Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
Savannah
A Chaste Kiss
I don’t reach out to Noah about getting started on his attempt, but he hasn’t either.
Izzie, however, has been emailing me with ideas for things we can hold up to embarrass Noah at the next game, with a few baking recipes sprinkled in.
Not that she expects me to bake for her again, but if ever I do, cinnamon rolls are her favorite.
Noah
Anna still studying tonight?
Noah texts me on Thursday. I’ve taken to either sleeping at my parents’ place or closing down the library to give Anna space.
Me
Looking to join her study group?
Noah
Haha never. Wanna watch a movie?
At my place.
Should be home around 7.
I hate the flutter of excitement that goes through me.
We’ve hung out before, but there was always a purpose.
This time, I feel the purpose is one I’m still not convinced I’m capable of.
Not just the orgasm, but I’m very likely to chicken out before he tries anything.
If he tries anything. I may just have a heart attack before I even get there.
But that kiss has been living in my mind rent-free, so there’s no way I’m not going. Still…
Me
Will there be popcorn?
Noah
With butter. And Raisinets.
Me
Why would you ruin popcorn?
Noah
They’re optional. But you’re missing out if you don’t.
Me
I guess I can clear a couple of hours.
Noah
Make it four.
Me
O’clock?
Noah
Hours. I’d rather not rush.
Me
The movie?
Noah
That too
I’m flushed by the time I put my phone down.
I have two hours before seven, so I go back to my dorm and spend more time getting ready than I ever have before, including prom.
And draft day. Not that I was really on camera for that, but there were a lot of important people my brother introduced us to.
I settle on a black dress with little flowers on it, because it makes me feel beautiful and confident.
I also go for the single pair of matching bra and panties I own, but I hate wearing tights, and leggings feel too casual for this dress, so I wear long socks and boots that go to my knees instead.
I consider driving, but it’s not a long walk, and I’m not sure I’d turn down alcohol tonight.
I realize walking was a bad idea when I get there early and don’t have a car to wait in. And I’d rather not be awkwardly standing on the porch when Noah arrives, so I’m about to loop around the block to kill time when someone stops me.
“Savannah?”
“Miss Mabel!” I smile when I see her, and a tiny part of my nerves disappear.
“Which one are you here for?” she asks, getting straight to the point, which I always loved about her.
“Just going to watch a movie with Noah.” I swallow, suddenly nervous. She saw way more of what my brother and his teammates got up to than they probably realized. I’m curious to hear what she thinks. “Did you have a recommendation?”
“They’re quieter than your brother and his friends. Less parties, for sure. No girlfriends that I can tell, but there have been floosies. Not with Noah, of course. The only girls he’s brought here were you and his sister.”
I knew she’d seen us.
“Still spying on the neighbors, I see?”
“Watching over them,” she argues. “Noah’s been mowing my lawn and fixing things around the house as if I wouldn’t realize the porch light turns on now, or the swing is hanging again.”
I smile, because I knew about the mowing, but it feels very Noah to do other things and hope no one would notice.
“Did Trent make it back for Thanksgiving?” I ask of her grandson who was drafted at the same time as Dallas, though I’m afraid I haven’t followed his career much.
“Team commitments,” she says, proud of him, but also disappointed. “But Bree is living here now, to keep an eye on me, and Trent will make it up to us at Christmas.”
“That’ll be nice.”
“You and Noah can pop over anytime.”
“We’re just friends,” I tell her, reminding myself in the process.
“Friends spend time together. And it’s the best foundation for something more.”
She winks and heads inside without a proper goodbye, which confuses me until I hear a vehicle coming up behind me.
“Sorry I’m late,” Noah says as soon as he’s out, coming close like he’s about to lift me in his arms as he does for Izzie, but he stops awkwardly. Or maybe he just stops, and I feel awkward because he’s eying me like he did the other day, before the kiss.
“I’m early.” I find my voice.
“Let’s get you warmed up.” He takes my hand to pull me inside the familiar two-story house. “Have you been waiting long?”
“Nope, the walk was shorter than I expected.”
“You walked? Is something wrong with your car? I could have picked you up, but I can also take a look at—”
“No, I just—I might need lots of alcohol,” I admit, hating how nervous I am, but my heart flutters at how quickly he tried to take care of me.
“Hey.” He comes close and envelops me in his arms for a hug. “Nothing has to happen tonight. We can watch a movie in the living room, I’ll blow your mind with my culinary snack skills, and that can be it. Save side quests for another night.”
“Hell yes or fuck no?” I ask.
“Fuck yes,” he agrees with a smirk that lifts whatever nerves the hug didn’t.
Noah logs into a streaming account and hands me the remote, but there’s also a box of DVDs he says I’m free to explore while he makes popcorn.
“You have Mighty Ducks!” I exclaim after rifling through a lot of action movies.
“You know it?” he asks with a raised eyebrow.
“I saw them when I was maybe five, so they’re probably not as good as I remember.”
“They are,” he assures me.
He sits beside me on the couch after setting it up, with the bowl of popcorn — sans raisinets — between us.
My nerves are back in force, waiting for him to do the stretch that’ll put his arm around me, or some other move from junior high, but less than ten minutes into the movie, his roommates realize what we’re watching and join us after the briefest of introductions.
They literally just tell me their names, eyes mostly on the screen, except for Colt, who looks from me to Noah, then winks at me.
They all smile like I’m hilarious when I introduce myself.
I expect to be relieved that they’ve taken the pressure off, but I’m disappointed.
Yes, I’m nervous, but I also really want this.
Really want Noah. Which is why even if I know nothing is coming from it when he finally wraps his arm around me – no fake yawns necessary – it feels natural.
Comfortable even, if you forget the warmth that spreads from everywhere he touches me.
By the time the movie is over, the last thing I want to do is go home.
“Can you stay to watch the second one?” Noah asks me like he doesn’t want tonight to end either.
“Shit, we were supposed to be at Slapshots an hour ago,” Owen realizes.
“Can we blow it off and watch D2?” Michael tries.
“Don’t you want to get it over with?”
“Think you could wait and watch it later?” Owen asks me hopefully.
“You could watch Blades of Knight instead,” Colton snickers. I assume that’s one of the movies Owen’s dad, a famous Hollywood actor, starred in.
“Fuck off,” is Owen’s response, before he adds, “They knew their stuff, but I’m not sure how much actually made it into the movie. Though if you need to know about going pro and stuff, I can probably get you in touch with some of them.”
I look to Noah, eyes wide as I’m about to freak out that he told them about my book. I don’t think I expressly told him not to, but it was very heavily implied.
“They know I taught you some hockey basics, because they’re assholes and don’t think I’m competent enough to teach any other subject,” he assures me, but his eyes promise that he hasn’t mentioned the book. Or so I hope.
“And skating, which is very much his skillset,” David adds.
“Want to wait for them and watch something else tonight?” Noah asks once we’re alone.
“We can wait,” I agree, trying not to smile at the idea that I’ll be back for another night like this. “Should you be going to Slapshots too?”
“Freshmen only,” he argues. “We do a fundraiser calendar with player profiles, and they keep forgetting about their interviews, or bailing, so they scheduled them at night in a bar with the promise of pitchers of beer.”
“Sounds illegal,” I point out.
“Better than what they drank when they tried to do it here. What movie?”
“You choose.”
Noah scrolls through the top options, then casually says, “I think my laptop is still logged into Izzie’s account upstairs, we can watch Code Name: Violet.”
I assume this is a movie, but it doesn’t ring any bells.
“Trying to lure me to your bedroom?” I want to sound teasing and confident, but my heart is pounding in my chest, and I am achingly aware of everywhere his hand is touching mine.
“Didn’t think I had to trick you.” He cocks his brow with a hint of concern.
“I want to be here,” I assure him.
“I’m happy you are.”
Noah puts a bunch of pillows against the headboard, then sets up his laptop. It seems to be a spy movie with superpowers, but we don’t even make it past the backstory before he tilts my chin up so I’m looking at him instead of the screen.
“Can I kiss you now?”
He stares at my lips while wetting his.
Instead of answering, I lean forward and kiss him.
I’m hurried yet tentative, because most of my makeout sessions were stolen moments at summer camp, but as my nerves settle, I find that Noah is in no rush to bring things further.
He seems content to kiss me, slow and sensual, his tongue tangling with mine as heat pools between my thighs.
I moan, which would be embarrassing if he didn’t make a similar sound before pulling me closer, not the least bit demanding, but still setting my every nerve on fire.