Page 14 of Marked

He frowned, twin lines forming between his gorgeous blue eyes. “I was afraid of losing every step we’d gained during this trip.”

Again, he was right. The last few days had been incredible, minus the assassination attempt, of course. Being alone with him had forced me to look past the hurt, to see beyond my own mortification. It was very enlightening. Who knew there was a whole side of Noah he’d masterfully kept locked away from the world…from me. For example, he sang off-key to country songs, yet when it was a rock song, he was perfectly in tune. It was little things like that which made our time together more personal—more intimate.

“And you’re not afraid anymore?” I whispered, hope blooming in my chest.

“Oh, I’m fucking terrified. But I refuse to go back to the way things have been for the last six months.”

Slowly, he leaned in, brushing his mouth against mine. It was nothing like the recklessness of our first time. This kiss was soft, almost tentative, like he was giving me a chance to protest. When I didn’t pull away, his fingers slid along the curve of my jaw, cradling my face. He licked across the seam of my lips once…twice.

When I opened, his tongue surged inside, stealing my breath and demolishing whatever was left of the barrier I’d built around my heart. Closing my eyes, I became lost in his taste, consumed by the possibility of a future I never thought we’d have.

The room swayed as Noah lowered us to the mattress without breaking our connection—me on my back with him pressed close to my side. Winding my arms around his neck, my fingernails lightly scraped across the exposed skin at the top of his T-shirt.

“You’ll be the death of me,” he groaned against my lips before angling his head to deepen the kiss.

I met every thrust of his tongue with a swirl of my own and soon, our slow, leisurely pace vanished, replaced with a raging wildfire of need I had no hope of containing. We were spiraling out of control, yet somehow I’d never felt more grounded.

Without warning, Noah broke away. Snaking an arm around my waist, he flipped me on my side and drew me back into his chest. He was the big spoon to my little, but there was nothing little about the hard bulge pressed against my ass. It was good to know his suffering rivaled mine.

Pressing a kiss behind my ear, he quietly spoke, “I’m not fucking you until you’re ready to give all of yourself to me.”

“What if I said I was ready?”

“You’re not.”

“Says the man whose dick is trying to bust through his jeans,” I muttered under my breath.

“Ignore it. I haven’t come in my pants since Celia Evans flashed her tits at me when I was twelve.”

“Easier said than done.”

Rubbing my thighs together, I tried to prove my point while also seeking relief from the ache growing between them. He stilled my desperate movements with a hand to my hip and a firm squeeze.

“Enough. Just relax.”

Long minutes of silence passed before the truth escaped my mouth on a deep exhale. “I’m scared too.”

His hand, which had remained on my hip, flexed, then slid to my waist, dipping just beneath my shirt to rest against my bare skin.

“I’d be worried if you weren’t.” The deep timbre of his response resonated up my spine, eliciting a shiver. Hehauled me closer, warming me more with what he said next rather than the heat from his body. “You’re my best friend, Lanie. You’re the only person on earth who makes my days better simply by existing.”

“Ditto, Noah.” Gathering a sliver of courage, I asked, “So where do we go from here?”

“Forward. No more ducking and dodging when shit gets too real. We let each other in and enjoy the ride.”

“What if this goes south? I don’t want to lose you.” I yawned, exhaustion slamming into me.

“You’ll never lose me, Lanie.” He nuzzled my hair. “That’s one thing you don’t have to worry about. Now, hop up so we can get ready for bed.”

“M’kay,” I agreed, but didn’t move.

“Or not.”

“I just want to stay in our bubble a little longer. Tomorrow may change everything.”

“Why would you think that?” He kissed the side of my head.

“Because I’m taking you home.”

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