Guilt runs through me at us talking about Santi this way because I love my brother. Noah doesn’t care much for him. Stupid to hope they could get along—for the sake of the team or for me.
“He has the best heart. Truly. I can’t get mad at him for more than a day at most. Not even when he stole all my Barbies and shaved their hair off.”
“That should have been the first sign of his instability.”
A loud laugh escapes my mouth. We play a few more rounds with me losing a couple times while Noah guesses my lies with ease, surprising me how he sees through my bullshit. Wine calms my nerves and takes away my awkwardness. I learn a few things about Noah like how he skipped senior prom because of a race, and how he spent seven different Christmases by himself since his parents were both traveling. A truth I guessed as a lie because who spends the holidays alone?
We move on from our game. I share the success of my vlog, and how for the first time, I feel like I found my place. How I don’t worry as much anymore about being successful or comparing myself to Santi’s career.
“What’s your favorite part of the vlog?” He gives me his full attention, his blue eyes wandering over my face.
“Mm, that’s a tough question. It originally started out as a travel vlog, but now everyone loves how I work with F1 and Bandini. Fans seem to be super into it. And they’re constantly sending me new ideas of things to do or people to interview.”
“I wonder if I’m the best part.” His cheeky grin makes me show one of my own.
“I doubt it because people beg for Liam and Jax. Must be their accents.”
He scoffs. “It’s tough to compete with Jax’s British accent. Liam on the other hand… German tends to lack sexiness.”
I shake my head from side to side because Liam sounds fine. “There’s a reason people like Prince Harry. Or any attractive British guy.”
“You find Jax attractive?” His tight smile tells me I didn’t say the right thing.
“I mean, people find him attractive. But I went on a double date with him and realized he’s not my type.” I trip over my own words, wanting to put them out there.
“It wasn’t a double date because I was there. That makes it automatically friends hanging out.” His eyes glint in the soft lighting.
“Liam’s been asking Sophie for a redo, but she keeps saying no.”
“We don’t want that to happen,” his voice rumbles.
When did he get close to me? Our hands are practically touching.
“And why not?” Another breathy sentence from me.
“Because I already called dibs on you.” His intense gaze makes me shudder.
“You can’t call dibs on people. You sound like a B-list rom-com.”
“But I fuck like an A-list porno.”
Okay then. Who says romance is dead? My throat tightens as his eyes lower, taking me in. He closes the space between us.
A hand tugs my head toward him. Our lips meet. But unlike our first kiss, this one demands. Noah takes everything from me all at once, his lips brushing against mine, intense and irresistible. This somehow beats our first kiss. We have no one around to stop us, no interruptions to pull us away from each other this time.
One of his hands grips my hair and tugs. The quick bite of pain makes me gasp, giving his tongue access to my mouth. It strokes mine possessively, branding me, not giving me a second to overthink anything. My tongue meets his and strokes back. I want to taste him and make him crave me just as much.
My fingers run through his hair and he groans when I grip the silky strands. I want to pull him in closer, desperate for what he can give me. My body hums with approval as he fucks with my brain and heart at once.
If this was a movie, now would be the moment for cheesy fireworks to go off in the background.
My back hits the blanket and my hands travel across his chest, checking out the different muscles. He doesn’t let up on his own exploration, his hands roaming down my body while our tongues stroke one another. I feel lightheaded from the contact.
I moan when he cups my breasts. My nipples brush against the fabric of my bra, wishing for the barrier to be gone, another obstacle we don’t need. My body pushes into his, frantic for more.
His mouth leaves mine. Rough fingers find the hem of my shirt at the same time his lips find my neck. The nipping, licking, and sucking sensations drive me crazy. His mouth does wild things to my body. Aroused doesn’t begin to describe the intense burn inside of me as my breasts grow heavy with need and my core throbs.
I rub myself against his hardened length. My jeans feel rough against my thong, temporary friction giving me some relief. Fingers clutch the hard muscles of his back before my nails scratch against the fabric of his shirt.