Authors note: Hello everyone. I hope those of you who have enjoyed this series continue to do so. ~ellie.
Part 22
Marcella woke slowly, from a hot dream featuring Noah. He'd done everything right since blackmailing her into letting him stay with her, especially his day. This glorious day where he seemed determined to cross off every adventurous desire on her bucket list. It was difficult not to succumb to his evident desire for her. He had not only shown her how much he wanted her, but his words had told her in no uncertain terms just what he wanted at the end of this baseball bet she had made with him. If she was honest with herself, she was more than a little horny herself from all his attentiveness and that dream... if he was even half as good, she would be well and truly satisfied.
Giving in to him sounded like a fabulous idea as long as he knew it was a one time only deal. Just today, just because she wanted to scratch her itch not because anything was happening between them because she had a job to do and she didn't want him getting in her way because he felt some proprietary affection for her. No, their relationship needed to stay out of the bedroom except for maybe this one day. This perfect day. He'd gone to a lot of trouble to do put this day together for her. It would be rude not to give him something he so obviously wanted in return.
A slow, languorous smile spread over her lips as she stretched out her body, feeling like she has just run a marathon. Riding a jet ski after an indulgent lunch had finally exhausted the last of her reserves of energy. When they had come back on board, she had sat on the couch with another glass of the fantastic homemade lemonade and Noah had rubbed her aching shoulders and neck pressing light kisses along her skin. She had been so relaxed she must have fallen asleep on him. Literally on him!
She groaned and blinked her eyes open, taking in her surroundings she acknowledged that she must have been deeply asleep in his arms and he must have carried her here because she couldn't remember making her way into this room. Her eyes opened wide with her intake of breath at the implications, and she ran her fingers down her body, letting out a sigh as she realised that she was still dressed as she had been when she fell asleep.
"Sleep well?" Noah asked, humour lacing his voice as he watched her go through a range of emotions upon waking. He was curious what had made her smile, but he knew what the last gasp and sigh were about and it both amused and angered him in equal measure that she thought he would take advantage of her unconscious state to molest her. Not that the thought hadn't crossed his mind at least once before he called himself a monster and took a cold shower.
"How long was I out?" Marcella croaked; her voice still thick with sleep. She rolled toward his voice and found him stretched out on his side beside her, his head propped on one of his hands.
"A couple of hours, but I did wake you very early this morning, so I don't mind having to change some of the plans I made for us," he smiled softly. "I probably packed more than was necessary into this day. Have you had fun so far?"
"Yes," Marcella admitted. She pushed her hands into the soft mattress and scooted up the bed a bit, leaning back against the headboard, so that she wasn't in such a vulnerable position with him. "It's been an amazing day," she sighed and looked down into his face, happy with their change of positions.
"Why the sigh, then?" he asked, genuinely concerned.
"Last vestiges of sleep," she said, as she waved away his concern. The truth was that today was too much, he was too much. He was giving her everything she had said she wanted: adventure, adrenalin, no real-world pressures... and, at least for today, he had managed that, and at least for today, she was going to let him continue doing that and making bases as he put it. Then a horrible thought occurred to her. "I left my phone with our gear at the skydiving place. Can we go pick it up? I need to send a message to Olivia, and I would hate to miss a call from Bea."
"No." Noah shook his head, but his lips curled up in a smile as Marcella began to protest. He held up his hand to stall her. "No, we don't need to go and pick up our phones. They have been in the storage bin from the quads the whole time," he chuckled. "I knew you would ask for it eventually. I'm surprised that you lasted this long without it," he teased.
"May I have it, please?" Marcella asked, rolling her eyes at his teasing.
"Will that get me to third base?" He waggled his eyebrows at her. He was enjoying the range of emotions, which she usually kept hidden from the world, showing so plainly on her face. She was disarming like this, with her muddled thoughts and sleep-tussled hair. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her again, and more, so much more.