Seconds later, Noelle pulls out a fuzzy green stuffed creature with giant ears, two little horns, and twin snaggleteeth. He’s supposed to be a gremlin, according to the online description, but he looks a lot cuter than the gremlins I remember seeing in movies when I was a kid.
She makes an awwing sound. Then she strokes the gremlin’s fuzzy head. “He’s so cute.”
“He’s supposed to be a gremlin,” I explain. “I know it’s not the typical stuffed animal to give, like a bear or a rabbit. But since you have Bigfoot already, I thought he needed a unique partner to go with him.”
“Webb.”
Self-doubt pokes at me again. “If you don’t like it, I can buy you something else. I just remembered you saying how much you used to love stuffed?—”
But the rest of my words are cut off as Noelle’s mouth crashes into mine. She climbs back onto my lap, straddling me this time. Her hand rakes through my hair, tugging it lightly.
When she pulls away to take a breath, her cheeks are pink and her eyes are shining. “I love it. I mean, him.” She reaches between us to retrieve a slightly squished gremlin and gives him an affectionate look before setting him to the side. “I think it’s a he. And he’s the perfect match for Bigfoot. I can’t believe you thought of that.”
“His name is Grizzle,” I say. “At least, according to the tag. Although you could change his name if you wanted.”
“Grizzle.” Noelle smiles. “That’s perfect. Bigfoot and Grizzle. My scary protectors when you’re not around.”
But I always want to be around,I almost reply.I always want to protect you.Except it’s probably far too soon to saysomething like that. So instead, I settle on, “I’m glad you like him.”
“Webb.” She kisses me again. “I love him. And I can tell you, already, this is afantasticdate.”
“Good.” I glance towards the kitchen. “So, do you want to have dinner? I just have to heat it for about ten minutes, and?—”
When Noelle pulls off her shirt, I nearly swallow my tongue. She’s a vision in a pink bra, the fabric thin enough to see the outline of her nipples. And her body—what I can see of it—is beyond comparison. She’s all soft curves and satiny skin dusted with freckles, and as I stare at her, a pretty flush spreads across her chest.
“I was thinking,” she says in an almost shy tone, “maybe we could have dinner later?”
“Noelle,” I breathe. Before I can stop myself, I stroke the line of her delicate collarbone, then trail my fingers between her breasts and down to her stomach.
Her cheeks go pink. “If you don’t want to, it’s okay. Maybe I should have asked before just yanking off my shirt.”
“No way.” My voice is sandpaper on gravel. “You definitely didn’t have to ask first. This is… perfect.” I lower my head to kiss the upper swell of one breast, then the other. “But we don’t have to have sex. We can do other things. I’m fine with whatever you’re ready for.”
“Do youwantto have sex with me?”
I look pointedly below my waist, where it’sveryevident how much I want her. “Absolutely. I want to peel off your clothes. I want to kiss you all over. Each and every freckle—” I trace a little constellation of them just above her belly button. “And before I even consider having sex with you, I’m going to kiss you down here,” I continue, as my fingers trail below her belly button and down between her thighs. “I’m going to make sure you’re readyto take me. I’m going to taste you. See what you look like when you come.”
“Oh.” Her lips part. “That sounds… good.”
“Just good?” I unfasten her jeans and slide my hand inside. She’s already slick with excitement, and when I stroke her sensitive skin, her hips jerk towards me.
“Better than good,” Noelle amends. “It sounds amazing.”
One finger teases her opening, and her legs fall open, inviting me in.
My dick throbs.
“Once I make you come,thenwe’ll have sex,” I say. “I’ll fill you up, so all you can feel is me. And I’ll make you come again, this time with me inside you. So I can feel you coming apart around me.”
“Webb.” She gasps as I slide my finger inside her. “I want that. All of it.” Another finger joins the first, and her hips buck against me. “Oh, yes.Please.”
It would be unthinkable to deny her. And I sure as fuck don’t want to.
So I lay her back on the blanket and slide her pants off, memorizing each luscious inch of bare skin that’s revealed. When she’s only in that sexy pink bra and matching panties, I take a moment to memorize everything.
Her freckled legs. The curve of her hips. The little tattoo on her ribcage of two theater masks overlapping. The slender column of her neck.
And the look in her eyes.
