Page 12 of The Stepbrother 2: Noah

"My name is Ashley," she corrected, visibly irritated.

"My bad," I said, shrugging. "All of Maine's friends look alike. Sometimes I get you confused." I stood up and grabbed Devon’s hand. "Come on, I want to go in the water. You’re my anchor. You gotta keep me safe. My daddy will kill you if you let me get swept away or kidnapped by mermen." I pulled him along, leading us into the ocean just deep enough to cover me up to my waist.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Noah and Ashley head back toward the house. I tried to shrug it off. Oh well, no more big dick for me, I thought. He's found himself a new plaything. Maybe it was for the best.

I spent the next hour playing in the water with Devon until Maine announced that we'd be sleeping on the beach. She ordered pizza, beers, and wings, and we all sat around, talking and laughing as the night settled in around us.

With Devon on my left and Noah on my right, I participated in the conversations as best I could, pretending that Noah wasn’t the sole focus of my attention. I made a conscious effort to avoid dwelling on what that might imply. No guy had ever occupied my thoughts the way Noah had over the past few days..

The implications were dangerous. I needed to stop entertaining things I shouldn’t be entertaining. But the truth was, I didn’t even know what I was entertaining.

At some point, I must have dozed off, because when I woke up, the world was quiet, the fire had dwindled to embers, and the night was heavy around us. Devon was lying in front of me, facing me, lightly snoring while holding my hand in a death grip. I lifted my head. Everyone else seemed to be asleep, sprawled out on blankets and sand.

I laid back and realized my head had been resting on Noah’s arm, and he was pressed close up on me. I felt my bikini being pushed aside, then I felt his dick. His hand slid over my mouth as he whispered, "Shh, just rock into me."

Dazed and half-asleep, I instinctively rolled my hips, feeling him slip inside my slick warmth. He guided me by my hips, making my movements slow and rhythmic, his breath was hot against my neck as we moved in silence. His hand never left my mouth,muffling my quiet gasps until my body tightened, and stars burst behind my closed eyes. I felt him shudder, spilling into me as we came together in the dark, hidden from everyone around us.

As I drifted back into sleep, he planted soft, butterfly kisses along the back of my neck, one after another. The entire time Devon was holding my hand.

Creed-

Noah was getting on my last nerve. Every cell in my body was irritated. The annoyance sat low in my belly, twisting and curling into something I didn’t even want to acknowledge as I watched him from across the room.

He was acting like last night hadn’t happened. Like he hadn’t held me just hours ago, his body pressed up against mine in the dark, my back arching, his hand covering my mouth, his fingers sliding over my skin like silk. And now? Now he was playing. Laughing with Ashley, leaning way too close, his hand resting on the small of her back like she was something precious.

It wasn’t even jealousy. It was just the principle of it that was pissing me off.

My fingers clenched around the strap of my bag as I stuffed the last of my things into it, keeping my face neutral. If he wanted to pretend like nothing happened, I’d do the same. But I kept watching. I couldn’t help it.

He doesn’t look at you that way, a voice whispered inside me. Not like that. Not with that softness.

I shoved the thought down, but it burned as it sank. And then another one rose. I had forced him into whatever we had. No wonder he was ignoring me in the light of day.

The sun was high, making the air sticky as everyone left the house and started to gather by the cars. We were loading up, stuffing bags into trunks, and making plans to head out.

Noah hadn’t said a single word to me all morning. But it felt like he was making sure I could see him with her now. He was talkingloud enough for me to hear. She was clinging to his arm, and he was tapping his number into her phone, his mouth curving into that small, rare smile.

I stopped watching. I turned on my heel, tossing my bag over my shoulder, and made a beeline for Devon, who was standing by his car. He looked up as I approached.

“Can I get a ride with you?” I asked. It wasn’t a request. I wasn’t riding back with Maine and Noah. They both could go fuck themselves. Maine had been acting brand new too, for days.

Devon’s grin widened. “Yeah? Sure thing, Creed. I thought you’d be going with Noah and Maine.”

I shrugged. “Plans change.”

I could feel Noah’s eyes on me as Devon slung my bag over his shoulder, his hand lingering on my hip, fingers pressing into my skin. I looked over my shoulder, just for a second, and met Noah’s gaze. His face was a blank mask, but his eyes were darker than usual, that hard, unreadable look was back.

For a moment, I thought he’d say something. I thought he’d step forward, demand I go back with him and Maine. But he just stared, and then he turned away, slipping his hand around Ashley’s waist.

The sting of watching that was worse than I’d expected.

Devon led me to the driver’s side—a dark blue luxury sedan that smelled like Baccarat. I slid into the passenger seat. We pulled out of the driveway, leaving the beach house behind.

My mind got tangled up with thoughts of everything that had happened. Noah’s body pressing into mine, his hand covering my mouth as he whispered, the rough scrape of his stubble against my neck, how rough his hands had been on my skin. Myback against the cement wall on the beach. And the way he’d looked at me.

“Hey,” Devon’s voice broke through my thoughts. I blinked, realizing he was watching me at the stoplight. “You okay?” he asked.

I forced a smile, nodding. “Yeah, just... tired.”

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