“How perfect this feels,” I answered honestly, and then looked back down at him.
He rose up into a sitting position and cupped my face in his hands, pulling me in for a languid kiss. It was deep and sensual and perfect for the moment. Neither of us rushed. We took our time and enjoyed the feel of each other without any thought of contracts, illnesses, or reasons.
He wrapped one arm around my waist while the other massaged a breast. Then he broke the kiss and his mouth latched on to my other breast to gently suckle me. I ran my fingers through his hair and held him to me, my own locks falling forward and creating a curtain around him. I moved my hips faster and rode him with more purpose than when we had begun. The tip of his tongue flicked at my nipple, and I closed my eyes as that familiar feeling in the pit of my stomach spiraled out of control. My orgasm released like tiny molecules exploding through my blood. His name spilled from my lips and echoed through the otherwise silence of the night, and I heard him growl.
When the moment had nearly passed, Noah lifted me up and put me on my back. Then he put my arms above my head and linked his fingers with mine to hold my hands in place, lying flush with me. In and out he moved, intensifying my orgasm and bringing it back to life.
“Goddamn, you’re beautiful, Delaine. Do you know that? So fucking beautiful.”
He gripped my hands tighter and thrust deeper, but not faster. The look in his eyes was intense and his lips were slightly parted as he looked down on me. “I’m sorry … for everything. I’m so sorry.”
Before I could ask him what that was about, his lips were on mine. He hummed and moaned and grunted, assaulting my mouth with a ferocious hunger. I answered the best I could, but he was simply out of my league on that one. It was a desperate kiss, like he couldn’t get enough, which was just fine with me because I never wanted that moment to end. But I was concerned. His movements became more erratic and I heard that familiar guttural growl that always preceded his release. Then, as forecasted, he broke the kiss and came inside me. His eyes never left mine.
“Oh, fuck—so good,” he ground out between clenched teeth. His thrusts became uneven and staggered as the last of his seed sputtered forth. When he was done, he collapsed on top of me before he clutched my body to his and rolled us over onto our sides.
Noah was still breathing heavily when he pushed the hair back out of my face and gave me an adoring look. Then he leaned forward and kissed me gently on my swollen lips.
“Why did you say you’re sorry? For what?” I asked, because I had to know.
He sighed and shook his head. “For badgering you about the name thing. I was being unreasonable. It makes sense that you would want me to call you by your given name instead of one that’s so much more familiar.”
“Oh. Well, you definitely made up for it.” I laughed lightly.
“No, that was all you. You’re incredible.”
“I am pretty spectacular, aren’t I?” I joked. The Cooch popped her collar.
At least my uncharacteristic arrogance got a laugh out of him, and it was surreal because he didn’t do a whole lot of laughing. He pulled me closer, and I nuzzled into his chest to listen to the heavy thud of his heartbeat while looking up at the sky. I think I made a comment about how beautiful the stars were and I heard him murmur his agreement, but for the most part we were silent. I would’ve given anything to hear what he was thinking, but I knew it would probably just turn into another one of those petty arguments we tended to have. And I really didn’t want to ruin the moment. So I kept my mouth shut and basked in the feeling. Because between Noah and me, both of us stubborn as mules, who knew what tomorrow would hold?
11
WHAT THE …?
Lanie
I was dreaming. I could feel Noah’s body against my back, holding me under a star-filled sky and whispering sweet nothings into my ear as I drew his arms tighter around my waist.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know,” he whispered. “But now that I have you here, I can never let you go. Never, Delaine. You are a part of me now. I can’t let you walk away from me.”
“There’s no place else I’d rather be, Noah,” I sighed, and nuzzled closer. “I want to be here like this with you forever. Hold me tight and don’t ever let me go.”
“Never. I love you, Lanie. Please tell me you …” His raspy voice faded out and the scene around me became fuzzy and melted away. I desperately tried to summon it back with my mind, but it was too late. I was rousing from my sleep, and it was simply gone.
“Please tell me you don’t lie around and sleep all damn day.”
“Huh?” I sat up and blindly looked around the room, which really didn’t work well when my hair was all over my face like Cousin Itt from The Addams Family. My hands clumsily swiped at the rat’s nest, enough to part the curtain of mane so that I could see the little pissant that dared disturb my slumber. Because that sure wasn’t Noah’s voice.
“Go away, Polly,” I huffed, then fell back onto the bed in dramatic fashion. I grabbed Noah’s pillow and hugged it to my chest as I inhaled his scent and sighed contentedly. “I’m sleeping.” There was still a chance I could recapture my dream if she’d stay quiet and just disappear.
“Not anymore, you’re not,” she said, and then I heard her skip across the room to do God only knew what, but I swore if she jumped on me, I was going to give her a thunder flick to the forehead, followed up by a wet willy to the ear. She was way too bubbly in the mornings, and probably deserved it for that fact alone, but I was biding my time so that I’d have the element of surprise on my side.
“What do you want?” I half whined as she pulled the drapes back and let the bright morning sun assault my comfy-cozy surroundings. I practically hissed and buried my face in my pillow. Then thoughts of vampires filtered into my brain, which then led to thoughts of the vampiric sex Noah and I had had in the entertainment room.
We should so do that again.
The Cooch perked up like ten thousand milligrams of caffeine had been pumped into her. Slut. I guess she was seconding the motion.
“Well, for starters, I’d like for you to do something with that godawful stuff you call hair,” Polly said, and I felt her delicately lift one tangled lock of it before dropping it again and rubbing her hands together. You’d think she thought I had cooties or something. “And then we need to have a talk.”
“About what?” My sleepy voice was muffled by the pillow, and I almost gagged when my morning breath came back at me. The hair could wait; I needed some toothpaste and a toothbrush.