Chapter 24 Sasha
Chapter Twenty-Four
SASHA
I felt boneless as pleasure continued to ping through my body. I heard the rumble of Noah’s words against my ear where I lay on his chest. It took an effort to lift my head. I curled my hand into a fist and rested my chin on it. His eyes were intent as they searched mine.
“Is that a responsibility question?” I asked. His brows hitched up. “That’s what I say to Quinn when she’s asking me something about being responsible,” I clarified. “I don’t want you to go. Do you feel like you should because Quinn’s here?”
He shook his head. “Not really, but if you thought so, then I would drag my ass out of this bed, kiss you good night, and very reluctantly leave.”
His answer delighted me, and I giggled, dipping my head and pressing a kiss in the divot at the base of his throat. “I think she can handle tonight. Plus, that gives us more time.”
When Noah’s lips curled into a slow smile, my belly flipped, and my heart felt exposed. This man slayed me in more ways than one.
“More?” he prompted.
“Yes, more.”
What began as a teasing moment, suddenly felt deeply intimate.
I knew the surface of our words was about sex and the chemistry that felt like a fire bomb in the sky, but the undercurrent was all emotion.
I was falling so deeply for this man that I didn’t know what to think.
I feared my efforts to take it slow and do something like a sensible adult were all for naught.
“It’s more, and that’s all that matters,” he murmured, his words spinning around my heart and cinching tightly.
And so it was that Noah fell asleep beside me with my daughter across the hallway for the first time in my life. It felt exactly right. And that terrified me.
When I woke the next morning, I heard the shower running and smelled coffee.
I wondered if Noah had left already. For a split second, I wondered if the night had been a dream.
We’d fallen asleep together. Later, I’d woken up with him curled up behind me and felt the hot press of his arousal against my bottom.
He’d teased me to another climax with his fingers before lifting my thigh and sliding into me from behind. He’d fucked me slowly in the darkness, unraveling me until I trembled with pleasure and had to bury my cries in the pillow.
When I moved after waking, I felt the twinges of soreness, of being loved so thoroughly. When I stretched my arm out to the side, the sheets were still warm, so I knew he’d only recently gotten up, perhaps moments earlier.
I lay there for another minute, cradling the memories of last night like a gift inside my heart. I also needed to scramble up some courage. Because now I had to face Quinn. With Noah here. In the morning.
I heard the shower turn off. With a sigh, I kicked the covers back and got up, tugging on my around-the-house sweatpants and a comfy fleece top.
I splashed water on my face and brushed my teeth in the still steamy bathroom.
Padding down the hallway a few minutes later, I found Noah pouring a cup of coffee and Quinn at the kitchen table.
She had a bowl of oatmeal in front of her and was already showered.
Noah’s hair was freshly damp and his cheeks still a little flushed, so I surmised he was the one who had the water running moments ago.
Quinn glanced up. For a split second, she looked so young that my palm flew to my chest. She didn’t have her glasses on, and her eyes were bright. She smiled. “Morning, Mom,” she said in a sing-song voice. “Noah made me oatmeal, and it’s good.”
He chuckled. “Why, thank you.” His eyes bounced to mine. His gaze was warm and felt intimate, as if he was unwrapping the layers around my heart, right here, in a matter of seconds, in front of my daughter. “Coffee?” he asked lightly.
“Yes, please,” I managed, lifting my chin and crossing over to slip into the chair across from Quinn. My eyes landed on the paper bag from the restaurant last night. “Did you like the pie?”
Quinn’s eyes brightened. “Yes. Next time you go, I want one of the savory and sweet ones. How come that’s not an American thing? There are surely enough English people who settled here,” she offered between oatmeal bites.
I felt Noah sit beside me and push a cup of coffee over. My heart flipped over again. I curled both hands around the mug because I needed something to hold on to.
I took a swallow as Noah replied, “Next time we go, you could go with us. We can even go this weekend if you’d like.”
Quinn looked back and forth between us. I sipped my coffee and tried to act like this was no big deal.
Ever since she was born, I’d told myself I wouldn’t get serious with someone until I trusted them completely.
I knew what my heart wanted, but, sweet hell, I was diving into the deep end on this with Noah.
“Okay,” she finally said. “But I don’t want to crash a date.”
My cheeks got hot, and I gulped my coffee, relieved when she took another bite of oatmeal. I felt Noah’s hand slide on my thigh and give it a gentle squeeze. God, I could really get used to waking up like this.
“You’re not crashing a date,” Noah said calmly. “How about this weekend? Norma would love to meet you.”
Quinn’s eyes were sharp when she looked up, her gaze flicking back and forth between us. “Who is Norma?”
“One of the owners,” I replied. “Norma and Norm own the place if you can believe that. I didn’t have the pleasure of meeting Norm, but Norma was very nice.”
She thought that was hysterical and burst out laughing. The morning rolled on. Quinn left for school, and Noah offered to take me to work, adding, “Plus, we need to pick up Quinn from school so Dallas can talk with her. I’d like for us all to be there.”
My lips were saying “okay” before I could even contemplate it. It was a practical suggestion, but then I worried that Noah would be bringing me home, and I’d want him to stay. My mind loved debating anxiety-fueled topics. It often felt like a tennis game in my brain.