Stay With Me

by Alexa Powers

  Chapter 10

  Driving to Lily’s parents’ for dinner after their week at the beach was bittersweet. Emma was looking forward to Lily’s wedding and seeing her family again, but she was also going to miss spending so much time with Noah.

  Having his undivided attention was flattering and had allowed them to grow closer, and she wasn’t quite ready for it to be over. She suspected that Lily and Josh had thrown them together on purpose, but as she looked over at Noah from the passenger seat, she was eternally grateful.

  Resting her head against the seat, she studied him as he maneuvered the car onto the highway that would take them back to Auckland. His tanned, muscular arms flexed as he gripped the steering wheel, and her fingers ached to touch him. He glanced at her and smiled, while reaching for her hand, lacing their fingers together. It was a sweet and tender gesture…and totally Noah.

  Emma would never forget the past week. Even though the house was surrounded by other homes, it felt isolated. She wondered how different things would be when they returned to the real world, once Noah started practicing with the team and she started school.

  Life had a way of getting in the way, and vacations sometimes created a false reality of how things would be in real life. An alternate reality of sorts…an illusion. The carefree existence they’d enjoyed the last few weeks would be over.

  She’d gotten used to Noah being around all the time; surely that would change, she thought. She knew from Lily’s experience that life with a sportsman wasn’t always easy. Between the constant travel and the groping fangirls, it could put a strain on any relationship, especially a new one, if that was even what they had. She knew something was happening, but what it was exactly, she wasn’t sure.

  After dinner, Noah dropped them off at home, explaining that he had team obligations in the morning and needed a good night’s sleep, and Emma immediately felt the loss of his company as she sank into the couch cushions.

  Emma felt guilty that he’d lost his bed in the city when she’d moved in, but she wasn’t prepared to share it with him. At least not yet anyway. He’d made no secret of his desire to take things to the next level, but she wasn’t positive they were on the same page, and didn’t want to have any regrets when they finally did have sex.

  Whenever he was near, her body longed for his touch…physically ached for even the slightest of touches, but she was having trouble reconciling the fact that she’d be leaving at the end of the year.

  It would be so much easier if she was the type of girl who could have a casual fling and then walk away after it ran its course, but she wasn’t and she knew it. Unable to separate the physical and the emotional aspects of a sexual relationship, she only did relationships one way…all or nothing.

  When she dated, it was always someone she could see herself spending the rest of her life with. Admittedly, she’d made poor choices in the past, but she’d tried to learn from each of them. She wasn’t going to settle for just so-so, she wanted her happily ever after. She wanted forever.

  Noah definitely had her heart wanting forever, and more. But to what end?

  After falling asleep with the phone pressed to her ear, Emma woke in the morning and couldn’t stop the little giggle that bubbled up from her throat. Noah had called to say goodnight as she was getting into bed, and the last time she’d checked the clock it was two in the morning. So much for him getting a good night’s sleep, she thought, reaching for her charger. Plugging in her phone, she called Ali, wanting to talk to her big sister about her trip to the beach and her growing feelings for Noah.

  When she finally disconnected the call, Emma was discouraged and more confused than ever. Exhaling as she rolled over onto her back, she stared up at the ceiling. She knew Ali was worried that she’d get hurt, but the extent of her negativity was surprising. To have Ali dismiss her feelings so effortlessly was frustrating. “Why put yourself through that?” she’d asked. Even knowing she had a valid argument, it still felt wrong to deny her feelings for Noah.

  Emma decided to go for a swim to clear her mind, and getting a good workout always helped, so she packed her swim bag, put her hair in a topknot, and headed to the kitchen. Finding it empty, she quickly ate a light breakfast, left a note for Lily, grabbed her bag, and set off for the walk to the swim club.

  The familiar smell of chlorine immediately calmed her as she slipped into the water. After warming-up with a 200 meter freestyle, she switched to butterfly. Her mind went back to the conversation with her sister. Was Ali right? Was she making a mistake with Noah? She didn’t think so, but she also knew the heady rush of a new relationship could be distracting, and being with Noah was the definition of distraction.

  She thought back to the night they’d met in the club. From the minute she laid eyes on him, she was sucked into his orbit. He’d turned out to be so much more than a handsome face and a smoking hot body. She truly enjoyed spending time with him; they’d spent countless hours just talking or sitting quietly in a companionable silence, and it never felt awkward or uncomfortable.

  Noah was funny and sweet, and when he looked at her with his crooked smile and impossibly blue eyes, he set her on fire. Her body reacted almost instinctively whenever he was near. She was drawn to him like a magnet to steel, but it wasn’t just her body that craved him, her mind did too. How do you fight an attraction so strong? She had no idea, but knew she wouldn’t try anyway.

  Changing to backstroke, she thought about distancing herself from him, but the answering contraction in her chest made it obvious how involved she was already. Her brain could tell her that being with him was a mistake, and it was probably right, but her heart was in total rebellion. Just thinking about their first kiss, and how magical it was, left her feeling all warm and fuzzy. It was the kind of kiss you told your grandchildren about. She could still feel the strength of his arms holding her, as his tongue stoked a fire deep down in her soul.

  Reaching the edge of the pool, she pushed off into the breaststroke. Her mind instantly took her back to the morning at the beach house, to the feel of his hands as they slowly inched their way under her shirt until they found their target. She’d wanted to hurry him along, but he’d taken his time, savoring every inch of her. Even now, the memory of his expert fingers, gently caressing her, left her aching with need.

  Kicking off the side of the pool, she transitioned to freestyle to finish her workout. Trying to slow her heart rate, she deliberately forced her thoughts from Noah’s touch, and his mind-numbing kisses, which had the power to make her forget time and space, and made a mental list of the pros and cons of being with him. The only con she could come up with, unfortunately, was potentially big enough to outweigh all of the pros, and the pros were considerable. The cold reality was that her home was in America and his was here, in New Zealand. Even the most committed relationships would have a hard time surviving that kind of distance for long.

  In the end, Emma decided to wait and see where things went with Noah, to take it one day at a time. If the fascination was still there after the wedding, she’d talk to him, to get a feel for what he was looking for. For all she knew, she was stressing herself out over a non-issue. Maybe Noah was only interested in a casual fling, nothing exclusive.

  If that was the case, she’d have a good cry and then bow out gracefully. She didn’t do casual, and she certainly didn’t share, but she was fairly certain Noah felt the same way, and it gave her confidence a needed boost.

  With a reassuring nod to herself, she got out of the pool and headed for the locker room. Surely Lily wouldn’t encourage her to be with Noah if he was only interested in a casual hook up. It hadn’t gone unnoticed that Lily and Josh disappeared for hours on end while they were at the beach. Leaving plenty of alone time for the two of them to get to know each other better.

  After a warm shower, which felt like heaven, she quickly dried her hair and got dressed. Sliding her feet into her flip-flops, her heart did a little pitter-patter when she checked her phone and saw a mis
sed call from Noah. Placing her bag over her shoulder, she pushed the door open and stepped out onto the busy sidewalk, pressing the send button to return his call.

  “Hi, Emma,” Noah happily greeted her.

  “Hey. Sorry I missed your call. I was in the pool. What’s up?”

  “I was wondering if you’d be interested in going to Hobbiton tomorrow. I know you’re a big fan of The Lord of the Rings, and you can tour the movie set of The Shire. It’s not far from here, and then I thought we’d get a bite to eat.” He tried not to think of Emma in her sexy togs, the water sluicing off her smooth skin, her soft curves covered only by a thin layer of material, wet and skin tight.

  Without even trying, Emma haunted his dreams and fantasies, and he couldn’t wait to fulfill a few of them…the sooner the better. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair at the images his mind conjured up, and after a week at the beach with her, his tired brain didn’t have to work too hard. The barely-there bikinis she preferred showcased her athletic body nicely, and left little to the imagination.

  On a few mornings, he’d sat on the deck as she did yoga on the beach. When she spread her legs and folded herself in half as she grabbed her ankles, giving him a choice view of her goodies, he actually groaned out loud, and then went as hard as granite, wanting to bury himself there. She was tall, tanned, toned…and limber. And he ached to discover every inch of the luscious body that kept him up at night, and in a constant state of arousal.

  “Oh my God, really? I’d love to. I read that they’d left the set up when they finished filming the movies.”

  “It’s about a two hour drive from here, in Matamata, so I’ll pick you up ‘round nine. We’ll have lunch when we get there.”

  The more time he spent with her, the more time he wanted to spend with her. She was quickly becoming necessary for him. Feeling giddy and uncomfortable at the same time at the realization, he reminded himself that he still had his work cut out for him.

  If things progressed the way he’d hoped, he’d have to convince her to leave her family and move to En Zed. And based on the way she lit up when she spoke of them, it was a long shot. Not impossible, but definitely the odds were not in his favor.

  “You mean second breakfast, right? I’m so excited, I can’t wait!” He could hear the excitement in her voice and reveled in the sound of it. “But how was your meeting this morning?”

  “Fine. Fine. I don’t much care for having my photo taken, being fussed over and all that. But it’s part of the job description I suppose, eh?”

  “I guess. What was it for? If you don’t mind me asking.” He sensed the hesitation in her voice and wished she was standing in front of him, so he could kiss it away. He never wanted her to shy away from asking him anything.

  “Promotional stuff with some of the boys, showing off our new jerseys,” Noah explained.

  He was always embarrassed to see himself on billboards or in magazines. It wasn’t why he played, but doing a bit of side work added nicely to his salary. It was always in the back of his mind that his playing days could be over tomorrow, so he banked what he could now, preparing for the future.

  Noah didn’t have to look far for a reminder of that reality. Josh was one of the best in the world and would probably still be playing if not for the bit of bad luck that ended it all in an instant. Luckily for Josh, he’d taken care of his money, and didn’t live extravagantly, other than his flash condo in the CBD. But he’d saved his money and invested wisely, and now he had a comfortable life, with Lily by his side. He was still popular with sponsors, due to the level of success he’d achieved in his career, so that helped to pay the bills too.

  Noah hoped to be so lucky. Other than the career-ending injury, of course.

  “Well, speaking on behalf of the female population, a hot guy in a tight jersey will always work. Although, when you buy one for your boyfriend and they don’t look like the guy in the ad…” she sighed dramatically. “Probably a bit of a disappointment.”

  “Thanks. I guess. Are you suggesting that I’m hot, Emma?” Noah teased, and he could see her blushing through the phone line. He loved that about her; her shy innocence turned him on and made him want her even more.

  A soft giggle greeted him through the phone line. “Oh, please, you know you are. And I like the way you look. A lot.” She paused and he wondered if the pretty pink tint of her blush had spread to her chest yet. “And might I remind you that you’re a highly trained athlete? A fine-tuned machine, I think you mentioned. It’s hard for mere mortals to fill it out as well as you guys.”

  “Oh, I think you don’t give yourself enough credit, sweetheart. You’d fill it out just fine. Might have to get you one to wear. It’s time you started pimping more than your university. You are in En Zed after all.” He wanted to see her in his jersey. His number 15 proudly displayed across her back.

  “Well, you know what they say, ‘if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em’. I guess I’ll need one if I go to a game while I’m here.” At the ding of the arriving lift, she quickly added. “I’m probably going to lose you once I’m in the elevator. So I’d better go.”

  “Yeah. I’ll see you in the morning, Emma.”

  “I can hardly wait. I’m so excited. Don’t think I’m going to get much sleep tonight.” He could help her with that, he thought to himself.

  “Well, I could always come over and keep you company. I can think of a fair few things one can do when sleep evades you,” Noah responded hopefully.

  “Oh, I’m sure,” she snickered. “But, sadly, I must decline your kind invitation. You haven’t even taken me on a proper date yet.” She had a point, but their outing to Matamata and then the romantic dinner he had planned would qualify as a proper date, and, hopefully, remove that obstacle.

  “Um, well…can’t say that I’m not disappointed, but I think I’m up for the challenge, Emma,” Noah finally stuttered out, momentarily distracted by the thought of their tangled lips and limbs discovering one another.

  Emma chuckled. “Well, I hope you are. And on that note, I’ll leave it at that, and say goodbye.”

  “Bye, Emma.” Noah leaned back, resting his head on the back of the couch, exhaling a deep breath, and closing his eyes. Visions of Emma, naked and splayed out on his bed, ran through his head. She was the highlight reel that was on a constant loop…tormenting him. Needing to relieve the growing erection that sprung to life every time he thought of her, he lowered his hand and stroked it gently, wishing it was her hand on him.

  Hoping a long run on the beach, and then a very cold shower would take care of it, he headed for the door. He knew it wouldn’t, though. He doubted the actual deed would satisfy his infinite need for her. Well, he never gave up when he wanted something badly enough, and if she wanted to be properly courted, that’s exactly what he’d do. He’d never needed to work this hard to get into a woman’s knickers before, but it was good for him, he supposed. She was good for him.

  Lily was waiting on the couch when Emma entered the lounge, and by the sly smirk on her face, she wanted to talk. Emma set her bag down by her bedroom door and joined her cousin, knowing she was in for a grilling and Lily wouldn’t quit until she got what she wanted out of her.

  “Spill it,” Lily simply stated, turning to face Emma, folding one leg under the other. “I have to know what’s going on with you and Noah.”

  “I’m not really sure,” Emma honestly replied. She’d been thinking about it constantly and still hadn’t figured it out. “Wish I knew,” Emma added, as her eyes darted around the room, looking for Josh.

  “Don’t worry, he’s not home. It’s just the two of us. Now, tell me everything. You two have been joined at the lips since New Year’s. How do you not know? Come on, this is me you’re talking to.” Lily nudged her with her foot as she took a drink, then set the glass back down on the coffee table.

  “I’m going to ignore that lovely visual,” she grimaced. “But damned if I know. It’s really great. He’s really great. I’m j
ust not sure if we’re dating or just hanging out. Has he said anything to Josh?”

  “They’re guys, they probably just grunted to each other, but I can tell by the way he looks at you that he likes you, though. I’ve never seen him so smitten before.”

  Emma’s heart lifted, eager for any sign that he felt the same way she did. “He asked me to go to Matamata tomorrow, to see The Shire, and then to dinner. But I don’t want to read too much into it.” A slow smile spread across her face as she relaxed into the cushions, and her heart started to race at Lily’s reaction.

  “Interesting,” Lily paused, as she pulled a pillow onto her lap. Looking at Emma’s anxious expression, she continued. “He’s definitely in serious like with you. He’s dated a few women in the past few years, but I can’t remember him ever taking them away.”

  “I don’t know if you’d call a day trip going away, exactly. It’s not like he asked me to go for the weekend or anything. I find it hard to believe that he hasn’t had a serious relationship in a while, though. He’s so amazing. I can’t understand how he’s still single, actually.” Emma shook her head in disbelief, wondering why she’d be any different than the others.

  “Not for lack of trying. Trust me, there’ve been plenty who’ve tried to tie him down. With most of them, we couldn’t understand what he was doing, other than the obvious. He is a man, after all, had his head turned by a pretty face.” At Emma’s frown, she quickly added. “Sorry, Emma. I’m making him sound terribly shallow, and he’s not. Quite the opposite, actually. He always wants to see the best in people, even those who don’t deserve it. And that’s the reason he’s still single. He’s not willing to settle. He’s waiting for the real deal.”

  “Well, I guess that’s a good thing…right? I hate to sound selfish, but I’m glad he’s never found Mrs. Right. I really like him, Lily. He’s so sweet and charming. Sometimes I can’t even form a coherent thought when he’s around. I’ve never been kissed stupid before. He just melts my brain.” Emma sighed and felt the resulting flutter in her chest when she realized the extent of her admission.