Page 98 of Coming Home

Summer sputtered and Todd grinned like the cat that got the canary. After Summer explained to Liam that it wasn’t polite to ask people to be his mom’s boyfriend, they headed home.

Nat and Noah left Todd to finish his walk with Sheba. They strolled toward Noah’s house, leaving Nat’s Jeep at the park. Over the last month, anytime she’d go to Noah’s, she’d used the park as her alibi. Today would be the last day of that.

When they got back to Noah’s, he made them lunch. It was her dad’s turn to manage the Saturday clinic, allowing her the park playdate and now the afternoon to spend with Noah before he’d head to the Wine Down and then the brewery.

“Should we meddle with Summer and Todd, or just let it happen?” Nat pondered, spooning up a bite of the vegetarian chili he’d had in the crockpot while they were at the park.

“Let’s wait and see if they need a little push.”

Nat leaned her chin on her hand. “Kind of like what you did for Clayton and Elle?”

Last summer, when Elle came back to town, Noah had a hand in encouraging the relationship. After Elle left to go back to her life in California, Noah worked his magic to get the cautious Clayton to get on a plane to surprise her and declare his love. Clayton had been so scared of losing Elle that he wouldn’t push her to give them a real chance, and it had almost cost him the woman he loved.

“Did I ever tell you that you are adorable when you are modest?” she said in response to his mere shrug about the role he’d played in Elle and Clayton’s romance.

“I think you’re adorable all the time.” He leaned across the table, capturing her lips in a slow, reverent kiss. “Especially when you’re brave. Like yesterday with your mom and today with Liam.”

Nat’s lips quirked up. “I think Dad was the brave one. I can’t believe he said anything.”

“Now who’s being modest?” He cocked an eyebrow.

Rather than copying his shrug, she bowed her head and made a magnanimous hand gesture.

A soft laugh escaped Noah’s lips.

Taking a final bite, she reveled in that truth. She’d been brave. So had Dad. So had Mom. After more tears and talking, they’d called Clayton, who came by their parents’ house after finishing up at the vet clinic for the day. The four of them opened a family album and flipped through each photograph from when they were the “Complete Owens’ Family,” talking, and crying. Along road still lay ahead of them, but as a family, they’d traverse it together.

“I’ve said it before; your dad never ceases to surprise me.”

“I’m still nervous about telling Clayton about us, but I like knowing that Dad will be in our corner tomorrow. I think yesterday showed me that he’s a fighter.”

“He’s scrappy like my girl.” Noah nipped at her lips.

“Perhaps, we cease with the comparison of me to my dad when you are kissing me.”

Noah’s face scrunched in a grimace. “Good call.”

“So, this is our last secret lunch.” Her voice dropped, low and sultry, as she skated her hand up the sleeve of his blue Henley.

“It is.”

“It’s also our last time for super sexy secret sex,” she purred, batting her long lashes.

Noah traced her lips with his index finger. “That it is,” he said as he moved her bowl to the other side.

Heat prickled up her neck. Neediness radiated from her core as Noah stood up, coming to her side of the table. Pulling her into his arms, his mouth met hers. Opening to him, their tongues slowly danced. An insistent pulse thrummed between her legs as his hands traveled down her body to the hem of her T-shirt. Urging her arms upward, he yanked the soft fabric over her head. His hot mouth trailed kisses down her neck to her cleavage.

“Please.” She moaned as his fingers unclasped her bra, freeing her aching breasts. The pink tips were taut and starving for his touch.

Her back arched as he licked down to capture a nipple in his mouth. Pleasure tingled as he rolled the hard peak with his tongue, followed by a long hard suck. Her breath grew ragged as he repeated the action on her other breast.

“My perfect girl.” His husky voice rumbled straight to the growing slickness between her legs.

His praise. His touch. His kiss. No matter how many times she basked in his attention, she never got enough. Just the anticipation of knowing how his hands and mouth felt on her body and the way his words made her feel made her greedy for more. The only thing better than being touched by Noah was touching him.

She moved her hands down his torso, pulling at the hem of his shirt. Always her helper, he tugged it off himself. Their naked top halves met in a firm embrace as their kisses consumed one another. His strong hands gripped her ass, pulling her close to his growing arousal. Lifting her, Nat’s legs wrapped around his middle. Spinning, he placed her on the table and rubbed against her as they kissed. The delicious friction of denim against denim pooled liquid heat at her core.

“Nothing between us,” she panted.

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