I’d hated Noah for so long in so many ways, I’d never once considered he might have a heart. Seeing the sadness in his green eyes when he talked about his dog made me realize that there was so much more to him.
A lump formed in my throat, making it hard to swallow. I wasn’t sure I liked the way my insides warmed when I wasaround him. It felt like fighting a losing battle. Try as I might to deny it, there was something real here between us.
“What are you thinking?” Noah asked, searching my eyes, like he saw my inner turmoil. “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”
He slid an arm around me, cuddling in closer. Making me question everything I felt. Where would we go from here? Did it even matter?
“Not much. Just thinking. I don’t know what happens now. Maybe nothing happens. Maybe this is all we—”
Noah cut me off with a kiss, stealing my words away. Making my chest ache with want. “What happens now is that we curl up together in this cozy bed of yours and get some sleep. We have classes in the morning. You want me. I want you. That’s all that matters. Let’s keep it simple, okay?”
I nodded, loving the way he kissed me like he couldn’t get enough. Having Noah wrap himself around me made it almost impossible to sleep. I wasn’t used to sharing my bed with someone else. I was keenly aware of every detail.
The sound of his breathing. The way his hair tickled my cheek. His hand on my hip.
Knowing that I was on the brink of something that might destroy me, I closed my eyes and took a leap of faith. Pulling him into my embrace.
Nothing about the two of us made sense. Maybe it didn’t have to.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
DOM
The alarm on my phone went off, jerking me out of a deep slumber. Right away I remembered that I wasn’t alone. Noah lay sprawled next to me, an arm flung up over his face.
He let out a disappointed groan. “What time is it?”
I reached over him to snatch my phone off the bedside table, silencing the alarm before falling back down next to him. “Just after six.”
“Fuck,” he muttered. “I need to get my ass home so I can shower and change.”
I was tempted to offer up my shower. However, I doubted that he wanted to wear my clothes, and he probably needed to check in with Damon.
“I guess it’s time to return to the real world,” I said, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. “Do you want coffee or anything before you go?”
Noah rolled over, pushing himself up onto one elbow. “As good as that sounds, I should probably get going. Damon’s probably wondering where I’ve been. Or maybe not. Next time we’ll do breakfast. I won’t rush off so fast.”
“Next time?” I repeated.
He playfully wiggled his brows. “Of course. I’m not even close to being done with you. I don’t think I ever will be.”
I wasn’t sure what I’d been expecting. The night we shared had been fucking amazing. I wasn’t sure it could get better than that. Now that morning had come to chase it away, part of me expected to go right back to where we’d left off.
“Does that mean we’re done trying to kill each other?” I asked, my lips curving in a slight grin.
Noah surprised me by fisting a handful of my hair, giving it a hard tug. “You tell me. I don’t know about you but I’m ready to call a cease-fire. Although I wouldn’t complain if you still want to fuck me like you’re going to kill me. You’re hot as hell when you’re pissed off, my dark prince.”
He dropped a quick kiss onto my lips before releasing me and rolling out of reach. I watched as he left the bed and began to get dressed. I couldn’t help but smile.
“I’m pretty sure I can manage that.” Tossing the blankets off, I got out of bed and slid on a pair of sweatpants. “I’ll walk you up to the door.”
“Trying to sneak me out without your friends noticing?” Noah’s smile didn’t entirely reach his eyes. Something told me he wasn’t really kidding.
“Not at all,” I answered honestly. “I don’t care if they know.”
I really didn’t. They’d all seen this coming long before I had. It would be no surprise to any of them. Noah may have been a sarcastic bastard, and I still didn’t know how to feel about him, but he didn’t deserve to be treated like a dirty little secret.
Once Noah was dressed, we ascended the stairs back to the main floor. As we crossed through the living room to the front door, we found it empty. Everyone else would be up shortly.
