Back to Me (Carolina Rebels 1)

I laugh. “Where else would I be?”

“On a plane back to Pittsburgh. Glad you’re not there.” Before I can remind him that I said I wouldn’t leave, he leans down to kiss me. His hai

r falls forward, tickling my face, especially since it’s wet. He must’ve showered before coming home. “Want to go someplace with me this afternoon?”

“Depends,” I lie. I’d go anywhere with him, no questions asked. “Where are we going?”

He moves his head side to side so his hair brushes my face. “To get my hair cut.”

“What? Why?” Longish hair on Noah definitely works.

“I always cut it right before training camp.”

“But I haven’t had a chance to fully enjoy it yet.” To make my point, I lean up to kiss him, tugging on a handful of hair.

Noah laughs. “Good thing we have time before my appointment.” He stands and pulls me with him, leading me to the door. “Time for me to make my other fantasy come true,” he explains as he pulls my shirt up and over my head, tossing it behind him.

“Let me cut your hair.”

I nearly get whiplash from glancing at Meredith so fast. She’s lost her mind. “You can cut hair?”

She shrugs. “Let’s find out,” she says with a mischievous grin. “Maybe I want to become a hairdresser. This will help me decide.” That’s a load of shit. “Please, Noah?”

Have I gone crazy already? Because I find myself nodding, relenting, and pulling out my phone to cancel my appointment. Meredith squeals with delight. She pulls a chair from the table to the middle of the kitchen floor since it’s the one of the few rooms without carpet. She grabs a towel while I grab the kit my mom convinced me I’d need, but have never used.

No matter how this turns out, the grin on Meredith’s face right now already makes it worth it. She pats the seat and I sit with a deep breath. She stands in front of me, snipping at the air with an evil grin on her face. I grab her wrist and pull her down to me, so we’re face to face.

“People love me for my hair, Mere. Don’t butcher it.”

She kisses me softly. “Have more faith in me, Noah.”

“I would if you knew what you were doing,” I mumble as she begins to cut. “You don’t even know what I want!”

“Yes, I do. I’ve seen your picture when it’s short. Close your eyes and trust me.”

My eyes close on their own accord. I can feel her around me as she moves. Her legs bump into my elbows every so often and I just want to grab them and pull her onto my lap. When her fingers start diving into my hair, I nearly yank her into my lap right then. The only thing that stops me is the fact that she’s holding scissors.

When her knees hit mine, my eyes pop open to get an eyeful of cleavage. I can’t resist grabbing her hips, causing her to glance down at me with a smirk.

“Please tell me you’re finished.”

I tug her down so she straddles my lap. “Almost.” Her gaze lifts to my hair and she runs her hand through it, scrutinizing her work. “I need to stand,” she tells me.

“No.” I pull her closer to me.

“You told me not to butcher it. How can I make sure I don’t do that if I can’t see?”

“Find another way, because the next time you stand, it’s so I can drag you to my bed.”

“When did you become so demanding?” she teases, cutting whatever she needed to without leaving my lap.

“I’m not demanding,” I retort, unable to look anywhere but her breasts. “I’m giving you a heads-up, like a warning. You should thank me for it, really.”

She snaps her fingers and I look up in time to see her roll her eyes. “I’m finished.” She sets the scissors aside, puts both hands in my hair, and grips a handful. She pulls to tilt my head back. A grin graces her face. “I left it a little longer on the top so I’d have something to pull.”

“Want to really test it out?”

“Well, if you insist,” she smiles.