“Noah, come here,” she hissed.
He looked up and met her intense gaze. She was falling for him. Hard and fast.She didn’t have to tell him what she was thinking. The way he stared at her, he knew and felt it too.
Noah lifted her onto his bare form, and they fit as one. Her hands slid around his traps, feeling every muscle flex with each drive further inside of her. With her back against the cold wall, all she could think about was staying. Saying no to the job and seeing what would happen if she didn’t leave. She bit his salty skin, feeling her atoms ignite. With every thrust of his hips, she sank deeper into the reality of what they could be. Their moans of pleasure mingled in the humid summer air. Once he hit that spot, it was all over. She shattered into a million pieces, then he did the same. Gritty, dirty grunts filled the air as he pulsed inside her. They slid down the wall, sticky and satiated. Dahlia couldn’t help but wonder if their bubble was about to pop. Or was it about to get bigger?
An hour after she burned the sage from Gretchen, they arrived at Noah’s bash. Dahlia’s only hope for the sage was that it would keep the good energy and eliminate the bad, with an emphasis on the night she was about to walk into.
“You look really pretty. I can’t wait to tear that dress off of you later. Starting with those straps first.” He growled in her ear, thenkissed her shoulder as they walked through the back entrance of the Social Club.
“Thanks, it’s new.” She’d literally bought it three hours ago. She felt her clammy hands stick to the layer of chiffon. A smile wanted to ease across her lips, but she was too nervous. Not because she was insecure, but because the Hamptons scene was a whole other world she knew nothing about. Dahlia had skipped over so many rites of passage by becoming a mother at eighteen: the going out, the one-night stands, the Hamptons share houses, and drunken nights no one remembered the next day. She missed it all. Now, at thirty-eight, she wondered if she had a shot at fitting in. And the bigger question was, did she want to?
“Did you mail off the papers?” he asked curiously.
“Yup, even sent them priority.” A smile now graced her lips.
“So it’s official?” He angled his face toward her.
“It is.” Dahlia felt her belly flutter. This could change everything for them. But was she ready for that?
He leaned over and gave her a soft, reassuring kiss. It lasted mere seconds, but she felt more in that kiss than in some of the steamier ones.
“What was that for?” she asked playfully.
“Now, you’re all mine.” Noah’s smile melted her heart.
“I can live with that.” Dahlia wrinkled her nose, feeling the sudden urge to plant herself beside him all night and be his.
“It’s going to be fun, I promise,” he said, squeezing her hand. “Oh, I see my friend Ryan. You’re going to love him, D.” He pulled her through the hearty crowd. The music was loud, and people were already straining to hear one another. Typically, a crowd like this would make her uneasy, but not with Noah. He made all her concerns seem to vanish into thin air just by being there with her.
“Ry. Ry.” Noah waved, moving closer to the bar.
“He’s here,” yelled the guy with the dark brown mullet. “Dude, bring it in, my man.” They bro hugged, and the guy asked, “And who is this?”
“Hi, I’m Dahlia.” She reached out her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“So you’re the reason my friend hasn’t been at the house all summer long,” he said with an evil-eye squint.
Oh God, this wasn’t good. She desperately wanted them to like her. And the vibe that she had stolen his time wasn’t a good first impression.
“I’m just kidding. After what this guy went through last year, I’m just happy he’s alive.” Ryan gripped his shoulders.
Noah held her hand tighter, feeling how sweaty his palm was—or maybe it was hers. Dahlia looked up at him, wondering how bad it had gotten. It seemed like the aftermath of his breakup was messy and still a little raw. She guessed that part they had in common. She wondered if he still had feelings for Josie. They’d been together a long time. The way Noah made love to Dahlia made her think twice about that, but people tended to surprise her, so she was on alert.
“We’re doing shots. You game?” Ryan asked Dahlia.
“Ah, sure,” she said with an effervescent tone. She was not about to show her age.
“And a round of espresso martinis?”
“I’ll just do a beer, and Dahlia will have …” Noah said, looking at her.
“I’ll have an espresso martini. That sounds great, thanks,” she interrupted him, wanting to be easy.
“Sweet, let’s get this party started,” Ryan said, flagging the bartender. “You’d think we’d get better service. I mean, come on, they must know we’re fromHamptons House.” He shook his head and huffed. “But really, it’s so good to see you, man. We’ve missed you at the house this year. Filming isn’t the same without you.”
“How’s the house this year?” Noah asked, seemingly indifferent.
“A total wreck.”
