All

Chapter Forty

I decided against going to University the next day, the moment that my eyes opened. Even though I'd already missed a month of lessons and had been planning on becoming a model student again, Noah's bed was just too warm and comfortable. Plus, the pounding headache between my eyes wasn't helping me want to get up.

As I lay quietly watching Noah sleep, I could have stayed there forever. His eyes were moving rapidly behind his eyelids, he must have still been dreaming.

I wonder if I'm in there somewhere?

Without making a sound, I crawled out of his bed and shoved on his T-shirt; still lying crumpled on the floor, then crept into the en-suite. After stealing a bit of toothpaste to brush my teeth with my finger, I couldn't resist opening the drawers under his sink; just like the night I first set foot in this bathroom.

I couldn't pinpoint why I felt so disappointed to see that the plastic wallet of cash was still in its hiding place, even more stuffed full than before. The condom boxes were still present and correct. As I sat on the edge of the bath with one finger still rubbing minty paste around my mouth, I began to count them, even though I'd never known how many were left to start with.

"Are you in there?" Noah's voice cut through the door, as I scrambled to put the box back where I had found it.

"One second," I called back, as I rinsed the toothpaste off my finger and swilled the foam from my mouth with cold water.

As I opened the door, Noah was leaning with both hands up against its frame, his brightly patterned boxers doing little to conceal the morning erection he'd woken up with. Snaking one hand around the back of my head, he pulled me onto my tiptoes to press his lips against mine.

"Mmm, minty fresh," he smiled, before scooping me up around his waist like he had done the night before.

"How's your hangover?" he grimaced.

"Pretty rough," I croaked, "Yours?"

"I'll be fine after a shower," he whispered, carrying me towards the bath before sitting down on the rolled edge with me straddling his lap. His hair was the epitome of 'bed head' and his face was lightly dusted with faint stubble. I quickly decided right there and then that half-asleep, morning Noah was my favourite incarnation.

He raised an eyebrow as his dimple appeared at the side of his mouth. "Fancy joining me?"

"You are insatiable, Mr Hartnett," I replied, laughing as I scowled at him.

Climbing off his lap, I closed the lid on the toilet and sat down. "Doesn't mean I don't want to watch you, though," I murmured.

With a small smile, Noah stood up, allowing my eyes to travel up and down his tattooed torso. Knowing I was fixated on him, he turned slowly towards the bath as I drank in every inch, from his muscular legs up to his firm buttocks and chiseled abs.

Giving me a grin over his shoulder like the cat that had got the cream, Noah confidently pulled down his patterned underwear and stepped into the bath, switching on the showerhead above it. My mouth dropped open slightly at his confidence in his own body in all its naked, still visibly excited, glory.

"Look away then, peeping Tom," he teased, knowing full well I'd been staring at him since I'd taken my seat on the toilet lid.

As he began to soap himself up, I couldn't take my eyes off the scene. In fact, I could hardly breath as I sat frozen, watching him like a child who had just seen snow for the first time.

Turning away from me as he washed his hair with his eyes tightly closed, the sight of the water running down his muscular back was almost a perfect visual representation of how I felt between my legs right then. As he turned back around to rinse, I noticed his erection had subsided, giving way to a softer, less threatening version of him hanging between his legs.