“Noah!” I yelled later that week, closing the door to his apartment.

Due to a deadline I’d been seriously behind on, we’ve barely seen each other in the last couple of days and I could swear my body assumed it was being punished for a heinous crime. I’m about to change all that since I’d messaged him an hour ago and found out he was having an hour in his gym at home.

With my work sent to the marketing company, I felt able to step away from my desk for the first time in days. They’d wanted an overhaul done for their social media interfaces and while I’d been productive, I’d missed Noah. He stopped by and brought me food and kissed my forehead, but he’d known how busy I was, we’d hardly had an hour together.

 “You better—” Words dried on my tongue.

Four pairs of eyes pinned me as my feet came to a halt.

Oh, my god.

I’d been seconds away from saying; you, sexy bastard, better fuck me right now, I need your gorgeous cock.

Cheeks pinked looking at each face of Noah’s four friends.

Noah was nowhere to be seen at first until he walked through from the kitchen holding two beers in one hand, a scotch glass and a wine in the other. He passed out the drinks and grinned at me. “Hey, kitten. What do you want to drink?”

“Eh. Hi, all. Nothing for me, I have work to do.” I replied, still embarrassed.

It was like being caught with my pants down and diddling over Chris Hemsworth circa his long hair Thor days, almost as if they can see directly into my mind and know what I’d been about to demand of Noah.

Thank god I had a fast excuse since I’d called downstairs to my mailbox first and the concierge had a delivery for Noah.

I lifted the fancy gift-boxed bottle of wine. It was probably a promotional gift from a rep. They were always sending Noah things in hopes of stocking their liquor in his clubs. “The concierge said this was delivered for you, I brought it up.”

I sounded ridiculous.

Placing it on one of the tables, I backed myself up.

How pink could I turn, I wondered.

 “Hey, it was nice seeing you guys. I gotta get back home. Work never ends, you know.” I rambled. “Bye!” and then to compound my embarrassment I gave a stupid finger-wave and caught Noah’s raised brow when my eyes moved over to him.

With calls of bye following me out, I got myself out of there like I was on fire, cursing the whole way to my apartment.

Noah had several close friends he’d had before I came along.

I like to think I was the best in the bunch, but only Noah truly could tell that.

I know we spend the most of his spare time together.

At first, I got the impression they thought I was homing in on the quarterback like we were all in high-school. I was this highly excitable nerdy white girl with weird hair and a tendency to talk a mile a minute and they all were all socialites with real jobs.

I took it on the chin when they watched me cautiously that first year because even as adults we need good people at our back and they did have Noah’s best interest at heart. Having heard the stories of people trying and failing to garner favor with him because of who he is and what he has, I got their standoffish behavior.

Once his circle had known I wasn’t after his bank account they accepted me to a degree. There were times I still felt like an outsider looking into their circle of closeness, but that was fine, as much as I’d want to be liked by them, Noah and I did not come as a package deal.

I’m his friend first and foremost, not theirs.

We only hang out if I happen to be with Noah at the time. I’m never invited along to parties unless again It’s Noah who brings me.

There’s been times he’s chosen me over them, like the time he took me home last minute to Beaufort the winter my momma was sick with pneumonia, instead of a birthday weekend trip in Bora Bora.

I always thought they resented me some for that ever since.

I didn’t blame them.

It’s kind of hard to miss the gravitational pull Noah has. People find themselves drawn to and seeking out his energy, regardless of his surly stay-way attitude, he had a lot of people who cared for and want his time.

Man, my heart was pounding. It was a shock to see them sitting on his sofa. I expected them to see right through me with their judging, to accuse me of somehow corrupting their friend from the queer side.

Two of the men upstairs were in a long-term relationship together. I liked Dane but Terrance more, he was the more approachable.

But as for Nell. The petite blonde had always been passive aggressively nice to me, the way bitchy women get by telling you they love your last season’s blouse. Meow. I’ve had suspicions she cared for Noah in the same way I do. I would understand her jealousy. I’ve tried to be friendly with her to no avail.

I flopped on the sofa, an arm pressed over my eyes replaying the last minute in my mind.

Did they see the desire for Noah on my face?

Why did I even care?

The sound of the front door closing brought my attention.

In strolled the man himself.

“What was that about? You left so sudden.”

“Ugh.” I groaned. Peeking at him from under my arm as he took a seat, his hand on my thigh. “Do you know I almost blurted out I wanted fucking!”

Noah burst out laughing.

I didn’t find it a bit funny.

“I’m horrified. I can just imagine what they would have said.”

The smirking ass chimed in his rakish tone. “I would have paid to see that.”

“Shut up. I’m mortified.”

“What the hell for?”

I glare. “Ehhhhhh… because your friends don’t know you’re screwing me.”

“So, the wine was an excuse to take advantage of my body?”

“What?”

“You said you came up because you wanted to climb on my dick.”

I chuffed a snort. “I didn’t say those exact words, Chuckles. Shouldn’t you be playing host to Cruella De Ville and the others?”

Now it was Noah who laughed as he reached for my legs, stroking his hands along the outside of my thighs, up to my waist then he grabbed and hauled me onto his lap. “They can wait. You can’t.” My blood heated to volcanic temperature, straddling his lap my arms limp at my side, eyes wide.

What was he up to? Though, there was a big, bulging clue pressed to my crotch.

Bless my soul. We were going to have sex, with his friends waiting for him upstairs.

I skinned out of my clothes faster than Clark Kent in a phone booth.

And the way Noah situated me over him, his hands tight on my hips, the hot needy way his lips smashed down on mine and forced my lips wide as he licked in and in and in, I’m in no doubt he doesn’t give a royal fuck who is waiting on him upstairs. Not when he’s pulled out his thick arousal and teased it to my clit.

“Fuck me, Noah. I need your fuck.”

His pupils dilated. “How do you need it? Tell me.”

Before I could get words out of my mouth, he pressed his swollen head on my clit again so slowly it killed me in the best way, it wept at the tip, the cry was dragged out of me.

“Hard. Are you listening? Hard is the only way you ever ride it, kitten. Take me or be taken. Decide now.”

I decided hurriedly by opening my legs wider for him to take me, and he fucked me on my sofa while his friends probably drank his five-hundred-dollar bottle of wine.

I get the better end of that deal. I want to smell like you, Sena. Soak me, baby. I’m boneless by the time we’re finished.

Just before he left we kissed and cuddled at the door. I was reluctant to let him go, not just because I’m post-sex soft and needy, but any time spent away from Noah makes my heart spike.

Noah nuzzled my neck prolonging the minutes as if he sensed my need for his nearness a while longer. “I’ll come back soon as I kick them out,” he conveyed, his teeth nipping my skin.

I want him again. Already.

Slaking myself with a last touch, I let my hands fall from his waist. “Hurry.”

He gave me a look hot enough to blister my skin and his hands squeezed my hips reminding me how rough he’d taken me only minutes before when my bones ached.

One deep kiss later he’s gone but he does hurry back to me.

I’m in deep with Noah.

I’ve let myself fall unequivocally in love with my best friend and it’s nothing like the unrequited kind I’ve been in for years.

This is in its own league.

It has its own pulse and destination.

I can no more stop loving him than I can cease blinking.

It’s as part of me as an organ.

As my momma says;

Love is love.

Whatever form it comes in.

You can’t pigeonhole love because it will punch its way out

Noah has become so vital and I’m deeply, no question about it, fathoms in love.

And as momma says, that’s when the trouble begins.