by Andi Bremner
“So where did you go?”
“Well, first I didn’t go anywhere,” she explained carefully. “I stayed in the apartment we were renting. But I was ten, and whilst I could get myself to school and home and could make myself food I didn’t know about paying things like rent and utilities, and besides I had no money.”
Noah stared at her, his jaw hardening and the darkness settling in his eyes. What the hell?
“So,” Juliette continued, “eventually someone, I’m not sure if it was a teacher, a neighbor or the landlord got in touch with social services, and they found out I’d been living there alone and I was taken into care.”
“Care?”
“Foster care,” she explained.
“Shit … Juliette.”
She shrugged. “It sounds worse than what it was.”
“Juliette, you were ten years old,” he whispered. “Getting yourself to school? Cooking for yourself. What the hell?” At ten he’d been playing basketball, baseball, spending hours every day in the ocean surfing or out on the boat with his dad. He remembered spending the summer at his grandparents’ house where he’d built a tree house in the massive oak that had stood for hundreds of years in their yard. He’d fallen out of the tree and broken his arm, and his mother had stayed by his bed whilst he spent the night in hospital recovering.
That’s what he’d been doing at ten. Not living by himself, feeding himself, walking himself to school and going to sleep alone every night while his mom was off with her new boyfriend who didn’t want kids. His chest constricted as he tried to imagine a tiny version of Juliette. Her hair would have been blonder and her eyes bigger. She would have been tiny. So tiny, and fragile and delicate and so fucking scared that just thinking about it made his heart twist.
“Like I said,” she replied, “my mom and I aren’t close.”
“Your mom should have been sent to prison for child neglect,” he growled.
“She was,” she informed him. “She did nearly three months in county.”
He growled again and sipped more wine. He needed to get a grip. This had all gone down more than ten years ago, and there was nothing he could do about it now even though he wanted to punch someone, although he wasn’t entirely sure who. He hated that she’d gone through this, hated that she’d been abandoned at such a young age. Fuck, had it been anyone else they would be seriously fucked up adults, he realized, but Juliette… No, she wasn’t fucked up at all.
He peered at her over his wine wondering what her life had been life. It obviously wasn’t the sunshine and roses that he’d suspected. She came off as someone confident, happy-go-lucky, someone who had led a charmed life, and yet that was definitely not the case. What foster home had she lived in? Were they good to her? Did they take care of her? Where had she been since she’d been eighteen? How many places had she lived in?
“And besides,” she said, lightening the mood a little, “why would I go back to Pittsburgh? I’ve already lived there. But I’ve never lived here, in Myrtle Beach.”
“You plan on living in new places regularly?”
She nodded. “Do you know there nearly twenty thousand cities in the United States?”
Noah stared at her. “I didn’t know that.”
“And do you know how many I have seen?” she continued. “Twelve. I’ve seen twelve out of nearly twenty thousand, that’s like point zero six of a percent. That’s how much of the country I have seen.”
“Are you some kind of math whizz or something?”
“What? No. I just know that there is much more to this country that I want to see. And then there is the world…”
“That’s your plan?” he asked. “To just keep moving from place to place?”
“If you could call it a plan, I guess. I don’t really make too many plans beyond the immediate. You know, I like to see how things pan out.”
“You are making plans now,” he pointed out, “here in Myrtle Beach. You plan to work with Toby and you plan to get your own place.”
She nodded. “Absolutely. I love this place.”
“How long,” he asked, and hated how his voice caught on the words, “how long do you think you’ll stay?”
She sucked in her bottom lip, clearly thinking for a moment before she replied. “No idea. Lexington was the longest I’d stayed anywhere since I was fifteen, and I only stayed there a year. Maybe I could stay a while in Myrtle Beach though. We’ll see.”
Their food arrived, and Noah turned his attention to his food, his mind racing with a million thoughts.
He knew two things right now and two things only.
One, Juliette had been through hell, and she somehow managed to wake up smiling every day.
And two, he really, really didn’t want her to leave.
Chapter Ten
Noah
After dinner Noah suggested they could go for a ride on the sky wheel that lit up the boardwalk by the beach so she could see more of Myrtle Beach. Nodding, she slid her hand into his and let him lead her the short walk over to buy the two tickets.
Juliette clapped her hands like a delighted child as they climbed aboard the gondola, clearly oblivious to Noah’s amused observation. She reminded him of an innocent child at times and then this worldly woman who was wise beyond her years at others. She was a contradiction, and again he had the urge to solve her, as if she was a riddle sent to baffle him.
In the enclosed gondola he could smell her floral scent. It seemed to fill his senses, and whilst she marveled at the view, pointing out various landmarks, he was completely overwhelmed by her. By everything about her. By her eyes which were big and round and excited, her smile which drew him in, her hair which cascaded over her bare shoulders … the way she twisted and turned delighting in the view, the way she sat so close so that he could feel her body resting alongside his, the way she seemed to fill his senses and thoughts.
“Do you take all your dates on the sky wheel?” she teased, as their gondola paused.
“I don’t date,” he replied simply.
She looked at him. “Isn’t this a date?”
“It is.”
“You don’t sound convinced,” she continued. “Are you planning on kissing me later?”
A muscle moved in his jaw, and of their own accord Noah’s eyes fell to her lips. “No.”
Her face fell, and she blinked at him. “Really?”
“I don’t think I can wait ‘til then.”
Without waiting for a response Noah looped an arm around her waist and pulled her up to meet his lips, drawing her in for a searing, scorching kiss that only made him want more. Want more kissing, more touching, more of her. His mouth slanted over hers, hot and demanding, and she made a noise in the back of her throat, like a soft sigh, as his tongue tangled gently with hers.
A flare sparked in the pit of his belly, and his pulse quickened. Reaching up to embrace him, Juliette ran her fingers through his hair as she pulled him closer. Noah gave her want she wanted, sensing her own rising need, as his mouth moved with hers. Desire burned through his veins, and he knew he was in serious trouble. He wanted this girl, and he wanted her badly. Wanted her more than he’d wanted anyone in a very, very long time.
“Juliette…” he murmured as he pressed in closer, his hand cupping her face, his thumb stroking her jaw. His mouth left hers to trace hot kisses down her throat, pausing at the indent at the base of her throat to lick her skin, smiling to himself as he felt her tremble from his touch. His hand slid over her neck, down her back as he pulled her closer, crushing her against him. Her chest rose and fell, and her soft breasts pressed against him as he covered her mouth with his once more. Lifting one leg, Juliette laid it across his lap, letting her foot curl around him and hold him tightly to her.
His hand reached lower and then curled around to cup one breast, stroking her through the fabric of her dress. She was small, filled his palm completely, and as he stroked and weighed her he felt her nipples harden beneath his touch. The ego in hi
m soared at the knowledge that he could do that, that he aroused her. He wondered if she was wet, if she felt the same tortuous throb of desire that he did.
Suddenly she moved, climbing up, pausing to hitch her dress up her thighs as she straddled him sinking down so that the center of her pressed against his hardness. Her mouth fell open with surprise, and he grinned. She knew how much he wanted her. Juliette stared at his mouth hungrily for the briefest moment before she came back down to kiss him, this time taking charge of the kiss and drawing everything out of him.
Greedily Noah let his hands roam over her, touching her. He ran them down her spine, marveling as she trembled, cupped her ass and pulled her down to him, grinding up to meet her. God, he was like a fifteen-year-old boy again, just hungry for the feel of a girl. But not just any girl, this girl. Juliette. His girl.
His fingers threaded through her hair, which she’d left down, tugging her down to him, eliciting that tiny groan from the back of her throat that drove him wild. God, that sound. He wondered what other sounds she made, what other sounds he could draw out of her. She was so responsive to his touch he couldn’t wait to have her in his bed, splayed out, legs spread. He wanted to bury himself in her, taste every square inch of her before sheathing himself deeply and losing himself in everything that was Juliette.
His hands slid down her neck tugging her dress down over her shoulders so his lips could trace fevered kisses on the skin of her collarbone. She threw her head back, arched against him and panted, hot with need, moving against him urgently, seeking release. His tongue traced over a puckered scar and he pulled back to examine it, his fingers tracing over the raised, purple line that was about an inch long. Vaguely he remembered seeing it on her in the shower after Ryan’s prank, but he’d too busy noting the other desirable features of her anatomy to register the scar.
“What’s this?”
Juliette flicked her head back and glanced down at the scare he examined. “It’s nothing. A scar.”
“What from?” he asked. It looked surgical, like she’d had stitches, but it was an odd place to have an operation. Had she been injured, he wondered. Had she been hurt? Just the thought of someone, a foster family maybe, hurting his Juliette made his stomach clench.
“It’s nothing,” she said and then distracted him by pressing her lips to his once more.
“God, Juliette,” he whispered against her mouth, struggling to draw breath, “what you do to me.”
“Yes?”
“I want you so bad,” he murmured, sucking on her lip and biting at her. His chest rose and fell with his rising need, and he pulled her down on him, showing her exactly how much he wanted her.
“Yes…”
“We can’t … not here.”
“Why not?” She reached her hand between them, stroking the length of him through his jeans. “How long does it take to go around?”
He frowned, wondering what she was taking about until he remembered the wheel. “Not long enough,” he said, knowing that it most definitely wasn’t long enough. When he took her he wanted to take his time. He wanted to explore enjoy every inch of her and draw out cries of pleasure before he eventually found his own release. He didn’t want to hurry—he wanted to savor her, savor every second that he got to spend with her. “Maybe ten minutes.”
She lifted her head, glancing around. Swallowing, she shifted back putting some space between them that felt like a giant chasm. “We’re nearly at the bottom.”
Noah drew in a sharp breath, coming back to his senses. She was right. They must have gone around a few times and hadn’t noticed. Other people would most surely have seen them. It was night time, and the gondolas were lit up, illuminated against the dark night sky.
“Shit,” he muttered, regretfully lifting her from him.
Blinking, Juliette righted her dress, glancing over at him as he tugged at his jeans, which were suddenly way too tight.
“Maybe another time then?” she asked.
“What, in the wheel?” he asked, his eyes going round. They’d stopped now. The door would slide open any second.
“Why not?” She winked at him. “I like being naughty.”
And at her words Noah didn’t think he’d ever be the same again.
****
“I’m going to be completely honest with you, Juliette,” Noah told her as soon as they were back in his pickup truck. “I don’t want to take you back yet. I want to take you home. Home to my house.”
She beamed at him. “I’d like that.”
He frowned. “Do you understand what I am saying? That I want to take you home and I want to take you to bed.”
“I know. I want to go to bed. With you.”
He growled and started the truck up. Before he pulled out from the curb though he looked over at her, wanting to make it clear, needing her to know before … so that she didn’t have any false expectations of what this was and of what to expect.
“I want to take you home, Jules…”
“Juliette,” she interrupted quietly. “I prefer Juliette.”
He nodded before continuing. “I want to take you home and I want to take you to bed and I want to fuck you. I want to fuck you hard. But … and I need you to know this, I need you to understand—I don’t want anything more. I don’t want a relationship, I don’t want you to move in, I don’t want this to be anything more than what it is. I’m not looking for anything more.”
Juliette nodded. “I understand completely.”
He narrowed his eyes. “You do?”
“No commitment,” she said. “I get it. I don’t want that either, although I do like the idea of you fucking me hard.”
Noah growled again, his eyes roaming over her face taking in every exquisite detail. Where the hell had this girl come from? She was perfect. Perfect for him. Sexy, gorgeous, oozing a zest for life that was severely missing from his and a commitment-phobic as well. Well, not so much a commitment phobic but more an avoider … like him. It was like Providence had bought her to him.
Noah drove the short distance to his house his mind fixed on nothing else but Juliette. When they arrived at his house he ran around to open her door watching her face as she took in the small, single story bungalow he called home.
“This is so cute,” she cried, following him up the path. “I love it.”
“Of course you do,” he said, fumbling with his keys and unlocking the door. Immediately Loop, his dog, flew at them, covering Noah with licks and racing around like a loony in her excitement to have him own. Then she turned her attention on Juliette, doing the same for her.
“Is this your guard dog?” Juliette laughed, ruffling the hair on the back of Loop’s head. “She is useless but oh so cute!”
“Loopsy,” Noah growled. “Get down.”
Juliette crouched down and scratched Loop’s belly as she laughed. “She is so cute! Hello, Loopsy, my name’s Juliette. I guess they call you Loopsy because you are a bit crazy?”
Noah scowled. “She’s completely crazy. I tried to train her, but she’s too nuts.”
“Well you know what,” Juliette laughed, speaking to the dog, “I’ve been called crazy before, too. I think it’s just that we’re misunderstood though. Don’t you think, Loops?”
Noah shook his head, feeling strangely jealous that Juliette was lavishing her attention on his crazy cocker spaniel when he wanted all her attention on him. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her to her feet, ignoring the surprised look on her face.
“I should offer you a drink or something,” he said, his eyes roaming over her face, “but really I just want to take that sexy as all hell dress off.”
Juliette’s pupils dilated, and the dog, it seemed, was completely forgotten. “I had enough to eat and drink tonight. At the restaurant.”
Noah drew her towards him, planting his mouth firmly and possessively against hers. He didn’t bother going gently this time, didn’t bother easing her into the kiss. Instead he unleashed everything he had, every feeling h
e had as he let his mouth slant over hers, as he forced her lips apart and thrust his tongue deep within her mouth, tasting and savoring her.
Dragging her with him he pulled her further into his house, through the living room and down the short corridor to his bedroom. He’d already closed the curtains earlier and left a low bedside lamp on, which now cast the room in a pale yellow light. Pausing, he glanced at the rumpled bedding wishing he’d made the bed that morning. Not that it mattered, he planned on messing it up very soon.
“Take your dress off, Juliette,” he commanded, against her mouth, “please.”
“I like your manners,” she told him as she pulled back, tugging at the tie around her neck. “You’re such a gentleman.”
“You won’t think I’m such a gentleman,” he grumbled, watching as she slid the dress ever so softly off her shoulders and let it fall unheeded to the floor, “when I’m fucking you senseless and making you scream.”
Her mouth fell open, and her eyes, those pools of sea green, went wide. Noah felt another possessive, almost caveman like grumble building in his chest.
Dropping his eyes, he let his gaze run over her body, pausing at that odd scar a moment before dipping further, moving over her breasts, down her smooth, flat stomach, over the curve of her hips and lingering on the pale blue, lacy panties that covered her center.
“Take everything off.”
Her mouth twitched. “Have you forgotten your manners already?”
His pulled his eyes up to meet hers, swallowing over the thickening in his throat. “Please.”
Juliette grinned, reaching around to unclasp her bra, drawing it slowly down her arms before discarding it on the floor with her dress. She was just about to reach for her panties when Noah lunged at her, his mouth clamping down on hers as he pulled her against him, crushing her against him. Juliette made a small sound of surprise, but that was quickly stifled by his mouth on hers. Stumbling, he led her back to the bed where they fell, his mouth barely breaking its assault on hers as his hands ran the length of her body, cupping and caressing her breasts, pinching the peaks until they stood as hard nubs and Juliette cried out in his mouth.
