Page 90 of A Hard Habit to Break

Relief washed over Noah’s face. He pulled her close, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead.

“Thank you,” he breathed.

Noah claimed her lips in a searing kiss, all his attention focused on pleasing her with pillowy pulls of building pressure. With skilled mastery he teased with his tongue, offering and retreating until Rachel melted against him, all doubts momentarily forgotten. She surrendered on a soft moan, twining her arms around his neck, preventing escape. No way would she rob herself of his untamed indulgence. Noah’s hands roamed her bare back, leaving trails of fire in their wake. Rachel gave as good as she got, years of pent-up longing pouring out in a desperate tangle of lips and teeth and searching hands.

The pacing changed, and moans morphed to euphoric sighs as his mouth gently lifted from hers. In his eyes, passion blazed in tune with the fire roaring beneath her skin. Noah rested his forehead against hers.

“God, I want you every minute of every day, Six,” he murmured.

Rachel’s lips curved in a satisfied smile. “Me too,” she admitted.

Noah pulled back slightly, expression serious. “I know this is all happening fast. And I know you have doubts. I’d be worried if you didn’t. But I need you to know—I want everything in this life with you by my side.”

She believed him.

As they stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms, the rest of the world slowly filtered back in. ClamClam wound a figure-eight pattern around their ankles, purring contentedly. A dog, probably Hiccup, barked in the distance. The ever-present hum of cicadas filled the air.

But above it all, Rachel heard the steady thump of Noah’s heart. Strong. Sure. Calling her home.

Whatever additional secrets there were, whatever challenges lay ahead—in that moment, Rachel chose to believe that their love was strong enough to weather any storm.

She tilted her face up, capturing Noah’s lips in another passionate kiss. This one held a wicked promise of pleasures to come. Of long, sultry nights and lazy mornings tangled in sun-warmed sheets.

When they parted, both were flushed and breathless.

“We should head inside,” Rachel murmured reluctantly.

Noah nodded, eyes dark with desire. “Soon,” he agreed, kicking off his boots before tossing his shirt in the grass. “But not quite yet.”

With a playful grin, he scooped her up and waded into the cool river.

“I should be reviewing my notes,” Rachel said as Noah’s hands palmed and squeezed her apple bottom in all the right places.

“I should be getting eight hours of sleep. I should be doing a hundred responsible things that don’t involve you screaming my name,” Noah rasped, before his mouth claimed hers.

He tasted like the best night of her life—all passion fulfilled and promises kept. When they broke the kiss, their eyelids lowered to half mast, their gaze lazy and lustful.

“Responsibility is overrated.” She grinned, kicking her feet to splash them both with dewy droplets.

Rachel relaxed her arms, floating on the gentle current lapping at her limbs. When Noah parted her thighs and his head disappeared beneath the water, Rachel’s delighted shrieks gave way to soft moans.

Whatever tomorrow might bring, they had this perfect moment. She dared not let doubt ruin tonight. As Noah’s ministrations had her breathless and soaring, a small danger sign flashed a warning. In the morning, Rachel might regret tonight’s actions. However, tomorrow’s problems would be future Rachel’s business.

CHAPTER THIRTY

THE GOATS WEREback.

This time, with clear rain ponchos draped over their sandwich board signs. As the sun dipped low on Service’s horizon, a stubborn heat clung to the air, heavy and unmoving, a weighted blanket too thick for summer. Visible in the distance, storm clouds painted the sky with dense green hues. Inside the town hall building, the musty scent of aged paper and citrus-polished bookshelves mingled with the day’s lingering humidity. Tension seemed to grip her thoughts, if not her tapping right foot, as she mentally rehearsed key points to reinforce throughout her council presentation.

An energetic mix of conversation rolled like the distant rumble of thunder heard above the rising buzz of the growing crowd. Rachel’s father leaned over the railing at her back, his voice a low drawl that matched the easygoing cadence ofneighbors catching up on daily gossip and kids whisper-laughing in the back of the room. “You got this, RJ.”

“And we got you, FriendFriend,” Benji said, his presence a steady pillar of support.

Rachel, thankful for his friendship, offered a tight smile, trying to steady the weird fluttering in her chest. Beside her on the left sat Bethany. When their eyes met, the other woman’s gaze softened, the caramel tones catching the fading light filtering through the windows. Quiet strength infused with an uncanny sense of safety bolstered Rachel’s courage. They had built this proposal as a family. As a unit, they’d convince the town that repurposing many of the existing structures preserved Service’s history, and the cost savings allowed for improved infrastructure benefits for every member of the community.

She let that sink in. Her journey back to Service had been filled with trepidation, but here she was—at home with her father, a future stepmom she admired and trusted, and Amarie, her brilliantly talented sister-to-be. Service had always been her birthplace, but this new revelation spanned beyond geographical location. This connection, in reality, was what mattered to her. She added value to a community that welcomed her, good or bad, with or without a transactional price tag attached. She was one of them.

The door creaked open, and Pete strutted into the room, his grin spreading like wildfire across his face—too brilliant, too smug, too unbridled. Rachel’s nerves jangled at the sight, but then Noah followed, his tall frame casting a long shadow, dousing Pete’s flame.