Page 55 of Falling for Fury
“No buts. Please, Addy, give me a chance to prove to you that we work. Together, you and me. Tell me to turn around and leave. Tell me that you feel nothing for me and that this is in my head, that there is nothing here, and I will kiss your cheek and say goodbye. I don’t want to be where I’m not wanted, shortcake. But if you’ll have me, I want to prove to you that this is worth the risk.”
I fight my emotions clawing to get out. Maybe it is the high from finishing college, maybe it is the great feeling I have about my exams, or the love I feel from my friends, both old and new, maybe it is even the fact my family has left me alone for the last month. Or maybe it’s the declarations and emotions pouring out of this man before me that have my heart singing so loudly I hear nothing else. Whatever it is, in this moment, that voice in my head telling me no, that internal war between wanting to shield him from me and my heart from him. The voice that says I will bring pain to this person, that I don’t deserve this, and that I am better off alone, has been snuffed out, and all I hear is, yes.
“Give us a chance,” he whispers.
I search his eyes. Sure, he left me at Maplewood and kind of ghosted me. Then he gave me whiplash between keeping me at arm’s length and saying he wanted me, crashing my dates like a territorial caveman. I guess I ghosted him after the night at Bozzelli’s, so who am I to point fingers, right? Unlike me, he at least grew the courage to say what he wants, to act on this thing between us. I can see he was just as scared as I was at the feeling that magnifies every time we are near each other. Like Thursday night at the bar, the electricity between us was palpable, and right now, the air is thick, like cords of electricity between us.
“Okay.” It is out before I even know what I am saying, the shock and light hitting his face so quickly my stomach dips.
“Okay? That was a lot easier than I thought it would be. I was ready to send more gifts… even kidnap you for a date.” He huffs a laugh and takes another step forward, bringing our chests almost completely flush with each other.
“I guess you caught me on a good day.”
“Thank God for that.” And he doesn’t hesitate, his hands are on my face and his lips are on mine.
The kiss is soft, testing, but I can feel him holding himself back. I lean into the kiss, my body melting into him, and one of his hands leaves my face to wrap around my lower back, pulling me to him. In the distance, I can hear the cheers, the woop woop from Rosie, and the whistle from Lucas. I break the kiss on a laugh at my friends being complete idiots, but I don’t leave Noah’s embrace. Both of us are catching our breath as Noah smiles down at me, the face of a man who could drop my panties in a public bar and I wouldn’t question a thing.
“What was that for?”
“Needed to. My control is good, but it’s not that good. It was that or throw you over my shoulder and head straight for the staff breakroom.” His voice is deep and low, just for me.
“Oh,” I breathe, the image of Noah treating me to another one of those world stopping orgasms I know his magic fingers and tongue could coax out of me makes my heart race as I bite down on my lip to smother a moan.
“Addison, you’re going to have to stop looking at me like that, or I am re-visiting the whole shoulder, breakroom situation.”
I shake my head and step gently out of his embrace. This is a lot right now.
“Umm, text me. We can hang out soon.” I give him a smile and twirl around, pick up the tray of drinks from where I popped them down, and head for the table with my friends. I try, and fail, to not turn and look in Noah’s direction, nearly tripping and falling when I see him still standing where I left him, his eyes trailing me with a dark look of hunger and a panty melting smile on his lips. Ughhh.
Noah
I watched Addison walk back to her table of friends, telling myself not to stalk after her. I got lucky that she actually let me kiss her and give me another shot. This time, I wasn’t going to let myself screw it up. I bury the sudden reminder of the recent developments with work. Matt and I have that under control, I tell myself it's nothing to worry about. Stuck between denial and being forced into secrecy gives me a bad taste about convincing Addy for another shot and not immediately coming clean. Not that I could without everything blowing up. Matt and I had a plan, and we needed to stick to it, for both our sakes. If we played this right, I could avoid losing the deal, my dream, and my dream girl all at once.
I refused to label this new thing with Addy in my head. If I say the d-word, I will psych myself out and sabotage this thing. All I know is I can’t stop thinking about her, and the thought of anyone else making her laugh, seeing that smile, or hearing those breathless moans makes me borderline murderous. I tilt my head back to wrangle my brain and catch my breath before finally turning and heading for the bar where the rest of the guys are. Ethan immediately levels me with a knowing look while handing me my beer.
“So, how’d that go?” Ugh, the smug look on his face makes me roll my eyes. I am conscious of the fact that Matt is at the table, and I probably shouldn’t gush too much.
“Fine. We’ll catch up soon, I’m sure.”
“Mmhmm.” His eyes narrow at me, quickly dart to Matt, then land back on me.
“You slept with her.”
Matt spits his beer out, almost choking on it. “You what?” His eyes are now searing his rage through me. “Noah, I specifically said—“
“Look, it wasn’t like…the others.” God, even saying that made me cringe.
“Addison is different.” How else do you say it? She makes me lose my mind. I can’t breathe without her next to me, but I also can’t breathe when she is near? My heart feels like it might escape my body? I try to put all these words into my eyes, hoping Matt understands without making me say it. I can barely say it to myself, let alone to the guys. And Caleb would never let me live it down.
“So after everything I said, you’re going for it… you’re that serious about her?”
“Yes. I told you. It’s different this time. She is different.”
“I fucking know she is different. She is my sister-in-law. I have known her for almost twenty years, and she has a lot on her plate. I swear to god, Karvelas, if you break her heart, I will hurt you.”
A pool of guilt forms in my lower belly, but I shove it down. I have no intention of breaking her heart, doesn’t mean I won’t, but I will do my best to be what she deserves.
“You know, if she finds out now, she’ll hate you,” Matt says in a low voice meant for only me, except he has the subtlety of an elephant in a mall, and Ethan still manages to hear what he says.