Yours Truly (Billionaires and Brides #2) (29 page)

I smiled up at him. “Barracudas and sharks are attracted to sparkly things,” I stated, my brain going into Science Mode without me realizing it. “The flashing looks like a distressed fish to them.”

“You are such a teacher,” he said with a chuckle. “Do you like it?”

“I love it,” I answered honestly.

He put his hands on my shoulders, admiring the necklace. “In the South Pacific, it's legend that a tooth from a man-eating shark will bring the owner a prosperous and long life, free of any evil, especially that of the sea.” He shrugged like what he was giving me was nothing special, but the thought was beautiful. “It will keep you safe in the water.”

“Thank you,” I whispered, lifting my eyes to reach his. He beamed at my thanks and I kissed his cheek. I played with the tooth in my fingers, unsure if I wanted to tell him that lemon sharks weren't man-eaters.

“What?” he asked, frowning slightly. I wondered if he could read my mind.

“Lemon sharks...” I took a deep breath. “They don't eat people.”

“You said one bit you.” His face split into a grin and he bounced on his toes with glee. He had been anticipating this. “So, while technically it's more of a woman-eater, I'm pretty sure it still counts.”

I giggled. “Then it really
is
perfect. Thank you.”

I stood up on the tips of my toes to kiss him. I had meant it to be sweet and full of thanks, but as soon as my lips touched his, I wanted so much more. I wanted him.

He cupped my face in his hands, drawing back and smiling. There was sunshine and warmth in those blue eyes, and I couldn't look away. With gentle fingers, he brushed a strand of hair from my face, tucking it neatly behind my ear.

“I love you, Izzy.”

My world spun in happy circles. I was giddy and lightheaded and about to float through the ceiling with joy. “Really?” I asked, my breath catching in my throat.

He caressed my cheek with his finger. “Yes, really. There was supposed to be flowers and candles...” He frowned slightly at himself. “I meant to tell you in a far more romantic way, but-”

“I love you too, Noah,” I said, cutting him off. His face shifted into an ecstatic grin. I loved the way his eyes lit up as he looked at me. I raised my lips to his and we shared a breath before kissing again. “This is more than romantic enough for me.”

He wrapped his strong arms around me and picked me up, spinning me in a circle. My feet swung out in a wide arc, our laughter and kisses mingling as we spun. I couldn't believe how fast this was all happening, but in my heart I knew it was all true. Loving Noah was simple and easy. It felt right, like he was always supposed to be a part of my life. Like the universe had meant for us to be together and had just waited until the timing was right. I was happier than I had ever been in my entire life when I was with him. This was what life was all about.

I
nstead of setting me down
, he scooped me up in his arms, carrying me to the bedroom like a fair maiden. He held me gently as if I were a delicate flower, his strong shoulders and biceps not even struggling with my weight. His knees bumped against the big bed, but he didn't set me down. He just kissed me more, holding me close to him.

I wiggled for escape, and he reluctantly released his hold on me with one arm so I was kneeling on the bed, our heads at the same height. He nipped at my lower lip, growling with want. The sound sent an electrical current through me. That noise had the unique ability to send me into a shudder just a millimeter below orgasm.

Not taking my eyes off him, I reached for the hem of my dress, lifting it smoothly overhead. Just before the fabric cleared my eyes, he captured my arms in his. I struggled to free myself, but his grasp was too strong. I couldn't see through the blindfold of my dress, my arms stuck in its straps.

All my senses seemed to heighten with the loss of my sight. His tongue was wet and hot on my skin as he teased my sensitive flesh and then blew cool air on the wetness he left behind. I shivered, more with want than cold. Noah's breathing was ragged with longing; his every jagged breath made my body ache to soothe his.

“You're all mine now,” he growled as I struggled slightly to pull the fabric off my eyes. He strengthened his control over my arms by wrapping the dress tighter. There was no way I was going to escape my cloth confinement.

He kissed me, his lips soft at first, as the two of us melted together like butter. One hand trailed down my outstretched arms, down the curve of my neck, down to the stretch of skin exposed out the side of my swim-top, down to my hip where he undid one of the string ties of my bottoms. The fabric sagged away, barely still covering my nether regions as it clung to my other hip. His fingers gently caressed my bare hipbone. I moaned softly, wanting more.

His hand left my hip, and went to the swimsuit tie at the nape of my neck, and gave it a gentle tug. The top fell forward, exposing me to his gaze. I shifted my weight on the bed, waiting as he looked his fill, my arms still tangled up in the air. He took my left breast into his mouth, making me gasp with the surge of pleasure.

My nipple hardened under his warm, teasing tongue. It was like I had guitar strings running through my body and he was using my hardened nipple as a pick to strum them. I arched my back to give him better access, and he bit down lightly. It wasn't enough to cause pain, but just enough to make my core heat like a furnace.

“Lay back,” he commanded. Even if I had wanted to resist, his voice left no room for argument. Happy to give him complete control, I surrendered my body willingly.

I fell to the bed, his arms guiding me down as my own were still tangled above my head. Once I was flat, he grabbed my hips and pulled me toward him so that my ass was just hanging off the edge of the bed.

“No peeking.” That commanding, powerful tone again. Without even meaning to, my arms froze. I wouldn't have lifted that dress off my eyes if I heard a marching band go by. But then again, I was so captivated by Noah that I probably wouldn’t have heard a marching band at all. I shivered with anticipation as I contemplated the wonderful things he was going to do to my body.

His strong hands started their caress at my shoulders and worked their way down. Down the swell of my breasts, the curve of my waist and out to the flare of my hips. His touch gave me the most delicious goosebumps. With a quick tug, he released the second tie on my swim bottoms and pulled them away.

I bit my lip, feeling his gaze on me. I wished I could see his face, see what he was thinking. A hand went to each of my thighs and pushed them wide as he wedged his broad shoulders between them. One finger traced the line between my legs that must have been right at his eye level. The promise of what those fingers could do made me squirm with anticipation.

“So wet...” he whispered. I could hear the smile in his voice mixed in with sheer desire. My stomach tightened with want.

“Noah-” I started, but the sentence in my mind was cut off by one perfectly placed tongue, reducing me to a whimpering puddle of yearning. He did it again, taking all my powers of speech. I was lost to the pleasure of his flexible tongue.

He sucked. And nibbled. Tasted and tickled. And drove me out of my mind with want and pleasure.

To be honest, it wasn't a long drive.

The muscles deep in my stomach started to clench and vibrate; the ecstasy was almost too much to handle. Colors started to whirl through my vision and I was barely aware that I was squeezing my thighs together with every ounce of strength I possessed. He didn't stop his tongue from flicking and teasing my poor, swollen nub. Time paused for a glorious, golden moment as I capsized into a sea of pleasure.

When I came back to the surface of the world, I lay there gasping for breath. It was quite possibly the most intense orgasm I had ever experienced. Mind-blowing, earth-shattering, and universe-expanding kind of good. Noah pulled back with a chuckle and planted one last kiss on my still very sensitive, quivering pleasure nub.

His shoulders left my thighs as I struggled to compose myself again. I heard the crinkle of plastic and the sound of his clothes hitting the floor. I wanted to peek so badly, to see his naked body. I wanted to see him ready and wanting me, but I didn't dare move the dress. I squirmed slightly. I was torn between liking the surprise of being blindfolded and wanting to see his handsome body. Maybe, if the dress happened to fall off my face...

“No peeking,” he reminded me, pinning my arms again. His body pressed against mine. I could feel him, rock-hard and more than ready against my leg. His body was firm and strong. I arched my hips into him, letting him know that I wanted him as much as he obviously wanted me.

He kissed me briefly, giving me just a taste of his tongue, before rising back up and reclaiming his spot between my legs. My breath hitched as I felt him press against my opening. I wanted to feel him inside of me, joining me. I needed him. Now. But he just teased, giving me just a taste of his velvet length without entering. I arched my hips up to capture him, but he just pulled away and remained just on the edge of my opening. I squirmed with sexual frustration as he toyed with my lust.

I hissed and tried again, using my legs to pull him into me. He evaded me just as easily and had the nerve to chuckle. I was ready to burst into flame with the heat in my core. I needed him so badly. He gave me the smallest fraction of an inch, letting me think I was going to have him inside of me, only to have him pull back. I was being driven mad with lust. Having him inside of me was the only thought in my entire brain.

“Please...” I begged, struggling to find the word amid my longing.

“Say my name,” he said, voice low and ready as he poised yet again where I wanted him.

“Please, Noah...” I begged again, arching my hips and reaching to find him. At his name he dove deep, making me cry out in pleasure.

My body responded almost immediately, rising up toward another climax as a result of finally getting what I craved. He pumped again, filling me completely. His hand cupped my breast, finger and thumb rolling my nipple into a tight ball of delight.

“Come for me, Izzy.” My name on his lips, the sound of lust and need coursing through it, was enough to send me flying yet again.

Every part of me contracted as liquid pleasure surged through every nerve, fiber and vein. Noah groaned, burying his face in my shoulder as my body caressed his. The addition of his manhood inside me was exquisite and made me fly even higher.

Hands still pinned above me, legs wrapped around his thighs, I called out his name as he pistoned in and out. Sweat coated our bodies, making us slippery and sticky at the same time. Our bodies collided and found each other in the most amazing way.

Noah released his grip on my wrist and pulled the dress from my eyes. I opened them only to be lost in the kaleidoscope of blue that was his eyes. I wanted to dive into the ring of lighter blue and gold just around his pupils. There was so much emotion in them: lust and something soft, something I was almost afraid of, but desperately wanted. Love. Pure, simple, and true. Love and lust spiraled in blue and gold down into the depths of his soul.

His breathing was ragged, and I felt my heart rate speed into overdrive as his pupils dilated and constricted. I nodded, ready for him. I kept my eyes open, wanting to see him. I could feel him swelling, losing himself, but he didn't close his eyes either.

“Izzy,” he gasped as sensation finally overtook him. I watched, transfixed as pure ecstasy filled his face. It was incredibly erotic. I kissed his lips, but he was too enraptured to return the kiss. I loved the way his body was surging and shuddering into mine.

My breath was rough and hard, matching Noah's. The muscles in his arms were shaking slightly, but he didn't pull away from me. He smiled down, all the emotions I had seen before still sparkling in his eyes. If anything, the love was shining brighter.

“I love you,” he whispered, planting a soft kiss on my forehead.

“I know,” I replied. I had seen it in his eyes. Felt it with my entire body. “I love you, too.”

He chuckled softly, the sound masculine and sexy as he nuzzled my jaw with his nose. “I know.”

I unlatched my legs from his hips, feeling a tension in my muscles that surprised me. I was going to be sore later, but I let my feet fall to the floor. He raised up slightly, still connected to me as he pulled the dress from my arms and freed me. I whimpered when he left my body, feeling full and empty at the same time.

His hands went to my waist, and he lifted me higher on the bed so that my head rested on a pillow. The sweat on his chest from our exertions gleamed slightly, accenting each pectoral muscle, each ab, and the delicious V that went down his hips.

He frowned slightly in concentration as he messed with the condom, taking it off and throwing it away. It was sweet how unpracticed the motion was. When he had disposed of it, he joined me in bed, pulling me into his arms and then tracing my skin with his fingers.

I took a deep, content breath in, held it for a moment, and then let it out slowly. I was happy. Thoroughly and completely happy.

M
y cheek stuck
to Noah's chest, the combination of sticky skin and close contact making it so I couldn't leave. I didn't want to. Our bodies were tangled together and wrapped in what was once an orderly bed. I could hear his heartbeat, strong and hard, in my ear as we cuddled and relaxed. I was breathless and completely satisfied. The afterglow was almost as good as the sex.

Noah's fingers traced slow, lazy designs on the bare skin of my back. The ocean shushed at us through the open window after what I knew had been a rather loud session. I didn't care if the mainland had heard us. I was with Noah. He loved me. I loved him. Everything was how it was supposed to be.

For a moment, I let myself dream of the future. Noah loved me, and he wasn't a tourist anymore. He was staying. I hoped it was for a good long time. Or, if he had to return to his work, that he could make the island his home base. I couldn't leave because of my research. My life was on the island. Even if- I mentally knocked on wood- we weren't able to purchase the Grove, I still had work to do here.

But the idea of having Noah with me was thrilling. Even if he had to take business trips, I could live with that. I wondered if he could just do all of his work from the island and make Beth take the business trips. That was an acceptable option too.

I smiled and kissed his skin. This was the beginning of something amazing. I could feel it deep in my bones. Today was going to be the first of many perfect days together. Nothing was going to keep us apart.

Noah's phone rang and startled me. The vibration on his nightstand was surprising, not to mention the old school ring he had chosen as a ringtone being very loud. I peeled my cheek from his chest, giving him and then his phone a very pointed and unhappy look. He laughed and kissed my forehead before twisting his torso to hit the 'Silence' button.

I smiled and cuddled up against his chest again. Our bodies pressed together in the most delicious way, skin touching skin at every opportunity. I ran my hand over his chest, feeling his strong muscles. One of his nipples tightened as I came across it. I kissed the other nipple and felt him tense under me. I wanted another round. I wanted to feel him inside of me again.
If I have my way, we may not leave the bed all day
, I thought to myself.

Unfortunately, his phone buzzed again on the nightstand. He had turned off the sound, but not the vibration.

“Whatever it is can't be that important,” Noah grumbled, reaching for the phone to turn it off completely. He hit a button and tossed the phone back on the nightstand before grinning at me. “Now, where were we?”

I grinned up impishly at him. I had some lusciously naughty ideas of what I wanted to do next. Things that would make my mother blush if she knew I had even thought about them, let alone knew how to do them.

And then someone was banging on the front door.

“Noah?” Beth's voice called from the door. “It's Beth. I need to talk to you.”

He groaned and sunk into the bed. I pouted; he shrugged.

“Tell a girl she has the day off, and all she wants to do is work,” he mumbled. Beth's knocking was incessant. There was no way we were going to be able to ignore her and get back to what we were doing. Noah made an unhappy noise in the back of his throat and sat up, swinging his legs off the bed. He stood, giving me a fantastic view of his naked body, and picked his shorts up off the floor. I sighed as his perfect ass disappeared into the fabric. At least he didn't put on a shirt.

“I'll be right back.” He leaned over the bed and kissed me. I reached up, and made sure to show him exactly what he was coming back to. He made a low sound of masculine approval as he broke away and hurried to the front door.

“Beth, I told you,” he said, opening the door. “No business today.”

I slid out of bed, wrapping the sheet around my body and peeking out the bedroom door. I couldn't see Beth, but I had an excellent view of Noah's backside. I had plans for that backside... I wanted him out of those shorts and back in bed.

“The lawyers called, Noah. It's happening today. Now.” Beth sounded calm and professional, but I could see her words’ had a worrysome effect on Noah. He stiffened and ran a hand through his hair.

“Now?” he growled, his voice serious. I could only assume Beth nodded as he added, “I'll get dressed then.”

He closed the front door and turned to see me watching him. His eyes softened, and his shoulders dropped a little as he walked back to me. Thunder rumbled ominously in the distance. It sounded like there would be storms this afternoon.

“I'm really sorry, Izzy,” he said quietly, pushing a lock of sun-bleached hair from my cheek. “I have to take care of this. It's very important.”

I sighed and looked longingly at the bed. So much for never leaving it. I turned back to face big blue eyes. He felt terrible about this. It was written all over his face. I touched his cheek. He had to be able to run his business from here if he wanted to stay on the island. I was willing to do just about anything to make that happen. I would have swum an internet cable back to the mainland if it made it possible for him to stay with me.

“I hate saying that,” he said with a sigh and another rake of his hand through his hair. I loved that gesture. It made his muscles pop in all the right places, and he didn't even know he was doing it. “I hate saying it, because it's not more important than you.”

I smiled. “You going to tell me what you do for a living?”

He frowned, confusion tightening his brows. “I thought I wasn't supposed to tell you until I was leaving?”

“Well, if you aren't leaving, then go do your job so you don't have to tell me.” I grinned at him. His face relaxed into a gentle smile. “I'll get to see you tomorrow.”

He wrapped his arms around me in a bear hug, giving me a peck on the cheek. “And many days after that,” he whispered. A thrill went through me. I could go for many days.

When he let me go, I dropped the sheet, watching his pupils dilate as he took in the view of my body. Just because I was okay with him working didn't mean I wasn't going to show him what he was missing. His eyes followed me hungrily, the bulge in his pants telling me that he was enjoying the show. I bent over to pick up my swimsuit bottoms and wiggled my ass at him. He let out a quiet sound of pure longing.

“I'm just glad you have a job that you can do here,” I said, straightening up. His pants seemed like they were about to bust through the zipper. “I'm glad you don't have to leave.”

“Me too,” he murmured, his face awash with desire. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. “If I had time, I would show you just how glad.”

With that he dropped his shorts. I gasped, feeling my body react to the sight of him hard and ready to go. He winked and shook his head in a slow 'no' before walking to his closet and pulling out a suit. I pouted as he also took out a pair of boxers. Reluctantly, I put on my own bottoms as he dressed.

I gathered the rest of my things and then sat on the bed to watch as he got ready. The suit looked expensive and fit him like a glove. I still loved his naked form better, but he looked damn fine in a suit. He held up two ties as if to ask me which one he should wear. One was blue and the other green. I stood and took the blue one, wrapping it around his neck and easily tying a double Windsor knot.

“Where'd you learn to do that?” he asked softly.

“In high school. My crush was in orchestra with me and could never get his right for concerts. It was the perfect excuse to get to touch him.” I smoothed the tie down his shirt. I liked having a reason to be near Noah. “It worked. I got a date out of it.”

“Lucky guy,” he whispered. I grinned up at him.

“You have no idea. I am the best tie-tyer around.” I didn't tell him that the guy had gone on to break my heart when he left for college. It didn’t matter so much now.

“You're definitely pretty good at it,” he whispered, leaning down to kiss me. “I should let you do all of my ties, too. Beth always messes them up.”

Our lips met, soft and sweet. This felt good, like it could become normal. I could get very used to tying his ties for him in the morning. I pressed into the kiss until Beth started knocking on the door again.

“I'll call you as soon as I can,” he promised, pulling back but not letting me go. “If I get this done early...”

I went up on my toes and kissed his cheek. “Don't worry about it. I'll help Brooke with some shark-tagging today. Maybe I'll even bring you dinner from Adele's when I'm done.”

His face lit up at the idea. “You are wonderful. Fantastic. Amazing.”

I gave him a gentle push toward the door. “Flatterer.”

He turned and grinned. “Is it flattery if it's true?”

“Noah? You ready?” Beth called through the door. I pushed him again.

“Go to work. I'll see you this evening,” I told him as I slipped on my sandals and followed him. His hand went to the knob, but he didn't open it. Instead he just turned and kissed me again.

“I love you,” he said simply as he straightened up and opened the door.

“Me too.” I stepped out, nearly running into a now very businesslike Beth. She had a full dress suit that made her look professional instead of like a pixie. He winked at me before taking a file from Beth's hands. I grinned at him one last time before turning to head up the path back to the beach. This wasn't quite the way I had been expecting the day to turn out, but as I played with my shark tooth necklace, I figured it was still a pretty damn good day.