Page 99 of All of Him
Oh my God.
Noah smirked when he realized I was staring at his new ripped torso. I tried not to drool as he unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them down, revealing tight black boxer briefs.
“The picture.” I laughed, covering my mouth. “You re-created it for me.”
“You’re going to finally have sex somewhere other than a bed tonight,” he stated, glancing at me with a crooked smile. “Is that okay?”
“Please,” I begged, needing him more than I had five minutes earlier.
He stepped forward and picked me up, letting me wrap my legs around him as he carried me onto the back porch. The chill hit me, but I had an idea that the goose bumps were from something else entirely. I ran my hands through his messy hair, tugging on the ends as I felt him stiffen against me.
We gently made our way onto the sleeping bag, which Noah had laid out on the grass next to the lit firepit. I pulled his face down to mine, kissing him and unable to loosen my legs from his waist.
“This is perfect,” I whispered. “You’re perfect.”
“Wecanstop here,” he responded, holding himself up on his elbows.
I shook my head.
“Amanda, I know I told you not to say it yet, and please don’t…but I fucking love you.”
My eyes fluttered closed with his words, and I let my hands find his cheeks, bringing his forehead to mine.
“Never stop, Noah. Never stop.”
Teel called me the next morning, wondering where I was. In the heat of the moment the previous night, I’d neglected to tell her that I wouldn’t be home. I tried to lie and tell her I was at Penny’s, but she knew we weren’t close. In the end, it was Noah hitting a few keys on the piano in the background that made her realize where I was.
We argued, but didn’t get anywhere with it, not that I’d expected to. Teel only saw red, even after I lied and told her I slept on his couch. I’d eventually tell her everything; it just had to wait until he was ready. While she’d probably never fully understand, I knew what was right for Noah and me.
Noah cooked me breakfast, insisting that the morning was just a continuation of the night. While I enjoyed every moment with him, I felt the desire to try and convince him that it was time. It wasn’t right to push him though. He needed to let himself figure everything out. So, after letting him play me a few songs on the piano, I forced myself to leave. While I’d wanted to spend the whole day in his bed with him, that wasn’t what either of us had bargained for when we agreed to hang out.
With all the stress of the wedding and dealing with the Noah situation, I realized I could use a little insight from a friend. And while Penny had been helpful—sort of—I needed a professional.
“So, you’re a scotch virgin?” Claude asked, leaning back in his burgundy velvet armchair.
I nodded, taking the glass from Oscar and getting comfortable on their antique couch.
“Well, go on. Try it!”
“Here goes nothing,” I said, placing the glass to my lips. Surprisingly, the liquid was smooth, warming me from the inside.
Claude and Oscar glanced at each other as I nodded in approval.
“Not bad!”
“See?” Claude asked. “And you thought you’d have to wait a hundred years.”
I shrugged, leaning back and crossing my legs. Swirling the brown liquid and letting it mesmerize me, I tried to think of how I could explain my situation without giving too much away. They both knew Noah, and I wasn’t sure he would want them to know anything at that point.
“You need a nugget of my infinite wisdom, do you not?” Oscar asked, his usual grimace nowhere to be seen.
I shrugged, still not sure how to explain it. I knew how I felt, just not how to put it into words.
“She’s in love, Oscar,” Claude said nonchalantly, waving off his confusion. “Look at her! She’s glowing. Am I right, Amanda?”
I bit my lip and nodded, though I was pretty sure the scotch was what was making me glow.
“So,” I started, words coming out before I thought them through, “if someone asked you to wait for them, withverygood reasons, would you wait?” Though I’d already made my decision, I wanted to know their opinion and hopefully get some advice from Oscar. Somewhere under the pile of white fluff on his head, I knew he had something for me.
