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I said nothing to that, and the grin faded into a sadder smile.

“I’m not actively being dragged into the past anymore,” he said slowly. “And I feel better. That’s because of you. I know sex isn’t something I can rely on to chase it away every time. But it’s not just the sex.” His voice was whisper soft. “It’s you.”

My stomach flipped and dropped and did all kinds of acrobatics. It was as close to a declaration as either of us had come. And after meeting the girls, feeling what it was like to be around his family, it was on my mind.

“You don’t have to be alone with it,” I said. “They all wanted you to stay. They would have been happy to help you too.”

“Not like this,” he smirked.

I smacked his arm. “No. Not like this. But they love you.”

Noah rested his forehead against mine. “I know. And I’m sorry for walking away. It’s... not easy. What those memories do to me.”

“It doesn’t have to be easy. As long as you come back.”

“I’m back.” The words were firm. Commanding. “And I’m not thinking about that for the rest of the night.”

With those words hanging in the air, Noah dropped his lips to my skin, kissing along the daring neckline of the lingerie. Across the skin of my breasts and lower, to the middle, where nothing but a ribbon rested, holding up the sheer fabric over my stomach.

It shouldn’t feel different, dressed like this, but somehow it did. There was more to it. An intention in the way he brushed his lips over me. Reverent and irreverent at the same time.

He parted the sheer fabric, continuing his journey downward.

“You can still take me up on my offer, you know. I can give you—” My words cut off in a gasp. Noah’s fingers brushed over the silk of the matching panties.

“I like that sound,” he said, moving his fingers again, drawing a breathy moan from me.

“I was trying to say something.”

He smirked, abandoning his downward path for a moment and murmuring words directly in my ear. “I know. Now I will. There is nothing I want more right now than to have my tongue buried inside you so I can taste you when you come for me. And then I’m going to trade my tongue for my cock, and you’ll come again. Maybe more than once.”

My whole body was on fire from his words. I swallowed. “Are you sure?”

The low vibration of his soft laughter did funny things to my insides. “I am very sure. You brought me out of my spiral. You don’t need to do all the work.”

I looked at him, still blushing, still heated. “If you’re saying no to a blowjob because you feel guilty—”

“I’m not. Because being in your mouth is a whole different kind of heaven. I just can’t get enough of the way you taste.” He emphasized that last word with his tongue on my neck, and I swore. Just one touch made me blind with need.

“No more protesting,” he said, licking my skin again.

I groaned. “Not from me.”

By the time he made it back down my body to his destination, I was wet. And he took his sweet time stripping the fabric down my hips and off, kissing my legs as he did it.

“Now who’s driving who crazy?” I said.

“Sorry, not sorry.”

I couldn’t help but smile. This was my Noah. Cocky. Confident. And about to rock my world.

Rock was right. There was no timidity in Noah as he pushed my thighs apart, consuming me with lips and teeth and tongue. It didn’t matter whether he was taking control to forget or because he wanted to hear the sounds I was making. Either way I was slipping down into pleasure and the feeling of his mouth on my skin, lifting heat through me and up to the surface.

“Noah.” His name was a groan on my lips. I shoved my hands into his hair and pulled him closer, lifting my hips.

He pushed them back down, and I felt his smile. That touch—that bit of dominance made me feel safe and treasured and turned me on more than I ever wanted to admit.

Circles with his tongue, fingers on my hips, I couldn’t do anything but try to bring him closer with my fingers and ride the inevitable wave of pleasure.