Hearts Ablaze (Hearts On Fire Series) (6 page)

CHAPTER 8

NOAH

What the hell was that? An inconvenience? She cannot be serious. How can she not realize how much I care for her? I know we’re sticking to the whole ‘just friends’ thing, but c’mon.
Shaking my head, I go into my home gym and take a nice long run on my treadmill to clear my thoughts. When I shut the machine off a little over an hour later, I notice I ran almost ten miles and I’m dripping in sweat. I walk to my bathroom and strip off my sweaty clothes, then jump into the shower. Once I’m finished, I grab my cell phone and check my messages, telling Grayson that I’m heading over soon to catch the Braves day game. His television isn’t as large as mine, but I guess it’ll do. Maybe he can give me some advice.

What am I going to do with this girl?

A couple hours later, I head off to Grayson’s. Putting the six-pack I bought in the backseat, I take off. It’s a warm day, so I roll the windows down and enjoy the breeze before I pull into his driveway and park next to his car. Walking into Grayson’s house, I don’t even bother knocking. He’s already got the game going, sitting on his couch with his feet propped on the coffee table.

“Hey, man, game just started. Beer’s in the fridge, and I ordered a pizza. Should be here soon.” I go into the kitchen and throw my six-pack into the fridge. Not bothering to grab one, I head into the living room, flopping down on the couch.

“You look like hell, dude. What’s wrong with you?” Gray jokes.

“Long fucking night.” Not bothering to elaborate, I turn my attention to the TV, crossing my arms over my chest. I can feel his eyes on me, but I don’t care. I’m not even in the mood to watch the game. Gray must have picked up on my foul mood, because after three innings he turns the game off and punches me in the shoulder.

“Seriously, Noah. What the fuck is up? You look like someone pissed in your Cheerios this morning.” I don’t want to get into this. I’m not even sure what there is to get into. Actually, no, that’s a lie. I know exactly what’s up.

“I’m fucked.”

“What did you do now, jackass?” Gray sighs.

“I fucking love her, man. I told her we could be friends and I’m fucking in love with her!” I stand up to pace, running my hands through my hair. “She showed up at my place last night at like midnight, wearing pajamas and bawling her eyes out. Her dad decided to refuse treatment, and they’ve only given him so long to live. She told me that she needed me. And the fucked-up part? As I was holding her in my bed while she cried—over her dying father, mind you—I realized I was in love with her. What the fuck, dude? I’m so fucking screwed!”

Grayson is just sitting there with a smirk on his face, watching me walk in circles. I have no idea what he thinks is so funny, but I’m about to kick him in the balls.

“What is so funny?”

“The fact that you have just tuned into what Kennedy and I already figured out weeks ago. You and Aubrey both are so far gone over each other it’s ridiculous. We’ve been wondering which one of you would figure it out first. Guess I owe her fifty bucks.”

“I didn’t realize you and Kennedy were so buddy-buddy. Since when are you two so close?” I drop down onto the couch and lean my head back, closing my eyes.

“Well, while you and Aubrey were spending time together, we started hanging out. We’ve gone out for dinner a couple times. I mean, just as friends, honestly. She reminds me of Carmen, and that’s just too weird for me.” I look over at him with an eyebrow raised.
Whatever.

“So, what are we doing tonight? You wanna check out that new club across from that diner we went to last week? It’s supposed to be pretty sweet,” I say, going to grab a beer.

“Yeah, sure, sounds good. What time you want to go?” Gray asks me, playing with his cell phone.

I pop the top on my beer and head back to the couch. “I don’t care. Eight, I guess. Let’s finish the game.”

I notice out of the corner of my eye that Gray isn’t watching the game; he’s still messing around with his phone. Not thinking anything about it, I turn back to the TV. I’m way too tired to deal with his craziness. Most of the night, I was up watching Aubrey sleep, wishing I could do something to take her pain away. Realizing I was in love with her only made it that much harder for me to see her hurting.

***

We stop by my house so I can change my clothes before we head out for the night. I’m not a big club person, but it’s supposed to be a pretty awesome place. I’ve heard they mostly play country music, which is becoming all the rage, and I just need a night to drink away my stress. Probably not a smart idea, but I don’t care. I need to get Aubrey out of my head. She has said it many times that she doesn’t want to date, that she has too much going on. And the last thing I want is to pressure her into anything. I might want to be with her, but I’m not a total dick.

Gray offers to drive, since I’m usually the one who has to be the designated driver. He must realize just how frustrating this is. I’m hanging out on my front porch swing, waiting for him to show up. When he pulls in, I head down the couple stairs and walk over to his Camaro. I climb in and we take off. It’s about a twenty-minute drive, so we spend the time talking about the newest hire at the fire station, a young kid who’s looking to be a pretty good fit for our truck. Talking about work helps take my mind off things, and even though he’s a pain in the ass, I’m grateful that Gray isn’t pushing the topic of Aubrey.

Grayson parks a couple blocks down from the club and we walk over on foot. There’s a pretty long line, but luckily it moves fast and we’re in within fifteen minutes. We head straight to the bar and order a pitcher of whatever’s on tap. While we wait, I get a look around the place. It’s dark with all kinds of brightly colored lights flashing, and a huge dance floor surrounded by tabletops, , with more scattered in the area between the bar and dance floor. Current chart-topping country music is playing loudly, and people are dancing out on the floor. Our beer arrives, so I throw a twenty on the bar and tell the bartender to keep the change. I grab the pitcher as Grayson takes the glasses and we head to a table next to the dance floor. Once we’re all settled and I’ve poured us a round, I notice Grayson is back on his phone. He seems to be attached to it lately. I go to ask him what he’s doing when he takes a sip of his beer and puts it down, giving me a huge ‘I’ve just done something I shouldn’t have’ look.

“Okay, dude, don’t get mad, but look out on the dance floor. Red and blue dresses.”

I’m standing with my back to the dance floor, so I turn around and start looking for whoever he was pointing out. And then I see her.
Holy. Fuck
. Aubrey and Kennedy are dancing together, shaking their hips and really going all out. Aubrey is wearing a tight blue dress that shows off her curves perfectly. She has her hair all sleek and straight again, and she has on bright red lipstick with a pair of sky-high black heels. I swallow hard and try to forget the image. Unfortunately, my dick doesn’t get the memo, because he’s trying to bust out of my jeans. I turn back around, trying to casually adjust before I completely embarrass myself.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Grayson. What did you do?” I know he’s behind this. It’s no coincidence that they’re here. It can’t be.

“Yeah, sorry, man. It was all Kennedy’s idea. She keeps saying that you guys need to get together. I know you think it was a stupid move falling for Aubrey, but Kennedy assures me that she doesn’t think Aubrey is too far from figuring out how she feels. Just talk to her, Noah. What’s the worst that could happen?”

I stand there trying to figure out if I want to strangle my best friend or hug him when the girls come walking up to the table.

“Noah! Grayson! Whatever are you guys doing here?” I can hear the laughter in Kennedy’s voice, and all I can think is I hope she didn’t tell Aubrey how I feel.

Aubrey walks over to me, obviously not picking up on the sarcasm of her best friend’s voice.

“Oh, hey, guys! Awesome club, huh?” She steps closer to me and my jeans immediately tighten again. I can see the tops of her luscious breasts spilling out of the top of that dress. And she smells like fucking Heaven. This is going to be a long-ass night.

“Hey, Aubrey, can I get you a drink?” I decide to go with casual until I’ve got at least a few more beers in me. Or maybe a couple pitchers. I look over at Aubrey again and she gives me a big smile.
Hell, I might need a whole damn keg.

“Yeah, sure. I guess one more can’t hurt. I’ll take a martini, dirty.” Aubrey smiles at me, then turns to talk to Kennedy.

She did not just say that to me.
Jesus. I’m gonna have to jack myself for hours to kill this fucking erection. I’m not sure how much more of this I can take.

Adjusting myself once again, I head over to the bar to order her drink, hoping like hell I’ll cool off before I get back over there.

CHAPTER 9

AUBREY

Holy shit. I cannot believe my best friend right now. I knew something was up when she pushed me into going out tonight. I was totally okay with spending the night with my two favorites, Ben and Jerry, but no, she insisted on going to this club that I’d never heard of. And why else wear my sexiest dress and wear fire-engine-red lipstick? Those fuckers. I should have known Kenni and Grayson were in cahoots. She’s been dropping hints to me all week about how I need to get over myself and tell Noah that I want to be with him. I’ve only just come to terms with my feelings for him; how am I supposed to tell him? I’m pretty sure he only thinks of me as a friend. Hell, I’ve probably been driving him nuts, with all the crying and whining I’ve done lately.

It doesn’t help my case when he walks over to me. Noah has on a pair of jeans that should be illegal, a black Henley and a pair of black Timberlands. He doesn’t have on his usual baseball hat, and his hair is a little unruly, as if he’s been running his hands through it. He just looks so damn hot.

He hands me my drink, and I take it from him. I notice he no longer has a beer, but a small tumbler of what I’m assuming is whiskey or bourbon. Noah stands next to Grayson, avoiding eye contact with me. Every time we make eye contact, he gives me a small smile then shifts his feet, looking uncomfortable. It isn’t until Grayson narrows his eyes at me, and then looks at Noah, that I get what’s happening—Noah’s in the same boat as me.
Huh. This could be fun after all
.

I take my drink and down it in a couple sips. Grabbing Kennedy’s hand, I drag her back onto the dance floor. I need to talk to her.
Now
.

“Okay, Kenni, you guys win. I can’t take not being with him anymore and it seems like he feels the same. Now what?” I feel like a teenager that needs to get advice on how to kiss a boy.

“Aubs, just relax. Grayson told me he’s pretty confident that Noah is completely into you. I saw how he was staring at you. He definitely likes what he sees. Go ask him to dance. Simple enough. And if he says no, go find someone who’ll say yes.”

She dances away, leaving me alone on the floor. I turn around and see that Noah is staring right at me, the intensity in his eyes instantly making my heart race. Before I lose the nerve, I raise my hand and point to him, wagging him over. He places his drink on the table and heads straight for me.

He steps right up to me, placing himself only a few inches away. I lick my bottom lip, suddenly nervous. He reaches out and grabs me by the hips, pushing me backwards onto the dance floor. “Somewhere in My Car” by Keith Urban has just started to play, the bass line pumping through the club. I start to move my hips from side to side, getting lost in the music. He follows me, pressing himself in to me. Turning around, I place my back to his front, brushing against him. He grabs my hips again, pulling me flush with him. I lean my head back, resting it on his shoulder as we rock our hips. I raise an arm and loop it around the back of his neck, running my fingers through the hair at the base. There’s a light coat of sweat on his skin, and on mine too. Noah runs his hand up the arm I have around his neck, causing chills to break out over my skin. He leans down and places a kiss to my neck, softly sucking the skin between my neck and shoulder. I shiver and arch my back, rocking into his hips and feeling his growing erection. Letting out a low growl, he spins me around to face him.

Noah doesn’t hesitate and crashes his lips onto mine. Throwing my arms around his neck, I pull him to me, fitting our bodies together. He tastes so good, like mint and whiskey. I part my lips, allowing his tongue access. As soon as it does, I feel him groan into my mouth.
Holy fuck. I am so done for.
I rock my hips forward, my stomach pushing against his hardness. We both moan at the contact and he breaks the kiss, pushing me back a step.

“Fuck, Aubrey.” Noah’s panting as he rests his forehead on mine. He cups my face in his hands and looks into my eyes. A huge grin breaks out on his face, and I smile back.

“What?”

“Why the hell did we wait so long to do that? Jesus, Aubrey. I almost came in my pants in the middle of a club like a fifteen-year-old. Christ.” I can’t help laughing at that, knowing it probably wouldn’t help to tell him my panties are completely drenched. It’s good to know that I’m not the only one affected right now. Glancing over his shoulder, I can see Kennedy and Grayson with huge shit-eating grins on their faces.
Assholes.

“Did you or Kennedy drive?”

“I did. Why? You wanna go back to my place?” I wink at him and then laugh at myself.

“Well, I wanna go back to
my
place. And as much as I’d like to go home and bury myself inside you, that’s not exactly what I had in mind. We need to talk, Aubrey.”

I nod, because I agree. I can’t believe how fast all this is happening. We walk back over to where Kenni and Grayson are. Grayson tells her that he’ll give her a ride home, so I give her a hug and say good-bye.

“I’ll text you later,” I tell her, right before Noah reaches for my hand and practically drags me out of the club.

As we head out to my car, I pull my keys out of my purse and look at Noah.

“How much did you drink tonight?”

“Like half a beer and couple sips of my whiskey. Why?”

“Because I had two martinis and I’m really tired. Will you drive, please?” I toss him my keys.

“Sure thing, sweetheart.” He reaches out and grabs my hand, holding onto it tightly. We walk in comfortable silence the few blocks to the parking garage, where I left my car. When we get to it, he holds my door open for me, closing it when I’m situated before walking around and climbing into the driver’s side. Noah puts the key in the ignition and starts the car, turning to look at me. Giving me a smile, he then leans down and kisses me softly. I cup his jaw, slowly tangling my tongue with his. He pulls away and grins at me, his dimple standing out.

“Let’s go.” He puts the car in reverse, backs out, and we head home.

Home. I like the sound of that.

Noah takes a hold of my hand, lacing our fingers together and resting them on his thigh. Every so often, he rubs his thumb across my wrist, causing goose bumps to settle across my skin. I look over at him and study him as he drives. Noah is definitely one of the most handsome men I have ever met. He clearly shaved before going out tonight, as his skin is still smooth. I bet he’d look good with some stubble on his jaw. And I bet that stubble would feel good rubbing against my bare skin.

Holy crap, what is wrong with me?
I clearly need to get a hold of myself.

It feels like it takes forever, but we finally turn onto Noah’s street and pull into his driveway. He shuts off my car and hops outs, jogging around to open my door for me. I give him a smile when he offers his hand, which I promptly take. We walk onto his front porch, stopping when we reach the front door.

“Why don’t you take a seat out here? I’ll be right back.” Noah motions towards the porch swing then heads inside.

Taking a seat on the cushions, I kick my heels onto the deck. He comes back out a few minutes later with a couple bottles of water and a blanket.

“I know it’s not that chilly out, but I didn’t know if you’d be cold out here in your dress.” He sits next to me and lays the blanket across my lap.

Pulling it up to my chin, I lean against his shoulder. He wraps his arm around me, placing a kiss to the top of my head.

“So, what did you want to talk about, Noah? I mean, I have a pretty good idea, but what’s up?” I sit up a little so I can see him clearly in the moonlight.

“I guess I just wanted to make sure we’re on the same page, see where your head’s at. I know I told you I was okay with being friends, and I am. But Aubrey, you’ve gotta see that I care about you in more than a friendly way. I know you have a lot going on with your dad, and I totally respect that, but I want to be a part of your life. I want to get to know your family. I think we could be really good together. I want us to take this chance.”

“I really care about you, Noah. I also really like being with you. You make me feel things that I’ve never felt before. I find myself thinking about a future with you, and that excites me. But it also scares me, like
really
scares me. I’m already losing my dad; I couldn’t bear to let myself get close to you and then lose you. I’m so scared.” I can feel the tears shining in my eyes, and I look away from him. Blinking rapidly, I try to get rid of them before they slip down my cheek, but I wind up losing the battle. Noah reaches over and wipes them away with his thumb, giving me a small smile.

“I get it, Aubrey. I really do. But you need to know that I’m in this with you. I’m here for you, with everything I am. You don’t have to carry the burden alone. Let me be your rock. Let me help you with everything. You’ve worked your way into my heart, baby, and I’m never letting you go. Don’t you understand that? I need you, Aubrey. I need you in my life. I’m falling so hard I don’t think I could stop even if I tried.”

Noah leans down and kisses me, and I can feel the passion flowing through the kiss. He cradles the back of my head, tangling his fingers in my hair. I can feel every emotion he’s pouring into this kiss. And that’s when I realize I’m in love with this incredible man. And I can’t ever let him go. I just hope I’m strong enough to hold onto him.

Breaking the kiss, I look up at him. “Thank you, Noah.”

“For what?” He brushes the hair out of my eyes, a smile gracing his face.

“Everything.”

Leaning over, I place my head on his shoulder. I hear his low chuckle and then a kiss is placed to my forehead. “You’re welcome, sweetheart.”

We sit there in comfortable silence until I let out a loud yawn.

“You tired, baby?”

I nod, thoroughly exhausted. Noah stands up and holds his hand out. I assume he’s going to take me home, but when he heads inside I realize I’m wrong.

“Will you stay with me tonight? You can sleep in the guest room if you really want, but I’d really like to go to bed with you. Just to sleep, I swear.”

I nod once more, following him inside and to his bedroom. Noah opens a drawer in his bureau and hands me a T-shirt. He heads into the bathroom and I take the opportunity to get changed, slipping my dress and bra off and throwing on his T-shirt. It hangs down to my knees, and smells like him. While I wait for him to finish whatever he’s doing in the bathroom, I climb into his bed and get under the covers. I roll onto my side and as soon as my head hits the pillows I can feel myself fading.

I’m almost asleep when I feel the bed dip and his warm body press against me from behind. Noah wraps an arm around my waist and the other goes under my head, cradling me on his arm. He places a kiss to my neck and pulls me close.

“Sweet dreams, Aubrey.”