Chapter Eleven Noel
Chapter Eleven
Noel
Coming to the Falls was a bad idea.
It’s not because it’s busy—in fact, nobody else is here, and we didn’t see anyone else on the trail coming in—and it’s not because it isn’t completely gorgeous out here.
It’s because of the black bikini Parker is wearing.
Who could have thought something so simple could be so fucking sexy? I’ve seen women stripped down to nothing countless times. But this? This is a million times better in every way.
When we arrived at our favorite rock, she ripped off her plain baby-blue T-shirt, plopped down on the blanket I spread out, and immediately started munching on the grapes we brought along.
Since we’ve been here, I’ve barely looked up at the Falls. I haven’t paid much attention to the vast swimming hole, which is the perfect shade of blue green. And I have hardly even taken in the way the sun’s rays bounce off the surrounding trees.
I’ve been too busy staring at her, unable to say anything because I’m terrified that my next words will be entirely inappropriate.
“—tell you about how Jules from the frozen yogurt shop and Hank down at the library were caught out here necking?”
“What?”
She whips her head over to me. “Were you not listening?”
“Sorry. Distracted by the”— Don’t look at her tits. Don’t look at her tits. —“the views.”
“It is pretty out here, huh?” She sets the now half-eaten bag of grapes to the side, wiping her hands on her shorts. “Anyway, I asked if Gran told you about Jules and Hank getting caught out here with their pants down. Well, they didn’t actually have their pants down. Or maybe they did. I don’t know. The rumors have been running wild, par for the course for Emerald Grove.”
I laugh. “No, Gran didn’t mention that, but I’m not surprised. Jules is a looker.”
Parker rolls her eyes. “You always did have a thing for her.”
“It wasn’t a thing .”
“Please. The number of times you went in there with no money in your pockets just to get a peek at her was sad.”
“It wasn’t that bad.” I chance a look at her. “Was it?”
“It was definitely obvious.”
I groan. “Do you think Jules knew?”
“Are you kidding? She loved the attention. I bet if you walked in there now, she’d faint.”
“I did hear her bid at the auction last night.” I scratch at my face before remembering my battle wounds from Pumpkin. “Maybe you should have let her win.” Parker’s hazel stare turns icy. “What? It’s clear she would have known her way out here better than you did.”
“Hey! I told you to turn right, but no, you wanted to go left.”
“Because left was the correct way to go.”
“Obviously it wasn’t, or we’d have been out here an hour earlier. Have you really spent so much time in California that you’ve forgotten the way here?”
“I guess so.” I shrug, though I don’t love knowing that I have forgotten the path to one of my favorite places. It’s just another reminder I’ve been gone for far too long.
“Do you like it out there? In LA, I mean.”
I nod. “I do. There’s always something to do, I’ve made some good friends, and the weather is perfect.”
“Why do I feel like there’s more you’re not saying?”
I chuckle. “Because there is. The lack of privacy definitely sucks. I know it comes with the gig and all that, but sometimes it’s just too much, you know? I can’t even go to the grocery store without it being a whole thing. Constantly having my personal life splashed across the internet isn’t exactly ideal either. But I love making movies, so I guess I just have to deal with it.”
She shakes her head. “I don’t know how you do it. I couldn’t imagine. I don’t want to imagine. That’s not the kind of life I’d want to live, no matter how much I’m getting paid.”
I understand why she’d feel that way. The media scrutiny is certainly not for the faint of heart. But to hear her flat-out say she’d never want to be part of my world ... It makes me sad in a way I hadn’t anticipated, because what does that mean for us? Does it mean Parker would still never come to LA? Does it mean she’s already written off being friends after I leave?
The thought turns my stomach sour. I know Astrid said even the strongest people have their limits, but I can’t stand the thought of Parker not talking to me again, especially after I just got her back. In just the short time we’ve been reunited, she’s already engraved herself on my soul again, and I can’t go back to how I felt before, like I was missing something vital.
I can’t go back to a Parker-less life. It’s that simple.
I shove the thoughts down, tucking them away for later, for a time when I’m not on a date with her.
She’s here right now. We’re together. That’s all that should matter.
She settles back on her hands, the sun bathing her in light. “This feels incredible. I missed this.”
Being out in LA for so long, I kind of forgot what it was like to miss sunshine like Washingtonians do. The dark, cloudy months can feel like they go on forever sometimes, and even those who are used to it and love it start to crave the vitamin D they’re missing.
“It’s nice,” I say, but I’m not basking in the light like she is. I’m too distracted by her.
Her hair, which she took down when we arrived, is nearly dragging against the blanket. Her head is tossed back, and her face is turned toward the sky. Her eyes are closed, and her chest is pushed out like her heart is reaching for warmth as well.
She looks like a supermodel posing for a swimsuit ad, but it’s not posed or fake. This is real. Raw. All Parker.
I still can’t wrap my head around how she could think I forgot about her. Or how I could ever grow tired of her.
My entire life centered around her at one point. Hell, even when I didn’t want to admit it, these last ten years have centered around her, too, in one way or another. Every choice I made, every role I took, everything I did, I thought about Parker.
I could never forget about her, and I damn sure could never get tired of her. I know she’s got some issues with that because of her father leaving her, and I know that I have to do the same when I go back to my life in LA at some point, but I’m nothing like him. I intend to make sure she knows it.
“I can feel you staring at me,” she says as my eyes drag down to the freckle that sits just below her tits, the one I’ve wanted to kiss for so, so long.
“Well, that top is doing wonders for your ... figure.”
She rolls her head my way, looking at me with a grin. “Perv.”
I shrug, not the least bit apologetic about it, and don’t bother pulling my eyes from her.
It’s a far cry from when we’d come out here as teens. Back then, I’d sneak glances at Parker every chance I got. But that’s just it. I would sneak them. I’d never look at her as brazenly as I am now, like a man starved for her touch and attention.
Parker’s breaths grow shallower the longer I stare at her, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
I like that my stare affects her so much. That it is literally taking her breath away.
She shoots to her feet, taking off her shoes.
“It’s hot,” she announces. “I’m going for a swim.”
She gives me her back, drops her shorts to her ankles, and steps out of them before jumping off the rock and into the water.
She disappears for only a moment before she breaks the surface, her long, wild auburn hair tamed by the water.
Rivulets snake down her face as she stares up at me. “Well? Are you coming?” She bats her lashes, her lips pulled into a grin on one side as she treads water. “Or are you chicken?”
It’s the same thing she used to say to me when I didn’t want to swim.
No. It’s not that I didn’t want to swim. I was scared she’d see exactly what effect she had on me.
But now? I don’t care, especially not when I know the game Parker’s playing. She’s not the same shy and awkward girl from before.
She’s bolder. Braver. And she’s playing with fire.
I want to play too.
I shove to my feet, kicking off my shoes as I drag my shirt over my head.
There’s no mistaking the hunger in Parker’s stare as she gapes up at me. She drags her eyes down my chest, over the abs I spend a lot of time working on with my trainer, and straight down to the unmistakable bulge pressing against my board shorts.
Being in the public eye, I’m no stranger to being stared at.
But having Parker look at me like she is now ... Well, nothing can compare to how good it feels.
It makes me want to kiss her again.
I jump into the water next to her, wrapping my hands around her waist as I break the surface. Her legs go around me in an instant, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
She gasps as I settle her against me—right on my straining cock.
“Hi,” I say.
She grins. “Hi. Happy to see me?”
“Always.”
She giggles, and then suddenly, she’s kissing me. It takes me a moment to realize what’s happening. I’ve been the one to make the first move every other time we’ve kissed, so it’s unexpected but not unwanted.
I kiss her back, my fingers tangling in her long locks, holding her to me as I coax her lips open with my tongue.
I float us over to the rock, pressing her back up against it, and we make out like I’m sure her mother thought we were doing all those years ago, Parker grinding against my hard cock with each bob in the water.
It’s good. Too good.
“Peter,” I growl against her lips when she does it again.
“Noel.” She smiles deviously.
“You’re playing a dangerous game.”
“I don’t know.” She rubs against me again, and I hiss at the contact. “It doesn’t feel dangerous to me. It feels good.” Another swing of her hips. “So, so good.”
“Keep it up,” I mutter.
“Is that a threat?” Her nails scrape lightly against my scalp. “Because it sounds a lot like a promise.” She ghosts her lips over mine. “And I thought you said you keep your promises.”
Her words are my undoing.
Unable to hold back any longer, I kiss her hard and fast like I can’t get enough of her, because I can’t get enough of her.
She rocks against me, taking from me what she needs at this moment as I undo the top of her suit.
She doesn’t complain or act surprised when I let it fall away. Or when I drag my lips down her chin and her neck and to the tops of her tits.
No. Instead, she leans back, giving me access to the parts of her I want as I hike her up higher and suck her beaded nipple into my mouth.
“Holy smokes,” she calls out, and I grin around her. She can’t even cuss right now in the heat of the moment when I have my lips latched on to her nipple.
I nip and suck at her, giving each breast the attention it deserves until they’re wet and red from my beard scratching against them. Then I kiss my way back to her lips, brushing my tongue against hers as I tug on the tie of the suit bottoms.
“I want to touch you, Parker. Can I touch you?”
“Yes, please. I need . . .”
She doesn’t finish the sentence. There’s no point. We both know what she needs, because I need it too.
I pull at the string holding her suit together, and she pulls away just enough for it to float off into the water.
Parker’s naked.
In my arms.
I have a naked Parker in my arms.
I could die in this moment and go straight to Heaven, and it still wouldn’t compare to this.
I snake my hand between her legs, running my fingers through her slick folds.
“Fucking hell,” I mutter, the water so clear that when I look down, I can see everything as I slide two fingers inside her. “You’re so goddamn wet for me.”
She nods, her head lolling back, and she moans when I brush my thumb against her clit. “F-for you.”
She pushes down on my fingers, eager for more, and I oblige her request.
I play with her pussy, relishing the soft noises she makes as she fucks herself on my hand. Each sweet whimper, each cry for more, is like music to my ears. She made soft noises last night, trying to stay quiet to keep the party guests from getting suspicious. But now there’s no need. She can be as loud as she wants. And fuck if the sounds she’s making aren’t the most beautiful melodies I’ve ever heard.
“Noel . . . Please . . . ,” she begs. “I need . . .”
“Tell me, Parker.” I stroke her clit again. Another gasp. “Tell me what you need.”
“I need to feel you inside me. All of you.”
It’s not a request. It’s a demand.
And I’ve never been so fucking torn before.
She presses her forehead against mine, her nails digging into my head. “Please, Noel. I want to come on your cock.”
It’s the most forward and provocative thing I’ve ever heard her say, and it would just be cruel not to give her what she wants.
But . . .
“We don’t have anything out here.”
She shakes her head. “It’s okay. I’m on the pill.”
“Yeah, but—”
“I’ve never been without a condom. Ever.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Are you?”
“I’m good. I’ve never been without either. I’m careful. Do you trust me?”
“More than anyone else.”
Fucking hell.
“My shorts,” I choke out. “Undo my shorts.”
She drops her hand in the water between us, untying my shorts and shoving them down just enough, and then Parker’s hand is on my cock.
Parker’s hand is on my cock.
Holy shit. It’s ... it’s everything I could have hoped for. Everything I’ve wanted. Everything I’ve imagined, over and over again. And I have imagined it. A lot. More times than I should probably admit. But that’s because I’ve been head over heels for this woman since I was seventeen. That’s a lot of time to make my own fantasies.
I’m not proud of the garbled sounds that leave me as she strokes me, her grip the perfect pressure I love. The perfect pressure I need.
It’s too much. If she keeps this up, it’ll all be over before it even really starts.
“Parker ...” I gasp out her name before swallowing the lump that’s formed in my throat. “You have to stop.”
“Why?” she asks, stroking me again, her thumb brushing over the head of my cock.
I hiss. “Because I ... Fuck. ” She giggles as I groan when she does it again. “I’m going to come.”
“Isn’t that the point?”
I grab her wrist, stilling her movements. “Yes, but when I come, I want it to be inside you.”
She gulps, then looks me square in the eye. “Then what are you waiting for?”
I take her mouth in a heated kiss, pressing her tighter against the rock we’ve spent so many summers on as kids, then tease her pussy with the head of my cock.
She tries to drag me closer with her heels, and I laugh. I know I’m being mean, but if she wasn’t so lost in this excitement, she might notice my hands are shaking.
It’s ridiculous that I’m nervous. It’s not like it’s my first time, but in many ways, it feels like it’s my first time.
Parker is everything I’ve been waiting for, and I want this moment to be just right. I don’t want to rush it. I want to savor it. I want to savor her .
“Please,” she asks again, and my defenses are weakening.
I want to feel her so badly. Want to see how her body trembles under me. Want to hear my name tumble from her lips when I come inside her.
“I need you.”
That’s all it takes, and I slide inside her.
“Oh god,” she moans, her eyes falling shut as I push into her inch by torturous inch. “I can’t ... It’s too much.”
“You can,” I tell her, feeding her another inch as I kiss her jawline. “You will.”
She nods, her breaths growing sharper by the second until I’m fully seated.
I pause, giving her a moment to adjust to my size. She fits around me perfectly, as if she were made for me, and I love the little noises she makes as the waves urge us closer together and force me to rock against her gently.
Her heels dig into my ass, her silent way of asking me to move, and I’m happy to heed her request.
I pull out, then push back into her softly. Unhurried. Painstakingly slow.
“Noel . . .”
She’s not just saying my name. She’s making a request, and I know what she’s asking for, because I need it too— more .
This time, when I pull out, I thrust back in harder and faster, picking up my pace until I’m not sure where she ends and I begin.
I glance down, loving how we look together, and it spurs me on even more.
“Look down,” I tell her. “Look at us.” She rests her forehead against mine, looking down to see where we’re joined. “Look at how good we look together. Look at how beautiful your pussy is, wrapped around my cock.”
She groans, her whole body shuddering with delight as I drive into her again. “You can’t say things like that, Noel.”
“Why not?” I ask.
“Because it’s . . . it’s dirty.”
“Would you rather I describe it to you, then?” I thrust into her harder. “Would you rather I tell you how warm and wet your cunt is as it’s gripping my cock?” Another thrust. “How eager it is for me?” Another. “Or how good your tits look bouncing in the water as I fuck you? As I make you sweat for me? As I make you tremble?”
“Please . . . ,” she whimpers. “I . . .”
I slide my hand between us once more and press my thumb against her clit.
“Or is it because it’s me, Parker, your best friend? Is it so dirty because I’m voicing all the same thoughts you’ve had for years?”
“Noel!” she moans, squeezing her eyes shut as she gets just what she asked for—to come around my cock.
I fuck her through her orgasm, mine racing up my spine with just a few more thrusts, then I explode, a burst of bright-white light behind my eyes as I spill myself inside her.
It’s magnificent. Heavenly. Dare I say, spiritual.
Every-fucking-thing I could have asked for.
I want more. I need more.
But not yet. Not now. Not when she’s going limp in my arms, her eyes barely able to stay open.
I slow my movements, rocking against her lightly as our orgasms wane, then kiss her everywhere I can reach before starting again.
When she begins to shiver against me, I drag us both out of the water and lay her down on the blanket-covered rock.
I curl up next to her, wrapping her in my arms, and she comes to me willingly.
After a few quiet moments, she mutters, “So much for our first time not being in public.”
I laugh. “Yeah, so much for that.”
Then she’s snoring. Softly and quietly.
I could stay here forever.
The thought flits through my mind so quickly I barely have a chance to register it.
All I know is that forever here doesn’t sound as bad as it once did.
And I’m not sure how to feel about that.