Kaufman: The Season (Austin Arrows Book 2)

by Nicole Edwards

  She doesn’t respond.

  “Fuck, Noelle. It’s not what you think. Honest. We work together. She’s taken on the role of my handler. Yes, it’s as fucked up as it sounds. But there’s nothing going on between us.”

  “Have you gone to her house?”

  I’m not going to lie to her. “Yes. I have. A few times.”

  She starts bucking again, so I lean over and pin her to the bed. “It’s not like that,” I tell her softly. “Listen to me, Noelle. It’s not. I swear.”

  “You shouldn’t have to go to her house for work,” she sneers.

  “It’s not—” I close my eyes for a moment, trying to gather my thoughts.

  “I don’t want to do this anymore,” she says. She sounds tortured.

  “Well, I don’t want to give you up.” It’s the most honest thing I’ve ever said to her.

  “There’s nothing to give up,” she counters.

  Oh, but there is. A lot more than I bargained for, in fact.

  “Tell me what you want from me,” I urge. “I’m getting mixed signals from you. I don’t know which way is up.”

  “I want you to leave,” she whispers. “That’s what I want.”

  “Liar.” I know she’s lying; I can see it in her eyes.

  I rest my forehead against hers, our breath mingling. I’m not leaving. Maybe I should, but I can’t. This thing she claims doesn’t exist is real. And it’s powerful. I’m drawn to this woman. I want her with a desperation I’ve never known before.

  If only I knew how to explain it to her. I know Noelle doesn’t want my sister to find out about us. I get that. But she’s going to eventually. Because I’m not walking away.

  “You’re right,” I tell her, hoping she’ll listen. “I’m not going to Amber’s house for work.”

  She jerks beneath me and I have to hold her down to keep from getting my nuts crushed. I lift my head and stare down into her face. “Stop! Damn it! Listen! Fuck!”

  Again she goes still.

  “Amber has an…” God, I don’t want to tell Noelle about Amber. It’s not my place. I knew I should’ve pushed Amber to talk to my sister. Someone needs to help the woman, and it sure as hell can’t be me.

  “You’re still in love with her.”

  It’s not a question.

  I roll my eyes and sigh. “Not hardly. We’re friends, Noelle. That’s the truth.”

  “Right.”

  “She has a personal problem,” I say. I’ll deal with Amber’s wrath later, because right now, the only thing that matters is that Noelle believes me. “Something I have no experience with.”

  “What? She’s in love with you?”

  I choke on a disbelieving snort. “Not even close.”

  “Then what is it?” she implores. “Tell me or get off me.”

  “She’s got an abusive ex-husband, all right? She thought she left him in Florida, but apparently he’s come back here to find her.”

  “Wow!” She tries to pull away. “What a perfect excuse to lure her ex-boyfriend right back into her life. Jesus, Spencer. Can you be more gullible?”

  “Ask her parents, Noelle. They came down to stay with her a few weeks ago after he tried to break into her house. She’s going back with them for a few days.”

  The anger in her eyes dims. “You’re serious.”

  “Yes. I begged her to talk to Ellie. I thought maybe if she could make some female friends, they’d be able to help her through this. I can’t help her. I don’t even know what to say to her. The only thing I did was go over there and convince her to call the police.”

  She still looks somewhat disbelieving.

  “We talk,” I admit. “Amber and I.” I can’t believe I’m going to tell her this. “We talk about you.”

  Her blue eyes widen. “What? Why?”

  “Because I need someone to talk to.” My words come out a little harsher than I mean for them to. “I don’t know what the hell to do with you half the time.”

  For whatever reason, that makes her smile.

  “This is new for me, Noelle. I don’t know what to do and I know I’m gonna fuck it up.”

  “Well, I think you’re gonna have to start by talking to me.”

  I lift one eyebrow and grin. “Yeah? I think that goes both ways, sweetheart.”

  In an instant, there’s a shift in the air around us. The anger turns to sexual energy, swirling around us, heating the room by a couple of degrees.

  Noelle reaches for me, and when her lips meet mine, I groan into her mouth. There’s a strange feeling in my chest. I don’t know what it is, I don’t know what it means, but I’m okay with it.

  “Before you jump me,” I tell her, “you need to know that I’m cutting you off tonight.”

  She pulls back and barks out a laugh. “You’re cutting me off?”

  “That’s right.” I lean in and kiss her nose. “I’m gonna prove to you that this isn’t only about sex.”

  “What if I strip naked?”

  “Then you’re gonna get cold.” Please God, don’t let her strip naked. If she does, I’ll have zero willpower.

  “If we’re not gonna get naked, what are we gonna do?”

  “I don’t know yet.” I smile. “But we’re pretty intelligent. I’m sure we’ll figure out something to do with our clothes on.”

  She frowns. “Don’t bet on it.”

  Yeah, it’s safe to say this woman has me wrapped around her little finger. Even if she is a little crazy.

  Noelle’s Journal

  Dear Universe,

  Since when did men start using sex against a woman? Come on. He’s holding out on me. Have I mentioned that hockey players are infuriating? Well, they are.

  29

  Noelle

  Thursday, November 24th

  I LOVE THANKSGIVING. ALWAYS HAVE, probably always will. It’s always been a day about spending time with family and friends. Since my parents are on their four-hundredth mini-honeymoon, I’m spending the day with Ellie, Kingston, Kingston’s brothers and his dad, Bianca, and yes, Spencer. I’m happy to say that my fears were not realized. Amber is not in attendance. I feel kind of mean for being happy that she’s not here, especially after what Spencer told me about her. Still.

  We’ve had fun. Heath is a riot. The man can make everyone laugh with a twitch of his lips. How he does it, I don’t know. I wish Julie would’ve come with me. I invited her, but she turned me down. Whatever she’s dealing with has her upset. I assume it has to do with Patrick Benne, but I’m not sure. If she were here, I don’t think she’d be thinking about Benne at all. Not with Heath Rush in the same room. I’m wondering if I could work a little magic there. So what if he lives in Colorado. A little distance shouldn’t be a problem.

  All in all, we’ve had a lot of laughs, even more food, and now a walk after dinner to give Kingston and Ellie a few minutes of alone time.

  What I’m really hoping for is a few minutes alone with Spencer. Ever since our conversation last night, I’ve been craving the man. Yes, in case you’re wondering, he left my apartment without giving me a single orgasm. Not because we both didn’t want it, that’s for sure. But it was the right thing to do. He’s right, there is this thing between us, and we’ve been going full throttle since the beginning. Slowing things down a little will give us some perspective.

  It’s getting harder to pretend we’re only friends when we’re out in public. Especially when I see Ellie and Kingston getting all lovey-dovey with one another. I want what they have. However, I’m still leery. I definitely have to slow down and think this through. I’m not completely comfortable with the idea of talking about Spencer. I get that he wanted to talk to Amber about me. I don’t necessarily like that he’s opening up to her, but I get it. I could do that with Ellie if I wanted to. One of these days, I’m going to break down and tel
l her what’s been going on.

  But not today.

  Right now, I’m enjoying the cool breeze against my skin and the gentle rustling of the wind in the trees. Kingston has a beautiful house, and the view of the lake is breathtaking.

  “We’re gonna head back to the house now,” Heath informs me. “Do we have your permission?”

  I glance at my pretend watch and consider that for a moment. We’ve probably been gone for an hour and a half. If Kingston and Ellie are still doing the nasty, then it’s their fault if they get caught. “Fine,” I huff with feigned exasperation.

  Heath grins, laughing when Bianca jumps up on his back. “Race you to the house,” he tells her over his shoulder, gripping her legs to hold the kid in place. He starts running, making her laugh uncontrollably.

  Kingston’s other brother, Scott, took his father back a little while ago to sit on the patio. Now that Heath’s gone, that leaves me and Spencer alone.

  “Come here,” he says, nodding toward some trees with his chin.

  I follow him, not even bothering to guess what he’s going to do.

  When I find myself pinned against a giant oak tree, I sigh.

  “I’ve wanted to kiss you since I walked in the damn door.”

  And kiss me he does.

  Thankfully, it’s getting dark, so no one can see us unless they come closer. Since I can still hear Bianca giggling far off in the distance, I know we’re safe, so I give in to his kiss.

  Wrapping my arms around his neck, I fuse my mouth with his, moaning my pleasure.

  His hand slips beneath my shirt, my body humming to life instantly.

  “You said kiss,” I mutter against his mouth.

  “Oh, I meant orgasm,” he whispers back. “I’ve wanted to give you an orgasm since I walked in the door.”

  I don’t stop him when he unbuttons my jeans and slips his hand inside.

  “You’re wet.”

  Yeah, well. He does that to me.

  “So wet.”

  His fingers work their way down, sliding between my pussy lips, making my skin tingle from the erotic sensation. It’s heightened by the fact that we’re outside. He grazes my clit, then heads lower. When he pushes one finger inside of me, I bite my lower lip, knowing I can’t cry out. It feels so good it’s all I can do to keep standing.

  “I dream about your pussy,” he whispers against my ear, his breath warm against my skin. “I dream about pushing my cock deep inside you, watching you while you ride me.”

  His dirty words intensify the pleasure of his fingers, now thrusting into me, slow and deep.

  “I jack off to thoughts of you. Remembering the way your ass gripped my dick, squeezing me. The way you came apart when I mounted you. You’re so fucking hot, Noelle. I can’t keep my hands off you anymore. I don’t want to.”

  “More,” I beg, gripping his shoulders, digging my fingers into his shirt while I ride his hand.

  He adds another finger.

  “I want you to come to my house tonight,” he says breathlessly. “I want to take you to my bed, Noelle. I want to spend the entire night worshipping you, making you come a dozen times.”

  I swallow hard.

  He must feel my tension, because he begins fucking me harder, deeper, brushing that uber-sensitive spot deep inside.

  “Then I’m going to fall asleep with you in my arms. And when I wake up in the morning, I’m going to start all over again.” His thumb presses against my clit. “Tell me yes, Noelle, and I’ll let you come.”

  My body splinters, so close to shattering. He’s holding me on the very edge. When he nips my earlobe, I choke back a cry.

  “Tell me,” he insists. “Spend the night with me, baby. It’s the only thing I can think about.”

  I nod, unable to refuse him. Not only because he’s holding my orgasm just out of reach but also because I want that. I want to spend the night in his bed, to wake up with him tomorrow.

  His voice lowers an octave. “Say it.”

  “Yes,” I agree. “I’ll spend the night with you … at your house.”

  I don’t know exactly what he does or if it’s merely everything he does, but I explode, coming around his fingers still buried inside me.

  Spencer

  AFTER SPENDING THE REQUISITE AMOUNT of time at Kingston’s, I finally managed to slip out. Noelle left before me, and I knew she didn’t want me to leave at the same time, not wanting to give away our little secret. Although I’m not interested in keeping this thing between us on the down low for much longer, I am going to respect her enough for the time being.

  Now that I’m home, I’m eager for Noelle to get here. She texted me to let me know she needed to shower first—yes, I responded to let her know we could shower together, but she didn’t go for it—and then she’d be over.

  It gives me a little time to run through the house and clean up. Although I’ve got a housekeeper who stops by once a week, I’m notorious for leaving clothes on the floor and not making the bed. It only takes a few minutes to get things back in order, and then I’m left waiting again.

  When my doorbell rings a short time later, I’m up off the couch in record time. It feels like I haven’t seen Noelle in days, and it’s only been a couple of hours. It’s pathetic really. I’ve become completely obsessed with her. To the point I can’t seem to function without her. It’s not a good thing, I’m sure, but I can’t help myself.

  Opening the door, I take a step back, smiling as I do. She looks nervous, though I don’t know why.

  “I have to say something before I come in.”

  Bemused, I nod.

  “I’m not doing the walk of shame.”

  I laugh. “Okay.”

  “If you kick me to the curb first thing in the morning, I’m going to…” Noelle frowns. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do yet. But I assure you, it’s gonna be bad.”

  I grab her arm and pull her into the house, refusing to let her stand out there a second longer. It’s late and I want to go to bed. Not because I’m tired, either.

  “No walk of shame,” I tell her. “And I won’t throw you over my shoulder and carry you to the bedroom, either.” I lean in and kiss her. “Although I really, really want to.”

  “Well, in that case, I’m outta here.”

  Her laughter makes me feel lighter than I have in forever.

  Taking her bag from her, I force myself to let go. I can’t maul her yet. “Are you hungry?”

  “I’d kill for leftovers,” she says.

  “Well, you’re in luck. I stole some from Kingston before I left.”

  I set her bag on the couch and then lead the way to the kitchen. She hops up on the counter while I get to work, reheating the turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, and green bean casserole. Once it’s ready, I pile it all onto one plate and grab two forks.

  “Oh,” Noelle says on a huff. “I think you might’ve confused me with someone else. You see, I don’t share my food. If you want some, you need to get your own.”

  No way can this woman eat all that’s on this plate, but I hand it off to her anyway. “Have at it, sweetheart.” I place my hands on her thighs, pushing her legs apart so I can step between them. “I’ve got all I need to eat right here.” I let my hand graze the warmth between her thighs.

  “You don’t play fair, do you?”

  “Not when it comes to you.”

  Her eyes widen, but she quickly hides her response to my statement. Rather than elaborate, I steal the extra fork and start eating what’s on her plate. We stand there in silence for a few minutes.

  “I’ve never been here without Ellie,” she announces.

  “I would’ve remembered if you had.”

  “The first time I came over, I remember thinking that this is an awfully big house for one person.”

  “True. And sinc
e I’m gone a lot during the season, it’s pretty neglected.”

  “Why so much space then?”

  I shrug. “I figure I’m gonna own this house for a while. It may not always be only me living here.”

  I keep my eyes locked with hers. I want to know if she’s reading anything into my words. I honestly don’t know where I stand with Noelle. Other than she’s more than willing to let me fuck her in every way imaginable. I’d like to believe that I’m getting under her skin a little. It has been my plan for nearly a month. We’ve had our moments, but I’d like to know that I’m making progress.

  “You planning to get married someday?”

  She says it as though that’s a ludicrous idea.

  “That’s probably the plan, sure.”

  “Kids?”

  “Yeah.”

  “A dog?”

  “Depends.”

  Her eyes widen in anticipation. “On?”

  “If the wife and kids want one.”

  Her mouth curves up in a smile and her eyes soften. Sometimes I think it takes Noelle a little bit of time to realize that I’m human like everyone else. She’s seen me as Ellie’s older brother for so long I don’t know what she expects from me.

  But one of these days, I’m going to find out.

  Even if it means I have to bribe her with food and sexual favors.

  Especially the latter.

  30

  Noelle

  SO FAR THE NIGHT HAS been pleasant. After Spencer fed me, I loaded the dishwasher for him, and he set it to come on, then we retreated to the living room. To my absolute shock, Spencer didn’t bother to turn the television on, nor did he sit down beside me, choosing to go to the opposite end of the couch. I know he’s up to something, I just don’t know what.

  “I want you to tell me more about this positive thinking thing,” he says, his gaze pinned on me from several feet away.

  “Nothing to tell. You should read the book. But you can’t borrow mine.”

  “It’s that important to you? Are you required to pray to the universe or something? Do you hold vigil with the book?”