by Alexa Powers
As soon as they walked through the front door, Lily caught Emma by the arm and dragged her into the kitchen, while calling out to Josh and Noah. “What can we get you to drink?”
“I’ll have a beer, babe,” Josh shouted out to her as he took a seat in the lounge.
“Me too, babe,” Noah requested with a hearty laugh.
“Funny, Noah,” Lily answered back sarcastically, then faced Emma and continued quietly. “So, what’s going on with you and Noah? I thought I was going to have to throw a bucket of ice water on the two of you. He was just about shagging you on the dance floor and you didn’t look like you were complaining.” Lily poked an accusatory finger at Emma, then snorted while leaning into the refrigerator, grabbing four beers.
Shaking her head, Emma leaned her hip against the counter. “We were just dancing, Lil. That’s how most people do it, if you haven’t noticed. I’m not saying that I minded, though. All I can think when I look at him is…well…I have trouble thinking when I look at him, actually. He certainly wasn’t slapped with the ugly stick,” she laughed, as Lily cocked her head and glanced at her sideways. “What?”
“The ugly stick?” Lily snickered. “Yeah, well it looked like some kind of primitive mating ritual from where I was sitting,” she pointed out gleefully, as she opened a drawer, shifting the contents around until she landed on the bottle opener.
“Ha. Ha. That was nothing compared to what those floozies would have done to him out there,” Emma declared ruefully, wincing at the thought of the two women with Noah, then again at the sudden pang of jealousy that came over her.
“Yeah, well, he’s not interested in that, I can tell you. Noah’s been around for a fair few years in the public spotlight; he knows better than to get mixed up with the likes of them. Doesn’t stop girls from trying one on, though.” Lily exhaled a long breath in sympathy for her friend. “If they knew him at all, they’d know better. Girls like that just want to brag to their friends that they bagged an All Black. But that’s not who he is. Do you know what I mean?”
“I think so. Obviously, I don’t know him that well. But from the few hours I spent with him tonight, that’s pretty clear. He seems like a nice guy,” Emma answered honestly. From what she’d witnessed he appeared to be well-mannered and considerate…two very important qualities, she thought to herself.
“He is,” Lily uttered simply, handing Emma two beers and starting for the lounge.
Emma handed Noah his beer, and settled onto her side of the couch. Glancing at Noah as he lifted his beer, he flashed an irresistible smile in her direction, before putting the bottle to his lips for a long swig.
Hypnotized, as his Adams Apple bobbed up and down when he swallowed, Emma wondered why she’d never noticed that on anyone before. Maybe it was just Noah, but it was one of the sexiest things she’d ever seen.
“Emma, how would you like to go to the beach after New Year’s?” Josh asked, drawing her attention away from Noah. “We’re going to a party in Devonport, but then were hoping to get away for a few days. A quick holiday before we get busy with the final push to the wedding.”
“I’d love that, as long as you won’t mind having a third wheel on your vacation.” The beach sounded wonderful, but she was on a budget and wasn’t sure she could afford the luxury of a vacation. “And as long as the hotel isn’t too expensive. I still have a lot of stuff to buy for school and such. If so, I can always stay here. I don’t mind.”
“Wouldn’t have asked if we didn’t want your company, Emma. But Noah has a bach on Papamoa Beach on the Bay of Plenty, so it wouldn’t cost you anything,” Josh answered cheerfully.
“A what? What’s a bach?” She didn’t want to sound stupid, but she had no idea what they were talking about.
“I guess it’s what you’d call a vacation home,” Noah explained.
“Oh, so who’d be going with us?” Emma probed, her eyes locking on Lily nervously.
“Just the four of us. It’s so nice there this time of year. You’ll love it,” Lily gushed, as if it was no big deal.
It felt like a big deal to Emma, though. If she was being completely honest, she liked the idea of spending more time with Noah, getting to know him better. But this felt like too much, too soon. Like a double date that was going to last for days.
What if he got on her nerves? What would she do then? She’d be stuck there. A few days of sun and surf might be worth it, though, even if he turned out to be a total douche.
But what if he thought she was like one of the girls from the club? Was he expecting an easy hook-up for the week?
Being a famous rugby player, Noah was probably used to women throwing themselves at him. Would he expect that from her too? She wasn’t a virgin, but wasn’t a one night stand kind of girl either. Had she given him the impression that she was? She hoped not, because she didn’t do that. Ever.
“Um…would there be room for all of us?” Emma could feel her face heating up as she started to blush, and she was becoming increasingly annoyed with Lily for putting her in the situation in the first place.
“Yes, of course. We’d have our own rooms, but I think Josh and Lily might want to share,” Noah chimed in, his sweet smile helping to put her at ease.
Giving herself a moment to think, she took a long pull from her drink, the cool liquid sliding down her throat, as she worked to quiet her churning emotions.
Over the years she’d taken plenty of vacations with her male friends, and occasionally she’d been the only girl. So, why was the thought of spending time at the beach with Noah so unnerving? She knew the reason and he was sitting within striking distance, looking sexier than any man had a right to.
With more confidence than she actually felt, she calmly responded, “Alright. I’d love to go. Actually, I love the beach. Now, what about the party? Will they mind if you bring me along since they don’t know me?”
“Nah, they won’t mind at all. No worries. And they live on Queens Parade so we’ll have the perfect spot to watch the fireworks display,” Josh replied, then irreverently added. “You might even find some lucky bugger to give you a kiss at midnight.”
“Yeah, right,” Emma snorted, then feeling embarrassed, started fidgeting on the couch. “What kind of girl do you think I am, Josh?”
“The kind that clearly needs to lighten up a bit, based on your reaction every time you catch me innocently kissing Lily.”
Innocent my ass, she thought to herself.
Emma had been called a lot of things over the years, but uptight wasn’t one of them. She was a go-with-the-flow kind of girl, so Josh’s comment stung a little.
“For the record, I’ve only said something when you were ready to take her on the kitchen counter with me standing two feet away, innocently trying to enjoy my morning cup of tea,” she clarified, aiming for a touch of snark, but instead landing on the whiney side of petulance.
“Well, I do some of my best work in the kitchen. Lots to work with. I’ve been missing that since you moved in,” Josh winked, giving her a mischievous smirk, then slid Lily closer to him on the couch and kissed her soundly.
“Ugh…see what I have to put up with?” She looked to Noah for sympathy and found none, as he only laughed at Josh’s response.
Emma scowled at Lily. “Please tell me you sterilize the counters.”
“Of course, Emma. We have to eat off of them too, you know,” Lily answered back, after pulling away from Josh.
“You sure you want to sit there, Emma?” Josh lifted his eyebrows suggestively, nodding towards her spot on the couch.
“Are you kidding me? Is nowhere safe around here?” Emma laughed, trying her best not to cringe.
“Hmm…let me think,” Josh paused for dramatic effect, drumming his fingers across his chin, as he considered his retort, “Nope,” he concluded decisively.
“Oh. My. God. I give up. Please tell me you at least put clean sheets on my bed,” she joked halfheartedly, thinking she may need to do some laundry.
“Thanks, Lil.” Even though she knew Josh was only trying to get a rise out of her, she still didn’t relish the thought of sleeping on dirty sheets.
“Well, speaking of my bed. I think I’m going to hit it.” Emma hoisted herself off the couch, coming to her feet.
After giving Lily and Josh a hug, she turned to Noah, briefly contemplating whether or not she should give in to the urge to give him one too.
Making up her mind for her, Noah stood and took a step towards Emma. “Good night, Emma. It was great to finally meet you.” He smiled as he folded his strong arms around her, then bent down and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. At the tender gesture she unconsciously squeezed him tightly around the waist, shamelessly inhaling his musky scent.
His warmth enveloped her and she reluctantly released him after a long minute. “Good night, Noah. It was really nice meeting you, too. I had a lot of fun tonight.” She leaned down, picked up her sandals, and headed to her room.
Chapter 5
Waking in the morning, Emma groaned as she realized she’d once again forgotten to close the curtains. Making a mental note to call home, she left the warmth of her bed for some water in the kitchen.
As she stuck her head in the refrigerator in search of a bottle of water, she was startled by Noah’s voice behind her. “Good morning, Emma.” The smooth cadence of his voice set the hairs on the back of her neck on end, and sent a little shiver down her spine.
Quickly straightening, she turned towards him…and froze. Standing before her was what could only be described as perfection, but even that didn’t do him justice. People wrote songs about a body like his, usually a cautionary tale ending in heartbreak, but as she paused to absorb the visual impact, she understood the temptation.
Leaning against the door frame, looking scrumptiously rumpled, wearing only a pair of black gym shorts, which sat dangerously low on his narrow hips, was the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen. Sweet mother of God, she thought to herself, clutching the bottle of water, needing something to hold onto.
It took every ounce of self-restraint she could muster not to reach out and touch him, just to make sure he was real and not a figment of her overactive imagination. She could feel her body temperature rising at an alarming rate, and was thankful for the still-opened refrigerator door providing cool air to soothe her heated skin.
Fully clothed Noah left her warm and fuzzy and wanting to cuddle. Shirtless Noah left her hot and bothered and wanting to copulate.
Swallowing past the lump that had formed in her throat, her eyes drifted to a pair of muscular arms, crossed over his bare chest, and an eight pack of chiseled abs, all contours and ridges, just begging to be explored.
A thin line of dark hair below his navel disappeared into his shorts, drawing her eyes lower, and when they landed on what appeared to be a rather impressive package, she forgot how to breathe.
Noah Parker had a duty to pass on his DNA for the good of mankind. And her ovaries were currently jostling for position, as they lined up to volunteer for service.
Finally dragging her eyes to meet his, she found him, much to her distress, watching her with a knowing grin.
Busted.
“Um…Good morning, Noah,” she squeaked, her voice an octave higher than normal, betraying her level of utter humiliation.
Standing in the doorway, Noah had had a choice view of her bum as she bent over, humming a tune while rummaging through the fridge. Taking advantage of the fact that she was oblivious to his presence, he’d let his eyes wander over a pair of shapely legs that went on forever, and were the things dreams were made of. Wet dreams.
“I was just about to put some water on for tea,” she visibly gulped, and a pretty pink tinted her cheeks. “I think I had a bit too much to drink last night. I need some caffeine to get my brain in gear.”
She may’ve needed caffeine to get her mind in gear, but Noah’s was locked and loaded, and as he took in the sight of her, ready for some fun.
“Should I flex for you, Emma? Give you the gun show?” Noah couldn’t resist giving her a hard time, as he flexed his biceps, not embarrassed at all by her obvious appreciation of his physique.
As a professional sportsman his livelihood depended on taking care of his body. Any weakness would be exploited by his opponent and could cost him his position on the team, so he spent countless hours on physical conditioning, even in the off season.
He wasn’t as ripped as some of the other fellas on the team, but the ladies seemed to like the results. And looking at the adorable blush coloring her cheeks, Emma liked what she was seeing…just fine.
“Um…” She paused, completely mortified and at a loss for words. “I…I wasn’t expecting to see you. And then all this…I’m only human, after all,” she stammered, waving her hand up and down, then grimaced, realizing she’d just said that out loud.
“I’m just teasing you, Emma.” Noah lowered his arms to his side, and she breathed a sigh of relief. “Probably should’ve had some water before bed, I reckon. And I’d kill for a cuppa, if you don’t mind.”
Thankful for the change in topic, to safer territory, Emma tried to focus on the task at hand, before she made an even bigger fool of herself. “I don’t mind at all. I didn’t know you were spending the night here. Where’d you sleep?” she inquired, turning to make their tea.
“On the couch, I’m afraid. I used to have a comfy bed to sleep in when I stayed over, but it has a much prettier occupant now. I’ve been replaced,” he frowned, reaching for two cups in the cabinet, and placing them on the counter next to her.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Lily mentioned you stayed over sometimes, but it never occurred to me last night,” she admitted apologetically, knowing he couldn’t have gotten much rest on the couch.
“No worries. The couch was surprisingly comfortable, considering I couldn’t roll over without falling off,” he fibbed. His back was killing him, but he didn’t want to make her feel bad, so he’d never admit that to her.
Emma’s lips curled into a pretty pout. “You’re way too big to fit on that couch. If I’d known, I would’ve let you have the bed.”
“Like I said, no worries. I slept like a baby.” Curiosity getting the better of him, Noah switched gears. “So, tell me about your family. I know you have a brother and a sister that live in Boone. Do you have any other siblings?”
“There’re six of us,” she laughed, that enchanting laugh that left him wanting…well everything.
“That’s a lot of seats around the dinner table,” he observed good-naturedly.
“Yeah. You learned to eat pretty fast with three older brothers. They took a deep breath and the food was gone.” Growing up, dinner was always an adventure. Most of the time it was loud and fun, but she could also remember plenty of teary exits from the table, after someone got their feelings hurt.
“I’m sure. Did you leave the table without enough to eat? Is that why you’re so thin?” he asked, a concerned frown tainting his handsome face.
“Oh, I like food way too much to go without. Trust me,” she chuckled, shaking her head. “But I’ve always been pretty active, with dance classes and then I started swimming, not to mention the endless hiking trails in Boone.” She poured the steaming water into their cups. “How do you take it?”
“Just a little milk, please.” He paused as she prepared their tea. “Thank you.” Then smiled appreciatively as she slid his cup to him.
Noah watched, mesmerized, as she lifted the cup to her lips, and then blew on the hot liquid before taking a sip.
“Mmm. Just what the doctor ordered,” she closed her eyes, releasing a sexy moan and he almost choked.
Not wanting to be obvious, he allowed his eyes to quickly skim the length of her. She wore a form-fitting tank top and a pair of scandalously short shorts that barely co
vered her perfectly rounded bum and left her impossibly long legs on full display.
“What does the ‘A’ stand for?” he asked, pointing to the bold yellow ‘A’ on the front of her black tank top, letting his eyes linger there for a long moment, enjoying the view.
Good Lord, she wasn’t wearing a bra and her nipples were on high alert. Forcing his eyes back up to her face, he started to panic when he felt a stirring low in his belly, and willed his body into submission before he completely humiliated himself.
“Appalachian State. It’s where I go to school. Home of the Mountaineers,” she happily chirped, as she walked into the lounge. And as if attached to an invisible leash, he dutifully followed.
Taking a blanket off the back of the couch, she settled into the chair and propped her feet on the coffee table, crossing her legs at the ankles. Snatching the blanket from her hands would probably be ill advised, but that’s exactly what he wanted to do when she proceeded to cover herself with the offending scrap of material.
Pity, Noah thought, as he made himself comfortable on the couch opposite her. Watching as she snuggled into the cushions, he didn’t think he’d ever tire of looking at her, and found himself longing to hold her, to kiss her. Every mouthwatering inch of her.
Her clean face exposed flawless skin, surrounded by a thick mass of sun-kissed blonde hair that obviously hadn’t been brushed yet, but still left him wanting to twirl it around his fingers. She was a natural beauty, with the prettiest green eyes he’d ever seen, and his only thought as he gazed at her was that he could happily wake up to that face every day, for the rest of his days.
Noah wasn’t entirely surprised by his reaction to her; she was absolutely gorgeous and dead sexy too. But more importantly, the more time he spent with her, he realized that she was much more than just a pretty face.
