She wanted to know more about this man who had entered her life and turned it upside down.
Noah pressed a kiss to her lips. “My life is fucking boring.”
Sage rolled her eyes. “Come on. I want to know more about you.”
“Fine. Fine. I will talk so long as you bring that food along with you.”
“I’m all ready to dish up. I’ll be right there.” The rice was already cooked. She’d drained that just before he arrived. She carried it through to the dining room, making the trips back for the sauce and the bread she’d purchased at the store.
Her grandmother used to make a gorgeous flatbread, but she didn’t have the time to make it to go with the meal.
Noah was already serving them when she returned with the bread. “I grew up in the foster system. I was bounced from one home to another. It didn’t matter if I was good or bad. The moment one family was done with me, I was moved on. I learned at a young age that a lot of people are only out for what they can get.”
“Noah, I’m so sorry.”
He smiled at her. “Don’t worry about it. Family eventually came to mean a lot to me. When I was about sixteen, I met a guy. He was an old guy, late seventies, I think. At this time, I was on the streets, stealing and stuff. He took me in, and guess what, he was a lawyer. He dealt in divorce, and I guess you could say I have a knack for the law. One moment, I’m on the streets, living from one day to the next. Then I’m suddenly studying like crazy.”
“Wow,” Sage said.
“Yeah, wow.”
“We both kind of dropped into our luck,” she said.
“Yeah. I’ll never forget Roger Dawes. He was … amazing,” Noah said.
She watched as he pulled out his cell phone and pressed on his screen, holding it up. “This is him.”
Sage smiled, seeing a young Noah standing in front of a frail, older-looking man, with an older woman.
“They couldn’t have kids, so in their own way, they adopted me, took me in, and I got to see what a true couple was all about.”
“I think I’m starting to see why you care so much about your job.”
Chapter Five
One month later
Noah watched Sage swing her hips to the music as she rolled out some cookies. He couldn’t believe how important this was to her. Baking cookies for a bake sale at the local high school didn’t strike him as the kind of thing his woman would do.
Stepping into the kitchen, he glanced down at the very old notebook that had a dusting of flour all over it.
He picked it up and turned it over. “What’s this?” he asked.
Sage turned around and smiled, stepping up toward him. “That’s my grandmother’s cookbook, full of useful hints, ideas, and of course, recipes.” She pointed toward the counter with all the cookies she’d been cutting out. “These were hers as well. Every year she contributed to the bake sale. I’ve been keeping up the tradition ever since. I guess it helps me feel closer to her.”
Noah wrapped his arms around Sage’s waist, pulling her in close. He’d noticed she hadn’t started her monthly cycle, and he didn’t dare approach the subject of pregnancy, not yet. He kissed her neck, feeling her body sink against him as if she couldn’t quite help herself.
“I had no idea you did this,” he said.
“I don’t announce it to the world. Everyone contributes. My grandmother’s recipe is amazing though, and I’ll only ever bake hers. Here, try one.”
She’d already baked a batch, which was cooling on a different counter. Sage grabbed one and presented it to him.
“The only sweet stuff I eat is you,” he said.
Sage rolled her eyes. “Try this, for me.”
He opened his mouth, and Sage fed him some cookie. It was sweet, moorish, and so tasty. He’d never tasted anything quite like it. The heavy hint of vanilla was delicious.
“Wow,” he said.
“See, my grandmother could win over anyone.”
Sage went to leave his arms, but not when he had her in them. There was no chance he wanted to let her go.
Running his hands up her body, he cupped her full tits, feeling how soft they were in his hands. He loved her big tits. Pinching the nipples, he soothed out the pain with his palms before he slid down, going down her full hips and delving between her legs. She wore a dress, and as he pressed against her pussy, he heard her gasp.
“I can’t convince you to stop?” he asked.
She moaned. “I should stay and finish these.”
He pressed his dick against her ass. “That’s fine with me, but how about I stick around for a while?”
“What do you mean?”
Noah moved her closer to the counter. “Get to work,” he said. He lifted her skirt and tore the dreaded panties off her body. Didn’t she get the hint that he didn’t want them on her?