Chapter 20: Chapter 19

NOAH

Deep down, Noah knew he wasn’t being truthful when he said he wouldn’t care. If she were to sleep with someone else while he was still in the picture, it would bother him. Seeing her with another man would twist his gut, but they had an agreement, and he wasn’t about to be the one to break it.

He refused to turn into the needy women he typically steered clear of. Yet, he meant every other word he said. She was here, perched on his bed, and he’d been holding back for far too long.

It wasn’t his fault she willingly walked into the wolf’s den. He thought the saying was about a lion or a tiger, but he preferred wolves.

“No, I am not,” she said flatly, rising from the bed. “I’m leaving now.”

She made a move for the door, but he wasn’t about to let her go. He pulled her back by her waist and kissed her. It felt like forever since their last kiss.

His tongue slipped into her mouth, and she bit him. It wasn’t hard enough to draw blood, but she held him in place with her teeth before pulling away.

Would it make him a pervert if he admitted he liked it?

“We agreed no,” she admonished.

“You said no, and I did my best to respect that,” he mumbled, his gaze locked on her lips. He wanted to kiss her again. There was no need for more words.

“You didn’t try hard enough,” she argued, pushing him away.

“Hard is a term that could describe more than one thing at the moment,” he shot back.

“You pig,” she scoffed.

He pulled her back into his arms, and she glared at him.

“You want it too.”

“Does it matter?”

“Of course it does.”

“You can go fuck someone else if you can’t control yourself. We don’t need to complicate things.”

“I know it sounds serious, but I don’t want anyone else right now. You’re the one who turns me on.”

“Noah, what are you saying?”

“I’m saying I want to be inside you. Nothing more, nothing less. Don’t make this difficult. It’s not like I’m proposing. We’re overthinking this.”

He kissed her again, his hand sliding up her skirt to caress her thigh. Then it traveled further up, squeezing her ass. He expected a reaction but got none.

Instead, she mirrored his movement, and he chuckled against her lips. That— that was what he loved about her. This mutual passion.

He didn’t dwell on the “l” word that popped into his head. It didn’t even bother him. He was too turned on to focus on details.

He slowly walked her back to the bed and gently pushed her down. Then he knelt in front of her and started pulling her panties down.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

He spread her legs. “Isn’t it obvious?”

“You’ve never done that before.”

“I feel like it now.”

“But I just got off work.”

“So?”

“So, I haven’t showered.”

“Why do you have to ruin the mood?” he grumbled, sliding up her body.

“I don’t feel any ruined mood in your lower region.”

“I’m determined to fuck you, but the moment you shower, I’m getting what I want.”

“If I want.”

“Oh, you will,” he promised.

Then he opened the drawer to his left and pulled out a condom.

“Always prepared,” she remarked.

He slipped it on and slid right into her. She let out a moan, the only sound she made as he began to move. It was for the best.

Sex shouldn’t be overanalyzed, and he was lucky to be as attracted to her as he was. Otherwise, his dick would have called it a night half an hour ago.

***

“When are we going to fuck on your bed?” he asked, kissing her shoulder.

She was in his arms. Neither of them felt like getting up to shower, and they’d already finished round two. He felt so content at the moment—it was almost strange.

“Never, because we aren’t fucking again after tonight,” she said flatly.

“Why not?” He rolled his eyes, expecting some lame excuse.

“Because it’s bound to get complicated at some point.”

“Are you afraid you’re going to get clingy?” he teased.

“There’s no way around it. Things are bound to get awkward. We need to be clear on that. Being friends with each other…”

“Is the safer route?” he completed her sentence.

“Exactly. Plus, if we keep sleeping together just for fun, we’ll use it as an excuse to avoid other people.”

“But if we’re meant to fall in love, we will,” he argued. “In the meantime, we can enjoy each other’s company like we always do. If the right person comes along, we can part ways without hard feelings.”

He was almost impressed with his own level-headedness. He had no plans to fall in love. Not that love was something you could plan for, and he wasn’t naive enough to think otherwise.

He just wasn’t the type to fall head over heels. What he had with her wasn’t love, and it certainly wasn’t the love-at-first-sight kind. It was something different, something he didn’t want to label.

“You always have a comeback,” she huffed, rising from the bed.

“And you’re no different,” he shot back, sinking into his pillow.

“I’m going to shower, then I’m leaving.”

“No, you’re not,” he drawled. “We have the whole night ahead of us. The only break we’ll need is for food, because I’m starting to get hungry.”

She flipped him off and sauntered into the bathroom. He chuckled.

***

He didn’t need to wonder how Tamara found out he was still in town. She probably saw him picking up Lillian from work. Or rather, waiting for her so they could walk back to her apartment together.

After Lillian confessed their secret affair to her, there was no point in hiding. Besides, he enjoyed their walks. It would be a shame to miss them.

He hadn’t even considered buying a car. It wasn’t a necessity at the moment, and he enjoyed walking despite the often terrible weather.

He toyed with the idea of buying an apartment, as Lillian had suggested multiple times, but he hadn’t made up his mind yet. He had to be smart with his money. The hotel was already stretching his budget.

Anyway, as he had told Lillian, he had hoped that his ex-lover would have the sense not to confront him about her. But a few days later, Tamara approached him as soon as he arrived at the company.

He always arrived early out of boredom, and he immediately realized what a big mistake that was—it gave her more time to pester him.

“Well, well, Noah. Fancy seeing you here again,” she taunted.

Her seductive smile and pleasant demeanor were gone. Not that he had ever been fooled by them. He had just played along because it was convenient.

Now, he was glad the pretenses were dropped. It gave him the freedom to be as frank as he wanted.

“Hello, Tamara,” he responded in kind.

“I didn’t think you’d stick around this long.”

“I’ve stopped traveling for a bit.”

“I see. You’re rediscovering the joys of this city.”

“That’s one way to put it, yes.”

“It’s my lunch break. Why don’t we grab a bite and catch up? Unless you only dine with Miss Astaire.”

“There’s a nice restaurant around the corner,” he replied, ignoring her snide remark.

He started walking, and she fell into step beside him. If he couldn’t avoid her, he might as well get this over with.

Once she realized where they were headed, she scoffed. Clearly, it wasn’t up to her standards. He was willing to bet she had never given it a second glance.

“I know that place. It’s a cheap joint, isn’t it?” she asked.

“The food is good.”

“You wouldn’t have been caught dead in a place like that in the past,” she sneered.

“I’ve eaten in less appealing places and had far worse food,” he replied flatly.

They entered the cozy restaurant and sat by the window. Well, he sat first—she had to wipe the chair with a tissue before she deigned to sit her designer-clad ass on it.

What a phony! Tamara wasn’t from a wealthy family, but a middle-class one. Very few people knew because she was ashamed of her background.

She had earned a scholarship to an elite university because she was an exceptional student, and she had let it go to her head. It was as if she had forgotten where she came from.

There was nothing wrong with her roots, and oddly enough, he hadn’t thought so when they first met years ago.

“I hope this place has food as good as you claim, because the atmosphere leaves a lot to be desired,” she remarked.

She was trying to get under his skin, but it wasn’t working. He wasn’t about to let her ruin his mood or his appetite.

“If you’re not a fan, you’re more than welcome to never come back,” he retorted.

“Don’t get all defensive,” she shot back.

“I’m not offended, just stating the obvious,” he replied.

She shot him a calculating look, which he met with a raised eyebrow. The waitress arrived to take their order, and Tamara’s gaze returned to him.

“You’ve changed,” she observed.

Her comment was laced with disappointment, but he had never been one to live for the approval of others. That much remained the same.

“Not really, but my life has taken a different turn since I left the company. You of all people should understand that,” he responded.

“Your taste in women seems to have changed as well,” she sneered.

“I wouldn’t say that. If memory serves, I spent a night at your penthouse last summer,” he reminded her.

“And then you went and slept with her,” she accused.

“So what?” he retorted, not bothering to feign ignorance about her insinuation or the woman she was referring to.

“You used to think she was a freak,” she continued.

“So what?” he repeated.

“She’s the last woman you should be attracted to,” she insisted.

“And who are you to dictate who I should be attracted to?” he countered.

Her nostrils flared with anger, but she had no comeback.

“Exactly,” he said flatly. “No one. We slept together a few times, and it was enjoyable. I never asked you to be my girlfriend, and I never made any promises.”

“But you did to her,” she argued.

“No, I didn’t, and she was fine with it because she didn’t want anything from me either. I was always clear about my intentions, and she was smart enough to understand them,” he explained.

The implication that she was less intelligent than Lillian didn’t deter her, and this time, she had a retort. But it wasn’t surprising.

“Oh, please! You spent two weeks with her. She bragged about it to my face,” she spat.

“That’s true,” he admitted.

“And you came here for her,” she accused.

“That’s partly true,” he conceded.

“Partly true!” she scoffed.

“Yes, but I don’t owe you any explanations about my motives. We’re not friends; we’re not lovers,” he stated.

“Because you didn’t want to be,” she pointed out.

“Because I didn’t want to, yes. And you should respect that. You’re supposed to be a smart and capable woman,” he said.

“Supposed to be?” she mocked. “This is the second time you’ve questioned my intelligence, Noah.”

“I’m not questioning your intelligence, just how you choose to use it,” he clarified. “Your intellect was the reason you were my choice for the position and why my brother is keeping you. Because you can do your job better than most.”

“Your little lover almost cost me my job, Noah,” she retorted.

“That’s not the story I’ve heard,” he countered.

“From her?” she asked.

“No, from my brother who is disappointed by your unprofessional behavior. And it’s not just about Lillian,” he revealed.

“Yeah, now I’m convinced,” she said sarcastically.

“Calling her a slut in front of clients didn’t make her look bad; it made you look petty and unrestrained. I’d advise you to watch it, Tamara. Miss Astaire is safe for a couple more years, but you aren’t,” he warned.