Chapter 37
NOAH
I’ve just tucked my shirt in when Sabrina appears, looking utterly at peace.
“Nice spa day?” I ask.
After I left her this morning, I called them to make sure she could get in. Like I figured, they were booked solid, so it cost me a pretty penny to get them to open things up for her. It was worth it.
“You have no idea.” She closes the door behind her and drinks me in, assessing the fresh pair of dress pants and the starched button-down shirt. “Do you have another interview to go to?”
“Nope. I’m taking you out to dinner. Get dressed.”
She frowns, a wrinkle marring her brow. “What about Maddie? Can she come?”
Fuck.
This woman. The way she cares about my daughter softens me to her more and more every day. The bond they’ve formed is more than I could’ve hoped for.
“Maddie’s being spoiled beyond reason. Fisher is taking her to one of her favorite restaurants, then Harrod’s. I promise you, she’s not thinking about us. Now”—I clap my hands—“get dressed.”
Eyes wide, she hurries to the closet. “How about this?”
She pulls out a black dress with a bow at the back. It’s short, but not too short, and the way the skirt flows out makes me think of a tutu.
“Perfect.”
“Do you have reservations or something? How much time do I have?”
I check my watch. “Can you be ready in an hour?”
“No problem.”
Forty-five minutes later she emerges from the bathroom, dressed and with her makeup freshly done.
“I changed my mind.” I wrap a hand around her waist and kiss her gently, careful not to mess up her makeup. “We’re staying in. You’re beautiful and I want you all to myself.”
Cheeks heating, she swats at me. “I was ready to crawl into bed after all that pampering, and you made me get ready. We’re going.”
When she puts on her favorite pair of boots instead of one of the many pairs of heels she now owns, my chest pinches with affection.
In the car, when she slips her hand in mine, I turn my head, hoping she can’t see my dopey smile. I’m usually the one reaching for her; for her to initiate the contact sends a thrill through me.
“Where exactly are we going?”
The dopey smile morphs into a sly one, and I turn it on her. “You’ll see.”
She rolls her eyes. “Why not tell me now? What makes the surprise so tempting for you?”
“The look on your face.”
She presses her lips together. “That was cheesy.”
Brow cocked, I shrug. “It’s true.”
She’ll see what I mean when we get there.
An hour in, when we’ve left the city, she fidgets beside me, her focus more intent on our surroundings. “You’re not taking me to the middle of nowhere to murder me, are you?”
“Do you think I’d hire a driver to do that? Why bring a witness?” I skim my fingers over the inside of her knee, and when she shivers, a jolt of satisfaction hits me. It would be so easy to slide my hand higher, to push her panties aside and sink my fingers into that sweet pussy.
“No, I guess not.”
I drag my fingers along her soft skin until they disappear beneath the hem of her dress.
“Noah,” she breathes. “What are you doing?” She eyes the driver who’s right there.
Angling close, I press a kiss beneath her ear. “If you want me to stop, just say so.” To the driver, I say, “Can you turn the radio up? I like this song.”
He meets my gaze in the mirror, his expression knowing, but without a word, reaches over and turns the volume up.
When I find the soft material of her panties and stroke over the fabric gently, her lips part and her breath catches. As much as I want to tease her, make her beg for it, we’re close to the estate, so I have to use my time wisely.
While I’m rubbing her panties, I look out the window, pretending to be unbothered, all the while my cock is so hard I worry I’ll break through my zipper.
When I’m sure she’s good and wet, I push her panties aside.
It takes all my willpower not to groan when I come into contact with her liquid heat.
I turn and bring my lips to her ear. “So fucking responsive. Your pussy loves me, doesn’t it? I bet you’ve never been this drenched in your life. You’re going to leave a wet spot on this seat, aren’t you?” I suck on her skin where her neck meets her shoulder.
Though she doesn’t speak, her eyes are hooded with pleasure.
I push my fingers inside her, thumb on her clit, and curl them against that sweet spot. The music is loud enough to drown out the sound of her drenched pussy milking the digits.
“You’re so pretty,” I whisper in her ear.
We’re nearing our destination, so I make sure to give her clit a little extra attention. I can’t leave her hanging. I’m not trying to edge her. Not this time.
“Noah.” My name is a soft exhale.
When I sweep my tongue into her mouth, she loses it. I keep my lips sealed to hers to stifle her cry of pleasure as her core pulses. She comes down slowly, and only when her spasms have abated do I remove my fingers from her body and return her panties to their proper position.
Then, with my eyes locked on hers, I lick my fingers clean.
Her lips part and a gasp escapes her, though an instant later, the car rounds a bend and gravel crunches beneath the tires, stealing her attention.
Outside the car, I pull a handful of cash from my wallet and pass it to the driver.
“Thanks.”
One brow raised, he takes the money and tucks it away. Then he’s gone, slowly rolling down the driveway.
“Oh my God.” Sabrina buries her face in my shoulder. “Did you just pay him off?”
I tug on my sleeves. “He deserved a tip after that, don’t you think? Or”—I cock my head to the side—“maybe the show was all the tip he needed.”
“Noah,” she scolds, her expression withering. “I can’t believe you said that.”
Hand on her waist, I urge her up the stairs. “Worth it, though, right?”
“Yes,” she admits a tad reluctantly. Halfway up the steps, she stops and tips her head back, lips turning down in a frown. “Where are we? This place looks like a castle.”
“It’s Wellmere Castle,” I answer. “It’s mostly used as a museum these days, but they host dinners twice a month. I was able to get us in.”
“This is incredible.” She turns carefully and surveys the grounds. “It’s so beautiful. How old is this place?”
“I’m not sure. I know some estates similar to this one date back to medieval times, but I don’t think this one is quite that old.”
“It’s magical,” she says as we reach the towering set of doors and they open for us.
An attendant appears just inside and holds out an arm, gesturing for us to enter. “Welcome to Wellmere Castle. We hope you enjoy your evening.”
We’re guided into the massive dining room, empty save us. It cost a pretty penny to rent out the space, but since it’s normally a shared dining experience and I want Sabrina all to myself, it’s well worth it.
“Where would you like to sit?”
She turns to me, eyes wide. “This whole room is for us?”
I nod.
The long, wide table isn’t exactly intimate, but the experience will make up for it.
“This is incredible,” she says when we’re seated. “Imagine the things these walls have seen.”
A server brings glasses of water and a wine menu, and shortly after our drinks arrive, the first course is served.
“You’re spoiling me today,” Sabrina says, her smile wistful. “I feel like a princess, but…” Focus lowered to her lap, she shakes her head.
“But?” I prompt, angling forward.
“I miss Maddie.”
Her words warm my heart. How the hell did I get this lucky? This woman cares for my daughter the way I do. I didn’t want to hire her that day she showed up at my house, but Fisher was right. There was no one more suited for the job.
“I do too. But she’s having a great time. Fisher has probably caved and let her have ice cream for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”
“God, I hope not,” she laughs, reaching for her glass of wine. “She’ll be bouncing off the walls for an entire week if that’s the case.”
Dinner is incredible, and the car has barely pulled away from the estate when Sabrina falls asleep, her head resting on my shoulder.
When we pull up to the hotel, I have to shake her shoulders to wake her.
Slowly, she straightens and yawns. “Oh no.” She blinks rapidly, taking in our surroundings. “Did I sleep on you the whole time?”
Lips quirking, I shrug. “It’s not a big deal.”
She peers down at my shirt and grimaces. “Is that drool? You let me drool on you? This is so embarrassing.”
“It’s fine.” I slide out of the car and help her out. “Let’s head up to bed.”
“Where’s Maddie?” she asks around a yawn.
“Staying with Ebba again. She was thrilled about another sleepover.” I squeeze her hand lightly as we enter the hotel and head for the elevators. “We’ll get her first thing in the morning.”
With her arms looped around me and her chin propped against my chest, she smiles up at me. “You said we.”
I cup her cheeks. “Yeah, I did, Curls.”
“I like that. Being a we. An us.”
My heart thumps out of time. “Hmm, you do, huh?” I tug her into an open elevator.
“Probably a little too much.” She holds up her thumb and forefinger.
“I like it too.”
Face lowered a fraction, she looks up at me through her dark lashes. “There’s a lot of like going on here.”
“Yeah.” I grin, and when the doors open, I tug her out into the hall.
Sabrina yawns as we shuffle toward her door. “I think I could sleep for a hundred years. I’m so full and sleepy.”
“I think you’re falling into a food coma.” With a hand at her back, I usher her inside.
She sits on the end of the bed and tugs her boots off. “I’m going to shower and don’t even try to sweet talk your way into joining. My body is too sore.”
I hold my hands up innocently, wiggling my fingers. “Keeping these to myself for the rest of the night. Got it.”
She shuts the bathroom door, and when the lock clicks, I can’t help but laugh.
While I wait, I strip down and climb into the bed. I wasn’t feeling sleepy before, but now that I’m unwinding, exhaustion seeps into me. I turn on the TV, determined to wait up for Sabrina, and flip through channels.
The shower turns off, but she doesn’t emerge for another fifteen minutes.