Page 7 of Naughty Noelle
“Well, the reality is that your brother asked me to take care of you. Otherwise, I’d already be at my cabin with nothing but silence and a good book.”
“Just drop me at the side of the road, then. I don’t want to invade your private, quiet time.”
Hiro sighs and I hold up my hands before he can speak. “I know, I know. My brother, blah, blah, blah.” When Henry says jump, everyone does it. “I don’t know why he thinks I’m still a little girl who can’t take care of herself for a few days.”
“Has he interfered while you’ve been away at college?” Hiro asks.
I think about it. There have been a few overprotective moments, but generally, he tried to give me the independence I crave. I wrinkle my brow. “Why now? What’s happening?”
“You met that guy Tom for the first time tonight, right?”
“Yes. Karli met him a couple of months ago.”
“Isn’t she your best friend? How come you only met him tonight?”
“He doesn’t go to school with us, and I’ve been really busy trying to get things tied up with my courses.” Plus, I thought Karli was super mad at me about Owen, so when she started seeing someone, I didn’t press her about it. Owen and I are just friends, even though he might be interested in something more. I know Karli liked him and they hooked up a few times, so I thought for sure they’d end up together. He thought they wereveryunattached, and when he asked her if she’d talk to me about giving him a chance, she was pretty angry. Rightfully so, in my opinion, but then she said she didn’t care. I’m not really interested in being more than friends with him, and I thought I made that clear, but he’s still hanging around.
I tilt my head against the headrest, watching the lights skim over Hiro’s profile. “How far away is your cabin?”
“We’ll drive through the night,” he says, flicking a glance at me. He leans over, pulling his jacket over my lap. “Warm enough?”
I nod. It feels surreal to be driving through the dark, the warm air from the vents blowing around me, Hiro’s big hands wrapped around the steering wheel. Something stirs in my belly, and I wonder if he remembers that night in Henry’s Manhattan apartment when I kissed him.
My phone dinged with the door feed, so I knew he’d shown up. I’d been dancing with some guy whose name I can’t remember now. My eyes connected with Hiro’s who looked madder than I’d ever seen him. I took off down the hallway, opening the door to the small room we were using for Seven Minutes in Heaven, and kicked out the protesting couple before shutting myself in.
It didn’t take too long for him to find me, the door swinging open as his stern voice said my name. I didn’t say a word, but pulled him in, sliding my hands into his silky hair and took advantage of the element of surprise to do exactly what I’d been fantasizing about for months at that point.
I’d still swear he kissed me back before he firmly set me away from him, called me irresponsible, and shut the whole party down.
As brief as it was, that kiss was better than anything I’d ever fantasized about. Clearly it didn’t have the same impact on Hiro, who acted like I’d burned him and avoided me like the plague.
I glance over at him, his full lips, and sharp cheekbones as handsome as ever. I snuggle into his coat and lean my head against the seat, watching the streetlights blur by as we race through the night.
3
HIRO
My fingers curl into my palms as I watch Noelle sleep.
She’s always been a beautiful girl, but it was easy to ignore it when she was sixteen and wild. Now she’s all grown up and I can’t deny the fear that slid down my spine when I think about what might have happened to her last night if I hadn’t shown up.
Her auburn hair is tangled, her makeup is smudged and she’s wearing some bizarre mash-up of an outfit that’s somewhere between a sexy schoolgirl uniform and a cheerleader elf. I didn’t notice last night until I heard the faint jingle of bells, but even her earrings are Christmas-themed. Little dangling bells with red and green plaid bows.
I’m the farthest thing from a Christmas-lover, but something about the way the bells tangle in her long hair tugs at my heart.
It’s just for a few days. I can manage a few days.
I definitely can’t manage a few days with her in that outfit however, which is why I’m sitting in the parking lot of a big boxstore about two hours from my cabin waiting for Noelle to wake up. I lean across the console and gently shake her arm. Her lips part and a tiny snore, almost a snuffle, escapes.
I reluctantly smile. She’s so damn cute it makes my chest hurt. I’ve always been in awe of her. She’s always been the coddled baby of the Black family, and all that adoration resulted in a confident, smart, funny person who could talk to anyone and charm everyone around her.
As a shy, quiet introvert, being around Noelle was like a day at the beach. Sometimes loud, sometimes too bright, but you couldn’t make yourself leave, because the sunshine felt so good, and then by nightfall you were exhausted.
Her lashes flutter and she opens her eyes, smiling at me sleepily. My heart stutters. I try to think about the last time I woke up with a woman and I can’t. Sex is necessary, transactional, but it doesn’t have to be all-night affair. Of course, Noelle and I didn’t have sex, but that sleepy smile does something to me anyway.
Recognition sets in and the smile fades from her face. “Hiro?” She roughly massages her temples. “Are we at your cabin?”
I shake my head. “No.” I point out the window. “We’re going shopping.”
