My heart is full and yet so much heavier than it has ever been.
I wake to intense arousal, a build-up of wicked pressure in my lower abdomen. Noah’s strong arm is clamped around my midsection and holds me down to the bed, trapping me in this half-conscious state of pleasure. My climax is so close that I can almost taste it, see the white dots in the corner of my vision, and I’m crying out as soon as I reach the edge and falling into oblivion.
The mouth that bought me to my finish crashes against mine, and I taste myself on his tongue. Noah is already a master of my body, knows how to wring it dry of every last drop of pleasure.
I never thought the idea of waking up to orgasms would give me so much life, but here we are.
“Good morning, Angel,” he murmurs, trailing kisses down my throat. “How did you sleep?”
I hum in contentment as his mouth closes around my hardened nipple. “Best sleep I’ve had in years,” I reply with a sharp gasp, arcing into his touch.
His tongue circles the hardened numb, the heat of his mouth a stark contrast to the coolness of the living room. In the corner of my eye, I notice how white the landscape is. During the night, it’d come down so heavily I had to wonder if we’d even be able to leave the cabin today.
Noah releases my breast and settles on the bed beside me, pulling me into his side. As I rest my head on his right shoulder, I can’t help but trace the outline of his burn with the tips of my fingers. He shudders beneath my touch but doesn’t ask me to stop.
Glancing up at him, I smile. “How about you?” I ask lightly. “How did you sleep?”
Noah gives me his usual grunt, though it’s a little brighter than usual. “Best damned sleep of my life.”
I giggle softly and nuzzle my face into his chest. Something in me feels so much...lighter now, like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.For the first time in a long time, I feel like I finally belong somewhere.
We spend the morning in bed, until we’re both hungry for more than just sex. I never thought there would be so much intimacy in showering together, but Noah washes me with a gentleness I’ve never experienced before, and takes his time doing it, too.
There’s a reverence in his eyes when he runs his fingers through my shampooed hair that makes my heart skip a beat. The softness of his features when he towels me off gives life to the hope blooming inside me.
It’s hope I hadn’t wanted to feed the last couple of years. Hope that always yearned for more.
He’s doing a good job shining a light on it now, so much so I can’t ignore it anymore.
My crush on Noah Grey isn’t as simple as a crush anymore.
It probably never was.
When we’re dried and bundled in warm clothing, Noah all but carries me to the kitchen, setting me down on the counter and nudging my knees apart so he can stand between him. He rests his hands on either side of my hips, leaning in close.
This is so unlike the Noah I knew before the accident. That Noah had always been more reserved, andhe definitely didn’t show this much affection towards anyone. I’ve come to know post-fire Noah so well that I’m almost thrown off kilter by how…easy he seems to care about me.
“What do you feel like for breakfast?” he asks, voice low. There’s a perpetual growl in his tone that makes me shiver.
Thank God there’s a little soreness between my thighs right now, because I’d probably be tugging his pants down and asking him to fuck me on the counter.
I had no idea sex could feel so…good.
Maybe it’s because it’s him and not my imagination running wild.
I wrap my arms around his shoulders and press a soft kiss to his lips. “I’m craving pancakes. With raspberries and maple syrup.”
At that, Noah rolls his eyes. “Fortunately for you, I have pancake mix. Unfortunately for you, they’re going to taste like shit compared to the ones you want.”
I shrug and hum a response as he pulls away from me. He knows exactly what kind I want, because they’re the ones I ate the first time we were ever introduced. It’s the fact he remembers it that makes my heart warm.
He’d been on shift for the firsttime with this crew, and he’d walked into Dawson’s Diner beside my brother. I’d just come off a twelve hour overnight shift at the hospital as a student nurse, looked like utter trash, and was so hungry I would have eaten just about anything—but Coop had promised to buy me pancakes if we met up after his shift.
At the time, I hadn’t even liked pancakes. Actually, I’d been on a diet, but I’d broken it that day because of Noah.
My throat tightens as I pull in a shaky breath. I watch him prepare the batter quietly, the muscles in his back strong, taut. He pulls some frozen raspberries from the freezer and tosses some into the mix before setting the rest aside to defrost.
“At least the generator kicked in again,” I say, scooting off the counter. “Do you not have power up here?”
