She turned to him, arms outstretched. “Then just hold me while I rub my body all over yours in time to the music.”

“That is undeniably the best offer I’ve ever received.”

Her laugh was a sexy combination of lustful and sweet as he walked into her embrace. He gathered her right hand into his left and tucked it against his chest. He settled his other hand low on her back and drew her just close enough for their hips to touch as he led her in a gentle sway.

A pink flush rose on her cheeks. “You’re better than you think.”

He dropped his cheek to hers. “Only with you.”

Their lips found each other naturally, and their dance became more.

Wordlessly, they helped each other shed their shirts, bumping into each other with elbows and chins, laughing and apologizing in heated whispers, and then it was back to kissing, naked chest to naked chest, content for a moment to just enjoy the feel of skin on skin. The coarse hair that covered his taut muscles abraded the soft, tender flesh of her nipples with every labored breath, every shift of his body.

He angled her toward the couch. “Lie down.”

She obeyed, reaching for him as she did. But instead of joining her on the couch, he knelt in front of her. She rose on her elbows.

“What are you—”

He lifted his eyebrows and pulled off her shorts, never losing eye contact with her. Then he hooked one leg over his shoulder, then the other. He saw the moment when she realized his intentions. Her eyes widened. Her hands fisted the couch cushions.

He lowered his mouth between her legs and whispered, “Can I kiss you here?”

“Yes,” she breathed, tilting her head back in anticipation.

He grazed the sensitive skin between her legs, and she moaned. And then her groan became his, because fuck . . . her taste. Sweet. So Alexis. He loved her with his tongue, using the tip to find and circle and massage the swollen nub. She writhed beneath him, and he felt her hand grip the back of his head.

Her breaths came in little pants. Her legs tightened against his shoulders. He already could tell the signs of her coming orgasm, and he increased the pace and the pressure.

“Noah . . . oh my God . . .” She bucked and cried out. He continued to stroke her until her spasms subsided and she sank languidly against the couch.

“Come here,” she whispered, reaching for him.

Noah rose on his knees. His hands shook as he stood and undid his jeans. She helped to free his erection and cover him in a condom, and then she wrapped her legs around his waist as he bent over her.

He could barely think because the tip of him was already pressed against her opening, and fuck, fuck, he was like a virgin again. He buried his face in her neck and thrust. And the entire fucking world shifted. “Alexis . . .”

She gasped, arching into him.

Nothing had ever felt like this. Nothing.

She held him there, her face pressed into his neck. And that’s when he felt it. The shudder in her chest. He rose up immediately, afraid he was crushing her. But she rolled her face away from him. He watched a tear roll down her cheek.

Fuck. What did he do? “What’s wrong?”

She sucked in another shaky breath, but when she let it out, it came out with a small sob.

He reached up and turned her face back to him. “Talk to me.”

“I’m sorry. I’m just . . .” She caught her breath. “I’m just happy.”

* * *

* * *

Alexis woke up alone the next morning.

She rose on her elbows and tried to get her bearings, but then she heard the clink of dishes in the kitchen.

She pulled on a long T-shirt, padded downstairs, and leaned in the doorway at the end of the hall to study him. He stood at the island with his back to her, a bowl of cereal in one hand and his phone in the other, scrolling absently with his thumb until he set it down to take a bite. He’d showered but hadn’t dried his hair all the way.

“Good morning.”

He turned around and smiled, and in that instant, she never ever wanted him to leave. She wanted to wake up to that smile every day of her life. He set his bowl down as she approached. His hands gripped her hips and tugged her close.

“Morning,” he murmured, dipping his head.

They shared a sweet, brief kiss that sent her heart into overdrive. “You’re awake early.”

“Habit.” He squeezed her hips. “I made you some tea.”

She leaned against the counter and met his coy smile with one of her own as she sipped her tea. “You know last night, what you did, the oral thing?” Her face flamed as she said it.

He lifted a single eyebrow, a sexy smile tugging his lips up at the corners. “Yeah, I remember the oral thing.”

“I’ve never, I mean. No one has ever . . .” She shut up and bit her lip.

His face lost all traces of amusement. “You’ve never had oral sex?”

She shrugged. “Not on me. I mean, not done to me.”

The look on Noah’s face couldn’t have been more disgusted if she’d told him she’d switched alliances from Finn to Poe. “What the fuck is wrong with the men of this country?”

She barked out a laugh as he suddenly blocked her against the counter with his arms. Boom. Her nipples pebbled and her thighs began to sweat.

His mouth dipped to her ear. “Did you like it?”

“I thought that was obvious,” she panted. The heat of his breath made her weak and wet.

“Want me to do it again?” His tongue dipped into the cave of her ear.

“Yep,” she squeaked.

“Good,” he breathed, lips now tickling her throat. “Because knowing that I’m the only man in this whole goddamned world who knows how good you taste makes me want to do it over and over again.”

“You—You think I taste good?”

“You are a fucking delicacy,” he growled, lips now hovering over hers. “And I plan to feast on you every chance I get.”

He devoured her mouth and then released her with a swat on the butt.

Alexis laughed and pushed him away. “Who is this man in my kitchen, and what you have done with my mild-mannered Noah?”

He winked at her, and her entire body went up in flames.

“I wish I didn’t have to work today,” she yawned, carrying her tea to the table. She sat down and drew one leg up on her chair. “But since I was off Friday and Saturday, I can’t justify another day off, even if it’s Sunday.”

Noah shoveled another bite of cereal into his mouth. “I have about a thousand things to catch up on too. I wish I could cancel every one of them.”

“New clients?”

“Old ones who can’t train their employees to stop opening phishing emails.”

“I love it when you talk nerdy to me.”

He tipped his cereal bowl and drank the rest of the milk. Even that was sexy. After putting the bowl in the dishwasher, he joined her at the table and slid his phone toward her. “I started a grocery list. Add whatever you need. I’ll get it after I finish work today.”

Her heart ping-ponged in her chest as she glanced down at the list. “Steel-cut oats?”

“Those are for me.”

“Planning on eating breakfast here a lot?”

“Yep.”

“That’s awfully presumptuous of you. We haven’t even been on a real date yet.”

“What’re you talking about? We’ve been on a million dates.”

“Not as a couple. Not since we’ve started, you know . . .”

He jerked his eyebrows. “Doing the oral thing?”

Her cheeks got hot again.

Noah sighed dramatically and leaned back in his chair. “Fine. Will you go out with me?”

“Depends on where you take me.”

“Your bedroom?”

“I can do that.”

Noah grabbed the seat of her chair and dragged it close to his. He took her hands and tugged her forward until she willingly straddled his lap.

Things were just getting good when her cell phone rang.

Noah nipped her collarbone and then let her go with a groan. She jogged into the hallway where her phone was charging. The number was from Huntsville.

Her pulse skyrocketed as she answered. “Hello?”

“Alexis? This is Jasmine from the transplant center.”

Her breath lodged in her throat. “Yes, hi.”

“I’m calling to tell you that we got the second round of compatibility tests back.”

Alexis looked up to find Noah hovering in the doorway, eyebrows furrowed.

“Okay,” she said on a breath. “What’s the verdict?”

“You’re a genetic match.”

The roaring in her ears made it hard to focus on what Jasmine said after that. Something about scheduling her for the final tests to make sure she was healthy enough for the surgery. Something about needing to do it in the next couple of weeks and it would take two days.

Alexis finally thanked her and hung up.

“What’s wrong?” Noah asked, walking closer.

“That was the hospital.”

He stopped short. “And?”

“I’m a genetic match.”

Noah dragged his hand over his hair. “Now what?”

“She wants me to come down for two days of testing to make sure I’m healthy enough for the surgery.”

Noah stared at the floor, jaw hard and clenched.

“I have to do this, Noah.”

“I know.” His breath shook as he lowered his forehead to her shoulder. “How can I help?”

“Can you come with me?”

“You even have to ask?”

She kissed him. In five seconds flat, her T-shirt was on the floor. Thirty seconds later, he backed her to the couch and his mouth was on her breast and she was moaning his name. Twenty seconds after that, Noah dropped to his knees in front of her splayed legs.

She lost track of time after that.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

This was her favorite way to wake up.

In the ten days since they’d returned from Memphis, Noah had spent every night in her bed and awakened her the same way every morning. It started with a kiss on the shoulder as his arm snaked around her waist. Then a slow, exploratory caress followed until she was fully awake, and then it always ended like this—wrapped up in each other, spent and sweaty, and deliriously happy.