It Was Always Love (Taboo Love Book 2) Read online

  There was no more talk of the sleep I should have been having when he fucked the breath out of me well on the way to dawn. It’s the kind of fucking you do that’s so rigorous you feel like you might die.

  Wet. Sated and with my villain curled into my spine I finally slept.

  NINE

  “Why has it forsaken me?” I toddler-whined looking at Noah’s cup of coffee sitting on his desk like it’s the biggest betrayer of my life, my bottom lip stuck out. “Haven’t I always loved you? Adored you? Worshipped you? And now you turn your back on me!”

  Standing over by the door, I’m far enough away that I can’t smell it again. When it happened an hour ago the fragrance of caffeine filtered through my nose and for a second, I was in danger of throwing up all over the nice office floor.

  I wanted to cry.

  Coffee was my bae.

  My ride or die and now it was making me sick to my stomach.

  Pulling a face at Noah’s smug smile as he sipped my betrayer, I padded barefoot along to the kitchen. My stomach was too delicate for food though I was ravenous. I lifted myself onto a stool and looked at the fruit bowl like it was a mound of melted cheese.

  Behind me I heard Noah’s cleaning lady come out of the living room.

  She’s one of my favorite people in his life.

  Of course, she adored him. Doesn’t everyone. I’m president of his fan club.

  She treated him like a lorded grandson, always fussing over him and cooking him Polish food.

  “Are you still sick?” I started to form a white lie of it being just a bug I’d caught when she added on. “Morning sickness was bad for me, too. With all my babies. Here, I have something for you.”

  My eyes rounded with surprise.

  I haven’t told her I’m pregnant and I knew Noah hadn’t.

  We spoke on this last night about when we were telling our parents.

  He wanted to do it right then on the phone. It’s me who was reluctant.

  Aneta has worked for Noah for as long as I’d known him.

  She’s all of four feet nine, a slim Polish woman from the Bronx with gray hair always tied back in a severe bun at the nape of her neck. She dressed modestly, usually in leggings or black pants and always, always with a tabard on when she arrived and inside the pockets was like Mary Poppin’s magic bag, I swear.

  This one time I needed a pin for my broken strap on a top I was wearing and didn’t have time to change. As if by magic she produced one. This other time I needed a band aid. Same thing. I would look at Noah and raise my brows and silently say; see, she’s magic. No matter what you needed; she had it.

  She dipped her hand into the infamous pocket and came out with a sucker.

  I frowned curiously.

  It’s not really something I want right now.

  Not with my belly taking a round at whipping.

  “Here,” she pushed it into my hand. “Suck on this while I make you some warm mint tea. It’s ginger. It’ll help.” She busied with Noah’s fancy coffee station, boiling water, she then took fresh mint leaves from a tin and stirred them in, added a lemon and plopped the cup in front of me.

  I must admit, both sucker and the tea did help. I sipped and sucked on both for five silent minutes.

  “So, you know I’m pregnant then?”

  She gave me a silly girl, I’m older and wiser and I know everything look.

  “I come to clean four times a week. Four times I hear you throw up. Drink. Drink.” She urged. When the tea was gone, and I’m left with only the ginger flavored lollipop, I feel at least sixty percent better.

  I’m practically doing cartwheels around the kitchen.

  If only in my mind because I can’t believe two little things such as a sucker and tea can ease my belly

  “I can’t believe they worked.”

  “I leave you more lollies and you make tea when you get out of bed. Sip it.” She admonished like she thinks I would take the tea like a vodka shot.

  I smiled and nod earnestly.

  “I tell Mister. Fierro, he make tea. Here. Give me wrist.” She took my arm before I could offer it. She might be small but there’s no doubt here who is in charge when Aneta is around.

  I love this lady. I want to be her when I grow up.

  A few inches from my wrist crease she pressed her thumb into a tender part of my arm, gently rotating it. “Is this acupressure?” I asked. She murmured affirmative and relayed to me how her sister in law was an acupuncture doctor.

  And what do you know. My nausea all but disappeared minutes later to the point I felt completely myself again, no gag reflex in the back of my throat, no upset belly. “You get mister. Fierro to do this, too.” I swallowed a chuckle.

  She has Noah being my nurse.

  I like it.

  I feel so good I even shower with my fancy shower lotion and put on real clothes that aren’t sweatpants and slippers and I replied to so many emails, it was fantastic. I paid bills. I got caught up on all my design work and when a call came just before 5pm for a quick tech emergency I left the apartment to take the subway to Lexington Avenue. Thirty minutes later I’m two hundred and fifty dollars richer for no more than a quick reboot could have fixed the system and I had a ginger sucker in my mouth the entire time.

  It’s much later when I’m slouched on Noah’s uncomfortable yet ultra-trendy sofa watching an episode of SOA.

  After the Lexington job I’d gone home for a while until the villain of my heart called and summoned me to the fuck-pad upstairs for dinner he’d made me.

  I might have been a bit saddened when he got me snuggled on the sofa and didn’t attempt to slide his hands into my pants.

  But this was nice too.

  We’d binge-watched the series years ago but liked to play the which bad boy would you fuck game and since I was loved up with a queer the game totally worked. With my head resting on Noah’s belly, his fingers stroking in and out of my hair felt like the greatest thing ever for the growing headache brewing behind my eyes. Every now and then he’d take a hand from my hair and caress my popped belly under my shirt.

  “Undeniably fuck.” Proclaimed Noah with the hot as hell dirty-boy smirk kicking up his lips.

  I mocked. “Jax is a given. Everyone wants to fuck him. What about Tig?”

  “I don’t think he’s queer.”

  “And Jax is?”

  “For me he’d be bro-queer.”

  “So full of yourself, Fierro. You think everyone would be Gay-For-You.” I teased biting his thigh. But then he is Straight-For-Me, so I have no room to judge, I smiled to myself feeling all warm and special.

  My gorgeous, bendy-villain.

  For a few scenes we continued to watch in silence. His fingers trailed from my nape down to my butt where he paid attention to both cheeks.

  “Hey, you know I have a cousin who is with a hottie real life biker,” I murmured nuzzling his leg in pretense of getting comfortable. Whereas I just wanted to rub my face all over his leg and drink in his scent.

  For a workaholic Noah was staying home an awful lot with me.

  I wanted to feel guilty for taking his time. But I didn’t.

  “You never mentioned this before,” his fingers moved to the back of my neck, gently massaging. The purr that came out of me was inhumane and saturated in pleasure.

  “We lost touch a few years ago but we recently started emailing again, wait right there.” I rolled myself off the couch and went to grab my iPad from the bedroom. When I returned I climbed into Noah’s lap, he accommodated me by winding his arm around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder while I typed in the search engine. “Our moms are sisters, but she’s lived in Boston most of my life. Though you wouldn’t know they’re related. We’re the hillbilly clan,” I giggled. “Here you go. That’s him. Rider Marinos. He owns a biker gang out in Colorado.” I showed Noah an article Zara had sent me a month ago of her man and his bikers doing a charity ride through the Colorado mountains. “They raised twenty grand fo
r the local kid’s cancer hospital.”

  Noah made an appreciative hum low from the back of his throat. “And your cousin is married to him?”

  “Not yet, but they have a baby together. She’s adorably smiley and Zara is deliriously happy.” There had been some mystery regarding Zara for a few years a while back and still no one in our family knew where she’d disappeared to, only now she lived with a hot as hell man-bun wearing biker and was happier than I’d ever seen her.

  Noah whistled scrolling through the article for the Colorado Armado Springs Tribune. “You realise who these guys are, kitten?” I scrunched my nose looking at the pictures as he scrolled through one after the other of hot, hot men on big black powerful bikes. Jeez, calm down hormones. Bless my soul, look at that big one at the front. I just bet he could throw down.

  “Yeah, some biker gang from Colorado. I told you that.”

  How wrong I was. Noah went on to tell me how notorious the Renegade Souls MC were for their lawless breeze against the rules when it came to business.

  They were famous for all the wrong reasons not only in Colorado but throughout the United States. And apparently Zara’s man was biker boss to all the chapters.

  But they’d done that charity bike ride, they couldn’t be all bad, right?

  My eyes widened “Really?” It wasn’t something Zara confided in me. Only how amazing her man was. “How do you know this?”

  He tossed my iPad onto the floor and flattened me to the sofa. I squeaked up at Noah as he fitted his hips in between my legs and rested his hands above me. “I read the actual news and not just the gossip sections, kitten.”

  Nose nuzzle.

  He licked my lower lip.

  Someone was in a mood and I was not complaining at all. My hips lifted.

  “Don’t be a news snob,” my naughty, grabby hands slid up under his tee from the back, muscles bunched and flexed. God, this body of his never quit pleasing me. “Knowing what Kim K is wearing IS news, thank you very much.”

  He shut me up in the only way he knew how.

  It was hot, and it was fast and by the end of my third orgasm I was sure we’d broken that damn uncomfortable sofa, but no luck.

  It lived another day.

  TEN

  “Let’s eat out. We can check out the restaurant Tom wants to buy.”

  I hmphed. I have no desire to go anywhere that has anything to do with that dickdouche. Noah grinned and then he drew me in until I was flush against his chest, hands on my waist, he nibbled my strict upper lip to coax me along.

  I couldn’t be swayed by his sexy, full mouth.

  Nope.

  He bit me some more and I yielded so fricking easy.

  Falling into his kiss I tasted him.

  My belly only a tiny pop yet, so I showered and pulled on a close-fitting jumpsuit in white and shimmering blue pinched at the waist with a gorgeous silver belt. I teamed it with black heels and I sweep my hair high and tie it in a ponytail that swishes against my nape. Tech-doc knows how to bring it when it’s called for. Especially when Noah’s eyes darkened getting a load of my strut.

  “Have you decided to invest in this place?” I asked on the way after Noah’s thorough eye-fuck. I was still feeling his sexy perusal with his hand on my thigh as we waited in traffic.

  New York traffic was the worst, we literally could have walked to the restaurant had it not been for the fact it was pouring with rain.

  “Probably. I want to see how it runs first. I’ve only eaten there once two years ago, and it wasn’t all that hot.”

  Sneaking glances sideways I took Noah in. He’s wearing dark gray pants and jacket set with a pale blue checkered shirt underneath, the collar undone to showcase naturally tanned skin. He reminded me of one of those college professors you perv on in his class. The kind you know would fuck you for a higher grade. I check him out as he did me. His brow arched as if asking if I approved. I just grinned my answer. He knew how handsome he was already without me unbuttoning his pants and licking him.

  Noah laughed.

  Oh, shit. Did I say that out loud?

  “You can lick all you want later,” he caught my hand in his, our palms met. “Let’s get you and my baby fed.”

  We’ve decided we’d tell his parents this weekend and then because I don’t want to tell mine over the phone, or even on skype, we’re flying to Carolina on Sunday.

  I’m slightly sick over it.

  At the end of the day I know my folks will be over the moon to be grandparents. My momma has talked about it since I was sixteen but always stressed she wanted me settled in my life, financially secure and married before I started giving her grandbabies.

  She was real clear on the married part.

  And she never mentioned once that the father should be my queer best friend.

  I don’t want to disappoint them, that’s the last thing I want.

  It’s made worse because they know Noah already.

  Know he’s always been gay.

  So, introducing him now as my boyfriend and baby-daddy is going to be awkward to say the least.

  They’ll have questions. My daddy will have more questions and I’m just not sure Noah can hold up against him.

  I tried to convince him I could go home alone. But he insisted.

  That’s for next weekend’s Sena to worry about.

  Now we’re going to eat in stupid Tom’s investment restaurant.

  I’m determined to hate every part of it.

  But we’re greeted like old friends from the maître’ d. I assumed he knew or has been alerted of Noah’s presence because he fussed taking our coats and showing us to the best table over to the left of the wide-open restaurant.

  Intimate yet able to study the entire place at the same time.

  It’s decorated in rich golds and reds, there’s even a damn piano player in the middle of the room. Is he playing Frank Sinatra? Damn. I like it.

  There’s still a lot I can hate, I figured.

  Sweeping my gaze over the table tops in soft white lace and little pots of pink posies.

  I fricking loved posies.

  Dammit.

  Noah kissed the edge of my shoulder pulling out my chair for me. “Thoughts so far?” He knows me well.

  “It has a nice ambience.” He chuckled at my uninspiring praise.

  I really do want to hate it.

  My desire for Noah to do well in all business matters is superseded by my wish to not cheer on the dickdouche in any way shape or form. He doesn’t deserve my support. He might have given Noah the ‘I told you so’ speech, but I knew a separate side to Noah’s ex. He’s no happier for us than he would having a hernia on his left nut.

  But as the night went on and we’re attended to by a lovely waiter called Jorg who flirted outrageously with both Noah and I and is so exuberant in explaining the menu I couldn’t help but like him.

  Noah sampled a few different wines from the sommelier.

  I had sweet mint tea.

  We’re sitting close by each other, so I’m in reach to lean over and brush a kiss to his cheek. He caught me behind my neck and took a soft, longer consuming kiss.

  I’m having a really nice time and I internally war with myself.

  “Thoughts?” he asked me again.

  “It runs efficiently, and I like the food we’ve had so far. The atmosphere is a perfect for both couples out on dates and families and I have no complaints about the servers.”

  “That’s my view, too. The chef here is good. But I’d want a great one if I’m to invest.”

  I know that look he has. “You already know of someone?” he side-smiled, taking a sip of the red merlot he enjoyed. “I might. He was flipping burgers in a little backstreet hole in the wall place about six months ago. He’d fit in with this place, he just needs a chance to run his own kitchen with proper staff under him. The guy was a maestro with beef.”

  I snorted, lifted the dessert menu, my eyes catching Noah’s. Adding cheekily. “I just
bet he was.”

  He smirked in return. “I didn’t fuck him. Just ate his burger.”

  “Noah,” my laugh muted into my hand. He knows he’s leading me down a dirty path. Bad boy. He winked, and I swear everything in me clenched.

  I want him. It’s a constant throbbing. A dull roar of need forever boiling in the background and in a restaurant full of patrons he recognized my inhale as he brushed a fingertip over my hammering pulse in my wrist.

  I shifted in my seat. I’m achy-wet between my legs and my breasts want his mouth.

  With no more provocation that a sweep of fingers on my wrist I’m aroused.

  I’m prepared to suggest we skip out on dessert, only Jorg bounced back over and took our order.

  Noah asked for four different dishes.

  If I didn’t know it already that he’s the perfect man for me I do now when he knows I like to try a little of everything.

  When desserts arrived, Noah foregoes coffee for a brandy.

  Again, he’s taking care of me without a word.

  His hand caressed around the back of my neck, across my shoulder.

  The fine hairs there stand on end.

  Should I be this hot?

  This turned on?

  My veins were on fire.

  He brought the silver fork full of lemon mousse dotted with white chocolate shavings to my mouth, feeding me. It’s the most intimate thing we’ve done since arriving here and it felt like he’s feeding me something else with the way his eyes darken. “Noah…don’t turn me on in public.” I moaned inaudibly.

  His thumb worked my skin, brushing my jaw, over my lips as I swallowed.

  My thighs fidgeted. I’m sure I couldn’t eat another thing, not when all I can think of is undoing his pants and climbing aboard.

  I wouldn’t care if he brought me onto his lap and found a way inside my jumpsuit to ease me.

  Another fork full makes its way to my mouth held by Noah. This time it’s a ginger cookie crumb cheesecake with white chocolate ganache.

  I’m thoroughly seduced at this point.

  The man was feeding me like a caveman and I’m digging it.