Page 144 of I Shouldn't Feel This Way

“Thanks.” I strapped on my seat belt and tried my best to calm my jittery nerves, but my nervousness only worsened when he sat next to me.

The engine fired up, and the stereo came to life once more. Noah put the Ferrari in reverse and backed out of the garage.

“So where are you taking me?” I asked, feeling the wind in my hair.

“You’ll find out soon enough.” He looked over at me and flashed a killer smile.

Swoon.

CHAPTER THIRTY

aria

Shopping was super fun. Noah took me down Rodeo Drive and spoiled me. It was sheer royal treatment. Dinner was even better. We went to this amazing Italian restaurant called Scarpetta. The food was to die for. It was so hard to avoid my dirty thoughts throughout the evening. Even the way he chewed his food was hot—taking his time to enjoy every flavor and texture. My favorite moment was when we shared a delicious cannoli, an Italian dessert. It was like biting into a piece of Heaven and staring into the eyes of God at the same time. My love for Noah had no boundaries. I was a pagan, proudly idolizing him.

Driving in the car with him was a rush. It gave me nostalgic feelings, similar to how I’d felt when we were on the Ferris wheel at the festival. I cranked up the volume so high that the subwoofers in the trunk began to vibrate. I remembered the first time I tried to adjust the volume on my stepdad’s stereo. Rihanna’s “Umbrella” had just been released. Not only did he smack my hand away and curse, but he changed the radio station too (total ass). Noah was different, though. He was so laid-back, and that quality only attracted me more. You would think that teens would be the ones to introduce their parents to mainstream music, but in my case, Noah was the one who was exposing me to a whole different world of tunes. I loved it. I wasn’t very familiar with most of the songs he listened to, but this trance track was wow,eargasmic. I fell in love with it from the first note. The most amazing thing about electronic music was that it had so many transitions, constantly building up to an unbelievable drop that would send chills all through your body. As I glanced over at the stereo, I read the name of the track that kept scrolling from the left side of the screen:Cosmic Gate feat. Eric Lumiere - Run Away.

I wanted to run away, run away with Noah. Almost every song that I listened to seemed to make me daydream about him.

I was so lost in my musical world, the only thing that brought me back to earth was when he reached for my hand and placed it on the stick shift. I could feel the warmth of his touch covering mine as he gently loosened my fingers and helped me switch gears. It was so freaking hot! It wasn’t like I was touching him downthereor anything, but still … just entertaining that fantasy in my head while gripping that stick shift was a scandalous turn-on. It was hard to control the muscles in my face because my natural reaction was to smile ridiculously. I felt so happy, but I had to play it cool. I admired his ability to hide his emotions well. That was something I was envious of. I wished I was more like him that way.

We soon pulled onto the freeway and I felt a surge of excitement every time he tightened his grip over my hand. He helped me maneuver the stick until we were in fifth gear. I wasn’t sure if it was the sound of the revving engine that was arousing me or the fact that I had my eyes closed and was imagining him guiding my hand up and downsomething else, showing me exactly how he wanted me to please him. The bass pounded through my chest as I tried to steady my breathing. The triple-X fantasy that was transpiring in my head would not disappear. I had to get my hand off that stick shift. But I didn’t want to—not really.

I imagined Noah putting the car in cruise control, resting his arm along the edge of his window while allowing me to unzip his fly so that I could pull out his raging hard-on. I’d wrapmy slender fingers around him, squeezing gently.

“Like this, baby …” He’d show me how to stroke every inch of him, harder and faster. And once I’d become more confident, he’d withdraw his hand from mine and throw his head back, enjoying the way I’d be pleasuring him while we’d race down the freeway.

The louder the engine got, the faster we went, and I desperately fought to hold on to my fantasy, refusing to be pulled away. I was right at the part where I was so close to making him come. I wanted to see it happen. There was no way I would stop. Not until I took him over the edge … but it was too late.

Suddenly, I felt my hand move again as we shifted into sixth. My eyes fluttered open, forcing me to abandon that sexually heated moment in my mind. Noah kept his line of sight on the traffic while I stared at him, catching a hint of a smile as the corner of his mouth slowly swept upwards. I think he knew I was mesmerized. He was absolutely fearless, and it was incredibly sexy. I gasped when my body leaned to the right, then the left, as he swerved in and out of lanes like a NASCAR driver. Once we passed a couple of cars, Noah pulled out of the fast lane and guided my hand back to the stick shift. The Ferrari slowed down until we were at the legal speed limit.

“Switch to seventh!” I shouted over the music.

He let go of my hand and lowered the volume a bit. “That’s dangerous. It’s bad enough that I started speeding. I’m not putting your life in danger.”

Fortunately for us, there were no patrol troopers on the road. I think he was an adrenaline junkie, and much to my surprise, so was I. Speeding was against the law. It was hazardous, but it was so badass.

****

It was almost ten o ’clock when Noah finally killed the engine. We were parked on a cliff, surrounded by darkness. The lights below us glowed and glittered, brilliantly illuminating the city. It was certainly a scenic view, and fortunately for us, there were no other vehicles there. This spot was a perfect place to hide away and make out with a hot date. I wondered if that’s why he brought me up there.

“Wow, it’s so beautiful!” I marveled as I unbuckled my seat belt.

“Yeah, it’s too bad we can’t see the stars so well. We need to leave the city if you want to stargaze.” He turned the key halfway in the ignition, keeping the battery on so that the music could play.

“I love the stars,” I confessed, staring up at the sky. “When I was a kid, I often prayed, asking God to take me away from my bed for one night and turn me into a star so that I could find you … wherever you were in the world. I was convinced it was the only way I could ever see you.”

There was a moment of silence between us.

Damn it, why did I tell him that?I couldn’t meet his eyes. Instead, I relaxed in my seat and stared straight ahead.

Did I make things awkward with that confession?I anxiously wondered.

“You never needed God to turn you into a star, Aria. In my eyes, that’s what you already are.”

“I stopped believing in him a long time ago.”

Noah leaned toward me and gently touched my cheek. He traced the curve down to my chin, and coaxed my head to turn in his direction. “I know how you feel.”

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