Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Noah

I looked from the sidewalk to the name on my ride request and could not believe this was happening all over again.

With her hair up in a messy bun, Lu stood outside of Bookers next to a dark-haired, well-dressed man.

This was the bar she'd invited me to a few weeks ago before we'd kissed and everything had gone to shit.

Despite all the similarities between the last time I'd seen Lu and now, there were differences, too. She was surprised to see me. So requesting a Huber hadn't been her idea. The guy at her side wasn't short or drunk, but he was still ignoring her.

As soon as she'd spotted the Bronco idling out front, she'd tried to turn around and march back inside, but the guy—I checked my phone again—Dakota had snagged her around the waist. If body language was anything to go by, she was going to kill him.

I was both desperate to get this over with and also grateful for the chance to see her. It had been exactly one week since I'd picked up Lu and her handsy first date, not knowing what to think about everything but feeling heartsick over it.

Lowering my window, I called, "Are you Dakota Marshall?"

The man—probably around Lu's age—smiled brightly. His teeth were insanely white. "That's me!" And then with a threat reminiscent of a mother wrangling her wayward toddler, he said, "Come on, LuLu. Get in the car."

She met my gaze, and I realized she wanted to be anywhere else but in front of this bar at three in the morning. She didn't look drunk or disheveled, just reluctant. And just before she glanced away, I caught the edge of something that looked a lot like regret.

Dakota tugged her along by the arm of her peacoat before opening the back passenger door and stuffing her inside, giant handbag and all.

I tried to make myself focus on the navigation system and where I was supposed to be driving instead of noticing every little sound Lu made in the back seat—the uncomfortable shift of her body, the way she held herself against the door, her sigh as she looked out the window.

"First stop is me," Dakota said once he'd climbed in behind me. "Then you can drop LuLu at home."

Some furious whispering ensued as I pulled out onto the deserted Main Street. I caught a "jackass" and "too bad" followed by a "never" and then a "be that way."

As agonizing as it had been to see Lu on a date with that asshole last week, I could tell pretty quickly that she wasn't into him. It was more the possibility. I'd realized that if I didn't get out of this town soon, someday I was going to have to pick up this girl and watch her give her smiles and her attention to someone else.

It had been a relief to recognize easily that the phone-obsessed handsy asshole was not someone who Lu was giving the time of day. But something was there with this Dakota guy. Familiarity and comfort. Acceptance and understanding. These two had a history, and I wasn't sure how to feel about that.

"So, Noah," he said, "it's nice to finally meet you. I'm sorry it has to be under these dramatic circumstances."

Lu practically growled.

"Uhhh . . . " That was all I could manage because I had no idea what the hell was going on.

"I'm Cody," he offered.

Cody.

Oh.

That Cody. Lu's best friend Cody.

My eyes flicked to his in the back seat. He was smiling that megawatt grin. "Oh, um, hi."

Why did he still want to meet me? He had to know things with Lu were complicated and practically on life support.

"How has your night been?" Cody asked in a friendly tone. I guessed we were chatting. What the hell?

My eyes took a quick detour to see Lu glaring out the window, ignoring whatever Cody was doing.

"It's been pretty quiet. Busy earlier, but nothing too bad."

"Good," Cody replied cheerfully. "That's good."

"Yeah." This was so weird. I checked the time left until arrival: eight minutes. Fantastic.

"So, here's the thing," Cody said, shifting into serious gear, "you and Lu need to get your shit together." I felt my eyebrows disappear beneath my hair. "I was on your side, Noah Sad Boy. But I can't have you hurting my girl. Tonight was painful," he groaned, drawing the last word out. "She had tourists all over her. LuLu could have left with twelve numbers in her pocket and a ‘why choose' situation to end the night."

I did not know what that meant. And I didn't think I wanted to.

"But no," Cody continued. "She moped all over the damn bar. Worst wingwoman ever. I could have gone home with three different guys." Oh. Ohhhhhh . "But I felt bad leaving her pathetic ass. She didn't even drink. She had ginger ale and a bowl full of maraschino cherries because the bartender felt sorry for her."

I swallowed uncomfortably and glanced in the rearview mirror, attempting to read Lu's expression. She stared at her friend in shock, heavy on the betrayal.

Unbothered, Cody went on, "So I will say again. You two crazy kids need to figure your shit out. You are clearly into her—I saw your ‘wounded puppy' eyes when you saw us on the sidewalk—and she is into you—hush, LuLu—but for whatever reason, you've decided to make each other miserable instead. You are going to drop me off, and then you are going to talk. Okay?"

A small part of me wanted to stand up to Cody and tell him he didn't know anything about me and to back off. But I wasn't brave enough to do that because Cody was more than a little scary. And also right. I was miserable. And I was into Lu.

I'd spent the past week moping, simultaneously hoping to run into her and praying I wouldn't. My head was a mess, but I missed her—missed the easiness and comfort between us.

"Okay," I agreed after a moment.

"Good," Cody replied, cheerful once more. "I'm on the right."

I pulled to a stop where he'd indicated. The house was a nice two-story Victorian that looked like it had been split into several apartment units.

"You'll forgive me," Cody said before kissing Lu on the cheek. He tossed some cash into the front passenger seat and leaned forward. "Do better, Sad Boy Noah." And then he unfolded from the Bronco and made his way down the path and through the front door of the Victorian.

Lu and I sat in tense silence until I mustered up the courage and said, "Do you want to go somewhere and talk?"

When I didn't get an answer, I turned in my seat to see Lu staring down at her lap, fingers twisted together anxiously. "I'm sorry about Cody. You don't need to worry about him. And you shouldn't let him force you into doing something?—"

"He's not," I interrupted. "I would like to talk. If you do," I quickly amended. "You shouldn't feel coerced."

"That's okay. We can talk."

Hope didn't take flight in my chest, but it did get off the ground.

"There's an overlook not far from here," she went on. "Where people have photos taken. It'll be quiet since it's so late. Unless you need to get back."

"Nah, I'm off duty. This is my last ride of the night. Lead the way."

Lu guided me several miles up the mountain. The scenic overlook was near the gondola station, and it was, indeed, abandoned at 3:18 a.m. But I could see the mountains surrounding us in the dark gray night. Stars glittered in the sky, the moon highlighting snow on the highest peaks. There was something very serene about being surrounded by so much untamed nature. The solidity helped calm my racing heart when I thought about the woman in my back seat.

"This is amazing."

"Yeah," she agreed. "It's one of my favorite spots. My mom loved it here. Sometimes we'd come at night and look at the stars."

She'd mentioned her mom before, so I knew the basics of how she'd lost her far too young. And now, I could hear the wistful sadness in her voice and felt grateful that she'd shared someplace so special with me.

"Do you want to come up here and sit with me?"

She hummed and then said, "I think you should sit in the back. See what it's like for the rest of us."

Switching off the headlights, I turned the heat up a little and moved to join Lu.

I got settled in the back seat, and after the sounds of the door closing and fabric shifting, the silence felt loaded. However misguided, there was an expectation of being in the back seat with Lu. My mind knew it, and so did my body. I felt tense and aware of every single thing. Our proximity. The sweet vanilla scent that clung to her skin. How warm and close and dialed up my awareness became when she was within inches.

Eventually, I managed to say, "So . . . Cody."

Lu snorted a laugh. Her head dropped back against the headrest, and she released a sigh that I felt against my cheek. "God, he's a monster." But there was so much affection in her voice. It was the kind of exasperation you could only feel for someone you loved in your bones.

Nerves and tension had me wiping my palms down the thighs of my jeans. "You guys ever . . . "

She glanced over in horror. "No. We've been best friends for years—since our first year of college. And he's not into me or any woman that way."

I nodded, remembering what he'd said about Lu being a shitty wingwoman tonight.

Lu's gaze stayed fixed on my face, and before I had the chance to ask her what was wrong, she blurted out, "Can I just say something about last week? I wasn't going home with him—Leighton. Dinner was awful. He was awful," she insisted, her expression pained.

"He got drunk before he even finished his appetizer, so I asked to leave. But then he wouldn't let me drive his precious car. I tried calling my dad for a ride. But he—he couldn't get me." Her words were pouring out of her in a frantic rush. "I didn't know what else to do, okay? I couldn't just walk home and leave him there to get in his car and kill somebody out on the road, so I called for a ride. I asked Jimmy to come himself, but he was at a family dinner at his sister's."

"Oh," I said, following her flood of honesty. I hadn't been expecting any of that and wasn't sure what to think.

Lu continued. "I didn't even want to be out with him. I was hurt over what happened with us and felt desperate. Like I was never going to meet someone who wanted me. I thought if I moved us back into the friend zone, I could stay in your life, but you ignored my text and I didn't deal with it well."

My spinning thoughts touched on a million different things: her date, the realization that her dad had let her down again, but mostly, I focused on the fact that I'd been the one to hurt her. My fears and inability to act had been the catalyst for this whole messed-up night. The realization was a painful reminder of what happened in relationships—even ones steeped in newness and friendship. We had the power to hurt the people we cared about, and it felt shitty to know that I'd wounded Lu with my perceived indifference.

Her hands were still moving nervously in her lap, so I reached over and took one of them in mine. "I'm sorry. I should never have ignored your text or treated you like you didn't matter."

"But you still regret kissing me. You're not sorry you called it a mistake." They weren't questions, but I could tell by the narrowing of her eyes and the accusation in her tone that she wanted an explanation.

Sighing, I admitted, "I like you, Lu. I like you so much. You're smart and funny, and being around you feels as easy as breathing."

The cool blue light from the dashboard illuminated her features. They were twisted up with confusion. "Are you seeing someone? Dating someone from back home, I mean? Is that what you meant when you said you shouldn't have kissed me?"

I was already shaking my head. "No. No, I don't have a girlfriend.

"But," I continued when Lu didn't speak, "I just feel like I'm not a good bet."

The past two months seemed unreal. Losing my job and then packing up to move eighteen hundred miles at the drop of a hat had been enough to turn my quiet life upside down. Finding out the person I was relying on—my one connection to Colorado and the whole reason I'd left everything behind—was basically a figment of my imagination had put the final nail in the coffin of my ability to trust.

I'd been an idiot for being taken in by Virginia. Maybe my instincts were shit, or I didn't know the right people to confide in. Or worse still, Virginia had only wanted some faraway version of me, and when faced with the reality of having me in her life, I hadn't been what she'd wanted at all. And she'd cast me aside without a backward glance.

I felt like a loser. And honestly, I was afraid of how much Lu could potentially hurt me. It seemed safer if she never got the chance.

"Shouldn't I be the judge of that?" Lu asked quietly. When I didn't answer, she went on, "According to you, I'm the one taking a risk—if you're such a bad bet."

I eyed her, not sure how to feel about someone—anyone—taking a risk on me.

"I'm a big girl, Noah. I can handle it. You warned me. And if you break my heart, then you break my heart."

Her words, spoken so simply, so matter-of-factly, made the breath catch in my chest. As if she already expected to be let down. Lu had experienced loss and indifference over and over again at the hands of her family. She was one forced smile away from heartbreak, so she'd come to anticipate it. And I fucking hated it.

Lu deserved to be cherished. She ought to be worshipped. She needed someone to take her tender, bruised heart and keep it safe. She needed someone she could be herself with—someone to help let down those walls always braced for impact. A person who didn't require her to keep the peace with those good intentions and forced smiles.

Maybe I wasn't the best option. But I wanted Lu to have someone in her life who respected her decisions and only wanted her to be happy. I could be that guy.

My hand tightened around the one I still held. "I wouldn't. I wouldn't break your heart."

Her smile was soft as she took our joined hands and brought them to her face. Soft lips pressed against the center of my palm, and something tightened in my chest as she spoke against my skin. "I know you wouldn't. And I'll take care of yours, I swear."

A promise, sealed with a kiss.

My heart beat a desperate rhythm in my chest, aching to believe but so damn guarded at the same time.

Lu leaned across the bench seat, and I met her halfway, helpless to resist. She hugged me close, and my arms went around her easily. The relief of having her body pressed to mine was overwhelming. I'd spent weeks fighting this—the attraction and the connection I'd recognized the moment she'd gotten into my car.

When we were cheek to cheek, she whispered, "Just give me a chance, Noah. Give us a chance." Her breath was warm against my ear, and her voice was so damn patient.

I wanted this. I wanted her .

Fighting against self-preservation, I leaned back so I could see her face. In answer, I dipped my head and lowered my lips to hers. Lu parted for me and moved to cup my jaw.

She was softness and light, filling me up and brightening all my darkest shadows.

This kiss felt like a new beginning, like a promise. Our lips moved together, tongues searching.

Her tender touch and bold possession made me weak. But brave, too. I wanted her closer, so I helped her straddle my lap. The giant bun on the top of Lu's head bumped the top of the Bronco, and she paused, laughing against my lips. She reached up to pull on the band holding all that hair in place, and it cascaded all around us a moment later.

I groaned and threaded my fingers through the strands. "This hair," I said, my voice rough, as I gave a little tug before cupping the back of her head and kissing her deeply. I could still feel the smile on her lips and the way her laughter had shimmered against me.

Her hands explored as we kissed, and mine did the same. With my fingers tracing the line of her back, her touch ghosted over my neck and collarbone. She mapped my shoulders and arms while I brought my hands to rest on her ass. Lu arched against me at the contact, her breasts pressing against my chest. The movement brought her closer everywhere, and my dick strained behind my jeans to reach her.

Our kisses turned a little wild, going sloppy and wet, her lips dragging to my jaw as I kneaded her backside. She felt so good under my hands and on top of me, surrounding me.

Lu worked her way back to my ear, taking the lobe in her mouth and delivering a quick bite. My eyes rolled back as she pressed her center against my erection.

"Will you touch me?" she whispered against the shell of my ear.

My mind spun, and I was pretty sure I was going to die if I didn't feel her skin. So I nodded in answer.

She took one of my hands and placed it on her thigh, where she was spread wide for me. My fingers delved under her dress, skating up the smooth fabric of her tights. I reached the heat of her core with the pad of my thumb, brushing softly against the material covering her.

Lu gasped softly by my ear, and her hips jerked at the contact. So I did it again and again, feeling her shift against me, seeking more. I pressed harder, moving my thumb in small circles at the apex of her thighs. With the hand still clutching her ass, I encouraged her to move, to find a rhythm and take her pleasure for herself as much as I was giving it to her.

I could have watched Lu all night. Her wild, untamed beauty as she reached higher and higher. With her eyes closed and her gasps painting eager little breaths across her lips, I wanted this for her. Even if she were the only one finding release tonight, this would be more than enough because she needed it, and I needed her.

Moments later, Lu's lips came back to mine in a flurry. Her tongue stroked into my mouth, and I groaned as her movements became more frantic and searching.

She broke the kiss and murmured against my open mouth, "I'm close. You feel so good."

I kissed her chin and the corner of her lips—wherever I could reach—as she panted against me, hips moving.

Finally, impatient and desperate to feel her bare skin, I snaked my other hand beneath her dress, inside her tights and underwear, clutching her ass in a firm grip. She dropped her head to my shoulder and moaned.

Against the warm skin of her neck, I breathed out, her name a prayer and a benediction in my rasped exhalation, "Luanne."

She released a hitching breath as she came, pulsing hot and wet through her tights.

I gentled my movements as she came back to herself, breathing heavily where her head rested on my shoulder.

One of my hands relaxed on her thigh while the other drew lines on the soft skin of her back.

First times were always awkward. I waited for discomfort or uneasiness to descend, but it never came.

Instead, Lu leaned back to look at me. Even in the dim light, I could see her flushed cheeks and bright eyes. She bit her lip before shaking her head slightly, amusement fighting its way forward. "Well, I didn't hate it when you said it like that."