Blood Moon (Moon Books) Read Free Page B

even because I knew what else was out there and it was nothing like him. Tasting and touching for long minutes we held onto each other. When we finally broke apart, our foreheads were still connected.
    “I’m sorry. It was probably way too soon for that,” Noah said.
    “I’m not sorry.” I grinned and pulled his lips to mine for another small kiss. “Anyway, it’s not too soon. It’s forever practically! I’ve been waiting for that kiss for three years.”
    “Do you know how bad I wanted to kiss you on that awful morning?” he whispered.
    “Probably. I know I sat up that whole night thinking about kissing you again.” I threaded my hands through his hair, loving the softness against my fingers.
    “I’m such an asshole,” he muttered to himself.
    I lifted his face with my hand so he had to look at me. Any residual hurt I may have had slid away. He looked so sad and alone.
    “You’re not an asshole, Noah. You were a scared kid who listened to his parents. I can’t say for sure I wouldn’t have done the same. Hey, it’s not like I’ve ever brought any of the guys I’ve dated home to meet my family.”
    Noah looked horrified all of a sudden. “Wait, do you have a—”
    I smiled, understanding. Even after three years the thought of him with a boyfriend other than me made me want to hit things.
    “No, I don’t have a boyfriend. Do you think I would have kissed you like that if I didn’t mean it?”
    “But I kissed you. I didn’t even ask.”
    “You didn’t have to.”
    I tugged on his hair, bringing his mouth to mine for another kiss. There was no point in playing coy. He had to already know how I felt about him. It only took me seconds to be back to a place with him where I had never even got close to with another guy.
    * * * *
    We were sitting on the dock, legs crisscrossed and facing each other. I had no idea what time it was. We’d been there for hours talking, kissing, staring at each other like love-drunk morons. I didn’t ask Noah about his family drama. I was so happy just being there with him and I didn’t want to ruin it by bringing up the past. Instead he asked me questions about college, New York, and the guys I’d dated. It was inevitable but painful to admit that I’d never wanted any of them. That I’d only dated to try to keep my mind off of him and it didn’t even work.
    I guessed I understood his eagerness. I wanted to know everything about him too. Even about other guys. To be honest, it hurt less to hear about the few guys he’d been with than when he mentioned his parents. I’d always felt they liked me and to hear that they had told him to push me away made my gut twist.
    He told me he’d started working for his parents that first fall, taking college classes online and learning the ropes of their family business. I realized at that point that I had never known what they’d done all those years or how they’d come to live in that big stone mansion in the middle of nowhere. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask, but something stopped me.
    There was one thing I had to hear him say, though.
    “Before we go waltzing into the sunset, there’s something I have to ask, Noh. Your parents didn’t want you to be with me three years ago. I’m not sure what you think is going on here tonight but to me it seems like we’re heading that way pretty quickly.” He nodded and squeezed my hands. I let out a long shaky breath. “I want this, believe me I do, but how is it going to be different? I mean, are you ready to tell your family to go screw themselves?”
    Noah let go of my hand to run his fingers through my hair and down along my jaw. His touch sent little happy skittering tingles across my skin. He put his hand back in mine and threaded our fingers together.
    “It wasn’t quite like that...I mean they didn’t—well, it’s hard to explain. Anyway, I really hope tonight is the start of something for us too and I’d be ready to tell my parents to screw themselves in a