Page 9 of The Fate of Us

I ignore the police officer as he tries to ask me a question and throw myself into Noah’s arms. He lifts me up as I wrap my legs around his waist, burying my head in his neck. Tears flood my eyes as I grip him as hard as I can.

I didn’t know I needed this.

Needed him.

“I never should have run like that,” I murmur into his neck.

“Shh… you did what you needed,” he says as one of his large hands strokes my back, the other holding tight to the wild curls in my hair.

“I’m sorry… I’m so—”

He cuts me off before I can apologize, pulling my face to meet his, his forehead resting against mine. “You needed space. You needed—”

“I needed you. I didn’t know. I didn’t know,” I whisper just as his lips find mine.

That fire and crackle that’s always been between us increases tenfold with this kiss. Two days apart and it’s like my heart forgot how to beat without him around.

My hands find their way into his hair, pulling him as close to me as I can get him. His hand slides down to cup my ass as his other holds me possessively in the back of my hair. One swipe of his tongue against my lips and I come undone, moaning into him, clawing at his back. I can feel his hard erection against my center and I want nothing more than to drag him into the cottage and show him how much I truly need him.

But the clearing of a throat behind us causes us both to stop. I slowly slide down Noah’s body, a blush flooding my cheeks, forgetting there was a police officer with him.

Noah speaks, a raspiness to his voice as he slides me in front of him, my back to his chest, hiding the erection I now feel pressed into my back. “Sorry Tyler, I forgot—”

The man, Tyler, holds his hand up to stop Noah from speaking. “Don’t worry. I know how the feeling is. I just wanted to stop you before I arrested you both for public indecency.”

Noah chuckles at that. “Don’t think that would look too good on my record.”

“Not if you want to make detective this year,” Tyler says with a laugh.

I look between the two of them confused because they clearly know each other.

Noah looks down at me and presses a kiss to my forehead. “Anna, this is Hunter’s friend, Tyler. He’s a detective out here in Beaufort County.”

“Hi, nice to meet you.” I wave at Tyler, still embarrassed I was practically humping Noah in front of him. I look up at Noah, wondering if he sent a search party out for me.

He must see the question in my eyes because he starts explaining. “I’ll explain it all later. Luckily, Tyler knew this cottage.”

I nod and turn back to Tyler.

“Well, I am glad he wasn’t here to murder you or kidnap you. I’ll just be on my way.”

Noah’s chuckle against my back sends a warmth through me as we both say our goodbyes.

I turn in his arms as soon as Tyler is out of view.

I go to speak but Noah’s lips come crashing down on mine. The fire that was there minutes ago flaming to intense degrees. “Not now,” he says against my lips. “I just need to feel you. Know you are okay.”

“I’m okay now,” I say before sucking his lip into my mouth. He grunts as he lifts me back into his arms and carries me up the stairs of the cottage.

“You made a mess.” He laughs against my lips before pulling away to look down and avoid the broken ceramic mug. “It’s unlike you.”

I pull his face back toward mine. “When I saw you, you were the only thing I cared about.”

That statement alone turns him into the dominant man I know him to be. He slams through the cottage door, kicking it shut behind him. He carries me down the hall that leads to the bedrooms but only gets as far as the wall before he slams me against it, his lips devouring my neck, my collarbone, slipping low to brush against the tops of my breasts.

“Fuck, I need you, Mayberry. I need to be inside you now.”

Before I can even respond, he uses the wall as leverage to hold me up as he pulls my sweats down with one hand and unzips his jeans with the other.

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