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He’s stepping down the bus stairs in a gray Avix U sweatsuit, nearly identical to the one I’m wearing. His hand lifts, and he pushes his hood from his head, running his palm over the back of his hair.
His left foot hits the blacktop, and the second his right comes down to meet it, his eyes are pulled left. Right to me.
He pauses in place and a low laugh leaves me.
I face the boys, a hint of pink washing over my neck.
“You invited some others, right?” I ask Mason.
His eyes tighten at first, but then he nods.
He steps forward, sighing against my hair as he presses a kiss there. “Yeah, baby sister. I did.”
Chase scowls at my sweater, noting the large number nineteen on the sleeve. His eyes come up to mine, narrowing, but as the boys begin to turn, heading for their bags, he follows. Finally, I break away, making my way to Noah.
At first, Noah doesn’t move, his head following my brother and the boys, but then slowly returning to me. It takes him a moment, but his attention finally falls to the hoodie I’m wearing, and his eyes snap up to mine. He gets it, that I didn’t come for them.
I came for him.
His backpack falls to the ground where he stands, and he erases the last two steps between us.
Before he reaches me, I spin, showing him the back, where his number is boldly printed, but he knows that. After all, he’s the one who gave me the hoodie.
I throw my arms out, peeking at him over my shoulder. “Does this count as me wearing it to a game?”
His lips curve up, and he gives a slow shake of his head. “Not a chance.”
I spin again, now facing him fully and step closer. “Does it count for something?”
Noah reaches out, gripping the front of the hoodie and tugs me to him. He whirls me around until we’re half hidden by the open door, his hand gliding into my hair. “You already know the answer to that,” he says, and then he’s kissing me.
His lips move masterfully, seeking entrance he knows I won’t deny, the heated strength of his tongue sending the pit of my stomach into a wild whirl.
As fast as he takes control, he pulls away, and then his pants are in my ear. I only grow hotter, knowing I’m the one who stole the air from his lungs.
“You kill me, you know that?” His chest heaves against mine and I flatten my palm against it. “Fucking kill me.” His lips glide along my cheek until he finds my mouth again.
This time it’s a single, soft, slow kiss.
When my eyes finally open, he’s already pulled back, bright-eyed and excited, but there’s a hint of something else in there, too. I’m not sure what it is, but it disappears the moment I say, “Come with us.”
His frown is instant. “What?”
“Camping,” I tell him nervously. “I knew you’d be exhausted from the game and the drive, and I sort of convinced myself you’d say yes if I asked, so I didn’t want to ask you before you left, in case you did say yes, and then were too tired to go, but still came just to keep your word, which is a very Noah thing to do, by the way.” I pause for a breath and his lips twitch. “So yeah, I wanted to wait until today, be here to welcome you back, and ask you to leave with me. I kind of figured it was best to ask after you’d been gone… hoping you didn’t want me to be.”
“I don’t want you to be.” His response is instant, and I let out the heavy breath I was apparently holding.
My smile is wide and I let my head rest against the bus behind me. “So, you’ll come?”
“I told you once, Juliet, I won’t deny you again.” He pushes closer, whispering, “You want me there, I’m there.”
“Looks like you’re going camping then. You can share my tent.”
His gaze rapidly rakes over my face and he grabs my hands, pulling me back around the bus. “Then we better go get me packed.”
I nod, locking our fingers tighter as he walks us backward.
“For the record…” Noah pauses, and then he says something I had no idea I needed to hear until the words are wrapping around me. “I would have kissed you in front of everyone if I knew for sure you’d be okay with it, and that is the only reason I pulled you aside.”
My heartbeat hammers in my chest, and I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out.
Noah wants me and he isn’t afraid to show it.
He doesn’t care who knows it… so long as I do.
I do, Noah.
Noah reads me like an open book and winks as he releases me, grabbing his backpack from where he dropped it. He then jogs over to snag his football bag from the pile set out along the side of the bus.
