He pulled her hand down. “So do I.” He kissed her, making her forget all about morning breath.
When he lifted his head, she grinned. “Does this mean I can use your toothbrush now?”
“No.”
“We’ve done much more intimate things that have involved the exchange of just as many germs as me using your toothbrush,” she said in a sultry voice.
“Enough of your vixen ways,” he chuckled. “You’re tempting me when you know we’re out of condoms.”
She turned serious. “We don’t have to use a condom, Noah. I have an IUD. I was with Mitch for five months and no one at all for three months before him.”
He shook his head. “I want to get tested first to be safe. I’d never forgive myself if I have something and gave it to you.”
“Have you really been with that many women?”
Some of the happiness left his eyes. “Yes. I’m not proud of it, but I realize now I was searching for this—for what we have. Only I went about it the wrong way. Not one of those women meant even a fraction of what you mean to me.”
“What about Donna?”
He brushed a stray hair from her forehead. “Donna was a very poor substitute for what I thought I couldn’t have. You.”
“But why were you so sure you couldn’t have me?”
“You shot me down, Lib. Remember? Right before you proposed to Mitch.”
Her face grew hot. “We had both been drinking and I thought . . .”
“That I was just hitting on you. Yeah, I know. To be fair, I wasn’t really sure what I was doing. Only that I craved you in a way I didn’t understand.” He tilted her chin so he could look into her eyes. “Honestly, if we had hooked up then, I don’t think it would be this. What we have now. I wasn’t ready yet. Does that make sense?”
“Perfectly. I don’t think I was ready yet either. You’ve inspired me.”
He laughed. “Are you going to photograph me naked?”
“That’s not what I was talking about, but hold that thought.” She climbed out of bed and dug through the bag Gram had brought her, emerging with her camera bag.
His eyes widened. “You’re serious.”
She unpacked the camera and gave him a mischievous grin. “We can swaddle you like Tito if you’d like.”
“No fucking way.”
She laughed again and attached a lens. “I won’t take photos of your celebrated manhood . . . or at least not many photos. After all, we’ve toasted it, so we should capture it in its glory. But those will be just for me.”
“Does that mean I get to photograph your breasts?”
She shrugged. “If you’d like.”
“You’re serious?” he asked in disbelief as he rolled onto his back.
“They’re only breasts. It’s not like you’re going to show them around to all your buddies, are you?”
“God, no. I don’t share well.”
She flashed him another grin as she stood up and moved to the window. Bright daylight flooded the room when she pulled the drapery to one side. She turned to study him. “I knew the morning light would work well with your angles.”
“Is that photographer dirty talk? Because it’s working.”
“Be a good boy and I’ll tell you all about ISO speeds.”
“I knew it was dirty talk. You’ve given me a hard-on.”
She snorted. “You already had one.”
“It doesn’t take much. All I have to do is think of you.”
“Down boy. No condoms. Remember?”
“It’s all I can think about.”
She laughed. “Roll onto your side and prop up on your elbow. Yes. Just like that.”
He held the pose, looking up at her. “Libby, my manhood’s hanging out in all its glory.”
She held up her camera to frame the shot. “Your manhood’s not in the photo. I’ll let you know when it is.”
For the next twenty minutes she had him pose in multiple positions. With each shot, she got more and more excited. After she and Noah had had their disagreement over her engagement, she’d lost all spark for her art. But now it was back full force. Noah was her muse. “The camera loves you, Noah.”
“I’m more interested in the photographer loving me.”
“She does. Especially since you’re the perfect model.”
“So you’re basically just using me for my body.”
“Do you have a problem with that?”
“God, no. But if you’re going to take photos of my manhood, you’ll never find it more impressive than it looks now. You have no idea how sexy you are photographing me, both of us naked.”
She laughed as she sat down next to him. Leaning in as if to kiss him, she instead held the camera sideways and took several rapid-fire shots of his crotch.
“Hey!” he protested.
“You told me to,” she said with a sly grin. “Besides, you’re right. It’s very impressive. And oh so tempting.”
He kissed her slow and gentle, his teeth nibbling her lower lip. It was impossible to imagine being happier than she was at this moment. Could life really be like this?
Noah took the camera from her and slowly pushed her back onto the bed. He guided her onto her side, her back to him as he lifted the camera to his eye.
“You do realize you can’t see my breasts,” she teased, looking over her shoulder at him.