He pulled her to him again hugging her tight. “Nothing is gonna change I promise you that. But if slowing things down will make you feel better, then I’ll try to control myself around you.” He pulled back to face her again. “I’m not saying I won’t slip okay? Because I probably will—a lot. But I promise I will make an effort.” He tilted her chin up slightly with his fingers, examining her neck and smiled. “I don’t know what you’re complaining about. I think they look good.”

Veronica peered at him unbelievably. She’d suspected it earlier but now she was sure of it. The hickeys were no mistake. His words from last night came to mind. My Roni. This was so like him. She should’ve known the moment she saw them.

“Yeah, well they’re coming off.”

He smiled even bigger and kissed her nose. “Okay. Whatever you say.”

An hour later and after infuriatingly having to google, “How to remove a hickey?” Veronica knew why Noah had been so smug and agreeable about her removing them. It was basically impossible to remove in a day or even a few days as dark as hers were. While there were many suggestions on how to lighten them, she learned a few things that morning. A hickey was a bruise—popped blood vessels under the skin. Albeit a far more enjoyable way of getting a bruise it was still just a bruise. And the only realistic way to get rid of it was to conceal it.

Thankful that it was winter and that she’d actually purchased a turtleneck when she’d shopped for work clothes she’d just have to get creative the first week of work. She stood in front of her mirror examining the darks spots on her neck. The thought of Noah’s mouth on her and how good his hot tongue and lips felt sucking it made her close her eyes and take a deep breath.

It was crazy how fast just thinking of his lips on hers, his hard body pressing against her, had her panties working overtime again to soak up her puddles like they had last night. She exhaled slowly, her body trembling with the visuals of her and Noah.

Deciding a long shower is what she needed she got her things together and headed to the bathroom. It might help her get her thoughts together. Before last night she was already anticipating this week to be an emotional roller coaster. The turn things had taken with Noah would only intensify everything now.

It almost made her mad. She’d been looking forward to her new beginning. This was supposed to be exciting, refreshing. Instead that was overshadowed now with thoughts of her and Noah. She meant it when she said she was afraid to lose him and she’d known from the very beginning this could be the very thing that would cause that.

How in the world did she really plan on getting her social life back now without it causing friction? The life she knew. Brunches with friends her age—Friday night cocktails with the girls from work at a nice restaurant, not backyard parties with dance crews and brawling teenagers. Although she had to admit that until that idiot started hitting on her the moment Noah was out of sight, she’d been enjoying herself.

She glanced in the mirror just before she stepped in the shower. The ridiculous hickeys looked almost painful, though getting them had been anything but. She sighed shaking her head—ironic. This was something a middle school kid would pull to mark his territory. And to top it off Noah thought it was funny. Did he not get that he was not gaining any maturity points here?

Veronica could only hope her shower would help her relax because she knew the next few weeks were going to be a challenge.

***

Because it was New Year’s day, one of the few holidays Jack ever closed down the gym, Noah hadn’t made any plans to leave the house today. That was until Gio called to ask how he was feeling and mentioned he was going over to his uncle’s house to help him pile up more sandbags. He said his uncle’s yard always flooded and was already a mess from the recent storms.

Since Gio was always ready to jump when it came to helping Noah with anything, Noah volunteered immediately to help. At first Gio balked at the idea saying Noah should stay home and rest since he was injured but Noah reminded him he was a boxer and knew how to take a punch. The guy hadn’t even hit him that hard, he just hit the perfect spot. The f**king pu**y obviously knew how to land a sucker punch.

Noah ran into Roni in the hallway as she made her way back to her room from the bathroom in her robe. He knew he’d promised to control himself but Roni had to know that was going to be damn near impossible now.

Pretending to move out of the way for her he took advantage as soon as she tried to pass him and leaned into her against the wall. “You smell good,” he whispered against her cheek, inhaling the soap on her still wet skin. Then he kissed her chin. “Let’s see?” He lifted her chin and smiled. “What happened? I thought they were coming off?”

She pushed him playfully and glared at him. “You knew damn well they weren’t coming off so easily.”

He opened his eyes wide feigning bewilderment as she slipped away from him. “Really? You tried?”

“Oh, stop,” she said opening her bedroom door.

He laughed. “Listen, I gotta go help Gio with something. Did you need me here today?” He took a step forward and smirked. “For anything? Because if you do I can always call him back in a second and tell him I can’t make it.”

She rolled her eyes then smiled wickedly. “Oh, you’d do that for me, Noah Quintanilla?”

He took a menacing step forward knowing he’d have that robe off her in seconds if she so much as hinted he wanted him too. “Absolutely.”