Page 67 of Falling for Fury

“Noah, I—”

“Don’t.”

“Don’t what?” My tone is accusatory. Excuse me, Mr. Greek. If I want to tell you I love you, I damn well will.

“Don’t say it now. Just… I didn’t mean…”

“Oh…”

“No, I meant it. I didn’t mean to say it like that. I…” He grabs my hand and brings my fingers to his lips in a gentle kiss. He steals a glance at my face, and there is a small blush to his cheeks, lowering my hand to his lap as he holds it hostage. A small, bemused grin appears on his gorgeous face.

“Addy, I pictured this conversation going a much better way. No moving vehicles, a lot less clothes, and seeing those deep green eyes when you said it back.” I feel my heart reach for him. I want him to tell me again, but with his body.

“Pull over.”

“What?!” He looks at me, concern written all over his face. “Ads, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to freak you out. You don’t have to say anything. I don’t… I just I don’t know when… Ads, wait—”

“Noah, you need to pull the car over because I need to kiss you, and I think if I can’t touch you right now, I might combust.” My words are breathless, the heat pooling lower and lower. His breathing is erratic as his head snaps to mine. Eyes searching my face, I pull my bottom lip in between my teeth, and his eyes snatch there for as long as they can before he focuses back on the road. Without any further words, he navigates us to a back road and pulls off the side, a healthy distance from the road. The engine is off, so I unclip both our belts and climb across the center to straddle his thighs.

“Shortcake.”

“Romeo.”

I slam my lips on his and spear my fingers through his hair, scraping at his scalp, and swallow the moan of pleasure he releases. His hands firmly hold my behind as I grind into him, desire eating away at my control and enhancing my confidence. God, I could take him right here in the car if we had nowhere to be.

I pull my face away, my hands framing his face as I search those big brown eyes.

“I am not used to trusting people’s words so quickly. These weeks with you feel like a dream. When you say these things… my instinct is not to believe you. But I want to. I want to believe you so badly, Noah.” Tears prick the back of my eyes as I pour my honesty into my words.

“Addison, I want you to hear me properly this time. I want you to know exactly what I am saying.” His words are whispers, his grip on my hips tight, as he places a soft kiss to my lips and looks back to my eyes, a different expression. Certainty, tenderness, I can see his heart in them.

“I love you.” Deep, rich whisky runs down my spine, and he moves a thumb to lightly brush a single tear from my eye. “Please don’t cry, baby. I love you, all of you. Every inch of your skin, every corner of your mind, every smile, every laugh, every moan of pleasure, every time you’re mad, every time you’re happy, and every moment in between. I love you. In every moment you exist, and the moments where you live in my mind, I love you.”

“Broken bits and all?” I say.

“You aren’t broken. But for the sake of clarity: yes, shortcake. Broken bits and all,” he promises.

A few more tears, a few more gentle thumb swipes, he wets his lips and I lose my words. This man, truly a God, sent from the heavens just for me.

Mine. He is all mine, and with every molecule on my skin, I am drawn to him. He doesn’t just love me; he loves the parts of me I grew to hate, parts he is teaching me to love, and he’s showing me how they too are beautiful in their own ways. That they make me who I am and that is the person he loves, scary bits and all.

“Noah…”

His breath catches, a soft smile to his lips as he searches my face, and the hope written all over him makes me feel like I am floating on Cloud 9 as I give him the words humming through my blood.

“I love you, too.” He releases a small breath that sounds a bit like a laugh, or a sigh, I think—relief. He closes his eyes, and when they open, it’s my turn to lightly dust my thumb above his cheekbone to swipe away a tear.

“My gentle giant, are you crying because I said I love you?” He pulls me down and places a firm kiss to my lips. Not desperate or sexual. A loving and tender kiss. It feels like the seal to a promise.

“That tear just slipped. I think this may be my happiest day so far.” I kiss him again, but this time I need it, need him, to be closer. Connected. God, I want to peel these clothes off. He pulls back slightly, resting his forehead on mine as we pant and catch our breath.

“Say it again,” he whispers to me.

“I love you,” I respond without hesitation.

“Fuck. I really wish we had time before seeing Mom.”

“Oh?”

---