Page 53

A teasing smile appeared on his face. “If I’m not mistaken, you’re not talking about sleeping.”

“No,” I breathed. “I’m not.”

He took the first step up.

My breath was short. “Do you still want the tea?”

“Do you?”

I shook my head.

A new light lit his gaze, lighting me up in turn, like embers being sparked into flame.

It wasn’t clear who moved first, and it didn’t matter. Noah’s mouth met mine, and our groans of relief matched. That same desperation I’d felt earlier was leaking through the both of us.

My arms were around his neck, his arms around my waist, and then I wasn’t touching the ground anymore. I gasped into his mouth, dizzy with the sensation of being lifted and held.

God, how long had it been since I’d been kissed like this?

Who was I kidding? I’d never been kissed like this. This wasn’t the way Noah had kissed me before. There was no restraint here. We were no longer toying with the edges of something, instead barreling toward the inevitable explosion that I wanted to be right in the center of.

My back hit the door, and I hadn’t even realized that we’d moved. That Noah had carried me up the stairs and pressed me there. His hands slipped down further, letting me wrap my legs around his waist. I didn’t want to let him go, but there was still a whole flight of stairs in front of us.

“I can walk,” I managed to say in the fractions of moments our lips weren’t connected.

The sound that he made was nearly a growl. “If you think I’m letting you go, Kate, think again.”

The words sank through me. I knew he meant right now. These moments. But it felt like more than that. Like an admission neither of us had the time to think about because getting him closer was the only thing that fucking mattered.

We only broke apart to get the door open and closed behind us. He wasn’t even watching the stairs as he carried me upward, lips on my neck, tongue leaving traces of fire behind.

My heart thundered in my ears. This was what I needed. This was what made me feel safe and grounded. It was him. Noah.

“The kittens,” I gasped. “They’re on the bed.”

His low chuckle sent tingles skittering across my skin. Every cell in my body reacted to that sound. Knew what it wanted. What it needed. “They can sleep on the couch tonight.”

Noah set me on the bed, kissing me hard again. Deep. “If there weren’t two little balls of fur that need attention, my hands wouldn’t be leaving your skin.”

I grinned up at him, aware that we hadn’t even stopped to take off my coat. “You haven’t touched my skin yet, Noah.”

His eyes went dark, and it matched the depth of his voice. “I’ll be right back.”

He scooped up both kittens and disappeared down the stairs. I shed my coat and boots, tossing them aside. He was going to be back in seconds. Did I undress before he got back?

My stomach jumped. Not with fear, just... anticipation, excitement, and a healthy dose of nerves. It had been a while since I’d done this with anyone. And the last time, it hadn’t been like this. I hadn’t wanted it so desperately it felt like I was shaking.

Noah appeared on the stairs, striding down the hall toward me. There were no shadows clinging to him now. No traces of doubt or uncertainty. He came straight to me, slipping his hand behind my neck and tilting my face to his.

“The kittens?”

“Nestled in a blanket on the couch. They’ll be fine.”

“Okay.”

He kissed away any other words, pulling me hard against his body. Now, without my coat in between us, I felt all of that strength. I’d seen how he could use it now and was ready to yield everything to him.

We broke apart, staring at each other in the dim light. Noah was breathing just as hard as I was. “What?”