Page 21

TWENTY

Noah

I wake up alone, reaching for a warm body beside me, and then want to kick myself. She stays over one time and I’m reaching for her in the morning, feeling her absence in the bed beside me?

The feeling doesn’t go away, though.

I miss her in my shower too. I send her a dirty message and wait around for her response like a fool before I’ve even had breakfast.

I’m still salivating over the photo she sends back when a call comes through from Mum. No doubt Jack went running to her with his sob story about how I yelled at him the other day. Or else she heard it from Mr. Robertson.

I don’t want to deal with that right now. Dismissing the call, I return to the sight of Olivia’s juicy pussy spread out on my phone screen. My dick was already hard and the sight makes it throb.

I still have hours before I have to be at work.

Noah: looks like you’d better come here and let me sort that out for you again

While I wait for her answer, I reach under the waistband of my sweatpants and stroke my cock slowly.

Olivia: I’m naked. And I see clearly from your picture that you have pants on. I think you’d better come here

I grin. That just means I’ll get to have fun undressing you again when you get here. And if you come here I’ll cook you breakfast

Her next reply is instant. Done. See you in 10

Works every time. I’m whistling to myself as I stroll to the kitchen and grab the bacon and eggs from the fridge then slice the rind from the bacon.

Not everyone I know appreciates my cooking the way Olivia does.

I know for a fact that even Luke, who eats like his stomach is a bottomless pit and won’t shut up about my burger sauce, doesn’t appreciate my cooking the way Olivia does.

No one else understands it the way she does.

Well that’s no surprise. She’s a food critic. One with excellent taste. I’ve read her reviews of some of the top restaurants in the world, and I know she fucking gets it.

It’s flattering that she loves my cooking so much.

This meal might be a simple breakfast, but my pride won’t let me cut corners, so by the time she knocks at my door, I’ve whipped the eggs, chopped fresh herbs, and I’m searching through my pantry for the ingredients for a dukkah to top our omelettes with.

“Come in. It’s open!”

A moment later, I hear the door shut and Olivia’s small hands slip around my waist and slide over my belly.

My cock had gone down, distracted by the task at hand, but it’s right back to throbbing again as she continues to explore my body, running fingertips up my abs and delving below the waistband of my sweatpants.

I groan. “You’ll get no breakfast if you start that.”

She plants a kiss in the middle of my back and lifts her hands from me. “OK, OK. I’m stopping. That’s not a risk I’m prepared to take.”

And immediately I miss her hands on me. As soon as I have the nuts and spices in the blender, I turn and lift her onto the counter, stepping between her legs. “I’ve changed my mind. I think you’re breakfast and this is brunch.”

She giggles as I push my leg between hers, subtly sliding my thigh against her pussy and capture her laughter in a kiss.

Olivia tastes like laughter. Like air bubbles rising to the surface of the ocean, longing for sunshine.

I can’t believe I went so long without kissing her. How the fuck did I do it?

I linger there a long time, pushing her skirt higher, lifting her legs to wrap around my waist. Her little moans have me forgetting all about the meal I was cooking. Her scent blooms until it’s a command I can’t ignore.

I check behind her to make sure the counter is clear, then I push her backward, lifting her ass to pull off the cotton panties which are now the only thing between me and her perfect pussy.

She’s just as wet as I knew she’d be. She’s flushed and pink and a string of slick trails between her inner lips as I bend my head.

I have this urge to pull her under with me.

As if we’re standing on a cliff’s edge above the sea and I could plunge backward, dragging her beneath the surface of the water, finding some cozy cave where I could hide her away.

But a girl like this isn’t a girl you hide in dark caves.

She’s a girl you take with you onto the sunny beach, into the bright air under the blue sky so every prick can see what a lucky bastard you are.

Someone someday better realize that. He’d better treat this girl like a fucking princess.

I wish it could be me.

I’ve forgotten why it can’t be me.

I slide my tongue along soft, smooth lips, planting my mouth over her clit until she bucks under me. She tastes so fucking sweet it takes me far too long to react to the sound of a key in my door and voice calling out to me.

“Noah, it’s Luke. I’m coming in. I know you heard me knocking.”

“Fuck.” I lift my head quickly, helping Olivia to sit, pulling her skirt back down to cover her bare pussy.

I don’t even have time to wipe a hand across my face before I turn to find Luke and Mia standing in the entrance to my apartment, staring at us.

Not that I’d want to. I want to smell like Olivia all day.

“What the fuck, Luke?”

My brother raises his hands in the air defensively. “Hey, Mia’s here, so you’re not allowed to hurt me.”

I growl. “That’s fucking low, using your mate to make me play nice. Mia, you better consider this all the favors I owe you because I’m not punching his face in right now.”

“Mia?” Olivia slips down to the floor and presses up against my back.

I turn. “You know her?”

Olivia’s cheeks are rosy pink and her hair is wild and mussed and gorgeous. She brushes a curl from her face. “Ah, we met the other day on the cliff walk. Well sort of. I interrupted her painting. Hi.”

“Hi.” Mia gives Olivia an awkward smile and there’s a pause where Luke and his fiancé just stand there looking at us.

“Well?” I snap, when no one speaks. “What is it? What’s so important you felt you had to barge in here?”

Luke coughs. “Look, maybe we can come back later. You know, if you would just answer your phone we could have avoided this whole thing.”

“Don’t try to blame this on me. I don’t want you to come back later. I want you to tell me what the fuck you want and then leave me alone.”

I’m fuming. Normally it would be Jack pulling something like this. The fact that he sent Luke to do his dirty work only makes me madder.

Olivia tugs gently at my arm. “Maybe we could all have something to eat?”

I blink. She wants them to stay?

She flushes. “Or I can go and—”

“Don’t go.” The words are growled, and I take a breath and try to keep hold of my temper. When I speak again, my tone is softer. “Don’t go. They should go. If you’re asking me to play nice, I’ll do it, but only because you’re asking.”

She gives me a tiny nod and a pleading look.

I sigh, turning back to Luke and Mia. “Make yourself at home, I guess. Looks like I’m making breakfast.”

I choose to ignore the look of astonishment my brother shoots me, instead turning back to my omelette mix and adding more eggs.

I listen with half an ear to the nothing small talk they make with Olivia as they all sit at the counter.

Just enough to make sure my brother is not being annoying.

Mia is here and she can usually be relied on to keep him in line, though.

Olivia asks her about her painting, and Mia asks about Olivia’s hometown.

I listen a little more attentively to that. Luke thankfully keeps quiet.

I serve coffee and tea for Mia. A few minutes later, I plate up the omelettes and lean against the other side of the counter to eat mine.

Luke clears his throat. “Are you OK?”

“I’m fine.”

There’s a pause and I look up. He hasn’t touched his eggs, which makes me frown.

“Mum says you didn’t answer her call.”

“I was busy.” I flick my eyes pointedly to Olivia and back to Luke who nods.

“Yeah, OK. She asked me to come round here, though, because there’s news and…” He rubs his hand over his face and my stomach flips like the omelettes in the pan a moment ago.

“What?”

Luke’s face transforms into a grimace and suddenly the half-cold omelette is the last thing I want right now.

I push my plate away. “Dad?”

He nods.

“Fuck.”

“What is it?” whispers Olivia. She and Mia have stopped talking, and she looks at me across the counter with compassion on her face.

My throat is tight. I have to turn away.

A look passes between Luke and Mia and finally Mia speaks. “Cancer. He’s been in treatment for a while, only they did another scan yesterday.”

“Oh no.” Olivia freezes.

“It’s not terminal,” Luke says quickly. “Well, they’re not saying that yet. They just didn’t get it all with the chemo. They’re going to have to operate and remove some of his bowel, and there are complications and a longer recovery time. Maybe more chemo.”

I swallow around the lump in my throat, looking down at the bench rather than looking at anyone. “OK.”

“Mum wanted to make sure you knew.”

I feel like a dick now. She was trying to tell me, and I dismissed her call like it didn’t matter. Like she didn’t matter. She’s up in Sydney with Dad having to deal with all this, and I couldn’t even answer her call. “Fuck.”

Luke puts his hand on my arm, and I let him. Still can’t look at him though. “He’ll be OK.”

“He might not.”

“We can’t think like that.” My brother’s words sound so firm. So decided.

I wish I could think like him sometimes. “What are we gonna do?”

“Mia and I are going up to Sydney to be with Mum. Dad is in hospital for three nights. Maybe longer.”

I nod. “Jack will need help at Inlet Views won’t he?” Helping Jack is the last thing I feel like doing right now, but he’s still my brother and it’s really for Mum and Dad.

“Yeah. If you can manage it without killing each other.”

I scowl at my hands. “I’ll manage it. Just warn him not to be an insufferable asshat.”

Luke laughs. “You know he can’t help himself any more than you can.”

That breaks the tension a little bit. They stay until the washing up is done and then leave after hugs and more reassurances I can’t quite buy.

When I close the door behind them, Olivia slips her hand into mine. “What can I do?”

God, I choke up all over again and have to pull her into a hug and breathe into her hair for a moment just to stop myself from crying.

“I’m going to call Mum,” I tell her, not letting go. “Stay?”

“I’ll stay as long as you want,” she whispers against my chest.