Chapter 14
NOAH
Red. It’s the perfect nickname for someone so fiery, especially the way she tries to ignore me.
It’s incredibly obvious when she does, and…
oh shit, my cock fucking twitches because of it.
She does something to me, a feeling so familiar yet new, I want to bury myself deep inside her.
Her words come out venomous like mine, headstrong and resilient.
I can picture us colliding in the bedroom.
And her presence is becoming easier to detect, even when I’m in the middle of making out with another woman.
But that mouth is going to get her in trouble, especially the way she questions every move I make or how I waste my time. She ruffles my feathers and has no idea she’s doing it.
Now I lie in my bed, moonlight sneaking past the striped curtain, while I try to jerk myself off, thinking of Red, but even the image of her isn’t enough to get me where I want to be. I go limp, huffing like I just ran a goddamn marathon.
The goal was to get myself off to help me sleep; now I’m just staring at the ceiling, contemplating hitting the gym to burn off steam or doom scroll through social media until the sun rises.
I pull up my gray sweats, then run both of my hands down my face, dragging my skin like it’s melting off my bones.
My phone chimes somewhere in my room while I dig through my suitcase for a clean shirt.
Back-to-back chimes can only mean one thing—the group chat is in conversation about something important.
Finding a clean, black, long-sleeved shirt, I throw it over my head, snagging my phone from the bedside table. Already, thirty messages have been sent between the guys, and I have to scroll up to find out where it starts.
Mark: Coach wants us to run some practice drills.
Cody: For how long?
Mark: Couple of hours. He wants us warmed up before we go through the practice schedule leading up to the event.
Taylor: You’re going to have to give me some time. I have a guest in my bed.
Mark: It hasn’t been 24 hours yet, and you already found someone to sleep with?
Taylor: I love a welcoming bachelor party.
Taylor sends a GIF of Mr. Bean’s eyebrow wiggles.
I roll my eyes, scrolling further down, skipping all the mindless banter, and finding at the bottom of the text thread that Taylor shares a website called Luminous Lenses.
Taylor: Our photographer’s portfolio, if anyone is interested. Her stuff is quite impressive.
Cody: I like her attention to detail. Our photos are going to come out great!
Cody hearts the link, forever the supportive guy.
I keep on reading.
Taylor: What’s the owner's daughter's name again? Meghan?
Mark: Maya, you neanderthal. You asked Hannah about her at dinner, remember?
Taylor: Ah, shit, you’re right. Sorry, that info was railed out of me tonight.
Mark:
Taylor: But, Cody, get up on that!
Cody: stfu
The day Cody stops pinning over his situationship is the day Aliens will take over.
I click the link and find a simple logo appearing on the screen, a double L with swirls intertwined.
I tap the drop-down menu, scanning for—bingo, the about me section.
It’s her face that greets me first, an up close shot, red hair framing her delicate face, lips pouty and pink.
She’s in a long-sleeved, green sweater, skin pale and dotted with freckles over her nose and the tops of her cheeks.
A face so striking in looks, a mouth so tempestuous to touch, my dick twitches again.
Fuck.
Underneath her photo is a small paragraph describing who she is.
Hi! I’m Hannah! I’m a graduate from MassArt, I have a passion for baking, and I am a pizza enthusiast. I love to binge-watch 90s sitcoms, and I dream of going to Paris someday.
Photography has been my passion since I was a little girl, and to have my own business and bring joy to families, couples, and even friends has always been special to me.
Thank you for trusting me, and enjoy the samples in my gallery!
She links it at the bottom, and I click, mesmerized by landscapes, portraits of families, little kids, a high school senior gallery, and shots of flowers and wildlife.
Every photo has her touch, making it unique only to her.
Red’s talent is evident, and it makes her even more irresistible, especially when it comes to her dedication to her craft.
And I’m certain she’ll be attending today’s practice.
Me: Meet you fuckers out there bright and early.