Page 44

Wincing, I tiptoe into the kitchen and turn on the coffee maker before sitting down at the dining room table. There is a wicked ache between my thighs this morning but I don’t know if I can wipe this damn smile off my face. At least for now, anyway but it’s not like I can let Noah see. The smug bastard would never let me live it down. On top of that, we’re not back together or anything but there’s something to be said for whatever it is we have going on right now. Here, in the cabin, we’re in our own little bubble. I don’t have to worry about our relationship or the consequences of letting Noah back into my life. It’s simple - in the same way it was before he got arrested and everything else went to shit.

The coffee maker dings, signaling that my coffee is ready and I sigh as I stand up and walk over to it. Jack barks and I glance over my shoulder as Noah walks out of the bedroom in just his jeans. We lock eyes and his gaze falls down to where his t-shirt hits me mid-thigh before he grins.

“Woke up alone and thought I had imagined last night,” he murmurs, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist. I lean back into him and shake my head.

“No, you didn’t.”

He groans as he presses his lips to my neck. “Have I told you how much I missed you?”

“Only every five minutes.”

“Mmm,” he hums, kissing my neck again. I shiver. “Well, why don’t we go back to the bedroom and I’ll tell you again a few more times?”

He presses his cock against my hip and I fight back a smile.

“I have to go to work.”

Shaking his head, he holds me tighter. “Call in sick.”

“No.”

“Careful, darlin’. You start in with the foreplay and I can’t be held liable for my actions.”

I laugh as I spin in his arms to face him. “How is me telling you “no” foreplay?”

“How is it not?” he asks as he leans down and buries his face in my chest. Giggling, I push him away and the smile on his face when he glances back up at me is breathtaking. Shit. I forgot the way he could completely disarm me with just a look. “I forgot what this felt like.”

“What?”

“Being happy. It’s been so long since I’ve had a reason to smile.”

My heart breaks for him as I place my hand on his cheek and loop my finger through one of his belt loops, pulling him close again. In all this time, I was only able to focus on my own pain and even though getting locked up was his own fault, I never took the time to consider how much he might be hurting.

“I’m sorry for never coming to see you.”

He studies me, his gaze full of questions. “Why didn’t you? Were you really that mad at me?”

“Shit,” I whisper, dropping my gaze to my feet as I realize my mistake. Emotion crashes over me, the same way it does each time I think about that time in my life and tears fill my eyes. I’ve been putting this conversation off but I suppose it’s time to get it out in the open. “If we’re going to have this conversation, I need coffee.”

Nodding, he releases me and gently shoves me toward the table. “Go sit down and I’ll bring it over.”

After plopping down in the chair, I turn and watch him as he prepares my coffee just the way I like it, my mind working through the story, trying to find the best way to frame it. There’s so much that happened and I’m honestly a little unsure of where to even start. My stomach flips with nerves as my hands shake. Besides relaying the story to Hannah, I’ve never spoken of this to anyone else and it feels like something is lodged in my throat. Like I’m going to open my mouth to speak my truth but no words will come out.

Noah joins me at the table, setting my mug of coffee down in front of me and sitting in the chair across from me. He looks nervous but also curious whereas I can barely manage to get the coffee mug to my lips my hands are shaking so badly.

“Just spit it out, Kady,” he orders. “That look on your face is killing me.”

I suck in a breath and nod, my gaze focused on the coffee in my mug as I wrap both of my hands around it, soaking up the warmth. “I never came to see you because I couldn’t.”

“What does that mean? It hurt too much? You were mad?”

“No,” I whisper, shaking my head. I take another deep breath and meet his eyes, my heart pounding madly in my chest. “At first, I physically couldn’t and after that, it wasn’t safe for me to see you.”

His brows shoot up as he searches my face. “What does that mean? Will you stop being so goddamn cryptic?”

I nod. “On the night you were arrested, I got off work at the diner and I was waiting outside for you to pick me up when a big, black SUV rolled up.”

His brows furrow and I release the mug to clasp my hands together in my lap, staring at them as I continue.