Thirty-Eight Days (28 page)

They kissed until Noel put a stop to it; her heavy panting mirrored his own, and he could see the exhaustion in her eyes. Noel pulled her in close as they slept. But now Clara was gone.

Noel noticed the door wide open, he pulled the covers off of him and flung his legs over the bed. He walked over to the door, and stood there scanning the lounge and kitchen, but both rooms were empty. He scratched his head in confusion at where she could possibly be. The movement of sheer curtains got Noel's attention. The white fabric blew from the wind and he noticed that the balcony doors were wide open.

Reaching the balcony to close the doors, he found Clara leaning over the rail, her back towards him. He watched as her dress and her hair flew with the wind. He was sure she was cold, because he could feel the cool pricks hit his own naked chest. Noel walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and settling his chin on Clara’s shoulders. Clara didn't resist his touch, and he was hoping he was transferring his body heat to her.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t wake you, did I?” she asked softly as she turned her head slightly to meet his. Clara placed a kiss on his cheek and moved herself closer into Noel’s embrace.

“No, I just woke and saw you were gone.”

“I just needed some fresh air,” she sighed out.

“Are you sure that’s all you needed?” he asked. Clara tensed in his hold.

“What do you mean?”

Noel let out a heavy groan. Clara spun in his arms and faced him, her hands on his chest.

“Noel, tell me what you mean?”

“If you want space, Clara, I’m willing to give it to you. If you think this is going too fast, then I’m willing to wait by the barracks. But don’t run from me, please,” he quietly begged as he moved her hair out of her face. The colour in Clara’s cheeks faded as her face went pale and her lips parted.

“Is that question number four?” She looked at his chest. Earlier in the night her lips made his question non-existent.

“No, question four was… if this was something you wanted? Do you really want an us?” he asked. His heart squeezed at the thought of the possible rejection that he was facing. Her eyes made their way up until he was staring right into those golden pools of uncertainty.

“I–I,” she stuttered for a second before she closed her eyes and composed herself.

“I want an
us.
I promise you, Noel, that’s what I want,” she said as she raised her hand to his cheek, resting it there. He felt his heart being consumed by relief.

But what about Liam…

“Question number five, is it
me
you really want?”

“Where is this all coming from?” The wind picked up and Clara shivered against him. He brought her closer to his body and held her against the railing.

“I just want you to be sure, that’s all,” he confessed. The nerves in him increased, but he was able to compose himself enough to wait for her to speak.

“I am unbelievably sure. I mean, this between us is a little crazy, and maybe even a little unconventional, but I’m sure I want
you
. In fact, I’ve never been more sure in my life.” Her beautiful smile reassured him. His heart felt like it would explode with joy. He bent down and pressed his lips on hers. His intentions were for it to be a chaste kiss, but when she kissed him back, he lost all sense of the world, the movement of her lips hungry for him. Clara ran her arms around his back, pulling him closer and intensifying their kiss. He laughed at her eagerness.

“I’m going to take you to bed, Clara,” he moaned into her mouth.

“Why?” He felt her frown. Noel pulled himself away from her. Clara’s lip pouted slightly, causing him to chuckle.

“Because, baby, you’re hot as hell when you moan from me kissing you. I’m afraid that only sleep will stop me from doing something you’re not ready for.” She smiled and he could see that she got what he meant.

“Then take me to bed… to sleep.” She smirked sinfully.

“
O
kay, let me explain this to you again! The small fondant hearts go on the red velvet cupcakes; they’re the ones I'm icing now. While the pecan nuts go on the banana cupcakes and the small honey glazed hazelnuts go on top of the hazelnut praline cupcakes, which is to your right,” Clara instructed as she pointed to the various cupcakes. She glanced over at Noel as he looked at the desserts in front of him, confused.

“My God, you are
the worst help!” she sighed as she placed down her icing bag on the stainless steel bench. Clara walked over to Noel and grabbed the tub of pecan nuts.

“Here, let me make one of each and then you can use that as the example. Sound doable?”

“Fine!” Noel pouted. Clara laughed at him as she pushed him aside. She grabbed the red velvet cupcake and set the fondant heart on top of the icing and placed it in front of the red velvet cupcake batch. She continued to do so until she made an example of each one. She raised her eyebrows at Noel, hinting at the easiness of his job.

Since Danny told her about the idea of expanding their cupcake range, he had her coming in whenever she could to make new recipes. But today, along with the new cupcakes, Josie called to tell her she had an emergency meeting with her Family Law study group. The sound of her mobile phone beeping from the other side of the kitchen got her attention.

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay while I answer my phone?” she mocked.

Noel peered up from placing a heart on the cupcake. “Please have a little more faith in me than that, Clara.”

Walking to the counter, near the ovens, she took her phone out of her bag and looked to see she had a new message from Stevie. Clara unlocked her phone and opened her inbox.

Stevie: LAST NIGHT! I need an update on what happened after Noel went unbelievably animal on Darren. Noel is one hot piece of ass! I’d have him protecting my honour any day. Free for me to stop by?

Clara: Stop by the bakery whenever. Busy making cupcakes.

Stevie: I’m SURE you’re busy making cupcakes! Ps. I’m bringing Saint Annie with me! She’s got news!

Clara looked at the message again. Annie had news. With Annie the news could be literally anything, so Clara placed her phone on the counter and decided to wait for her friends.

“Okay, so you’ll be pleased to know that I placed all the finishing touches on the right cupcakes,” Noel said as he approached Clara with a red velvet cupcake. Noel holding a cupcake was the most adorable sight she had ever seen and it made her smile like a fool.

“So what do you think? They look good, right?” he asked as he showed her the cupcake. She noticed that the icing was done in an anti-clockwise motion, opposed to her clockwise icing. Clara took the cupcake out of Noel’s hand and inspected it.

“Did you ice this yourself?” she asked, looking up at him, those green eyes piercing her heart. They were too beautiful, and she loved the way they looked at her.

“Sure did!” He beamed with pride.

“I’m quite proud. That’s actually some good icing!” she commented before she took the cupcake and playfully pushed it into Noel’s mouth. She couldn’t help the giggles that came out. The look of surprise was one she’ll never forget, but then she saw the fire in his eyes.

“Now I’m glad you did that!” Noel said with a mouth covered in icing. Clara watched a smirk cross his face and excitement built in her.

“I wanted an excuse so I could do this,” Noel said. Before Clara could fathom a response, Noel grabbed her waist, pulling her closer to him.

“What the—” Clara yelled out in surprise before his lip stole the words straight from her mouth. Noel backed them into the counter and kissed her, Clara tasting the icing on his lips. Clara grabbed his shirt in her hands and pushed herself into him; she wanted to be even closer. Noel groaned out and helped her up onto the counter, bringing his mouth towards hers. His tongue swiped her lips, and she swore she had gone to heaven. Noel’s perfect kisses were driving her insane with need.

She matched the movement of his lips with hunger and need. She kissed and licked away the rest of icing. When she couldn’t taste any more, she just continued to kiss him. Clara arched her back, taking Noel with her, deepening their kiss. Fire exploded on her skin. Noel’s hands moved from her waist as they made their way underneath her shirt and grazed her hips and stomach.

Clara moaned at the pleasure of his touch, and she swore she would pass out. She needed more. She needed him closer to her body. Noel’s touch didn’t go further up north, and she couldn’t help but feel a little discouraged by him. She knew he was holding back on her. Clara wrapped her legs around him and brought him closer to her. Her breathing rapid, his kisses and touches left her panting; she gripped his shirt tighter to stop her from exploring his body.

“Ahem!” The sound of a throat clearing stopped them. Clara opened her eyes and felt the embarrassment of getting caught rise in her cheeks. Noel’s smirk was plastered on his face, but she could see the humour in his eyes. Clara looked over Noel’s shoulder to see Josie standing by the kitchen door, amused.

“So you’re telling me that if I hadn’t gone to my study group early this morning, I would be getting icing licked off my lips by a gorgeous god? I got the wrong end of the bloody bargain!” Josie teasingly sighed as she walked to the steel prep counter. Clara untangled her legs from Noel’s waist, but didn’t let go of his shirt. Instead she gave him a coy smile.

“God, what are you doing to me, Clara?” Noel whispered. She let go of Noel’s shirt and he took a step back before helping her off the counter.

“Noel, do you mind helping me put the cupcakes out?” Clara asked as she re-tucked her shirt back into her skirt as discreetly as she could.

“You were the guy from a few weeks ago, yeah?” Josie asked as she picked up a mixing bowl to prepare the vanilla cupcakes. Noel nodded at Josie as he walked to the counter and picked up a tray of banana cupcakes.

“Oh, well, damn! Here I was thinking you were available! If you ever get tired of licking icing off Clara, I’m
very
free.” Josie winked. Clara rolled her eyes and picked up the other tray of hazelnut praline cupcakes. Josie was pretty and she had that whole smart look about her that made her sexy. Being a law student, she liked a challenge. She was just like Stevie when it came to speaking her mind, and maybe that’s why Clara liked her.

“Trust me, Josie, I don’t plan on ever getting tired of Clara,” Noel confessed, and Josie seemed to be satisfied by his answer. Clara stood there stunned that he admitted that out loud. Noel walked over to her and kissed her head.

“We have cupcakes to display,” he said as he walked out to the front counter of the store. Clara stood there, her legs still wobbly from his kissing, and now her brain was moosh from his words.

“Seriously, if you
ever get tired of Noel, you know where I work.” Josie nudged Clara, bringing her back to reality.

Clara let out a laugh and followed Noel towards the front of the store. She found him carefully putting out his cupcakes before he turned around and winked at her, taking the tray from her. Noel’s hand brushing over hers made her tingle inside, but she simply smiled at him. Through all their kisses and all their revelations, she knew one thing.

Noel’s mine.

“I better get down to the row club to meet Rob,” Noel announced with a sigh. He stood up from placing her tray of cupcakes out on display. Clara watched as Noel walked around to the other side of the counter and leant over to her. She couldn’t help the smile radiating off her;
he made her feel this way. The sun shining through made his green eyes sparkle like emeralds in the sunlight.

“I’ll see you later, then,” he said as Clara walked towards the counter and leant over it, her face meeting his. The way he smiled at her had her emotions on high, her heart racing, and her breathing spiked.

“You can count on it,” she replied as cool as she could. She watched a big smile come across Noel’s face and he placed a gentle kiss on her lips before he flashed her a beautiful smile and walked out the door. As heated as their previous kisses had been,
that soft and gentle chaste kiss made her heart flutter.

Grabbing the spray and cloth, she mindlessly started to wipe down the bench. She couldn’t remove the foolish smile off her face. In that one momement, she was completely happy with her life. She had been so up in the clouds that she didn’t notice anyone walk through the shop door until they stood before her. Clara looked up to see blonde curls neatly pulled to the side before her.

“He must be pretty special if he makes you
this
happy, Clara.” Her smile faded and bitterness took over her. She thought they were done, but apparently they still had another round between them. Clara sighed out and dropped the cloth.

“Elizabeth.”