Page 52 of Keep Me Safe

What is he doing at my door so late?

“Come in,” I tell him.

He does, shutting the door behind him and locking it. Before I can analyze the action further, I notice the shiny gold gift bag that he’s holding in his hands, and butterflies gather in my chest.

“I have something for you.”

“Noah, you didn’t have to do that,” I say, standing up to meet him. I’m reminded of his sheer size as my head barely reaches his shoulders.

“I wanted to. Happy birthday,” he says, handing me the bag.

It’s heavier than I expected, so I set it beside me on my desk. Hesitating for a moment, I look up to him, but he nods, letting me know I can open it. I gently pull the gold and white tissue paper out of the top and glance into the bag, but I can’t believe what I see.

They’re books.

One by one, I pull them out and begin to realize that they are all the romance books I looked at when we went shopping together. He was paying attention. What am I saying? Of course, he was. He’s always paying attention.

This is the most thoughtful gift I think I’ve ever received. My cheeks heat when I see the one at the bottom of the bag.

It’s the dad’s best friend romance.

My eyes shoot up to his, and he grins. I pull it out of the bag and hold it up to him.

“Are you trying to tell me something?”

“I saw you writing down the title. Plus, it seems right up your alley,” he says, his voice rougher than before. He’s close now, so close I can feel the warmth radiating from him.

“This is the perfect gift. Thank you, Noah,” I say, pulling him into a hug. It takes a moment, but I feel his arms wrap aroundme, the sensation causing my heart to jump. His smell invades my senses, warm and masculine.

“You deserve it,” he murmurs, his fingers lazily threading through my hair before trailing down to my jaw. With a gentle but insistent touch, he tilts my face up to his.

His eyes burn into mine—intense, restrained. But beneath the surface, I see it. The hunger. The need.

Then his mouth crashes into mine, his thumb sweeping over my cheekbone as he kisses me—deep, slow, intoxicating. His lips are warm, demanding yet tender, and the way he holds me makes my head spin. His other hand slides to my waist, pulling me flush against him. The heat of his body, the hard planes of his chest pressing into me, send a shiver down my spine.

I could stay like this forever.

His touch is both careful and possessive, as if he’s afraid I’ll disappear if he lets go. My fingers roam over him, slipping under his shirt, tracing the firm lines of his stomach. His muscles tense beneath my touch, and just as I start to push further, he breaks the kiss, gripping my jaw.

His gaze is dark, his calloused thumb pressing against my swollen bottom lip.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he asks, not releasing me.

Without thinking, I answer, “Getting what I want.”

He shakes his head, “That’s not happening, princess, not with Jared downstairs.”

“But it’s my birthday,” I pout.

chapter fifteen

kira

His eyes harden, and he hesitates a moment. Is he going to stop this? I get my answer as his rough hands grip my thighs, picking me up, my legs wrapping around him. He drops me onto the bed, leaning over me, his dark hair falling into his face.

“I shouldn’t be doing this. You’re way too innocent for the things I want to do to you,” he says, his knee nudging my legs apart. God, seeing him like this is addicting.

“Trust me, I’m not.”

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