The Summer Girlfriend (Heart Beach, #1)(81)
Even though they’d been attached at the hip during summers as kids, Jeremiah and Danny saw a lot less of each other in adulthood. They hadn’t chilled together in months. They’d both been focused on work, and Danny worked harder than anyone Jeremiah knew, maybe even Percy. He was glad that Danny had found time to visit. “How you holding up? How are your parents and the store?”
“Work is kicking my ass, but that’s nothing new. The fam is good.” Danny smiled and angled his head to see farther into the house. “Is, um, everybody here?”
“Yeah, yeah. We’re all here. Come on back.”
When they entered the living room, Celeste sat up and gasped. “Daniel Martin, did you walk here in the rain? Are you trying to catch your death?”
“Hey, Ms. Celeste,” Danny said, smiling sheepishly. He waved at the rest of the group. He paused when his eyes landed on Amara and Noelle sitting in the corner of the couch. “Hi again.”
Amara was snuggled under a flannel blanket, and she lifted her hand in a wave. Noelle, who was sitting next to her, smiled and waved too.
“I want to introduce you to Noelle,” Jeremiah said, leading Danny over to their end of the couch. He’d briefly told Danny about Noelle being his new girlfriend, but he hadn’t told him about their arrangement because it wasn’t something to easily explain over text. Now that he and Noelle were starting fresh, he wondered if he needed to tell Danny about their arrangement after all. Or anyone, for that matter.
Danny sat on the other side of Amara, and Jeremiah reclaimed his seat next to Noelle.
“Noelle and I met earlier today,” Danny said. He leaned forward and smiled at Noelle, who nodded. “She was with Amara when they came by the bookstore earlier.”
Amara pulled the blanket from her body and handed it to Danny.
“You look like you need it more than me,” she said quietly.
“Thanks,” Danny said, giving her a small smile.
“Look,” Noelle said, nudging Jeremiah. She immediately distracted him with her beautiful grin as she pointed at the television, “Beyoncé is about to tell the lionesses to fight with her.”
Jeremiah snorted. “You mean Nala?”
“Yeah. Nala Beyoncé.”
He laughed and wrapped his arm around her again.
After the movie ended, Jeremiah drove Danny to his parents’ house. They lived in northern Heart Beach where it was less touristy. When Jeremiah was younger, sometimes he’d wished that he’d lived in Heart Beach year-round just like Danny.
“I’m sorry the rain fucked things up and we didn’t do anything tonight,” Jeremiah said as they pulled up.
Danny shrugged, one hand on the door handle. “Nah, chilling with you and your family was more than enough for me. You know that.” He smiled. “You and Noelle seem really good together. I’m happy for you. I know you’ve been working on yourself a lot.”
Hearing that from Danny meant more to Jeremiah than he could express. “Thanks, bro. I appreciate that.”
“Of course. I’ll be back next weekend too,” Danny said, getting out of the car. “I’ll hit you up then.”
“Sounds good.” Jeremiah dapped Danny up before he drove away.
Once Jeremiah was back home, he bounded upstairs to his room, eager to see Noelle again. She was sitting up in bed with a book open in her lap. The Missing Women, one of the books he’d ordered for her. He closed the door behind him, and she tilted her head and smiled as he walked toward her. He lay down beside her and propped himself up on his elbow.
“I just realized that next weekend is supposed to be our last weekend in Heart Beach,” he said. “We’ll miss Harper and Ashley’s talent show since it’s not until the weekend after.”
Noelle lowered her book and looked at him. “I assumed you’d be getting ready for your move during the weekend of the talent show, since it’s the last weekend of August. You’re still planning to move the first weekend of September, right?”
“I am,” he said, although his move and being away from Noelle was the last thing he wanted to think about right now. “But I’ll have time to pack. I don’t want to miss the talent show.”
“Me neither. Sheree’s bridal shower is that Friday afternoon, so we could drive down Friday night instead if that’s okay with you.”
“That’s okay with me.” He curled one of the ends of her braids around his finger. “So, two more weekends left in Heart Beach?”
She nodded, smiling as she snuggled her back against the pillow. “Two more weekends.”
He loved seeing her comfortable in his bed like this, happy and content with her book. He loved that her being in Heart Beach meant that she had the chance to enjoy a well-deserved rest. He lowered his eyes to her breasts where he could see her hardened nipples through her shirt. She took one look at him and the hungry expression on his face and closed her book. They drew to each other like magnets, kissing and tugging off their clothes until they were naked again.
“Like this,” Jeremiah whispered huskily in her ear after he slid on a condom, positioning Noelle so that she was in front of him on her hands and knees. “I want you like this.”
When he entered her from behind, she arched her back and whimpered. Jeremiah covered her mouth with his hand. She felt so good, it took everything in him to stay quiet so that no one would hear them. Grabbing on to her hip with his other hand and thrusting into her like this was too much for him. He felt her muscles clench around him and she bit down on his hand to keep from moaning as she came. Then, only once she was satisfied, did he finally let go too and follow her into bliss.