Big & Beautiful 10: Round & Ravishing

I avoided work for the next two days. Thankfully Mom didn’t argue with me. She understood it was hard for me to face the life I’d left behind. The life that chewed me up and spit me out. More reporters came into Coming Up Daisies, but Mom said she sent them packing.

By Friday night though, I was getting stir crazy. I needed interaction with other people. Preferably not reporters, but if I was going to leave the house, I was taking my chances.

Instead of eating another dinner with my parents, I poured myself into my favorite black skinny jeans and added a pool blue top. The color made my hazel eyes brighter and the lacy edge accentuated my hips. The low-cut neckline helped my cleavage look bigger and gave me the appearance of an hourglass figure.

Although more of a Marilyn Monroe figure than a Kardashian one.

I was okay with that.

With black boots and silver jewelry, I was ready to find some entertainment of my own. Armed with my Prada bag and the thick skin I grew in California, I headed out for dinner.

Instead of one of the smaller places I’d tended toward since I got back, I needed crowds and noise and anonymity. Malley’s was rarely my scene, but it was always full of people on a Friday night and I could get lost in there without a problem.

The parking lot was jammed but I managed to grab one of the last few spots. It was still early, but that meant the night could only get better. Inside was just as crowded as the parking lot and I had to squeeze my way to the bar for a drink.

“Cosmo,” I told the bartender with a wink.

He smiled back and his eyes dipped to my cleavage. I was already feeling better. Thankfully, someone vacated a seat just after the bartender handed over my drink. I started to slide onto it the same time someone else went for it.

“Excuse me,” I said, flashing him my best movie star grin.

He returned my smile. “I apologize. I wasn’t paying attention.”

“It’s okay. The place is pretty crowded. I guess seats are tough to come by.”

His brown eyes scanned my body and paused on my breasts. He licked his lips slowly then met my eyes again. I held his gaze for a second then let my eyes roam over him. Broad shoulders. Tightly stretched Henley. Long fingers. Narrow waist. Long legs. I took my time going over him in reverse and let him see a smirk when our eyes collided again. That scruff on his chin was just long enough to leave a burn on my skin that would remind me of him for days.

He was yummy.

“I’m Noah.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Do you have an ark?”

He laughed, the deep timbre splitting the noise of the bar around us. He leaned in closer, the stool still between us, and said, “I’d build one for you.”

I snorted. “Does that line ever work?”

He shrugged. “Never used it before. You tell me.”

I considered him for a long moment. He was hot, definitely. And clever. Maybe a bit cheesy, but I was okay with that.

“I think I’d let you buy me a drink.”

He grinned, a full smile that made the shitty week I’d had more of a memory. “I can do that,” he said. “What do I have to do to get your name?”

I tapped my lip with my index finger and considered his question. If he was another reporter, which was definitely possible, he knew my name. Of course, if he was playing me, he was doing a hell of a job.

“How about tell me what you do for a living and I’ll tell you my name.”

His eyebrows pulled together, but he shrugged. “I’m an oncology nurse. I work at Winterville Memorial in the pediatric chemo wing.”

Damn. If I was looking for a relationship, a guy like Noah would be it. He worked with sick kids? Did it get any sweeter and sexier than that?

But I was content being single. And besides, I wasn’t planning to make Winterville home for much longer. My dad was feeling better and I needed to get back to the real world, and a real life.

“Impressive. A deal’s a deal. My name is Tara.”

“Tara,” he said, his eyes sparkling. “It suits you.”

I lifted an eyebrow. “How so?”

He shrugged. “No nonsense. Not frilly. Strong.”

“How do you know if I’m any of those things?”

“I can sense things about people.”

“What kind of things?”

He leaned closer. “Well, first, I know you’re dying to finally sit on this stool we’re both hovering around. Second, I know you’re here tonight because you’re trying to get away from something or someone. Third, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t slap me if I tried to kiss you, but you really don’t want me to in the middle of such a public place.”

I slid on the stool, inching my body closer to his. He laughed and stood so I had room to sit. I turned toward him and my hands went to the front of his Henley and he stopped laughing. His eyes darkened and held mine as my fingers worked their way up to his shoulders and around his neck. He leaned toward me as I pulled him in. He didn’t pause or wait for me to meet him halfway. He just claimed my lips.

Damn could he kiss.

His lips were warm against mine. Soft. His hands fell to my hips and tugged me against his body. He wasn’t much taller than me, but not many men were. At five feet ten inches, kissing could get awkward, but with Noah it was perfect. He was perfect.

Then his tongue traced the seam of my lips and I stopped thinking.

I opened for him, reaching for his tongue with my own. He tasted like beer but smelled like heaven. His masculine scent filled my lungs as his erection filled the space between us. His tongue swept through my mouth, tasting me, exploring. He wasn’t in a hurry to slow things down and I was more than happy to let him take his time. When he started to ease back, he kissed me again once, then dove right back in for another toe-curling kiss that left me panting, completely oblivious to the scene we were making on a bar stool.

“I might have to take you home with me tonight,” he whispered against my lips when we finally came up for air. “If you kiss like that, I don’t think I can pass up a chance to find out how we would be in bed.”

I grinned. “I thought you were going to buy me a drink.”

He pulled back slightly and lifted an eyebrow. I could get used to that quirky, amused expression on his handsome face. He could have easily been a movie star. Instead, he was doing something amazing with his life. Helping kids who were fighting for their lives. I’d never been that selfless, but I had a lot of time left to make things right.

“One drink,” Noah said firmly. “Then you’re mine.”

“Just for tonight,” I said. “I don’t do relationships anymore.”

He smirked. “I knew you were running from something.”

I let it go, not wanting to get into anything that had to do with Patrick or my life. Noah was a hell of a kisser and hopefully sensational in bed, but I’d never see him again. He didn’t need to know more about me than he already did.

He ordered my drink and got himself a beer. He held my eyes, both of us drinking quickly. With every sip, anticipation ramped up my need for him. It had been far too long since I’d been with anyone. Living with your parents didn’t lend itself well to dating, or even just a hook-up. It was sad to say I hadn’t slept with anyone since I moved back to Winterville.

I needed a night. One night. With a sexy oncology nurse. A man who was better than any other I’d ever known.

When we finished our drinks, we rushed outside into the chilly November air. Noah stopped me just outside the bar and pulled me in for another kiss. His hands went through my hair, tilting my head to suit him. His tongue thrust deep into my mouth, pumping in and out, then tangled with mine. He pulled back, his breath mixing with mine, and asked, “Are you okay to drive?”

I nodded. “Definitely. I’m in the gray Lexus over there.”

He followed where I pointed. “I’m near the road. Black SUV. I’ll wait for you to follow me. I’m not too far from here.”

I smiled. “Perfect.”

He kissed me hard one last time then jogged across the lot toward his SUV. I got in my car but didn’t even bother with the heat. Noah warmed me up enough.

The drive to his house was short, like he said. It was a small cottage at the very end of Arctic Terrace, a dead-end street just off Blustery Road and not too far from SkinnyCakes. I parked in the driveway but Noah pulled into a two-car garage at the side of the house. He waited for me then closed the garage behind us and led me into the house.

“Do you want to see the place?” he asked.

We were just inside the garage door. Noah hung our coats up in a closet next to the front door to our left. Straight across from where we stood appeared to be a bedroom. I knew he was being polite and, quite honestly, I couldn’t have cared less about his house. As long as he had a bed, I was good.

“Sure. We can start with your bedroom.”

Noah grinned and led me into the room I’d hoped was his. It was small but neat. A massive king-sized bed sat beneath a picture window that looked out onto the front yard. A floor-to-ceiling photograph of the Pyramids in Egypt filled the large wall opposite the door.

“Fan of Egypt?” I asked, curious about the photograph.

Noah smiled. He did that a lot. Either he found me endlessly amusing, or he was a genuinely happy guy. I was liking him more and more.

“My brother took the picture. When he showed it to me I had to have it there. It reminds me that when God and Man come together, amazing things can happen. I need that reminder most days. Especially with my job.”

“Wow,” I breathed. I really wanted to want a relationship so I could have one with him. Or introduce him to a friend of mine. If I had any of those that were single and not named Olivia. “That’s pretty insightful.”

“Not very sexy though,” he said, his voice dipping as he moved closer to me.

“Quite the opposite, actually. I find intelligent men very sexy. Men that can hold a conversation and like to read are definitely my kind of men.”

“Too bad you aren’t looking for a relationship. We just might be a perfect match.”

I laughed. “Yeah. Too bad. Something tells me we can make it work for tonight though.”

“I like how you think, Tara.” He came closer, his eyes holding mine as he moved around the foot of the bed. Standing, with my boots on, he was only a couple inches taller than me. He took advantage of that height when he leaned over and kissed me, forcing me to tip my head back to meet his lips. One hand threaded into my hair and the other slid around my back. My hands went around his neck, playing with the hair on his nape.

Noah backed me up until my legs hit the edge of his bed. I fell onto my back and sunk into his mattress. He lifted one of my legs and slowly unzipped the side of my boot. The sound vibrated in the room, making all my good parts pay attention to everything that was going on. He tipped my boot over his shoulder when he pulled it off, then lifted my other leg and did the same. He toed off his own boots and knelt on the bed between my thighs.

He lifted my shirt and kissed my belly. He slid it up further until he exposed my bright blue bra. “Did you know blue has always been my favorite color?”

“You did say it’s amazing what can happen when God and Man come together.”

He snickered and rose to his feet. “You are definitely amazing.”

I stood and stripped my shirt, ready to move things forward. I didn’t need romance. I needed sex. And the longer he made me wait, the harder it was getting for me to wait. My jeans quickly followed my shirt onto his floor. I reached for my bra and he stopped me.

“Let me catch up.”

I paused while he tore his shirt off. The muscles. Dear God, the muscles. A smattering of dark hair that led my eyes south as he unbuttoned and dropped his jeans. It was definitely going to be a good night.

I licked my lips, wanting to get them on his skin. He really did look good enough to eat, and I was ready for a taste of him.

He watched me as I stepped forward. I kissed him where my lips landed. On his neck. Then his shoulder. His collarbone. His jaw. A nip at his ear. A swirl of my tongue around his nipple. And he growled. “You’re killing me, Tara.”

“Why?” Bicep. Elbow. Wrist.

“I want you.”

I lifted my eyes to his, a challenge clear in them. “I never said you couldn’t have me.”

He pulled me in for a rough kiss, his body slamming into mine the same moment his tongue plunged between my lips. His hands went to my back and unhooked my bra. My arms were around his neck, keeping my bra in place, so he lifted it up and put his hands on me.

“Oh, yeah,” we both groaned.

I felt him pulsing against my belly and reached for him. His fingers tightened on my breasts and his hips jerked. I pulled my hand away long enough to slip it under his waistband and feel his skin in my palm. Hard. Hot. Heavy. Huge.

It was going to be a great night.

“On the bed, Tara,” he growled, pulling away from me. He tore his boxer briefs off and stalked to the nightstand, completely comfortable with his naked body on display for me to appreciate. He slammed the nightstand drawer closed and tossed a handful of condoms on the bed. “I plan to use them all.”

Tingles of need heated my body. I knew my panties were soaked through. He could slide inside without any effort. Part of me hoped he would. Seeing him, holding him, I needed to have him. But my girly parts argued for a little playtime, too.

“I can handle it if you can,” I teased, grabbing the edges of my panties and sliding them slowly down my hips.

When I was bare before him, his eyes feasted on me. His cock bounced with each beat of his heart, and I couldn’t wait any longer for him. I pushed him down onto his back and grabbed one of the condoms. I slowly rolled it down his length, making sure I scratched him lightly with my nails. He groaned and thrust into my hand.

“I’m not gonna make it if you don’t stop, Tara.”

“Then I guess we better get started.”

He tried to get up, but I pushed him back again and climbed on top of him. He scooted across the mattress further then held my hips as I lowered onto him. We both moaned when our bodies met. My eyes fluttered closed and I just enjoyed the feel of him inside me.

“Damn, you feel good,” he growled.

I opened my eyes and looked at him. Then I started to move. He squeezed my hips and guided me up and down with each of his matching thrusts. It wasn’t long before the old familiar tightening of my core began. I moved faster, needing more. He moved a hand between us and swiped his thumb over my clit.

“Yes! Don’t stop.”

“Not a chance, Tara.”

Our eyes met as he took me up and up and pushed me over the edge. I clenched around him, feeling the pulse of his cock as he grew harder and longer. Noah growled. “Yes,” he said through clenched teeth. His fingers tightened on my hips, digging into my flesh. He lifted my body and dropped me down onto his cock, sending me toward a second orgasm.

“Are you close again?” he asked with a smirk on his sexy lips.

“Yes,” I moaned. “Almost… there…”

Noah pistoned me on him harder, hitting exactly where I needed him. I crashed, free-falling and screaming his name. He followed me within seconds, his body stilling deep inside me as he came with a roar.