Page 76 of Shattered Oaths

I laugh and push at his chest, rolling my eyes. “Thanks for that.”

Noah steps back with a chuckle as I kick my shoes off and hang my bag on the hook.

Ask him,my subconscious screams at me.

“How was your day after I left?” Noah asks, silencing the niggling thoughts and I smile at him as he rounds the kitchen island and opens the fridge, pulling out a beer and twisting the cap off before handing it to me.

“Thank you,” I say, taking it. “It was fine. Normal.”

“Justin didn’t bother you again, did he?” He asks with a frown, and I don’t miss the malice in his tone as he says his name.

“No.” I lie.

He didn’t bother me again,in person.But the pile of text messages in my inbox and the list of missed calls tell a different story.

“Good.” He nods, taking a swig of his own beer.

I take a seat on one of the stools and pick at the label on my bottle, deciding to finally address the elephant in the room. “So, uh, about earlier.”

Noah blinks at me, his head slightly tilted, making the small gold hoop in his nose glisten beneath the light in the kitchen.

“What about it?” he asks softly.

“You kissed me. In public.” My cheeks flame.

His tongue pokes into the side of his cheek as he smirks. “I did.”

“Why? Aren’t you worried it’ll get back to Killian?”

His brow furrows before his eyes widen slightly, recognition flashing in them. “He already knows, Bells.”

My spine snaps straight. “What?! Since when?” I ask louder than I mean to.

Noah chuckles and rounds the counter, turning my stool towards him and sliding his body between my thighs. “Since he took one look at me and realised something he should have years ago.”

I frown. “What?”

His finger finds my chin, lifting it so that my eyes are on his and he watches me with an intensity, a seriousness that makes my stomach flutter. “That I’m fucking crazy about you.”

I suck in a breath, a million questions flying around in my head, but they’re all washed away as his mouth descends on mine in a kiss that I feel all the way down to my toes. It’s not hurried or hard. It’s soft and slow, his tongue moving against mine is languid strokes as his hands gently cup either side of my neck.

And when he finally pulls away, both of our chests heaving, and I blink up into his hazel eyes, I know that I’m irrevocablyin love with this man.

CHAPTER 33

NOAH

How am I supposed to act around you in front of Hunter?” Bella asks tentatively and my head snaps in her direction; confusion painted on my features.

“What do you mean?” I ask, focusing back on the road as I follow behind my brother’s truck.

Bella picks at her nails. “I mean, does he know about us? Or…” She leaves the rest of her question hanging in the air between us and I smile at her sudden shyness.

“Does he know that you’re my girl?” I raise a brow, reaching over the centre console to place a hand on her bare thigh, squeezing the skin reassuringly. “He knows, Bells.”

“Your girl, huh?” she asks, and I can hear the surprise in her voice.

I glance over at her briefly. “Yes. I thought I made myself clear that first night.”