Page 32 of Covet (The Red #3)

Chapter Thirty-Two

Elle

Listen to I’m Kissing You

by Des’ree

M y heart beat so hard in my chest, my ears roared with the sound. Frozen in place, I watched as Noah slowly took his fingers off the keyboard and shut his eyes. His face tightened, and he dragged in a long, unsteady breath. Then, he opened his eyes.

I knew in that moment we were at a crossroads.

Those eyes blazed with so much heat, my skin burned from across the room.

It was as if those smoky depths held a mass of backed up emotion Noah was finally letting me see.

My voice dried up and the words died in my throat.

Helpless under the crush of his stare, I could only wait to see what he was going to do.

He got up from his seat and walked over. This time, there was no hesitation when he gripped my shoulders; this was no hesitant, shy touch he’d offered before. No, something had unleashed within him and would no longer be contained. This was a man who had one goal and singular focus.

Me.

“Elle.” My name whispered across my ears. I blinked up at him as he leaned in, still caught up in his blistering stare. The hard muscles of his chest brushed my breasts. Inches separated our bodies; our mouths; our breath. “Do you want me to say it out loud? So we both have nowhere to hide?”

I was burning up from the inside out; melting from the words he finally dared to utter. I craved to move closer, to finally brush my lips against his to see if he’d kiss me with the deadly control Coop did, or the softer, emotional caress I always imagined Noah would give.

“I don’t know.”

My voice came out choked; ragged. Caught between the sexual tension crackling between us and the last dying cells of my rational brain, it was the only admission that rose to my lips.

He gave a slow nod. The familiarity of my male best friend mixed with the rising hunger to know how he would touch me if I belonged to him made a moan strangle my chest.

“You asked me a question, Elle. Before today, I may have been able to lie and give you a different answer. Because if I told you the truth, we couldn’t pretend anymore.

” His jaw tightened and then his hand rose from my arm to touch my cheek.

The barely there caress lit up every nerve ending and caused a needy shudder to wrack my body.

Dear God, he hadn’t even touched me and I was about to break apart.

His silken voice wrapped around me and pulled tight. “Ask me again and I’ll tell you the truth. But if you don’t want to know, just step away and I swear we’ll go back to the way things are. I’ll sit my ass down on that stool and we’ll make music and then you’ll go home safe.”

I tried to leave. I really did, but the bad parts in me roared forward and refused to be caged.

So, I asked again.

“What am I to you, Noah?”

His mouth curved into a savage smile, all male and all consuming. In one swift motion, he buried his hands in my hair, tilting my head back. His sweet breath rushed over my parted lips.

“You are my Muse, Elle. You are my dreams; my hunger; and my fucking madness. You have owned every part of me for years and I can’t wait on the sidelines anymore as your friend. I want to kiss you; brand you; own you. I want it all.”

His eyes simmered with lust and a deeper emotion I’d spent my life seeking without even knowing. A need and fiery consumption by a man who’d do anything to claim me. Head spinning, I clutched at him with my own greed, grinding my words against his mouth.

“Then do it.”

With a primitive growl, he lowered his head.

And he did.

Oh, God, he gave me everything I’d ever dreamed about; a mix of all my fantasies and sweet reality twisted into one perfect kiss.

Those lips were pillow soft and demanding, but not in the carnal way Coop kissed.

This was an intense exploration of everything I was; as he licked and nibbled at my mouth, feasting, groaning in pleasure as his hard arms pulled me in tight until we were hip to hip; chest to chest; toe to toe.

My mouth opened and his tongue surged inside, drinking hungrily.

I savored each stroke, tangling my tongue with his, steeped in the heady flavor of coffee and mint and Noah; beautiful, perfect, creative Noah, my own hidden Muse I’d never realized until now.

In that one kiss, I gave him everything I’d ever held back and knew I’d be safe. Noah would be there every step, encouraging, protecting, supporting, and God, yes, fucking me with his entire heart.

“Elle.” He breathed my name like a prayer, hands tangling in my hair as he held my head. Those smoky eyes held mine even as he kept pressing delicious kisses to my mouth, my cheeks, my jaw. “Elle, I’ve dreamed of you being mine too long. Am I asleep or is this real?”

My choked laugh was captured by his lips, and we fell into another deep, searching kiss, my body melting into his like heated liquid. “Don’t care. Just don’t stop.”

“Never.”

Time paused; dragged on; stretched to endless seconds of devastating pleasure.

My insides were on fire and my skin prickled, sensitive to each brush of our skin; the rough scrape of his jaw, the whispering words of his adoration in my ears.

Tears burned my eyes at the intensity of finally being held and claimed by this man who’d began as my friend and turned into so much more.

His Muse.

Our clothes stayed on. Our hands never slid under fabric. Instead, we kissed nonstop, murmuring to each other, lost in a sensual space that held no place in reality. Our gazes locked for breathless, nonstop moments, diving deep in unspoken understanding.

It was the constant beeps of both our cell phones that finally broke the spell.

I blinked, trying to rouse myself to move. I grabbed my phone with one hand while the other interlocked with his fingers, helpless to break contact. “It’s Coop.”

“And that’s Daisy. I promised Chinese over an hour ago.”

“I was supposed to meet Coop for dinner.”

We fell silent and stared at each other. Pain lodged in my chest at the thought of leaving him. Of going to see Coop while I talked and ate and pretended my life wasn’t completely different because Noah and I created a song together that ruined us all.

“It hurts,” I managed to say.

The words were ridiculous but Noah knew exactly what I meant. He pulled me back into his embrace and held me tight, lips against my temple. “I know, my love. I know.”

It was wrong, what he called me. But my soul sighed with pleasure at the endearment. “What do we do? What happens next?”

“What do you want to do?”

His soft words should’ve made me angry again, but I simply leaned into his strength and stayed in the moment.

I sensed Noah would follow my lead if I wanted to tell Coop and Daisy tonight.

I had no doubt he’d agree. But I knew I wasn’t ready.

I needed to get my head wrapped around the different paths and decide on one.

“I think we need to wait. Get clear on what we both want to do. There’s too much for all of us to lose by going on impulse. ”

He tipped my chin up and gave a crooked smile. “You’ve never been an impulse, Elle. I’ve had these feelings for a while but swore I’d take them to the grave.”

“I only thought of you as a friend,” I said in wonder, stroking his hair, loving the scrape against my palm. “But you’re so much more.”

He kissed me again. “Then we wait. Talk about options. Move forward with the album. We can record tomorrow.”

I nodded. “Yes. For now. I can’t think about hurting Coop and Daisy right now.”

“Me either. But I selfishly would give anything to be back in that bed with you.”

I laughed. “Me, too.”

We gathered up our stuff and locked up. Walked to the door, hand in hand. Kissed one last time.

Then exited separately, going home to each of our partners to pretend nothing had changed.

I had no idea how so many broken pieces would finally fit together again. I knew tonight had ruined all of us.

And it had only taken one song.