Since Noah rejected me the first time, the cracks covering my heart keep tearing open every time I consider giving up. How do you let go of the one thing you want more than your next breath?
I focus my attention on my meal, glad it’s nothing big because my appetite is missing in action.
As soon as I’m done, I wipe my mouth and get up from the chair. “Catch you all later.” Walking away, I impersonate Dori from Finding Nemo, “When life gets you down, you know what you gotta do? Just keep swimming.” I let out a chuckle, and heading out of the restaurant, I murmur, “Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming.”
Yeah, I’ll just have to do my best to get over Noah. Whether it’s something I can actually do, remains to be seen.
NOAH
I’m not the type to party. Just like my best friend Kao, I’d rather stay in the shadows. It saves me from having to interact with people. It’s not that I’m a hermit like Kao, but rather that I struggle to communicate. I don’t understand people, and they don’t get me.
When Forest mentions they’re staying in, I figure I have to try and be social with them, seeing as we’ll be future business partners. I might not get along with Carla, but damn, I’ll have to work with her one day.
I have to admit, she hasn’t given me any shit since Tuesday night.
“What game are we playing?” Forest asks.
Remembering all the games Jase had us playing, I mention, “We can play fear pong.”
Aria glances at me, and she asks, “Fear pong?”
I quickly explain, “Yeah, we write dares on the bottom of the cups, and you either do the dare or drink. The winning team wins two hundred dollars.”
“Team?” Carla asks, her eyes locking on me. She lets out a chuckle. “God, this is going to be priceless.”
Shaking my head, I ask, “Enlighten me as to why?”
Then she smirks at me. “You and I. We’re on a team.”
Shit. I should’ve thought of that.
Hoping this doesn’t bite me in the ass, I mutter, “Fuck.”
The girls leave to change into comfortable clothes, and the second we’re alone, Forest asks, “Will the two of you manage to not kill each other tonight?”
I let out a chuckle to set him at ease. “Yeah, don’t worry. I’ll take it easy on her.”
While Forest goes to his room to change, I grab the solo cups and whiskey bottle from the cupboard.
Lord knows I’m going to need alcohol to get through tonight.
When everyone is ready, we take our places on opposite sides of the island in the kitchen. The girls check something on their phones, and when they start writing the dares under the solo cups, I begin to worry.
Carla better not write dares like kiss your partner or this game is over.
Forest reads one of the dares, “Tell the opposing team about a dirty fantasy you would never actually do in real life? Seriously?”
Carla shrugs. “We got the dares online.”
Unable to resist, I mutter, “I have a dirty fantasy. It involves tape and Carla’s mouth.”
An image involving Carla, rope, and tape flashes through my mind, causing an unexpected wave of heat to rush through me.
What the fuck was that?
I clear my throat as Forest snorts. Pouring myself some whiskey, and as I take a sip, Carla looks at me. “Yeah? You don’t want to hear mine.”
Finally, something we can agree on.
Lifting my chin, I pin her with a stare. “Let me hear it.”
“It involves you having three Adam’s apples,” she sasses me.
It actually makes the corner of my mouth lift. I’d rather take Carla’s threats over her flirting with me.
Carla gets to go first, and she sinks the ball, making my eyebrow lift. She lets out a happy shriek next to me.
Forest reads the dare then asks, “So, I have to do whatever Aria tells me?”
“Pretty much,” I murmur. “Or you can drink.”
Forest takes the dare, and when he throws the ball, it misses. “What now?”
“You both drink,” Carla grins at them. They each down a shot of whiskey.
When it’s my turn, I sink the ball. Aria checks the dare, and then she lets out a snort of laughter. “Act out your three favorite sex positions, roles reversed.”
I let out a bark of laughter. “This is going to be good.” When Aria begins to act out the positions, I crack up with laughter. It’s funny because she’s half the size of Forest.
Carla wipes tears from her face. “I wish I could’ve recorded that. Best ever.”
Aria gets the ball in, and she and Forest high five each other.
I pick up the cup and read the dare. “Aww, fuck,” I mutter. “Let your partner cut off your shirt.” I glance at Forest and Aria. “I fucking love this shirt.”
Carla surprises me by saying, “I’ll let you change into one you’re not too fond of.”
Not giving her a second to change her mind, I say, “Be right back.” I rush to my room and change into a plain white shirt. When I get back to the kitchen, I give Carla a look of warning. “Don’t stab me.”
Maybe this isn’t such a good idea. Carla might just take the chance and bury the scissors in my gut.
“Damn, there you go and ruin it for me,” Carla mutters while she gets the scissors from a drawer.
There’s a mysterious gleam in her eyes, which I don’t like one bit. I watch her closely as she takes hold of my shirt, and then she cuts right through it.
I’m just about to let out a sigh of relief when she sets the scissors down, but then she looks up at me and moving her hands under the fabric, her palms glide over my skin as she pushes the shirt off.
An unwelcome burst of desire courses through my body, and reaching for my drink, I take a huge gulp.
Don’t go there, Noah. Carla is way too innocent.
Feeling uncomfortable, I try to focus on the game, but then Forest gets a ball in one of the cups, and when a smile spreads over Carla’s face, I know I’m in deep shit.
I hold my breath while I wait for her to read the dare. “Fake an orgasm with your partner.”
At least it’s not a kiss or anything physical we have to act out.
Or so I thought.
Carla turns to me, and she comes to place her hand on my shoulder. She lifts herself on her toes, and when I feel her breath flutter over my ear, my body reacts in a way I never expected it to. My cock goes from minding his own business to taking notice of Carla’s body so close to mine.
Then she lets out a moan that has my heartbeat speeding up, “God, Noah… Harder.”
Fuck.
“Ah… ah… yes, right there.” Carla presses her body tightly against mine, and my hand instantly grabs hold of her hip.
I can feel her body’s heat through our clothes. Every curve press against me, and it confuses the hell out of me because I’m not into inexperienced women. Especially not in the bedroom.
She lets out a breathy moan, “Ah… God, I’m going to come…”
Images of Carla in the bikini that didn’t cover much, begin to flash through my mind, and then it leads straight to flashes of her quivering on my bed.
Yes… Fuck, Noah.” My mouth dries up, and I swallow as my cock reacts, hardening at the speed of light.