Page 54 of The Love Bus

BANISHING GHOSTS

W e moved at the same time. His hands found my waist, pulling me to him, and I went willingly, completely, like I’d been waiting for this all day—all week.

Longer.

“What are we—?” But I couldn’t finish because his mouth cut me off. And I didn’t mind because I wasn’t sure I wanted an answer.

Noah’s lips were soft at first, exploring, but hungry underneath. I clutched his shirt, tugging him closer as his fingers pressed into the small of my back.

If this was a mistake, I didn’t care.

“A fling.” Not sure which one of us said it.

Yes. I needed this. A fling. But not with just anyone.

With Noah .

The guy who’d edged his way under my skin since the second we met—and then stayed there.

I’d forgotten a kiss could feel like this.

That it could make you forget everything—that it could feel like falling and flying at the same time, like maybe your body didn’t belong to you anymore, not really, not when he was touching you like this.

His palms traced the curve of my ass as he walked me backward toward the bed.

This was different from the waterfall. This time, we both knew exactly what we wanted.

And, oh, sweet marmalade in heaven, I wanted this man.

“So damn beautiful.” I felt his whisper as much as I heard it.

I could only shake my head.

His mouth left mine. “Right here.” He was skimming a trail along my jaw. Down the side of my neck.

“And here.”

At the base of my throat, nibbling. Licking.

Chasing every ounce of oxygen out of my lungs.

His hand was under my top now, warm and moving higher. Barely breathing, I watched those lashes sweep down as he thumbed my nipple. It was already as hard as a pebble. He gave it a gentle pinch, and I gasped.

“Is this okay?” For once, his eyes were level with mine—so close that I could almost count the gray and blue flecks in his irises.

“Yeah.”

He thumbed it back and forth and then pinched harder.

I arched a little, pushing more of me into his hand. “It might even be medically necessary.”

The breath of his half-laugh vibrated through me.

“In that case...” He tugged my top up, over my head. And normally, I might have been a little embarrassed, but when those stormy eyes darkened, I didn’t want to hide.

He was looking at me like I was some decadent dessert, or something forbidden. Like he wanted to do wicked, wicked things to me.

With me.

His eyes flashed up again, and as he swirled one of my curls around his finger, his throat moved. “I’ve wanted to do this…”

Keeping his eyes pinned on me, he stepped back just enough so that he could cross his hands and sweep his shirt over his head.

Now, it was my turn to stare. At the elegant lines of his hard body, at the smattering of hair on his chest, funneled into a perfect little happy trail. I moved into his arms so I could feel it against my skin.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about you,” he said.

“And my ghosts?”

“And your ghosts.”

His mouth nipped along my jaw and then slanted against mine again.

I had all of this man’s focus. Something I wasn’t used to. And I should have…but…I wasn’t.

I inhaled his taste—minty, rough, and warm.

He inhaled mine.

When the edge of the bed bumped the backs of my knees, I didn’t fall. Not yet. I just held onto Noah.

His skin felt like satin beneath my fingertips, and I kept searching.

The little indent at the base of his spine. His back. His neck. His hair was soft, silky.

“Just once,” I said.

“ A fling ?”

“Yeah.”

Hasty promises between us.

And it was okay. We were two adults. He was free. I was free. And we were on vacation.

His mouth was on my shoulder now. “You taste like birthday cake.”

He playfully snapped the elastic on my shorts before his fingertips dipped inside, teasing the skin just below my belly.

I was so, sooo glad I’d taken the time to put lotion on. I was smooth all over.

Had I secretly been hoping for this?

Maybe.

Was I totally okay with this?

Definitely.

Was I panting?

Maybe a little.

He moved one foot between mine, swiping at it, and the next thing I knew, I was lying on the bed.

And Noah was there, hovering over me, his eyes a little hooded, his lips parted.

My heart thundered.

This was one of those incredibly rare moments—I was getting something I’d wanted so badly I’d been afraid to even wish for it.

His whiskers scraped down my throat. Then lower, and I clutched the sides of his head.

The ache inside me was low and insistent. And I was definitely giving in to it.

When I hooked my fingers onto his waistband, he settled between my legs.

This was happening. Finally. And why had we waited this long?

Noah’s fingers pushed the fabric of my panties aside. I was already wet, panting again. Then he brushed over my clit, rubbed it.

Gave it a few taps.

I squeezed my eyes close. Just feeling. So good.

He knew exactly where to touch—unraveling me, calming me. Then unraveling me again.

There were no promises. No declarations. Just friction and anticipation, so surreal it made my bones ache.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to laugh or cry.

I was waking up, and I wasn’t thinking.

And maybe I should have been, but in that moment, there were no whispered warnings going off in my head.

I wasn’t diving into something I might regret. I knew the stakes. We already had an expiration date. Once the trip was over, we would be over too.

A fling.

And then, I turned those thoughts off. And all I could hear were my breaths. And Noah’s.

And the sound of the bed creaking, oddly, sounding like relief. We were finally, finally letting this happen.

I mean, I was melting for him.

Sexy gray sweats? Gone.

PJ shorts? Off.

My knees fell open, and when he pressed the heel of his palm between my legs, I was throbbing.

Everywhere.

“Couldn’t stop thinking about this.” His mouth was hot on my skin. “Imagining you. Like this.”

He dipped inside. One finger. Two.

“Gave myself a whole speech.” He stared into my eyes, confessing, asking, even as he circled my opening, and then dipped deeper inside, caressing, more circling.

“I want to hear it. Your speech.” My heart was pounding. My insides were pulsing.

“Now?”

“Later. Maybe.” I choked a little. “Just…don’t stop.” God, don’t stop.

He was smirking a little. “Is it too much?”

“Not too much.”

“I want you ready.”

“I am ready.” If I wasn’t so far gone, I probably would have rolled my eyes.

But Noah knew what he was doing, building this pinching inside of me. “You sure about that?”

My mind is nothing but chaos now. I’m gripping him. I want more. I want…

“Now.” I tugged on his boxers, trying to drag them down.

Noah growled at this. He actually growled.

But then… “Hold on.” He drew back and although I was totally distracted by how his boxers hugged his…extremely manly parts, I immediately realized the problem.

The hold up.

“Condom?”

Noah had scrambled off the bed, grabbing his sweats, but he wasn’t putting them on. He was looking for…pockets?

He found just what we needed. And he didn’t waste time tearing it open.

Another me might have considered it presumptuous that he’d come to my hotel room so prepared. This me, the one squirming and hot, was just grateful.

I mean, I was on the pill, but it was safer this way.

“So, you didn’t really come to banish my ghosts?” I teased.

He was back on the bed again. Eyes glittering.

“I’m more than willing to banish your ghosts, Grumpy Girl.” His voice vibrated all my nerve endings.

And we picked up right where we’d stopped.

His mouth was on mine again. I pushed my hips up, grinding, greedy.

No more teasing. Just…feeling good. Making him feel good, too.

And maybe… Maybe something deeper.

Nope.

No thinking like that.

His hand was between us again. He positioned himself, and I pulled my knees up, not afraid of being too demanding, too excited, too…anything.

He nudged inside, giving me time to adjust, and then again.

“I’m good.” And so wet. I was more than ready.

I tightened my legs around his waist, pulling him deeper.

“So damn good.” He echoed.

And there was no more hesitation. Just thrusting. Filling me.

My body arched beneath his, heat building as I clung to him, shaking.

To be seen.

To be touched.

To be wanted.

“ God, Luna .” We were breathing the same air, moving together like this had already happened a thousand times in another life.

“Noah.” I bit out his name, taking more of him. He was…harder. And just as that delicious feeling threatened to explode, he moved faster, more deliberate.

And when his body tensed, holding…pulsating. I shattered.

I was utterly done.

Utterly dazed.

Because that was…even better than I’d imagined.

With ragged breaths, he pulled me tighter and buried his face in my hair, our legs still twisted together.

Just a fling. We’d agreed.

Harmless, right? Not me doing something stupid to blow up my life again.

Not me just asking to get hurt again.

We shifted. Then Noah reached for the blanket and pulled it over us.

“Hush.” His breath caressed the side of my face.

I twisted around so I could look up at him. His eyes were closed, and he looked incredibly content.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You were thinking too hard.”

I relaxed into the pillow we were sharing again.

It really wasn’t fair that he could read my mind when I’d been trying—and failing—to read his mind since the day we’d met.

“I can’t help it.”

He squeezed me. “I know.” And then he laughed a little. “But it really is okay.”

Just a fling.

Just once. Or…maybe.

Twice.