Page 25 of One Last Time
Kristin
Who the hellturned on the lights? I roll over, hoping to block out the insane brightness that penetrates my eyelids and shriek when I hit the hardground.
Ouch.
“You okay?” A deep raspy voice asks and my eyes pop open, only to slam shutagain.
Shit. Where the hell amI?
I lift one lid and look around. Why am I outside? My eye finds the source of the voice, and I jump. Noah is staring at me and has a huge grin on his lips. His hair is pushed to the side, and he’s sitting in the chair next to mine with his knee up, sipping from a coffeecup.
How in the hell is the manthisperfect in themorning?
The morning? Wait, it’s the morning. And last night, Iwas. . .
Oh dear God in Heaven, please tell me I didn’t do anything stupid. Then I remember the tequila shots. Dancing. Swimming...maybe?
Another memory, or maybe a dream, comes forward. His eyes. I was so close to him, thinking about how much I wanted to get lost in his eyes. Imagining his lips against mine and wondering if he thought I was special. My entire body was alive for the first time in forever. I can almost recall the way his fingers were digging into my back, but there’s no way that wasreal.
Noah clears his throat, and I look up. “How are youfeeling?”
“Oh, I’m not sure there are words to describe it,” I say and clutch myhead.
“Here.” He shifts to grab another mug and then hands it to me. “You probably needthat.”
I lift my arm and the blanket falls, exposing my bare skin. How the hell did I lose my clothes? This just keeps getting worse. My hands tremble as I check to be sure I have my bathing suit on, and then I release a sigh of relief. At least I’m notnaked.
Time to get some answers about what the hell happened last night. “I remember wearing my romper yesterday. Any idea when that came off?” I ask as I take thecup.
Noah smiles, and my heart skips. He’s really unbelievably goodlooking.
“I took itoff.”
I spit my coffee across the chair. “You what?” Iyell.
He laughs as I wipe the liquid from my chin, place the cup on the ground, and wrap the blanket around me. I don’t think I could actually embarrass myself any more at thispoint.
“You were drunk.” He moves his legs over the side so he can turn to face me. “I mean, reallydrunk.”
“So you took my clothes off? You thought that was okay?” I’m pissed now. I get that Mr. Hollywood big shot gets what he wants, but taking my damn clothes off is not okay. I’m sorry, but I clearly wasn’t in my right mind. “Who the hell do you think youare?”
Noah rubs his forehead as I wait for an answer. “You fell in the pool, Kristin. You were passed out and snoring as I carried youout.”
“No,” I gasp. “Iwhat?”
The pool. The way I wanted to kiss him, it wasn’t a dream. It wasreal.
“I didn’t think you’d want to fall asleep in your soaking wetclothes.”
Realization slaps me upside the head. I was a drunken idiot and he got stuck caring for me. I pull the blanket over my head and wonder if I can disappear inside here. “I amsosorry,” I say without showing myface.
Noah’s deep laughter grows closer. I feel his fingers touch my arm a second before he pulls the blanket so he can see me. “I didn’tmind.”
“You didn’t?” Iask.
No one can convince me that I wasn’t a hot mess. I’m in my bathing suit, on the patio, and have a killer hangover. All signs point to a very mortifying night. One that I was supposed to be working on learning aboutNoah.
How stupid can Ibe?
