Noah’s expression turns from serious to quizzical. “Yes.”
“Well, you get a kiss as your reward for passing the test, but would you like a little preview of that before the film?”
Noah’s eyes light up as I throw my reservations about kissing a man in a cinema lobby aside. A tingling sensation ripples through me as he closes the space between us.
“I’m a huge fan of a preview,” he says in a low voice as he links his hands behind my back.
I grin and link my own hands around the back of his neck, my empty cup resting against his back. “You’re taking your chances. I’m wearing red lipstick that is going to transfer to your lips.”
“I’ll wear your mark,” he declares.
Ooh!
Then he brushes his mouth gently against mine for a brief kiss.
The sensation of his lips on my own causes my body to grow hot. Noah lifts his head, and I chuckle as I see I have indeed left my mark on him.
I take one hand and gently drag my thumb across his lower lip, and my pulse twitches as I wipe away traces of my lipstick from his mouth.
“It’s a good thing it’s going to be dark in there because I can’t quite make all of this disappear,” I say.
Noah smiles underneath my fingertips, causing my stomach to tingle in response.
“I don’t care. Now come on, get your sweets. I need to know your blend for future reference.”
Future reference.
He’s feeling this date as much as I am,I think happily.
Oddly enough, for the first time in my life, I suddenly find myself not caring about my pick and mix. Suddenly I can’t wait for the movie to end before it even begins.
Because I can’t wait to be alone with Noah at the end of the night.
And kiss him for hours on end.
Chapter Eighteen
Paint the Picture
“Noah, this is incredible,” I gasp as we pull up to his cottage. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Because this is no ordinary cottage. It’s a unique dwelling built into the side of acliffoverlooking the rugged coastline. I know Noah told me about it, but seeing it is a whole different thing. The house is designed to blend into the environment with the choice of materials, and seeing it carved into a cliff is something spectacular.
“I know,” he says, parking his car in front of the modern-style house. “Luckily for me, they had a cancellation last week. There’s only a handful of them built here.”
We get out of the car, and as soon as I step out of the Bentley, I inhale the wonderful salty scent of the sea which is permeating the night air. I can hear the waves rolling ashore, and there seems to be an endless supply of stars shining in the dark sky above us.
I’m about to ask Noah if he loves the sea air as much as I do, but he’s already moved in front of me, gently closing the passenger door of the Bentley. Then he slides his tattooed arms around my body, his hands on my back.
“I’ve waited all night to be alone with you,” he says.
“You have?”
A soft smile flickers across his sensual mouth. “Yes.”
My body buzzes in anticipation of what is to come next. I feel one of his hands slide up underneath my shirt, his warm hand against the small of my back, his calloused fingertips dancing deliciously across my bare skin.
He lowers his head and rests his forehead against mine. I melt in response to the intimate gesture.