His eyes meet mine, and he cups my cheek, drawing me close. He kisses me and I fall against him into his chest, his arms wrapping around me tight, cupping my ass, squeezing it. I smile through the kiss, feeling so beautiful, so seen and so loved. Noah loves me. I know he does. It's terrifying in the most exciting way.
I blink back tears, wanting to get lost in this moment. Not in the what ifs and what could have beens — I want to be here, present with him.
"I love you, Lucy," he says again, his voice hushed, raw, and real.
"I love you too, Noah," I say. I've always loved this man. It's scary. I'm so, so scared of it all, of loving him and losing him.
Noah doesn't let me fall into a spiral of fear. Instead, he picks me up and rolls me on my back and leans over me, my legs opening for him, wrapping around his strong core. He's full of muscle, chiseled like stone, ripped and all man. He cups my breast, kissing it softly, my neck, my ears, blowing hot air against me. A chill runs up my spine, and I smile. He tells me I'm beautiful, so fucking beautiful. And I believe him.
"Noah, you make me feel so good."
"I don't want to hurt you," he tells me as he eases his cock against my pussy, opening me up with his tip.
I bite my lip, bracing myself, and he laces his fingers with mine.
"It's okay. I'm right here. I have you." And he does. He does have me. I cling to him as he fills me up, and I moan against his chest as the pain surfaces. But quickly it passes and I gasp at the deep and penetrating pleasure of his cock inside of me.
I gasp, "Oh God, Noah."
"Are you okay?" he asks, cupping my cheek, his eyes searching mine.
"I'm okay," I say, breathing deeply, "more than okay."
He smiles and he kisses my nose. "Fuck, I love you."
I close my eyes, letting the pleasure roll over me, his words and his heat and his body weight. It feels so good to be taken like this, to be consumed so completely by a man who holds my heart as if it's the most precious treasure in the world. Noah doesn't want to hurt me. I know he doesn't. He wants to protect me in ways I've never let him do before. So many wasted years, so much wasted time.
But maybe not.
Maybe everything was leading to this, to this moment, to this perfect Halloween when I can no longer hide like a ghost. The truth is setting me free.
“I’ve got you," he says again. And he moves against me, inside of me, opening me up, and we rock in a rhythm I've never expected, one so perfectly timed. Noah knows me, inch by inch, the ins and out of my heart, and he's not going to mess this up. He wants this to work, him and me. I see it in his eyes.
He comes hard inside of me, filling me up, and I feel the warmth of his release. "Oh God," I groan as he gives me everything he has to offer.
"Fuck," he moans, "I came so fast."
I laugh, not knowing the difference. He pulls out of me and I move to my knees, kissing him again. I want more. I stroke him. His cock, it glistens with his come, and I fondle his balls. They're tight, hot. God, he's so insanely delicious.
"I want more," I tell him.
His eyes widen. "You sure?"
I nod. "Please." I dip my mouth to his cock, not scared of this man I know so well. He's hard, so hard after I suck him for what only feels like a few seconds. He tugs at my ass, drawing me close. And I straddle him again but this time I sink down against his cock. His hard, thick cock.
I lick my lips and I lean close. We kiss as I ease myself against him, and he fills me up. I gasp. This pleasure is so different than what we just did. Deeper, more raw. And I feel vulnerable and beautiful as he holds my hips, rocking my body in a circle.
"There you go, baby," he says, "nice and slow."
And I moan loudly, crying out in pleasure as he takes me, thrusting his cock deep inside my pussy. I'm so wet for him I feel my juice sliding down my thighs, and he tells me he loves it. It's sexy and hot, and I believe him. He teases my nipples and he draws me close, sucking my tits, pulling them together, and squeezing my ass.
"Damn," he groans as I ride him, feeling sexy and beautiful — like I'm his. He's in command of me, but right now, as I press my palms to his chest, I feel in charge.
I smile, loving this. But then it gets deeper, hotter, more real, and nothing's funny anymore. It's only desire rushing through my body.
"Oh God," I moan, gasping as my back arches, as I run my fingers through my hair. Wild and free, that's how it feels.
"Fuck," he groans as he moves deeper inside of me. And then I come, hard, more than I've ever come before. “Oh, fuck yeah,” he moans as he finishes, his come filling me up.
I fall against him, the heat rising around us, and my shoulders shake, the pleasure so deep and real.
"Oh my God," I gasp.
He kisses me. "I got you," he says. "I won't let you go."
He wraps his arms around me, holding me tight. And for that moment, I believe him, that everything is going to be okay.
But in the back of my mind I can't help thinking that when things seem too good to be true, they usually are.
Chapter Nine
Noah
After, I can’t stop smiling — thinking how I finally have my girl, in my arms.
“That was incredible,” I tell her, kissing the side of her head, holding her against my chest.
But she's holding back, not saying anything. "What is it, Lucy?" I ask.
“I’m just thinking about everyone at the party… how everyone’s going to have an opinion about us.”
“Who cares about them?” I ask. “Besides, since when do you care about what people think?”
“I care. You haven’t been here for the last four years," she says. “You’ve forgotten how gossip spreads, how nothing is private. How your past is everywhere we look.”
"Are you talking about Natalia?” I ask her. "Because Natalia and I are over. We never were anything, anyways. You know how she gets.”
"I do know how she gets," Lucy says. "I know how everyone in this town gets. It's too small here. And I’m just tired of everyone thinking they know everything about you, about me.”
“Are you saying you want to leave? Because I told my commanding officer I didn’t plan on reenlisting.”
“And you’d stay?” Lucy sits up, naked and fucking gorgeous and confused. “Stay here?”
“Yes. Here. With you.” I run a hand over my jaw thinking about the conversation I had with my commanding officer. He thinks it’s a waste – that I could have a great career in the Navy… but I can’t lose Lucy. I won’t.
“You can’t stay here. And what? Work in an office or something? No. You want to see the world, travel, make life an adventure.”
"I don't know what you're trying to say. You want me to go? Or do you want to come with me?"
Lucy's eyes furrow. "Come with you where?"
"I don't know. If I were to reenlist I’d be stationed somewhere."
"My aunt would be devastated," she says immediately, "and I already know I can get a job at the hospital once I graduate.”