Forever Summer - Melody Grace Page 0,62

fully decorated and filled with happy guests. Sunshine streaming through the windows, sand tracking through the halls.

Noah, by her side.

Evie blushed, even though there was nobody there to see it. But of course Jules could tell something was going on.

Jules could always tell.

“What were you doing this morning?” she asked suspiciously. “I called a couple of times, but you didn’t pick up.”

Evie smiled. “Well … I was in bed. With Noah.”

Jules shrieked so loudly, Evie had to pull the phone away from her ear.

“Talk about burying the lede!” Jules scolded. “You let me drone on about boring business when you had actual juicy news to share? Where are your priorities, young lady! Does this mean your B&B research trip went well?”

The trip?

It felt like a lifetime ago to Evie, but of course, it had only been a couple of days.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Jules continued. “Was it good? Did he tear off his shirt, toss you over his shoulder, and carry you up the stairs?”

“Jules!” Evie laughed.

“It was good!” she crowed. “Of course it would be. That’s the advantage of guys like Noah.”

Evie paused. “What do you mean, guys like him?”

“Man-whores,” Jules replied cheerfully. “They’ve put the work in—they’ve honed their craft. And their abs.” She giggled. “I mean, there’s a reason his adoring fans all come back for more, right? I’m so happy for you. Happy, and wildly envious,” Jules added. “A wild, sexy fling is exactly what you need.”

Evie felt a rush of annoyance at Jules’s dismissive words. “He’s not a man-whore,” she said immediately. “You don’t know him like I do. Yes, he’s dated a bunch of women, but it wasn’t just for kicks. He’s a good man. You’ll see.”

Jules paused. “I’m sorry,” she said, sounding surprised. “I just thought … you know, that this was a casual thing. All in good fun.”

“It is,” Evie said, even though what she and Noah had shared together last night was anything but casual. She took a deep breath, surprised at the strength of her defensiveness “I’m just saying, there’s more to him than just the charm, OK?”

“OK,” Jules said. “I don’t suppose he has any hunky firefighter friends to fix me up with?”

Evie relaxed. “Things still going downhill with Rory?”

“Plummeting rapidly,” Jules said. “Which is why I want all your romantic, sexy details. Start at the beginning. What was he wearing? What were you wearing? And most importantly: what did you eat?”

“You mean for the dinner with his entire family where his mom quizzed me about my menstrual cycle?” Evie asked.

“No!”

“Yes!” And she settled in to dish.

15

The next weeks flew by in a blur of furniture shopping, budget drafts, and heady design decisions about which trim color went best with the teal wallpaper in the library.

And, of course, Noah.

Evie fell headlong into the thrilling rush of their relationship, stealing moments with him every chance she got. Early morning kisses with her coffee and stolen lunchtime rendezvous at the inn—trying to keep from moaning out loud as downstairs, the workmen kept up their construction. They spent their evenings together, too, curled up with pizza and a movie or tucked into a table at the pub with Noah’s friends, his steady arm draped around her shoulder.

But it was the nights she treasured most: quiet hours tangled up in the sheets, trading whispered secrets, learning his body by heart. It was as if the world shrank to the size of a king-sized bed. Everything else seemed to melt away when they were together, until there was nothing but the feel of Noah’s mouth against hers, until their passionate kisses made way for gasps, sighs, and moans of pleasure echoing into the night.

Now, Evie blinked against the morning sunshine and burrowed deeper in her covers. “I’m never getting out of bed,” she said with a yawn. “Especially now the beds have actually been delivered.”

Noah laughed, stretching. “What about food?”

“I have you to bring me that,” she smiled, tilting her face up so that he would lean in and reward her with a kiss. He did—and then got up.

“No!” Evie protested playfully, reaching for him. “What happened to our lazy morning?”

“Have you forgotten what day it is?” Noah asked with a wry smile.

Evie thought for a moment, confused. To be honest, she’d lost track of simple things like calendars and schedules. These days she measured time by how long she had to last between kisses—and when they could both clock off work to see each other again.

Then she remembered. “The fundraiser!” she exclaimed.