Total pages in book: 215
Estimated words: 199344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 997(@200wpm)___ 797(@250wpm)___ 664(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 199344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 997(@200wpm)___ 797(@250wpm)___ 664(@300wpm)
I squeal, undeniable happiness surging through my chest as I throw myself out of bed, my phone catching in the blankets and flying across the room. I race to the window with overwhelming emotion pulsating through my body and sending hot tears streaming down my face.
I struggle with the broken lock, and before I know it, the window is open, and Noah tumbles right through it and into my arms. The force of his momentum sends us both tumbling to the ground. His arms lock protectively around me so that I don’t get hurt, and before I can even gasp, his lips are on mine.
Noah kisses me as though it were the very last time, savoring every second of it as I do the same. I take in the feel of his muscled body weighing down on mine, the feel of his tongue sweeping into my mouth, the sound of my racing pulse beating so loudly in my ears. My hands shake as I struggle to pull him closer, and damn it, no matter how long I kiss and hold him, it’ll never be enough.
His hands roam over my body, each of us desperate for more until I can’t take it a second longer and pull his shirt over his head. Noah is more than happy to oblige, and before I know it, I hear the familiar crinkle of the condom wrapper. It all happens at warp speed, and then finally, he’s right there, easing the ache I’ve held for him for way too long.
When we’re both exhausted and panting, Noah drops his forehead to mine, his hands so soft against my bare skin. “Fuck, I’ve missed you, Zo,” he tells me.
“If that’s how you show a girl you missed her, then you ought to miss me some more,” I tease.
He laughs as his lips drop to mine. “Then just wait ’til you see how I show a girl exactly how I make up for missed time,” he tells me, sending an electrical thrill shooting through my body and lighting up every inch of me. “As for now, I think I need to get dressed, sneak back out your window, then go down to knock on the door.”
I grin wide, knowing damn well that it won’t be long before Mom comes up here and knocks on the door to let me know dinner is ready. “I think that’s a smart idea. This whole college thing must be knocking some sense into that brain of yours,” I tell him, watching as he reluctantly climbs off me and offers me a hand, helping me to my feet. Then just to be the perfect idiot I’ve always known him to be, his hand comes down in the perfect arc to my ass, the sound like music to my ears and making me jump.
He grins down at me, not daring to move his hand off my ass as he produces my panties in his other hand. “I think you’ll be needing these.”
I snatch them right out of his hand, and he laughs as he quickly gets dressed. Then all too soon, his lips are on mine, telling me he’ll see me soon, and as he slips back outside my bedroom window, I can’t possibly wipe the smile off my face, not even if I tried.
With my window closed and locked, I get myself dressed and hurry down to the bathroom, needing to splash some water over my flushed face. As I close the bathroom door behind me, the lack of energy hits me hard, and I sway, falling right into the bathroom vanity. My hip slams into the porcelain sink as I try to catch myself.
I whimper as agony tears through me, and I lower myself to the ground, needing to breathe through it as my head spins.
I close my eyes, trying to find myself, when Mom’s voice sails through the house. “ZOEY,” she hollers, her tone telling me she’s just found Noah at our front door. “Someone’s here to see you.”
I cringe, knowing she expects me to race down the stairs with the force of a whole army, but there’s no way I can pull that off right now. Both Mom and Noah will see right through me. They’ll know something is wrong.
“Give me a sec,” I call back, hoping they can’t hear my voice waver through the closed door.
Mom and Noah are talking downstairs, and a second later, I hear Hazel’s heavy thumps outside the bathroom door as she races out of her room and down the stairs, her high-pitched “NOAH!” booming through the house.
I grip the vanity for balance as I pull myself off the ground, and a throbbing pain shoots through my hip. There’s no way I’m going to get this one past Noah.
I get control of my spinning head while trying not to think about what this could mean, but it’s hard not to fear the absolute worst. Instead, I focus on trying to enjoy having Noah home, even if it’s only for a short while.