Page 107 of The Broker

Charlotte tensed. “What’s wrong?”

“I came before you did.” I’d lasted, what? Less than ten minutes? I prided myself on my endurance, and making sure my partner was satisfied. This was embarrassing—but that wasn’t even the worst of it.

I’d wanted this for so long, I couldn’t believe it was already over.

She didn’t look the least bit disappointed, though. Her laugh was light and warm. “Noah, you already gave me two orgasms. I don’t even know if I have another one in me.”

She reached up to cup my cheek, and her gaze wandered lovingly over my face as our breathing evened out. Her eyelids were starting to grow heavy with sleep, and I felt a similar exhaustion in my body.

“But,” she added softly, “I’m willing to let you try anytime.”

TWENTY-EIGHT

Charlotte

Off in the distance, a lawn mower rumbled to life, jarring me awake. I sighed loudly and flopped over in the bed, making my arm connect with Noah’s bare chest.

“Hey, watch it,” he teased.

“Sorry.” I mashed my pillow under my head as I gazed at him. His focus returned to the iPad he’d been reading, some tech blog or stock market thing, but I knew I still had his attention. The lawnmower’s engine grew louder, sounding like it was just beneath his window, and I groaned. “It’s too early.”

He chuckled. “It’s after nine.”

This time when I sighed, it was overly dramatic. “What? No.” I pulled the covers up over my head and burrowed deeper into his bed. “That means I need to leave soon, and I don’t want to. We haven’t even had morning sex yet.”

Noah pulled the covers down, exposing his confused expression. “What are you talking about? We had sex this morning.”

I shook my head. “That doesn’t count. The sun was barely up.”

He laughed. “Oh, right. Of course.”

I’d gone out drinking last night before coming over, so I’d had to get up early this morning to use the bathroom. After I’d finished and climbed back in Noah’s bed, I’d decided to surprise him with a very early morning BJ. Naturally, it had led to sex, and he’d gotten me to come so hard, I’d fallen right back asleep afterward.

I’d had a bunch of cocktails last night because it had been Brianna’s bachelorette party and we’d gone for the full cliché. Pink cowboy hats and boots for the bridesmaids, all white for the bride, and we hit the tourist bars downtown on Broadway.

There had only been a hundred other bachelorette parties out last night, but Brianna had said she’d felt special and had a blast and didn’t mind that I was spending the night at my boyfriend’s place rather than the Airbnb with the rest of the girls.

I worried she was lying and just being polite, so I triple-checked with Sasha to see that this was okay, and she confirmed it was. I was determined to be a better person than I’d been in the past. I wasn’t going to be the kind of friend who vanished when they got in a new relationship...

Like I’d done to them when I was with Zach.

It softened the blow of not crashing with them when I promised Brianna she’d have my full attention at the wedding. I’d be attending it solo, after all.

I walked my fingers across Noah’s naked chest, distracting him from whatever he was reading, and his tone was mock irritation. “Did you need something?”

I grinned. “Maybe some attention.”

The iPad was chucked aside in a pretend huff. “Fine.”

He jerked the covers out of his way and climbed on top of me so fast, I laughed. Then he nuzzled into the crook of my neck, kissing me there.

Damn. It was so nice sleeping in his bed and getting to wake up next to him. It had only happened a few times since we officially started dating. These last three weeks, we’d both been incredibly busy.

Plus, I could tell my parents I was going out and spending the night at a friend’s house only so many times without them getting suspicious I was seeing someone. God, I hated that I had to lie to them. And I hated even more how Noah and I had to keep our relationship a secret from everyone but a few of my friends who’d promised to keep it under wraps.

As he kissed me, his short beard tickled my neck and distracted me. “I wish I could take you as my date to Brianna’s wedding.”

He paused his kisses. “Aren’t your parents going to that?”

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