Squirming on his lap, I readjust, making myself comfortable. “Let’s see. My favorite color is purple. I like chocolate chip cookies, but despise pie. Pizza is my go-to food, no matter what.” I tap my chin, thinking of something else about myself. “Oh! I can sing my ABCs backward.”
“Now this I’ve got to hear.”
“I was class treasurer in high school,” I say, ignoring his request. “My freshman year of college, I started a charity called Children Everywhere, and we’ve raised over six million dollars.”
His face softens. “Holy shit, Lennon. That’s incredible. What kinds of things does the money go to?”
“Well, we do several things, but mostly we assist children in the foster system after they turn eighteen. So many of those children lead horrific lives, and then they turn eighteen and they’re thrown out into the world without any sort of support. So we become their support system.”
“How did you come up with that? I mean, why foster kids? Why not helpless animals or abused women?”
“Because there was a need. I saw it first hand. There was a girl working at the soup kitchen where I volunteered. At first I thought she was a patron of the soup kitchen rather than a worker, but then I realized she wasn’t; she was simply donating her time like me. We got to talking and became friends, and her story was heartbreaking. She had no one. She’d become a ward of the state at the age of two. Between her third birthday and the time she turned eighteen, she’d been moved to fourteen different homes and suffered so much abuse. It was horrific, some of the things she’d been through. But you know what? She still had this fire inside of her. Despite the challenges she’d faced, the pain she’d been through, she wanted to move past it and do great things. But she didn’t have the resources or the financial support. She was the first person we helped.”
“That’s amazing.”
“Thank you. We have a charity auction every year to raise money. In fact, it’s coming up in a couple of months. Maybe you can be my plus one,” I suggest, thoughts of a sexy dress with more access to my body than he could possibly dream of, flitting through my head.
“Maybe I will. Although I don’t own a tux, and I’m guessing it’s a black tie affair.”
A vision of Noah in a tux flashes in my head, and I smile.
His grip on me tightens. “Tell me about your friend you helped. Where is she now?”
“She’s in med school,” I say with a smile. “We don’t talk much anymore because we’re both so busy, but every once in a while, she calls to check in.”
Noah responds by kissing the base of my neck. His lips linger, causing my skin to prickle. “I bet she’s incredibly grateful to you.”
I smile, modestly.
“Why leave New York?”
Oh boy. I slide my hands along the front of my skirt, trying to think of a clever answer. That makes me feel like a jerk. It was easy to tell Charlotte about what happened because she knew who I was, and she’d already seen everything on the news. But with Noah, I’ve actually had a fresh start. He’s still getting to know me, and I don’t want to horrify him—especially knowing his past with Kim. I’ll have to tell him about my overwhelming past sometime, but I convince myself I don’t have to do it yet.
“I just needed to get away.” That’s not a lie; I really did need to get away. I needed my independence, something that has never truly been mine. “I needed to get out of the city. I needed a change.”
“So out of all the towns in the country, how did you e
nd up here?” he asks, his warm breath fanning across my skin.
“I’m an angel, remember?”
He nips the spot he just kissed, and I squeal.
“Okay, fine. A friend of mine had some family that lived here a long time ago. She said she spent a few summers here and it was really pretty, so I went with it.”
I decide not to tell him Brenna gave me a place to live. He already knows I’m jobless. I don’t want him to think I’m a freeloader, too.
“Remind me to send her a thank-you note.”
“Hell, no. You will have no such contact with her. She’s a wolf. She can sense a good guy from a mile away, and she’ll sink her teeth into you before I get the chance.”
This makes Noah laugh. “You want to sink your teeth into me, huh?”
“Um…duh.” Spinning around, I straddle him, wrapping my legs around his waist.
Warm hands glide up my back and pull me in close. “This is much better.”
The bulge in his pants is nestled perfectly between my thighs, and a rush of heat washes through me.