Page 34 of Stick Move

“Do you want more of this?” she asks and I give her a look, suggesting she might have come from Jupiter and crash landed on earth, banging her head on impact, if she has to ask that question.

I’m about to nod, but instead wink at her. “On second thought…”

She puckers her lips, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What?”

I lean in toward her chin. “There’s a wiry hair we’ll need to discuss first, Deloris.”

She whacks me, and laughs and I love the sound of it. “I do not have a chin hair.” Her eyes go wide. “Wait, do I?”

“No, I just like teasing you.”

“I never knew you were so funny, Noah.”

“That’s because you never knew me at all.”

She nods, going a bit serious. “Do you?” she asks again, maybe needing to hear the word yes on my lips, probably because she’s remembering our past, but that’s crazy. Who wouldn’t want to have sex with her. Maybe everything that has happened in the last few months has seriously damaged her self-esteem and maybe even her self worth. I know all about that.

“For the record yes, I want to have sex again. Do you want to have sex with me again?” The sex was spectacular, but I can’t assume she’ll want more, despite what was said in the heat of the moment.

Her lashes lower as she leans toward me. “I was thinking about positions.”

I touch her hair, lightly run it through my fingers, as my dick thickens even more. “Oh yeah, the one where I pinned you to the bed, hands above your head while I put my cock in you. Or the one where I buried my face between your legs.” She gasps, but the heat in her eyes is a good indication she likes dirty talk, and I really fucking like bringing heat to her eyes.

“I guess…I mean. I understand my position with Camryn. I want to know where I stand with you.”

“Stand.” I take her glass from her and set it on an empty shelf. I put my arm around her body and back her up until she’s pressed against the bookshelves. “If you want to stand, we can stand. If you want me to bend you over this bookcase, I can bend you over this bookcase.” I love the heat coloring her cheeks pink as I play with her. “Any position you want to try, I’m game.”

Her breathing changes, becomes labored. “No one can know,” she says quickly and adamantly, like she’d given that a considerable amount of thought. “I mean, you get it, right?”

Oh yeah, I get it. She doesn’t want anyone getting the wrong idea about her and Crater Skater—a guy women want for a good time and nothing more.

For a bucking good time…

Of course, I didn’t think things would be any different with Brighton now that we’ve matured into adults. Only a fool would think that and she’s likely still in love with her ex. Fine then, if sex is all she wants from me, then so be it. In fact, that’s all I want from her too. Yeah, I’m not about to think this is something it’s not. Hell, I haven’t been anyone’s fool in a long-ass time, or at least five minutes.

10

BRIGHTON

I wake to the sounds of seagulls outside my window, squawking obscenely loud as they hunt for their early morning breakfast. I throw the covers off, preparing myself for my morning rush to my office, conveniently located behind the check-in counter at the main resort. Once there, I’ll go straight to my desk, where I’ll stay for hours on end, not even bothering to take a break for meals. When I do eat, it will naturally be at my desk.

The ache in my muscles stops me cold as I roll to the side, ready to get my day started. That’s when last night, all of last week’s events, comes rushing back in a whoosh, reminding me that I sold the resort to a famous hockey player I used to pick on, and just because things aren’t messed up enough, I decided to sleep with last night.

Well done, Brighton. Well done.

Actually. A little laugh bubbles up in my throat. Last night’s sex was very well done indeed and I believe the rules we laid out were clear. We’re secretly going to have more sex. Honestly with the rumor mill in Sparrow Springs, I don’t want people thinking I’m sleeping with the boss, either to keep my job and home, or to get my old position back.

Life really isn’t easy for female entrepreneurs. Heck, how many people from our younger years are going to think this is all about revenge? Noah buying the place and demoting me to the position of nanny when I’m so much more qualified for other positions in the company. Fine, I realize it’s true, but it’s embarrassing to think others might know it too.

But right now, instead of wallowing in my loss, or the fact that people are going to look down on me because I didn’t have the brains or the wherewithal to save the resort without selling it, I’m going to damn well enjoy this much needed break and enjoy my new position…every single one of them.

I push to my feet and walk to my window, pulling the curtains back to take in the early morning sunshine beating down on the early morning swimmers, joggers and sunbathers.

The early bird gets the worm.

As my father’s words of wisdom come rushing back, I spot a familiar figure in the distance. I narrow my gaze at the man running effortlessly in the thick sand. Is that… No, it couldn’t be, even though I have a hard time believing there’s another man with a body as hard and gorgeous as Noah’s, but there must be. Noah wouldn’t leave Camryn alone in bed and go out for a jog. My own dad might have left me to fend for myself after Mom abandoned met, but Noah isn’t that kind of dad. It can’t be him. Unless he’s running from a spider. I chuckle at that thought. How can Noah Jones, J-bone, be afraid of an itsy-bitsy spider? I don’t know but something about his vulnerabilities make me like him a whole lot more, and believe me, I already liked him a lot.

I drop the curtain, take a fast shower and tug on a pink, floral sundress, remembering we had pancakes planned this morning. Sure, if Camryn helps, my dress is going to get wet and dirty by the time I finish breakfast, but I don’t care. Plus, I—and by I, mean Noah and me—already established we like wet and dirty.

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