26. Maddy
26
MADDY
I t was stupid that I felt nervous as I walked down the hall to Noah’s condo, but it also sort of made sense. We’d been in such a good place before, like we really got each other. Now it seemed like we’d reached a new milestone. One I didn’t like.
The bad feelings place.
Of course it was going to come eventually, because there’s no such thing as fairytales, but I didn’t think the monster in our story was going to be his business . Well, that plus my jealous ex. Still. We were here, and now we had to hash out all of the uncomfortable stuff.
I paused outside his door to take a calming breath. I’d dressed up a little, in a cute white sundress, with the sexiest thong ever underneath it; pink, lacy, with a tiny bow that sat right at the top of my bum. If we were going to make up, I wanted to be prepared to celebrate.
And if we weren’t going to make up… well, in that case, I’d need every confidence boost I could get.
Maybe he was going to tell me things weren’t working out. That he only wanted me to be his assistant and nothing more. My heart felt like it was going to pound out of my chest as I considered the possibility, and my palms went sweaty. Maybe this was going to be a breakup . It wasn’t like he could do it in the office, in between meetings and calendar updates.
I shook out my hands and got ready to knock when the door swung open, making me jump back in shock.
“Noah!” I clutched my heart. “How did you know I was out here?”
His eyes crinkled as he laughed at me. “I know everything that happens on this floor. In fact, I knew you were here the second you walked into the building.” He leaned past me and pointed at the ceiling. “Cameras. Everywhere.” He held up his phone and wiggled it at me.
“Ah. How surveillance state of you,” I said as I tried to come down from the surprise. “Hi, by the way.”
“Hi.”
Why did he always have to look so damn incredible? I couldn’t stop staring at that mouth I wanted to kiss. But I needed to keep it together until I figured out what was going on. I stared at him shyly, waiting for him to give me a clue about what he was thinking. His face didn’t reveal much. As usual.
“I’ve missed you,” he said in a low voice. His eyes searched my face like he was trying to figure me out as well.
“Same,” I squeaked out.
It seemed to be all he needed to hear. “C’mere,” he said, pulling me into his arms and lifting me off my feet as he backed into his place.
I was in his arms again, finally. In a way it felt like it was where I belonged. I nuzzled my nose against the bare skin of his neck, breathing in his warm, smoky scent. He gripped me tighter, then his lips found mine in a kiss that made it clear that breaking up had never been even a remote possibility.
He pulled away reluctantly and lowered me to the ground. “Let’s talk.”
I nodded and followed him to the couch that overlooked the Miami skyline. We sat down facing each other.
“Listen, about the way I reacted over the stuff with Beckett…” he said, taking my hand in his. He frowned. “I have to admit I was caught off guard by the fact that you dated. I wish you’d let me know earlier. Having it sprung on me like that… it rattled me, and when I’m rattled, I go into damage control mode.”
I squirmed a little because I knew he was right. I should’ve told him.
“I met with HR. Beckett has been reprimanded. But if something like this ever comes up again, please speak with Jennifer immediately. As for how it played out this time… I should have focused more on how upset you were. That was wrong of me. I didn’t express myself properly. I was worried about you.” He paused to take me in for a moment. “You’re very important to me, Maddy.”
I couldn’t resist teasing him a little. “Yeah, I get it. You like my meeting scheduling abilities, huh?” I poked his leg.
He grinned and looked down at our joined hands. “Yes, that’s exactly it.”
I knew Noah would never admit that the most important thing in his life was Parker Sports Management. He might not even have realized it, so I wasn’t about to go there with him, especially when he was trying to do the right thing and apologize to me. I needed to own up to my own weirdness lately, too.
“Noah, I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have up and left like that during the meeting. It was unprofessional. I let Beckett get to me. I got a little overwhelmed by everything, you know?” I sighed. “I needed some time to myself. And taking yesterday off helped, a lot. I got to spend time with my girls.”
“I’m glad,” he said, moving closer to me. “You deserved some time away. I’ve been working you pretty hard.”
I snickered at his accidental double entendre.
“What?” he asked, brow furrowing lightly. “What’s funny?”
“I’m sorry, how have you been working me?”
“I said I’ve been—” he stopped abruptly and laughed. “Ah, okay, got it. Hey, now that I think about it, maybe I haven’t been working you hard enough.”
Then he gave me the look… the one that told me I’d been right to wear my lacy thong.
I raised an eyebrow at him. “Maybe you should show me what you mean.” I glanced at his lap.
“Get over here,” he rumbled as he grabbed my wrist and pulled me so I was sitting on top of him.
“Ooh,” I said, grinding against his stiffness. “Now I get it.”
He slipped his hand behind my neck and gazed at me. “You are so fucking gorgeous. Do you know that? All I want to do is stare at you.”
I felt my face go hot. “Stop.”
“Never.”
He pulled me down into a kiss that made me a little dizzy. I pushed into him as his hands smoothed up and down my naked thighs.
“I want you,” he murmured as we kissed. “I’ll always want you, Maddy.”
That always hung in the air between us.
He didn’t give me a chance to answer. Noah reached beneath my dress and pulled at the delicate fabric of my panties.
I heard a rip and smiled against his mouth. “Eager, aren’t you?”
“Desperate,” he managed, kissing me hungrily as he trailed beneath the torn lace. “I need to touch you.”
“Is that all you want to do?” I asked. It was tough keeping my voice even as his fingers found their way to my heat.
Noah pulled back and stared at me, his eyes stormy. He slipped a finger inside me, and I let out a little moan.
“Are you telling me you don’t like this?” He teased me slowly.
My breath hitched when he started making focused circles between my legs.
“Answer me,” Noah whispered, still working me with his fingertips. His breath was hot against the side of my neck. “Do you like it when I do this?”
“ Yes .” It came out in a rasp.
“That’s what I thought.”
I couldn’t control the desperate noises I was making. Beckett’s ugly comment flashed in my head, and I tried to be quiet. But Noah wasn’t having it. He was bringing me closer and closer to the edge. I clenched my thighs against his as the tension inside me increased.
“I can tell you’re close,” he said softly. He bit my neck and I shivered at the overwhelming mix of sensations. Gentle circles between my legs and teasing nibbles along my skin. “Come for me. Let go.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and let my head fall back as the warmth started to unfurl in my low belly. How could he make me feel this way? Like each orgasm was better than the last?
I couldn’t hold back and let out a moan that turned into a shriek. Noah didn’t stop working me until I finally collapsed against him, panting.
“You’re incredible,” he whispered. “I love watching you let go. Hearing you.”
I smiled against his chest then sat up. “Your turn.”
Before he could protest I shimmied off of his lap and to the floor between his knees.
“Maddy… I want you,” he managed in a strangled voice as I started unzipping his fly. “I want to fuck you.”
“Oh, you will,” I purred as I pulled him free of his jeans and stroked his length. I moved closer to him and waited for him to look at me. Once he did, I slowly took him into my mouth as I stared into his eyes. He groaned and dropped his head back against the couch.
I pressed my tongue against his length as I took him in and out of my mouth. I could tell it was almost impossible for him not to thrust deeper, especially when he wound his hands in my hair. I took him as deep as I could, which wasn’t easy given how big he was.
“Maddy,” he said, trying to move away from me. “I’m close.”
I kept at it for a few extra seconds, locking eyes with him again as I sucked.
“You’re killing me,” he whispered.
It was the first time I’d ever heard him sound vulnerable.
Noah finally managed to shift away. In one movement he picked me up off the floor and placed me over the back of the couch with my ass in the air. He easily ripped my panties the rest of the way off and then dove between my legs, tasting me, teasing me.
My legs started shaking as he slipped his tongue inside of me. He brought me close, closer still when he added his finger.
Then, nothing. Noah moved away from me abruptly, and I was too crazy from desire to form a complaint. I heard the telltale wrinkling of a condom wrapper, then a few seconds later his warm tongue was back, licking me slowly.
Everything started building again, my legs shaking, my breath going shallow. I nearly screamed when he stopped again, but thankfully the pause was only a short one before he plunged inside me. I let go again as the orgasm rocked through me, not caring how loud I was being.
I fell against the couch, panting. Noah smoothed his hand down my back then grasped my hair in his fist, giving a little tug. He started moving against me, slowly at first then building to a faster, harder rhythm, clenching my hair—tight enough for me to feel it but gentle enough not to hurt beyond a light sting that mixed in with the other sensations rocking my body. I was still riding the waves of my last orgasm, so it didn’t feel possible that everything was building again. I braced myself and arched against him, not believing what my body was telling me.
I was about to have my third orgasm.
“I love the way you sound,” Noah said gruffly as he ground against me. “Especially knowing that I’m the one who draws those moans out of you.”
I hadn’t even realized I was making any noise because I was so in shock that I was about to come again. I let out another shuddery cry and within a few seconds Noah joined me, letting out a loud groan as he gripped my waist tighter and buried himself inside of me. He collapsed against my back, breathing hard.
“I will never, ever get tired of hearing you, understand?” he whispered as he kissed the small of my back.
It felt like we were talking about a lot more than sex.
I did my best to believe him.