He looked over with an eyebrow raised. “Remember last night when you wondered how long it would be until everyone figured it out?”

He handed over his phone. A series of photos had been texted during the night.

Mack and Liv with a thumbs-up.

Malcolm and Del posed together with stupid grins.

Colton sent a video of himself making a kissy face.

Gavin and Thea grinned adorably.

The Russian’s was last. I will stay with Colton.

She set the phone on the table next to the bed. “Looks like we missed a good party.”

“Our party was way better.”

She crawled into bed, and he opened his arms to her. Noah rolled and pressed their clasped hands into the blanket next to her head, bringing their faces inches from each other.

“Good morning,” he murmured.

“Hi,” she whispered.

“I slept really well last night.”

“So did I.”

Things got interesting in the place where her body cradled his, and pretty soon, he was diving for another condom. He sheathed himself and then leaned over her with a sexy smile, his hands on either side of her shoulders to hold himself aloft. Alexis lifted her head to kiss him, but he pulled back just enough so she couldn’t reach him.

His smile teased. “Say the magic word, babe.”

Alexis laughed. “You have to be kidding me.”

Noah nudged the tip of his erection against her, and she tipped her head back.

“Jesus, abracadabra.”

With a loud laugh, he entered her in a single, powerful thrust.

Time stopped.

She gasped.

He groaned.

Alexis lifted her legs around his waist to draw him farther inside her. They moved, rocked, caressed, and kissed.

“Alexis . . . ,” he suddenly groaned. “God, baby. Slow down. I can’t hold . . . I can’t hold back.”

Wanton satisfaction surged through her. She lifted her head and brushed her lips against his ear. “I don’t want you to hold back.”

He tried to pull out of her, but she grabbed his ass and pulled him back in. She was rewarded with a groan and a shudder. But still he hesitated, and she felt him shake his head. “No . . . not until you . . .”

She cupped his perfect, hard-as-rock butt cheeks and squeezed. “I’ve dreamed about this, too, Noah. About making you fall apart in my arms. Driving you crazy. Let me.”

He groaned again, his body moving as if he could no longer stop it. “You feel so good. So fucking good.”

She lifted her right leg and hooked it around his arm, opening herself wide beneath him. The move drove him deep inside her, and they both groaned. The pleasure was so intense he couldn’t help but groan out her name and move again.

“Is that good?” she whispered against his lips, their labored breaths mingling in a rapid pant.

“So fucking good,” he groaned, thrusting harder, faster.

She shifted and arched into him.

He paused. “Wait . . . are you okay?”

“Oh my God. Can’t you tell?” She tightened her legs around him and met his thrusts with her hips. “Let it happen, Noah.”

That same animalistic growl that had erupted from him earlier emerged again. He braced higher onto his knee and pumped faster and faster until his skin broke out with a sheen of sweat and . . .

Oh, God. Alexis clutched his biceps. The position he was in. He was hitting her in all the right places. How could it happen this fast? Her orgasm hit with a sudden flood of sweet relief that made her stiffen and cry out as much in surprise as pleasure.

Noah let out a sound of guttural male satisfaction and thrust into her again with a final, hard shudder. His entire body quaked above her. Then he groaned her name and collapsed.

Alexis couldn’t help it. Again. She laughed. Again.

Noah rose up to gaze down at her. “Now what are you laughing at? And trust me, my ego really is at stake now.”

Alexis slid her arms up his wide back. “I’m laughing because you do have a magic wand.”

Noah answered with another one of those sexy grins and a twist of his hips. Alexis pulled his head down for a kiss. A noise from the front door made them both still. It sounded like—

Oh shit. The Russian was back.

Noah leaped out of bed and threw the covers over her naked body just as the Russian tiptoed by the open doorway, hands over his eyes. “I am not looking.”

“Christ, dude. Why didn’t you call first?” Noah growled.

“I need to shower. We have brunch.”

Noah slammed the bedroom door. “I forgot about brunch,” he grumbled.

Alexis sat up, holding the sheet over her breasts. “What would you say about getting in my car and just going home together?”

Noah returned to bed. “I’d say those are the best words that have ever been spoken.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Beefcake greeted them with a pouty yowl. Noah gulped as Alexis bent to pick him up. She kissed his hair and turned toward Noah. “He missed us.”

“He missed you,” Noah said, pulling their suitcases to the bottom of the stairs. “He’s going to kill me in my sleep tonight.”

“Maybe he’s jealous,” she said, setting the cat down. Beefcake immediately lifted a leg and started licking his ass.

Noah closed the distance between them, laced their hands together, and backed her against the wall. He kissed her until they were both breathing hard.

“What’s this?” She laughed.

“It’s been too long since I kissed you.”

“Liar. You’re jealous of Beefcake.”

“You’re goddamned right I am. He’s been sleeping next to you for years.”

Her arms wound around his neck. “We’ll just have to make room for you in bed.”

“I’m a little worried about being naked around him. He’ll castrate me while I’m sleeping.”

She dropped a kiss on his chin. “I’ll protect you.”

Noah patted her butt. “Go relax. I’m gonna scrounge something up for dinner.”

“There’s not much,” she sighed. “I haven’t gotten groceries in over a week.”

“I’ll come up with something.”

“You’re a dream come true.”

He kissed her nose. “What’re friends for?”

She pointed to the kitchen. “Feed me.”

He winked. “Yes, ma’am.”

As she disappeared up the stairs, Noah opened the fridge and blinked as he chronicled its meager contents. Eggs. Milk. Water. Half-and-half. Butter. Wine. She wasn’t lying about not having much. The crisper drawers held some carrots that had seen better days and an unopened wedge of Parmesan cheese. He could probably use that.

He opened the cupboards. Jesus. Had she been living on air and caffeine the past week?

He spotted a box of fettuccine noodles. Perfect.

Next, he located her pots and pans, filled a stockpot with water, and set it to boil for the pasta. The water had just started to bubble when he heard her padded footsteps coming down the hall.

“How does fettuccine sound—” His voice died in his throat. She wore one of his old sweatshirts and a pair of flimsy sleep shorts.

She looked down at herself. “I changed. Is that okay?”

“Yep,” he croaked. He cleared his throat. “Is fettuccine alfredo okay?”

She folded her arms on the island and leaned. “I had all the ingredients for that?”

“That and little else,” he said, turning back to the stove. “What the hell have you been eating?”

“Whatever I can grab at the café.”

“Which means what?”

“A lot of coffee and stale scones.”

“You’re going to burn out, babe.”

“Then I guess it’s a good thing I have you to cook for me.”

His heart pinged. He liked the sound of that way too much, and the image that came with it. He’d cook for her every night, if he could.

“Can I help?”

“Nope.”

“How about if I set the table?”

His heart pounded again. The idea of sitting down with her for a simple meal at her homey dining table like a normal couple was almost more than his catapulting emotions could take. He’d wanted this for so long that it seemed impossible this was real.

“Sure,” he finally answered.

She moved around him, her hand casually sliding across his back. When she reached for the plates, his eyes drifted down to where her sweatshirt pulled away from the soft skin of her stomach. His breath vacated his lungs. Her dark gaze met his, and the hunger in her eyes likely matched his own.

After she set the table, Alexis turned on some music in the living room. The twangy, bluesy strains of Mumford & Sons broke the nervous pressure in the room. She returned to his side and opened the cupboard where she stored her wine and glasses.

Alexis selected a bottle of white and two glasses and carried them to the table. Noah made quick work of tossing the drained pasta and cream sauce in the stockpot.

Alexis filled their glasses as he carried the pot to the table and set it in the center.

“I feel like we should toast to something,” she said.

Noah leaned back in his chair, glass aloft. “You start.”

Her eyes drifted right in thought. Then they came back to his with a glisten. “To coming home.”

His heart officially relocated.

Several minutes later, Alexis collapsed against her chair with her hand over her stomach. “I was starving. Thank you.”

The music switched to a romantic ballad by a band Noah didn’t recognize. Alexis bit her lip and stood, hand outstretched. Noah folded his fingers into hers and let her pull him to his full height. Her smile was coy, her gaze shy.

“What’re you doing?” he rasped.

She tugged his hand as she headed toward the living room. “I want you to dance with me.”

“Honey, there are very few things I suck at, but dancing is one of them.”