Page 43 of The Fate of Us

“We were already late.”

I cross my arms as I turn to him. “And whose fault is that?”

“Baby, I can’t help it that your pussy tastes that good.”

I roll my eyes at him and go to get out of the car, trying to wrestle my wild hair back up.

Noah chuckles at me as he gets out of the car and walks around and opens my door the rest of the way. His hand is back in my hair, pulling it down.

“Noah, stop.”

“Baby, sex hair is better than the marks on your neck.”

I push him away as I pull the visor down in the car and check my neck. Sure enough there are light bruises and bite marks on my neck. “Motherfucker. Do not tell me you did this on purpose!”

“You are the one who teased me with handcuffs and made my dick hard right before I had to talk to the chief of police.”

I blush. It took me almost an hour to send that picture to him. I might be wild and free in the bedroom but sending him that picture made me feel a little bit dirty.

He leans into me, kissing up my neck and I try to push him away. “Don’t you even think about leaving more.”

He chuckles into my neck. “Mayberry, I’ll leave more later but not where you think.”

The words send chills down my spine as I think about all the places this dirty man could leave his mark on me.

He pulls me out of the car and we walk hand in hand into Jimmy’s. It feels weird walking in here as a patron and not an employee. But if it wasn’t for this place, I never would have laid eyes on Noah. He was my neighbor but I didn’t know him. I started to learn about him when he came in here with his police squad.

The place is decorated with “Congratulations” signs and balloons. His partner comes up to him first and wraps an arm around him, pulling him into a tight hug.

“Congrats, brother. You did it.”

“Thanks, Niko.”

“And fuck you now that I have a new partner.”

They both laugh at that before Niko pulls me into a hug too. “Thanks for making this guy less mopey and annoying than he used to be.”

I laugh as Noah curses at him. We make our way around the room greeting everyone I know and Noah introducing me to people I haven’t met from the police department.

I grab a beer and sit at an empty table. I love watching Noah in his element. It’s what made me start to have feelings for him in the first place. When he would come here with other officers. So carefree and happy, not the same man I would watch from my front porch.

I smile now as I watch him laugh with his friends. Making detective was a big deal for him. I know he wanted it more than anything but his fear kept getting the best of him. I hope I am the one that put that fear of his to rest. Because he has helped me overcome so many of my own fears. I never thought I would see the day where I felt happy and content. Sure I get nervous about my music and silly things like that. But at this moment in my life I feel at peace with everything. And I know it’s because Noah helped me get there. I never thought my heart would love as fiercely as it is now and I don’t ever want it to stop. I could see my forever with Noah.

The thought jolts me as Carson sits next to me. “You make him happy.”

I look over at Carson and raise a brow.

“I’ve never seen him this happy before. Not even when he was married to Claire. She treated him like shit a lot. He never saw it but I did.”

I don’t know what to say to that because I never knew her and I am not one to judge on the stories I hear from other people. But what I do know is I will never walk away from him like she did. “I love him you know.”

Carson nods and takes a sip of his whiskey. “She did too.”

“Don’t compare me to her,” I say defensively.

“I’m not. I just don’t want you to break his heart.”

I look over at Noah and smile as I watch him throw his head back in laughter. Enjoying the view of his perfect body in his tight jeans and tight black shirt. “I don’t want him to break mine.”

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