by D. Kelly
“Please, Mel, let me get this out.” He pauses and then continues.
“The last few months have been the best of my life. It’s like everything we’ve gone through as a band happened so I would end up here with you. I believe that with every fiber of my being. With every brush of your lips against mine, with every smile you give me, with every laugh we share, I fall deeper and deeper in love with you.”
My gasp is audible, and he presses his lips against my neck.
“You don’t have to say it back. You’ve made it abundantly clear you guard your feelings, and it’s okay if it takes you longer to get where I am. I just wanted you to know how I feel because I don’t ever want you to question how I feel about you should something like what happened today happen again.”
“Noah,” I say softly, turning to face him, “I love you, too.”
“Seriously?”
With a nod, I answer, “Seriously. I’m not sure when it happened. Sawyer said something a little while back that made me question it, but when I left you with Sara tonight, I was suddenly sure. I hoped you wanted me as much as I wanted you, but I couldn’t stay out there and sway your decision. You had to decide if you wanted me on your own.”
Noah picks me up and carries me inside, planting us both on the couch. His hand caresses my cheek, and goose bumps cover me from head to toe—the good kind.
“You love me,” he states simply.
“I do.”
“And I love you,” he replies, and I nod.
“You do.”
“Okay, then. Let’s get the rest of this out of the way so we can go on with our night. You owe me a sexy dress, if I remember correctly.”
“Yes, and I have just the one.”
With a frustrated groan, he pulls a blanket from the back of the couch and wraps it around us so we can warm up.
“Sara was my first girlfriend after Marilyn. We went to high school together and had been pretty good friends. She followed the band and came to all our shows at the bar and any others we played locally. When she heard through the grapevine what had happened with Marilyn, she sent me a Facebook message letting me know how sorry she was.”
“That was nice. I’m surprised you even go on Facebook.”
He smiles. “I don’t usually. I had a Myspace account, and when most of my friends went to Facebook, I set it up. It’s a look into normalcy for me, I guess. Every once in a while, I log in to check up on my old friends. It’s nice to see how their lives turned out. When I started seeing people having kids and getting married while we were touring and living our dreams, it started to get to me, though.”
“Seeing what you wanted and can’t have. Yeah, I can understand that.”
“So, anyway, Sara and I started talking. She said she’d tried to call my cell, but after the whole Marilyn thing, we all changed our numbers. We started talking, reminiscing, she came to a few shows, and we fell into a comfortable rhythm.”
“Sounds nice, Noah.”
“Yeah, it was, but I should have realized it was too nice. Anything I wanted to do, she was down for it. Anywhere I wanted to go, she was fine with it. She always let me decide, and she always let me pay.”
I turn to him, asking pointedly, “Would you have let her pay if she offered? I’ve been there, Noah. You’re not exactly easy to sway.”
“Probably not, but she never tried. Which was okay. I’m rich and I like to treat the people in my life. It’s the right thing to do.”
“So I don’t understand. It sounds like things were going well. What happened?”
His face contorts into a grimace with what must be painful memories.
“It’s going to sound petty, and I’m not trying to, I swear. At first, it was little things. She’d come for a weekend and forget her shampoo. But she couldn’t just use ours or Anna’s, she had to go to the fanciest store and buy expensive stuff. Which was me buying it because, you know … that’s what I do. Then suddenly, she was running low on cash to pay her rent and bills and needed small loans. I was happy to help, but in the back of my mind something nagged at me.”
“You weren’t sure if she wanted you for who you were or for what you could give her.”
He taps the end of my nose with his finger. “Exactly. So then, when she’d come visit for the weekend, she started just bringing herself. Nothing else. No clothes, toiletries, not even a change of underwear.”
“Oh,” I answer softly, finally understanding where this is going.
“Still, I let it all slide until one weekend when we had a local show back home. It was a charity event, and even the band only had limited tickets. Two per band member, to be exact. Between Sawyer and I, we had enough tickets for our parents and sisters. Wyatt gave his extra ticket to Jordan because it was a gun violence event and we wanted it to be a united family front.”
A bad feeling crawls over my skin as he continues his story.
“To say Sara was pissed is an understatement. She threw an absolute hissy fit. Apparently, she’d told a bunch of her friends she could get them in. Sara and twenty of her nearest and dearest were waiting at my house a few hours before the show.”
“Oh no. Noah, I’m so sorry,” I tell him, resting my hand on top of his.
“It was a nightmare, Mel. She’d convinced the housekeeper to let them in, and since we were dating, she had no reason not to trust her. When I got home to change, they were all drinking in my kitchen, listening to music, and having a good time. I asked to see Sara in private, and as you can imagine, things only went downhill from there.”
“What a disaster.” I feel so bad for him. How could anyone take advantage of Noah like that? He’s got a heart of gold.
“There were tears and hysterics. She told me I was the love of her life and she never even considered I’d put my family before her. Mel, God’s honest truth, we dated less than a year and saw each other one weekend, maybe two, a month during a good month. We never once used the L word. For me, it was casual. I mean, as casual as you can get in a monogamous relationship because I don’t do the whole groupie thing.”
“So it ended there?” I hate that I’m intrigued by his story, not because he went through hell, but because it’s another chance to get to know him more.
“Oh no, I wish it had. She kept showing up at my house. I had to hire a security firm to guard it. She was essentially stalking me. Sending texts and creepy messages. It got so much worse. I mean, for me, it ended that night, but for her, I’m not sure she realizes even now how far of a line she crossed.”
“And now she’s back.”
“And now she’s back,” he confirms with a frustrated sigh. “I ended up having to report it all to the police. Warren made me. I didn’t take it as far as a restraining order, maybe I should have. I just wanted her to leave me alone. I already called Warren before I came and got you outside. Now, I have to get with my attorney tomorrow and give him a statement and decide if I want to press charges. To top it all off, we have to hire extra security for the venue because she already stated she was coming to the show.”
My heart drops in my chest as I turn to face him. “Do you think you’re in danger, Noah?”
He shakes his head. “I don’t think so. But the fact of the matter is, she’s crazy. So how hard is it to go from crazy to violent? I’m not sure.”
“Wow.”
“I do want to clarify I wouldn’t have gone back to Sara, even if she wasn’t nuts. We were never right together, and I think part of the reason why I was with her was because I knew she wouldn’t fuck me over for Sawyer.”
There it is—the elephant in our whole relationship, the crux of his issues with Sawyer. I know their stress lately has been because of me. I’m not sure why, but I can feel it.
“Noah, you know I’d never leave you for your brother, right?”
He diverts his gaze elsewhere, and I tenderly pull his face toward mine.
“Noah, I need an answer.”
&n
bsp; “No, Mel, I don’t think you would. But I don’t think that would stop Sawyer from trying something. I’m pretty sure he has feelings for you.”
Shit.
It’s not like I didn’t feel it, but it makes our confrontation a few weeks ago even worse. Not to mention I hid it from Noah. But I don’t want to give their feud any more fuel, either. I’ve got to stick to my decision to let it go, but if Sawyer does something like that again, I’ll have to tell Noah everything.
“I care about Sawyer and what happens to him. I consider him a friend. Plus, he’s your brother, and that means something to me. I’m a strong woman, Noah, and although your brother may exude sexual greatness to some women, I’ll never be one who falls under his spell. If you truly love me, you have to trust in me, not Sawyer.”
“Mel …”
“Look, Noah, I’m not telling you to cut your brother off or not believe in him. Sawyer loves you and would do anything for you. I have no doubt about that. None. Sometimes, our hearts and our libidos want what we can’t have. I think Sawyer falls into that category often, not because he doesn’t love you, but because he sees what you have and he wants it, too. I just don’t think Sawyer realizes he can get it on his own.”
“What do you mean?” he asks thoughtfully.
“I think Sawyer assumes it has to do with the woman someone has versus finding one and making that for himself. He needs to feel love, Noah, but for whatever reason, he feels he isn’t worthy of finding a woman on his own who can give him that. Hence all the one-night stands.”
Noah stares at me as a heavy silence wraps around us. Maybe I went too far. I should have just kept my opinions of Sawyer to myself, but I’ll be damned if my relationship is going to be condemned because Sawyer can’t keep his dick in his pants.
Noah reaches his hand around to the back of my head and crushes my lips to his. It takes me by surprise, and when I open my mouth and let out a yelp, he invades me with his tongue. He meets mine mercilessly, and then pulls his other arm up to hold my head steady. His fingers are laced into my hair, his lips moving against mine with so much passion I can’t catch my breath, and I don’t want to. I’ll willingly drown in Noah’s kiss one delectable stroke at a time.
When he pulls away, we’re both breathless. “I fucking love you, Amelia. More than you can ever imagine.”
“I think I’ve got a small idea,” I answer as I brush my fingers against my lips, silently willing his to come back.
“Go shower and get changed. Text me when you’re done and don’t leave the bedroom. I’ll pick you up at your door.”
“Okay,” I reply, still in a daze from that kiss.
As I walk into the bedroom and close the door behind me, I let my excitement kick in.
Noah Weston loves me, and I love him.
Date Night
After an amazing shower, I moisturized my skin, applied my makeup, dried and curled my hair, and got dressed. I’m hoping we’re staying inside of the casino because although I have the perfect dress, I don’t exactly have a warm jacket with me to go over it.
As I slide on my black heels, I take a final look at myself in the full-length mirror. My long, brown hair cascades past my shoulders in big, bouncy curls. My royal blue halter dress is tight on top and flares on the bottom. It rests about mid-thigh, and it’s nothing but bare legs until my heels. I’ve got on a small diamond pendant necklace my dad gave me for my fifteenth birthday and a matching tennis bracelet. He was so proud when he gave it to me. He said he and my mom had picked it out together before she passed away. They’re the perfect accessory for any occasion and a way of keeping them both close to my heart.
When I’m satisfied with my appearance, I grab my phone to text Noah. My hands are trembling. Why am I so nervous?
Mel: I’m ready when you are.
A soft knock against the door indicates he’s seen my text. As I swing the door open slowly, he takes his time looking me over from head to toe, and I return the favor.
“Jesus, Amelia,” he whispers softly as he wraps his arms around my waist. “What did I do to deserve you? Because I want to keep doing it for the rest of my life.”
My cheeks flush with his words, or maybe it’s because of how sexy he looks. Noah’s wearing a charcoal suit with a grey button-up shirt and a deep purple tie. His dress shoes are shined to a polish as well.
“Fucking gorgeous.”
“Me or you?” he asks with a smile, and I can’t believe I said that out loud.
“Uh, you, definitely you,” I reply, and he smiles wider.
“Why are you smiling at me like that?”
“Because you lose your filter when your defenses are down. And I love that your defenses are down right now.”
I’m thrilled with his words, glad my defenses are down, too. It doesn’t seem to happen very often. “So what are your plans for the night?”
“Do you dance?”
“Of course I dance. What kind of rock star’s child would I be if I didn’t dance?” I ask with a laugh.
He shrugs. “An uncoordinated one?”
“Do you want to dance with me, Noah?” I ask in what I hope is a seductive tone. By the way he pulls me tighter to him, I think he’d agree.
“Very much so.” He laces his fingers in mine and walks me into the great room. The whole room is flickering in candlelight, and soft music is flowing through the speakers in the corners of the room. There’s now a table set up with fine linens and champagne on ice. Covered containers of food await us on the table, and there are dozens of roses in vases decorating the room.
“Noah, this is everything. It’s perfect,” I whisper in awe.
“Are you sure? We could go out, but I thought after the day we had, maybe a night in would be more conducive to expressing our feelings.”
Oh, I want to express my feelings all right. Too bad dropping to my knees and sucking him off as an appetizer would probably wreck the romantic vibe he has going on tonight.
“I love it. Seriously, it really is perfect. Thank you.”
He presses a few buttons on the remote for the sound system and pulls me into his arms. I rest my head on his shoulder as we sway together. Then Noah does the unexpected and sings along to the music, giving me my own private concert. His voice is magic, and the tingling between my thighs grows with each word he sings. Sawyer and Noah often split the vocals, but Sawyer is always the front man.
“Please tell me you’ve considered going solo with that voice,” I whisper in his ear.
“Nah, that’s not my thing, but I’ll sing to you anytime you’d like.”
“Promise? Because I’ll never tire of you singing your heart out to me,” I tell him candidly.
“Promise, Mel. Whenever you want, whatever you want to hear.”
I nod and rest my head against his as he sings along to Open by Rhye, and I relish the sound of his voice against all of my senses.
Being with Noah is effortless. I’ve never felt more comfortable around anyone, except maybe Belle. I thought my relationship with Eli was perfect, but this puts that one to shame. We continue to dance through a few more songs. I’m not even sure what they are; I’m just hypnotized by Noah’s voice as he sings along.
“Are you hungry?” he asks softly.
“Hmm, for food?”
A massive smile spreads across his face. “Yes, for food. After we eat dinner, then we can have dessert.”
I turn my head, looking around for the dessert cart. “Where’s your magic cart?”
There’s a wicked gleam in his eye as he pulls me back to him. His mouth descends to mine as he places soft kisses against my lips, my cheeks, and makes his way to my ear, where he whispers huskily, “I thought I’d sample you tonight instead.”
“O-kay, let’s eat.” With a soft laugh, he leads me to the table and pulls out my chair for me. Before he sits, he uncovers our meals—steak, lobster, and loaded potatoes. “This looks amazing, Noah.”
> “Thanks. It was pretty hard ordering, actually. I’ve been paying attention to what you eat lately, but I wasn’t sure if the lobster was okay.”
“Lobster is always okay,” I tell him emphatically, and he laughs.
“Well, that’s good to know. I put a cheeseburger and fries behind the bar in case you didn’t like it.”
He’s so damn sweet.
“Maybe that can be our midnight snack.”
“I love the way you think,” he says. Reaching across the table for my hand, he pulls it to his mouth and places a soft kiss against it. When he releases me, we both start eating. A comfortable conversation flows as we eat our meals, but I barely manage to eat half of mine. The butterflies fluttering around my stomach are wreaking havoc on me. I’m looking forward to our after-dinner activities way too much.
Noah pushes his plate away and crinkles his eyebrows at me. “Do you not like it? I won’t be offended if you want the cheeseburger instead.”
He tops off my champagne glass and refills his own. I take a sip before answering and let my eyes flutter closed with the decadence of it. “It’s wonderful,” I answer, turning my gaze to his, “but I’m not hungry for food anymore.” His pupils dilate as I rise to my feet. Standing with me, he takes my hand and leads me into the bedroom.
When Noah opens the door, I can’t help but gasp. “Noah, this is incredible.” I’m in complete awe as I look into the room. He’s set up a star projector. It’s so realistic, I can’t imagine how much it cost him. There are a few candles flickering for ambiance. It’s perfect.
He pulls me close and tenderly kisses my forehead. “We don’t get much time outdoors, and I’d give anything for a night under the stars with you. Until we get our chance, I wanted to bring the stars to you. But someday, Mel, I’m going to make love to you under the stars. Just like I wanted to the first night we met when we were down on the beach.”
His mouth captures mine in a sweet, heart-fluttering kiss. He cups my cheeks in his hands softly as his tongue swipes along my bottom lip. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I open to him, letting his passion for me ignite us both. Noah takes his time with this kiss, knowing tonight there’s no rush and we can take things as fast or as slow as we want to.
