chapter fourteen
kira
I don’t want her.
His words play over in my head as he looks at me. His eyes are heated, and his hand on my face makes it hard to think straight. He should be allowed to pick up women at bars. He’s a single man. I shouldn’t be jealous. But I’ll be damned if that statement didn’t just make my heart skip a beat.
I have no claim over him, but when I walked in and saw him with her, it felt like a betrayal. That’s the only reason I let Brennan touch me. I knew it would piss Noah off, and I was right.
He still hasn’t taken his hand off of me.
“You know I don’t want her,” he repeats, his eyes staring directly into mine.
The implication of his words hits me. I know he doesn’t want her because he wants me , but it doesn’t matter because he will never let himself have me. Nothing more can happen between us. It’s wrong. I know that, but the way he’s looking at me is exhilarating. I need to clear my head, and I can’t do that when he’s this close. Turning away, I break out of his grasp.
“I’m going to go to bed. Goodnight, Noah.”
At first, I think he’ll stop me, but he doesn’t. He stays silent, watching me as I walk away.
The next morning, I wake up to the sound of a distinct knock at my door. Before he even enters, I know it ’ s Jared. A second later, he barrels into the room and launches himself onto my bed, wrapping his arms around me.
“Happy birthday, Kira!”
His voice is bright, full of unfiltered excitement, and it tugs something deep inside me. As my eyes adjust to the soft morning light, I blink up at him. His light brown hair is a mess, sticking up in wild angles, and he ’ s still in his pajama bottoms. He must have come straight here the moment he woke up.
His gaze drifts down, pausing where his hand rests on my hip. I follow his eyes and realize—one of my legs is kicked over the comforter, and my shirt has ridden up in my sleep, exposing more skin than I intended. A rush of warmth creeps up my neck as I quickly tug it down. Jared lets out a small sigh but says nothing, just giving my leg a quick pat before pushing himself off the bed.
“ Come downstairs. Breakfast is ready,” he says, already heading for the door.
“ I ’ ll be down in a minute.”
“ Don ’ t take too long. It ’ s gonna get cold,” he calls before disappearing into the hallway.
I stare at the ceiling for a moment, letting the quiet settle around me. Nineteen. It doesn ’ t feel any different. It never does. Just another day.
I used to dread my birthday. Growing up, all the other kids got parties and presents. My mom thought those things were frivolous, and cake was always out of the question.
But the smell of bacon and coffee drifts in from the kitchen downstairs, pulling me out of those thoughts. My stomach tightens in response, and I finally push myself out of bed.
It’s not like that anymore.
I have people who care about me now.
I throw on a pair of shorts and head downstairs, running a hand through my hair to shake off the last traces of sleep.
As I step into the kitchen, the sight stops me in my tracks.
Jared is perched at the island, happily digging into his plate, and Noah stands by the coffee pot, pouring coffee into one of my mugs. He hands it to me without a word, like he ’ s done this a hundred times before. My fingers curl around the warm ceramic as I glance down at the counter—and freeze.
Eggs, toast, crispy bacon, fluffy pancakes, even a carefully arranged fruit platter.
An entire breakfast spread.
For me.
My chest tightens, something hot pressing against my ribs.
“ You guys did all this?” I ask, my voice softer than I intend.
“Happy birthday,” Noah says softly.
“Oh my god, thank you guys so much!”
“This was all him,” Jared says, gesturing toward his dad.
Meeting Noah’s eyes, he shakes his head, waving me off.
“It’s nothing. I just thought you deserved a good breakfast before you went to work this morning.”
My heart warms at his gesture. He’s always taking care of me, always making sure I have everything I need. Filling my plate with one of everything, I take a seat next to Jared at the island.
“So, what are your plans today?” Jared asks.
“Nothing really, just work.”
“Good, because you’re busy tonight.”
Oh god, what is he planning? I don’t think I’m in the mood for any kind of massive party, and I was looking forward to having some time to relax tonight, just me and my book.
“Please tell me it’s nothing crazy,” I tell him.
“It’s nothing crazy.”
Somehow, I don’t believe him.
My shift goes by without any significant issues. It’s super slow, and I can’t help but wish that I would have taken the day off.
By the time 7:30 rolls around, I’m ready to leave, but I’m not excited to see what is waiting for me at home. Every year, I tell Jared that I don’t want a big party, and every year, he outdoes himself. He has good intentions, so I can’t bring myself to stop him. Before leaving, I change into one of my favorite dresses that I brought with me, knowing I would likely come home to a full house.
The drive back takes longer than usual, probably because I’m going five under. I use the time to mentally and emotionally prepare for the night.
Maybe Jared listened and planned a movie night? That thought disintegrates as I pull up to the house. Cars line the driveway, spilling onto the street. Not very sneaky of them. At least they left my spot open. I park behind Jared and make a mental note that Noah’s truck is parked up by the house. He’s here somewhere, and for some reason, that eases my nerves.
Stepping up to the front door, I take a deep breath and turn the handle. Swinging it open, I barely have time to step into the room before Jared pops out in front of me.
“ Surprise! ”
I take in the crowd in the room. Most of the people are acquaintances at best. Thankfully, I don’t see Jake.
Right then, I see Maddie emerge from the sea of people, a smile growing on my lips. We’ve been able to hang out a couple of times since my first pottery class, and we’re practically best friends now. It’s refreshing having a girl best friend. I love Jared, but there are some things that he doesn’t get.
“Happy birthday, girly!”
“Thank you,” I say with a laugh as she pulls me into a hug.
“Come on, let’s go get you something to drink.”
She leads me into the kitchen. Stopping at the counter, I scan the room for Noah before I catch myself. Why would he be hanging out with teenagers? He’s probably upstairs. Why am I even looking for him to begin with?
“What does the birthday girl want?” she asks me, breaking me out of my thoughts.
“Surprise me, but make it strong. I’m going to need it to handle this much socializing,” I chuckle.
She begins pouring what seems like too many different liquids into the cup.
“Don’t look! It’s supposed to be a surprise!”
I avert my gaze, instead favoring the slider. The sun is getting ready to set over the water, and it makes me want to go sit on the dock. I feel eyes on me, and I know before I see him that he’s there, out on the porch.
“Damn, who is that?” Maddie asks, handing me my drink.
“That’s Noah. He’ s Jared ’ s dad. ”
“I know I’m not into men, but that is one fine man.”
I laugh at that, turning back to her.
“I’ll be right back.”
Her expression turns suggestive, but she nods, waving me away.
Pulling the slider open, I step out onto the porch. The party hasn’t yet made its way out here, so it’s quiet as I approach Noah.
“What are you doing out here?”
He looks up at me, the warm light highlighting his features. His dark hair is messy as he runs a hand through it. God, he makes it so hard not to want him.
“Just making sure you’re alright before I head upstairs.”
“Thank you, but I’m fine, Noah. I can handle myself.”
He lets out a forced laugh, “So you’ve said.”
Glaring at him, I step between his spread legs, my thighs brushing his. The roughness of the denim shocks my skin. Maybe it’s the confidence from the drink, but I lean down to whisper in his ear.
“Trust me, I can handle myself. Can you?”
His eyes darken, and the restraint there is evident. Good. I stand up, turning away toward the door.
“I’ll be upstairs if you need me,” he growls.
I don’t turn around. Instead, I open the slider and step inside. Maddie meets me at the door, a confused look on her face.
“What was that about?” she asks.
“Oh…nothing.”
Her eyes narrow, and a smirk appears on her face.
“Mmm, sure, nothing,” she responds.
We spend the next couple of hours wandering around the party, socializing. The music is loud, and the people are louder. I’m surprised Noah is putting up with it.
Maddie doesn’t bring him up again, but I can tell she senses something is up. I look up to see her making her way back over from the bathroom.
“I hate to do this, but I have to get going. I’ve got tons of homework that I need to do,” she says.
“That’s completely fine, I understand. Thank you for coming.”
“Oh, and about that DILF upstairs–”
“Maddie, it was nothing,” I interrupt.
“Just know you can talk to me, okay?”
“Okay.”
She grabs her bag and heads for the door. I trust her and know she wouldn’t say anything, but it still makes me nervous that she can tell something is going on. If Jared ever found out, he would never talk to me again. I need to be more careful.
Looking around the room, I suddenly have no desire to hang out with any of these people. Jared is off, god knows where, and I don’t have the energy to find him. I take my chance to sneak upstairs to my bedroom. Maybe no one will notice that I’m gone.
Stepping into my room, I close the door softly behind me, muffling the sounds of the crowd downstairs. I grab my book off my dresser and climb into bed, the plush comforter surrounding me. This is what I wanted to do for my birthday: to lose myself in a fictional world where, for a moment, I can pretend this one doesn’t exist.
I’m interrupted by a knock on my door.
There goes my peace and quiet.
“Who is it?” I ask.
“Noah,” a gruff voice responds.
What is he doing at my door so late?
“ Come in, ” I tell him.
He does, shutting the door behind him and locking it. Before I can analyze the action further, I notice the shiny gold gift bag that he’s holding in his hands, and butterflies gather in my chest.
“I have something for you.”
“Noah, you didn’t have to do that,” I say, standing up to meet him. I’m reminded of his sheer size as my head barely reaches his shoulders.
“I wanted to. Happy birthday,” he says, handing me the bag.
It’s heavier than I expected, so I set it beside me on my desk. Hesitating for a moment, I look up to him, but he nods, letting me know I can open it. I gently pull the gold and white tissue paper out of the top and glance into the bag, but I can’t believe what I see.
They’re books.
One by one, I pull them out and begin to realize that they are all the romance books I looked at when we went shopping together. He was paying attention. What am I saying? Of course, he was. He’s always paying attention.
This is the most thoughtful gift I think I’ve ever received. My cheeks heat when I see the one at the bottom of the bag.
It’s the dad’s best friend romance.
My eyes shoot up to his, and he grins. I pull it out of the bag and hold it up to him.
“Are you trying to tell me something?”
“I saw you writing down the title. Plus, it seems right up your alley,” he says, his voice rougher than before. He’s close now, so close I can feel the warmth radiating from him.
“This is the perfect gift. Thank you, Noah,” I say, pulling him into a hug. It takes a moment, but I feel his arms wrap around me, the sensation causing my heart to jump. His smell invades my senses, warm and masculine.
“You deserve it,” he murmurs, his fingers lazily threading through my hair before trailing down to my jaw. With a gentle but insistent touch, he tilts my face up to his.
His eyes burn into mine—intense, restrained. But beneath the surface, I see it. The hunger. The need.
Then his mouth crashes into mine, his thumb sweeping over my cheekbone as he kisses me—deep, slow, intoxicating. His lips are warm, demanding yet tender, and the way he holds me makes my head spin. His other hand slides to my waist, pulling me flush against him. The heat of his body, the hard planes of his chest pressing into me, send a shiver down my spine.
I could stay like this forever.
His touch is both careful and possessive, as if he ’ s afraid I ’ ll disappear if he lets go. My fingers roam over him, slipping under his shirt, tracing the firm lines of his stomach. His muscles tense beneath my touch, and just as I start to push further, he breaks the kiss, gripping my jaw.
His gaze is dark, his calloused thumb pressing against my swollen bottom lip.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he asks, not releasing me.
Without thinking, I answer, “Getting what I want.”
He shakes his head, “That’s not happening, princess, not with Jared downstairs.”
“But it’s my birthday,” I pout.