Chapter 31
INEZ
31
When I peel my eyes open, it’s morning.The heavy drapes of Nolan’s bedroom are closed. Golden rays of sunlight peek around the edges, faintly illuminating the room.
I try to shift around in his oversized bed, but I quickly find that the velvet bedspread is all tangled around my waist.
But not my boobs, though. My boobs are way out. Like they decided to just whip themselves out from under the blankets and say hello.
It takes me several long moments to free myself, and then wrap the sheets back around my torso in a more respectable, non-hello-boob manner.
Thank god Nolan’s not here to witness this. He’s disappeared to…I’m not sure where.
I pat the pillow beside me. It’s still warm. Wherever he is, he hasn't been gone very long.
I snuggle back down onto the pillow, relishing in the smoothness of the old school velvet bedding against my skin. I’m going to need to get out of here soon because Stella could be back any moment now. I just need a few more seconds to enjoy these cozy, twisted, Nolan-scented sheets.
Suddenly, it hits me how much I’ve missed sleeping in an actual bed. This is far more comfortable than the couch I’ve become used to.
Letting my thoughts wander, I think back to last night and I feel like I’m dreaming.
At first, I thought the hallway orgasm was hot. But then the bed orgasm and the bathroom orgasm and the bedroom orgasm encore were even hotter.
I’ve never experienced an orgasm at that level. Let alone four. Seriously, I thought I’d died after that last one. Brain, lungs, muscles—none of it worked properly when Nolan Brighton was done having his way with me.
But you know what? I was ready. I was ready to go. Because all other men are going to completely and utterly disappoint in the bedroom after my one night with Nolan.
So if I’m dreaming, I don’t want to wake up anytime soon.
I can’t believe it actually happened. After all this time.
Nolan stopped hiding. He stopped holding back. He admitted that he’s been wanting me, maybe almost as badly as I’ve been wanting him.
Being with him last night was out of this freaking world. I’m officially ruined.
Destroyed.
Finished.
When I hear footsteps approaching from down the hall a few moments later, my heart beats faster. I’ve never been this excited to see a guy the morning after.
Flicking on the bedside lamp, I grin broadly when Nolan strides in, wearing nothing but a pair of boxer briefs that fit him like a second skin. He’s holding two steaming mugs, but my eyes are more fixated on the package between his powerful, muscle-bound thighs.
Well hello, morning wood.
“Hi,” he says, amused by the way I’m ogling him.
“Hi.” My cheeks burn from all this blushing.“What…?” I ask as he stands at the foot of the bed, staring.
He shakes his head as if snapping out of a trance. “Laying there on my bed, you’re drop dead gorgeous. It makes my heart stop. I can’t even believe this is real.”
I hide my face behind my palm. “Stop. I must look like a mess.”
He gently pries my hand away and looks into my eyes. “Gorgeous,” he says simply. “Drop dead gorgeous.”
I don’t know how to stop blushing. If my cheeks get any hotter, they’ll set off the smoke detector. I’ve always secretly wished Nolan would be attracted to me. But now that I’m experiencing it in real life, I’m realizing that my nervous system may not be up to the challenge. This is overwhelming.
He reaches out, handing me a cup of coffee. “Bacon okay?”
I sit up to grab the warm mug. “Bacon?” My stomach rumbles in response.
“Yeah. I got our coffee made, but now I’m going to finish up breakfast.”
“Breakfast?” I repeat again, pulling the bedspread higher up over my breasts. “Won’t Stella be home soon?”
Considering he’s walking around the house half-naked, I’m guessing that Stella is still over at her grandmother’s trailer across the yard.
“We have time,” he tells me. “Gen texted and offered to keep her a little while longer this morning.” He smirks. “I’m guessing she heard all the ruckus you were making all night.”
“Oh god…” I slap my hands over my face.
Genevieve is probably having a field day, knowing what Nolan and I were up to in here. But I refuse to dwell on that right now. I’m a grown woman. Nolan is a divorced man. And Genevieve seems to want whatever’s best for her granddaughter and her ex-son-in-law. So I push my guilt and embarrassment aside.
“Anyway, breakfast sounds amazing.” I smile at him. He smiles back.
Wow. None of this feels real. I’m still having a hard time wrapping my head around it.
“You good?”His voice is so tender, full of affection. My cheeks grow hotter as his eyes search mine.
“Mmm-hm. I’ll just…um…” I look around the room. “Hang out here?”
With its stained glass ceiling fan and its whimsical pastel wallpaper, Nolan’s bedroom is the perfect early morning retro hideaway. The Number One Dad trophy on the nightstand and Stella’s artwork collection on the wall are sweet reminders of what’s most important to him in this world.
He points a finger at me, slowly backing away. “Yes. Don’t you move a muscle. I’m coming back with food.”
I laugh as I watch him retreat back down the hall.
Before I can take my first sip from my mug, I hear the familiar ding of my phone. I glance around the room and find my purse sitting on the floor beside the bed. Nolan must have brought it in here for me at some point during the night. My chest aches. How is he always doing these considerate things for me? Wonderful, confusing man.
I reach into my bag and I have so much shit in there that I can’t even find my phone. I’m talking, body lotions, hairbrushes, bracelets, lip balms, ponytail holders. I have to dump half of my girlie stuff onto Nolan’s night stand before I can finally fish out my device.
On the screen, I find a notification for a new email. I settle back against my pillow, getting comfy with my coffee and opening up my email app.
I see that I’ve had an influx of new messages in the hours since my interview with Sabrina aired last night. Crap.
What did I expect? After opening myself up to the world like that, of course everyone has an opinion about me. And they all think they’re well within their right to tell me all about it.
Taking a huge breath to prepare myself, I open up my inbox and start going through my emails.
But—wait one freaking second.
These messages aren’t death threats or nasty hate mail. These are even more interview requests and brand deal offers and modeling auditions. And I have messages from a bunch of talent agents and casting directors wanting to meet with me.
What is happening?!
I’m trying to make sense of it all when Nolan saunters in, carrying a tray. “I hope you’re hungry because I may have gone a bit overboard with the scrambled eggs.”
With my head still in the clouds, I only half-hear him. “Um, huh?”
“Breakfast,” he says, his chin motioning to the feast on the tray in his hands.
Smells of toast and well-done bacon fill the room. He sets the tray down gently across my lap, leaning down to press his lips to my forehead as he does.
His skin smells clean and his breath smells minty. His hair is wet, too. He’s clearly gotten his day off on the right foot while I’ve been in here, sleeping like the dead.
“Thank you.” I force myself to smile at him.
“What’s wrong?” he asks, instantly looking concerned.
Shit—what am I even doing?
He’s made all this wonderful food, and he’s being the ultimate morning-after guy. Meanwhile, my mind is barely here in this room. I’m being a distracted jerk. I feel bad.
Forcing myself to close out of my email, I set my phone down out of reach, so I can give him my undivided attention. “Your lips aren’t on mine. That’s what’s wrong.”
I move the breakfast tray onto Nolan’s other night stand. I pull him down in a greedy kiss.
“Dessert before breakfast?” he asks, cheekily waggling his eyebrows.
I laugh. “Yes, please.”
Nolan is the most delicious distraction, helping me avoid the crux of my dilemma. Sometime soon, I’ll have to face the career opportunities sitting in my inbox.But not right this minute.
Right this minute, I enjoy Nolan’s lips.