Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
NOAH
Von glows in the muted light of the apartment, like some ancient goddess stepped out of the pages of myth.
Her hair tumbles around her shoulders and spills over her breasts—it’s more beautiful than I could have ever imagined, dark and lush and threaded with strands of crimson. I feel like the part of her she’s spent so much time trying to tame has finally been set free. Her chest is heaving, her skin flushed a dewy pink from her orgasm. She was sweeter than the ripest peach, and the sensation of her coming against my tongue made me so hard, I thought I would burst. I drink in the planes of her face, her high cheekbones, her cinnamon eyes heavy with desire. Somewhere in the back of my brain, I know there are logical reasons why we shouldn’t be doing this. But there are stronger, more powerful forces at work on this early-autumn night.
I’ll give Von whatever she wants. If she asked for the moon, I’d find a way to pull it down for her. She tugs at my waistband and my cock is so hard it hurts as I slip off my pants .
My world has shrunk to this moment, to this beautiful woman splayed out beneath me, alabaster skin and auburn hair, pale pink nipples and creamy round breasts. Earlier today at her office was a blip, a fragment, the tip of what I’m realizing is an enormous glacier of pleasure. Now that I’ve kissed her, touched her, caressed her, I feel changed. I can’t get enough of her skin, her hair, her scent, her mouth…
I stand before Von as she grips my shaft, stroking me in long, sure movements.
“Now I’m going to be a very bad girl,” she says.
My breath catches in my throat, caught off guard by her taunt. My cock swells in her hands, her delicate fingers caressing my ridge. It’s so fucking sexy.
She flicks her tongue out along the length of my shaft, causing a thousand goosebumps to erupt over my skin. When she sinks her mouth over me, I can’t stop the cry that escapes my lips. She sucks me long and slow, taking her time, torturing me with her tongue. Every movement, every pull and suck, brings me closer to the edge. Sparks flare in my vision and I sink my hands into her hair again, reveling in the warm softness of her mouth. She takes me so deep I gasp, my ass clenching.
Von pulls away and looks up at me, that wicked grin back.
“Get inside me,” she demands.
Reality peeks its head into the moment and I hesitate. “I don’t have…I mean I didn’t think to bring any…”
Why would I have brought condoms with me? How could I ever have imagined I’d end up in this situation?
“I’m tested regularly,” Von says quickly. “And I’m on the pill.”
“Me too,” I say with relief, then chuckle breathily. “Not on the pill, I mean, obviously, I?—”
“Noah,” she interrupts, her voice a low growl. “Shut up and fuck me.”
I slant my mouth over hers as Von leans back on the couch and guides me to her. She tastes like peppermint, and I lose myself in the sensation of her lips, the slickness of her tongue. She wraps her legs around my back, sinking my cock into her soft, warm wetness. I let out a guttural moan as licks of pleasure run along my shaft, thrusting myself deeper as she grips me with those long, toned legs. I caress her thighs as I fuck her, slow and steady, enjoying every thrust, every inch of her. Her skin is taut and smooth, her breasts pert and perfect. I could consume every inch of her and still, I would crave more.
“More,” she moans, and her voice sends fire zipping through my veins, igniting flames in my chest. I increase my pitch, her little coos of pleasure exciting me, coaxing me farther into her. She bucks against me as I thrust, her hands scrabbling at my back, her fingers digging into my skin.
I gasp as she bites my shoulder and I pump faster, harder, taking her the way I want to, and she cries aloud as she tightens around me, that sweet hot center building to another release. I feel her clench as my own climax begins to crest, the two of us fused together in this one perfect moment, and I bury myself in her wetness, so impossibly perfect, each stroke bringing me closer and closer until, finally, I succumb. Pleasure rips through me, hurtling me to the ultimate peak of bliss as I spend myself inside her, waves of sensation cresting over me as Von tightens and explodes, her back arching, her skin flushing the deepest pink, her breasts heaving as she comes.
I fall against her chest, utterly spent. For a moment I just lie there, listening to the frantic pounding of her heart against my cheek. She strokes my hair, her gentle touch making the backs of my thighs shiver. I kiss the side of her breast, nuzzling into her, feeling utterly relaxed and content.
I glance up at Von and she lets out a huge sigh.
“We are so fucked,” she says.
We both burst out laughing. The feel of her skin moving against mine makes my spent cock twitch, and I ease out of her, then hurry to grab her a tissue and go into my bathroom to clean up. When I come back to the living room, Von has wrapped herself back up in her silk robe, dark blue with cherry blossoms printed on it. I want to tug it off her, to taste her sweet breasts, to make her come again until she can’t see straight. These urges are so powerful they’re disorienting.
Instead, I sit beside her as she curls up into me, her head nestling into the crook of my shoulder as I wrap my arms around her.
“So,” she murmurs. “What do we do now?”
As if in answer to her question, my stomach gives a loud rumble. She laughs again, the sound so light and free. She peeks her face up at me. “Szechuan takeout?”
We spend the rest of the evening talking, laughing, eating spicy noodles and sipping cold beer. And when it’s time for bed, Von invites me to her room.
The next two weeks seem to fly by.
Von and I live in our little bubble of happiness, her working at the office during the day, me going through the files at the apartment, and preparing nourishing dinners for Von in the evening. All post sex, of course. I feel as if I can’t get enough of her. She permeates my thoughts, my dreams, my every waking moment. We have a freedom in the city, to grab a cocktail and cuddle up in a darkened corner of a bar, or to walk, hand in hand, down Broome Street. But each day brings us closer to the pretrial hearing and our return to Magnolia Bay. We don’t talk about it. It’s like we both want to ignore reality for as long as possible.
But time stops for no one. I wake on the morning of our return with Von in my arms and take a minute to breathe in the scent of her hair, to feel the warm weight of her body against me.
Von shifts and stretches in that catlike way I’ve come to love, arms unfurling, back bowing. She gazes up at me with heavy-lidded eyes.
“Morning,” she murmurs.
I smile and kiss her softly. “Good morning.”
She blinks the sleep away and tucks her hair behind her ear. “Ready to go home?”
“No.”
She chuckles softly. “Yeah. Me neither.”
She nestles her head into my shoulder, and we lie in silence for a moment. I know we have to keep what we are a secret. Von told me it’s not illegal for us to be together but it’s one hundred percent unethical—not only would she be thrown off the case, but she’d lose her job. That’s the last thing I want.
But the idea of not being able to hold her, to touch her, to curl up with her at night… I wonder what will happen when the trial is over. I’ve loved this time with Von, but I can’t imagine actually living in the city. Magnolia Bay is my home. I’m a small-town guy, through and through. And Von is helicopters and chauffeurs and Michelin star restaurants. I’ve never felt anything close to what I feel for her—but is that enough to bridge the gap between our lifestyles? And then there’s the question of what happens when I do get acquitted. How could I ever go back to work at the sheriff’s department? My future feels hazy and uncertain, where once it was so crisp and bright. Do I even want to be a cop anymore?
But if I’m not a cop, who am I?
“Hey,” Von says, resting her palm against my cheek. “I can feel you overthinking. What’s up?”
“Nerves, I guess,” I say, deflecting a bit. I don’t need to foist my existential crisis on Von right now. She should stay focused on the hearing today.
She purses her lips and shoots me a sardonic look, making it clear she doesn’t believe me.
“I’ll miss this,” I say, squeezing her tight.
She grins. “If you think I’m about to give this up, you’ve got another think coming. I’ll have to meet with my client and go over the details of his case. At night. In the guesthouse.”
My mouth falls open. “You sly minx,” I say. “Is that why you wanted to keep me on the property?”
She gives her evil Blofeld laugh. “My plans have worked, Mr. Bond.”
I flip her on top of me, pelting her with kisses as she shrieks with laugher. “Okay, okay, enough of that,” she says, squirming out of my grasp. “We’ve got to get dressed and ready. We’re meeting with Judge Warner at two.” She slips out from under the covers, and I watch her greedily, drinking this moment in, her little silk shorts and lacy camisole, her long legs, the way her hips move as she pads over to her enormous closet to slip on her robe. “We should have time to drop your things off at the guesthouse before heading to the courthouse.” She catches sight of me and one corner of her mouth tugs up. “You’re going to have to stop looking at me like that in public,” she warns.
“We’re not in public yet,” I say, reaching out to grab her wrist and pulling her back into bed with me. She giggles and runs her hand through my hair, sending a wave of prickles over my scalp. I caress her breast over the silky fabric and she gasps.
I gaze into her eyes, cupping her neck with my hand. Her chest pitches as she breathes, her face open and guileless. The real Von, shining through. I stroke her cheek and she leans into my palm, closing her eyes. Then she opens them a slit and grins. “Come shower with me?”
Two hours and a couple orgasms later, we’re dressed and ready to head back to Magnolia Bay.
Von has all the motions and case files packed in boxes and secured on a small trolley. Sam takes them from her once we get down to the elevator and Benito holds the door for us .
“Back to Magnolia Bay?” he asks as Von’s driver hurries up to grab my duffel and Sam loads the boxes into the trunk.
“Yup,” I say. “Trial starts soon.”
Benito shakes my hand. “Good luck.”
“Thanks,” I reply.
He glances at Von, folding herself into the backseat of the car, then back at me. “We hope to see you here again soon,” he says with a knowing look.
Von and I take the car to the helipad together for the last time. She looks as flawless as always, hair slicked into a low ponytail, wearing an immaculately tailored mauve dress, belted, with three quarter length sleeves. I let my gaze run over her legs and wonder how on earth I’m supposed to look at her like she’s anything except the brightest star in the universe.
We get in the helicopter and my leg starts to bounce with nerves. Von puts a hand on my knee.
“We’re winning this case, Noah,” she says sternly.
“I know,” I say. And I do. I feel utterly certain of that. I just hate the idea of having to sit in front of Judge Warner while he looks at me like I’m a criminal.
We land at the helipad and Alex helps us get our things into the town car. “It is good to be having you home,” he says.
“What’s the press situation?” Von asks.
“Just that one woman from the local paper so far. She has been parked across the street from the house. But the others will come.”
I can tell Von is narrowing her eyes behind those giant sunglasses. “Of course,” she mutters.
The North Fork is a riot of color as we drive past farms with trees bursting in brilliant shades of red and orange. The sun is warm but an October chill fills the air, scented with woodsmoke and the promise of colder days to come. Just like Alex said, Everly Harris is parked on the opposite side of the street from the lodge, where the tasting room is bustling with people. I guess Alistair was right—true crime plus wine is a compelling mix. It makes my stomach turn, the thought of these people being here to gawk and ogle the house where a woman was murdered, to sip wine and talk theories like they each have their own podcast.
Everly perks up as we pass by, pulling out her phone and making a call. I try to ignore the prickling sensation in my stomach. We pull up to the house and a new thought hits me. I’m going to be living on Russell’s property. That man has a bullshit detector that goes off from a mile away. Von’s warning not to look at her with hearts in my eyes takes on a new level of urgency.
I wonder what her family would think if they knew about me and Von. What Russell would think. And Caden—would he be happy for me? Or feel betrayed that I had kept this from him?
Then I shake those thoughts off, because first things first. Pop always says you can’t catch a trout if you haven’t baited your hook.
For now, the best thing I can do is get those logbooks from Stan and start finding out who really killed Marion.