Page 12 of Naughty Noelle
Hiro pauses as he lifts the dome from a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. My tummy growls, surprising me. He laughs. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. I was worried when I saw you on the floor.”
“Don’t remind me.” I eagerly tuck into my plate, moaning as I bite into the thick-cut bacon.
Hiro’s jaw tightens and it intrigues me enough to do it again, practically purring as I lick the tiniest bit of salty grease from my lips. “Mmm. You even have bacon treats for your temporary pet.”
Hiro tilts his head, meeting my eyes. “You’re hardly a dog, Noelle.” His gaze drops to my lips. “And if you keep licking your lips like that, I’m going to forget that your brother is my best friend.”
My throat goes tight. “Is that what stopped you before?”
He shakes his head. “No. What stopped me before was your age. What kind of man takes advantage of a sixteen-year-old girl?”
“You’re not that much older than me.”
“Almost a decade. When I walked into that New York party and saw that stupid boy with his hands all over you I wanted to smash something.” Hiro takes a deep breath. “But you were sixteen and he was sixteen and that is perfectly normal. What wasn’t normal was my reaction.”
A tremor shivers through my stomach and it has nothing to do with being sick. “I tried to kiss you that night.”
His lips twist. “Tried? You did kiss me that night.”
Heat floods my cheek and I bite my lip, remembered embarrassment leaving a heavy feeling in my chest. I straighten my shoulders. “You didn’t kiss me back. You pushed me away. It’s not like I was some innocent girl at sixteen anyway.” I was pretty wild, in fact. I look away, suddenly wishing I hadn’t tried to be so much older than I was back then.
Hiro moves closer, lifting his hand and taking my chin, forcing me to look at him. “It doesn’t matter what you did or didn’t do back then. You were sixteen with all the privileges of being a Black and all of the limitations too. Of course, you triedto rebel. But it doesn’t matter how old you looked, or acted, or even what you asked for. I was the adult and I had to protect you.”
“Just like now.”
His eyes search mine. “It’s a little different. We’re both adults now.”
“What would happen if I tried to kiss you now?” I whisper.
“Do you still want to?”
I nod, afraid to take my eyes off his, afraid that if I move, I’ll break this spell. His fingers slide along my jaw, under my ear and tilted my face up to his. “Would you mind if I kissed you instead?”
Before I can even draw in a breath, his mouth is on mine, his lips coaxing mine to open. The kiss is like fireworks, lighting me up everywhere all at once. I tentatively press my tongue against his, my nipples tightening instantly as he groans, deepening the kiss between us.
My towel slips and I arch into his embrace, rubbing myself all over the soft knit of his shirt.
He breaks the kiss, panting as he looks down at me. “Shit. You’re sick and I should be taking care of you.”
I straighten, letting the towel fall away completely. Cool air sweeps across my nipples and the hunger in his gaze makes me bold. “I feel one hundred percent better, but I do need you to take care of me.”
His eyes darken. “Where does it hurt, baby?”
The endearment, uttered in low tones, feels like a caress. I don’t know what’s happening here but if this is the only shot I have with Hiro, I’m going to grab it tight and wring every drop out of the experience.
I glide my hands up my ribcage and lift my breasts, deliberately skating my fingers over the sensitive peaks. “Here,” I rasp.
Hiro covers my hands with his, the warmth sinking into my skin. He molds my fingers around my nipples, using my own nails to rasp the tips before bending over me and sliding his tongue up my cleavage. My head falls back, and he drags his teeth lightly over my collarbone, eliciting a shiver that feels like sinking into a hot bath after coming in out of the rain. A warm glow spreads in my chest. I open my eyes to see Hiro grinning and my belly clenches just as a flood of warmth rushes lower. He leans in, doing it again before kissing and nuzzling higher, making me squirm.
“So sensitive aren’t you baby?”
My pulse kicks up another notch at the dark promise in his voice. I’m not a virgin but somehow this feels different from anything I’ve ever done before.
He lowers me completely to the bed, sweeping his hand under my hair and fanning it out across the pillow. “If you only knew how often I imagined your hair like this, spread out like ribbons of embers for my pleasure.” He dips his head, inhaling. “And scented with my soap.” His breath tickles my ear and I shiver, the movement causing my breasts to brush against his shirt. I’m so sensitive the touch sets off tiny sparks in my body.
“Y-, you fantasized about me?” I can barely form a coherent thought as he finds my breast with his hand, kneading and plumping until the ache between my legs becomes an inferno.
Smoothing the hair away from my forehead, he drops a tender kiss there. My eyes flutter open.
