Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Morgan
Dear god.
My legs shake like a newborn fawn's as Noah stands and helps me to my feet. I gnaw on my lip as I feel his seed trickle down my thigh.
"Morgan, we didn't use protection." Noah seems to have just realized this.
I cling to his arm for balance. "No, we didn't."
"I feel like an idiot."
I laugh, pat his chest. "We’ve both been celibate for a very, very long time, so I'm not worried about STDs, and not only am I almost fifty and in perimenopause, but I had an ablation several years ago.
My periods were super heavy and I was sick of it and I knew I wasn't going to have any more kids, so I had the procedure done. "
He sighs in relief, but it is immediately followed by a grunt of frustration. "I should have asked first, Morgan. It was irresponsible."
I follow him into the bathroom, where he twists on the shower and then turns to face me.
I lean against him, gaze up at him. "I'm in charge of my body—I’m responsible for myself.
I wanted you bare. I knew exactly what I was doing.
" I kiss his throat. "I knew damn well you weren't thinking about that, honey, so stop worrying about it.
Please. I'm so, so fucking happy, Noah. I'm happier than I've ever been in my life, and it's all because of you. "
Steam swirls and skirls around us, filling the bathroom. Noah searches my face and sees the truth written there. "God, you're amazing."
I shake my head, eyes wet again. "You make me feel beautiful again, Noah.
I can't even begin to explain what a precious, priceless gift that is.
To feel wanted? To feel beautiful? To have that ugly, constantly-criticizing voice in my head finally shut the fuck up?
" Another head shake. "You did that, Noah; you gave that to me. "
I step into the shower, add some cold so the water is tolerable, and pull him in after me.
We both groan in pleasure at the heat of the water.
For a moment or two, we just luxuriate in the heat, taking turns under the spray and then clasping together beneath it and kissing, losing ourselves in each other.
I feel the cold tile against my back and I feel his hard cock press against me, and I grin into his mouth, reaching between us to grasp his hot length.
I guide him into me, hook a leg around his hard, muscular ass.
He scoops me up by my buttocks and crushes me against the tile wall, holding me up by my ass as he sinks into the cradle of my thighs, burying his cock deep inside me with a rough, ragged gasping groan.
I whimper in his ear. "Oh god…Noah."
"Morgan."
I cling to him, clutch his shoulders and his neck and his head and his back and everywhere I can reach, and I hook my feet together behind his back, and I pant in his ear as he thrusts up into me slowly, unhurried and gentle.
"Just like that, Noah," I breathe. "God, you feel so good inside me."
I don't need anything else. I don't even need to come—I don't know if I even can come again, at this point.
I just want him. I want this. I writhe with him, feel the cold tile scrape against my back and loving it, loving the brutal dig of his fingers into my ass cheeks as he prizes me open so he can fuck deeper inside me, the hard slap of his hips against my ass, the rough plunge of his cock into me.
I pant in his ear as he fucks me, and I hear his grunts muffled against my chest, feel his lips on my throat, and then he's bent over me and fucking me while hunched and cupping my tits to his mouth and suckling on them as he fills me with slow smooth strokes in perfect rhythm.
"Noah, oh god, Noah."
"Morgan!" his whisper of my name is a ragged sigh. "Morgan, god—you feel…”
"How do I feel, baby? Tell me."
"Heaven. You feel like heaven. So fucking good." His thrusts speed up, then, and all I can do is hold on to him and take it.
"Noah, Noah, oh god, Noah…yes, honey, yes. I…I love how you feel inside me."
I feel him rising to the cusp, then, and I feel my body responding in kind, even though I had no expectation of orgasming again, not after however many he's already given me tonight.
Faster, but still gently, Noah drives into me, grunting now with each thrust and I use my legs to encourage him, pull at him, drive my hips as much as I can in time with his thrusting, and I gasp in his ear.
"Morgan!" he says, gasping, breathless. "Oh god.
Oh fuck. I'm—I'm—oh god, I'm gonna come, Morgan.
" Driving hard from the legs, he pounds into me and then I feel him cut loose with a ragged shout, and his cum spreads through me in a hot wet flood and I feel myself clenching around him, coming with him on a soft cry.
"Oh god, I—I luh—" he cuts himself off abruptly.
"Say it, baby," I gasp in his ear. "Tell me you love me."
“Oh god, I do. I love you, Morgan. Oh god, oh my god."
"I love you, Noah," I answer, “I fucking love you, Noah.”
We come together again, moving in sync, breathing in unison, our movements desperate and wild, a symphony of skin against skin and a song of sighs and screams.
When it's finally over, he lets me down and slips out of me with a groan, and then immediately drops to a knee, breath rasping in his throat.
And instead of immediately rising to his feet, Noah stays on his knees in front of me, and he tongues my hypersensitive clit, jerking a cry from me…
and again, and then licking in quick small circles, and I utterly collapse, coming on a sob of shock—how can he make me come so easily?
It takes me forever to reach orgasm on my own, and yet Noah gets me there almost instantly.
It's my turn to hit my knees as the orgasm wrenches the last dregs of strength from my legs, and I fall into him, wrap my arms around him as the hot water beats on us like a scalding rain.
When we can move again, we spend forever in the shower together, washing each other, kissing, touching…just enjoying each other without hurry or intent.
When we emerge from the bathroom wrapped in thick towels, the clock on the stove reads half an hour until Mallory's curfew.
"I need to get home," I tell Noah. "As much as I’d rather stay here."
He brushes a thumb over my lips. "I know. Let’s get dressed, and I'll take you home."
I put my leggings back on but not my panties, and then the rest of my clothes, stuffing my underwear into my purse.
The ride back to my house is as quiet as the way here, but now the silence is peaceful, easy.
Sitting in my driveway, I mentally battle against the urge to invite him in. "Noah, this part is confusing for me."
"Talk to me," he says.
"I want to invite you in." I look at him. "I meant what I said—I'm in love with you."
"I meant it too," he answers.
"I just…I'm not sure if I'm ready to have you stay the night yet."
He shakes his head, cupping my jaw. “It's okay. There's no rush. That's a big step, especially for Mallory."
I laugh. "Oh, she's told me she'd be okay with it as long as you're mostly dressed when she comes down for breakfast." I sigh. "It's me who's not sure about it. I…" The laughter fades fast as my feelings bubble over. "I want this to be good between us. To be…right."
"Me too, obviously."
"Is it crazy to say I love you to each other but to not be ready to sleep over with you?"
He shakes his head again. "No, it's not. I get it. And yeah, I don't mind admitting that I'd love to wake up next to you, but…when you're ready, sweetheart. Not a second before."
Headlights rake across the lawn as a car turns onto my street and approaches the driveway—Mallory coming home a few minutes early.
"I should go," I say, my tone reluctant. "I don't want to." I scrub my face. "God, I'm confusing myself."
He kisses me, quick and soft. “It’s okay. We take this at your pace. I understand, Morgan. Go be with your girl. We'll see each other soon."
I nod, dart in for one last kiss. "Thank you, Noah. Thank you for the best night of my entire life."
"The first of many, I hope."
"I hope so, too."
I force myself out of the car and inside; Mallory is right behind me, waving to Noah from the front door as he backs out.
She eyes me as we put our coats, boots, and bags in the mudroom. "Why'd he leave?" She flicks a glance at my damp hair. "And your hair is wet…why?"
Clearing my throat, I shrug a little and head into the kitchen. "How was the movie?"
"Great. Don't change the subject."
I turn to face her. "Mal, we're not playing twenty questions on this one. Okay?"
She grins. "Mom!" She rushes to me and slams into me with a full-body hug. "You're happy! You're glowing!"
I sniff a laugh against her hair. "Yeah, I guess so."
"So why'd he leave?"
"I…I wasn't sure I was ready for an overnight situation yet."
"I hope you weren't worried about me when making that decision," she says. "I told you—I totally ship you and Noah. If he can put a smile like that—" she flicks a pointer finger at my face, "then you should spend all the time with him."
I didn't even realize I was smiling, if I'm honest. "Mal, I…"
She gives me an annoyed look. "What? What possible reason could you have for holding back from happiness?"
"It's a lot, and very fast."
"So? When you know, you know, right?"
I snort. "Such sage advice from a 17-year-old virgin who's never been in love."
Mal's jaw drops open in shocked mock-outrage. "MOTHER! How could you! Just because it's true doesn't mean you need to rub my face in it."
I dissolve into laughter and pull her into a hug. "I'm teasing, my love. Just teasing."
She snuggles against me, squeezes hard. "I know." She pulls back to look at me. "But I'm not. If he makes you this happy, just jump in with both fucking feet, Mom. You've sacrificed your entire life for me. It's your turn. Be happy."
"Mal, it's not that simple."
She arches a wry eyebrow. "Oh no? And why not?"
I don't have a good response for that—the reasons in my head all sound like excuses once I consider verbalizing them. The truth is that I'm still afraid Noah is too good to be true.”
Mallory yawns. "You just gotta jump, Mom. Coach Austin is one of the very few good ones. And I've literally never seen you like this." She flicks that finger up and down at me again. "But you're a grown woman. You know what you're doing."
Do I really, though?
She kisses my cheek, yawns again. "I'm exhausted. I'm going to bed." She heads upstairs. "Just so we understand each other though, Mom?" She pauses at the top and looks down at me. "If Coach Austin was down there in the morning, I'd be pretty happy for you."
I have no answer and she knows it; a few minutes later I hear water in the pipes as she does her nighttime routine, and then silence spreads through the house.
I brush my teeth, change into a baggy XXL tee with Disney princesses on the front—and nothing else. Take off my makeup. Get into bed, lights off…
And totally fail at falling asleep.
Finally, I know that Mal is right.
This is dumb.
There's only one way I'll fall asleep at this point, and I know it.
Me: I can't sleep.
Same.
Come over. Sleep with me. Please?
If you're sure that's what you want, I can be there in five minutes.
There's nothing I want more than to fall asleep in your big strong arms.
OMW
I'll leave the front door unlocked. Lock it behind you and come up to my bedroom. Up the stairs and to your left.
I creep downstairs, unlock the door and turn on the porch light. Climb back into bed and try to contain an almost irrational level of excitement.
I hear an engine approach, shut off. A truck door close.
I hear the front door creak open, click closed.
His tread on the stairs. A pause at the top—examining the array of photos of Mallory and me through the years, arranged on the wall opposite the stairs.
And then I hear his tread approach the bedroom.
My door eases open quietly and his broad form fills the doorway.
Silver light from the full moon streams in from the transom window, bathing him, illuminating him.
He's wearing a baggy pair of sweatpants and a hoodie, and he has a leather duffel bag in one hand, his phone and keys in the other.
I'm on my side, curled up, facing the doorway. I smile at him, reach for him.
He approaches, kneels at the side of my bed. "Hi."
I nuzzle into his neck, inhaling his scent, relishing the scratch of neckline stubble against my nose. "Get in here." I scoot toward the middle of the bed, toss away the blankets. I flick a finger at him. "But lose the clothes, mister."
"Yes ma'am," he answers, grinning.
He shucks his sweatpants and hoodie, leaving only a pair of pale gray boxer briefs, and climbs in with me, covering us both.
I immediately and instinctively seek the warmth and safety of his arms, nestling my cheek on his chest, sighing happily as his arm descends to wrap over my waist. My hands curl under my chin, and my eyes feel abruptly heavy.
"Morgan?"
I touch his lips. "Sssshhhh."
"I can be out before Mal wakes up."
“No." I nuzzle closer, wanting to be as close to him as possible. I'd burrow entirely into him, if I could. "Mal said, and I quote, 'if Coach Austin is down there when I get up in the morning, I'd be pretty happy for you.'"
"Oh. She's okay with this, then?"
"Yes, she is. More than okay, actually. She's happy for me."
"I just want to respect her, and your relationship with her. This goes however you and she are most comfortable."
I touch my lips to the underside of his jaw. "I know, Noah. And that's why you're here." I touch his lips with my fingertips. “Now hush and hold me."
He rumbles a laugh. "Yes ma'am."
I giggle. "I could get into that."
His laugh is sleepy. "I'd let you tie me up."
"Next time."
This time around, I tumble almost instantly into a deep, dreamless slumber.