No Falling Allowed (No Kissing Allowed) (15 page)

Noah reached my panties, his fingers teasing, at the same time that Cameron half screamed. “Where are you? My cousins are here, and they’re arguing with the florist, and I can’t do this. I need you. Are you here?”

I bit my lip as his fingers slid under the edge, tickling the sensitive skin. “I’m nearly there now. So close.”

Noah grinned.

“Okay, hurry.”

I hung up and tossed my phone on the bed. “You’re killing me.”

“Just wait until tonight.”

Chapter Twenty

Noah

I pulled down the long, winding road to Cameron’s parents’ house and parked beside the slew of other vehicles beside their detached garage. By the number of cars, I’d have thought the wedding was happening right now, but Grace warned me that Cameron had a big family, all of them too involved in everything, which I could tell made Grace uneasy. But I’d grown up in the South. Most families were like Cameron’s, mine included. They just let me do my thing with Jonah because I’d popped off enough early on to let them know they could keep their opinions to themselves. The only exception was Aunt Sandy, my dad’s sister, who’d say whatever she liked and I’d keep my mouth shut while she did it.

“Okay, so we should probably discuss the us thing.”

I glanced around as though the air could explain what she meant and came up empty. “All right, I give up. What us thing?”

Grace’s face fell. “Oh. Right. I just thought…well, nothing. Okay then.”

Grabbing her hand, I urged her to look at me. “I’m just trying to get specifics here, not saying this isn’t something. That
we
aren’t something. We are.”

A small smile played at her lips. “We are?”

“Of course we are. What I’m asking is, what are you wanting me to tell these people? That we’re friends? That we’re more? What do you want us to be?” She bit the thumbnail of her free hand, and I grinned. “Grace.”

“Hmm?”

“What is this to you?”

“I don’t know. It’s early. Right?”

I nodded. “It’s early.”

She peeked at me through lowered lashes. “You don’t seem as nervous as me.”

“Because I’m not.”

“Right.”

“Grace,” I said, forcing her to look at me.

“Yes?”

“What do you plan to tell your friends?”

She stared out the window, then at me, then back out the window. “I don’t know.”

The first hint of worry circled through my stomach. “Because you don’t want this to be something, or because you do?”

Her chest heaved as she peered back at me, and I wondered if this woman had ever felt true care or love in her life. If she had, she wouldn’t be so uneasy right now. Knowing love gives you the confidence to be yourself and openly care about others. I’d known that kind of love my whole life. Sure, not romantically, but my family loved me. Jonah loved me. Did anyone love Grace?

“Grace. Because you do or because you don’t?”

“Because I do. Really badly. And you’re all Quiet Confidence Dude, and I’m nervous that maybe you don’t.”

“Look at me.” Her gaze lifted, and the worry there dropped me to my knees. I threaded my fingers into her hair and pulled her to me, pressing my lips to hers so she could feel how much emotion I felt for her. I hadn’t worked out yet what all these feelings meant, but I knew I felt something for her. More than I’d ever felt for any girl before her.

I moved away enough that I could read her expression, then said what I felt in my heart. “Tell them we’re dating. Exclusively. That I’m your guy.”

That smile returned. “Are you my guy?”

I felt a pull in my gut, that nagging voice in the back of my head returning, screaming that this was a bad idea. That I should slow things down and keep it simple. She was leaving, I was staying. That much hadn’t changed. But I couldn’t bring myself to say any of those things. So instead, I kissed her again and said, “I’m your guy.”

“Good God, Grace, get out here already!”

We jerked apart and peered out the back window to see two women several yards away from the Jeep, both bouncing like they could hardly contain themselves. As they neared, I remembered seeing them at Route 6 the night Grace and I met. It felt like ages ago now.

“Cameron and Lauren, right?”

“Yep. Regretting this yet?”

My eyes fell on her again. “Not a chance.”

…

After two hours at Cameron’s house moving around chairs and tables and generally doing whatever they needed me to do, it became apparent to me why Grace went up against her dad for this career. The smile rarely left her face, and the excitement in her was contagious, igniting the mood of everyone around her. She wasn’t just good at this, she was a natural, and I had to think if her dad knew, he’d step back and let her do her thing.

“What do you think?” Grace asked Cameron and Lauren, all three of them with their heads tilted to the right to take in the tent and chairs out back of Cameron’s parents’ house, where the ceremony would be held.

“Good, I think, but something…” Grace walked over to Cameron and dragged her by her hand to the center of the divided chairs, where tomorrow a white cloth would be laid down to create an aisle. “Can you walk down there and stand so we can get a feel for pictures?”

Cameron shook her blond head. “Aidan’s not even here. Nor the pastor. We’re doing a real rehearsal any second, you know?”

“I know. But we need pictures of that, too, and I feel like the chairs might be too close to where you’ll be standing. Please just go down there.”

“How far do I go? There’s no flowers or podium or anything yet.”

Then a deep voice called out, “Walk to me.”

All eyes fell to the other end of the tent, where Aidan—I assumed—stood smiling at his soon to be wife, his eyes never leaving hers. I watched him with new curiosity and wondered when he knew Cameron was the one, when he realized he was willing to make changes in his life for her, open up his world and turn it upside down if necessary. All for her. Was it something you realized or was it something you merely accepted when you fell in love?

I zoned out as Grace continued walking the couple through what to do, then as the rest of the wedding party showing up and the real rehearsal began. All I could think about was how I’d known Grace for just shy of a month now, and yet she’d made a colossal impact on me. I tried to fight it, tried to make myself see reason, but in the end, I couldn’t deny the truth—she made me want things I’d never allowed myself to want before. And it scared the ever-living hell out of me. Because I might open myself up to her, give my heart over to the idea of love…and she still might walk away.

“Noah?”

My eyes darted to the right, to where Lauren stood, waiting for her turn to walk down the aisle. “Thanks for coming with Grace.”

“Of course.”

“She’s never had anything like you. You’re the first guy she’s ever even introduced to us in any real way.”

I held her stare, curious where she was going with this, when she stepped up to the aisle, patted my shoulder, and flashed me a sugary grin. “Hurt her, and we will hunt you down.”

A laugh broke free. “Duly noted.”

The rehearsal dinner made my bar sound like a quiet coffee shop. Everyone was talking and laughing and eating and, of course, drinking. The smell of sauces and garlic bread hung in the air, cementing the feel-good mood, and I found myself leaning back in my chair as Grace made her rounds. She commanded the room, women listening to her, men ogling her, children giggling at her jokes. The whole thing made me wonder, if I’d known that night what I knew now, would I still have left without a word.

Her eyes met mine, and she smiled wide, and I had my answer. No chance in the world could I have left her. And then what?

I reached for my beer and took a long pull.

“It’s fun in the beginning, right?”

I peered over to Patrick, Lauren’s husband, seated beside me. But where most everyone was laughing or talking, having a great time, he appeared aggravated.

“Um, yeah. Fun.”

“But then you’re together a few years and the excitement dies out and suddenly you’re staring at a woman who used to wear black lace and now she’s wearing flannel pajamas and has some green shit on her face to combat wrinkles.” His voice slurred on pajamas, and he grabbed his beer and downed it before setting the bottle hard on the table. Thankfully the party was loud enough that no one else seemed to notice, but I caught Lauren’s eye across the table. She swallowed hard and looked away, and I tried to change the subject.

“So you a Mets or a Yankees fan?”

“And then daily sex turns into weekly sex, and then your dick starts wondering why the hell you got married in the first place because you can’t remember the last time you got some decent head.”

And in classic disaster manner, the table had quieted down for toasts at the same moment Patrick chose to spew that shit tirade. Lauren looked like she might murder him—or burst into tears.

Needing a save, I laughed loudly. “Awesome, thanks for the recap of that episode of…” I searched my mind for the latest popular show, and had no fucking idea, because me and TV didn’t jive. “
Parenthood
.” Hadn’t Aunt Sandy mentioned some show called
Parenthood
? Or maybe it was called Adulthood? Hell if I could remember.

Patrick stared at me in confusion, and I stood quickly before he could start again. “To Cameron and Aidan. May your marriage be nothing like that show.”

The table applauded, likely less because they knew what I was talking about and more because of the alcohol. Thankfully, Grace walked up to me before I had to give any more toasts. “What was that about?”

I pulled her to me and kissed her cheek, wishing it were her lips, but unlike Patrick, I knew how to control my mouth. “I’ll explain later.”

“Okay, we’re done here. Ready to go?”

My eyes lit. “Define go. Go as in leave, or go as in…” I waggled my eyebrows, earning me a mischievous grin.

“You’re like a good boy who can’t help but be bad.”

“Wrong again, City.”

“Oh, yeah? So what are you?”

I leaned in and whispered against her ear. “I’m the bad boy who’s tired of being good.”

“Is that right?”

“Let’s get out of here.”

“So you can show me your bad boy side?”

A mischievous feeling worked through me, settling low. “No, so I can fuck you until you scream my name.”

It took Grace less than a minute to say good-bye to her friends, grab my hand, and lead me to the Jeep.

I couldn’t help but smile.

Chapter Twenty-One

Grace

Noah dropped our keycards onto the TV stand, rotated around, and walked toward me until we stood inches apart. He ran his knuckles down the front of my dress.

“Take this off.”

My mind flashed back to our night together and how dominant he had been then, too. Noah might be a nice guy, but when it came to the bedroom, he was one hundred percent alpha, unwilling to give over any control. I found myself eager to see how far he would go.

I closed the tiny gap between us and lifted my head so he could see me clearly. “If you want it off, then you can take it off.”

He cocked his head. “You sure you want to go there?”

“Oh, I’m sure.”

“All right then.”

With quickness, he flipped me around, and then groaned at what I already knew he’d find there—buttons from the halter neck to the waist. When I changed before the dinner, I’d had Lauren to button me up, so he hadn’t suffered the frustration of them, but now…

I grinned a little as he unbuttoned the first, then second, then third, but as his fingertips began to graze my neck with each button, I leaned into his touch, my eagerness taking over. And then, as though he couldn’t handle it any longer, he gripped the fabric and ripped. I gasped, but he didn’t pause. Instead, he ripped slowly, exposing more and more flesh, until finally the dress fell to my heels.

I stepped out of it and turned so I was before him, wearing nothing but a thong and heels and a desperate plea on my face. His eyes darkened as he drank me in and moved around the dress, his hand immediately at my breast, his thumb stroking my nipple in a slow, rhythmic motion. Heat flooded my core.

“I warned you.”

“You did.”

“Lie down.”

I wanted to continue the cat and mouse game, him commanding, me holding firm, but with his hands on me, his eyes filled with want, I could no longer find the will to do anything but obey.

Tugging my hair from the clip holding it in place, I let it fall down my back and over my shoulders, then peered up at him, putty in his hands. He was still fully dressed, his fingertips grazing my thighs as I lay back on the bed, so drunk with desire I almost begged him to hurry up. But I knew Noah Hunter now, and I knew there would be no rushing. He liked to take his time, to explore and taste, until I could no longer control myself. Our night together had taught me a lot about Noah, the lover. And yet, something was different this time. My body hummed under his touch, just like before, but I couldn’t make my heart slow down, couldn’t keep my emotions in check. I wanted to make him feel what he did to me, show him that he’d helped me see life in a totally different way.

I sat up, and my hands went to his belt, slowly unbuckling it, then I opened his pants and pushed them to the ground. My eyes met his as I gripped his shaft then licked my lips, and before he could say a word, I took him deep into my mouth. He groaned loudly and I sucked harder, his hand in my hair now, guiding me, my tongue licking the full length of him.

“Holy fuck. You need to stop.”

I drew him in more, loving the feel of him in my mouth, the small pleasure noises he made without realizing it. God, the man had ruined me, and I didn’t know how I’d ever recover.

He pulled out quickly and reached for his bag, his gaze still on me, his dick hard and glistening as he rolled on a condom. Then, without asking this time, he laid me back, took off my thong and heels, and drove inside me at the same time that his mouth covered mine, every bit of him over me, in me, owning my everything.

I cried out as he thrust deeper and deeper, but I’d been right about Noah, and he wasn’t letting this end so quickly.

He pulled out, and in one quick move, flipped me over and tapped my ass. “Up.”

I rose onto my hands and knees and lifted my hips higher, every nerve ending in my body tweaking with anticipation as he slowly stroked my ass, then ran a hand between my legs. He drove deep inside me again, this time his hands on my breasts, pinching my nipples while I moaned his name over and over.

“Look up.”

My gaze lifted, and for the first time, I noticed the large decorative mirror over the hotel’s bed, clearly depicting our every move. A new flood of warmth pooled in my belly, and I lifted up so my back was to his chest, his hands drifting lower to my heat as he slowed down, gliding in and out of me as he watched me in the mirror.

Finally, I closed my eyes, sure I couldn’t hold out any longer, and he released me, laid me back, and once again was over me, nothing slow about it this time. He pressed a hard kiss to my neck as he brought me higher and higher and higher until I could take no more. I crashed all around him in spasms as he groaned against my neck, also finding his release.

We lay panting, wrapped in each other’s arms, him still inside me for several moments, my mind and body completely blown.

“Noah…?”

“Hm?”

“Don’t end this, okay?”

He lifted up to look at me, but I covered his mouth with my hand before he could say anything. “Just, when you realize that I’m aggravating and not worth all the headache…just… Don’t end this.”

“I won’t.” His eyes held mine. “I’m in. All in.” But even as he said it, I caught a flicker of something cross his face, and I wondered if it was possible for him to be committed to anything or anyone other than his brother. Maybe a person’s heart could only be devoted to one person at a time, and he already had someone to love, someone who deserved that love and attention. Why did he need me?

I swallowed as worry bubbled up within me, and Noah rolled off me and fixed me to him, cradling me close. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Promise?”

He kissed my neck. “Promise.”

…

I took a step back to examine the absolute beauty that was Cameron and Aidan’s wedding. The sun had set behind the trees, creating a beautiful and peaceful landscape, while a string quartet played and flowers cradled the ceremony.

My hand went to my heart in pride. It was the first wedding I’d coordinated by myself, and it was perfect, beautiful, and—most importantly—Cameron and Aidan.

All eyes were on Aidan as he took his bride’s hands and began his vows. “You are my heart, my everything, and if I do nothing else in my life than spend it with you, I will be the happiest man in the world. I love you. I love your kindness, your humor, your drive to be so much more than you are, which is already far above everyone else. You’re my soul, Cameron, and I will love you until this life has had enough of me, and then I will love you still more in the next.”

Tears pricked my eyes, and I glanced to my right, needing to see the man who stirred those same kind of feelings in me, and found him already looking at me.

“You look beautiful,” he mouthed.

I took in the impeccably tailored suit he never wore, and how different it made him look. I realized I preferred him in jeans and a T-shirt, all Noah, nothing showy about him.

“You look ridiculous,” I mouthed back, and he grinned.

“No shit.”

The ceremony and reception ended, and before long, we were sending the couple off to their European getaway—a surprise, just the way Aidan liked it, and just the thing that would drive Cameron craziest.

She leaned in to kiss my cheek. “Tell me. Please. I’m dying here.”

“No chance. But I’ll tell you that you’re going to love it.”

Her eyes fell on Aidan. “I know. No matter where we go I’ll love it, so long as he’s there.”

“Text me sometime to let me know you’re good, okay?”

“Thank you for everything. It was perfect.”

“I’m so glad.”

Exhaustion took over, and I ended up sleeping the entire ride back to Cricket Creek. Two days of busy activities and endless sexy times at night had me in deep need of recovery. Only I didn’t want relief. I wanted more of everything—I loved every second of organizing Cameron and Aidan’s wedding. But even more, I loved being with Noah. I loved the way he whispered in my ear, the way he said naughty things at the most random times to make me laugh. I loved everything about him.

I’m falling in love with him.

Oh my God, I’m falling in love with Noah.

I jerked awake, confused, and yet surprisingly content.

“Hey, sleepy head, we’re back.” Noah ran a hand over my cheek and my eyes met his. “Is everything okay?”

No, not at all. I just had a dream that I might be falling in love with you, and I don’t think it was a dream at all, so much as my subconscious telling me something I’ve known for a while now.

But that was crazy. People didn’t fall in love in a month…did they?

“Let me help you with your bags.”

Noah carried my suitcase up to my room, and we paused just at my door. He leaned down to kiss me good-bye, when the sound of someone clearing his throat had us startling apart, “Hello, Grace.”

My father stood on the other side of my open door, his expression hard.

“
Dad
?”

“I need to speak with you.”

I eyed Noah, and the forever gentleman in him offered his hand to shake my father’s, but Dad simply stared at it. “Privately.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered to Noah.

“It’s fine. Talk to him. I’ll see you later.” Ignoring my dad’s menacing presence, Noah leaned in and kissed my cheek, then walked away.

I stepped inside my room, Dad following after me, and closed the door. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to talk some sense into you, but I see there’s no sense to be had. I thought you were serious about this new party planning career.”

“Wedding planning.”

“Whatever. I thought this was about you choosing a career path, not about moving halfway across the country for a boy who could never provide you with the life you deserve.”

“You don’t know him, so don’t speak as though you do.”

He crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing. “Explain, then. Where did he attend school?”

I swallowed and looked away. Noah had gotten his bachelor’s degree online, but Dad would never view that as legit.

“I see. What does he do for a living?”

I met his stare, glare for glare. “He owns a bar.”

“He’s a bartender.”

“He’s a business owner.”

“No,
I’m
a business owner! And you will be, too, whether you like it or not. I never told you this, because the timing wasn’t right, but you own a significant share of Soaring Industries. Your rightful place is there.”

“
What
? I own a piece of the company? Why didn’t you tell me?”

For the first time, I noticed the dark circles around Dad’s eyes, the creases at his brow. He looked exhausted. “I didn’t want you to feel burdened by it, but that company is a part of you. Everything I’ve done, all of it, has been for you and your mother. Don’t you see that? I just want what’s best for you.”

“No, you want what’s best for Soaring. That’s all that ever mattered. Your business, your way.”

“I didn’t work eighty hours a week for the last thirty years to watch you throw your life away. That’s not what I want for you—working tirelessly with no guarantees. What sort of life is that? You deserve more than that. The world. I can give you that life. Why do you have to be so stubborn? Why can’t you accept what I’m trying to do for you?”

My heart hurt at the sadness in his eyes. It was the most honest conversation we had ever had, and he deserved for me to talk this out as an adult. “Dad, you haven’t been listening to me. I need you to listen now.”

“Listen to you turn against us, against me.”

“Please stop and listen to me! You think I’m turning against you? All I’ve ever wanted is to be like you.”

He took a step back, shock written across his face. “You want to be like me?”

“Yes, but I can’t have you hand it to me. I love you. I love our family, and I want to do the right thing. But I can’t deny what I want out of life. Because while I love you, I also love my job. And I’m good at it, Dad. I’m so good at it. I want to learn the business from the inside out and then open my own company someday. Just like you did.”

Dad walked over to me, then peered down, his hands tucked in his pockets, and I thought for sure he would tell me it was his way or the highway, when instead he released a laugh. “You want to start your own business? I had no idea. But of course you do, of course. Hmm, well that changes things. If you could submit your business plan to my attorneys, I could have it financed by—”

“No, I meant that I want to start my own business. On my own. I want to do what you did, Dad. I want to work hard and learn, and there is no way to do that without working my way up, failing at times, and figuring it out on my own. Like Annalise did with Perfectly Wedded. Like you did with Soaring Industries. I know that now. You cutting me off was hard, but it was one of the best things to ever happen to me. It forced me to be stronger.”

He nodded slowly, a hint of sadness there. “So you won’t allow me to help you?”

“You can help me by being supportive. That’s more than enough.”

“And what about Soaring?”

I considered the company, what would happen if dad passed away. I didn’t want it falling into the wrong hands. “I will agree to take over once you retire, but I will need to keep your management in place to run the business. Ideally, I will have my own empire to manage by that time,” I said with a wink, and Dad laughed again. “I can attend monthly board meetings to learn more about the operations, but otherwise, please let me find my own way in my own career.”

He considered me again, and then the most surprising thing of all happened. Dad wrapped his arms around me and squeezed, hugging me close, before placing a single kiss to the top of my head. “Okay.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. You’ve changed, and I must say, I’m so proud of you.”

I pulled back to look at him, tears filling my eyes. “You are?”

“I’ve always been proud of you, and I’m sorry if I never said it enough. But I am so fortunate to call you my daughter. I love you, Grace.”

“I love you, too, Dad.”

A few minutes later, we said good-bye, Dad needing to catch a flight, but we promised to speak again soon. My heart swelled as I hugged him. I picked up my phone to call Noah, when instead it rang. “Hey there!”