Amusement flickered in his eyes. “I break everything I touch, Hannah Blake.” He traced a finger over my arm. The warmth of his touch created an unwarranted form of peace. “I’m no good for you,” he whispered so close to my lips I could almost tastehim.
“I don’t believeyou.”
“Please, don’t make me prove it to you,” he said, straddling the bench seat. Slowly, he wrapped his arm around my waist and leaned back, dragging me withhim.
Maybe I should have said something, maybe I should have sat up, but I didn’t. I rested against him, and it felt easy. It felt right. Noah Greyson let me melt into him. “You smell nice.” The stubble on his jaw tickled my face when he pressed his cheek againstmine.
“Thanks,” I whispered. “So do you.” I felt him smile against my neck and my heart went crazy, hammering against my ribs like a cagedhummingbird.
He shifted behind me, and before I realized it, I was, lying on Noah Greyson’s chest in the middle of a lake, staring up at the stars. My moment of peace in a tumultuousworld.
“Why are you here, Hannah?” he breathed against my neck. “Is it that you think I need saving? Is it a fuck you to yourdaddy?”
The way he saidfuckdid something to me, made me feel wild or free or like he wasn’t afraid to break me—I’m not sure exactly what, but it made me feel something. I swallowed. “Because I like being around you.” He nuzzled his face against my neck and I trailed my fingers over his arm. “What about you? Do you want to taint the preacher’s innocent daughter? Do youneedsaving?Or—”
“No.” He sat me up and turned me to face him. “I saw you three Sundays ago. You walked in late to church wearing a black dress.”He was at my church?“You looked sad as shit, and I haven’t been able to get you outta my mind sincethen.”
“So… because I lookedsad?”
He nodded, inching in until his lips were barely a breath from mine. “I wanted to see if I could make you smile.” He swept a piece of hair behind my ear, leaving a trail of heat where his fingers had skimmed my neck. I could hear my pulse in my ears. God, I wanted to kiss him, but I was terrified. Because I was pretty sure knowing what his lips felt like against mine would be a lethal dose of a drug I didn’t need, but still, I closed myeyes.
“Damn,” he breathed against my mouth. “You’re gonna hate me before this is allover.”
“Hey!” A man’s voice echoed across the lake before a bright spotlight shined on us. “Hey, what’cha doin’ in myboat?”
Shit!Noah straightenedup.
“Imma call the cops!” the man shouted, still shining the light onus.
“Oh, please no,” I groaned. Daddy would have died—the preacher’s daughter going to jail with the boy he hired to help around the farm. The guy her best friend warned herabout…
“Wait,” Noah’s shouted. “This isyourboat?”
“That’s what I said,boy.”
“Twenty-three LakeView?”
“No, I’m twenty-eight LakeView.”
“Well, hell,” Noah laughed, a mischievous grin curling his lips. “I’m sorry, this guy I work with, Trevor Davis, he said I could borrow his boat.” Noah turned toward the bank, shielding his eyes from the bright light. The man dropped the spotlight to his side. “I’m real sorry about the mix-up,” Noah said, leaning over to grab the motor. “I’ll bring it right back over toyou.”
“Well.” The man shifted on his feet before walking to the edge of the pier. “The eightisa little faded, I could see how you’d make themistake.”
Noah shot a knowing glance at me, his smile deepening. “I’m not gonna let you get in trouble,” hewhispered.
God, he was too good atthat.
17
Noah
The engine idled at the front of herdrive.
“Thanks for tonight,” she said, placing her hand on the door. “Even if you almost got me sent tojail.”
“Hold on a second.” I hopped out of the truck and rounded the front, stopping to open Hannah’sdoor.
A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “A true southern gentleman I see?” she said and steppedout.
