13. Maddy
13
MADDY
I t was two weeks into our trip, and I was absolutely wrung out.
It didn’t matter that we’d been staying at luxe hotels and eating incredible food. Meeting inspiring athletes. Closing deals. Stealing a little time to tour fabulous cities during each leg of the journey.
What was exhausting me was the game of hot and cold I seemed to be playing with Noah. His mixed messages made it impossible for me to figure out what was going on between us, and I wound up unable to fall asleep most nights. I understood why our surprise kiss in Spain had been interrupted.
Unfortunately, it just kept happening. Our dinners together always ended in kissing and getting handsy, and right as I’d start to get excited that we were finally going to let our passion get the best of us, something would come up.
A call. An email. Running into someone he knew. His damn work ethic was the only thing standing between us and leaping into bed together, and it was driving me insane.
I glanced over at him and wasn’t surprised to see his gaze fixed on the pitch. We were in Prague, at the Sinobo Stadium, watching the SK Slavia Prague team warm up. He had his eye on two players, but he was open to my input, which still delighted me every time. I didn’t know much about soccer, but I did know drive and talent, and that coupled with what Noah called my “sixth sense” about the elusive “it factor” helped him make some decisions. I couldn’t believe this was my life now. My love for my job almost canceled out my frustration with the man who’d given it to me.
Almost, but not quite.
Because I was so ridiculously attracted to him that I could hardly concentrate most days. Like now. He was dressed in his version of casual, which meant a slim white button-down shirt, snug trousers that showed off his assets, and for this meeting, a vintage, well-worn black team hoodie that proved he had a longstanding allegiance to Slavia Prague. Spending so much time together meant I’d picked up on a bunch of his quirks, like how focused he got when watching the action on the field. I realized I could openly stare at him during those moments without him catching me in the act, taking my time to admire his strong profile and the light stubble that always sprouted by day’s end. And those hands. Massive. I was desperate to find out exactly what they could do.
Noah leaned over. “Did you see that? Jan is on fire.”
“Uh-huh, sure did,” I lied. I hated that I kept getting distracted.
The players took a break and Jan Mingazow jogged over to where we were sitting. He seemed excited to see Noah, well aware of what the powerful man could do for his career. They chatted business, then Jan’s eyes drifted to me.
“Maddy, are you enjoying Prague?”
I glanced at Noah. “I am. Honestly, I haven’t seen much yet, but I’m excited to do some exploring.”
“Which will happen later today,” Noah said. He and I had discussed how proud the athletes were of their local culture, and that spending time enjoying the sights was a way to express our appreciation for it as well.
“I have many suggestions,” Jan said, his eyes fixed on me. “If you have time I’d be happy to show you around.”
It was a now familiar dance. The players flirting with me, some openly, some slyly. I might have found it more annoying if not for the way it clearly drove Noah insane. I had to admit, it was hilarious watching him walk the fine line of being friendly but also making it clear I was off-limits to them. And while it clearly got under Noah’s skin, he never begrudged me the compliments or blamed me for their attention.
After Becket, Noah’s approach felt like a novel experience.
“Unfortunately, we’re all booked up for the remainder of our time here,” he said quickly masking his glare. “But I’d love to hear what you think we should see.”
They dove into talk of various landmarks, and I hid a smile, amused at Noah’s possessiveness.
I looked over my notes as we walked out to the car at the end of the meeting. “Still have a good feeling about him?”
Noah nodded. “Yeah, except for the asking you on a date part.”
“I thought you’d be used to it by now,” I teased. “I think I’ve been asked out in every place we’ve visited. A girl could get an ego.”
He opened the car door for me. “As she should.”
I shivered. He had that look, the one that meant he’d probably spend the drive back to the hotel with his hand caressing my knee. I hated it as much as I loved it because I wanted more, but I wasn’t about to say anything.
“Where are we having dinner tonight?”
We’d been alternating our meals, taking some in five-star restaurants and others in local holes in the wall. Usually, Noah let me know well in advance, but he’d been vague about this meal.
“A little surprise. Dinner and sightseeing.”
I frowned at him. “How is that possible? Is there a rotating rooftop restaurant somewhere in the city?”
He shook his head. “Nope.”
“Can you give me a hint?”
He took his eyes off the road for a moment to glance at me. “Water.”
I snorted. “Well, thanks. That doesn’t help at all.”
Noah wasn’t usually this secretive about our plans, but I sort of liked the intrigue. It made me feel like he was planning something special. Something truly date-like.
I dressed accordingly, in a pretty black dress I’d picked up in Paris. It was more than I’d usually pay for a dress, fancier than I usually had any need for, but I’d had a feeling that being with Noah could lead to the right occasion for it.
I was even happier I’d splurged on it when he met me in the lobby.
“ Wow .”
The dress was simple, just a basic spaghetti strap, knee-length thing, but it was made of a stretchy fabric that hugged me in all the right places. I was almost embarrassed at how amazing my breasts looked in it.
Yup, I was definitely getting an ego.
“That’s Paris for you,” I said, doing a little spin. “They know fashion.”
“I’m not talking about the dress,” he said in a low rumble. “We better leave now, or I’m going to have to cancel everything.”
I felt a pulse of excitement. Maybe tonight was going to be different?
He stayed mum about where we were headed until we pulled into a parking lot by the Vltava River.
“Oh, this is perfect! I love dining by the water,” I said, staring at the twinkly lights in the distance.
“How about dining on the water?” He pointed to a barge.
“A dinner cruise?”
“Yup, for just the two of us.”
He took my hand and led me to the boat where the crew was waiting to greet us. It was more than I’d imagined, and my heart fluttered at his thoughtfulness. I knew better than to think I’d be able to get him to turn off his phone, but at least tonight there would be no other diners interrupting us.
The waiter led us to a table with a couch so we could sit side by side and watch the passing landscape. Another waiter followed and placed two glasses of champagne in front of us.
“The appetizers will be out shortly,” he said with a bow.
I frowned at Noah as the man walked away. “No menus?”
“After more than two weeks eating every meal together, I know your likes and dislikes. Trust me, you’re going to enjoy this meal.”
“I trust you,” I said, meeting his eyes and holding his gaze, hoping he’d understand the depth of what I was saying.
We toasted with our champagne flutes as the barge slid beneath the arches of the Charles Bridge. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask him something personal, something about us.
But I chickened out at the last second and pivoted to work. “How about you give me a performance review, boss man? These past few weeks have felt like years, so go ahead and let me know what you think of my work so far,” I said, settling back in the cozy seat. I’d always been a lightweight and I felt bubbly and bold after a single glass.
Noah watched me with a bemused expression. “You really want to go there over dinner? When we’re officially off the clock?”
I scoffed at him. “You are never off the clock, Noah Parker. I’m surprised that phone of yours hasn’t rung a few million times.” I pointed to it on the table where it sat resting next to his fork.
“I turned it off.”
It was the sexiest thing he could’ve said to me. Noah turning off his phone meant he was going to give me his undivided attention for the night. A shiver tickled the back of my neck.
“Well that’s… unusual.”
“I wanted to be fully present. To enjoy the beauty all around me.” His eyes took me in.
My stomach fluttered.
The meal was a mix of food and flirting and occasionally both at the same time. Without any distractions to interrupt us, we could finally relax. But I still wasn’t completely confident the night would end in his arms, and the more wine I downed the closer I came to asking him, point blank, what the hell we were doing.
“I never got around to your performance review,” Noah said as he finished off his trdelnik , the sugar-coated spindle cake that was so good I wanted to lick my plate.
I could tell by the smile playing around the corners of his mouth that it was going to be interesting.
I groaned, regretting bringing it up. “You don’t have to?—"
“No, no, this is important. You should know how you’re doing.” He adjusted his posture to a more formal, businesslike position. “Maddy Malone, in the past month you’ve proved to me that you’re a valuable asset to my team. You’re a quick learner, you go above and beyond, and you’re a self-starter.” He paused. “And from a purely aesthetic perspective… you’re hot as hell.”
I felt my cheeks go hot as I laughed at him. “Stop.”
“Now why would I do that?” he asked in a low voice as he leaned closer to me.
As much as I wanted to kiss him, my need to understand what was going on between us was stronger. “Because I still don’t know if you’re just my boss, or if all of this flirting is actually leading to something.”
He pulled back abruptly, his face confused. “Maddy, haven’t I made that obvious to you?”
“No.” I shook my head. “It’s been nothing but stops and starts. Even when we end the night kissing, something more important from work always comes up and I’m left to follow behind you while you talk on the phone. I’m your priority right up until I’m not—and kissing feels like it’s leading to something more and I’m left hanging. Do you even want something more or am I just convenient? Or worse, is this some sort of complicated mind game to make me want to work even harder, impress you even more?”
He reached out to run his hand down my arm. “I know I haven’t made it easy for you, but I thought my feelings were clear.”
I shook my head, frustrated. “Noah, implying I should already know the answer is not actually an answer.”
“Hey.” He placed his finger under my chin and raised my head. “ This is how I feel.” Noah leaned closer and kissed me, a slow, velvety kiss that nearly made me purr.
Damn him.
He drew back and gently tucked a tendril behind my ear, getting another shiver of delight out of me. “Do you understand now?”
No. I didn’t. The kiss felt great—but the kisses always felt great. The issue was that I never got the chance to find out what came next. I was trying to figure out how to phrase that without sounding too needy when Noah dragged me onto his lap. “How about this?” Noah reached behind my head and gently pulled me closer until our lips connected again.
This kiss felt different. More insistent, like Noah knew he had something to prove to me. His hands raced up and down my back and I couldn’t help grinding against his lap.
“What about the staff here?” I murmured against his mouth.
“Trust me, they’re not going to be a problem.”
His hands crept beneath my dress and slid up my thigh. Yes . They were just as talented as I’d imagined, teasing along my skin and drawing goosebumps of excitement everywhere he touched.
“Do you like that?” he whispered against my ear.
I actually whimpered at the question which made him rumble out a quiet laugh.
“Good. I’ve been dying to explore you,” he said. “Every inch of you.”
The next thing I knew he’d found his way beneath the silk of my thong and was caressing my soft folds, teasing me until I pushed against his hand in frustration. Noah never stopped kissing me as he caressed me, making the most perfect little circular motions.
“Don’t… stop,” I managed to get out.
It was all the encouragement he needed. Noah began alternating between rubbing the center of my pleasure and slipping a finger inside me.
“I can tell how much you want me,” he said softly, letting his finger glide in and out.
I couldn’t speak. Every bit of my focus was on what Noah was doing to my body, the way he was making me feel. There was no clumsy exploration; he knew exactly how to get me off. I felt my breath going shallow, like I was reaching the end of a marathon, and I ground against him as the pressure started building inside of me.
“Do you like the way I’m touching you?” he whispered against my mouth.
I nodded, nearly frantic with pleasure.
“Then show me.”
It was all I needed to push me over the edge. I threw my head back and let out a strangled noise as the orgasm rolled through my body. He didn’t stop as I rode the waves of pleasure, continuing to touch me until I finally had to push his hand away so I could recover from the intensity of the sensations. I fell against him, half laughing, half ready to cry from what he’d just done to me. I panted as Noah kissed the top of my head.
“The next time I make you come it’ll be with my cock. Got it?”
I nodded against his neck and hoped he wouldn’t make me wait long.