14
Noah clenched the steering wheel as he drove them the short distance to his house. Jessa fidgeted in the passenger seat.
Damn it.He nearly groaned at himself. He rarely came off that forward, but with Jessa it felt natural. She looked so damn sexy in her dark purple dress, and as soon as his fingers could feel the lace beneath it, he was done for.
If they weren’t in front of his parents’ place and outside in freezing temperatures, he would have tossed her on the hood of his truck and done dirty things to her. Never had he craved a woman so intensely. If he didn’t have her that night, he might die.
He pulled into his driveway and parked in the garage before getting out of his truck and going around to her side to open the door. Her hands were cold and clammy when he helped her out.
“Hey, are you all right?” he asked.
She pulled her hands out of his and wrapped her arms around herself, her eyes shifting away from his.
“Yeah, I’m good.”
A door slammed on the dirty thoughts. Clearly, she wasn’t good. He took her hand and led her inside to his couch. He took a seat and pulled her down on top of him, so she straddled him like she had the night before. Her dress bunched up on her thighs and he refrained from looking down at her exposed pale skin.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
Her arms were crossed in front of her, but she shifted one to push a lock of hair behind her ear before going back to the same stance.
“I’m just thinking.”
His stomach dropped. He had been too forward and now she was shying away. Noah’s hands rested on her waist, slowly moving his thumbs back and forth in what he hoped was a soothing way.
“I’m sorry about that back there. I didn’t mean to put pressure on you. This is no excuse, but you look gorgeous tonight. After seeing your purchase this morning and feeling it beneath your dress, the caveman in me made an appearance.”
A smile lifted her lips. “You didn’t pressure me. Do you not realize I bought that for you?”
He let out a low growl. “I hoped you did.”
She relaxed, and her hands rested on his chest.
“So what’s going on? Your mood shifted.”
She pursed her lips, and her eyes met his. “You’re going to think I’m pathetic.”
“Try me.”
Jessa shifted on his lap, and he nearly groaned at the contact.
“You know how I told you I moved around a lot as a kid?”
He nodded.
“I realized how much I missed out on. I’ve never been a part of a large family or had family dinners like we attended tonight. My family and I ate together, but it was different. Always ina hotel or a temporary rental. Never consistently in one place except for the one time a year when we’d visit my grandparents before they passed. It kind of made me sad.”
He didn’t know how she felt because he had never experienced it himself, but thinking back, his childhood held some great memories. He loved growing up in Wintervale and being a part of a resort loved by so many. A life without his siblings and constantly on the go wasn’t something he could imagine.
“I’m sorry it upset you. But I can share them. Hell, you can take one. How about Jackson? He might make a good brother for you.”
She giggled. “Thank you, but I’ll pass on taking one. I do like the idea of sharing, though.”
He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand, and she leaned forward. Her lips brushed his before she whispered, “I don’t know how to be a part of a community.”
“I can teach you,” he whispered back before capturing her lips with his.
Her hips rocked into him, and he was hyper aware that beneath her dress was just a small scrap of fabric. He moved his hands behind her back and pulled her closer. She ground down on top of him, and he moaned into her mouth.
