Noel lifted her hips as he peeled them off. When he was done, he hovered over her, on his hands and knees, and did … nothing. She was laying there in just her panties and his gaze roved over her from head to toe. His eyes burned with something she’d not seen in a long time. Those same damn eyes that had jolted her to life the first time she’d looked into them.
“What?” She wondered what he was thinking. Her tummy was soft and slightly rounded, her hips flared out more than she would have liked and her thighs were not the thighs of a woman who went to the gym.
“I am going to taste every inch of you.” His voice came out gruffly.
Noel swallowed hard.
Looking at her, Elliot felt as though he’d waited his entire life to find this woman.
It didn’t make sense. She didn’t make sense.
They didn’t make sense.
But his body, everything within him, hungered for her.
While staring directly into her sultry green eyes, he lifted one of her legs at the knee, leaned forward and flicked his tongue along the soft skin there.
He would work his way higher but enjoy every second of her anticipation.
She already squirmed beneath his touch.
The flesh, inside her thigh, just above her knees, was delicate, tender.
He licked, and kissed it, and slid up a few inches.
Her hips rose off the bed and he tucked his hands inside the slick material of her panties.
He molded the flesh of her ass in his palms. And he squeezed as his lips moved higher.
By now, the scent of her arousal drew him even closer.
Woman. Nothing tasted like a woman.
Now he removed her last covering. She was his.
As he pressed his mouth against her, she cried out, knees falling open wide. She was hot and wet for him. He rolled his tongue around her swollen flesh and nub.
She was whimpering now and would have been squirming even more if he didn’t have tight hold of her. How could her sounds do so much for him? He loved it, the mewling, the high-pitched sighs.
He growled a little and her inner muscles twitched.
She wanted more. He’d give her more. He’d give her everything she wanted… a little at a time.
Lifting his head to watch, both what he was doing and the expressions on her face, he slid two fingers into her opening. She clenched at him and he slowly withdrew them.
Then pushed in again.
She moved with him.
Holy shit. Maybe he couldn’t do this slowly.
With her moisture around his hand, he watched her breasts quiver with each movement.
And her lips, and the sweet curve of her face.
She was coming already. Clutching around him, crying out in what he would only call ecstasy.
That was all he could take.
Fumbling, almost, he unbuttoned his pants and fell on top of her. His mouth seeking hers again.
And then she was tugging at his shirt. Sliding her hands over his skin.
He put himself at her opening and pressed inside. God, yes. Oh, fuck yes. She was wrapped around him, clutching around him.
He was gonna make a fool of himself.
He gave her everything, thrusting to the hilt, driven by her cries and sweet feminine gasps.
And again, deeper. She felt so fucking tight. So fucking right.
Everything about her stimulated his movements. The softness of her breasts and thighs, the taste of her mouth, mingled with the taste of her juices, her hair flowing over the pillow.
And her heat wrapped around his cock.
He moved slowly inside her as long as he could. Her passion was building up again. He wanted her with him. All the way.
There she was.
His motions increased as he reached higher inside her. And she took him. Every inch. The bed rocked as his motions became more purposeful, higher, harder.
And then he was there.
And she was clutching at him with everything, her hands, her legs, her womb, and he came.
Only after he had collapsed on top her and reluctantly moved to withdraw, did he realize he’d forgotten about the condoms on the nightstand.
CHAPTER SIX
Never.
Never in her life had it been like this. Like sex had been created just so that the two of them could be together in this way.
It was that perfect.
Too perfect.
As he rolled off her, she sensed a change in him. Something in his breathing, in the sudden tensing of his arm beneath her palm.
She’d disappointed him. He was already regretting it…
She would not cry. She couldn’t. That would be pathetic.
Except the hot tears behind her eyes weren’t minding very well.
She curled away from him and grabbed the only covering she could find: his shirt.
His hands hooked her around the waist. “Where do you think you’re going?” God, she loved his voice. She fricken loved too many things about him.
She was in for a world of hurt.
“I just –”
“Come back here.” He pulled her back onto the mattress and tucked her up against him.
“I, God, Noel. I’m so sorry. You’d think I was seventeen. I haven’t done anything this stupid in a long time.”
That was it. She needed out of here now. “Then why did you ask me up here?” She sort of moaned as she asked the question and struggled to get away from him.
“What the? Oh, hell, sweetheart, no. I forgot to use a condom.” His mouth was by her ear as he spoke, his breath hot against her skin. “I was so fucking excited to be with you I wasn’t thinking. God, I’m so sorry. I’ve never done that. Never.”
He’d forgotten? Oh!
Oh!
“I’m on the pill.” She rushed to reassure him. “Not that I – not that this is – well, it’s.” How did she explain that her periods could be so painful that she artificially manipulated them with birth control? “It’s okay. I’m good.” And then… “You’re good too, right?” It had been stupid of them. Stupid of both of them. “I didn’t think of it either.”
“I’m good.” He had relaxed again and was kissing her neck. “I can’t believe you think I regretted… everything else.” God, this felt so good. Being cuddled.
Being hugged from behind. “Hmm…” she hummed a little. Now that they’d cleared that up she felt completely relaxed. “Elliot?”
“Yeah?” He chuckled a little as he answered.
“Now I’m hungry.”
By the time the sun peaked over the mountain tops they’d managed to use the condoms on the nightstand – more than one, in fact. And in between they’d eaten his perfect little snacks and finished off the bottles of Perrier.
And cuddled.
She’d told him how she liked to take little hikes on her days off, sometimes with her sister, but usually alone. He’d told her about some of what he did for work. And they’d both admitted to wishing they had a dog.
Noel wished the sun would never rise. She wanted the night to go on forever.
But it did. And it didn’t.
She needed to rouse herself and get over to the condos. She couldn’t miss two days in a row.
Real life wouldn’t hold off for long. And already she was behind this month.
This time, when she woke though, she lay in bed and watched him sleep. She needed to memorize his face, his scent, the feel of his skin.
She was an interlude for him. Fun, and she knew he liked her.
They were good together.
But he had this big, important, highfalutin life back in Manhattan. He’d told her he did trading. Not like how they showed it in movies. Most of what he did was done online. He said he researched companies for potential investment.
His job, as she understood it, was managing his family’s wealth.
But he wasn’t a snob. God, no, he wasn’t a snob.
He was worried about his sister. He was afraid she wa
s killing herself and the rest of his family had washed their hands of her.
Noel leaned forward and touched her lips to his.
When his eyes fluttered open, she savored that look. This man was unforgettable. “Hey,” she whispered.
He touched her hair, and then drew his fingers along her face. “Take the day off,” he whispered. “Show me one of your hiking trails.” She nearly cried at his words.
“I can’t.” Oh, god, she wanted to. If she’d only herself to think about, she would. But there was Carley… “I didn’t clean yesterday. I can’t lose my job.” She sounded like such a loser. “I would. I want to.”
He sort of half smiled and then pressed his lips against hers.
“When do you go back?” She’d been afraid to ask. Afraid to hear his answer.
He glanced at the clock and then winced a little. “Tonight.”
Her heart stopped. It literally stopped.
This must be what if felt like when a part of you dies.
“Ellen wants to return to the rehab facility she stayed at before. I promised her…”
“Oh, well,” She swallowed, trying to get her emotions under control. “I hope she finds what she needs. Don’t give up on her.” She forced her lips into a smile. She couldn’t help it that she was regretful. “I had a really good time.”
But he looked serious. Like he couldn’t make up his mind about something. It was probably time for her to get dressed and leave. She wished he’d get up and go to the bathroom or something so that she could pull her clothes on and get out.
He was touching the side of her face again. “You’re amazing, you know?”
Yeah, really amazing. So amazing that she’d dropped out of college and now lived in perpetual debt. So amazing that she was willing to sacrifice her heart for, basically, a one night stand.
But he was kissing her again, and his kiss didn’t make her feel like a one night stand.
Because it wasn’t.
This had been special. Sometimes two people, even though they lived completely different lives, needed to come together. Sometimes, the stars aligned.
This morning, unlike last night, they made love slowly, purposefully, as though memorizing every detail, every sensation.
And the sun slanted into the room so that she could see his face clearly. She saw tenderness. She saw arousal. She saw ecstasy and then she saw peace.
And yes, in the end, she saw the tiniest bit of sorrow.
This was not a one night stand.
Likely, she knew she’d never see him again. Once his sister left, he’d have no reason to return to Alpine Creek ever again.
But it meant something to him. For whatever reason, he liked her. He’d needed her as much as she’d needed him.
She’d be happy with that.
He kissed her and then climbed out of bed and disappeared into the bathroom.
This was her chance. As quickly as humanly possible, she pulled her jeans on, slipped on her boots, pulled her t-shirt over her head, stuffed her bra and socks in the pockets of her coat – and slipped out the door.
She absolutely hated goodbyes.
Just as he finished washing his hands, he heard the door close.
She’d be gone, he knew. His bed would be empty and so would his…
Life?
He immediately dismissed the thought as ridiculous, maudlin. He barely knew her. They were worlds apart. He would not chase her down the hall like some lovesick fool.
He’d probably latched on to Noel because of the discord within his family. He hadn’t been in a serious relationship for months, and the sexual encounters he’d had in between had felt cold and meaningless.
Noel was just… something in-between.
He rubbed his hand down his face. If she had stayed, they could have showered together. He would have covered her in soap and…
He needed to get out of this town.
He turned the water on, not waiting for it to warm up and stepped beneath the shocking spray of water.
Fuck this.
Fuck her.
He showered, dressed and threw his belongings indiscriminately into his suitcase. Glancing around the room, he surmised he’d collected everything. Which made him wonder, a few minutes later, as he closed the door behind him, why he felt like he was leaving something important behind.
CHAPTER SEVEN
When Noel arrived to work that night the first thing she did was scan the parking lot for his car.
It was gone.
In fact, the lot was practically empty. This was the time of year service workers breathed sighs of relief for the break, and yet, worried over the conditions of their bank accounts. More tourists wouldn’t start arriving again for at least a month.
So, the bar would be slow.
And Noel didn’t care.
Despite chastising herself over and over again, all she could think about was the giant hole she had in her heart now. This one hurt bad.
Really bad.
And although the pain would dim with the memories, the hole, she was certain, would last a lifetime.
“Hey, Noel,” It was Lucas, one of the front desk clerks. “That guy, Mr. Stanton? He left something for you up front.”
Noel nearly dropped another fricken glass when she heard these words.
What would he have left? Surely not the sock she was missing when she got home? A letter? A thank you note?
She flinched at the thought.
His address? His phone number?
All these possibilities raced through her mind as she calmly left the bar and approached the long counter in the lobby. “Hey Molly, Lucas said there was something left for me?”
Molly, a pretty brunette, nodded and then furrowed her brows. “Where did I put that?” She opened a few drawers and looked perplexed. “Let me check in back.”
Seriously? Really? If Molly lost it. Noel swore under her breath. She’d kill her! She nearly hyperventilated at the thought.
What if he wanted her to stay in contact with him? What if he was declaring his undying love? And she would never know, and they would be tragically separated for all time because fricken Molly misplaced the –
“Oh, here it is!” She returned to the desk, triumphantly holding one of the hotel envelopes with the name Noel Blake scrawled across the front.
She casually thanked Molly and took hold of it with hands that suddenly weren’t too steady.
Now what? Open it behind the bar? Hell no!
She slipped into one of the guest restrooms and locked herself in a stall.
Inside of the envelope was a…
Check.
A check?
Same scrawling penmanship.
In the memo line it read, “Try not to work so hard.”
It was written out for the amount of one hundred thousand dollars.
One hundred fucking thousand dollars!
Was this a joke?
The check seemed real enough. Drawn from a well-known bank. Elliot R Stanton written clearly at the top. No address though. No phone number.
No declaration of love.
Was he paying her for their time together? That Rat Bastard!
Her first inclination was to tear it into one hundred thousand fucking little pieces. She started to tear the paper in two separate directions, but then she stopped herself.
That bastard!
She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t throw his payment into the toilet.
Which made it all the worse.
If she tore it up, every time the utilities got turned off, every time Carley and she sat down for peanut butter tortillas because that was the only thing in the cupboards, she would berate herself for turning such a payment away. She’d chastise herself when her car broke down, or when she couldn’t pull quite enough together to pay rent.
She wanted to think of it as a gift but she’d had sex with him, for Christ sakes. It was a payment.
How could he do this to her?
Did
he expect a thank you note from her? Was she now indebted to him?
Had she become some sort of tax deduction? Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!
She stuffed the check into her apron and returned to the bar. She didn’t know what the hell to do with it.
She couldn’t cash it.
She couldn’t destroy it.
Fuck!
Two older men, somewhat resembling truck drivers, bellied up to the bar. “What can I get you tonight?”
“How much for those?” The stockier of the two leered at her chest.
Noel turned her back to them and wanted to cry. She could deal with this. She could!
Elliot entered his password and pulled up his account balance. She still hadn’t cashed the check.
He’d been home three weeks now. Two weeks and six days, to be exact.
Ellen was doing better this time, or so she told him, and his dad said he might go visit her.
Other than that, everything was the same. The same black and white existence he’d not realized he endured.
Exactly the same as before he left.
Her words, spoken so casually, echoed in his memory. “Why aren’t you happy, Elliot?” Cause he had everything he needed, everything a man could possibly want, and yet he felt empty. Maybe he’d been empty all along.
Why hadn’t she cashed the damn check?
Tapping his fingers on his thigh, he reached for his phone and pulled up her number. Screw this.
He hit call.
One ring, two, three, and then a little crackling and “This is Noel Blake?” She spoke in a question, obviously not recognizing his number.
“How come you haven’t cashed my check?”
Nothing. “Noel? Are you there?”
“I am,” Finally. “I just didn’t expect – What do you mean, how come I haven’t cashed your check? Why the hell did you write it? That’s what I’d like to know!” Just hearing her voice warmed his blood.
“I asked first. Why haven’t you cashed it?” And then, god damnit. “You did get it right?”
“Of course, I got it.” She sounded angry. Elliot glanced at his watch. It was ten minutes to four in Colorado right now.
“Are you driving?” He didn’t want to distract her if she was maneuvering some god-awful mountain road.
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