Chapter 0418
Chapter
0418
His words warmed me, chasing away some of the chill that had settled into my bones. “Thank you, Noah. That means a lot.”
“Of course,” he said, giving my hands one more squeeze. “I’m just glad we can have open communication about these sorts of things now.”
I nodded, guilt gnawing at my insides. The irony of those words certainly wasn’t lost on me. “Yeah… me
too.”
As the waxing crescent moon rose higher into the sky and the air grew colder, Noah finally suggested we call it a night. He walked me back to where my driver was waiting, our hands brushing against each other with every other step. When we reached the car, I found myself reluctant to let the evening end.
Noah smiled softly, his eyes reflecting the amber color of the streetlights. “I had a wonderful time tonight, Hannah.”
“So did I.” I clutched the roses a little tighter to my chest withrone hand. “And thank you for these.” “You’re welcome. Goodnight, Hannah.”
He started to turn away, but before I could stop myself I reached out and grabbed his wrist. Noah looked back at me, surprise evident on his face. My heart raced as I pulled him closer, surging forward to press my lips against his.
For a moment, Noah froze, and I feared I had made a terrible mistake. But then both of his hands came up to cup my face, and he was kissing me back with an equal passion, dipping his head for better access. His lips were soft and sweet, tasting faintly of the wine we had shared earlier.
Goddess, how I had missed this.
We kissed deeply, passionately, reverently, and the need for air was ultimately the only thing that forced We
apart. Even then, we stayed close, our foreheads pressed together as we caught our breath.
us a
“Hannah,” Noah whispered, his voice husky, “I’ve missed you more than you can know.”
I closed my eyes, savoring the feeling of his cool hands on my flushed skin. I’ve missed you too. More than I let on.”
y ear
We stood there in silence for a few moments, Noah’s fingers gently stroking across the shell of my and down the back of my neck. The attraction between us was palpable, electric: Part of me wanted to throw caution to the wind and invite him back to my place, desperate to feel his body against mine, but I knew we weren’t ready for that yet.
Soon, but not tonight.
As if reading my thoughts, Noah smirked. “Even if people are calling us the ‘true star–crossed lovers‘ now, I guess we should still probably take things slow.”
I chuckled. “Probably a good idea.”
“But,” he added, pulling back a bit to look at me, “I was hoping we could have another date next weekend. Maybe one with Melody this time?”
+25 BONUS
Chapter 0410
My heart swelled at the thought. “I… I’d like that.”
We shared one last, lingering kiss before I reluctantly climbed into the back seat of the car. As we pulled away, I watched Noah standing on the sidewalk, hands in his pockets, until he disappeared from view.
I bit my lip, clutching the roses to my chest, my heart skipping a beat.
“So you still didn’t tell him?!”
Viona was practically irate, her face red. The steaming cups of coffee between us felt like a potential weapon, like she might splash me in the face with the hot liquid for my stupidity at any moment.
I winced, knowing that I deserved every bit of her ire. tried, I really did!” I insisted. “But he thought I was. joking, and then…”
“And then you chickened out,” Viona finished for me, shaking her head.
“I promise I will this weekend! Really!”
Viona rolled her eyes, clearly unconvinced. “Yeah, right.”
