Page 51 of Before We Fell

Then his lips slid against mine, stealing my breath and everything that had been holding me back.

This was dumb. Went against all of my rules. Went against my common sense and self-preservation, but he stole it all from me with a tender kiss that rolled from my lips to my nipples straight to my toes that curled into my thick rug on the floor beneath me.

The tip of his tongue touched mine, sparks of pleasure went haywire in my veins. My hands went to his hips and I sighed into his mouth.

Damn. He was good, really good at this.

He ended the kiss softly, just as slowly as he started it, and when I was finally able to open my eyes, his thumb was lazily swiping over my cheek. “I’ll get Riley and get her home. And I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Thanks for watching her and taking care of her tonight.”

“She’s easy to love,” I whispered the truth. Riley was adorable and precious, and she and I had a blast tonight. My toenails were now a messy bright red thanks to her shaky little grip on a small bottle of nail polish. She’d gone to bed with makeup on because it was too difficult to resist when she asked me to do it for her. We’d watched movies, eaten popcorn, played a million games of UNO. And when I put her to bed in my room, we cuddled under the blankets together and she fell asleep with her head on my shoulder while I read the first book in the Harry Potter Series to her.

“I know. She’s perfect.”

My heart went pitter-patter in the way most women’s did when they saw a dad with their kids at a park or at the store, especially when they were wearing their little ones in a carrier. There was something so tender in Noah’s eyes as he talked about Riley it took all I had not to jump into his arms and declare I didn’t need time to think about anything.

“She’s sleeping in my bed,” I said. We were both whispering now. The hum of the air-conditioner was the only other sound in the room and yet somehow, we both felt the need to be quiet. “I can help you get her.”

“Oh, I can handle this. I’ve been wondering what your room looks like.” He scrubbed his hands together and smiled.

He turned and headed down the hall. I decided to let him look. There was a bed and a dresser and a nightstand with a lamp I’d left on for Riley. On the walls, I had two pieces of artwork hung that weren’t special, just canvasses with splattered paint I’d bought at Home Goods that matched a blue and yellow quilt, Tinley’s mom Cathy had made for me.

While he was gone, I took the few minutes to double-check I had all of Riley’s things together, including her book bag and lunch bag from school, and a third bag she’d brought to school with her that held some books and dolls…all things she’d brought so she’d have something to do at my house.

Noah came back into the room, a sleeping Riley cradled in his arms, and her head to his shoulder, one of her hands pressed to his chest. Her hair was matted to one side of her face and yeah…

I wanted him. Especially when he held her so easily and gently.

I held her gear in my hands. “I can help you get this home.”

“I’ve got it.” He reached out and took her bags, throwing them over his shoulder while barely jiggling Riley at all. “You’ve got thinking to do.”

His salacious smile was infectious.

I fought a return smile as hard as I could. “Goodnight, Noah.”

He lifted his chin and winked. “Goodnight, Miss Frazier.”

And darn. I liked it when he called me that, too.

Seventeen

Lauren

Pullingopen the door to Grind It Up, I scanned the small coffee house for Tinley. She had to open her market in an hour, but we usually met up here for a quick cup of coffee after I finished yoga on Saturday mornings. Which had been a huge fail. It was almost impossible to get out of my head that morning when sleep hadn’t come easy the night before. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Noah’s face moving closer, his eyes closed, head tilted, and felt his jaw brushing against my cheek so softly, my eyes would dart open and I’d scan the room. A shiver rolled through me and what little relaxation I’d found in a one hundred and something degree room at yoga earlier evaporated.

Yoga wasn’t that relaxing when you were on the tail end of erotic dreams about your sexy and grouchy neighbor.

It felt so real, like he was in my room…in my bed…and when I finally was able to get some sleep, it included more of that.

Noah.

In my bed.

With me.

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