Chapter Seventeen
Dair sat at the table watching Noah slap two turkey-and-ham sandwiches together for his lunch. As he brought over the plate and sat down opposite her, she said, “I called Sarah at the sheriff’s department this morning and told her I’d charge Ray Crawford with assault.”
Noah became somber. “How are you feeling about it?”
Shrugging, Dair said, “Okay. Libby made some good points last night at our meeting. I was acting out of my wound pattern, as she refers to it. With my father, the less he saw or heard me, the less likely he was to come after me.”
“We all have those avoidance patterns,” Noah said between bites. He pushed an open jar of sweet pickles toward her. “Want some?”
She smiled, pulling one out and chewing on it. “I have to go in this afternoon and fill out my statement.”
“Can I drive you?”
“I was hoping someone could. I know you’re super busy with those horses to train.”
“Don’t worry about it. I want to be there with you, Dair,” he said, holding her gaze.
She nodded, giving him an appreciative look. “Sarah said that it will probably be a year before Ray’s case comes before the court.”
“Yeah, courts are clogged and backed up. I wish it could be a lot sooner.”
“She said that he’ll make bail, most likely.”
Frowning, Noah said, “I wonder if the judge will prohibit him from coming back here to live?”
“I talked to Shay about that this morning before I called Sarah. I told her I was going to the sheriff’s department to fill out a statement against her father. Reese got a lawyer many months ago, and he’d been on the phone with him before I had called over there. Their lawyer is going to go to that bail hearing and Reese will be there, too. He doesn’t want Shay to attend. She’s too upset about it all.”
“Understandable,” Noah growled, shaking his head. “She’s given her father a lot, and all he does is bite the hand that feeds him.”
“He’s single-minded, that’s for sure.”
“I wonder if Reese wants company.”
“I don’t know. You might ask him.”
“Yeah, I think I will. Do you want to be at that bail hearing?”
“No, not unless I have to be, Noah. I’m still really upset about it.”
“I’m sure you are. Okay, after I eat, I’ll mosey over to their home and talk to Reese in private about it. I know Shay is going through a lot right now.”
“It’s awful for her. I might feel bad about Ray attacking me, but she’s lived with this abusive alcoholic her entire life. I don’t think I could take it much longer, either.” Her lips thinned. “I hope the judge stops him from ever coming back to the Bar C.”
“Well, we’ll see shortly if the lawyer can get a restraining order against him that will stick because the first one didn’t,” Noah promised her.
* * *
Darkness fell quickly in the winter at the Bar C. Dair had made supper earlier and they sat at the table. She wasn’t real hungry because of the stress of the day. Unexpectedly, the judge had ordered Ray Crawford to come before him in the late afternoon. Her statement had already been sent over to the court, and she wondered if it was responsible for the rancher’s swift appearance before the judge. She was sure they would never know.
“How are you doing?” Noah asked. He cut into the chicken breast that had been served with a tasty white sauce.
“Just . . . hanging in there, I guess.”
“You need to eat.”
“I know.” She gave him a wry look. Noah had piled on the fluffy brown rice, and given her the biggest chicken breast in the baking dish. He wasn’t subtle.
“I’m relieved the judge agreed to the restraining order, and Ray’s not allowed to step back onto Bar C property. I know he has that condo in Wind River. Will he stay there?”
“He has money,” Noah told her.
“Does he have a car to get around in?”
“Reese is willing to loan him one of the ranch trucks, which I think is pretty nice of him to do. I don’t think I’d do it.”
She studied Noah’s darkening features. “Why wouldn’t you?”
“Because the bastard hurt you.”
Nodding, Dair felt her heart opening to him. “Last night?” Dair saw his eyes soften.
“Yes?”
“It’s the best I’ve slept since getting wounded, Noah.” She hesitated, and then forced herself to say, “And I know it was because you were beside me.”
“I’ve never slept better than last night, either,” he admitted quietly, holding her turbulent gaze. “I think there’s something good and strong between us, Dair. What do you think?”
She cut into the chicken, frowning. “I know you’re right.” She set the flatware down, holding his intense gaze. “I keep going back to what Libby said about family patterns of abuse. I see myself in all of them. I never trusted men, because of my father. In my child’s eyes, I guess, I overlaid my fear of him onto all other men that walked through my life, no matter how young or old I was.”
“That wouldn’t be unusual,” Noah said. “My father is the opposite of that. I would imagine if he’d been your dad, you’d have trusted other males. You don’t trust men, but you have good reason not to, Dair.”
“I’m not sure I want to live in that pattern anymore, Noah. You’ve shown me time and again that you’re trustworthy. Last night I was so scared you’d try and take advantage of me. But you didn’t.”
“I would never do that to you, Dair.”
“My heart”—she pressed her fingers to her chest—“knows that. My head was screaming at me that it was a stupid idea to even ask you to hold me or be near me in the same bed.”
“It’s a torturous mental pattern for anyone,” he agreed. “And it’s a negative place to live. Look at Harper, Garret, and Reese. You trust them, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do. But all of you are military vets, and I’m one of you. I didn’t fear the military guys, although I was watchful of them. When I got into my team of guys, we were like brothers and a sister. And it’s the same here with all of you guys.”
“I think you’re maturing and slowly breaking the pattern that imprisoned you, Dair. Last night I knew it was a huge step for you.”
“Wasn’t it for you?” She tilted her head, holding his amused stare.
“No, not really.” Noah finished eating and pushed his plate aside. “I’ve always liked you, Dair, from the moment I met you. That hasn’t changed. It’s just gotten deeper, wider, and better. When you asked to sleep with me, I was fine with it. Happy, as a matter of fact. But I could see by the look in your eyes that you had a lot of fear to work through.”
“You’re really good at reading me.”
“Because I like you a lot, Dair, I am sensitive to what you’re thinking and how you’re feeling.”
She lost her appetite and put her half-eaten plate of food aside. “I’m not used to such honest talks with a guy, but you deserve my honesty, Noah.”
“Okay,” he said, “what would you like to talk about?”
She sighed and sat back in the chair, giving him a tender look. “You’ve always been there for me. You never raise your voice, you don’t yell at me, and you don’t make me feel bad. When I’m with you, I feel uplifted, happy and free. I like being around you. I love being in this house and living with you.” Dair looked around the warm, quiet kitchen. “For me? Everything is perfect. I’ve never felt this relaxed or unworried. I know part of it is Reese and Shay’s commitment to all of us wranglers, giving us a second chance, but it’s more than that.” She choked up, her voice suddenly emotional. “You are giving me a chance to reclaim my soul, Noah. I honestly don’t think you care if I have two good legs or not.” She saw his eyes grow lighter with amusement, felt that sense of protection invisibly wrapping around her, and she knew it was coming from him. “You make me feel safe for the first time in my life . . .”
Noah sat there, thinking about her emotional statement, watching her tear up and then push them back down deep inside herself. “What else?” he asked softly.
Pushing hair away from her temple, she gave him a fearful look. “I’m afraid to say it. Afraid it won’t work.”
“What wouldn’t work, Dair?”
“You and me. I-I know you want me in your life on a more personal basis. I’ve been fighting it because of my past.” She looked up and sighed raggedly, lowering her chin, holding his calm gray gaze. “It’s easy for you, but it’s not for me. I keep fighting the past that keeps trying to destroy my present. My heart wants you. My head screams the opposite.” She swallowed hard, whispering brokenly, “I’m so tired of this war inside me, Noah . . .”
He nodded and slowly rose from the table and walked around to where she sat. “Come sit with me in the living room?”
Looking up at him, Dair felt hot tears pushing into her eyes. “Yes . . . okay . . .” She wheeled herself into the living room. He walked at her side and motioned to the couch.
“If it’s okay with you, I’d like to have you sit beside me on the couch.”
Dair needed those words so badly. Emotions sheered through her, a blaze of need and joy for Noah. She parked her chair and, with his help, climbed out of it. Noah eased her down on the couch and then he sat in the corner of it, offering to place his arm around her shoulders. He didn’t force her into anything, allowing her to sit and make her own decision. Driven by her need of Noah, she scooted next to him, feeling his arm curve around her shoulders, bringing her gently against him.
“Just rest,” he murmured, kissing her hair as she nestled her brow against his jaw.
Those two words winnowed through her like a healing breeze, quieting her wary mind and allowing her to hone in on her thudding heart and the feelings she had for Noah. She closed her eyes, surrendering to him. Her mind stopped yammering at her. She eased her arm across his middle, needing what he was silently feeding her. Dair didn’t know how long she remained in that position against Noah, but nothing had ever felt so right to her.
Stirring awhile later, she lifted her head, resting her cheek on his shoulder, gazing up at him. “When I’m with you like this, my head stops yapping at me. And I feel nothing but happiness, Noah.” She saw his mouth curve faintly, his gray eyes dark and intense upon her.
“It’s because we share something good between us, Dair. Don’t you think? You affect me the same way. I’m so damned happy when you’re in my arms like this, I can’t even put it into words. But I can show you.” He leaned down, brushing her lips.
A low sound of pleasure came from Dair as she eagerly met his mouth, wanting another kiss with him. This time, Noah wasn’t hesitant or careful about kissing her. As his mouth slid surely across hers, she felt his maleness, felt him controlling himself for her sake, but luxuriating in their joyful union with one another. His other arm came around her waist, his hand resting on her hip, keeping her close but not putting pressure on either of her knees. Never had a man been so sensitive to her and her condition. It brought up a deluge of old, buried feelings, of times when she hid in her closet from her father as he stalked in a rage around their home. She would cry, her fists stuffed into her mouth so she wouldn’t make a sound. If she was heard, he’d come after her.
Hot tears squeezed out of her closed eyes, making trails down her face. Noah lifted his mouth from her lips, kissing each of her eyelids, kissing away the trail of tears that fell despite her trying to stop them. He just naturally opened up her vulnerability, made her want to weep for days and allow all that toxic fear of dying she’d had as a child to finally be released. He grazed her damp cheek with his thumb, lips resting against her brow.
“Go ahead and cry, Dair,” he said gruffly against her temple and ear. “It’s okay. I’ll just hold you . . .”
Dair’s whole body shook inwardly, as if his low, coaxing words were a key to unlock that door where so many old tears had been imprisoned. Her arm tightened around his waist and she pressed her face against the column of his neck, a sob tearing out of her. Dair lost track of time, pulled into the pain as her tears rushed down her face. There was no way to stop them and she gave up trying. Noah simply held her, moved his hand slowly up and down her upper arm, whispering soothing words to her.
Finally, the sobs lessened. Dair’s heart ached. Her throat hurt from all those awful, animal-like sounds that had been torn out of her. Noah held her. Continued to whisper words of comfort to her as she lifted her hand, fingers trembling as she tried to dry the last of the tears on her face. Her eyes felt swollen and hot as she eased from his arms and sat up.
Noah leaned to the right, pulling some tissues from a box on the lamp stand next to the couch. He pressed them into her hand.
It meant so much to Dair when he slid his arm around her waist, lightly holding her, letting her know she wasn’t alone with all that pain that had just exploded out of her so unexpectedly. He gave her more tissues so she could blow her nose several times. Placing them on the coffee table, she whispered, “I-I’ll be okay . . . Thanks. . . .” When she forced herself to look up into Noah’s face, her heart tumbled open. Tenderness burned in his eyes, and the tension that was normally in his face, was gone.
“Feel better?” he asked, giving her a faint smile, lifting his hand, removing several dark strands of hair from her cheek where they stuck to the shed tears.
“I-I don’t know. Not yet . . . yes . . . maybe . . . lighter feeling . . .”
“You can always come into my arms and cry, anytime you want, Dair. I like holding you. I want to be there for you.”
His words were a balm to the torn-up feelings still roiling through her. “So much is happening, Noah.” She pressed her hands to her face.
“I understand. You lost your leg, then you were thrown out in the world to make it on your own.” He moved his hand down her long back. “Then? You came here and a mean stud about took you apart.”
“And then Ray Crawford had the same thing in mind,” she rattled, pulling her hands away from her face, meeting and holding Noah’s gaze. He gave her such stability.
“It isn’t like you haven’t gone through a hellish blender of late,” Noah teased quietly, splaying his hand in the center of her back.
Giving a jerky nod, Dair whispered, “And through it all? You were here for me, Noah. You never withdrew, you never broke my trust. You were always the quiet shadow in the background until I needed you.” She sniffed, searching his tender expression.
“I always want to be there for you, Dair, if you’ll let me.”
His hand felt soothing to her fractious state, sliding lightly up and down her back. “Y-yes, I’d like that.” It took all of her courage to add, “And I want to keep sleeping with you at night in your bed. I want to kiss you . . . love you . . .”
Noah’s hand stilled on her shoulder, searching her watery eyes. “Are you sure, Dair? Because that would be a dream come true for me, but I want it to be your dream, too.”
Sniffing more, she sat up, moving so she faced him, her right knee resting along his hard, long thigh. “You give me courage, Noah. Whether you know it or not, you do. Libby’s right: I have to consciously break the patterns from my past. Once I recognize them, I can then replace them with more positive, healthy ones.” She reached out, her fingertips gliding down his stubbled jaw. “More than anything, I’ve wanted you with me. I’ve had so many dreams about us sleeping together, loving one another, but I was afraid to admit it to you.”
“Because so much else was happening in your life,” he said, nodding.
“Yes. On top of everything else, my heart wanted you and only you. I’m afraid to call it anything yet, Noah. I sometimes don’t think I know what love is. And I don’t know . . .”
“Don’t go there yet,” he said quietly, taking her hand, squeezing it. “We have all kinds of time to figure this out, Dair. And with everything going on around us with Crawford? There’s going to be a lot of upset to come.”
“Poor Shay,” Dair said, “I feel so sorry for her. She’s hurting so much from all of this.”
“Yes, but you know what? She has Reese, and he loves her. When you have the love of another person and you’re going through crap like this? It helps so damn much.”
Giving him a warm look, she offered, “That’s what you’ve been doing for me ever since I got here.”
“Then, let’s let what we have, grow and blossom over time. I’m in no hurry, Dair. Are you?”
Her mouth quirked. “No, not in any hurry. I’ve never asked to live with a man, share his bed before. It’s all so new to me. Scary, sometimes, but my heart feels driven to be near you, be with you whenever I can. You have no idea how often you said just the right words to me, or touched me, and it made whatever I was going through, bearable. You fed me hope, Noah. You always have.” She saw his face crumple with so many emotions, saw the yearning in his eyes for her alone. It made her feel a rush of happiness she’d never experienced before.
“Then,” he said, clearing his throat, holding her hand, “let’s just keep doing what we’re doing. I’ll always be there for you, Dair. That’s a given. I feel what you need to do is be assured in your own heart and mind that I’ll be supportive.”
“Yes . . . that’s pretty much it, Noah.”
“I want to take a chance on you, Dair. I’ve been in love before and years ago I lost my wife because of my PTSD. I learned a lot from that painful time. I do know what love is. I’ve matured since then, know a lot more about myself, my symptoms, and I’ve grown because of it. Libby, since I came to the Bar C, has helped me make some incredible breakthroughs about myself and my life. She’s helped me be a better man . . . a better person.”
“I think we all need someone in our lives to help us along,” Dair agreed, absorbing the dry, rough warmth of his fingers around her hand. “You’re that for me.”
“Well,” he said wryly, “it’s always more than one person who digs us out of the ditch we’ve fallen into. But part of love is caring for the other person and being sensitive toward them and their needs.”
“I think love means a lot more than just sex.”
He nodded. “It’s a part of it. A great part, but window dressing compared to the deeper human emotions, and how love in different ways can help us through those dark times.”
In his eyes, she saw his grief over the loss of his wife. And she ached for Noah. “Maybe you were just too young when you fell in love with her?”
“Absolutely, although at the time, I didn’t give it a second thought,” Noah admitted. “I fell in love with her, married her, and then my long deployments, plus my PTSD, tore us apart.”
“I’m really sorry, Noah. She must be a wonderful woman.”
“She is. Chandra is happily remarried, has a little daughter, and her life is good. And I’m glad for her. We remained friends throughout the divorce. We just couldn’t make it work at that age or stage in our lives.”
Dair could see the regret, but also the maturity in his eyes and voice. Noah had learned from his divorce. And he knew what love was, and she did not. “Are you okay with us sleeping together?” she ventured unsurely. “Yes, but you know what, Dair? If there’s a time or place when you need to sleep alone, then do it. We’re still finding our way forward with one another, and it’s early in our relationship. We have a lot of trials and struggles before us, especially with Crawford. No one is sure what he’ll do next. His court case is a year away. Will he respect the restraining order? He’s impulsive and he never does what anyone expects.”
“Would you not want to sleep with me at times?” She saw instant amusement jump to Noah’s gaze.
“Never. But that’s me. You have to listen to what your needs are, Dair. And if there are times when you want to be alone, we’ll talk about it and let it be what it is.”
Shaking her head, she muttered, “I don’t think I’ll ever want to sleep apart from you, Noah.” She saw hope burn in his eyes, and his hand became more firm around hers.
“Well,” he murmured, smiling a little, “a relationship is built on trusting one another, one step at a time. Talking. Gutting through the good and bad times together. Having you beside me, Dair? That’s a dream come true to me. It always will be . . .”
* * *
When Noah padded into his bedroom later that night, he saw Dair in her flannel lavender granny gown, sitting against the headboard, a serious look on her face. Turning off the overhead ceiling lamp, the nightlight gave him just enough to see where he was going. He’d deliberately worn only his pajama bottoms because he wanted to see how Dair reacted to him. It was one thing to talk about sleeping together, but now it was real. He didn’t want her to feel pressured or backed into a corner, thinking she had to have sex with him. His erection was there, but his own emotional quandary and worry over coming together, was keeping things tamped down for now.
“You still feeling okay about this?” he asked, moving to the bed, sitting opposite her, legs crossed, hands on his knees.
“Yes,” she said. “Worried. Anxious. But I want to not only sleep with you, Noah, I want to be able to reach out and kiss or touch you if I feel like it, too.”
Nodding, he saw her smooth the soft flannel so it lay below her knees. “Both your knees are injured,” he said.
She gave him a wry look. “I know. I was thinking about that. Thinking how best to do this.”
“It hurts more if you bend them?” He reached out, smoothing his hand across the arch of her bare foot. Massaging it gently, he saw her eyes grow dark with yearning.
“Yes. I can flex them about halfway, but I couldn’t kneel at all.”
“Well, that takes out a few positions,” he said, giving her a grin. Above all, Noah wanted Dair to be looking forward to him loving her, not dreading it. And if her sparkling eyes were any indicator, she wanted this as much as he did.
“Sure does. Unless you want to hang me from the ceiling in some kind of harness,” she managed, chuckling.
“No, I’m afraid I’m not into that kind of lovemaking. Are you?” He saw her cheeks grow a dull pink.
“No. I guess I’m terribly traditional, Noah.”
He was also guessing she hadn’t had that many sexual partners, either, from the way she reacted to his question. “That’s okay. I’m thinking the good ole missionary position would be best for you and your knees right now. Maybe after you get healed up, we can explore.” There was relief in her expression. More and more, Noah realized that because of her childhood, Dair hid most of her real reactions and feelings. Wanting to draw her out, he asked, “What do you think? What would be most comfortable for you?”
“I was thinking the same position.”
“Okay, glad we got that out of the way.” He smiled into her eyes. Her lips lifted and he felt heat flow through him. He was going to worship her, from her head to her toes. Noah didn’t reveal that to Dair, but he knew she was nervous and so was he. “If I do anything you don’t want, tell me.”
“Sure.”
“And if you’re in pain because of your knees, you’ll tell me. Right?”
“Oh, I don’t think I’ll have to say much. I’ll probably freeze up like I always do when I’m in pain. You’ll know right away.”
“I have condoms,” he said, motioning to the bed stand.
“I don’t like them,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “I’m on the pill, Noah. And I’m clean.”
“I’m clean, too,” he said. He smiled to himself as Dair scooted down next to him.
“Unbraid my hair for me? I love to have my scalp massaged.”
“Sounds like a good plan,” he murmured. Getting up on the bed, Noah settled behind her. Leaning near her ear, he rasped, “Relax. I’m going to pull you up between my legs and then I’ll lean against the headboard.” He was humbled when she completely relaxed against the front of him after he leaned back on the headboard. She settled against him and between his opened legs. Noah untied the red yarn around her braids, slowly easing the three strands apart as they fell between his fingers. “You have such strong, silky hair,” he told her, kissing some of the strands.
“And what you’re doing feels so good . . .” She sighed, closing her eyes.
Noah smiled as he released all her hair and then combed his fingers slowly through the shining, black cloud. Her hair smelled of timothy hay because she had not washed it yet tonight. Taming the silky hair around her neck and shoulders, he continued to place small, light kisses across the strands. “You are so beautiful,” he rasped, leaning down, catching the hem of her gown and slowly easing it up across her knees.
Dair sat up, lifting her arms so that Noah could ease the gown over her head. He allowed the material to drop beside the bed. The grayish light outlined her small, proud breasts, the nipples hard, asking to be touched. Controlling his hunger for her, he invited Dair to come lie against him. He wanted to be slow, thorough, and build their passion based upon her needs. This was an exquisite exploration he’d been dreaming about since meeting her. Her body was slender but strong, and he silently lamented the loss of her lower limb because she had such long, shapely legs. Noah slid his hands slowly from her upper arms, feeling the velvet warmth of her flesh, to her lower arms.
“I want,” he told her as he brought her palm to his lips, “to love you, Dair. You deserve to be worshipped. . .” He moved his tongue across her palm, hearing her breath hitch, her fingers curving in reaction to his gesture and then his kiss. He could feel her melting little by little as he touched her here and there. Nothing intimate, just allowing her time to get used to him, to his fingers trailing across her responsive body.
He watched as her chest rose and fell a little more quickly, her breath shallowing out as he allowed her to reclaim her hand. Moving his fingers through her hair, Noah exposed her slender neck. There was such a sense of utter deliciousness to loving this woman he wanted desperately for his own. As he nibbled on the lobe of her ear, hearing Dair’s swift intake of breath, her nipples hardening to points, he felt nothing but love for her. Noah wouldn’t lie to himself. He’d been falling in love with this brave, beautiful woman since he first laid eyes on her.
Licking that sensitized flesh behind her ear, raining light kisses down the length of her throat, sliding his fingers lightly across her delicate collarbones, made her moan with need. He liked that low, husky sound slipping from between her lips. If Noah had had any doubts about how well they fit one another, he didn’t now. His confidence grew and he gently eased Dair down to the mattress, helping her to lie on her back and get comfortable. That sleek, dark hair only emphasized her high cheekbones and those wide, lust-filled eyes. He liked that she was aroused, relaxed, and reaching out for him.
Allowing Dair to orchestrate what she wanted from him, Noah was fine with her taking the driver’s seat tonight. There would be times in the future when they would share or he would initiate, instead. Right now, he wanted this first time to be wonderful for Dair, wanted her looking forward to the next time they loved one another. As he knelt between her legs, easing them apart, hands beneath her knees to support the movement, he felt her utterly surrender to him. It made him feel proud and strong as she relinquished any anxiety left in her, welcoming him into her arms.
As he leaned over her, seeking her mouth, kissing her hungrily, she matched the pressure and consumed him with her body, arching up against his, brushing against his erection. Noah groaned, the white-hot heat surging through him as he claimed her, their mouths clashing against one another. He became lost in her woman’s fragrance, the scent of her hair, the strands tickling his jaw as he deepened that long, wet kiss between them. As he pressed himself against her damp entrance, she lifted her hips, receiving him, wanting him as much as he wanted her. Noah felt how small and tight she was, despite her lush fluids welcoming him. Dair hadn’t had sex in a long time, and he brutally controlled himself for her sake. This was about giving her pleasure first.
As he left her mouth, her breath was as ragged as his was. He framed her face, holding her in place, gently moving in and out of her, accustoming her body to his. Her heat felt so good wrapping around him, squeezing him, making him grit his teeth, his nostrils flaring as he controlled his hip movements with hers.
He gazed down into her lustrous, dark eyes, saw the arousal there, the same burning need shared between them. She was wild, responsive, and he nearly forgot about her injured knees, her body was so supple, teasing and pulling him ever deeper into her. His mind was dissolving, his need making him grunt as she lifted her hips, bringing him fully into her. Noah lost his direction, the fire of her body, the sweet, hot fluids surrounding him, and instinctively, he leaned down, tugging one of those hard nipples into his mouth. Dair cried out, but it was raw pleasure he felt as her body bucked wildly beneath his. She was no tame filly, that was for sure, and it encouraged him to release some of his control, sliding his hand beneath her hips, lifting her so he could plunge fully into her.
The rocking motion made her sob his name, her nails digging deep into his damp, bunched shoulders as he held and moved with her. Dair’s little cries, caught in her exposed throat, urged him on, loosened his control until Noah felt them melting. Euphoria and hunger merged as he felt them becoming one. As her body tightened around him, he heard her cr y out, felt those hot fluids suddenly embracing him, knowing she had orgasmed. Above all, despite what he wanted, Noah held her hips, nudging himself as deep as he could go into her sweet, tight body, giving her all the pleasure she could want.
And then, Dair turned the tables on him after she’d rested a moment from the orgasm that had consumed her like wildfire. She gripped his narrow hips, thrusting her hips against him, forcing him to instantly release his control. The woman was strong! Noah had no time to think. His body reacted and in seconds, a bolt of heat tore down his spine, erupting through his entire body, spilling himself deeply into her. His eyes shuttered closed, and his lips pulled away from his teeth. He was frozen above her, those hips of hers cajoling every last vestige out of him, until he collapsed upon her damp body.