Natalie
I rush down the stairs and notice everyone is cheering. The bottom floor has turned into a battleground arena.
It's quite the scene. People are clapping their hands in a circle around Linnea and Bianca.
Wait a minute, is that blood on Linnea's face?
What the hell is going on?!
I press through the crowd, but I only glimpse what is happening in the middle.
"You used to be my best friend!" Bianca is furious and drunk, raising her voice at Linnea. "But now you're hanging out with that damn loser, Natalie. You're constantly taking her side!"
Linnea can barely stand and laughs at Bianca. "Do you want to know why I'm not your fucking friend anymore? Because you're a sad, jealous little bitch! You're such an attention whore that it's pathetic!"
Luna is biting her nails on the side, shrieking when Bianca takes a swing at Linnea, who quickly steps away. Linnea is the bigger woman and shakes her head in a warning.
"Okay, now you've done it, princess!"
Linnea punches Bianca in the face, and the brunette shouts in pain. She is overly dramatic—I don't think Linnea hit her that hard. Nevertheless, Bianca's boyfriend, Elliott, rushes in.
"Don't touch my fucking girlfriend, you whore!"
Elliott fists Linnea's t-shirt and punches her repeatedly. He is acting like a psychopath. I try to make it through the crowd.
Linnea is crying out in pain, making my heart race faster. There is blood on her face and on Elliott's fist.
If this goes on, then Linnea might not live another day!
"STOP!" I shout, pushing at Elliott's shoulder. "STOP HITTING HER! THAT'S ENOUGH!"
Elliott gives me a drunken glare. He lifts his hand to punch me, but Noah grabs his arm in a deadlock.
"You're fighting women now, Elliott?" Noah asks calmly. He looks pissed off, and I'm hit with how big the man truly is. "How about you fight someone your own size or get the hell out?"
Elliot's face pales. "I-I don't want to fight you!"
"Then. Get. Out."
Elliot scrambles away, and I put Linnea's arm around my shoulder. Her head rolls to the side, but she is still breathing.
Thank god.
It offers me some relief.
Linnea is a good friend and a lovely person. I don't want to lose her. I was so worried when Elliott hit her black and blue.
My adrenaline is gushing in my ears. "We should call an ambulance."
Noah's eyes scan the crowd when nobody moves. "Are you all deaf? Someone call a goddamn ambulance."
Noah's fan club eagerly picks up their phones, and I find a chair for where Linnea can sit. People are disappearing out into the street, coached by a friend of Noah.
I relax a little when the music dies. My hand is resting on Linnea's shoulder when a shadow falls over me.
"Is she okay?"
I peer up and find Johan towering above me. He crouches down in front of Linnea, eyeing her punched face. The skin is already swelling and looking purple, making Johan's jaw tick.
"I should kill Elliott."
"No, you won't," Noah says, appearing with a wet towel and some ice in a bag. He hands it over to Johan. "But you can ice her face to reduce the bruise. And then you can carry her to the ambulance. They should be here by any minute."
Johan sighs while holding the ice against Linnea's face. "Friends usually aren't allowed to go with the ambulance."
Noah lifts a questioning eyebrow. "So why don't you tell them you are her boyfriend, then?"
To my utter surprise, Johan actually blushes. He might look like a badass rugby player with countless tattoos, but right now, he is behaving like an insecure guy in love.
When Johan notices me watching him, he narrows his eyes. "You can't tell Linnea that I like her."
I laugh. "I think Linnea already heard you."
"No." Johan cracks a smile that doesn't look feral. "She is too drunk to remember a word, and she is already sputtering nonsense."
A smile graces my lips. "Fair enough."
After a few more minutes, the ambulance arrives, and Johan is allowed to ride with them to the hospital. The party people are long gone, and the guys living in the frat house are all inside. I'm standing on the curb next to Noah's towering form.
"I can ride a taxi by myself."
Noah is staring out into the street. "I don't doubt it, but I rather ride home with you after tonight."
Warmth fills my chest. I lack words but reach out my hand without looking. I'm not sure what I'm doing. My hand dangles far away from my body. I feel silly, but my heart gives a tiny squeeze when Noah engulfs my hand in his larger one.
I peer up at him, blushing at the slight curl of his lips.
"We can't become an item," I say. "You know it's unethical."
"But not forbidden."
"It's weird."
"Does it matter?"
"People would talk."
His eyes find mine. "And yet I don't care."
My cheeks scald, and I avert my eyes from his. "These feelings will probably pass."
"Or grow."
I peer up at Noah, suddenly close to tears. I search his face, trying to find a hint of him joking, but I only find affection and lust. Possessiveness. I shudder at the resolute expression on his face.
"This is probably only a crush."
"Maybe," Noah smiles. "But if it ends becoming something more than that, promise me something."
"What?"
"Don't lie to me if you end up falling for me," Noah says calmly. "Always be honest with your emotions—it could be a life-changer. And as you may have guessed, I already like you."
I stare at him, but then the taxi arrives, and the moment is over. Noah opens the door for me, and then he walks over to enter from the other side. We ride in silence.
My chest is constricting, filled with emotions that I don't understand—I'm afraid of them too. The more time I spend with Noah, the more vulnerable I become. It's scary. I don't trust people—not after my mother abandoned my father and me.
I have trust issues. I don't let people in. I've built barricades around my heart, but Noah is tearing them down.
It frightens me.
When the taxi stops, I dare to sneak a peek of Noah. He smiles at me, and my heart flutters and hurts like it's been struck with knives. It's confusing feeling everything at once, both the pain and the passion.
"Thanks for tonight," I tell him.
Noah's face is gentle. "I didn't do much... Unless you're talking about your amazing orgasm?"
And just like that, I'm smiling again. "Good night, Noah."
He beams back at me. "Good night, Natalie."
Noah closes the door, and I walk up to my apartment and let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding. Butterflies are soaring in my chest, whispering something that I'm not yet ready to admit.
I'm falling for Noah Parker.
NatalieA few days have passed since the party, and I wake up to the sound of my door unlocking. Before I know it, there are plenty of voices in my hallway. I don't even have time to wipe the drool off my face before it sounds like I'm getting robbed.What is going on?!I sit up in my bed like a rocket and slip into my morning gown."Hello?" a male voice asks. "Anybody home?"I pick up my phone from the nightstand and wander out of my bedroom with confusion making my heart race. My jaw slacks to the floor when I find men clad in blue t-shirts taking down my paintings from the walls.Am I still dreaming?Hallucinating?Holy pancakes, what was in those cereals I ate yesterday?"Are you Natalie Gracen?" A man holding a clipboard is looking me up and down. He wears a cap like the rest of them, but a star is on the front. Is he the leader or something?"That would be me... What is going on?"The man blinks. "We are the moving company you hired? Your husband called us?"Husband?Wait.Noah?
NatalieNoah drives up to the curb with his old, roofless red Ferrari. It's probably super expensive, very stylish, like the man sitting behind the wheel.I have to fight the immediate response to drool. Noah looks good with his shades and a white t-shirt in the summer heat. It's fighting for its dear life to hold back his pumped, sexy biceps."Good day," Noah muses. "Or should I say morning, Mrs. late riser?"I open the car door. "Good day to you too."Noah smiles at me but snaps his head to the sidewalk when a girl from our school, Lindsay, calls his name."Noah!"Lindsay walks down from a building with a Louis Vuitton purse dangling from her trimmed arms. Her smile speaks of a woman who knows she has the world admiring her beauty. I'm not exaggerating. Lindsay looks like she could be dating the handsome man sitting next to me. They would make an attractive couple that could easily pose for magazines."Hey, Lindsay," Noah says. "I didn't know you lived here."When Lindsay walks up
NatalieI didn't settle for Italian food. It felt cliché, so I pulled Noah to a Vietnamese restaurant. I'm happy with my choice. It might go against my morals to let Noah pay for everything, but Dear Lord, I'm in heaven.Noah ordered us a buffet of food, and we are now surrounded by various dishes that all taste amazing. Every bite is an orgasm of flavor inside of my mouth. I haven't stopped moaning."Oh-my-god!" I'm eating something called Gỏi cuốn, and it's love at first bite. I talk with food in my mouth, not caring that I have rice on my chin. "This is so good..."Noah told me that the Vietnamese have this thing where they value balance in their tastes. Everything should add something different to the table, and boy, I will follow that like a new religion."I'm glad you're happy."I watch Noah as he eats with his chopsticks. His face remains calm, focused as he picks food, and every movement is fluid. It looks like he is drawing or creating art while bringing the food to his mout
NatalieWe blast through the doors, and I laugh as Noah spins me around while I'm carried like a princess. I see stars. Everything feels light and aflame; I'm on cloud nine.Did I mistakenly enter through heaven's doors?"You're truly stunning tonight, Natalie," Noah says. "The only thing I hate is your outfit."I snort through my nose. "Then how about we take it off?"The poor butler, Frank, can apparently be trusted, and therefore, Noah doesn't care about being intimate.And I don't care because I'm drunk."We have to wash you, my sweet duchess. Do a cleansing before we burn your pajamas to the ground."I'm snorting through my nose again. The wine I drank has clearly gone to my head. I'm happy and unguarded. Noah bought me plenty of new clothes today, but I'm not allowed to wear them.Not yet. "And how are we supposed to do a cleansing?" I ask.Noah replies by running up the stairs. His mansion has plenty of them, and the walls are covered in paintings. Chandeliers fill the ceiling
NatalieI'm vulnerable.I'm exposed.I'm baring my neck as Noah kisses my skin, taking pieces of my soul that he will keep forever. His hands make love to my body, and his caress is like dark poetry—addictive and possessive at the same time.I'm afraid.I've let no one this close. But my fear is overruled by my aching desire to have Noah's enormous cock inside me again.His teeth graze my nipples, making me shudder. It's heaven to be worshipped like this. Noah's big hands are pressed to my back, and I'm on my knees, sitting in his lap. I want his cock so badly, but Noah doesn't seem to be in a hurry. He is taking his sweet time licking every inch of my chest, teasing me by letting his fingers travel close to my pussy.It's agonizing, especially when his mouth covers my nipple, tormenting it by adding pressure to his tongue.A moan tries to slip out through my lips, and Noah chuckles darkly against my skin. The handsome devil."I love your tits." His eyelashes flicker, allowing me to
NatalieI sneak out of Noah's room in the early morning. He has already headed out for his run, and my naked feet are pitter-pattering down the stairs. Somehow, I find my way into the large kitchen. I'm wearing some of the new clothes Noah bought for me—a t-shirt with a cat playing guitar and a pair of leggings. It's basic but comfortable.I search the cabinets for a coffee cup, feeling out of place since this is my first morning at the mansion. Noah told me to make myself at home before he left for his run. So I'm trying to ignore the awkwardness of rummaging through his fridge.And damn, the jock boy got some serious buffet goodies inside his fridge!There are chocolate puddings, yogurt, cheese, and juices of different fruit and flavors. Leftover pancakes and a whole sea of sandwiches.Smiling, I carry everything I deem tasty to the kitchen table. Cynthia chooses that moment to waltz into the kitchen. She is wearing a morning gown, and her hair is tucked into a towel on her head."
NoahTwo hours after I last saw Natalie, I still can't get her out of my mind. That bruise on her cheek is haunting me. It's been throwing me off my game all morning.Did Natalie really fall down the stairs?I keep thinking about her bruise while practicing. Football has always come easy for me, but I'm not focusing today. Coach is yelling and telling me to work harder, but I'm running across the field like a goddamn zombie. I ignore physical pain and mental exhaustion daily, but Natalie?I can't shut her out.I don't fear the three-hundred-pound linebacker trying to take me out during a game, but seeing Natalie injured? It got my heart racing. I felt like a bull ready to charge seeing her injured.It frightens me. I mean, Natalie is right—we can't be dating each other. It could ruin everything. People would talk, and the gossip would probably ruin my career. I wouldn't be able to think without worrying about what other people are saying behind my back. But at the same time, how do
NatalieLinnea leans over the table to whisper at me. "Don't look now, but your soon-to-be stepbrother hasn't blinked for the last minute. He is staring at you and looking pissed off as hell. Did you two fight or something?"I discreetly lean back in my chair inside the library. Noah is sitting a few tables away, glowering at me. A sense of having betrayed him washes over me, and I shudder. I'm the traitor who let Linnea invite Felix and Johan to our study session, and now Noah is looking ready to commit murder. Johan and Felix are fetching us water, and now, when I'm alone with Linnea, Noah is showing his disapproval.Awkwardly, I turn back to Linnea. "I might have told Noah that he could study with us today. He needed help with his subjects for the upcoming midterm exams."Linnea freezes, arching an eyebrow. "I'm sure Noah will handle those exams and receive a top score without your help. If not, it's his fault for focusing on too many things." "Focusing on too many things?" I ask