I get up early the next morning, take a long shower and make a good cup of coffee, full of sugar and creamer. I feel better after a long day of wishing he would reach out, but of course he didn't and that was okay. I was okay.
Once a month I volunteer at a local shelter, and that was where I was headed today. I put on old shoes and an old sweatshirt, because there's nothing glamorous about cleaning kennels and playing with puppies.
Of course Noah is about to knock on my door as I'm leaving. His hand is poised mid air when I yank the door open, clearly not expecting him.
"Hey," Noah says awkwardly as he rubs the back of his neck with the hand he was going to knock with.
"Can't chat, I'm late," I tell him, my voice is firm, but butterflies dance in my stomach. His eyes are sleepy and he's wearing an oversized hoodie. He always looks so good.
"Don't be like that," he says, blocking my path.
"Like what? I really have to get to the shelter," I tell him. His eyebrow quirks up.
"Can I come?" He blurts and he looks just ask surprised as I do.
"You want to come help me clean dog shit?" I deadpan and cross my hands over my chest. His eyes flicker unceremoniously to my chest then back to my eyes.
"Yes," he says matter-of-factly, his signature smirk is playing on his lips.
"Whatever, come on," I tell him as I get into my car.
Noah slides in next to me and instantly starts fiddling with the touch screen of my radio.
"Stop it, you'll get finger prints on the display," I scold, changing the music on the steering wheel.
"You'll get finger prints on the display," Noah mocks in a high pitched voice, I'm sure an impression of my own.
He looks pensively out of the window while my music plays loudly between us. I keep waiting for him to tell me exactly what he had planned to say when he knocked on my door. What excuse he had for avoiding me for two days after our date, avoiding me when we lived in the same place.
He doesn't say another word though as we pull up to the shelter. Noah wordlessly follows me into the small building. It's loud instantly when we walk in, dogs are howling at each other from their kennels. Noah and I are greeted by a dear friend who runs the rescue.
"Delaney, I'm so glad you could make it," she pauses to appraise Noah, "and you brought an extra set of hands."
"Jennifer, this is my friend Noah, Noah meet Jennifer, she manages the rescue." Noah gives me an odd look, like I've said something wrong.
The pair shake hands and she leads us back to where overly energetic puppies are trying to get our attention. It breaks my heart that they're here instead of with a loving family.
Noah and I each pick dogs and take them both outside, we grab a couple of tennis balls and throw them for the pups. They bring them back eagerly a few times before they start chasing each other. Noah stays outside and watches the dogs while I clean their kennels.
We pick two more dogs and repeat the process, only this time Noah cleans while I watch the dogs. We go through this process over and over until we have thoroughly worn out all of the dogs here.
We spend time with the cats too, but soon it's time to go home. I hug Jennifer on our way out and slip her a check. It's expensive to keep up all these animals, and I try to help out when I can.
Once Noah and I are settled back in the car, he finally talks.
"I'm sorry about the last couple of days."
"For what?"
"You know," he emphasizes.
"No, sorry."
"I'm sorry for being absent, Delaney, you make me feel things I don't know how to deal with."
"How about we start over? No more cheesy dates, just you and me. We will see where things lead us," I suggest, turning to look at him.
Noah's mouth lifts to a smirk and leans across my center console to cup my face to bring our lips together. He's tender with his movements, and I know I'm breakable in his hands.
There's no one I'd rather have break me.
When we get home I wave at him and head to my apartment.
"Hey!" He shouts after me, I turn and look at him, "wanna watch the new murder documentary on Netflix?"
I grin wildly and him and nod my head vigorously. Then I remember we've been around dirty and wet dogs all day.
"Maybe after a shower?"
"Yours or mine?" Noah asks with a wink.
"Nice try, I'll see you in 15."
I tell him nice try, but I scrub my body, shave it completely, and drown myself in lotion. Just in case.
I slip Noah's hoodie, that I haven't given back, and yoga shorts on before heading up stairs.
Noah is only wearing joggers when he opens the door for me, anticipating my arrival. My eyes roam over the tattoos littering his torso. Before I can catch my hand my index finger draws the outline of the dead couple covering his chest. Noah's eyes almost roll back into his head as he watches me carefully. Noah clears his throat finally and I yank my hand back.
I walk by him and sink into the couch, Noah looks over his shoulder at me and shakes his head. He sits beside me, turns the documentary on, and wraps an arm around me to pull me closer.
I wrap my arms around him and he hisses as my hands touch his naked torso. "Why are your hands so cold?"
I shrug at him as best I can snuggled into him, "poor circulation."
He chuckles at me and we fall silent as we are pulled into the show. Noah's warm breath tickles my neck as he breathes against me.
"This is bullshit, those cops are taking advantage of that man," I quip once it's over. It's been five straight hours of this.
"What about all of the departments that won't open the cases again to get them solved?" Noah counters with his silvery voice.
"What kind of world do we live in that it's more important to look right than to actually be right? What happened to the truth?"
"Human nature, people don't know how to admit when they are wrong."
I look up at him, I had pushed away from him when I started talking to look at him, but now I was seeing him in a different way. I wanted Noah, really wanted him, but I wasn't sure I was ready to go there with him.
"I- uh, I need to get to bed," I tell him.
"Stay with me," Noah had moved closer, and I had moved away, but he was almost pinning me to the couch.
"I- I," I wanted to say I can't, but couldn't quite find my resolve to say no.
"I,I?" He questions, one sexy eyebrow raised as he fully pinned me down with his hips, his hands bracing himself on either side of my head. Noah's head dips down to meet my parted lips as a strangled whimper falls from my mouth.
Noah's mouth devours mine, but suddenly they're gone. His lips aren't missing long before he moves to my neck, sucking and nipping at the space just under my ear. A breathy moan escapes me as I feel Noah's hand move over my ribs to rest just under my shirt on my hip. I press myself closer to him, screw waiting. I wanted him and I wanted him right now.
He moves his lips back to mine, they're waiting restlessly for him and respond of their own accord. Noah's fingers play with the waist band of my shorts, the action makes my desire pool in between my legs.
Noah pulls back and searches my eyes, a silent question, and I give him a nod. Noah takes agonizing movements sliding under the waistband, he takes his time roaming over the sensitive skin just above where I so badly want him to touch.
Noah finally reaches farther, further teasing me as he takes two fingers and slides them parallel to my slit. Noah smiles at the frustrated noise I make in response. Noah finally slides his fingers up and down over my most sensitive area. He swirls his fingers around in circles, my eyes flutter closed as a moan escapes and the building feeling low in my stomach grows.
Noah slides further down and one finger pushes inside of me, and then another, before he starts pumping in and out of me. His thumb circles the bundle of nerves, and he's driving me to an orgasm.
"Come for me, baby," he coaxes and I cry out as my stomach clenches and pleasure rolls through me in waves. "Good girl," he coos in my ear as he retracts his fingers.
I'm still panting as he gently picks me up. "What are you doing? Put me down," I screech.
"I'm trying to do something nice," he says cheekily as he ignores my request and tosses me on his bed.
I expect him to want to go further, or for me to return the favor, but he doesn't. I watch as he slips his joggers off and slides in behind me, pulling me close to his chest.
"Goodnight, Laney," he whispers in my ear.
"Goodnight, Noah," his name like a sigh coming out of my mouth.
I have to be up early the next morning, I'm going to try out a coffee shop. I wake to Noah snoring lightly beside me, I try to slip out of his arms undetected, but he calls out to me.
"Are you trying to sneak out, love?"
My heart flutters at the endearment, I don't want to get ahead of myself but I'm so damn happy in this moment.
"I have to work, I didn't want to wake you."
"Where are you going?" He asks, propping himself up on his elbow, cradling his head with his hand as he watches me.
"A coffee shop in East Nashville," I tell him and watch as he tries to rub the sleep from his face with his tattooed hands. His voice is deliciously raspy with sleep and his waves are even wilder than usual.
"Can I come?"
I'm absolutely taken aback, I'm surprised he wants to spend anymore time with me, let alone want to go to work with me. Caleb had never showed any interest in my job, unless it was to ridicule me.
"You want to come?"
"Yes, Delaney, I want to come, that's why I asked," he says my name in the way that I hate, he's grinning just enough that his eyes sparkle a little.
"Get ready, I'll see you out front in 15."
I rush downstairs to put on a t-shirt dress with a cardigan and thigh high boots. I pull my hair into a half pony tail high on my head. I don't have time to do full make up, so I settle on eyeliner, mascara and a matte lipstick.
Noah is leaning against his SUV like a total tool when I come out. He's wearing a loose white v neck tee and ripped jeans.
"Ready to go, James Dean?" Noah smirks at me and rushes to open the passenger door for me. I thank him as I get in and he rushes around to the other side of the car.
"Where to, Miss Daisy?" I roll my eyes at him and instruct him to the coffee shop. Just to annoy him I change his radio. He pretends to be irritated with me, but I can see him fighting a smile.
There's never any parking on this side of town, we have to go down three side streets to find an open spot. We now have to walk over a mile to the shop and I'm thankful I went with the flat boots.
"Tell me about this place," he maneuvers me so that he's closest to traffic.
"I don't want to ruin the surprise," I tell him as I try to match his stride, he can tell I'm struggling and slows his pace. He's unnaturally taller than I am.
"The suspense is going to kill me," he says loudly, dramatically. Several people turn to glare at Noah, but I laugh at him.
"Good thing we're here," I tell him stopping in front of a rustic coffee shop with a handwritten special menu perched on the sidewalk.
A bell rings when we open the door, it's the kind with a doorknob and not one of those generic glass doors with a push bar. The inside is rather industrial, all brick walls with pallet wood high tops. There's a delicious aroma of coffee and spice in the air. The counter sits to the left, and the first thing you see is rows of pastries. The walls are littered with old photographs, the far wall has a huge print of The Kiss. It's one of my favorite photos.
A petite girl calls from the counter a welcome and I tell her I'm looking for Kat. Kat is this small, badass woman. She's small, but she's covered in tattoos. She has a look of don't fuck with me.
Kat tells Noah and I to get whatever we want. Noah orders a S'mores latte and muffin and I get a Peppermint mocha with a Danish pastry.
I sit with Kat at a small table in the back and hand Noah my phone with instructions to get photos of us for the blog.
Once Noah has taken a few candid's of us eating and laughing at each other he joins us at the table. I turn on my recorder and sit it in between us and ask Kat to tell us her story.
"Well, I'm a single mom, to a daughter, Jessie. She's my motivation, she always has been. I met her dad in high school, we were prom king and queen in a our small town. We got married when we were 19 right after I found out I was pregnant. Jessie came too early, she was NICU for four months before we could bring her home. We racked up loads of medical bills, and my ex was doing okay at the factory he worked in, but I had to quit my job to stay at the hospital with our daughter. We fell really far behind, and we still had to take care of a baby. I breastfed and used cloth diapers to cut costs, but we still had constant doctor appointments. Even though we couldn't afford it, my ex started drinking heavily. At first it was a few beers to blow off steam, but by the time Jessie turned two he was drinking vodka out of water bottles. He started hitting me well before this, but I could handle it. I couldn't leave my daughter without a dad," Kat chuckles humorlessly while shaking her head before continuing, "the first time he laid his hands on Jessie I was done. He told me he would kill me if I took her, but I didn't care. He could kill me, but I was going to get her out of there. I waited for him to pass out one night, took Jessie with nothing but the clothes on our backs to my parents house. It took a very long time to get him in jail, but that's where he is now. He can't hurt my little girl anymore. He can't hurt me anymore. This place is kind of one last fuck you to him. It's my passion, and I can finally say I've done something I'm proud of."
It's taking everything in me not to cry for her story, but strong women rarely want your pity so I'm holding it together.
Noah stands up out of respect for her and shakes her hand. I stand and do the same.
"I've never felt so honored for someone to want me to write about them, I can't wait to type up the post."
She smiles warmly at me, "thank you so much for wanting to do it."
"We will definitely be back," Noah tells her and it warms my heart.
When we get outside Noah slings his arm around my shoulders, almost nonchalantly, but then he pulls me into him and kisses my hair. I know Kat's story got to him too.