Chapter Twenty-Two #2
‘Well, I think that deserves a toast.’ Noah topped up their glasses and raised his. ‘To your new life here in the heart country.’
Smiling, she clinked her flute against his and they drank, then, putting his glass aside, Noah stretched out his legs and propped his head on a pillow. ‘Join me.’
Doing her best not to gawk at the way his biceps bunched beneath his sleeves or at the hint of dark hair only just visible between the hem of his shirt and the waistband of his jeans, Beth lay down beside him, interlacing her fingers on her belly.
The first stars shimmered overhead, but she couldn’t relax.
Her body thrummed with need, only she had another confession to make and she wanted to get it off her chest before they took things any further.
Thankfully, the wine had boosted her confidence enough that she didn’t think twice about voicing her thoughts.
‘I want to tell you something, but you need to know that it had nothing to do with my decision to stay in Karlup—or, well … maybe it did. Just a little. But it’s not the only factor that led to that decision, and truth be told, I only realised it today at the top of the mountain.’
Noah nudged her side with his elbow. ‘Not a mountain. And also, not making much sense right now.’
‘Okay, so I’m just gonna come right out and say it …’
The seconds ticked by as she wrestled with exactly how to say it.
‘Don’t overthink it, Beth. Just say it.’
She felt the heat of his penetrating stare.
‘I’ve fallen for you,’ she blurted, then winced, ‘but it’s okay if you don’t feel the same way. I just … I wanted you to know, that’s all.’
The silence was deafening.
Until Noah laughed.
Laughed!
In fact, he was laughing so hard, he struggled to leverage himself up onto an elbow.
‘Excuse me,’ she huffed, sitting up to stare him down. ‘What’s so funny?’
‘I’m sorry, I’m not laughing at what you said.’ Another chortle. ‘Or rather, I am, but it’s not what you think. It’s just …’
Finally, his laughter subsided, and he managed to pull himself up off the ground. ‘You think I don’t feel the same way?’
She shrugged. ‘I didn’t want to make assumptions.’
‘Beth, look around.’ He gestured at the remains of their romantic picnic, at the lanterns flickering against the now-dark sky. ‘You think I’d do this for someone I wasn’t completely head-over-heels in love with? You think I’d work for a pittance on just anyone’s house?’
That got her hackles up. ‘I offered to pay you more! Several times, in fact!’
He gave her a meaningful look, though he was clearly still amused. ‘Are you listening to what I’m saying?’
‘Did … did you say, “head over heels”?’
He shook his head and corrected her. ‘Completely head over heels.’
All she could do was grin.
‘What are you waiting for?’ He leaned closer and crooked a finger. ‘Get over here, Little Miss Risk Taker.’
She couldn’t help it, she launched herself at him, though he caught her easily. And then, desperate to taste him, she kissed the laugh from his lips. The next thing she knew, her skirt was bunched at her thighs and she was straddling him.
He reeled back slightly, shocked, no doubt, at her uncharacteristic boldness.
She was, too. But then lust and love and all good things kicked in and their tongues collided in new and delectable ways.
Running her palms over his chest, she gloried in the hard contours beneath the fabric of his shirt. He tasted of wine and the sweet tang of strawberry. His hands were everywhere—on her thighs, in her hair, at the small of her back—pulling her closer, closer.
And oh, she could feel him, the length of him beneath her.
Instinct had her hips moving in a primal way, creating a delicious friction that she never wanted to end—she would lose her mind if it did.
Throwing her head back, she moaned.
Noah tensed. And his hands at her hips stilled her.
‘Beth.’ His chest heaved, his eyes flickering with a reflection of the flames from the lanterns, as if he literally burned for her.
‘Noah …’ She looked down at his shirt, calculating the steps it would take to divest him of it.
‘Maybe we should slow down.’
She swore she heard a record scratch. ‘What? Why?’
He swallowed and gently repositioned her. ‘You said you wanted to take things slowly, right? Well, you should know—’ he waved a finger between them, ‘—this is not the way to take things slowly.’
Not the way to—? Oh. She knew what was happening here. He was fast approaching the point of no return. Close to losing control. Because of her. Her and her womanly wiles.
Damn, she wanted to flex. Should she flip her hair? Wiggle her hips?
He was suggesting they slow down, but only because he thought that’s what she wanted. Well, she’d need to be a whole lot less subtle about communicating what she wanted, then, wouldn’t she?
Extricating herself from his lap, she stood, ready to live up to her nickname and take yet another bold risk.
He watched her closely as she bunched her skirt in her hands, inch by inch, until the hem was at the top of her thighs. Then, with her heart thumping in her chest, she hooked her fingers in her underwear and pulled them down before letting her skirt fall back into place.
She retrieved the slip of cream silk and tossed it in his lap. ‘Take me inside, Noah.’
His eyes flashed, but he got up slowly. Cleared his throat. ‘I don’t want to sound like an arse for asking this, because you’re a grown woman who knows her own mind, but … are you sure?’
Now it was her turn to laugh. ‘I just threw my underwear at you. What do you think?’
‘Fair point.’ He grinned and pocketed said underwear. ‘In that case …’ He began extinguishing the lanterns.
‘I don’t want you treating me like some delicate flower, though,’ she warned. ‘I mean, I’ve had sex, just … not with anyone else in the room.’
His head whipped in her direction. ‘What does that mean?’
She’d come a long way, but not so far as to describe her sex life. ‘Let’s just say, I’ve enjoyed the anonymity of online shopping and discreet packaging.’
He groaned and abandoned the torches. ‘The images you’re putting in my head right now.’ He burrowed his face in the crook of her neck. ‘I swear, they’ll be the death of me.’
‘You can’t die. Not tonight.’ She grabbed his hands and tugged him towards the house. ‘I have plans.’
He resisted, but only to snuff out the last two lanterns. Then, with nothing but the moonlight to guide him, he caught her around the middle, threw her over his shoulder and leapt up the stairs.