I shake my head."I wish it was that simple.Truly I do."
He angles his body toward mine and shifts closer."I may not be able to silence that voice for you, Morgan, but maybe I can add a new one that'll hopefully counteract all the lies he fed you."
Throat tight, I search his face and see only honesty, genuine care, and frank appreciation."What would the voice say, Noah?"My words are a whisper, barely audible.
He touches my jaw with his fingertips, a delicate, tender touch that prevents me from looking away from his hypnotic dark blue eyes."I would say—sorry,the voicewould say—that you're fucking gorgeous, Morgan Wheeler."His gaze turns downright fierce."The voice would tell you that you're absolutely perfect, exactly the way you are.That you're breathtaking."
I shake my head."Noah, I—"
"Wasn't done, sweetheart."
"Okay," I breathe."What else?"
His thumb slides over my lips."You have the most kissable lips."
"I do?"
"Yup."His face grows closer, and then his mouth is on mine, and my eyes are closing, and my heart is pounding as he kisses me—softly, with exquisite gentility, so slowly, so tenderly.He pulls away far too soon."See?Kissable."
"Noah—"
“Still not done."
" 'Kay."
He cups my chin and tilts my head back, and his lips touch my throat, the hollow at the base, skidding down to my chest."Every part of you I've seen so far is so fucking kissable."His kisses pause where my cleavage begins, and his eyes flick up to mine.
Tacitly making sure I'm okay.
I cup the back of his neck and tip my head back, fingers toying with his hair, giving him permission to keep going.I'm panicking but curious—my heart is crashing and cracking in my chest, breaking as his words collide with the decades-old litany of criticisms I've had on repeat in my brain.But yet, I can't bring myself to stop him.His words break yet soothe.They rip open scabs and scars, yet provide a balm for the very hurts they cause—not cause…reveal.Highlight.
"Noah…" I gasp.
He kisses the keyhole gap where my cleavage begins, eliciting a soft breath from me.Kisses the upper slope of my left breast.His fingers tug at the neckline of my shirt, slipping it off my shoulder, and then the other side, baring more of my chest and exposing the white fabric of my bra.
I forget that we're outside in the forest, on a very public hiking trail.I forget everything but Noah, and his whispering voice and his words.
His mouth finds mine, and he kisses me again, leaving me breathless all over again and panting and aroused.God, the man can kiss.
I throw myself into the moment, leaning into him, pressing myself against him.Kissing him back with all I've got, giving him my tongue and my open mouth, my breath, soft whimpers at the strokes of his tongue, gasps at the way his fingers trace the low scoop of my neckline and into the edge of my bra cups, and then his hands carve against my sternum under my breasts.
"These," he growls, breaking the kiss."Are fucking perfect, too."
I shake my head."Noah—"
"I know you didn't show me them on purpose, but Morgan…I can't stop thinking about your tits."
"I bet I know what you were thinking," I say, unable to stop myself."My god, they're so tiny!I've seen bigger tits on a—"
He silences me with another kiss, this one aggressive, almost angry."Nope.Not doing that."
His mouth leaves mine again, drifts downward to my cleavage again.A bird sings a soaring song overhead.Sunlight dapples through the canopy onto my face, onto my closed eyes.
I'm panting hard, almost hyperventilating.From panic?Arousal?Some fucked-up combo of both?
Pan-arousal?Arousal-anic?
The scaredy-hots?
