Chapter 23 #2
She dropped her pad and came over to kneel before him. Her hands on his thighs did amazingly powerful things to him. He caressed her cheek and felt his chest fill with that insane emotion again.
“Invite them over. I can work downstairs at my place for a while.”
“No.” The growl was a warning for her to drop the subject.
That beautiful mouth he wanted to kiss more than he wanted to breathe pouted. “But I feel bad that I’m keeping your buddies from you?—”
“You’re not.”
Her lips pursed. “Please, Noah. Do it for me.”
His finger traced her lower lip. “What do I get out of his shitty deal?”
A peck on his finger followed a saucy smile. “I have two new pieces of lingerie downstairs. Have fun with your buddies. Let me work for a few hours, then I’ll come back here and model them for you.”
His heart pounded. “Or we can stay here, you work faster and we get to the modeling part quicker.”
She drew back, plucked his phone from his lap and skipped to the other end of the living room. He watched, incredulous as she typed a response. Eyes shining with mischief, she hit send .
“Baby, you did not just do that.”
His phone pinged a response seconds later. “They’ll be here in an hour,” she said.
Slamming his beer down, he prowled toward her. “So I have an hour to exact retribution for your insolence?”
Pleasure burst through him as her eyes darkened and his phone slipped uselessly out of her hand onto the sofa. God, he loved it when she reacted so viscerally to him.
She started to backtrack. He had her pinned against the wall in seconds. One minute later, she was minus her clothes, bent over the sofa and he was thrusting home.
Beautiful. God, she was so beautiful.
And so utterly his when they were like this.
He couldn’t get enough of her. And he was fast reaching the point where he wondered how he’d survive the day when he demanded more… and she chose to walk away.
By the time his elevator delivered his unwanted guests, he was decent again, barely.
He dragged annoyed fingers through his hair and frowned at Leia’s just-thoroughly-fucked appearance, which he’d have killed not to have his friends see.
But she’d insisted on meeting them before she went to her condo, and he…
he was finding it damned difficult to deny her anything.
Gabe walked in first and slowed to a swagger the second he set eyes on Leia. Taking her hand, he kissed the back of it in true Lothario style. “Gabriel Antonelli. A pleasure to meet you at last.”
Had Noah not known how crazy Gabe was about Angie, he’d have decked his friend right then and there.
Leia beamed. “You too, Gabe. Noah doesn’t talk about you enough. ”
“Yeah, with good cause. He’s afraid I’ll steal you away,” Gabe returned.
Sliding his hand around Leia’s waist, Noah steered her out of his friend’s path. And straight into Mike… who was imitating a puffer fish in his eagerness to introduce himself.
Shit.
“Hello, gorgeous. I’m Mike,” he supplied.
“Hey, Mike.” Leia gave a wider smile and tilted her head toward Damon, who lounged in the doorway, surveying the scene with a resigned look.
“Don’t mind these two knuckleheads,” he said as he walked forward. “Some old bird with cataracts convinced them they were God’s gift to chicks a long time ago. I haven’t been able to restrain them since.”
Leia laughed, and Damon’s eyes widened.
Noah felt a growl rumbling from his chest. Leia slipped out of his hold and crossed to the sofa to gather her stuff.
His friends turned to watch her.
“Aren’t you joining us for poker? It’s not strictly a boys’ thing. We’d love to have you,” Mike coaxed.
“Yes. It is. And, seriously, you need to watch how you frame your words there, buddy.” Noah fixed him with a deathly look.
Damon’s shoulders shook with silent laughter.
Gabe’s eyes narrowed and swung between him and Leia. Noah made a visible effort to relax as she walked toward him.
“It was good to meet you all.” That stunning smile made another appearance.
“Yeah, see you around,” Gabe said.
Noah led her out of the condo and into the waiting elevator.
“You don’t need to come with me, Noah. You’ve got guests,” she protested.
“I didn’t invite them. They’re big boys. They can take care of themselves for five minutes.” Restlessness prowled through him. He glanced at his watch. “We’ll be done in a couple of hours. I’ll come and get you when they leave, okay?”
“Sure,” she replied.
They reached her floor, and he spotted three packages sitting outside her door. “Expecting a delivery?” he asked unnecessarily.
“Yep, I ordered some bath stuff online last night.”
For some reason that irritated him. “You aiming to take a lot of showers at your place?”
Her eyes grew a touch wary and she shrugged. “If I find myself in need of one when I’m home, yes.”
Pursing his lips, he took her keycard and opened her door. About to help her with the packages, he stopped when she put a hand on his chest. “I’ll get them in a minute, baby. Go back upstairs. The earlier you get your game going, the quicker I can come back.”
Unable to argue that sound logic, he yanked her into his arms and drowned in her intoxicating scent. Then he reluctantly pulled away. “Two hours, tops. Ninety minutes if I can kick them out without them whining like spoiled brats,” he promised as he backed away from her.
She laughed. “Yes, Noah.”
Christ. Any more of those responses and he’d be begging her to let him stay, his friends be damned.
He returned upstairs to find the guys staring at the painting.
Mike was the first to spot him. “Is that a genuine Mondrian?”
Noah cocked a brow at his friend. “You’re the only who deals with fakes, buddy.”
The other two barked with laughter and Mike grimaced. “Shit, one girlfriend with fake tits and a guy can’t live it down for love nor money. ”
“Shame Olga the Ogre took your love and your money!” Damon ribbed mercilessly.
Noah grabbed two six-packs from the fridge and headed for the gaming room.
“I’d love to skewer you to death over that unfortunate, but entertaining, period of your life, buddy, but I’d rather kick your respective asses at poker as soon as possible and send you packing. So let’s get this show on the road.”
He was already missing Leia like crazy, and she’d been gone less than five minutes.