Page 58 of When the Stars Rise

“Fucking incredible,” I finish. “I know.”

She laughs as I lift her off me, scoop her up in my arms and carry her over to the bed like a groom carrying his bride over the threshold. With a kiss on her lips, I toss her onto the mattressand retreat to the bathroom, grabbing a towel to clean her up. That’s when it dawns on me—it never even crossed my mind to use a condom.

“We didn’t use a condom,” I say, gliding the towel between her thighs. There’s a question in my voice and I’m hoping like hell I’ll like the answer.

Hayley takes the towel out of my hand and tosses it aside, pulling me down to her for a kiss. “It’s okay. I’m on birth control.” I already knew that. That wasn’t the question. “It’s only been you. You’re the only one.”

I know what she’s saying. I’m the only one who’s ever gone bare with her. Thank fuck for that. “Same. Only you.”

She smiles and kisses my lips, running her hand down my chest and just like that, I’m hard again. With Hayley, I could go all night and it still wouldn’t be enough.

I would always want more.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Hayley

I wakeup to bright sunlight streaming through the windows and feel more rested than I have in months.

Maybe sex with Noah is the key to a good night’s sleep—the antidote to all my worries and fears.

I sigh with contentment and roll over but deflate a little. Noah’s side of the bed is empty.

There’s an iced coffee, a plate of fresh fruit, and a Pop-Tart on the bedside table, and it’s sweet and thoughtful, but I’m disappointed that I’m not waking up next to him.

I sit up and glance around the room. Our bags are packed, and the room is tidy except for Noah’s running clothes on the floor outside the bathroom door.

He’s good like that. He’s not the kind of guy who just tosses his wet towel on the floor after a shower or leaves his dirty clothes all over the room or a sink full of dirty dishes for someone else to clean up. Which is funny, really.

Considering how recklessly he lives and how much he thrives on chaos, Noah likes to keep his surroundings neat and orderly.

The shower is running, and I smile when I hear Noah singing “Here Comes the Sun.” His voice is low, and the water muffles it, but I can still hear him.

I’m eating my breakfast when he comes out of the bathroom in a towel, his hair damp from the shower, and all I can think is,Why are you so perfect?

My gaze roams down his bare chest and then lower when he drops the towel, and I zone in on his V-cut and the fine dusting of hair that leads to… well, everything.

Noah is big, and the ache between my thighs is a constant reminder of what we did last night.

After the first time, we went back for two more rounds. It had been so long, and we couldn’t get enough of each other.

He smirks when he sees me licking my lips as I watch him getting dressed in faded denim and soft cotton. “Good morning, sleepyhead.”

A very good morning indeed.

I’m temporarily distracted by his veiny forearms when he pushes up the sleeves of the long-sleeved gray T-shirt.

How does he make a gray T-shirt look so sexy?

I don’t know but he does.

I take a sip of my iced coffee to cool my overheated skin. “What time is it?” I cast my eyes around the room searching for my phone, but I don’t see it anywhere.

He grabs his off the sideboard and checks the time before pocketing it. “Ten-fifty.”

“What?!” I screech, jackknifing off the bed. “You let me sleep until almost eleven? I never sleep that late.”

I run to my bag and frantically dig through it to find some clothes.