AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Why did the bedroom seem quieter and emptier than it should? She wondered through closed eyes. She expected to hear Noah's gentle snores and feel his warmth radiating near her, but they were eerily missing, leaving, instead, a chill seeping in through blankets.
Becca's eyes fluttered open, and she glanced at the vacant bed beside her. The covers were thrown … peeled down haphazardly, laying on the empty sheets beneath.
Becca sighed. She had hoped to snuggle against his warmth, tousle his hair, and trail languid fingers down his sinewy body in long, purposeful strokes. The image battered her mind and tingled her core. Her nipples perked as her mind reeled with other titillating thoughts, and she smiled wickedly. How long had she waited for this, for him?
With her body burning with unsatiated desire, Becca rubbed her eyes and sighed. Where had Noah gone? Certainly, he hadn't left, had he?
Her ears twitched and prickled as she strained for any reassurance of his presence. Soft murmurs echoed from somewhere in the belly of the cabin beyond. She yawned and stretched.
Rising this early in the morning hadn't been her plan. She preferred slumber to wakefulness, but seeing how Noah had left her side, she decided to get up and see where he'd gotten off to.
Her feet padded against cold, grainy planks as she crossed the thresholds of each room. The wooden floor creaked and groaned under each passing step. She trailed Noah's scent, aided by the soft murmurings barely audible to her perception but enough to lure her toward her prey.
She had expected to find him in the kitchen, but it was empty save for the sunbeams dancing across the counter and off the floor.
Becca grimaced. As the wind picked up outside the screened window, she sniffed. The breeze carried his scent … warm and sweet and tinged with the aroma of their lovemaking from the night before. Becca smiled, now knowing where to find him.
The door to the front porch stood ajar … a few inches allowing cool morning air to intrude on the warmth offered by the cabin. Becca opened the door and stepped outside.
A few robins dotted the yard while searching for grubs, not stopping to pay her any attention. In the canopy above, a raven alerted its neighbors with a gravelly call.
Noah stood by the railing near the kitchen window, cell phone in hand and deep in thought. Her approach startled him.
"Morning," he said.
"Morning to you too." Becca approached him and kissed his shoulder. God, he smelled good. "You're up early," she said, tracing his deltoid down to his bicep. Her mind pined for his powerful arms to wrap around her once more. She wanted to taste his lips again and feel his caress before greeting the day.
"I could say the same to you," he said, smiling. He turned and opened his arms, pulling her toward him. He tilted her chin and gazed at her before covering her mouth with his.
Becca parted her lips and welcomed him in. Tongues collided and rolled and danced between soft, warm lips. She planted one hand against the square of his pectoral, feeling the rapid thumping of his heart before his lips retreated.
"I woke up to an empty bed," she accused. "I was lonely."
Noah smiled. "Miss me already?"
"Of course." Becca grinned. "But I also heard you talking to someone," she continued.
Noah pursed his lips. "Yeah, that was Lev. I need to talk to you about that."
Becca sighed. "That doesn't sound good."
"It isn't," Noah admitted.
"Coffee first?" Becca suggested. "I mean, if we're going to have what sounds like a serious conversation … this early in the day, then I'd like some caffeine first."
"Sounds good." His smile placated her on the surface, but Becca sensed the trepidation in the undertones of his words.
She nodded and walked inside the cabin. Whatever was bothering him wasn't good. She hoped it didn't mean he'd have to leave again. Not now. Not when they'd just rekindled their relationship.
Becca fumbled through the cabinets, fingers seeking the small blue tin and the paper liners. She fretted while busying herself to start the brew, placing two large coffee mugs on the counter while she waited for the black liquid to fill the pot.
What could Lev want with Noah … especially this early in the day? She hoped it wasn't about Dustin's clan, but what if it was? Would Noah break his promise? Would he leave again?
Fear iced its way through her chest and coursed through her veins. Her throat caught, a lump forming. Becca pushed the thoughts aside. Surely, her fears were irrational. She took a deep, rattling breath and exhaled.
Noah would assure her that her fears were unfounded and that everything would be okay. There was nothing to fear, whatever the reason for Lev's call.
She raised the coffee pot with shaking hands and filled the mugs, leaving ample space for cream and sugar. Then, she carried her load outside to the porch with purposeful steps, sitting next to Noah on the swing.
