Requests and Goodbyes

My lips parted in a gasp at the fire burning in Noah’s eyes. Despite his insistence that he needed to hurry, Noah wasn’t letting me go any time soon. He pulled me into his arms and caressed my face gently.

“I’m going to miss you, Becca,” he whispered before leaning down and taking my lips.

His kiss was neither hurried nor demanding. But a gentle, insistent pressure, begging me to open to him. There was a touch of desperation, as if he didn’t know when he would have the chance to kiss me again.

The need to comfort whatever was bothering him took over, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing my body against his. The flimsy, tight dress did nothing to block out the heat of his body, which seemed to rise the longer we kissed. A hand moved up and tangled in my hair, pulling tightly and holding me close. His other hand slid down and cupped my backside, lifting me slightly until I was on my tiptoes.

The passion was sparked to a boiling point, sending a moist heat sliding down between my legs and coating my thighs. The thin barrier of my panties was absent since they were lost somewhere between the couch and Noah’s room. But I couldn’t really remember which. But without them, I felt the warmth of his hand through my dress, and I was glad for them to be gone.

I whimpered against his lips and arched my body against him. The slight parting of my lips gave him access to my tongue, and he swept in immediately to take advantage of it. Our tongues danced and tangled; each sweet rub caused pleasure to race through my veins like lightning.

I wanted him, wanted more and I wordlessly let him know that with every moan and desperate movement of my body.

Noah let out a growl and pulled away. He pressed my head to his shoulder and held me tightly as if something was trying to pull me away from him. I couldn't help but feel an instinctual sense of panic as I waited for him to tell me what was going on.

“I’m sorry, little one. I didn’t mean to get so carried away. But the touch of your lips tends to scatter my thoughts,” he whispered against my hair.

I giggled breathlessly. “I can understand, Sir, and can’t say that I’m too upset about it.”

Noah’s chest rumbled as he chuckled softly. He held me for a few more moments before finally pulling away to look down at me again.

“It is time to go. But I would ask one thing of you,” he replied, then thought for a moment before smiling. “Well, two things.”

“Anything, Sir,” I replied with a sappy smile.

His smile dipped a bit but returned. “I don’t know when I’ll get back. So I would ask that, until then, you send me a picture of you every day. Doesn’t have to be naughty.” He gave me a wink. “Unless you want it to be. But just something so I can see that beautiful smile of yours.”

I flushed at the thought of sending provocative photos of myself to him. I didn’t know if I would ever do it, but selfies were something I was familiar with. That I could do without hesitation.

“Yes, Sir. I can do that.”

“And secondly, I would like you to start journaling again. I enjoyed reading your letters every day. They always made me smile, and I missed them when…” he trailed off as if he didn’t want to remind either one of us about the time when he and I had not been talking.

Out of instinct, I reached up and touched his face to let him know I understood. “I missed them as well, Sir. I would be happy to start doing it again.”

He pulled my caressing hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to my palm. “Thank you, sweetheart. I would really appreciate you doing that.”

The tender moment made my heart almost burst with joy and love for him, and I found my lips parting to tell him. Thankfully or not, Noah stepped away and broke the tiny bubble we were in.

“I had better let you leave. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to for a long time,” Noah admitted with a small self-deprecating smile.

It took all my strength, but I managed to pull away and walk towards the front door with my head held high. In my head, I wrapped myself in thoughts and memories of last night and the sweet, soft words Noah said before he kissed me. He would miss me; he wanted to see my smile every day and hear my thoughts.

They were small things in the grand scheme of things, I thought to myself. But they meant the world to me. No one had ever said they wanted to see my smile every day or even cared about my thoughts.

But Noah did.

I sighed happily. I loved that man with all my heart and soul. Now I just had to come up with a way of finally being able to tell him!

Planning my big reveal, I pushed the front door open and played out different scenarios in my head.

“Where have you been, Rebecca Delaney?!” my mother’s shrieking voice popped the bubble of my euphoria better than any arrow that has ever been made. “What on earth are you wearing?! You look like a cheap whore!”

I jumped out of my skin and blinked several times, too startled to think of anything to say. “I-I… what?”

“I was worried about you! Now here you show up looking like a drunken prom date and have the gall to refuse to answer my questions! I have been trying to call your cellphone for HOURS, young lady!” she cried.

My phone! I thought in panic. I searched my mind, trying to remember where I had last seen the clutch that Molly had let me borrow. It dawned on me, and I felt my cheeks flush. The last time I saw it was on my way to Noah's last night.

“I’m sorry, Mother. I can’t find my phone or my purse right now,” I told her, trying to look thoroughly ashamed.

I was pretty sure that I left my phone over at Noah’s. Since he was on his way out, I wouldn’t be able to catch him until he got back. As soon as I had a moment, I would email him and ask him if he had a spare key lying around, then pray to the fates and all that was kind and good that he did. But that was a worry for another time.

A knock on the front door seemed ominous and foreboding. I gave it a look and almost didn’t answer, but the last thing I wanted to do was give my mother something else to yell at me about.

As I opened the front door and saw who was standing there, I realized that both fortunes and fate were completely and utterly a bitch.

“Becca, you forgot this,” Noah said, handing me my purse.

There was a tiny gasp behind me, and I knew my mother had witnessed the whole thing. Ingram Delaney might be prissy, petty, and selfish, but she was not stupid.

I closed my eyes and willed the floor to open up and swallow me whole.