Page 101 of Wanted You More

“I feel honored that you let me come to your secret spot,” Noah says softly. “I know you don’t let people in very often.”

I can’t help but look at him, seeing the warmth in his eyes as he scopes out my face. Lowering my feet, I set the empty plate on the dashboard and turn to look at Noah.

“Did you buy her a ring?”

He blinks.

“Bailey,” I say, as if he doesn’t know who I’m talking about.

His eyes go toward the window. “I don’t want to talk about her tonight.”

“Well, I do,” I tell him, scooting toward him. He doesn’t move an inch as I slide into the spot directly beside him until my bent knee that’s resting on the seat touches his thigh. “Did you buy her a ring?”

I see his Adam’s apple bob. “No.”

Do I risk asking him why?

“Do you plan to?” I ask instead, voice barely a notch above a whisper. Nothing could prepare me for whatever he’s about to answer.

I hold my breath when he rubs his lips together and closes his eyes.

It seems like forever when he replies with a cautious, “No.”

We fall into silence for a few moments.

Slowly, his head turns toward me as I reposition onto my knees. Hands nervously resting on my thighs, I let out a small breath before moving closer to him.

“Austen, what are you—”

I climb onto his lap to straddle him, gripping his shoulders as I ease down onto his tense body. “It’s my birthday,” I whisper, squeezing his shoulders and hoping he doesn’t hear how my heart pumps wildly in my chest. “And I don’t want to talk about her either.”

Before he can say anything, I kiss him.

It’s tentative at first, but as soon as he puts his hands on my hips, I know he’s finally letting his guard down. At that moment, I know I’m not the only one who wants this.

That’s when I let go of everything holding me back and justlive. I kiss him harder, hungrier, with the same anticipation that he meets me with, as if, in this very moment, we’re all the other person needs.

It’s me and Noah against the world. In some ways, it’s been that way since we first came into each other’s lives.

We fight.

We make up.

We repeat the cycle.

But we always,alwayscome back to one another in the end.

That counts for something.

I manage to wrap my legs around his waist and move over the growing bulge pressing against me until a groan escapes him from the languid motions I do with my hips. I can feel every single heavy, heartbreaking emotion vibrate through us, like an unspoken desire that he wants nothing more than to fulfill.

And I eagerly swallow every moan, groan, and curse word that escapes him with an even heavier kiss.

He tastes me, exploring my mouth like he’s been starving for it. And I match every flick of the tongue and nip of the teeth until we’re both breathing heavily.

My hands move down his chest, feeling every hard-earned muscle of his torso along the hem of his shirt. I slowly find a rhythm as I rock against him and tease the little sliver of skin under the edge of his flannel with a gentle graze of my knuckles. It’s hard not to smile to myself as he shivers from the subtle touch that makes him get harder.

When my hands travel further south, Noah is quick to catch my wrist. “Austen, I really don’t think this is the place.”

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