Page 12 of Numbers Boy (Working Boys #2)

“A dick pic? I thought you weren’t jumping into the deep end.”

I smack Stu’s chest and roll my eyes. “I’m not, you dork! He’s sending me a pic that includes his whole shirt.”

Noah: *image attached*

I tap on the picture to make it full screen, Stu leaning in again to look with me.

“Holy shit…” Stu says, voice quiet with awe. “That dude’s got some guns.”

My jaw has no hope of being picked up off the floor, so my phone’s just going to have to deal with the drool because holy shit is right. I knew Noah was big, but I’ve only ever seen him in hoodies or his giant winter coat. I had no idea he was hiding all that muscle under all his comfy layers.

Noah is facing a mirror, one hand holding up his phone, his hand tatt on full display.

The swirls from the words blend seamlessly into another design on his forearm.

His sexy, veiny forearm. I wonder if I asked nicely, if he’d wear a dress shirt for me just so I could watch him roll the cuffs back in a miniature striptease.

Tearing my eyes from the vein snaking its way up to his elbow, I move on to his other arm, which is holding the hem of his shirt so I can read “My Valentines Have Paws.” The shirt makes me smile, as does the fact that –

“He’s totally flexing for you,” Stu notes. Yep, that. I would have been able to read the shirt even without him holding it, but I’m not going to complain. “I’d say you’re safe to send one back.”

I nod and click my camera open, then hand the phone to Stu.

“How’s my makeup?”

“Perfect, like normal.”

I wink at him and pose. “Thanks, babe. Make sure you get the heels.”

“I’ve been taking pictures of you for how long, Stevie? I know what to do.” Stu takes a few from slightly different angles, and then we pick one to send.

Me: I love the shirt! Stacy and I did coordinated outfits earlier, but I figured I’d change before going out. *image attached*

Noah: *mindblown emoji* *flame emoji* are you leaving everyone in a heap behind you? You are drop-dead gorgeous.

Noah: And how the fuck do you walk in those things???

Me: Thanks, but no one has fallen at my feet just yet. *winky face emoji* And I’ve had a lot of practice with the heels.

Noah: Well everyone you’re with is clearly blind. If you need someone to kneel for you, you just let me know

Butterflies flutter in my stomach, my head going fuzzy again as I let his words sink in.

There are a few different ways I could take them, each of them more suggestive than the last. And it’s been…

a pathetically long time since I’ve had a guy on their knees for me in any way, shape, or form.

I try to keep the sheer giddiness I feel from Noah flirting with me at bay, but it doesn’t want to stay put.

Fortunately, he’s not here to see how much he affects me.

I take a deep breath, blowing it out slowly before playing it cool over text.

Me: I’ll keep that in mind

Me: Now go get back to your movie night. You can’t keep the girls and Blake waiting.

Noah: The younger girls fell asleep during the last movie, but I’m sure Blake and Amy are waiting to ask me what’s taking so long

Me: Good luck with that

Noah: Thanks, I’ll need it. Enjoy the rest of your night.

Me: *kissy face emoji* good night

I look up from my phone to find Stu watching me with an odd expression on his face.

“What’s that look for?” I ask, slipping my phone into my pocket, smile still firmly in place from how well my pics were received.

“You look happy,” he says, a small smile quirking his lips. “It’s nice to see, especially since the last time we were here, your texts led to us heading out early.”

I think back to last fall when all of us came out for Halloween.

I was still with Adam, even though I knew things felt off.

He never wanted to do group activities with the Working Boys, so he had chosen not to come.

Then a few hours in, my phone had started blowing up with texts about how I was choosing Stu over him, and how could I leave him alone?

No amount of pointing out that he hadn’t wanted to come out had helped, so eventually, I asked Stu if we could just go.

My stomach gives a familiar lurch at how mad Adam had been when I got back to the apartment, accusing me of being unfaithful and slut-shaming my costume.

Like he had any grounds to talk when it came to being unfaithful.

Stu lays a hand on my arm, and I jolt back to the present.

“Hey,” he says quietly, just above the pounding bass of the club music. “You’re done with him. And Noah seems like a great guy. What did he say about your outfit?”

My stomach goes back to happy flutters, and I let out a laugh. “He said I looked drop-dead gorgeous and asked how I could walk in my heels.”

“Yeah, I’ve known you for years, and I still don’t get it. You and Henry amaze me every time we go out.” Stu laughs and slings his arm around my waist. “Now, let’s celebrate you finding someone who might actually be worthy of you.”

MY BODY HEATS as I lie back on my couch, legs hanging off the edge and eyes watching Noah slowly walk toward me.

A few feet away, he drops to his knees and closes the remaining gap by crawling, his whiskey brown eyes glowing in the low light.

His gaze travels down my body, and I realize that I’m completely naked aside from my heels.

For a second, my gut swoops in shock, but it quickly turns to desire when I turn my gaze back to the man in front of me.

I spread my legs in invitation, beckoning him forward with my body, but his hands only briefly skim along my thighs as he leans in to press kisses against my stomach.

He then works his way to my hands, warm breath fanning across my skin.

His mouth on my fingers is colder than I expected, and I squirm slightly.

As I do, his mouth opens, and his tongue shifts to that of a wolf, slithering along my arm and then up to my face in long, wet swipes.

Wait, what?

I blink my eyes open and see Stacy sitting next to the couch. Her tongue is lolling out of her mouth in a doggy grin, and she licks along my arm again. I laugh at myself as I rub the sleep out of my eyes.

“That’ll teach me to fall asleep while reading a book Henry picked out.” My voice is groggy with sleep as I mutter to myself, sitting up and moving the book off where it’s still lying on my chest to the side table. “Who knew shifter smut was so detailed?”

Stacy whines, and I realize why she woke me up in the first place.

“Sorry, girl, let’s get you out for a walk.”

We quickly get ready and head out into the snowy morning. It’s not until I see a familiar set of broad shoulders under a just-as-familiar jacket that I realize we went toward Bark Avenue dog park. And I’m nowhere near as put together as I usually am.

Stacy lets out a greeting bark, and Noah turns to face us.

“Hey, Stacy, I was wondering if I was going to see you today.” He gives her the pat that she’s come to expect, and I unclip her so she can bounce off to play.

“Hey, beautiful,” Noah says, grinning over at me.

I roll my eyes and smile sardonically. “Yeah, sure. Just rolled off the couch and into sweats is real beautiful.”

“Do you think you need the makeup and clothes to be beautiful?” Noah’s brow is furrowed, and I realize that he really meant it.

I fight the urge to squirm under his steady gaze.

For as comfortable as I am in my own skin, it’s been a while since anyone but my closest friends have complimented me freely.

It feels strange. Not bad, but something I’ll have to get used to if it’s going to keep happening.

“Well, no, but I know it’s a big difference from what you’re used to seeing.”

“Steve, all the makeup does is accentuate what you’ve already got.”

My chest warms at his words. Personally, I know that the makeup is just for fun and because I like doing it.

But hearing it from someone who is a potential romantic interest is validation I didn’t realize I needed.

The weird thing about Adam is he didn’t want me to be “too girly,” but he also commented whenever I wasn’t wearing a full face.

It’s one of the ways he kept me unsure and questioning.

Damn, I need to wake my grouchy ass up and shake off my nerves. Noah isn’t Adam.

“Thank you.”

“Besides, now your freckles are on full display.” Noah grins and trails his eyes down where I know a line of freckles leads down my throat and under my collar. “Well, as much as they can be in this weather.”

I feel a blush creep up my neck and spill onto my cheeks, the cool air a stark contrast to the heat under my skin.

“Any reason you woke up so late?” he asks, stepping close enough to press his arm against mine but still watching the dogs.

I’ve noticed he does that when he’s fishing for information but doesn’t want to come on too strong.

Please, after the flirting on Valentine’s Day last week, I think we’re past this.

Time to let him know where I’m at in terms of us.

But it won’t hurt to play with him a bit.

I infuse as much innuendo in my voice as I can manage.

“Yeah, I stayed up late last night. Ended up passing out on the couch.”

The little muscles around Noah’s eyes tense the smallest bit, and I’m really glad he’s not looking at me so I can watch him for other tells.

“Sounds like you had a fun night.” His voice is strained, so I decide to let him off the hook. He’s been too nice to me for me to drag this out any longer.

“Oh yeah, reading on the couch is always a blast.”

He finally turns to me, and the hope and relief in his eyes has me falling for him even more.

“Reading?”

“Yeah, my friend Henry picked out this vampire and shifter romance novel for our book club in a week, so I’m trying to make sure I finish it.”

“That sounds cool,” Noah says, his voice sounding much more natural than before. “It’s just you made it sound like maybe you had someone over or something. Not that you can’t. I just… I don’t know where I’m going with this.”

I laugh and lean in closer to him.

“Noah, if I had a guy over, you would know about it.”

“Oh yeah?” he asks, the morning sun highlighting his brown eyes and making them even lighter, almost amber. “Why’s that?”

“Because the only guy I’m interested in having over would be you.”

Noah’s face lights up with a smile, and I can’t help myself from pressing even closer.

He does the same, and my lashes flutter closed as I prepare for the first touch of his lips to mine.

I wonder if they’ll feel as soft as they look, even with the slight chap from how long he spends in the winter weather.

At the very least, they should be less of a shock than in my dream earlier.

I can feel a puff of warm air against my lips, but before we can close that small gap, Stacy barks from right next to me and makes us both jump.

We pull back a few inches, and Stacy makes her way between us, wiggling her cute butt and offering a ball up as payment for her poor timing. Noah laughs and runs a gloved hand over the back of his neck.

“Alright, girly, let’s play.” I take the ball and toss it for her to fetch.

“Umm, so I know the moment is ruined, but would you want to come over and hang out sometime?” Noah offers, and I smile over at him, glad that he brought it up first.

“Absolutely.”