Page 39 of One Last Time
I could use the fresh air. We finished dinner, and my mind keeps spinning back to what he said about being interested. I pull my shoes off and grip them in one hand as we head toward thewater.
“I’ve noticed that most people who live by the beach barely ever go,” henotes.
“One word:tourists.”
He nods. “Makes sense, but then why livehere?”
My laugh is a mixture of wonder and sadness. “I don’t know. It’s like I want the option of going to the beach on the off chance that people aren’there.”
There’s also the fact that my entire life is here. However, I can’t remember the last time I took the kids to the ocean. Finn used to love it, and Aubrey was little the last time we came, but they have this right in their town, and they don’t get to enjoyit.
“Like now?” heasks.
“Exactly.”
The sun is setting, painting the sky in beautiful orange hues, and the little beach area is empty. Noah and I walk along the shoreline, allowing the water to cover our feet. He tells me a little about the upcoming audition he has and how his agent is pushinghim.
I listen, not for the story, but because he’s sharing pieces of himself. Noah’s hand brushes the back of mine as our arms swing. Each time our skin touches, a thrill runs through me, and after the third time, a part of my brain tells me this isn’t anaccident.
Sure enough, his hand captures mine. My breath hitches, but I don’t pull back. I stare at our entwined hands and try to slow my racingheart.
Noah stops walking, pulling me to do so aswell.
“Dance with me,” herequests.
“What?”
He takes a step closer, tugging gently so I’m only inches from him. His voice is deep and seductive. “I’ve always wanted to dance on a beach at sunset. Will you dance withme?”
I should sayno.
“Yes.”
Or I can go theopposite.
Noah doesn’t wait, his arms slip around me as if they are meant to be there and my hands rest on his chest. We sway to the sound of the ocean, and my pulse races. I don’t know what it is, but there’s something happening between us. It scares me more than I want to admit, and still, I’m not pullingaway.
I’m leaning a littlecloser.
We move as the sun dips lower and the pink sky darkens more. Noah’s hands splay across my back, and I stare into his eyes. I want to say so many things, but I’m afraid tospeak.
His hand moves to my cheek as he pushes a lock of my hair away from my face. “I don’t know what it is about you.” His voice breaks thesilence.
Needing to shift the moment from intense, I take a step back and laugh. “It’s because of the best sex comment. That’s all; I promise it’llpass.”
Noah chuckles, pulls me to his side, and then releases me. “We’ll see. No guy would pass up the chance to see if it’strue.”
He nudges me as we start walking back toward the car. “I know of one,” I say under my breath so low I know he can’t hearme.
Chapter Eleven
Noah
I fuckingsuck at this backing offthing.
Eli and Heather are going to kill me, but I’ll go down a happy man. Everything about this woman is intoxicating. She has no idea how beautiful she is, and when she laughs, her blue eyes brighten and make me want to drop to my knees. There’s no reason I can find as to why I feel this way about her, yet here I am, making the wrongchoices.
Telling her shit I swore Iwouldn’t.
