Awake At Dawn (Wildflower Series Book 2)

AFTER A LONG night of celebrating and struggling to keep our hands off each other, Noah and I stumbled into his hotel room in the early morning hours. We kicked off our shoes as we entered, and then, as soon as the door slammed behind us, Noah’s lips were on mine. And God, did they feel good.

“Do you know—” He panted the words between kisses. “How hard—” A nip at my bottom lip. “It is to control myself—” His tongue flicked inside my mouth. “Around you?”

I nodded absently before throwing my arms around his neck and deepening the kiss. I did know. I had an excellent idea because, for the whole night, I’d struggled not to throw myself at Noah every time he so much as looked at me. And then the dance started, and Noah’s hands were on me, and I started counting down the minutes until we were alone again.

“At least we didn’t have to pretend,” I gasped against his lips.

“No, but I definitely had to pretend I wasn’t thinking about what you look like under that dress.” Noah’s hands slid down my back to my ass. “Do you know how many times I almost smacked this in front of your dad?”

He demonstrated, smacking my ass with enough force to make the ache grow between my legs. I moaned into his mouth, feeling my knees buckle with the weight of wanting him. Needing him.

“Noah, please,” I begged. “Don’t make me wait any longer.”

“Oh, baby,” he groaned. “I’m sorry I made you wait at all. Fuck, I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you, too,” I whispered before abruptly pushing Noah back on the bed.

I missed him, and I wanted him. Now.

Noah looked momentarily stunned as he bounced onto the mattress, but then his eyes blazed with a surge of heat and arousal. He smirked at me while loosening his tie.

What. A. Sight.

I could get used to seeing Noah London in a suit.

I could also get used to seeing Noah London take off a suit, and Noah’s mind seemed to be in a similar place as mine.

“You gonna take that off for me?” he asked, his gaze raking down my body. “You’re drop-dead gorgeous in that dress, but I know you’ll look even better once it’s on the floor.”

“You want it off?” I asked, cocking my head to the side as I found the zipper on the side seam of the dress.

Noah leaned forward, watching me with eager interest. “Badly.”

“How badly?”

“Name your price. I’ll gladly pay it.”

“I don’t want your money, Noah.”

He’d never insinuated that I did, but I might as well clear that up now, especially with all his talk earlier of spoiling me. His money had never played any role in my interest in him.

“I know you don’t.” He grinned knowingly. “So tell me, Em. What’s the price?”

“Undress for me first.”

Noah grinned sexily as he slotted his finger into the knot of his tie and undid it, yanking on one end until it snaked out of his collar. He tossed it to the ground, and I gave him a once-over.

“You’re not gonna need that tonight?” I questioned. The last time we’d been together had been burned into my brain for eternity. My hands tied above my head, the mirror, the trust.

“Not tonight, angel,” he murmured, shrugging off his suit jacket. I could tell by how he looked at me that he remembered our last time, too. “I need your hands touching me tonight. I’ve been deprived of them.”

“I’ll touch you wherever you want, Noah. I’ll do anything you want.”

His throat worked as he swallowed. “Be careful what you say, Em.”

“I mean it.”

“So many fantasies,” he husked, his fingers slowly moving down his shirt, undoing one button at a time. “I have so many fantasies of you we still haven’t played out.”

“Which fantasy are we doing tonight?” I asked, watching as he stripped his shirt off completely, exposing his muscled chest and tattooed forearms.

“I want you on top of me,” he answered automatically, unbuckling his belt. He whipped it out and threw it to the ground with the rest of his clothes. “It seems so simple, but we haven’t done it. There was a moment in time there when I thought I was going to have to live the rest of my life without getting to see you ride my cock.”

“We can’t have that,” I said, my breath hitching as Noah unbuttoned his pants and slid them off, dropping his underwear to the ground in the same movement. Then he leaned back on the bed, naked and proudly aroused. I couldn’t help but stare at his erection, noting just how hard he was for me.

“No, we can’t,” Noah agreed, his voice silky soft. “I need to see you on top of me. I really, really need it.”

I stepped toward him, my body shaking at his words, images filling my head. Images I desperately wanted to create in real life.

“Take the dress off,” Noah commanded. “Now. Or I’m ripping it.”

“Hey,” I protested, refocusing on the zipper on the side seam of my gown. “This dress was expensive.”

Noah’s lips twitched. “Your boyfriend’s worth eight figures. I wouldn’t worry about it.”

My mouth ran dry at the idea of that much money, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of shocking me.

“Not quite a billionaire yet, Mr. London?” I tsked.

He shook his head with a throaty chuckle, but then his slight smile faded into a look of concentration as I slipped the strap of my dress off my shoulder and let the fabric fall to the floor. It pooled around my feet, and a muscle twitched in Noah’s jaw as he realized that I hadn’t been wearing anything underneath the dress all night. It had been tailored well enough that I hadn’t needed to. Plus, the last thing I wanted was for my underwear lines to show in all the photos.

“You were naked under that?” he choked.

“Naked and wet,” I said with a flirty grin.

He shook his head, his smile growing to match mine. “Good girl. Now, get over here so I can feel how wet.”

He didn’t have to ask me twice. Taking two steps forward, I slid onto his lap, straddling him as he sat on the edge of the bed. His hard cock rutted between my legs, and I immediately started shamelessly grinding against it. God yes, this—I’d needed this. Noah’s hands molded to my waist, encouraging my movements before he curved them to my front and cupped my breasts.

“Missed these,” he murmured before smoothing one hand down my stomach and slipping it between my legs. “And I definitely missed this.”

Our combined groans echoed off the four walls of the boutique hotel room as Noah’s fingers slid easily through my wet pussy. There was no resistance when he thrust one finger inside me and then another, making me gasp.

“Em.” Noah dropped his head to my shoulder, breathing hard into it. “Em, the feel of you and those noises you’re making are going to push me overboard. I’m going to come before I even get inside you.”

“That sounds kinda hot,” I breathed, and Noah lifted his head to kiss me hard and fast.

“Stop,” he commanded thickly. “I told you how I want you tonight, and it’s not that.”

“Then lie back so I can fuck you.”

Noah pulled back to stare at me, his lips parting like he was awestruck. Then he shook his head with a devilish grin. “I’m going to fuck that dirty mouth later.”

“Can’t wait,” I laughed.

Noah slid from under me, scooting back onto the bed before reclining against the massive stack of hotel pillows. I kneeled on the end of the mattress, appreciating the sight, and when my eyes met his, I realized he’d been doing the same.

“Come here.” He crooked his finger, motioning for me to come to him. “Crawl.”

Smirking, I dropped to my hands. Noah’s vision sparked, and I kept my eyes on him as I slowly crawled up the bed toward him. My hair was snarled from a night of dancing, and my heavy wedding makeup had likely smeared or wiped off, but Noah didn’t seem to care. He watched me, a man transfixed. And his direct, heated attention made my blood simmer.

Soon, I was back in position, hovering over Noah’s erection with his hands on my waist. I felt his eyes as they traced every inch of me, watching closely as I reached between my legs to run my hand up and down his length, fisting his base when I found it.

That jerked Noah out of his trance, his fingertips digging into my skin. “Fuck, baby,” he groaned. “You gotta be careful. I told you I’m already close.”

“I want you,” I whispered, dragging my free hand over his chest. I raked my nails, leaving marks. He had said he wanted my hands all over him.

“Take me,” he encouraged, his voice sounding guttural and deep. So deep I could easily get lost in it. Drown in it. “Take all of me because I know you can.”

A flush worked over me at his words, and I positioned Noah’s cock until I felt him pushing at my entrance. Noah leaned forward, wrapping his lips around my nipple, sucking and tugging in a way that made me whine with desperation. Unable to bear the wait any longer, I eased down onto him. My lips parted, my breath vanishing as he filled me in the most delicious way. Stretched me. Let me experience the perfect bliss that was the intersection of pain and pleasure.

“I forgot how big you are,” I gasped.

Noah released my nipple from his mouth and leaned back again, his eyes glittering. “You didn’t forget, angel. It’s all you’ve been thinking about all night. Probably longer. You dream about taking me in that tight pussy, don’t you?”

“Yes,” I admitted with a sigh as I dropped down.

“Good girl,” he praised, lifting his hips to ensure we were completely locked together. Our eyes locked, too. Tension pulsed in the room as Noah dropped his voice and said, “Now, ride Daddy’s cock.”

Noah London was going to ruin me, and I was going to let him. Because I knew now that he would be there to pick up all the pieces he was about to shatter me into. He’d be there, and he wouldn’t leave. This was real. This was us.

I rotated my hips, experimenting with the position. Noah watched patiently, his eyes full of smug heat as he took in my awe-filled expression.

“Feels good to take all of me, doesn’t it?” he asked.

“Feels unbelievable,” I said, practically breathless.

And then I tossed my head back…and started to ride.

“Unbelievable,” Noah whispered, his raw voice washing over me. “You are unbelievable, Gemma. You feel unbelievable. You look unbelievable. It’s⁠—”

He broke off, choking when I slid up his length and slammed back down. I loved watching his reaction. His jaw clenching and eyes widening. His whole body tensed in the most beautiful way as a whimper slipped out of him.

“Gemma, please,” he rasped, and a thrill trickled through me at hearing him beg. I relented, speeding up my thrusts, riding Noah harder as pleasure spread through my body like slow, sweet molasses. Noah’s fingers started playing with my clit, and I felt feverish as sweat trickled down my back and my legs trembled. “It’s so much better,” he breathed.

“What?”

“It’s so much better than I imagined.” His eyes were full of something I couldn’t believe I hadn’t noticed before. Or maybe I had, and I was too afraid to acknowledge it in case he never did. “You are so much better than anything I have ever experienced.”

I bore my hips down, wanting to feel as much of this man as I possibly could. I wanted to mold us together in every possible way until all I felt was him.

Noah reached up, cupping my face with a firm grip. His piercing green eyes met mine, and I couldn’t look away. I sank deeper and deeper until the feeling burning inside me had nothing to do with our hips as they smacked against each other. Still, I slammed down extra hard because I needed more, and Noah made a sexy, gruff noise in the back of his throat.

“I love you,” he groaned, saying the words his eyes had been telling me. “God, I love you, Gemma. You know that, right?”

“I know,” I said, my voice rising as I neared an undeniable climax, spurred on by the reminder that he loved me. My breaths came in quick pants as I told him the truth. “I love you, too. I love you so much, Noah.”

Noah dropped his hand back into the sheets, fisting them as he swore under his breath.

“Again.”

I didn’t have to ask what he meant.

“I love you, Noah,” I moaned, bracing my hands on Noah’s chest and using the leverage to work his cock over faster. Harder. Better.

His eyes fluttered shut momentarily, and when he opened them again, I could tell how much he was struggling.

“I want to spill inside you so badly, but I need you to come, Em.” His words broke through rough gasps as his hips continued to work against mine. “Come for me.”

I looked down, eyes traveling over every inch of him. He was the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen, and I had no idea how we’d ended up in this situation, but I’d never take it for granted. Not ever.

Especially not when the sex was this goddamn good. Fuck.

“Gemma.” He was desperate, more and more by the second.

But so was I.

I wanted so badly to unravel into Noah’s arms and to feel him do the same. I wanted it, and the tight tension coiling in my gut told me I was about to get it. Pleasure unfurled inside me, reaching every corner of my body until it exploded, dousing me in a storm of sensations.

I cried Noah’s name and then stilled, too destroyed by my orgasm to move. But he kept driving up into me, fucking me through my climax until he reached his with a hoarse shout that resembled my name.

“Oh my God,” I gasped as I fell on top of him. “Oh my God, Noah.”

His gentle touch slid up my back as I felt his heart beat wildly in his chest, pounding against mine. “I know. I know, baby.”

He said the words like he had known. He’d known all along that this was how it was supposed to be for us. And for some reason, that was so comforting.

I slid off Noah, landing on his side. He wrapped around me, fitting snugly to my body as he transformed into my big spoon. His arm looped over my side, and I traced my fingertips over the fine inked lines of a lily near his wrist. We faced the window in his hotel room, and pinkish light reflected in the glass. It outlined the skyscrapers as the city got its first glimpses of dawn.

Noah kissed my neck before sliding his lips to my ear. “Julian told me that Juniper wanted their wedding ceremony to be at night because all those late nights they spent together at their office was what made them realize how goddamn gone they were for each other.”

I glanced over my shoulder to find Noah staring absently out the window. Then, almost as though he realized I was looking, his bright eyes shifted to me.

“I think when I get married,” he said softly, “I want to get married at dawn.”

“But no one’s awake at dawn,” I laughed, even though the words nearly got stuck in my throat, tangled in the emotion there.

He didn’t laugh. He held my gaze. Firm and steady. Sure.

“You are. You always are.” His hand drifted over my side to my stomach, spreading his fingers possessively like he’d done so many times before. “And I have a feeling you’ll be the only one who matters.”

“Noah…” My mouth gaped as I struggled to find words. “You…we haven’t even gone on a date yet.”

But that didn’t matter, and we both knew it.

“Let’s fix that.” A gradual grin split onto his face. “Gemma Briggs, will you go out with me?”

My heart swelled in my chest.

“I’d love to. I think I have Tuesday open.”

“Funny.” Noah leaned forward to kiss me. “So do I.”