Page 24 of Resisting Temptation

As I go to get in the cab, my heel gets caught in the cobblestone pavement, and I go flying. Noah’s reflexes are fast, and he catches me, guiding me into the car. I burst into laughter, unable to stop myself. Oh my God, what that must have looked like.

He starts laughing too, his deep belly laughs vibrating right through me as he squeezes in beside me.

“What, it wasn’t that funny,” I say, still laughing uncontrollably, heat now radiating off my face.

His eyes lock with mine. “It was, but I wasn’t just laughing about that. Remember that night when your heel got caught in your dress and you went flying?”

“That wasn’t funny at all. You didn’t catch me, and unlike tonight, I ended up tearing my knee open,” I say grumpily, remembering that night.

With a gentle touch, he tucks a stray curl behind my ear. “It was funny. There was finally something about little Paisley Whittaker that wasn’t perfect. You with your flawless pageanthair and cute little outfits. You never had a thing out of place. Before that day, I had built you up to be something so incredible I thought I could never be good enough for you. But you let me take you home and take care of you. I saw a more vulnerable side to you. It was nice.”

His words tug at my heart strings. I remember that night so clearly. The way he took care of me was so sweet. I cover my chest in mock shock as I stare at him. “What? You’re superstar Noah Harrington, the touchdown king.”

“But I still wasn’t good enough for you,” he says thoughtfully.

His words light me up inside. This is the Noah I spent the summer with. He was sweet and caring and made me feel like the only girl in the world. He made me feel seen for the first time in my life, and it was so nice. “I’m a far cry from that Paisley anymore,” I say sadly.

He laces his hand in mine, and I let him. It feels too nice and comfortable not to. As strange as it sounds when I hate him so much, he also feels like home to me. “I don’t know, you’re still pretty perfect to me. Even if you are a little clumsy.” His lips twitch into a smirk that fills me with warmth.

“Jake thinks I’m a train wreck. And he’s right, you know. Until Stella, my boss, came to talk about the shop being for sale, I had no direction at all. I have spent the last few years going from vice to vice, trying to fill this… emptiness inside of me.”

“You’re not a train wreck, baby. You’re just…” He pauses, looking me over with concern.

“I’m a fucking mess. You can say it. The rest of the town do.”

“Come on, really it’s just Mrs. Rashford.”

“True. But they’re thinking it. I’m thinking it. When Jake said it, it was like a slap in the face. One I needed. But here I am tonight going on dates with guys like Beckett and drinking way too much for my own good to block out men like you.”

I feel him stiffen at my last comment. “If that constitutes as a train wreck, then I’m right here with you, baby. Since I got injured, I’ve been lacking direction. And as for the dating and drinking, well, I’m too under the influence to drive home, and you know how yet another first date went for me. Let’s just say we’re two peas in a fucked-up pod.”

I look at him, knowing he’s kind of right. It’s sad but neither of our lives panned out the way we wanted them to. I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if he stayed, or if he asked me to go with him. I would have in a heartbeat. But he never asked.

He cups my face in his hands tenderly, and I gaze back at him, enjoying the way it feels to have his eyes on me, his skin touching mine. His eyes are filled with a deep desire. “Paisley, I fucked up so badly when I left,” he whispers, the words getting caught in his throat.

“Don’t ruin it,” I murmur as I close the gap between us and kiss him.

He wastes no time. His hands run into my hair, his tongue invades my mouth, and we kiss like no time has passed at all. It’s like it’s been an eternity since life was this perfect. All at once, my body feels alive for the first time in years. I want him like crazy, and right now in the dark of night, I can forget all the bad and fall under his spell. He’s my way out of the darkness that consumes me most days. And tonight, I need him more than ever before.

We make out like horny teenagers, totally unashamedly, in the back of the cab. His large hands roaming over my dress scorching my skin wherever they touch. My fingers slide into his soft hair, tugging at the ends as his tongue sweeps through my open mouth, wanting so badly to be claimed by him. I move closer so my chest presses into his, enjoying the warmth radiating off him.

Suddenly the cab pulls to a stop, and we move apart, breathless and panting. I stare at him, fear creeping in. Oh God, what did I just start?

“The address you gave me, sir,” the driver grumbles, unimpressed when neither of us move. But for a second, I can’t. Right here in the back of this cab, what we just did feels okay. But I know as soon as I step outside, the cool night air will hit my face and shock me back to reality. From the scared expression in his eyes, I know he’s thinking the same.

Eventually I reach for the door handle, but Noah takes my hand, stopping me from leaving without him. With his other, he taps his credit card to pay the cab driver. “Thanks,” he says, not taking his eyes off me. They hold a determination that tells me he’s not going to let me run off so easily tonight.

As we hop out of the cab, the sound of the engine fades into the distance as he drives off, leaving us standing on the lawn between our two houses. “I should get home,” I tell him, knowing this is dangerous territory for us.

“Stay with me tonight.” He pulls me back into him, brushing my hair out of my eyes. “I need you.” He looks at me just like he used to, and butterflies take off through my body. This, this is what I have been missing. No one can make me feel the way Noah does. When Noah looks at me like this, my insides burst into flames.

I take his hand and let him guide me inside his house. Every fiber of my being knows this is a terrible idea, but tonight, I don’t care. Noah is the sole person who can revive the emptiness within me and make me feel alive once more.

He closes the door and flicks the lock, then it’s on. His hands are back on me, just as quickly as his mouth. He showers me in hurried, crazed kisses, our tongues battling for control. Hands roaming everywhere, I need to feel his body on mine.

I tug his shirt out and madly start on his buttons, desperate to get his shirt off. He finds my dress zipper, seamlessly sliding it down my back. The fabric falls down my arms, and I shrug out of it. His hands move over my body, following every line of my curves, his fingertips digging in roughly as he goes. I remove his shirt and run my hands over his solid muscles. He feels incredible. Strong and powerful and all Noah.

I go for his belt buckle, but he stops me, picking me up and hauling me onto the sofa. “I need to taste you, baby.” He growls desperately, and my insides clench, doing a little happy dance. Oh God, I remember his dirty mouth. I couldn’t get enough of it.

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