16. Noah #2
She froze at my comment, placing a book back on its shelf. “Uh, I actually think I’ve grabbed enough. I’ll be set for a few weeks.”
The mood shifted, and I couldn’t tell why, but I knew I needed to figure it out immediately.
“Hey.” I walked over, wanting to be close to her. If I were the source of even an ounce of her discomfort, it would gut me. “What’s going through your head, pretty girl?”
“Don’t call me that,” she huffed, folding her arms across her chest.
“Don’t call you the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen? Fat chance of that happening,” I said.
“Don’t pretend like I’m the only woman you’re seeing. Like I’m the only one you’re sharing your secret room with or giving pet names to,” she exclaimed.
“You’re gonna have to enlighten me here, Bailey, on the other women in my life,” I said, never letting her pull away or put space between us.
“If you hadn’t noticed, I haven’t even glanced at another woman since you walked into my life. It’s physically impossible for me to do. So, if someone is going around spewing lies into your pretty little head, give me their name, and I’ll sort them out.”
She wrung her hands, nervously tucking her curls behind her ear. “I can see why you’d be into her. She’s stunning, and funny, and owns her own business, and can probably sing on key in the shower—”
I cut her off before she could spiral. “Bailey, come here, baby. Who’s got you thinking like that?”
She paused, scrunching her face before blurting, “Tessa.”
“Tessa?” I asked. “This whole conversation is about Tessa?”
“I didn’t stutter, Noah,” she sassed.
I tried and failed to hide my grin, amused by this turn of events.
“Okay, if this is so funny to you, then I’m leaving,” she exclaimed, right before I scooped her into my arms bridal style and carried her to the couch in the room.
I gently placed her down, anchoring her body with mine and brushing her curls out of her face.
“Tessa is a close family friend. Maybe the closest thing I’ll ever have to a sister. She and Eli actually go way back, but that’s his story to tell. There is nothing romantic going on between Tess and me. Never has been and never will be.”
“Nothing? Nothing at all? Not even a single date back in the day?” she huffed out.
“Not one. But the fact that you thought I was dating her and you is a bit concerning,” I said, my brows pulling in close together. She remained underneath me, every curve of her body pressed against mine. My hand cradled her face, rubbing my nose against hers.
“Well, I heard some things, and you just seemed so familiar and comfortable around her,” she whispered.
I ducked my head, peppering soft kisses up and down her neck before leaning up to whisper in her ear.
“Were you jealous, baby?”
My hands sifted into her hair—god, I fucking loved her hair—and tugged on the strands until she tilted her head back.
“It’s okay to be possessive of me. It’s not okay to be insecure about it. You’re the gold standard in my eyes. No one else even comes close.”
She licked her lips. “It’s not you who I doubt. Well, maybe a little. This is already risky as it is, and maybe I was subconsciously looking for a way out? A way to protect myself.”
She circled her hand around my neck, pulling me closer so there was no space between us. “But maybe, just for tonight, I don’t want to play it safe,” she trailed off.
I wanted more than tonight, but I knew that if I pushed too hard, too quickly, I would risk scaring her off. The air shifted between us, and I searched her face, really looking at her.
“You don’t ever have to look for a way out with me,” I murmured, brushing my thumb along her cheek. “If you get scared, you tell me. I’ll handle the rest.”
She shifted her eyes nervously, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. I tilted her chin up.
“Talk to me, peaches. You run the show here.”
She huffed, clearly frustrated with herself.
“I don’t want to run the show,” she mumbled.
I tilted my head slightly, encouraging her to continue.
“I make so many decisions for work every day. I’m constantly wondering what the right thing to say to my parents is. My anxiety runs on a marathon loop every day, and my brain never gets a moment to shut off.”
Oh.
“So when I’m with you…I don’t want to run the show. I don’t want to think or worry. I just want to let go.”
My brain took longer than it should have to process what Bailey said because, by the time I was ready to respond, she was already sputtering out an apology. She pulled back as much as she could on the couch, trying to create some distance between us.
Not on my watch.
“Wow. I can’t believe I just said that. Who drops that bomb the first time they hook up with someone? Delusional people, obviously,” she muttered. “Noah, I—”
I gently placed my finger over her mouth, shushing her.
“I wasn’t silent because I didn’t like what you said,” I said quietly. “I was silent because all the blood rushed out of my head, and I couldn’t fathom that you could be even more of a perfect match for me.”
She stared up at me, her mouth still closed, her eyes full of hope, lust, and hesitation.
“You want me to take the lead?” I murmured. “Be in control of your pleasure? Use your gorgeous body however I want?”
She nodded, and I removed my hand.
“Answer me again, Bailey.”
“Yes, sir.”
My restraint snapped as my lips met hers, our weeks of teasing and touching finally colliding between us.
Her lips were plush, perfect pink velvet, molding to mine as if they’d been made for kissing me.
I felt the tension in her body release, becoming pliant in my arms, and I never wanted her to doubt again that I only had eyes for her.
She exhaled softly against my mouth, her fingers tightening at the collar of my shirt, anchoring herself to me.
A quiet sound slipped from her throat, and I possessed a new life goal of being the only man moving forward to make her moan like that.
“Still with me?” I murmured against her lips.
She nodded quickly, breathless.
“Use your words, peaches.”
“Yes,” she said, soft and steady.
I hummed in approval, brushing my nose along hers before kissing her again. My hand slid from her cheek to gently wrap around the column of her neck, feeling her rapid pulse beneath my fingertips. She leaned into my touch immediately.
Good girl.
I tightened my grip slightly, testing, and her breath hitched again, but this time not from nerves.
“Relax for me,” I murmured, my lips grazing the corner of her mouth before trailing along her jaw. “Let me take care of you.”
I ran my tongue against her bottom lip, begging for entrance and mentally sighing in relief when she let me in, tasting her. She let me guide the motion, following my lead and succumbing to desires she had only recently let herself believe. Her hips jerked up into mine, rubbing against my erection.
I groaned. “Fuck, baby, you feel so good.”
Both of her hands circled behind my neck, and she used the added leverage to grind herself against my cock.
Our kiss turned more passionate, her mouth fully submitting to mine as one hand fisted in her hair and the other trailed down her chest. Her breasts filled my palm—warm, soft, perfectly hers.
I kneaded one slowly, letting her moans guide the pressure and intensity.
I looked up into her eyes, her chest heaving, lips pouty and swollen.
“More?” I asked.
“Don’t you dare fucking stop.”