Chapter Fourteen Odette
Chapter Fourteen
Odette
I can still feel him.
He promised I’d be able to, and boy, he delivered.
I can’t recall the last time I was so sore in so many good places.
It’s made it really hard to focus on what’s happening around me. The last time I tuned in, Aunt Collette was telling everyone about how Dale from the hardware store asked her out and how she was unsure if she should say yes.
So far, it’s a tie.
They continue their debate, and I tune them out again.
I have more important things to worry about than a date with the town clown, like the fact that I slept with my best friend’s brother . . . and that I want to do it again.
I knew it wouldn’t be enough the second I kissed Noah in the kitchen and that I’d need more. Then he touched me and told me how beautiful I was and slid inside me, and I knew—I would never be the same.
Leaving his bed this morning was a chore. I hated to do it, though I knew that if I was late for breakfast, I’d be subjected to not just my mother’s questioning, but also my aunts’ and Nonna’s.
I am not prepared for that, especially since I’m still trying to wrap my head around what happened last night.
I mean, I know what happened. I could never forget it.
But what does it mean? Where do we go from here? Do we talk about it? Do we forget it happened? Will it happen again? I implied it would, but it was in the heat of the moment.
And the most important question of all—do I tell Izzy I slept with her brother?
My stomach sours at the thought of having that conversation with her.
She told me once a long time ago that she thought the idea of us together was gross, but was that just her being a typical teenager?
Did she mean it? How would adult Izzy react?
Would she be mad? Would she care at all?
I don’t know. I just know that I don’t have answers, and even if I did, I’m not sure I’m ready to deal with them.
So instead I let myself slip into my mind and block out what’s happening around me and go right back to last night and the look on Noah’s face as he pushed his cock inside me.
It was euphoric. That’s the only way to describe being with him. It was like everything and nothing I imagined. And I imagined it a lot over the years.
Now that it’s finally happened, I can’t believe my life ever existed without sex like that. Without feeling so connected and attuned to someone. He knew exactly what I needed and when I needed it. It was perfect. He was perfect.
“That’s a cat!” Collette yells. “Oh my gosh, Lucille, look! A cat!”
Everyone turns to see what she’s pointing at, and I look right at the last person I expect to see.
“Noah?”
In a very rare look for him, his cheeks redden, and he dips his head.
Is that because of me? Is that because of last night?
“Uh, hey, ladies,” he says.
Everyone but me bursts into laughter.
I can’t laugh. I’m too busy aching for him again.
How did he get so under my skin already?
“What are you doing all the way over there? Come sit with us.”
My aunts and cousins scoot their chairs over as my mother gets up and grabs him a chair from a nearby table.
I sit there and stare, unable to move.
Apparently Noah is not as afflicted as I am because he slides out of the booth and onto the chair.
The one my mother had set right next to me.
I’m overwhelmed with the scent of something woodsy and warm. It’s the same scent that surrounded me last night as I fell asleep with a smile on my lips.
I’m scared to look at him, but also scared to not look at him.
So I suck it up, and I do.
My breath catches in my throat when I find he’s already staring down at me, his cocoa powder eyes boring into me.
“Odie,” he says, and it’s a damn good thing I’m already sitting down, because if I weren’t, I’d fall right over.
I’ve always hated that nickname, but now? Now I just might love it.
“Noah.”
“Aww,” Aunt Rita says, placing her hand over her heart. “You two look so good together. Don’t they look so good together, Elaine?”
“Oh, hush,” my mother says. “Leave them be. We didn’t invite him over to make the kids uncomfortable.” She points at his chest. “We want to know what’s up with the kitten.”
Only then do I notice what the women were going wild about.
Pork pokes his head out of Noah’s pocket as if on cue, looks right at me, and meows.
I laugh, then run my finger over his head. “Hey there, buddy. You miss me?”
“Wait, you know him already?” Lucille asks.
I just saw him two hours ago, I want to say, but I don’t. Instead, I nod, still petting him. “Yeah, we got acquainted on Friday after Noah here got Peached.”
“Oh no.” My mother giggles. “You poor thing. That woman is always sneaking those cats around. I have no idea where she gets them.”
“I said the same thing, and she said to me, Cats have sex, Noah, and from the sex comes new cats. That’s how the animal kingdom works.” He shakes his head with a laugh, and I want to laugh, too, but I don’t.
I’m too caught up on the word sex.
Sex, sex, sex.
It’s what I had with Noah last night.
Good sex. Incredible sex.
My eyes flit to his, and once again he’s already looking my way.
He gives me a soft, secretive smile. I return it with one of my own.
Relief washes over me.
It’s not awkward. It’s normal. We’re normal. Sure, we’ve seen each other naked, and he gave me multiple orgasms, but everything is fine.
I squeeze my thighs together just thinking of those orgasms.
“Go on. Tell us about the little cutie, then,” my mother instructs, pulling me from my naughty thoughts.
All my aunts and cousins rest their chins on their hands, leaning in close and fawning over Pork and Noah as he tells the story of getting the cat.
It’s ridiculous, but I don’t blame them. Very little in this world is sweeter than watching a grumpy, hard man melt for a baby animal.
I watch in amusement as he holds the kitten carefully, lifting him in the air like this is The Lion King, and he’s showing off his cub to his pride.
He looks uncomfortable under the attention, which is funny, considering he used to sell out arenas.
My fingers itch to reach over and comfort him, but I don’t do it. I settle for petting Pork under the guise of grazing my finger against the tuft of chest hair that pokes out of Noah’s unbuttoned Henley T-shirt.
“What the . . .” The server looks around for Noah, then spots him at our table. He sighs. “Sir, you can’t have animals in here.”
Noah’s eyes narrow. “Don’t call me sir, Uli. I’ve known you since you were in diapers.”
Uli is smart enough to look scared.
“And I’ll be taking my breakfast to go.”
“Aww, to go? Boo, hiss,” Aunt Krista says, and I know it’s because she’s eager to hold the kitten. I always have to pry Beans from her hands whenever she stops by my apartment.
Uli sighs, holding his order pad in his hand with as much attitude as he can muster. “Fine. What’ll it be?”
Noah orders pancakes with syrup on the side and a lot of bacon with a coffee.
As soon as Uli’s gone, everyone goes back to cooing at Pork and discussing Peaches and how many cats she’s passed out at this point. Nobody knows the exact number, but we’re guessing it’s somewhere around fifty, if not more.
We’d be more concerned if all the cats didn’t find such good homes and Peaches wasn’t such a sweetheart. A bit weird, but still kind all the same.
“Hang on. You have a cat named Pork.” Jody Ann points to Noah, then to me. “And you have one named Beans. How adorable is that? They go together!”
“They go together too,” Aunt Rita says, meaning me and Noah, and I swear, all the women start talking at once.
Half of them are trying to get Aunt Rita to hush up, and the other half agree. I think one of them has already started scheming to get us together.
Oh, if they knew just how “together” we’ve already been.
“On that note . . .” I rise from my chair, and they all boo. I laugh. “It’s been fun, ladies, but I need to head out. I have wedding things to do.”
“And I”—Noah stands next just as the server brings his to-go bag of food—“have some pancakes to enjoy.”
Everyone groans collectively, and I laugh at their ridiculousness as I grab my jacket. Noah takes it from my hands and helps me into it, which earns another round of oohs and awws from the ladies.
I try to pretend as if I’m not oohing and awwing on the inside too.
My mother pushes to her feet and wraps me in a hug.
“I know they can be overwhelming sometimes, but they mean well.” She squeezes me tightly, then releases me. “But in all fairness, you two do look really good together.”
“Mother!” I chide, casting a look at Noah, who, thankfully, isn’t paying us any attention. He’s too busy settling his check with Uli.
“What?” She shrugs. “I’m just saying. He’s cute, and he seems to like you.”
“He’s Izzy’s brother,” I say, and I don’t know if I’m trying to remind her, myself, or both.
“So what? Izzy loves you, and she wants you to be happy, even if it is with her brother. Maybe even especially.” She winks.
I force a smile. I know Izzy loves me, but there’s no telling how she’d react to Noah and me being together, especially given her past comments on the subject. I mean, sure, she was pushing us to be dates for her wedding, but that’s completely different from us actually being together.
If we even are together. I have no idea.
Nonna hugs me next, and I inhale the familiar scent of sourdough. “These other old birds might not be smart enough to catch on, but I’ve been around a long, long time, Odette. I know when two people have seen each other naked.”
I pull back with wide eyes, and she laughs.
“Don’t worry.” She taps the end of my nose. “Your secret is safe with me, little one.”
I have no doubt that my cheeks are as red as they feel.
This is so not how I envisioned this breakfast going.
We wave goodbye to everyone else, and Noah follows me from the diner.
We both breathe a sigh of relief once we’re free from all the scrutiny.
“Here you go,” he says, holding a to-go cup out to me.
I didn’t even notice he’d grabbed two.