Page 27 of The Girl I Once Loved

I see a woman who has transformed herself into becoming the epitome of elegant poise and sophistication, light years away from the girl who used to prance around our home in provocative shorts and oversized hoodies, unaware of the havoc she was wrecking on my heart.

That girl tempted the devil inside of me.

This woman has just managed to resurrect him.

“Noah,” she greets coldly, my name sounding like a curse falling from her luscious lips.

“Skylar,” I retort just as arcticly.

Though my loft isn’t large by any standards, there is still a huge distance between us, even if it feels minuscule to me right now. Especially since neither one of us wants to break this staring contest we’ve got going.

And why would I when I’m loving the view so much?

Skylar sitting on my bed is like a fantasy waiting to happen.

Fuck.

I can see it all so clearly.

Me walking over to her, hovering just so, until I hear that familiar catch of her breath, telling me she’s just as desperate for me as I am for her. I’d run my thumb over her painted lower lip, and release her hair from its constraints, freeing her long locks so they could flow down her back and shoulders. With her eyes locked on my every move, I’d kneel at her feet, spreading those long legs of hers apart just so I could smell her arousal. I’d lose myself in between her thighs, and after she belted out my name in that sweet mind-blowing way of hers, I’d tackle her to lie back on my bed and fuck her until I’d made sure that every memory of all those motherfuckers who ever dared to touch her in the same way, would simply vanish—as if they never existed—and all that was left, was me.

I stifle the groan that wants to come out with the tantalizing picture I planted in my own head and lean against the small kitchen counter that rests next to my front door, fully aware that the best thing I can do right now is keep this safe gap between us.

For both our sakes.

“Do you need something?” I ask when the craving to hear her voice again is louder than the silence presently presiding in the room.

“As a matter of fact, I do,” she answers, keeping to her aloof tone. “As you well know, I’ll be living here for the next couple of months, and I thought it would be best to set some ground rules while I’m here.”

“Ground rules?” I arch a mischievous brow, crossing my arms against my chest.

“Yes,” she counters stiffly.

“Fair enough. I’m curious to hear what you have in mind,” I reply with a smirk, but it seems that my smug grin no longer has the same effect on her as it once did since she proceeds with her rant, completely undaunted by it.

“It’s no secret that there is no love lost between us and that neither one of us is happy I’m here, but alas, Daisy is getting married and therefore, my presence back in this godforsaken island couldn’t be avoided.”

“Alas? Throwing out those big words bought with that Dartmouth education of yours already, I see,” I can’t help but tease.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Do you need me to dumb it down for you?” she asks, her tone overly sweet as she exaggeratedly bats her eyelashes at me. “My apologies. It’s been a while since I had to talk to someone whose idea of reading consisted of the daily comic strip that came in the newspaper.”

Fuck, she’s sexy when she’s cutting me down to size.

“As I was saying,” she begins, lowering her penetrating stare from mine, pretending to flick invisible lint off her skirt.

It’s in this fraction of a second, that I let my impervious mask slip off my face and reveal the chokehold this woman has me in.

She’s still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.

So fucking beautiful that it physically hurts to look at her.

When her stoic gaze returns to me, my mask swiftly locks back into place.

“Daisy’s wedding is a big deal, as it should be. And I have promised her that I will do everything in my power to guarantee this monumental event in her life will surpass all her hopes and dreams, giving her the wedding she so richly deserves.”

My smile only widens with each word that comes sprouting out of her mouth since it looks like I wasn’t the only one who was warned to be on their best behavior. Seems like Daisy had the same conversation with her sister, as Derrick had with me.

“That’s why I thought it would be prudent for us to come to an agreement where we can act civil with one another while in our family’s presence. As our brother, I’m sure you can agree that our animosity towards each other shouldn’t dampen our sister’s celebration.”

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