Page 14 of Coming Home

“They joke about the basement being their sex dungeon after we spent an hour eating scones from the counter where I caught them having sex on,” Noah whispered in Nat’s ear.

Goosebumps bloomed across her skin. When did he move close to her? Just a few minutes ago, he’d leaned against the kitchen counter on the other side of the room, sipping tea and smirking at Mathew.

“You poor thing,” she teased.

“No coming back from seeing that.” His face creased with a mixture of horror and humor.

Elle had shared it in tipsy detail. Her body bent over the counter, and Noah walking in. Nat couldn’t imagine the embarrassment for all involved. She’d be horrified if she was Elle and someone walked in on her and…

Great!Now she was thinking of Noah bending her over the kitchen island.

“I don’t want to think about it.” A breathiness took control of her voice.

He gestured to the door. “After you.”

They headed down the stairs. He was just a heartbeat behind her. With each step she took, his fresh pine scent enveloped her. A familiar charge zipped along her veins with his closeness.Just friends,she reminded herself.

Reaching the bottom step, she stopped to scan the room. Noah’s firm chest collided with her back. The contact dissolved the goosebumps into lava swirling across every inch of her skin.

“Sorry.” She swallowed thickly.

His hand grazed her bare upper arm in a soothing stroke. “It’s okay.”

With a deep inhale, she stepped into the room. Willa had worked her decorative magic, transforming Clayton’s softcream, beige, and hunter-green basement into an explosion of the wedding colors of purple and silver. The sectional couch and chairs were draped in deep violet fabric with silver heart-shaped pillows. Twinkling white and purple lights crisscrossed the ceiling. Purple roses in silver vases sat on each end of the bar. Tealights flickered in silver and purple stained-glass candleholders on the end tables.

“It’ssocute in here!” Nat gave a thumbs up to a preening Willa.

“Thanks, queen.” She pointed to the couch. “There are seats there for you two.”

“Uh… Okay.” Nat nodded.

The only seats available for her and Noah were beside each other on the sectional couch between Elle and Clayton, and Viet and his husband, Ryan. Both couples’ laps were occupied by Clayton and Elle’s dogs: Fitz and Lizzie. The addition of the dogs squeezed them tight against each other on the couch.

She took her seat, and so did he.

She yanked at the hem of her dress. The fabric had ridden up to the middle of her thigh, exposing more bare leg than she felt comfortable with, especially sitting so close to Noah. A dip in a bath of ice water was needed. The molten temperature of her body pooled sweat in unladylike spots. Places that clenched with a wanton ache.

“Here you go.” Willa handed them each a champagne flute filled with mimosa.

“Wait, is Nat old enough to drink?” Mathew mocked.

“I’m twenty-eight!” she scolded, taking a swig of her drink while side-eyeing Mathew, who sat diagonal from them on the floor in front of Carmen.

“Hush, or she won’t write you a prescription for that rash you have.” Noah narrowed his eyes and tossed a heart-shaped pillow at Mathew.

“Dude, I told you that in confidence!”

“Thanks,” she whispered to Noah.

He nudged her side. “I got you.”

Oh, goddess! More sweating.

Willa finished dispensing the mimosas. “As you know, this is a Willa twist on a tea party. Elle got her fancy Austen-inspired tea party, but what Willa-inspired version of anything wouldn’t come with asexysurprise?” She wiggled her curvy hips.

“Willa, what did you do?” Elle arched a brow.

“Honey, I told you we should have got cash out. She totally got a stripper.” Ryan elbowed his bemused husband.

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