Page 10 of Sweet Valentine

Me: Val, I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Noah: I’m on my way.

I look at the text again and then glance at myself in the mirror. Noah not only texted the night I dropped off the cookies but also every night since. After the third day, I couldn’t say no anymore. My reflection looks like a version of myself that I haven’t seen in years. For the first time in a long while, I borrowed some of Mandy’s makeup and one of her dresses that seems to be smaller than I remember her explaining. My hands tug at the hem, making sure it covers my ass as I walk into the kitchen and fill my purse.

Just as I’m about to go back upstairs to check my outfit again, my phone rings. “Hello?” I say, knowing it’s Mandy before I hear her talk.

“Don’t be nervous,” she declares as I roll my eyes. “Don’t you roll your eyes at me, young lady. I know you’re freaking out, and you don’t need to.”

“Sure, but—” I don’t finish before she interrupts me again.

“No buts. That man has asked you out every day for a week. He kissed you in the hall of an elementary school, and he all but demanded you go out with him. You can’t tell me you’re not interested.”

“I said yes, so of course I’m interested,” I say as I pace my living room, looking out the window to see if he’s here yet. “It’s just that the last time…”

“The last time you did this, the jerk broke your heart,” she finishes for me, and I nod, thinking of Chris. “Val, I’m going to say this once and that’s it. Chris was a fucktard that only thought about himself. I never liked him, and I’m glad he’s gone.” I gasp because she always said she liked Chris.

“But…”

“No buts. That boy wanted nothing but a trophy wife, and he realized you wouldn’t lie down quietly and live your life in his shadow. I want you to find someone willing to live in your shadow. Val, you deserve that.”

“And you think Noah’s that guy?” My voice is unnaturally soft as I make my way back into the kitchen and lean against the island.

“You will never know until you give him a chance. I have no doubt he would drop everything just to see you smile. So, just let this happen, okay?” I roll my eyes at her, even though I know she can’t see me. “What do you have to lose? It’s just a date. Give the man that, at least.”

“Fine,” I capitulate just as the doorbell rings. “Gotta go!” I say, hanging up before she can say something inappropriate.

I make my way to the entryway, wiping my palms on my black dress, hoping I look okay. The minute I open the door, my mind stops. Noah is standing there in dark-wash jeans that hang low on his hips, a black, long-sleeve t-shirt that’s tucked in and shows off the physique that I knew was under those sweater vests. He has a couple of days’ worth of scruff on his jaw, causing my hands to pulse, wanting to feel it against my skin. His hair is styled lazily and falls over his eyes, which are gazing darkly at me in what feels like slow motion.

“Jesus…” he growls as his eyes rake over every inch of my body. “You look…” He shakes his head as his fingers tangle into his hair, making it look even sexier.

“This okay?” I ask, turning around on the spot and blushing when he growls from behind me. As our eyes meet once again, I can feel the heat coming off him in waves, and my whole body starts to react to the idea of his hands on me. Before I can do or say anything, he has me against the wall, the door still open, his hands on my hips. He brings me flush against his chest, and I feel exactly what this outfit does to him. I moan on contact, my head hitting the wall behind me, causing a picture to crash to the floor.

“I love that my touch makes you crumble. It’s so sexy.” His lips find my pulse, sucking the skin and eliciting a sound so loud, I imagine my neighbors can hear. His fingers flex as his lips travel up the curve of my neck and pause at the edge of my lips. “You’re so beautiful…” he whispers, placing a soft kiss to the corner of my mouth and then stepping away. I shake myself out of the haze his body created and turn to shut the door, trying to rein in the need coursing through me.

Once the door is closed, I realize my mistake. The air in the house has become so charged, I keep my back to him, knowing that if I turn around, I’ll jump him and ask for whatever he’s willing to give me.

“Do you want a drink?” I ask, heading toward the fridge, needing something to distract me from the tension that’s building.

“No.” His voice is like gravel as I turn and see he’s standing not two feet from me. Without thought, I take a step back, but when he steps forward, I realize I’m trapped against the island.

“No?” I squeak, my hands bracing behind me on the edge of the countertop. My eyes never leave his as he steps even closer, the fabric of his jeans grazing my exposed thighs.

He shakes his head as his fingers lift and caress the side of my cheek, then move down my jaw and stop at my pulse. “All I can think about is how amazing you look and how I want to know what you look like out of that dress.” I can’t help but whimper at the words. I’m not a stranger to dirty talk, Chris used to do it all the time, but when Noah talks like this? My whole body goes on high-alert, and I can’t deny the heat coursing through me.

He smirks as my pulse spikes, his fingers tracing down past the curve of my breasts and down over my stomach. My muscles bunch as those same fingers find the hem of my dress and lift the edge, exposing more of my legs. “Sweetheart, I’ve thought of nothing but this moment for a week. If you don’t tell me to step away, there’s no way I will be able to stop. You feel too good against me.” Our eyes lock, and pure want stares back at me. Suddenly, I know I can’t stop this. I’ll hate myself for letting this moment go, so I do the only thing I can think of, I take his face in the palms of my hands and bring his lips close to mine.

“If you stop now, I’ll never bake anything for you again.” His grin sends heat straight through me as my head tilts back, and his lips sear mine, his fingers gripping my thigh in an effort to get closer.

“Noah…” I moan, my fingers finding their way into his hair, feeling the silky strands as I bring him closer.

“Val, sweetheart, I promised you a date…” he says with his lips on mine, and I laugh at the sheer desperate tone of his voice. There is no way we are leaving right now, not when he’s making me feel the best I’ve felt in years.

“Fuck the date. I need to feel you…” I sigh as Noah grinds himself into me, sending shockwaves through every part of my body. I don’t know what I want him to do, but I know I need more. So much more.

“Shit, I need to know. I need to know how wet you are for me.” I can’t respond because his fingers graze the edge of my panties, and all rational thought leaves my brain. It’s been over a year since a man has touched me, and fucking hell, it’s like a revelation to feel the heat of his touch against my skin.

---