Page 35

MILLIE

Lie down

“What?”

“Let me show you how good it can be.” Noah’s voice has dropped an octave, the deep, husky tones of his proposal shooting straight to the place between my thighs.

“Noah . . .”

“What’s the point of having a fake boyfriend if you don’t get some of the perks?”

Fake boyfriends don’t offer to do this.

“I would never intentionally do anything to make you uncomfortable, Millie,” he continues sincerely.

“But this? This is like an insult to women out there who are getting the good stuff. You can’t go through your life thinking head is nice.

And what about us men doing it right? I’ve got to stand up for the blokes, too. ”

A giggle escapes my mouth. “Isn’t this like, solicitation?”

“The thought has crossed my mind, but I figure it doesn’t count because one, I’m paying you, you’re not paying me and two, I’m offering out of goodwill. I want to do it.”

Am I really considering this? Noah offers to give me oral sex and I think, hmmm, you know what? You’re right. I should let you try to prove me wrong.

My mouth dries. “I don’t know. Won’t it complicate things? Look how weird it got after a kiss.”

Noah shakes his head. “We pinky promised, remember? Besides, this is a friend helping another friend and we’re contractually obliged not to see anyone else. Why not cash in on this?”

Noah’s face fills with hope and for several beats he waits patiently for my response.

Can Noah really show me better than nice ?

I explicitly said when we started this arrangement that sex was off the table.

I’m not a casual hookup type of person and never have been.

My stance on not wanting a boyfriend hasn’t changed.

I’m still working through grief and figuring out what to do next.

Complications that come with sex and feelings are still not something I have time for.

“You’re spiralling,” Noah murmurs, circling his thumb on my wrist.

“We said no sex.”

“Technically, this isn’t sex.” Noah gives me a gentle squeeze. “And that was one of your stipulations. I’m offering to make you feel good.”

The line of what’s fake and what isn’t has passed the point of blurred, but if I’m honest with myself, I’m not that bothered. Especially if he’s the one offering to cross the line again.

Before I know it, I’m whispering the word so quietly I’m not sure I even say it aloud. “Okay.”

Noah’s body locks up, his eyes turning molten. “I need you to be clear. Is that a yes?”

I nod and meet his gaze. “Yes.”

Our breaths are deafening as we study each other. Now I’ve said yes, I wonder if Noah regrets the offer, but his gaze, filled with want and need, doesn’t falter as he shuffles off the end of the mattress. “Lie down.”

Those two words almost paralyse me. I focus on moving my body, trying my best not to freeze and get inside my own head. It’s a consensual act between two friends. Don’t overthink it.

I lie on my back and watch as Noah helps guide my legs so my feet are flat on the bed and my knees are bent. I lick my lips at the sight of his muscles rippling in the dim light, his gaze fixated with something like awe.

“If you want to stop, we stop.” His voice is a low, hollow sound and my stomach cartwheels at the sound of it. I nod my agreement, holding my breath in anticipation.

He reaches up and slowly slides my shorts down, casting them aside as he stares back at me. He licks his lips, and I do my best to not shy away from his intense stare.

“Whoa,” he huffs out.

I slap my hands to my face and giggle. “Noah, don’t?—”

“I’m not blowing smoke up your ass.” His hands touch mine and I let him peel them away from my face. “You’re a smoke show.”

I inhale a sharp breath at the look of admiration on his face. Even though he’s seen me in a swimsuit, this is the most exposed I’ve felt in front of him. The way his gaze travels down and back up my legs sends a bolt of heat straight to my core.

His gaze pierces mine. “You’re sure you’re okay with this?”

“Yes. Are you?”

He grins. “Fuck yeah.”

Noah kneels between my thighs and hooks his fingers around my underwear. With one last look to me, he tugs them and slides them down my legs and off my body.

I am officially half naked with my vagina EXPOSED to Noah King.

I stop breathing.

Noah calmly settles himself between my legs and scrunches up my shirt to expose my midriff. He lowers his head and presses his lips to my stomach. It takes every bit of willpower not to pass out.

His warm lips skate across my abdomen, pressing into my skin, sending shivers up my spine. My lips tremble with anticipation and I slam them together to keep from whimpering.

Noah’s facial hair tickles my skin as his kisses trail further south. He adjusts himself so his shoulders dig into the backs of my thighs, and I do my best to not cringe as I imagine his face mere inches from a place I never thought he’d get remotely close to.

When his mouth skims my inner thigh, I jump. A strong hand presses into my stomach, holding me in place. “Relax.”

“Sorry,” I pant.

“You’re meant to enjoy this,” he reminds me. His voice sounds strained, almost as if he’s as turned on as I am.

“It’s sensitive,” I explain. “I wasn’t exactly expecting this to happen, and it’s been a while so everything’s heightened?—”

His tongue runs up my centre in a fluid movement and I nearly scream. He repeats the movement a few more times, his tongue moving over me with such agonisingly slow precision, my eyes roll into the back of my head. When he uses his hands to spread me wider, I choke.

“Oh, shit!” I cry, slapping my hand over my mouth. “Oh, my god. Sorry!”

I hear Noah chuckle, and I peer between my legs.

And nearly pass out.

His lips glisten from me , his green eyes twinkling with mischief. “Don’t ever apologise for that.” His head ducks, and he continues where he left off—slow, languid strokes up and down my sensitive flesh.

A long, tormented moan sounds from my mouth.

Followed by another and another. The sensation is not like the other times I’ve done this.

I’ve had pleasant and fun and nice, but this experience has me in a chokehold.

It could be the built-up tension setting me on fire or it’s because Noah King knows exactly what he’s doing.

He’s hitting all the right places with expertise, and I’ve never experienced someone so confident with their oral sex actions before.

Whatever the reason, I don’t care. I only know I don’t want him to stop.

Noah’s tortuous rhythm builds a fire in my core I didn’t know was possible. He takes his time, drinking me in slowly before increasing his pace, swirling his tongue to bring a different element to the pleasure.

Wanton need replaces doubt and insecurity. I slide my fingers into Noah’s hair to steady myself as I writhe on the mattress, instinctively rocking my hips up into his face to relieve the building pressure.

“Fuck,” I gasp.

“That’s my girl,” he growls. “Ride my face.”

The words catch me off-guard and a surge of heat soars from his mouth to my limbs, setting fire to my skin and bones like a beautiful death I never want to be revived from. As my release builds, my hands press Noah’s head closer, and again his tempo increases.

Between my gasps of breath, Noah’s earnest groans fill the tent, and it’s a sound I want to chase. His obvious enthusiasm is such a turn-on, and when my legs tremble in his hands, he grunts again. “Yes, baby. Don’t be shy. Come for me.”

I bite down on my hand as I orgasm, an almost-silent scream ripping from my throat as my entire body shakes with euphoria, my legs locking up around Noah’s head like a vice.

It takes me several beats to come back to Earth, my chest heaving laboriously like I’ve run a marathon, when in fact all I did was lie down and get pleasured by an absolute master. Noah didn’t even use his fingers. Pure mouth action.

I loosen my death-grip on Noah’s head, and he rises, shifting backwards slightly.

The look on his face makes me think he’s ready to devour me.

His bare chest heaves with mild exertion, a soft glistening of sweat across his pecs as his hooded eyes drink me in.

His face is wet and red, and he slowly swipes a thumb across his bottom lip.

“I have no words,” I say honestly, sitting up on my elbows.

Noah’s eyes flash with humour. “That’s a good result.”

In the dim light, I can’t miss the bulge in his pants. Noah tracks my gaze, but to my surprise he twists his lips and reaches for my underwear and shorts and hands them to me.

Disappointment. It fills my chest quickly and unexpectedly.

“This wasn’t tit for tat, Millie,” he rasps.

“But that’s twice you’ve done something without getting anything in return,” I say sheepishly, taking my clothes from him. “Don’t you get to cash in on the fake girlfriend thing, too?”

Noah grins. “Are you offering?”

The way Noah looks at me is more empowering than I could’ve imagined. I sit up and onto my knees, covering the tops of my legs with my clothes. “I might be.”

Noah gazes down at me and when he reaches to tuck my hair behind my ear, shivers of pleasure ricochet down my neck. His hand lingers there and there’s a storm of emotions raging in his eyes that I desperately try to decode.

When he drops his hands and clears his throat, the buzz between us shatters. “I wanted to give that to you,” he says quietly. “You don’t owe me anything.”

It’s not exactly rejection, but it feels like it. My body’s high starts to fade, embarrassment and annoyance replacing it, but I do my best to school my face and offer a toothless smile.

“Thanks, Noah.”

He nods. “I’m going to brush my teeth. Back in a sec.”

He grabs his toiletries bag and unzips the tent, ducking out and leaving me alone and pant-less.

How can something so blissful switch to something disappointing so quickly?