The Truth About Lennon

by K. L. Grayson

  I scan the black canvas. It’s full of stars, but I have no idea what he’s looking at. “Where?”

  Noah leans in until we’re cheek to cheek. “See those three stars lined up?” He points to the left, and sure enough, there are three stars in a row. There’s also a flutter in my belly, and I wonder if he can sense it. I wonder if he gets this strange feeling somewhere deep inside every time we touch, or maybe it’s just me.

  “Now I see it.”

  “That’s Orion’s Belt. And right over here,” he says, spinning me the other direction, “is Ursa Major.”

  “You’re really good at this. I couldn’t locate a constellation if my life depended on it.”

  My back pressed against Noah’s chest, I feel him shrug. He drops his chin to my shoulder. “When Nova was a baby, I started rocking her to sleep on the porch swing. It became a ritual for us. We’d rock and look at the stars until she dozed off. My mom always says I need to break her of it, that she’s too old to be rocked every night, but I can’t. That’s our time, you know?”

  I nod, a shiver running through me as a cool breeze whips over us. Noah wraps his arms around me from behind, holding me close.

  “The stars are your thing. I think it’s great. And she’s learning something if you’re teaching her about the constellations, so I’ll have to disagree with your mom on this one. You should definitely keep on rockin’.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Absolutely. She’s only little once. One of these days, she’ll spend the evening running around with her friends and then come home and put herself to bed. So you should soak up the time with her while you can. And coming from a child who didn’t have many moments like that, I assure you, she’ll remember them.”

  “You’re pretty smart, you know that?”

  “Well,” I say, straightening my shoulders, “I do have a fancy college degree.”

  “You do? In what?” he asks.

  “Accounting. I graduated summa cum laude from Columbia.”

  “You’re a CPA?”

  “I am. And why are you looking at me like that? Are you surprised?”

  “No.” He shakes his head, quick to reassure me. “That isn’t it at all. I just wouldn’t have pegged you as a CPA.”

  “I wouldn’t have pegged me as a CPA either.”

  Noah draws back. “Then why do it, if it isn’t your passion? Why spend so much of your time and energy on it?”

  “I didn’t really have a choice.”

  “You always have a choice.”

  “Maybe in your world.” I shrug, watching Noah’s face fall. “Not in mine.”

  “So what is it that you love? If you could do anything, what would you like to do?”

  My answer is quick. “Sew.”

  Noah gives me a confused look, but he seems intrigued.

  “Sounds silly, doesn’t it?”

  “No.” He shakes his head. “Not silly. Interesting.”

  “I can do more than sew. I crochet, knit, embroider. If it involves thread, yarn, a needle, or a sewing machine, I can pretty much do it. Helga used to say I have an old soul. She would sit down at night and make her own clothes and purses, and I didn’t have anything else to do, so I’d sit there and watch. One night, she asked if I wanted to learn, and I jumped at the chance. She taught me everything I know.”

  “Impressive. Sounds like that should be your profession.”

  A smile stretches across my face, pride filling my chest. “I’m working on it.” Noah gives my waist a gentle squeeze, encouraging me to tell him more. “I’ve always wanted to have my own bridal boutique. There’s nothing I would love more than to design custom gowns for women. And not just wedding gowns, but prom and bridesmaid dresses, too.”

  “That sounds like a great dream. You should make it come true.”

  “I will,” I say. “One of these days. Until then, I’ll keep working on my designs.”

  “What are you doing in the meantime? Are you hoping to find work here in Heaven?”

  I shake my head. “No. I quit Markel and Bradshaw a couple of months ago because I wasn’t happy. I’ve saved up enough over the last few years to keep me afloat. For now, I’m taking time off to work on my sketches.”

  “That sounds like a solid plan to me. I want to see your sketches sometime.”

  “Absolutely.”

  Noah brushes his fingers up and down my arm, offering me a bit of reassurance I didn’t even realize I needed from him. “Tell me more about yourself.”

  Squirming on his lap, I readjust, making myself comfortable. “Let’s see. My favorite color is purple. I like chocolate chip cookies, but despise pie. Pizza is my go-to food, no matter what.” I tap my chin, thinking of something else about myself. “Oh! I can sing my ABCs backward.”

  “Now this I’ve got to hear.”

  “I was class treasurer in high school,” I say, ignoring his request. “My freshman year of college, I started a charity called Children Everywhere, and we’ve raised over six million dollars.”

  His face softens. “Holy shit, Lennon. That’s incredible. What kinds of things does the money go to?”

  “Well, we do several things, but mostly we assist children in the foster system after they turn eighteen. So many of those children lead horrific lives, and then they turn eighteen and they’re thrown out into the world without any sort of support. So we become their support system.”

  “How did you come up with that? I mean, why foster kids? Why not helpless animals or abused women?”

  “Because there was a need. I saw it first hand. There was a girl working at the soup kitchen where I volunteered. At first I thought she was a patron of the soup kitchen rather than a worker, but then I realized she wasn’t; she was simply donating her time like me. We got to talking and became friends, and her story was heartbreaking. She had no one. She’d become a ward of the state at the age of two. Between her third birthday and the time she turned eighteen, she’d been moved to fourteen different homes and suffered so much abuse. It was horrific, some of the things she’d been through. But you know what? She still had this fire inside of her. Despite the challenges she’d faced, the pain she’d been through, she wanted to move past it and do great things. But she didn’t have the resources or the financial support. She was the first person we helped.”

  “That’s amazing.”

  “Thank you. We have a charity auction every year to raise money. In fact, it’s coming up in a couple of months. Maybe you can be my plus one,” I suggest, thoughts of a sexy dress with more access to my body than he could possibly dream of, flitting through my head.

  “Maybe I will. Although I don’t own a tux, and I’m guessing it’s a black tie affair.”

  A vision of Noah in a tux flashes in my head, and I smile.

  His grip on me tightens. “Tell me about your friend you helped. Where is she now?”

  “She’s in med school,” I say with a smile. “We don’t talk much anymore because we’re both so busy, but every once in a while, she calls to check in.”

  Noah responds by kissing the base of my neck. His lips linger, causing my skin to prickle. “I bet she’s incredibly grateful to you.”

  I smile, modestly.

  “Why leave New York?”

  Oh boy. I slide my hands along the front of my skirt, trying to think of a clever answer. That makes me feel like a jerk. It was easy to tell Charlotte about what happened because she knew who I was, and she’d already seen everything on the news. But with Noah, I’ve actually had a fresh start. He’s still getting to know me, and I don’t want to horrify him—especially knowing his past with Kim. I’ll have to tell him about my overwhelming past sometime, but I convince myself I don’t have to do it yet.

  “I just needed to get away.” That’s not a lie; I really did need to get away. I needed my independence, something that has never truly been mine. “I needed to get out of the city. I needed a change.”

  “So out of all the towns in the country, how did you e
nd up here?” he asks, his warm breath fanning across my skin.

  “I’m an angel, remember?”

  He nips the spot he just kissed, and I squeal.

  “Okay, fine. A friend of mine had some family that lived here a long time ago. She said she spent a few summers here and it was really pretty, so I went with it.”

  I decide not to tell him Brenna gave me a place to live. He already knows I’m jobless. I don’t want him to think I’m a freeloader, too.

  “Remind me to send her a thank-you note.”

  “Hell, no. You will have no such contact with her. She’s a wolf. She can sense a good guy from a mile away, and she’ll sink her teeth into you before I get the chance.”

  This makes Noah laugh. “You want to sink your teeth into me, huh?”

  “Um…duh.” Spinning around, I straddle him, wrapping my legs around his waist.

  Warm hands glide up my back and pull me in close. “This is much better.”

  The bulge in his pants is nestled perfectly between my thighs, and a rush of heat washes through me.

  “You know what would make it even better?” I whisper.

  Running his nose up the length of my neck, Noah makes a sound of appreciation. “Hmmm. What’s that?”

  “If we did more than kissing and rubbing.”

  He needs no further encouragement, thank God. Noah wraps a hand in my hair, pulls my head down until our mouths meet, and devours me. My mouth opens in a sigh, and when he takes advantage, shoving his tongue inside, I flex my hips, rubbing myself against him. And, oh shit, he’s hard. So hard and so dangerous because I’ve never wanted a man the way I want Noah. No man has ever set my body on fire with a single look or touch the way he does, or made my soul yearn for so much.

  With one hand wrapped around my hip, Noah guides me over his denim-covered shaft, and I nearly cry out when his zipper hits my clit. In a matter of minutes, my body goes weak, my knees limp, and I moan into his mouth.

  Noah pulls back, but I can’t get my eyes to open. My lids are too heavy, my breathing ragged as my hips find the perfect rhythm.

  “Look at me.” Noah’s voice is gruff, and when I peel my eyes open, he slides a hand up my thigh and under my skirt until his fingers find the edge of my panties. “Tell me you want this.”

  “So much.” No idea how I found the words because I can barely breathe and when his fingers find the same sensitive spot his zipper had discovered, all the air is sucked from my lungs.

  My eyes flutter closed as he rubs, exploring every intimate part of me. “My pretty girl,” Noah says, trailing his mouth up my neck. “I want to see you let go, want to watch your face when you come for me. I want every fucking part of you, Lennon, right here.”

  I nod, my head buried against his neck. What is it about a man with a dirty mouth that is so fucking sexy?

  His words are hot against my skin, pushing me further and further toward the edge. His fingers slide in and out of me as my hips rock back and forth, searching for release.

  I’m fucking Noah’s hand on the bleachers at a football field, completely out in the open where anyone could drive by or walk up and see, and I don’t even care. I don’t care because all I can focus on is the intense pulse between my legs. It’s getting stronger with each passing second, and when Noah curls a finger deep inside of me, I cry out.

  “Noah.”

  “That’s it, baby,” he coaxes, rubbing me faster. I have no idea why, but the way he calls me baby tugs at something deep inside of me, and I arch back.

  “Fuck.” A growl rumbles deep in Noah’s chest as his clever fingers play me like a goddamn piano, with such precision you’d swear he’s been practicing his entire life for this moment. “Look at you.” Leaning forward, he sucks on the skin above my breast. “I can’t even begin describe how sexy you look riding my fingers.”

  This time his words shove me over the cliff, and my body explodes into a million tiny pieces that fly into the air in rainbow of colors before slowly floating back to Earth. I search for them, trying to put myself back together as best I can, but I have the distinct feeling that after tonight with Noah, I’ll never be quite the same.

  “Lennon.”

  “Hmmm.” I melt into Noah, my body completely relaxed.

  “Lennon.” He repeats my name, softer this time, and when I finally surface, he kisses me softly. “There she is,” he says, running his fingers along my cheek.

  I smile lazily, nuzzling Noah’s neck. “As much as I want you to take me under the bleachers, I’d much rather go back to your place.”

  “Thank fuck.”

  “Lennon.” Noah’s fingers tighten around the steering wheel, his voice a warning, but his eyes give him away. He wants this just as much as I do.

  Popping the button on his jeans, I lower the zipper, but when I reach for Noah’s cock, he stops me with his hand on mine.

  “I’m serious.” His eyes are intense as they flick between me and the road. “I’m barely hanging on here, and when I lose myself, I want to do it buried deep inside that pussy.” Reaching across the seat, Noah palms me, caressing my still-sensitive clit.

  Pulling myself back out of his lap, I flop against my seat. “Hurry.”

  “I should make you wait for being so damn impatient. Lucky for you, I’m impatient as well.” Whipping the car into the driveway, Noah parks and jogs to the passenger side. He helps me out, laces his fingers through mine, and all but drags me toward his front door.

  “Want to look at the stars?” I tease.

  Noah stops, turns, and the next thing I know, I’m ass over head as he flings me across his shoulder. His hand slips under my skirt, palming my ass. “I don’t want to look at stars,” he says. “I want to make you see them.”

  My breath quickens, because I want that too. In three long strides, we’re plowing through the front door. Releasing his hold, Noah lets me down gently, my body sliding against the front of him, and then he’s crowding me against the door.

  “I want to go slow, kiss every inch of this body.” His hands roam, gliding over my hips before cupping my breasts. “I want to suck on these fantastic fucking tits.”

  “Please,” I beg, consumed with desire.

  Noah moves his hands into my hair. Lowering his mouth to my ear, he whispers, “But I can’t wait. Because right now, I just need to be inside you. I need to fuck you.”

  “Yes.” I nod, completely unashamed. “Yes.”

  Noah’s hands leave my hair, roaming back down and stopping when they reach the hem of my shirt. Swiftly, he lifts it over my head, tossing it somewhere on the floor. His breathing is ragged as he skims his finger along the swell of my breasts. Ever so softly, he lowers the straps of my bra and tucks a finger into each of the cups. He pulls, and my breasts spill into his waiting hands.

  “So gorgeous.” Cupping my breast, Noah brings it to his mouth, his tongue teasing my nipple before he sucks hard.

  “Oh God.” Gripping the back of his head, I writhe. Noah’s mouth moves from one breast to the other, his tongue flicking and sucking and driving me absolutely wild. I squeeze my thighs together to suppress the growing throb. “Please, Noah.” Almost before I can register it, my skirt is bunched around my waist and my panties are gone. The distinct sound of foil ripping comes next.

  “Here. Let me.” I take the package from him and slip it between my teeth while I lower his jeans. His cock bobs heavily between us, brushing against my stomach. Noah hisses when I roll the condom over his thick shaft.

  “You’re sure about this?”

  Is he insane? “I haven’t been this sure about anything in a very long time.”

  He smiles wickedly. “Wrap your legs around me.” Noah lifts me, wedging my body between his and the door. Reaching between us, I position him at my entrance, and he lowers my body until I’m seated on his cock.

  “Damn, you feel good.” He lifts me, pulling himself out before slamming me back down. I suck in a sharp breath, and he stills. “Are you okay?”
r />   More than okay, I think, unable to get the words out.

  I look down the length of Noah, admiring his sculpted body. Chiseled lines merging with defined dips and ridges, he’s goddamn perfect. Perfect for me. My eyes slide lower to where our bodies are joined. One look at this man sliding in and out of me, and I know for certain he’s ruined me. Because my body was made for him, made for moments like this.

  “Lennon, are you okay?”

  Consumed with emotion and still unable to find my words, I nod. That must be all the confirmation he needs, because Noah begins to move faster and harder, with long, deep strokes that unravel me one delicious pump at a time.

  “Noah.” I wrap my arms around his shoulders. His hips thrust upward, his hands on my ass, ensuring that I keep pace. Lowering his head, Noah kisses and sucks every inch of my skin that his hungry mouth can reach.

  Closing my eyes, I drop my head against the door, my hips flexing in tandem with his. Blood rushes through my ears, nearly drowning out the sounds of our bodies slapping together and our faint moans and grunts.

  The heat builds to excruciating levels, tiny sparks shooting down my legs, and in one glorious moment, I lose control. My toes curl, my body jerking, pulsating around his. Noah’s movements become quick, more frenzied. He buries himself to the hilt and growls, pumping several more times before dropping his head to my shoulder. His body trembles against mine, both of us panting raggedly.

  “Lennon.” Noah kisses the side of my neck and my cheek before his lips find mine. “What are you doing to me?”

  “Killing you softly, babe, just like you’re doing to me.”

  He smiles against against the sweat-soaked skin of my neck. “I want more. So much more.”

  And I give it to him, over and over and over again.

  Lennon drags in a ragged breath. Brushing a chunk of hair out of her face, she smiles. Her big, blue eyes meet mine. She blinks several times, her lids heavy, quite possibly with a mixture of pure lust and utter exhaustion.