Chapter 12: The Sins of Noelle: Chapter 12

‘Are you nervous about the presentation?’ Noelle asked.

‘A little?’ Blue chuckled. ‘I believe I’m prepared enough. But it’s still a public presentation, and I will likely have to answer questions too…’ he trailed off as he took a deep breath. ‘I’m not the best at public speaking.’

‘Why don’t I ask you questions? That way we can at least cover some bases,’ she suddenly suggested.

He was quiet for a moment before agreeing.

‘That’s a good idea. You’re as familiar as I am with the material.’

For the last few months, they’d spent almost more time on his research than they had on tv shows and other forms of entertainment. They’d read Lawrence’s The Plumed Serpent together, discussing the themes and motifs and attempting to frame it within a historical context.

Although Blue’s main area of study was minerals and precious stones in Mesoamerica, he’d become fascinated by their ritualistic use and cultural connotation. Slowly, that interest had extended to other areas and they’d both embarked on a deep dive into the religions of the region.

‘Ok, here I go,’ Noelle smiled as she pulled up his paper on her computer.

‘I’m ready. Do your worst,’ Blue retorted, waiting for her question.

‘Can you explain why you argue that the novel shouldn’t be used as a cultural blueprint, but rather an observation on the dynamics of power via means of religion?’

Blue chuckled.

‘Damn it, curiouscat, you went straight for the throat, didn’t you?’

‘I aim to please,’ she answered cheekily. ‘Now answer the question.’

He cleared his throat before he began.

‘Lawrence wrote the novel based on his experiences on his short visit to Mexico. From the start, we’re talking about an outsider’s experiences looking into a culture that he can barely begin to understand. Though it can be dismissed as yet another attempt at colonial literature and a white man’s desire to understand the arcane, as these cultures were often regarded in the west, I don’t believe that was his intention. He merely borrowed the locale and the culture for the background, but at its core, The Plumed Serpent is about ideas that can be applied in different parts of the world. It doesn’t attempt to do an ethnological or anthropological study of the Christian and pre-Christian communities in Mexico, but it does try to put the two ideologies in juxtaposition to look at the dynamics of power.’

‘Can you discuss these dynamics of power more?’ Noelle continued.

‘The main conflict of the novel is between the New World Order and the Old World Order. The former is characterized by the Catholic Church while the latter by the Old Mexican Gods. At the beginning of the novel, Kate, the main character, reads an article titled , which is a foreshadowing for the conflict to come. Soon, men become the personification of these gods, come back to earth to save the people. A discourse soon follows on the theme of a and that every culture needs this type of messiah. Though at a first glance the conflict is steeped in different religious sentiments, it’s soon clear that it had nothing to do with belief, or freedom or worship. Instead, the two warring religious entities embody different ideals—modern versus traditional; new and ancient; autochthonous rather than foreign. It’s all about a uniting sentiment that allows people to put their faith in man—one Savior. And that is where power truly comes from.’

‘From letting someone else make the decisions for you?’

‘No. From trusting someone else to make the right decisions for you because they have been imbued with divine power.’

They continued back and forth for an hour, covering every potential topic.

‘If anything, you’re overprepared, Blue,’ Noelle said, proud of him.

He was the smartest man she knew and she had confidence in his ability to woo his professors. After all, who wouldn’t be impressed with him if they engaged in a debate? He had a way of seeing every little perspective, regardless of whether it served his argument or not.

Usually, Noelle was the one who was obsessed with one point while Blue was able to play the Devil’s advocate despite his own personal convictions. It was something she deeply admired about him. Whereas she could get wrapped up in one point, he could look at everything from a holistic perspective.

‘You think so?’ His voice held the slightest hesitation to it.

Noelle couldn’t understand how he couldn’t see his strengths and that he was nothing short of brilliant. Of course, in her view, he was the epitome of perfection, and as such, everyone must see him accordingly. It never crossed her mind that not everyone would agree with her assessment, or that she was looking at Blue through the eyes of someone in love, and thus was unable to be objective.

‘I it. I asked you anything I could think of and you nailed everything. You’ll be fine.’

‘I wish you could be there,’ he added in a wistful whisper.

Noelle pretended she didn’t hear him, though his words touched her heart unlike anything else. She wished she could be there too, supporting him and being his main cheerleader. She wished she could be by his side at all times, yet the reality was that she couldn’t. At least not yet.

‘Now that you’re more relaxed about your presentation, why don’t we watch that new movie that came out?’ She suggested instead.

‘Deal. Let me get some snacks first,’ Blue replied.

They both got food and drinks and started watching the movie.

All the while, though, Noelle couldn’t let go of his invitation. Their time for the day ended and they said their good nights and Noelle still couldn’t let go.

She wanted to see him more than anything.

It had been a few months since the department store incident, and since then, he haunted her thoughts constantly.

After seeing what he looked like, everything had changed.

Where before she felt a comfortable warmth at interacting with him, now she got butterflies in her stomach whenever she imagined his blue, blue eyes at the other side of the monitor. Her dreams, too, were full of him—of them together.

The more time passed, Noelle fell deeper and deeper in love with Blue. So much so she didn’t know how to deal with it anymore—with that impetus that had taken shape within her to see him, touch him, do…more.

But maybe she go see him. He didn’t need to know. No one needed to know.

.

If her plans went well, they would meet soon. Right before her eighteen birthday. Then, she would reveal her identity to him and beseech him to help her escape her fate.

Noelle was certain that Blue was meant to be her forever, just as she knew that once he met her, he would know it, too. Then, nothing would be able to separate them.

Since she’d been on her best behavior, her brother had allowed her more freedoms than before. Noelle was training with Yuyu a couple of times per week, and she was also allowed to take piano lessons in the city with a new instructor. The latter was the perfect opportunity for Noelle to tarry around the city and be on her own for a while. Especially as she’d managed to convince Cisco that her piano lessons were three times a week when, in fact, they occurred only twice. That way, she had one lessons’ time to move around freely.

Noelle had thoughtfully planned everything so she could meet up with Blue soon.

She had planned everything in detail so that she could escape before her eighteenth birthday when she was to be married off to that stranger. And Blue was a crucial part of her plans. As such, she couldn’t meet him earlier than she’d planned for, even though her heart might constantly yearn for him.

Noelle released a deep sigh as she imagined how their first meeting would look like. For so long she’d made up scenarios—of how he’d react to her, how he’d take her in his big arms and never let her go… Every time, it was a different type of image, and she wasn’t embarrassed to admit that she’d thought about other things, too—like kissing him.

A blush crept up her cheeks. God, she’d become so infatuated with him, she’d spent an inordinate amount of time researching kissing tips and watching kissing tutorials. She’d even gone as far as to watch porn, all in hopes she could envision how they would be together.

Unfortunately, everything made her want him more. Every day, more and more.

And so here she was. Suffocating with want. Needing him like she needed the air she breathed. Yearning for him with all the strength her seventeen year old heart could muster.

‘I might not be able to meet with him yet. But that doesn’t mean I can’t see him, can it?’ she mused to herself as she leaned back in her chair, her eyes on the computer screen and the chat room Blue had just vacated.

As long as he didn’t recognize her following him around, she might be able to get away with it, no?

She already knew his name, the university he studied at and his department.

It had been easy enough to figure out what his schedule was, or when he was attending school events. If there was anything available on the internet on Blue, Noelle knew it. She’d even managed to find some of his social media profiles, some of which had actual pictures with him.

Noelle had a small collection of everything she’d managed to dig up on him, and she had every picture saved in a secret folder on her computer.

She might have become slightly obsessed with one of the pictures, but it was only because he was so damn beautiful it hurt.

Tapping her finger against her desk, Noelle resolved that she seek him out without revealing herself to him. She would just watch him from a distance and get her fill of him—enough so she could withstand the long months ahead of her and the incertitude that ate at her regarding her future.

Yes, she could do it.

As she decided on that course of action, she opened a few tabs and started researching and cross-referencing dates.

She put down the dates she could get away from her house before checking to see what Blue’s schedule was.

When she’d asked Cisco to resume her piano lessons, she’d specifically found an instructor within walking distance of Blue’s university. Everything had been planned to perfection. And now… Noelle might finally be able to reap the benefits of her patience so far.

It was a few days later that she had her Her guards drove her to her practice. Leaving them at the entrance of the building, she waved them goodbye and told them she’d see them again in four hours—the average time of one lesson.

The timing was tight, but Noelle was confident she could do this.

Going inside the building as if everything was normal, she went to a bathroom and removed from her backpack the spare clothes she’d packed, as well as the accessories she’d used to disguise herself to the best of her ability.

She’d come dressed in a white dress. She went back out in a pair of dark jeans and a dark blue t-shirt coupled with a pair of glasses and a baseball cap. To further avoid detection, she tied her hair in a bun to keep her curls at bay. When she was done, she exited the bathroom, going to a lower level of the building that led onto the back street. No one was around, and it was easy for Noelle to get out of the building undetected.

As she went out, she glanced at her watch, noting the time she needed to get back. Then, it was all a matter of getting to the university and to the building she’d marked as being the one where Blue had his class in.

Walking briskly, she reached the university in record time. She went inside the lecture hall and took a seat at the very back of the classroom, her eyes wide open as she looked around for when Blue would show up.

It was a big lecture hall, and that would give her the anonymity she needed while still able to be on the lookout for Blue.

Minutes trickled by as she continued to scan her surroundings as students started to flood into the classroom.

It was a minute before the lecture was set to start that she spotted Blue.

He was perhaps the tallest guy in the room, towering over everyone as he made his way inside. His body was lean, but his perfect proportions were unmistakable. Big arms, broad shoulders and long legs, he was the epitome of masculine perfection in Noelle’s eyes.

Dressed in a simple white shirt and a pair of black pants, he was still easily the most beautiful thing Noelle had ever beheld.

Her breath went out of her lungs as she let her eyes drown in him.

His hair was the color of ashy sand. His locks were so thick, Noelle could easily imagine running her hands through them, feeling the softness of his hair under her fingertips—and she they would be soft.

Blue stopped at the entrance. Seeing that the front seats had already been filled, Blue sighed deeply before proceeding to scan the room for an empty seat.

At the same time, Noelle followed his gaze, seeing that an available seat was right in front of her.

By a strike of luck, he chose the seat in front of her, striding over to her side and overwhelming her with his sheer physicality.

All at once, she realized that what she’d felt when she’d first met him had not been a fluke. He was as intimidating as before, his presence a pure drug to her senses.

And up close… She took a deep breath, suddenly unable to deal with the mounting tension within her.

Her heart was racing, her eyes were wide open as she blatantly stared at him, and her stomach…butterflies were having a grand party in her stomach, flapping their wings around every little corner in excitement, almost as if they wanted to get out of her and reach out for him.

But then again, that was what she wanted, too. More than anything, she wished she could reach out to touch him, feel the warmth of his skin on top of hers, his deep voice in her ear and his lips… God, but what would it be like to have his lips on top of her own?

When he neared the seat, Noelle realized she was risking revealing herself with how direct she was in her perusal of him, so she tipped her cap lower on her face, her glasses offering a modicum of protection.

As expected, he took a seat in front of her, leaning back in his chair until he was so close to her she could smell him. And despite it being slightly too creepy, Noelle leaned forward, inhaling deeply.

Her eyes snapped shut as she barely contained the moan that threatened to escape her.

He smelled divinely. So intoxicating she wanted to bottle up the scent so she could have it with her at all times. Alas, unfortunately that wasn’t possible, so she had to make do with the present.

From where she was sitting, she could see the olive color of his skin and the blonde hairs on the back of his neck. She observed every little detail about him, committing it to memory so she could access it later, when she was alone with her thoughts, when she could conjure up more intimate scenarios.

Her fingers itched to trace his skin, but she held herself in check, content to only watch him—for now.

She noted how attentive he was, taking notes of everything the professor was saying, and raising his hand every now and then to answer questions.

A smile tipped at Noelle’s lips as she continued to watch him, warmth unfurling in her chest at his proximity.

Maybe it was silly of her to do this—risk everything for the sake of a man who didn’t even know what she looked like. To an extent, she was aware her infatuation with Blue wasn’t normal. But it was normal—it was normal.

He’d been there for her when no one else had. He’d encouraged her to do better.

She’d always seen herself as independent and opinionated, but in a negative light, as told by countless people since childhood. It was only after meeting Blue that she’d started to appreciate herself and regard herself through his lens. Slowly, he’d helped her gain confidence in herself while becoming the best friend she could have ever asked for.

He’d shown her she mattered.

For the first time in her life, someone had told her mattered, that her opinions mattered and that no one else should dictate her life herself.

For that alone, Noelle was capable of doing anything for him.

All too soon, class was over.

Noelle didn’t even realize when everything was over. She’d been so wrapped in her own thoughts and fantasies that to her it seemed as though only a few moments passed.

Everyone stood up and started walking out of the classroom.

Her Blue did, too.

She was of a half mind to go and follow him, but she knew she couldn’t risk that much. Especially since she was running short on time.

With a resigned sigh, she made her way off campus and went back to the music building, putting away her disguise items and dressing back up in her regular clothes.

When she arrived home, she pretended she’d had a great day at her piano lessons.

Her mother was absent, as was her usual lately. Noelle supposed that was because Cisco and Yuyu were now living with them upstate and Elena didn’t want to get into another conflict with her daughter-in-law—particularly after she’d seen that Cisco would take Yuyu’s side.

Noelle was grateful for that, however. Without the stress of having her mother on her back at all times, she felt more relieved. And the few times that they crossed paths, Noelle preferred to ignore Elena, no matter how much her mother liked to egg her own. Even that she could attribute to Blue, since he’d helped her to become more tempered and think before acting.

What her mother hadn’t succeeded in a lifetime of nagging, Blue had managed in a few months by leading by example.

Noelle smiled as she remembered all the times she’d driven him to madness with her behavior, yet he’d never retaliated with malice. He’d always silently steered her towards the right path, getting her to admit her mistakes on her own rather than point them out and incur her belligerence.

‘Are you ready for our practice?’ Yuyu asked her after she’d had a shower.

Noelle nodded, changing into her workout gear and heading to the gym on the ground floor.

Cisco was ensconced in his office dealing with his business while Val was somewhere around the house conducting one of his many experiments. He was a very bright kid, whose sole focus seemed to be figuring out how things worked.

Noelle and Yuyu started with a warm up before they did drills, topping the training with one-on-one combat.

‘You’ve improved a lot,’ Yuyu praised after it was over.

‘Thank you,’ Noelle smiled.

‘Remember it’s never about size, but how well you use it. For us, since we’re smaller than most men, we need to focus on speed and hitting critical spots.’

Yuyu had taught her all the weak spots of the body, where to hit and how to hit it for maximum potential.

‘Soon you won’t have much to teach me,’ Noelle joked as they both stopped by the water station.

‘Maybe. That doesn’t mean you should stop practicing. You need to maintain your speed and stamina, and you can only do that through practice.’

‘I know,’ Noelle nodded. ‘I’ve been doing cardio daily to increase my stamina, and strength training three times a week.’

‘Damn,’ Yuyu whistled. ‘I knew you were using the gym on our off days, but I didn’t realize you’ve been putting in so much effort. That explains why you’ve gotten so good in such a short amount of time.’

‘Well, I aim to get better,’ Noelle declared.

The time was ticking.

She was already seventeen, which meant that every month brought her closer and closer to her eighteenth birthday and the moment she dreaded more than anything in the world.

Everything she was doing, day in, day out, was to ensure she would never have to accept that face—that she would become master of her own destiny. And because she knew what was at stake, she knew she couldn’t slack off.

It was another week before she could find the opportunity to sneak out again. This time, she managed to track Blue to the library. Luckily, he’d told her the day before that he was going to spend the entire day studying at the library.

The only problem?

There were multiple libraries on campus and all required a student ID to get inside.

But Noelle wasn’t one to be deterred by that one small detail.

Biding her time as she arrived on campus, she spotted a girl that had similar build and features to her and she bumped into her, successfully swiping her student ID.

With that in hand, it was all a matter of finding Blue.

The stars must have been shining for her that day, though, as she managed to spot him at the main library cafeteria. He was getting a coffee and a few snacks.

After he paid, he grabbed his stuff and went to the back where the book stacks were.

Noelle promptly followed, but making sure she wasn’t too overt in her stalking.

He had his own station at one of the tables, surrounded by a mountain of books.

There weren’t many people present, and the many bookshelves served as the perfect cover for Noelle. She could pretend she was browsing for a book while she studied him.

Situating herself behind the shelf in front of him, she fiddled with some books, enough to make some space through which she could have a direct view of him.

He was wearing a blue polo shirt today, coupled with a dark pair of pants. The buttons on his shirt were half done, and she could see a hint of skin peeking through, as well as his defined clavicles.

She swallowed hard.

She’d never given much importance to clavicles before, so she was completely baffled to find herself attracted to that part of his body. They had a manly quality to them, strength radiating from him even though he wasn’t overly muscular.

His hair was messy, his blonde locks strewn over his forehead, his eyes narrowed at his computer as his gaze flittered between the screen and the book next to him.

He looked…hot.

Noelle had thought him beautiful before. But it was the first time she felt inflamed at the sight of him—so much so it took every ounce of self-control she possessed to keep herself in the shadows.

Her Blue was so handsome…

She tightened her hold over the book she was holding, grinding her teeth as she sought to bring herself down to earth again.

It was quite disconcerting, really, to realize that someone could have such an effect on her body.

In her attempt to understand guys and relationships better, she’d done extensive reading on the subject and she’d watched plenty of videos. All for research, of course.

This was the first time she was faced with the physical evidence of her attraction to him—the fact that she had to rub her thighs together in discomfort, her panties sticking to her private parts as a gush of wetness soaked the material.

Everywhere she looked, she spotted yet another alluring thing about him.

His neck. His strong jaw and straight nose. His arms. His big knuckles and the veins on the surface of his hands.

God, but she hadn’t realized she could be into him than she already was, but the pulsation between her thighs told her she was absolutely in his thrall—physically as well as emotionally.

If he’d come to her at that moment and invited her to a tryst in a darkened corner she wouldn’t be able to say no. She would simply remove her clothes and present herself to him, inviting him to have his way with her—do whatever he wanted as long as he eased the ache that seemed to become more unbearable by the moment.

She didn’t think this was the best place and time to slide her hand down her underwear and seek some relief. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t done it before to the thought of him, imagining it was him touching her. Since she’d learned how to touch herself, he’d always been the object of her unfulfilled lust, always taunting her, always close but never within reach.

Maybe she should be ashamed. Maybe she should feel embarrassed.

But she wasn’t. Not when Blue was the only way she could find that elusive peak. Because it was him she was picturing when she was closing her eyes. It was him, holding himself on his arms on top of her, his heavy body blanketing hers. It was him she felt when she pushed a finger inside of her, moving it in and out while chasing that sweet pleasure.

It was him. Always him.

Noelle slapped a hand over her mouth as a tiny sound escaped her. She rubbed her thighs together more aggressively.

God, just the thought of what he could do to her made her hot—too hot to withstand it.

She was behind a bookshelf, surrounded by other bookshelves. And there was no one in sight. Surely she could…

Before sense had time to win over instinct, she slid her hand down her pants, moving her underwear to the side so she could reach that sensitive spot. She gave a soundless whimper at the first touch as a spark of electricity traveled all the way through her body.

Her eyes on Blue, she dipped her fingers between her folds, marveling anew at the amount of wetness dripping out of her.

In her wildest dreams it hadn’t been like this. But then she’d merely conjured up his memory. Now she was staring at the real thing.

So aroused she was, it only took a few strokes for her to come, the pleasure rocking through her body. Panting, she barely found her balance as she leaned into the bookshelf. Her legs felt like jelly, her brain foggy and filled with desire.

If touching herself with him present felt like this… She didn’t know if she could survive if he ever touched her himself. God, but that would probably kill her with pleasure.

Just as she was coming down from her high, though, she noted that Blue rose to his feet and exited the stacks.

Noelle scrambled to put herself back together, ensuring her glasses and her cap were both in place before following him out.

Yet she was a moment too late.

When she stepped into the hallway, he was gone—and there was no trace left of him.

A panicked breath left her lungs just as her enthusiasm from before deflated.

She checked her watch, disappointed to see that she had one more hour. And if he didn’t come back… That was one hour wasted.

‘I’m sorry,’ she muttered as she turned and bumped into someone.

‘It’s fine,’ a guy replied.

Looking up, she noted he was as tall as Raf, but much more muscular, his physique that of an athlete. Just as she was about to turn and walk away, he suddenly pulled on her arm.

‘It’s you,’ he stated in an angry voice. ‘I saw you. You stole Britney’s ID,’ he grit out, his fingers tightening over her arm.

‘I’m sorry, you must have the wrong person,’ she insisted, her eyes widening with shock.

How could anyone have seen her? Had she been so careless?

But considering the way she lost her head when it came to Blue, she supposed she could have been a tiny bit too careless.

‘Let me go,’ she said as she tried to pry his fingers off her arm.

‘Show me your ID and I’ll let you go.’

‘I said you have the wrong person,’ Noelle repeated, tipping her chin up with confidence.

‘Show me your ID and I’ll let you go,’ he continued. ‘Or else I’ll call security.’

Noelle continued to struggle in his grasp, and slowly, panic started mounting inside of her.

She could handle herself—she knew she could. But the last thing she wanted was to create a scene and attract attention to herself. Least of all, she didn’t want Blue to suddenly return and see her.

No, she couldn’t allow that.

She was about to kick him between his legs when another voice permeated the air.

One she was very well acquainted with.

‘Let the lady go,’ Blue called out, coming back from wherever he had been.

Noelle tipped her cap lower, pushing her glasses up her nose so she wouldn’t be recognizable.

Oh, God! She wanted the earth to open up and swallow her.

This couldn’t be happening to her. She refused to believe that the fates would be so wicked as to ruin her carefully crafted plan.

She’d already envisioned how their first meeting would go. He would invite her on a date. She would show up all dolled up and he would be absolutely smitten with her. So much so that he would realize they were soulmates and he could never be parted again from her—thereby stealing her away from her tyrannical family and running away with her in the world.

It was the perfect plan. But now, that was being jeopardized by Mr. Mammoth who was still holding on to her arm too tightly.

She sneered at him, baring her teeth as she gave another tug. Now she couldn’t even vocalize her protest for fear Blue might hear her.

‘Can’t you see the lady wants to be released?’ Blue continued, coming closer.

‘What is it to you? I have business with her,’ the other man intoned in a harsh tone, clearly telling Blue to step aside.

‘She doesn’t want any business with you.’

By God, why was he continuing? Noelle thought his past deeds as a good Samaritan that had bitten him in the ass would have been enough to stop him from going around trying to be a hero. But it seemed Blue wasn’t the type to stay quiet in the face of an injustice. She didn’t know if she wanted to be angry with him or kiss him for it.

Blue stopped in front of the other man, his body so close to hers she felt a shiver down her back.

‘Let her go,’ he stated clearly, toe to toe with the much more muscular man and not backing down one inch even as the other guy attempted to stare him down.

Noelle yelped in pain as his hold became tighter and she sought to free herself once more. This time, Blue intervened personally as he grabbed the other guy’s hand and forcefully unclasped his fingers off her.

‘If I were you, I wouldn’t cause a scene. There are cameras,’ Blue nodded to the CCTV in the corner. ‘You’ll only look worse if there is an investigation. Assault isn’t taken lightly,’ he spoke calmly.

The other man seemed to want to argue, but after a moment he decided to cut his losses and turn away.

Noelle was breathing hard as she massaged her arm, unable to believe what had just happened.

Blue, though, was on her at once.

‘Are you alright? Oh no, he grabbed you so hard,’ he murmured worriedly as he regarded her arm.

Noelle pushed her chin down so he wouldn’t look at her face.

‘Does it hurt? Do you want me to get you a cold compress to put on top of it? Maybe some menthol cream?’

Noelle shook her head at him, her lips tightly pressed together.

This was everything she’d ever dreamed. Blue was before her. Touching her. But she couldn’t possibly reveal herself when she didn’t even go to his school!

The other guy had been right. She was an impostor and a thief. And to top it off, she was a certified stalker, too. If Blue found that out…

‘You’re too shaken. I understand. But you don’t have to worry about me. I won’t hurt you,’ he assured her as he massaged her skin lightly.

The touch of his flesh on top of hers was…heavenly.

Noelle couldn’t contain the sigh of contentment that escaped her lips. God, she wished for nothing more than to lean into him and cuddle in his arms—purr like a kitten at being enveloped in his warmth and scent.

And my, oh my, what a scent.

She took a step forward as she breathed him in. He smelled absolutely delicious—unlike anything she’d ever experienced before.

All at once, a wave of longing hit her, harder than ever before.

She needed to leave. Before she made a fool of herself.

Yet her body had a mind of its own as it took one step forward. Then another.

One second she was in front of Blue, attempting to shield her face from his view, the next she was pressed against his hard body, her arms coming around his waist as she hugged him tightly to her chest.

Everything happened in the span of a few seconds as she buried her face in his chest, inhaling deeply and absorbing his warmth.

She mumbled a muffled thank you—the sound rough and distorted—before she was off him and running towards the exit, leaving him baffled behind.

It was embarrassing. But for Noelle, it was also quite possibly the highlight of her life.

She’d…hugged him.

As she hurried back to where her guards were waiting for her, she couldn’t help the smile that pulled at her lips as she gave herself an imaginary high-five.

For a few seconds, she’d been in his arms. But those few seconds had been more than enough for her to realize she wanted to spend an eternity nestled in his embrace.