Page 58 of Finding Noah
Anyone.
Not even Leroy—which probably should’ve been my first hint that I never fully trusted him.
Christian? One hundred percent. If I asked him to commit to me, he’d do it. And if I committed to him, I’d do it. But what would that mean for our friendship? I wet a washcloth as hot as I could stand and washed his cum off my stomach and chest. Then I rinsed it out and headed back into his bedroom.
His eyes were closed.
I washed him carefully, ensuring he was as clean as I could get him. The damage appeared to have been confined to our chests, so we didn’t have a wet spot to worry about. I returned to the bathroom, pissed, then headed back to bed. Since Christian appeared to already be asleep, I tucked myself in next to him and drifted off as well.
Morning came as a rude awakening as Stormy leapt onto the bed and began licking my face. Only a sliver of light came through the blinds. Apparently, the dogs weren’t going to wait for full morning. “I’ll go.”
Christian stretched. “I’ll start breakfast. Eggs and toast or pancakes?”
For the first time in as long as I could remember, I was damn hungry in the morning. “Pancakes?”
He pressed a kiss to my cheek. “You’ve got it.”
I dressed in jeans and a henley and gave Christian one wistful look as I hustled the dogs down the stairs, through the kitchen, and out the back door. All three headed for the fresh grass and squatted.
Watching them, I chuckled. “Sorry guys. My bad.”
Stormy woofed. When she was done, she loped over to the far side of the run.
She sniffed the ground with determined focus—which made me curious. So, I ambled over with two ruffians nipping at my heels.
“Did you find something good?” I stepped close to Stormy, but still gave her space. She was already a big dog, but she’d yet to grow into her paws—that were massive.
She continued to sniff the ground.
River and Sable joined in.
I chuckled as the morning dew sank into my bare feet.
Christian.
We made love last night.
He’s…my forever person.
I had no doubt in my mind. The only thing left was to show him how I felt. To prove I wasn’t just reacting this way because of the sex.
That said, the sex had been pretty epic.
I’d never made love to a virgin before. He was so very different from everyone who had come before. The thing was…I had known lots of good men back home. But I’d always picked losers.
Christian had patiently sat back and waited for me to get my head out of my ass. If he hadn’t sent those photographs of Leroy and the faceless man he’d been fucking, then I would still be living seeped in the lie—thinking I was happy. Telling myself Leroy loved me. Living the fantasy that we’d…
Fuck.
I didn’t know Christian’s dreams. I’d gone along with everyone else believing he’d marry Laura, eventually take over the reins of the factory, and they’d have kids, maybe a dog, and a nice, big house.
Never, in a million years, had I considered that might not happen.
Then Laura’d run away.
I…figured Christian would find another nice woman and marry her…? I’d been arrogant when we first arrived in Foggy Basin. I figured I could find a nice woman for him to date and eventually marry—even though I didn’t want to be alone. Even then my subconscious had recognized that for the first time in my life, I was living with someone who loved me. Platonically, of course. But his willingness to literally pack his belongings in an SUV and follow me across the country showed a devotion I didn’t deserve.
Now I understood he was also running from his demons. From his family’s expectations. From the town who would forever see him as the man left high and dry when his fiancée left town with another man.
