Breaking the Rules (Pushing the Limits 1.50)

With a flick, the pressure around my body gives, and the sweet release of no longer being confined eases across my midsection. His fingertips trace the area where my bra had been, and I shiver as he reaches the front.

Noah leans forward and kisses my neck. The hot sensation of his mouth makes me light-headed. I wrap my arms around him and pull at his hair to stay upright. I revel in the feeling of pure skin against skin.

Using his body, Noah guides me to lie on the blanket, and the moment my head connects with the pillow, his mouth begins this delicious dance down.

Cool air nips at my skin, but Noah’s caresses set me on fire. He does things that he’s done before, and then he does things that he hasn’t. Things with my breasts...places below. Touches and kisses and things that urge me to clutch the blanket as my back arches, things that cause the breath to rush out of my body, things that encourage me and Noah to find a rhythm.

What started off as slow becomes faster.

When he lifts his head back to mine, I swear to God the world explodes. We’re rolling and shedding more clothes until there is absolutely nothing left between us but the night.

And then Noah’s there. Near that special part of me that’s warm and ready, and I have to force my mouth away from Noah’s as I gasp, “Protection.”

I smile when he mumbles a curse word into my shoulder, then giggle when he gently nips my neck. Faster than even I thought Noah could move, he’s yanked his wallet out of his discarded jeans, found a condom and has it on.

He rolls back on top of me, smoothing the hair away from my face. “I love you, Echo Emerson.”

“I love you.” I do. So much that saying the words doesn’t seem like I’m doing the high inside me justice.

“You sure about this?” he asks.

I wiggle, becoming impatient with how my body is pulsating and how Noah’s not acting. He grins and I smoosh my lips to the right. “I want you, and you’re not playing right.”

Noah chuckles, but wastes no time reclaiming my lips. He begins this silent rhythm with his body that’s in time with my pulse. My arms tangle around his neck, my legs hook with his, and I move along with him, increasing the speed at exactly the same time.

There’s no warning. One moment Noah was out and then he’s in. I suck in a breath and Noah stills. The burning from the first time...it’s there, then it fades.

Noah skims his nose along my cheek, feathering kisses along my skin. My hands roam along his back, and after another second of readjustment, I inch my hips down, and it doesn’t take long for Noah to nudge his body up.

Unable to keep silent anymore, I breathe out his name. One time. Another. And each time I say it, Noah holds on to me tighter. His hands slip lower and right as the entire world grows dizzyingly out of control, Noah rocks forward hard.

My eyes shut tight, warmth explodes through me, colors appear behind my closed lids, and as my entire body tenses with pleasure, Noah takes his turn saying my name.

We hug each other as we catch our breath, then we lazily kiss as our muscles slowly lose the ability to function. He shifts off me, rolling away to take care of things, and when he turns back, Noah pulls me into his chest.

We lie there. My fingertips trace the muscles of his chest. His fingers play with my hair. The blanket keeps us from being fully exposed. The sound of his heart against my ear joins the sound of the frogs and crickets in the still night.

“Promise me we’ll come back here,” I say to him. “Promise me that someday we’ll make love here again.”

“I swear it.” Noah bunches my hair into his hand, and when I look up at him he kisses my lips. “I’ll bring you back here every damn year.”

My mouth tilts up. “I like the sound of that.”

Noah

This has been the craziest damn summer of my life, and it sucks it’s coming to an end. Isaiah pats my back and tosses Beth’s bag over his shoulder. “First call, man.”

I nod and watch as Echo waves an awkward goodbye to Beth and hugs my best friend.

Echo drove the three of us to the bus station this morning. As part of their agreement for Echo to study long-distance with Hunter for a year, Echo’s going to stay for an additional week as Hunter crams as much art shit as he can down her throat before she returns home. Then she’ll have to visit Colorado four more times throughout the year. One week each time.

I still don’t trust Hunter when it comes to his attraction to Echo, but I trust my girl. I believe him when he says he can open doors for her and teach her about the world she loves, and I want her happy. He can daydream about her all he wants, but at the end of the day, she loves me.

I hate being away from her, but I’ll take it. Five weeks away beats the hell out of being separated for a year. Which is what we’ll face next September, but the two of us will be ready.

Beth and Isaiah board the bus, and Echo turns to me. Her lower lip trembles, and she glances away. She promised me no tears, but how can she promise something like that?

“Come here,” I say, and Echo falls into my arms.