Fractured Trust by L. M. Dalgleish
Chapter 20
Noah watched uncertainty flicker across Summer’s face, but he didn’t let his calm expression slip. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen this coming, that she’d hesitate, pull back. He understood the thought of being with him was a lot to deal with. Particularly for someone like Summer, whose trust had already taken a battering long before he’d arrived on the scene.
He understood, but it didn’t mean he had to like it. He wished she had more confidence in him, in what it was between them. But he knew it was going to be a struggle for her. He needed to prove to her that he’d never want anyone else. But if his words weren’t enough to convince her, it would have to be his actions.
So, he’d pretend to go along with her no promises, no commitments plan for now. That gave him just over a month and a half before the Fractured tour to prove to her he was here to stay. And once he’d convinced her she could trust him, he was going to make sure that she never lost faith in him again.
After finishing the rest of his coffee, he stood and walked over to the kitchen, placing his empty mug in the sink before turning back to her and leaning against the counter. He crossed his arms, suppressing a smug smile when her eyes drifted unconsciously to where his biceps stretched the sleeves of his t-shirt.
“How about you come with me today, and we can look at getting you a new microwave tomorrow?” he said.
“Why, what are you doing today?” she asked.
“The two of us are going surfing.”
Summer’s eyes widened. “I don’t know how to surf!”
“Why should not knowing how to do something stop you?”
Her mouth opened to reply, but then she paused with her lips parted. Noah could almost see the wheels in her head turning, and she closed her mouth. Noah’s grin grew as Summer’s own gorgeous smile spread across her face. “You’re absolutely right. Why should that stop me?” She paused and tilted her head, eyes sparkling. “You’re going to show me how, right?”
Noah winked at her. “I’m going to show you everything, Sunshine.”
He tried his best not to let how much seeing that beautiful carefree smile on her face made his heart beat almost painfully in his chest. He didn’t want her to find out yet just exactly how committed he was to making this work, not when she’d probably bolt for the hills if he did. Instead, he just pushed himself off the counter and grabbed her hand, tugging her out of her seat. “Let’s do this, then.”
* * *After Summer had gotten changed into her bikini, Noah drove them back to his place in Malibu. He wasn’t sure whether he was embarrassed or proud when her mouth dropped open at her first sight of his large house—glowing almost blindingly white in the bright sunlight—with its sweeping driveway and impressive double wooden entry doors.
When he led her into the foyer, she stopped and spun on the spot to take in the airy, light-filled space that extended the full two stories. She turned to him and smiled. “It’s gorgeous, Noah.”
But it was the view out over the ocean through the floor-to-ceiling windows that extended along the back of the house that stopped her in her tracks. For a long, few minutes she stared out at the deep, blue of the water extending to the horizon, before turning to him with a crooked smile. “You really made it, didn’t you?”
He laughed. “What, the tens of thousands of screaming fans at our concert didn’t tell you that?”
She looked back at the view, a wistful expression crossing her face. “I don’t know why, but this makes it more real.”
He wondered if she were thinking the same thing he was, that if things hadn’t gone wrong between them, they might have bought this place together. That this could have been her home too.
After a few more minutes admiring the view, she turned and smiled. “So, are you going to show me around the rest of this behemoth?”
He gave her a quick tour, then pulled out his favorite surfboard and a spare longboard for Summer and took her down to the private beach the house sat above. After laying the boards out on the sand, he showed her how to wax them, then got her to start practicing popping up and getting her stance right while the board was stationary.
His plan when it came to Summer—if you could call it a plan—was about as simple as it could get. Spend as much time with her as possible, build up her confidence in herself, and in him. Prove to her she was all he needed. So that when the time came for him to leave on tour, she’d be willing to take that leap with him.
Although maybe his plan to spend time with her should have started with something a little less distracting than a surfing lesson. It had seemed like a good idea at the time. Reminding her of all the fun they used to have together. How easy and good it was between them. But seeing Summer in her sexy aqua bikini, the sun licking over her smooth skin, was far too difficult to resist. He was already half hard just from watching her.
But then again, why did he have to resist? No reason not to take advantage of the chemistry that still sizzled between them. Every touch, every kiss, would only tie her tighter to him so that she wouldn’t be able to walk away again.
He stepped forward and wrapped his hands around her waist in a pretense of adjusting her position, the warmth of her skin under his fingers sending an answering heat pulsing through his veins.
“Like this?” she said, tucking strands of her hair behind her ears as she looked down at her feet.
Noah leaned forward, nuzzling his nose against the skin of her neck. Summer laughed softly, but it cut off when he slid his hand down the soft skin of her stomach and slipped the tips of his fingers just beneath the top of her bikini bottoms, slowly tracing them along the line of the waistband.
She stilled, a quiver running through her. “Noah, what are you doing?” Her voice was low, husky.
“I’m touching you.”
“I thought you were going to take me surfing.” Her breathless voice caused his cock to stiffen fully, and he exhaled against her neck, goose bumps rippling out from where his breath had touched her.
“I am. But first I want to do this,” he said, running one finger slowly down over her pubic bone and sliding it into her slick heat.
Summer inhaled sharply. “What if someone sees?” she asked, her voice equal parts nervous and aroused.
“They won’t.”
Noah skimmed his finger over her clit, and they both groaned. He slid his other hand up and tugged her bikini top down, so he could cup her breast, but he could still feel the tension in her. “Do you trust me, Summer?”
It was a loaded question, but he needed to hear her say it. Even if she thought he was only talking about what he was doing to her right at this moment.
She breathed out, relaxing back against him. “Yes.”
Noah smiled in relief and pressed a kiss against her head. Her nipple was peaked and hard, and he circled it with his finger until it tightened further, then pinched it gently. Summer dropped her head back against his shoulder, her eyes drifting shut as he continued brushing his finger over her clit again and again until her hips were pulsing against his hand. Then he continued lower, sliding a finger inside her.
“Oh God, Noah,” she moaned breathlessly.
“You’re dripping, Sunshine. Are you going to come for me?”
“If you keep that up,” she mumbled, her head lolling against him, eyelashes fluttering against the arch of her cheekbones.
He was so hard it felt like there was a steel bar in his shorts, and he pressed himself into the small of her back, grinding it against her.
“That’s good, because once you do, I’m going to sink my cock into that tight, wet pussy and make you come all over again.”
He slid another finger inside her and pumped them both in and out, his thumb keeping up a steady rhythm against her clit, his other hand pinching and tugging on her nipple. Summer inhaled sharply as she came with a shudder, her hips rocking, channel clenching hard around his fingers.
“Noah…” she sighed dreamily, and such a surge of possessiveness stormed through him at that breathy little sound; he almost threw her down on the hot sand and sank his dick into her right then. But while that sounded good in theory, he really didn’t want her to end up abraded.
The water would be nice and cool though. He could definitely fuck her in the water.
But before he could sweep her up into his arms and carry her down there, she turned, rose on her tiptoes, and pressed her lips to his. He groaned as her tongue slipped into his mouth, her fingers curling in the hair at the nape of his neck. He ran his hands down her back and over the curve of her ass, kneading the firm globes and pulling her hips to his, so she could grind against his hard cock.
“Summer,” he rasped.
She licked one last time at his lips, then dropped to her knees in the sand.
“What are you doing, Sunshine?” he asked, his voice a low growl, as he ran his hands through the long silk of her hair, warm from the sun beating down on them.
The sparkle in her eyes took his breath away. “Don’t tell me it’s been so long since you’ve been with a woman you’ve forgotten what it means when she’s on her knees in front of you.”
The sight of Summer looking up at him with that expression on her face was such a damn turn on that his erection throbbed and strained against the inside his shorts. It also sent a swell of hope flooding through him. If she could joke about other women, maybe she was starting to come to terms with his history.
Summer hooked her fingers into his shorts and tugged them down. He was so hard that when the material cleared his erection, it bounced up and hit his lower abs.
“Hmm,” Summer tapped her bottom lip as she regarded his aching dick. “That looks a little painful, Noah.” She peeked up at him through her long lashes, her lips curving up at the corners, and fuck, he thought he might have just gotten a little harder at the sexy, fake-innocent expression on her face. “Maybe I can help you out with that.”
He cupped her jaw, angling her head so she fully met his gaze, his mouth hooking up at the playfulness he remembered from when they were younger. “You’re the only one that can, Sunshine. Now open those pretty lips and make it all better.”
She smirked at his words, but obediently opened her lips and took him in, enclosing him in the wet warmth of her mouth.
Noah cursed under his breath as her tongue stroked the underside of his cock before she pulled back and swirled it around the head. She gripped him with one hand at the base, brushing her lips over the tip, tongue darting out to lap at him, before taking him in her mouth again. His skin prickled, and he let out a deep, ragged breath as she took him to the back of her throat, her cheeks hollowing as she sucked, a soft moan vibrating around him. He grew impossibly harder as she worked him with her mouth and her hand, teasing him with a scrape of her teeth followed by the soothing stroke of her tongue.
Fuck.She was killing him. Unable to stop himself, he gathered her hair in one fist, holding her in place as his hips began to move in shallow pumps. The sun was hot on his back, heating his skin from the outside while the slick movement of her mouth over him was heating him from the inside until his whole body burned like it was on fire.
“Your mouth feels too good, Sunshine. I’m not going to last,” he said, the words coming out rough.
She looked up, her lips wrapped tight around him, big green eyes half-lidded and glazed, as if she were as turned on as he was.
And that was him done. All of Noah’s muscles tensed, and he barely had time to growl a warning that he was coming before letting out a long, guttural groan as his orgasm detonated, shock waves of ecstasy slamming through him. Summer had made no move to pull away, so he used his hand in her hair to tip her head back just enough to let him slide in a little farther as he shot his release into her mouth, swearing through gritted teeth as her tongue continued stroking him while he rode it out.
Once the aftershocks had started to ease, Summer pulled off him and swallowed, licking her lips delicately before giving him a coy smile. Her cheeks were flushed, eyes shining, and he would have fallen to his knees right then and there and promised her the world if he didn’t think it would send her running.
He did drop to his knees, though. But instead of asking her to be his forever, he simply crushed his lips to hers, claiming her with his mouth, even if it was too soon to claim her any other way.
When they both finally pulled away, Noah rested his forehead against hers until their breathing steadied.
“Noah?” she finally asked.
“Yes.”
“I still really want to learn to surf.”
He laughed. “Let’s get you in the water then.”
And later, as he watched her lying prone on the board, a little frown of concentration on her face as she paddled toward a small wave, a surge of confidence boiled through him. This plan was going to work.
It had to.