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“That’s right, baby.Justmy name. From here on out,onlymy name.” Fuck, I wanted that. Wanted that more than I could even wrap my head around. Then she was nodding, breathlessly mouthing something. I eased the pressure enough to grant her a gasp of air, only for my balls to tighten on the word she exhaled.
“Yes.”
Oh, fuck me.
Yes? Yes,just my name? Goddamn, I loved the sound of that. Returning to a punishing pace, hands gripping her hips as I fought to stay in control, I rasped, “Good. Say it again.”
“Yes, Jameson!” Noel cried out, dropping her head into her hands as that telltale flex of her walls pulled me in deeper, harder, more determined. Her body was somehow fighting me and welcoming me all at once.
I’d thought one of us would cave during dinner. Thought she’d escape to the back hallway where I’d shove her inside my old bedroom and take her there. Her restraint was astounding. Infuriating. Every moment of need had built up like a dam about to burst. When she cried out my name again, she pulled me right over the edge with her, and I came so hard that stars popped into my vision.
Noel collapsed against the mattress, and I followed, not ready to peel away from her. Not ready to lose the feeling of her ass curved into me, or the sound of her desperate breaths, lighting my world on fire just by existing there in my arms. Rotating onto our sides and spooning her against me, this deep sense of peace seemed to settle between us, and for the first time in my life, I felt like I was exactly where I needed to be, exactly when I needed to be there.
Fear was quick to nip at its heels. This was supposed to be temporary. There was no way this little sunbeam would settle forever in a place like Mistyvale. And there was no way for me to walk away from this town—this family—without dishonoring everything the men before me had fought so tirelessly for. Hell, I’d never even wanted to be the kind of man that thought about this shit.
Yet…I held her. Held her, and realized that, for better or worse, I was past the point of no return. Soaked up her sexed-up scent—the smell ofusfilling my room. When her breathing deepened to that of sleep, my chest went warm. She’d fallen asleep in my arms again. As if she knew she was safe; she understood how much I cared for her and could relax into that. Gingerly, I slipped out of her, tucking the blanket up and over her where she was languid against my bed. I couldn’t leave her. Couldn’t walk away from the goddess sleeping in my sanctuary. Unfortunately, the sound of my front door opening begged to differ.
“Jameson—”
“Shhh!” I hissed, watching to make sure Axel’s fat mouth hadn’t ruined her sleep. Sighing, I darted to my bathroom to clean up, ducked back into the room, dressed in fresh clothes, and grabbed my jacket off the chair in the corner.
“We’re late,” he whisper-yelled down the hallway.
“Come any further back here, and we’ll be a lot later,” I threatened. Tucked in or not, this view wasmine. I wasn’t about to share it with my damn brother. I set her alarm, my note promising to be home soon beside it. Throat thick, I leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead, whispering, “Gotta go, baby.”
A traitorous ache planted between my ribs as I walked out, storming past Axel for the front door. Max was waiting against the banister of my porch.
“Told you not to interrupt,” he gloated to Axel, who looked sheepish as he ducked his head and headed for the truck. But it was Max I nearly clotheslined, grabbing his collar to demand his attention.
“He doesn’t get near her—understand?”
“Yeah, buddy. We got her, okay?”
“El and Broderick have that damn conference.”
“I know.”
“It’s not fair for me to put this on you—”
“But youneed me. I swear, I got her, man.”
Nodding, fighting the draw to fuck my responsibilities and stay with her, I tongued at a canine. Max set a hand on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze.
“Hey. You know there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for this family.”
“Yeah.” I looked up to where Axel was waiting expectantly in the driver’s side of my truck, revving the engine. “Her birthday’s Wednesday.”
“I remember.”
“I left money and instructions on the counter.” The knowledge I likely wouldn’t make it back in time pissed me off to no end. But Rhodes knew nothing if not how to party, and like hell would I miss making sure she knew it mattered to me. Poetry and prose had never been my forte, but I could at least show her this. Show hershemattered to me.
“Thanks, Max.”
“Get outta here, you big worry wart. I’ve got her.”
* * *
We caughtsixty-thousand pounds of reds in just over forty-eight hours, and never in my life had I been so grateful my dad was exactly who he was. By Tuesday night, we headed back in to deliver. Six hours to go until I could wrap Noel up in my arms. Six hours until I could bury my face in her hair and beg to get back in her bed to give her the best damn birthday sex of her life.
