and pressed her cheek into the palm of his hand, and Noah knew with certainty that he’d never love anyone else quite like this.
“I miss him too, princess. Every fucking day. I’m always thinking about what he’d do in a situation or what he’d say if he were here.”
She looked at him pleadingly. “How do I let this go? If I stop looking for answers, it feels like I’m letting him down. Because he’d never stop searching for justice for me. Never. Even if he was afraid of what he’d find.”
Not caring that this was far too intimate, Noah pulled her to him. Lucia let out a sob and clung to him, her arms wrapped around his neck so tight he almost couldn’t breathe. He welcomed the discomfort. He’d take any pain for her. Anything but telling her the truth that would devastate her so completely.
“I can’t stand to see you cry,” he whispered.
Lucia glanced up at him and then slowly raised her hand to his cheek. He was shocked when she drew it back and her fingers were wet.
“I don’t want you to be hurt either,” Lucia said. Then she curled her hand behind his neck and tugged him closer.
He should have pulled back. He should have turned away. But, the only thing he could do in that moment was allow her to guide his lips to hers. The first brush of their lips sent a shock through Noah that jolted him to the core. The kiss was soft, sweet, and it filled Noah with a sense of rightness that he’d never felt before. This woman was his sun, his sky, and his reason for existence.
“I love you, Noah.” Her whispered words sent him soaring, and then just as quickly, crashing again.
She couldn’t love him. She didn’t truly know him. If she did, she wouldn’t be looking at him with her heart in her lovely gray eyes. A good guy would tell her that, turn her away. Protect her from himself.
Then Lucia smiled and kissed him again, and he was lost.
chapter ten
"Lucia?" he murmured against her lips.
Lucia stared up at Noah. He was asking permission. Or maybe he was asking if she’d lost her damn mind. She wasn't sure. All she knew was that she wanted his lips back on hers. She didn't want him seeing her as a little sister. Not anymore.
She reached up and cupped his cheek gently before sliding her hands into his hair and pulling him to down towards her. As he leaned over her, she could see the torment in his eyes, the confusion. As if he waged a war with himself.
She had no clue what she was doing. All Lucia knew was that she liked this feeling. This tingly, too-hot, desperate feeling. She liked being in his arms. She didn’t know what that meant, but she didn’t want him to stop.
He growled low in his throat and Lucia was no longer in control of the kiss. His lips crashed on hers, pouring heat and desperation and desire into her with every lick of his tongue into her mouth, with every graze of his teeth on her lower lip.
Noah angled their bodies, until she lay back against the arm of the couch. As they shifted to get more comfortable, he moved so that he partially lay over her, his full weight resting between her thighs.
Oh God. Yes, please.
His lips were expert. Equal parts gentle, but demanding, coaxing a response out of her with his tongue, with his hands, which teased at the hem of her T-shirt.
His thumbs gently grazed her skin in slow circles. All Lucia could do was hold on and dig her hands into his hair. He slid his hand further under her T-shirt, teasing the lower ribs, making her tingle.
Involuntarily, Lucia raised her hips in a desperate attempt to get closer to him. Before she knew what was happening, his strong hands picked her up and over, lifting her until she straddled him, bringing her center right onto his —
Oh. My. God. He is huge.
And that felt—amazing. His hands gently gripped her hips as he kissed her, rocked her over him. The motion made her cry out.
Noah dragged his lips off of hers, kissing along her cheek and then her jaw. His hands were in her hair, tugging her head back, exposing her throat. He brushed his lips against her throat, murmuring, "You are so fucking beautiful."
She felt beautiful in his arms. Sexy. Wanted. Lucia rocked over him again, his strong hands guiding her, showing her exactly how to move. He nipped at her throat, gentle love bites, followed by teasing licks to soothe the tiny wounds.
Lucia tried desperately to drag air into her lungs but all that came out were tiny pants, hardly enough to stay conscious. Screw it. Who needed consciousness? She loved this buzzing, floaty state with Noah. This alternate world. One in which she was sexy and he wanted her more than his next breath. She didn't want to go back to reality. Not yet. She just needed—more.
Noah dragged his lips away from her throat, and somewhere in the room there was a low whimpering sound. Wait, was that her?
Noah chuckled. "So you want more do you?"
He took her hands, and slid them over his shoulders, into his hair before bringing his lips back to hers; giving her those heady kisses that put her brain into a coma and made her heart thump and her body tingle.
As he kissed her, his hands slid up under her T-shirt again. And when his thumbs grazed the undersides of her breasts, Lucia gasped, automatically arching into the caress. Against her lips, she could feel his smile. He knew exactly what he was doing, how he was making her feel. And she didn’t care, she wanted more.
"I think we can get rid of this," he whispered.
Lucia looked down at the T-shirt he tugged on, and she nodded her head briskly. "Yeah. Who needs this old thing?"
He gave her a lopsided smile as he tugged on the hem. She raised her hands to make things easier for him, and up and over it went, making barely a sound as it hit the coffee table behind her.
Noah stared, his eyes pinned on her bra as he licked his bottom lip. Impatient, she rolled her hips again, riding along the edge of his erection, and his gaze snapped back to hers. "You
feel what you’re doing to me without even trying?"
Breathlessly she asked, "Am I doing anything?"
He gave her another patented Noah Blake grin as his hands slid up her back to support her. He leaned into her, gently kissing along her ribs on the left, and then across to the other side. Kissing the underside of her bra, and then her sternum. Teasing. Promising, but not delivering. Driving her crazy. He was doing this on purpose. He knew the effect he had on her. Knew that any second, she was going to burst into flames.
"Noah—"
"Easy, princess. No way in hell I’m rushing this."
Damn it. She needed—more.
Through her bra, Noah blew a hot breath directly on her nipple. That tore a low moan out of her chest. Holy cow. That was so—
But he wasn't done yet. With one thumb, he drew gentle circles over the opposite nipple, even as he wrapped his lips around the now hardened bud. He grazed gently with his teeth, then lapped at her with his tongue.
"Oh my God. Jesus.”
Behind her, his fingers flicked and she felt her bra strap release. The next thing Lucia knew, his mouth was on her. Hot. Wet. Slick. With every pull of his tongue and lips, her core contracted. She involuntarily rolled her hips, seeking more contact, more friction, just more.
Apparently, Noah had plans to torture her as he moved to do the exact same thing to her other nipple. With an expert flick of his tongue, pulling and tugging, he made her beg.
Noah Blake completely owned her body.
With his lips still around her nipple, he made a muffled sound as his fingers slid down her ribs, and her torso, past her bellybutton to where she rode him. Oh so gently, he ran his thumb over the heat of her core through her leggings, and she bucked.
With a hand firmly on her ass, he kept her in position and continued to tease her with his teeth. His thumb drove her closer and closer to the edge of bliss and destruction. One stroke up, one stroke down, then a slow, teasing circle.
Ooh God, she was going to die like this—hovering on the edge, not knowing what it would feel like to—suddenly her body bucked and shook, and stars exploded around her. The rush of heat and heaven and pure pleasure flooded her bloodstream.
"Oh my God, Noah."
Against her nipple, Noah muttered, "Yeah, princess. That’s it. Let go for me."
Lucia thought he might stop, but he kept up the onslaught, dragging her right back up the mountain only to push her over once more. When another wave of pure bliss washed over her, she sagged.
Noah finally let up with his thumb. He gently released her nipple and kissed up to her collarbone, then her jaw, and gently kissed her lips. "My God, I love how you do that."
Lucia flushed. "I don't think I’ve ever—”
But she didn't get to finish, because Noah was kissing her again. Gentle, unhurried, but deep. Against her core, his erection still throbbed as if begging, ‘I'm still here. Please don’t forget about me.’ Not that she could.
He gently lifted her so that her legs wrapped around him, and he carried her through the living room and down the hall to her bedroom.
He gently set her down on the bed before reaching for her leggings and dragging them off in one fell swoop. Then he reached behind his back and dragged his T-shirt over his head. With only moonlight streaming in through the edges of the blinds, all she could do was make out the shape of his broad shoulders and the ridges of his abdominal muscles.
Holy hell. He was—wow. She held her breath and waited for him to finish undressing. Geez, they were really doing this. And despite the fact that she’d never done it before, she wasn’t scared. Quite the opposite. She wasn’t worried at all.
Except, well, he was huge. But she wanted him. She wanted this. She’d wanted Noah Blake from the moment she’d first noticed boys, so there was no stopping this train. She was running past go, and she was going to collect her $200.
Noah undid his buckle, shoved his jeans down and stepped out of them easily. Before he tossed them though, he reached into a pocket and grabbed his wallet, taking out a condom and tucking it into the back of his boxer briefs.
Noah climbed on the bed beside her and tugged her to him, pulling her body flush against him, and the hair on his chest made her nipples tingle with awareness again. He flipped them over so that she lay on top of him.
Against the juncture of her thighs, his erection pulsed, begging for freedom. Lucia brushed her fingertips along his stomach, his muscles bunching and shifting with every trace.
When she reached the edge of his boxers, Noah dragged his lips from hers and cursed. "Lucia?" he asked, his voice gravelly as she teased her fingertips along the edge. When his hips rose, he muttered a string of things he’d never said around her before.
"Yes, Noah."
His breath hitched. "You know you're driving me crazy, right?"
She was driving him crazy? She was the one who felt like she was on the edge of desperation. Now she wanted to play a little. "Am I?"
Another hip roll from him. "Yes. You can’t tell?" His voice was barely audible as his muscles tensed.
She lifted her head to watch him carefully as she traced her finger over the soft cotton to the bridge of his erection. Deliberately, she traced her fingers along the length of him. Noah hissed, but he didn't stop her. She grew bolder, wrapping her fingers around him and squeezing gently. Wanting more, she released him and then slipped her hand into his waistband.
Noah sat up. "Lucia, wait."
She froze. "Am I doing it wrong?"
He gave her a sharp chuckle even as his brows furrowed down. "Wrong? Fuck no. But if you—"
She wrapped her fingers around him again, feeling the softness of his skin, the throbbing pulse as the blood that ran through his body concentrated in one organ. Gently she pumped him, fascinated that she was having this kind of effect on him.
“Oh, fuck, Lucia. Jesus. I won’t make it. You have to—"
Lucia traced her fingers to the tip, spreading the drop of moisture that had pooled. "Is this okay?"
Noah groaned but didn't stop her. Instead, he dug his hands into his hair and tugged while he let her play. His body twitched and bucked under her exploration. But he didn't push, nor did he stop her. Lucia raised her gaze to meet his. He was watching her with a half-lidded look of desperation in his eyes. She turned her attention back to what she was doing. Her tongue snaked out of her mouth as she wondered what those pearly drops of moisture tasted like. She licked her lips.
Noah cursed. "Oh, no you don't. If you put your mouth on me, I'm not going to make it. And I think I owe you at least a couple more orgasms before you put me down for the night."
She had no idea what he meant, but damn he was fast. Before she knew it, he had her flat on her back with his lips on hers again. With both her hands safely trapped in one of his, he kissed her deeply. When he pulled back, he nipped at her bottom lip.
"I think that's enough playing for now. You can play more later. Right now I’m too on edge."
He took the sting out of taking her new favorite toy away by giving her something he knew she liked. He lowered his head to her nipple, sucking, licking, driving her back to that brink of heaven. But this time, instead of just stroking her through her underwear, he took his hand down to the juncture of her thighs, parting her gently.
Lucia had to remind herself to breathe, trying to remember how to do the simple motion she did every day, all day. It was too difficult with Noah teasing her. In and out.
Noah teased the skin where the elastic of her underwear met her thigh and then nudged the fabric aside. His thumb found her slick, wet, and one of his fingers gently teased her entrance, probing, testing.
Against her breasts, he muttered, "Fuck. I could do this all day." And then he slid a finger in deep.
Lucia never stood a chance…especially when he curled the finger inside her, pressing gently.
Holy Mother of God. He pressed again gently stroking back and forth, and then she was sailing over the cliff, happ
y to dive without a parachute. Her body quaked, tightening around his finger, desperate to hold it inside.
"Oh my God, Noah."
He hooked his thumbs in the elastic of her panties and tugged them down easily. And then, he splayed her hips wide with his broad shoulders, tucking his hands under her ass, lifting her to him. The first stroke of his tongue made her moan. He stroked her again and again, and soon one orgasm rolled into another, and she had no idea where Noah ended and she began.
With every stroke, lick, gentle flick of his finger, and penetration of his tongue, she was flying into the void.
She collapsed against the pillows, her body limp, unable to move. Noah kissed his way up her thigh even as he chuckled. He rolled away to shuck his boxers. Then she heard the tearing of foil. When he rolled back, he settled over her. She lifted her hips impatiently.
"Lucia, you’re supposed to let me take my time."
No way that was happening. She lifted her hips again. She wanted him. She wanted this. He was taking too long.
Noah growled deeply before sinking in to the hilt. She hissed. Oh God.
Noah muttered, "Fuck. You’re so tight."
"Noah—"
He pulled back a little, and Lucia wrapped her legs around his back. No way was he leaving. He dropped his head to her throat and nuzzled her gently as he sank back in. Another curse.
He repeated the action, small movements, until the sting and burn were replaced with something far more intense, far more pleasurable. Once again, Noah was dragging her to the edge of the cliff, but this wasn't a race for something fast and fleeting like a flash of fireworks. This was stronger, more tangible somehow.
Noah dropped his forehead to hers. Her fingernails dug into his shoulders, and she blinked rapidly as she tried to hold on tight. His gaze met hers and held. Then he made love to her. His hips rocking in and out; slide, retreat, slide, retreat, never breaking eye contact.
She matched him thrust for thrust, rocking her hips into his, seeking more contact. Her fingers clutched desperately at his shoulders, trying to pull him deeper. "Noah, please," she whispered.
