She dropped her forehead to his chest with a groan. “You were supposed to burn that picture.”
Nick grinned sheepishly. “Sorry, my mom hid the negatives.” He ran his hand gently over the top of her head and she pressed her cheek into his shoulder. “I don’t ever want you to be embarrassed with me, Noel. I’ll always have your back.”
Noel breathed him in shakily. She opened her eyes just in time to catch Trip staring at them. His tight T-shirt showed off the hours of work he put in at the gym his parents owned, but all that bulk had never been good for cuddling. Nick, on the other hand, was muscular without being uncomfortable to snuggle with.
Noel closed her eyes again, the familiar scent of Nick’s woodsy cologne surrounding her. The smell reminded her of his parents’ farm in December, Christmas trees and falling snow. Home. Nick smelled like home to her.
Noel felt Nick stiffen against her and glanced up at him. He was staring towards the entrance of the bar, his lips pinched. She looked over her shoulder and saw Amber wrapped around a guy who bore a striking resemblance to Chris Hemsworth. Nick’s ex glanced their way briefly before doing a double take, her mouth rounded in surprise. With a flip of her hair, Amber straddled the guy’s lap as he sat on the barstool, her profile clearly visible. A smug smile curved her pink shiny lips and Noel turned away to assess Nick’s reaction.
Nick’s crestfallen expression yanked at her heart strings painfully and before she realized what she was doing, she held the back of his neck in the palm of her hand. His brown eyes settled on hers and she pulled him down. He could have fought her if he wanted, but he let her guide him down. Noel’s lips brushed against his, noting the way they opened slightly, Nick’s sweet breath whooshing out quietly. Her tongue traced across his bottom lip, hoping that Amber and Trip liked the view.
Suddenly, Nick’s hands came up to cradle her cheeks and his mouth slanted across hers. His tongue delving in, playing with hers, and flames licked their way across her skin. The sensation shocked her at first and she stumbled against Nick, pressing her breasts into his front. Her nipples peaked to attention, and a slight moan escaped as Noel forgot they were standing in a crowded bar and pulled him into her, deepening the kiss.
Nick was the one to break the contact, his lips pressing against hers in a sweet, soft peck before putting several inches of distance between them.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
Chapter 5
NICK
Nick’s heart crashed against his chest bone as he stared down into Noel’s dazed gaze. What the hell was that? Not the kiss. Nick knew she’d done that to get his focus off Amber and the man who’d replaced him, but that zing of energy still shooting through his nerve endings? Unexpected and new, especially in conjunction with Noel. His best friend. The sweet taste of her still clung to his lips and without thinking, his tongue licked along the surface. Her eyes narrowed, focused on his face and he had the bizarre urge to kiss her again.
Noel blinked several times and whatever spell that rendered him temporarily insane dissipated.
“Are they still watching?”
They? It took Nick a moment to sift through the fog and realize she was talking about Trip and Amber.
Nick cupped her cheek and leaned over, pressing his face into the side of her neck so it would look like he was nuzzling her. Her hair smelled sweet and he stopped himself from breathing her in. His gaze shifted behind her from Amber to Trip. Amber’s face scrunched up in either annoyance or disgust, he really couldn’t tell. While Trip seemed utterly befuddled. Probably couldn’t believe Noel hadn’t stayed home and cried herself to sleep over him.
Nick glared at the idiot. He couldn’t imagine Noel moping over any man, let alone Trip. Pike hadn’t been wrong when he’d called him a douche, but Nick understood why Noel didn’t like the term. Nick felt the same way about his friends and family bad mouthing Amber. If she was such a horrible person and he’d stayed with her anyway, hadn’t seen any of her character flaws, then that made him an idiot too, right?
His lips grazed her ear as he whispered, “They were watching.”
“Good.” Her warm breath rushed across the skin of his neck and he involuntarily breathed her in. God, she smelled a-fucking-mazing. He wanted to press his lips down and run his tongue over—
“Nick?”
His eyes popped open and he jerked back. The air in the bar hung hot and heavy around them as he stared down into her confused brown eyes. This was wrong. He shouldn’t be reacting this way to Noel.