He gaped down at her. “Please, God, tell me that’s not even a question at this point.”
“I didn’t want to make assumptions.”
He closed the binder and tossed it off the bed. Then he rolled on top of her, lacing their fingers together on either side of her pillow. “I’ve waited a long time for you. You can safely assume that I want to do it as often as possible.”
They kissed once more. And before too long, she started making that noise again, and he forgot all about room service.
* * *
“I think you might have killed me that time.”
Alexis laughed as Noah rolled onto his back, panting. A moment passed, and he awkwardly sat up. Just like before, he ordered her to stay put as he got up to deal with the less sexy part of sex. She watched him pad toward the bathroom, and as soon as the door swung shut, she disobeyed and got out of bed. His shirt was in a ball on the floor. She grabbed it and pulled it on and wandered to the window overlooking Beale Street.
The bathroom door swung open. “I told you to stay put,” he joked, coming up behind her. His arms circled her waist and tugged her tightly against his chest. They stood like that for a quiet moment, content again to just feel each other. Finally.
She covered his arms with her own. “I wish we could stay here forever,” she sighed.
His lips brushed her hair. “Not me. Because I can’t wait to take you home and start doing all those naked things we talked about.”
She managed a laugh, but it came out thick and watery. He squeezed her. “Hey,” he soothed. “What’s that?”
“I’m sorry. Emotional after sex and all that. I’ll stop. Just give me a minute.”
His lips came down on her shoulder. “You don’t have to apologize for being emotional. We’re kind of on a roller coaster right now. I’ve been one step away from losing it since the minute you opened your hotel room door.”
Alexis twisted in his embrace and wrapped her arms around his chest. His heart pounded beneath her cheek. Strong. Solid. Reassuring. He held her and let her catch her breath, pressing gentle kisses to the top of her head and rubbing his hands up and down her back and being so fucking perfect that she wanted to melt.
She finally risked a look at his face. “Why did we wait so long?”
“Because we weren’t ready.”
“But you said you’ve wanted this for a long time.”
“I have. Longer than you know.”
“But I kissed you, Noah.”
He sighed wearily and rested his brow on hers. “And if the adrenaline had worn off and you regretted it, it would have fucking gutted me.”
“I shouldn’t have just run out that night. I’m sorry—”
He kissed her and shook his head gently. “No more apologies.”
“I need to get this out. I had a whole speech planned.”
He acquiesced with a resigned sigh. He slid his hands around her waist and gripped her hips. “I’m listening.”
“It was disrespectful of me to not give you a chance to explain things,” she said, heart pounding. “Our friendship deserved better than that.”
He lifted a hand from her hip to her cheek. “Lexa—”
“You’re the best friend I’ve ever had, and that’s the thing that I don’t want to change.”
“It won’t.” He lowered his mouth to hers, his kiss gentle and sweet. “Just promise me you won’t ever go a week without talking to me again, okay? This was the worst week of my life.”
She managed a small smile. “I have a hard time believing that.”
He understood what she meant. “I was numb after my father died. I felt nothing. But I felt every second of you needing space.”
Her voice caught. “I don’t want any more space.”
“Neither do I.”
And then he kissed her.
Another apology. Another promise.
And within minutes the shirt was gone.
* * *
Alexis woke up the next morning disoriented. Sore, but in the best way.
Then she heard the soft snore behind her, and everything fell into place.
Noah.
His arm was heavy across her waist, his breath warm against her back. Her body hummed with desire but also the burning need to use the bathroom. Alexis stretched and slid out from under his arm.
Noah made a tired sound and tugged her back. “Not yet.”
“But I have to pee.”
He finally released her but told her to hurry back. She did the bathroom thing, tried to twist her hair into something less Medusa-like, and then brushed her teeth. When she returned, she found him awake and splayed on top of the covers, gloriously and confidently naked, legs crossed at the ankles and one arm curled beneath his head as he scrolled through his phone.
He looked over with an eyebrow raised. “Remember last night when you wondered how long it would be until everyone figured it out?”
He handed over his phone. A series of photos had been texted during the night.
Mack and Liv with a thumbs-up.
Malcolm and Del posed together with stupid grins.
Colton sent a video of himself making a kissy face.
Gavin and Thea grinned adorably.
The Russian’s was last. I will stay with Colton.
She set the phone on the table next to the bed. “Looks like we missed a good party.”
“Our party was way better.”
She crawled into bed, and he opened his arms to her. Noah rolled and pressed their clasped hands into the blanket next to her head, bringing their faces inches from each other.
“Good morning,” he murmured.
“Hi,” she whispered.
“I slept really well last night.”
“So did I.”
Things got interesting in the place where her body cradled his, and pretty soon, he was diving for another condom. He sheathed himself and then leaned over her with a sexy smile, his hands on either side of her shoulders to hold himself aloft. Alexis lifted her head to kiss him, but he pulled back just enough so she couldn’t reach him.
His smile teased. “Say the magic word, babe.”
Alexis
