Page 33

MILLIE

Dangerously good

The next morning, a rustling stirs me from my sleep.

I peek an eye open and see the tent wall, the morning sun lighting up the mini room.

From the brightness and the sound of birds chirping, it’s still early.

My head has a mild thrum to it, and I shut my eyes, willing to go back to sleep to ease my hangover.

“Shit.”

Noah’s raspy grunt sounds next to me and I remember I’m not alone. His sudden movement jolts me on the mattress. I look over my shoulder at him as he flings the clothes from our haphazard barricade out of the way and slides his rock-hard body behind me.

“Sorry.” His voice is hoarse as it rumbles in my ear. He curls his right arm under the sheets and around my waist. “Need to keep up appearances. I think someone is trying to wake us up.”

I realise the rustling is someone hovering outside, trying to open the zip to the tent. “It’s okay,” I whisper.

Noah pulls me flush to him and I feel it straight away, his hardness pressing into my backside. “Shit, I’m sorry,” he mutters again, pulling back. “Morning and all that.”

I grab his hand and pull him to me, pressing my ass into his bulge. A groan rumbles in his throat and the sound ignites a strike of blazing heat between my legs.

Noah lowers his head, his breath tickling the back of my neck as he rolls his body into me. His lips press into my neck, and I let out a shaky breath, unable to remember the last time I was this turned on by anyone.

“Wakey, wakey, lovebirds!” Mack sings as sunlight bursts into my eyes when he opens the tent door.

Noah presses his lips into my neck one last time before rolling away and I yearn for the closeness instantly.

“We’re cooking bacon and eggs for breakfast. Some of us are going to go for a hike after. You guys keen?”

“With my coordination and athletic ability, I’ll pass,” I say, sitting up. “But hell yes, to bacon and eggs. I’ll come out and help.”

Mack nods. “King?”

“I’m relaxing this weekend.” Noah stretches his arms above his head, and I do my best to avoid staring at the ripples of muscle cascading down his torso. “Fuck the hike.”

“You’re both dead to me.” Mack ducks out of the tent without a backwards glance.

Noah’s hand brushes against my arm and I dare to meet his gaze.

“I’m thinking we could go to the rock pools after breakfast?” Noah’s face looks almost apprehensive, like he’s unsure of my reaction.

My smile nearly swallows my head. “I would love that.”

He grins. “Awesome.”

Noah holds the tent flap open for me and I step out into the sunshine, feeling lighter than I have in months. With soaking underwear because holy shit. I don’t know if it’s the alcohol still in my system or the fact I was still bleary-eyed, but I have zero regrets about what ever just happened.

I greet everybody with much more enthusiasm than I’d normally have first thing in the morning, commenting on how much I love the freshness of the air away from the city. Steph narrows her eyes at me as she drapes an arm over the shoulder of a shirtless Callum, who’s cooking at the barbecue.

“You seem very chipper for someone who drank as much beer as me last night,” Steph grumbles.

“Don’t worry, I fake it well,” I assure her, the truth in that statement threatening to sour my good mood. I inhale the mouthwatering scent of crispy bacon and sigh with happiness.

Steph starts separating paper plates. “If this is how happy you are when faking it, stay the hell away from me when you’re in a legitimate good mood.”

I smile again and when Noah appears at my side, he winks at me. I want to melt into a puddle. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m determined to not overthink it until I’ve eaten.

“Good morning!” Erin calls to us from a camping chair. “You guys coming hiking?”

Dan slouches in the chair next to her, his head resting on his hand. “Indoor voice, Erin,” he rasps.

Erin grins at me. “I’m trying to convince Dan to come. He’ll feel better once he gets some blood pumping and sweat dripping. Perfect cure for a hangover.”

Dan shakes his head once. “I’m going back to bed.”

“We’re camping. You can’t spend the entire time in bed.” Erin pats his head. “Listen to Erin. She knows what’s best.”

Noah chuckles. “Millie and I are going to the rock pools. Maybe a swim would help?”

“Bed,” Dan grunts.

“Hike or rock pools, Dan?” Erin asks. “It’s one or the other.”

“I’ll come to the rock pools after I nap.”

This group has been so welcoming. The guilt I have about lying to them increases every minute.

Every time there’s a pleasant moment like right now, up it goes, and it twists my gut.

What happens once this is over, and Noah starts travelling for work again?

I’ll undoubtedly drift away from them, regardless of whether Noah divulges the truth.

I try to suppress those thoughts and hang onto my ‘not overthinking this’ attitude when Noah returns with a paper plate of bacon and eggs, and a smile that sends my pulse skyrocketing.

Yep. I’m in big trouble.

NOAH

Millie and I head to the rock pools after breakfast. Dan headed straight back into his tent, as did Steph, with Mack, Callum and Erin heading out for a hike. That means Millie and I have some alone time in one of my favourite places to visit.

When the rock pools come into view, Millie gasps, her head tilted back to look up at the cliff faces covered in vines.

An enormous pool of water sits at its base with a creek running through it, the trickling sound like music to my ears.

Smaller pools pepper the creek’s edge, which curves around a bend out of sight.

A couple of people are swimming at one end and a few teenagers are trying their luck at jumping from one of the lower lips of the cliffs, a renowned jumping spot despite the many warnings.

My folks were dead set against any activity like this growing up.

They put up with the dangerous waves, but if I ever jumped from a height into the water, even if I could see the bottom, my mother would scream bloody murder.

I lead Millie towards the quiet end of the creek, away from the noise of the waterfall and other swimmers.

She peers into the crystal-clear water. “There are no stonefish in here, right?”

I grin. “No stonefish.”

“There’d better not be.”

We put our stuff down on the edge of the shoreline and I quickly shirk my shirt, kicking off my thongs.

The sun beats down on this area and I’m already sweating.

The water is a mix of greens, with splashes of twinkling sunlight, little ripples from fish popping up sporadically around the flat surface.

“You, ready?” I ask, turning to Millie.

I still as I watch her remove her sundress, revealing a red and white polka-dot one-piece that shows off her figure. Her locks fall around her face, and she blushes when she catches me staring. “What?”

I clear my throat. “I love that colour on you.” I hold out my hand and she tentatively takes it, letting me lead her to the edge of the pool. As soon as our toes hit, I groan with how perfect the temperature is. Cold enough to cool us down, but warm enough that it’s pleasant to swim in.

Once we’re in up to our waists, I release Millie’s hand so I can duck under the water. When I re-emerge, she’s floating on her back several feet away, staring up at the canopy, streams of sunlight filtering in.

“It’s peaceful, right?” I ask.

Millie lifts her head. “I can’t believe I’ve never been here before. It’s beautiful.”

I nod my agreement. “I’m going to make more of an effort to make the camping trips every year.”

“That’s a great idea,” Millie replies. “I really like your friends.”

“They really like you, too.”

Millie’s smile fades. “Are you going to tell them the truth? You know . . . once this is over?”

I flinch as a body-sized sting attacks my joints. The thought of no longer hanging out with Millie downright sucks. “I hadn’t thought about it.”

Millie nods, her chin ducking beneath the water’s surface.

“Maybe we could keep hanging out afterwards?” I suggest, lightly. “It might shock you to learn this, but I enjoy winding you up about your irrational fears and lying next to you as you snore.”

“I do not snore!” Millie protests. “Although I did have beers last night, so maybe I could have.”

I chuckle. “You make me laugh too. Can’t hurt to have you around long-term.”

“I’d like that.” Millie smiles again. “Have you heard anything from the powers that be about your place on the tour?”

I shake my head. “Doesn’t mean they’re not watching. All it’s going to take is one foot out of line and they’ll cut me. Give my spot to someone who’s younger and easier to manipulate. To be fair, I wonder if I even deserve my spot.”

Millie’s face scrunches up. “You’ve earned your place, Noah. You had the skills to get enough points to finish in the top ten. That means automatic entry into the Championship Tour, right? Where’s this rule that says you have to behave like a good boy?”

My heart floats at how she’s sticking up for me and all I can think is how she must’ve researched this in her own time. Damn if it doesn’t make me a little gooey inside.

“It’s not explicitly written, but the people who have the power to take away my spot have spoken,” I reply begrudgingly. “Them’s the rules.”

Millie swims on the spot, moving her arms to stay afloat. “Well, the rules are stupid. How’s the search for a sponsor going?”

“Good. Mack is confident we can land Salt Skin. Which would be great, because I love their gear and to have them cover hotels and transfer and equipment and everything would be huge. But we’ll see.”

“My fingers and toes are crossed.” Millie continues to paddle, her chin barely staying above the surface.

“You could probably stand up, you know.” Her gaze darts to mine and I smirk. “You’re worried about stonefish, aren’t you?”

“I know it’s irrational, but I can’t help it.”

I laugh, swimming closer to her. I can easily reach the bottom and stand in front of her, my shoulders protruding above the water’s surface. “Here, grab onto me.”

Millie hesitates, so I reach out to grab her waist, dragging her to me through the water. I scoop my hands instinctively underneath her thighs, and she hooks her legs around my waist.

I deflect to lighten the mood. “You know there are bull sharks in here, right?”

“What?!” She tightens her legs around my hips, climbing up me as I splutter with laughter. “Noah, that is so not funny.”

Still chuckling, I reach up to push her wet locks away from her face. “Yes, it is.”

Millie’s gaze searches mine, her thick wet eyelashes accentuating her brown eyes.

The sounds of birds tweeting and the lapping of the water against the rocks fizzle away as a rush of blood fills my ears.

I don’t know what’s shifted between us, or how, but I do know I want to be in this moment right now, with her.

I pull Millie closer to me, her hands resting on my shoulders. “There’s no one watching us,” she whispers.

I squeeze her ass, before readjusting her, her eyes widening when I press my hard dick against her stomach. “Good.”

My right hand gingerly skates up Millie’s neck and when she doesn’t stop me, I take it as my cue and reach up, pressing my lips to hers.

Fireworks explode at the contact, her lips parting hungrily as I slide my tongue into her mouth.

Millie grits out a moan that reverberates down my throat and straight to my dick.

My hands dig into her skin, her hair, her hips.

Millie reciprocates, running her hands through my hair, her laboured breaths the hottest thing I’ve ever heard.

She grinds against me, and I can’t stifle my groan, desperate for a release I know I shouldn’t have right now, because we’re in public and anyone could see or hear us.

But the more our tongues continue to swirl against each other’s, the more I want.

More kissing, more grinding, more of Millie.

“Fuck, Millie,” I grunt hoarsely.

She lets out a whimper before she pulls my head towards her, taking control of the pace, the friction between our bodies heading to combustion. My hands splay across her back, driving her into me, and water splashes around us as we claw at each other with abandon.

The sound of people talking nearby shatters our make out bubble and we halt simultaneously. Millie’s eyes cloud with lust, and her lips are red-raw from where I’ve mauled her.

Her gaze drags from mine to behind me. “Steph and Dan are walking up.”

“Damn.” I kiss her on the chin.

She gives me a shy grin as I squeeze her to my body one more time before releasing her and reach down to readjust my crotch. The blue balls are becoming ridiculous.

I turn to wave to Steph and Dan. Steph waves back enthusiastically, but Dan shoots daggers at me. He might be hungover, but there’s no misreading that look. He saw me kissing Millie, and he’s not happy about it. I should talk to him about that.

“It’s too hot to sleep. How’s the water, lovers?” Steph drops her things to the ground.

Ignoring Dan’s warning stare, I glance at Millie, who’s hovering near me, her eyes glistening with mischief.

I smile at her. “Dangerously good.”