The Cinnamon Bun Book Store: TikTok Made Me Buy It (Dream Harbor, Book 2)
The Cinnamon Bun Book Store: Chapter 11

Hazel was stretched out on the blanket beside him, her head resting on her crossed arms. She had her hood up and she looked like a little sea creature peeking out of its shell. Noah was on his side facing her and he found himself cataloging all the delicate features of her face. She’d taken her glasses off and he could see that the warm brown of her eyes contained a silver ring around the pupil. He didn’t know of any other time he’d noticed a woman’s eyes, beyond light or dark, interested or not.

Her curls spilled from her hood and framed her round face. Her mouth … well, he couldn’t look at her mouth for too long without wanting to cover it with his, but it was soft and relaxed at the moment, a small tip up at the corners. She looked happy, peaceful.

‘Tell me something no one else knows,’ she said now, the late afternoon sun slanting across her face. They’d dozed for a little while and waking up next to a drowsy and warm Hazel was something Noah liked a little too much.

‘I hate pickles.’

Hazel scrunched up her nose, not satisfied with his answer. ‘No, something real. A secret.’

A secret? I like you way more than I should, Hazel Kelly. How was that for a secret?

‘Only if I get one of your secrets in return.’

‘I don’t have any.’

‘Everyone has secrets.’

She paused, her wide eyes studying him. ‘Okay, deal.’

He could have made something up, told her any number of stories from his life that no one around here knew, but he found himself wanting to tell her a real secret. He didn’t know if it was the grogginess from their nap or the soft lines of Hazel’s face but he wanted to know what she would think of him if he told her something true.

‘I never graduated high school.’ The beach was quiet. The mother and her little boy had gone home, the seagulls were asleep, their heads tucked against their white bodies. Even the tide had gone out far enough that the waves were a faint whisper.

Noah’s words fell quietly between them.

Hazel blinked. Once, twice. ‘Well that makes sense.’

What? That certainly wasn’t the response he was expecting. Maybe a ‘why not?’ or the always dreaded ‘you could go back and finish.’ But not a very matter of fact ‘that makes sense’.

‘It does? Wow, I didn’t think my inability to use the quadratic equation was showing.’ He sounded snarkier than he meant to, old wounds opening up and threatening to ruin their afternoon.

She shook her head a little, pressing her cheek into her arms. ‘No, that’s not what I meant. It makes sense now why you’re always disparaging your own intelligence.’

He wanted to laugh that comment off, but did he do that?

‘I do?’

‘Yep. You make little comments about how not smart you are. Just today you told me you’re not ‘that deep’. Remember?’

Huh. Was he making this thing he’d always kept as his shameful little secret obvious with his own words?

‘I guess I didn’t realize.’

‘So, it bothers you? That you didn’t finish?’

Did it bother him? He’d never been good at school. He hated sitting inside all day. It made him itchy and prickly. He was happiest out on the water, so at the start of senior year he’d decided to stick with what he did best. It had made sense to him at the time even when his parents lost their minds about it. His father had told him in no uncertain terms that he’d ruined his life. Only when he promised to start working full time for the seafood business did his dad calm down. And then Noah had screwed that up, too. But instead of confessing any of that, he said, ‘Not really.’

She raised a disbelieving eyebrow.

Noah sighed. ‘It’s just not something I like to broadcast.’

‘And it’s why you left your sisters to run the family business. Because you don’t think you’re smart enough?’

‘Damn Haze, this line of questioning isn’t exactly fun beach talk.’ Of course he didn‘t think he was smart enough. What the hell did he know about running a multi-million dollar company? He couldn’t even pass pre-calc. And he’d tried. He really had. He’d gone to work with his father every day for a year after he quit school. He’d sat in that office and tried to understand the inventory spreadsheets and the delivery schedules and the restaurant contracts. And he’d never been more miserable in his life.

So, one day he just took off. Took one of his family’s old boats, scribbled his dad a check to pay for it, and left. It was a shitty way to leave but he couldn’t face his father’s disappointment again. It was why he rarely went home, rarely talked to the old man, rarely saw his beautiful little nieces.

But Noah had no intention of talking about his family today. One open wound was enough.

She winced. ‘Sorry. I have a bad habit of doing that.’

‘Doing what?’

‘Spoiling the fun.’

He inched a little closer and ran a finger down the bridge of her nose to un-crinkle it. ‘You don’t spoil the fun.’

‘Well, I turned this little secret-telling game into a terrible therapy session, so…’

‘Tell me your secret, then, and I’ll psychoanalyze you. It’ll be fun.’ He flashed her a grin and she let out a quiet laugh.

‘I mean, I already told you my whole afraid to turn thirty thing…’

‘There must be something else. Some deep dark secret … something not even Annie knows.’

Her eyes widened at that. She clearly told her best friend everything, but Noah wanted a little piece of Hazel Kelly that no one else had. A little treasure he could put in his pocket at the end of this day and keep with him when she decided she didn’t require his services anymore.

Hazel blew out a long sigh like she was strengthening her resolve. ‘Okay, there is something I’ve never told anyone else.’

Noah rose up on his elbow, his curiosity piqued even as Hazel stayed in the protection of her hood.

‘I don’t … I don’t actually believe my dad is clairvoyant.’

‘What?’

‘I know a lot of people in town think his dreams are real or have real meaning or whatever and my dad does too, but I just can’t … I don’t know … I can’t truly believe that his dreams are anything more than random and the decisions he makes based on those dreams are just good decisions for the town.’

Hazel looked truly stricken like she had confessed to the worst possible thing. Noah stared at her for a second before he rolled onto his back, laughter bubbling out of him.

‘Haze,’ he gasped between laughs. ‘Are you kidding?’ Noah had been to enough town meetings to know Mayor Kelly loved to talk about his dreams, but he honestly thought everyone was humoring him. Did the town really think he had premonitions? This place just got weirder and weirder. He loved it.

She was up on her elbow now, looking down at him with a crease between her brows.

‘Of course I’m serious.’

He wheezed, the laughter making his stomach hurt. ‘From the way you were acting, I thought you were going to tell me you killed a man or you liked some kinky sex thing.’

‘The town is very serious about those dreams!’

Tears had started to fall from the corners of his eyes and he wiped them with the back of his hand. ‘I thought everyone was just playing along!’

Hazel shook her head. ‘Nope. It’s all very real to them.’

His laughter petered out as he looked at her serious face. He tucked an errant curl behind her ear, letting the back of his hand brush against her cheek.

‘So what do you believe in?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, you don’t believe your father receives messages from the universe in his dreams, but what do you believe in? What makes the world make sense to you?’

She stared past him down the beach, the crease between her brows deepening and he could tell she was really considering it before she answered. He liked that about her. Hazel didn’t say things unless she meant them. It made everything she said that much more important.

‘Good books,’ she said after a minute, her gaze returning to his. ‘Good friends. Good food.’

He smiled up at her. ‘What more do you need?’

‘Exactly.’ She smiled back. ‘What about you?’

‘Hmm.’ He twisted his mouth to the side as he thought, loving the way Hazel tracked the movement with her gaze. ‘The love of a good woman.’

A laugh burst from Hazel’s mouth. She shoved his shoulder playfully and he caught her wrist and tugged until she landed on top of him. Her face was a breath away from his.

‘I was serious,’ he said with a teasing grin.

‘I bet.’ She hadn’t moved, hadn’t pulled away and instead had left the weight of her body on his. He could feel every line of her, every dip and valley she’d been hiding under her bulky sweatshirt all day.

‘What more is there to believe in than love?’ He was still teasing, still trying his best to charm her, but he wanted to know more about her. Hazel Kelly was the only thing he’d felt like learning about in years.

‘Have you ever been in love?’ she asked, resting her hands on his chest and placing her chin on top of them.

‘Nope. Unless you count Ginger.’

‘Ginger?’

‘My boat.’

She giggled and he could feel the vibration through his chest.

‘I don’t count that.’

‘Okay, then no. How about you?’

‘Not really.’

‘Not really?’

‘I mean, I don’t think so…’

‘Haze…’

‘Yeah?’

‘I’m pretty sure you would know. I mean, I think it should be obvious.’

She scrunched her nose again. ‘I guess you’re right. It just feels like maybe I should have been. I had a few long relationships and I was … comfortable, I guess. For a while anyway. And then it was always like I outgrew them or we outgrew each other.’

‘Hmm, yeah I get that.’

‘You do?’

‘Not really. Just trying to be nice.’

Hazel laughed.

‘Hey, Haze?’

‘Yeah?’

‘Are you sure you don’t have any strange sex kinks you want to confess? I’m very open.’ He waggled his eyebrows and her laugh fizzed through him again.

She was grinning up at him, her body still pressed against his and he thought maybe his weird sex kink was Hazel. Just … all of her. But not in his usual way. Not like when he spotted a woman at the bar and knew they’d have fun together for a weekend or two, when he didn’t want to know much more than her name and what would make her come.

Hazel was different. He wanted Hazel in bed and out of it. He wanted to lie here and talk to her all day and then bring her home and do everything but talk. He wanted to know what she loved and also what she tasted like.

But none of that was what she wanted.

She wanted him for a good time. An adventure. A diversion. She might live here in Dream Harbor but he needed to remember to think of her like every other tourist. Hazel Kelly was passing through his life and he needed to shake off all these crazy feelings he was having. He needed to stop noticing her eye color.

‘I’m sure you are very open but I have nothing like that to confess.’

‘We could remedy that, if you really wanted to kick this summer of recklessness into high gear.’ He’d let this conversation get too deep. It was time to steer things back toward what he did best. Flirting. Charming. Entertaining.

It was what Hazel had signed on for. Not some sad dude pining after her.

She laughed again, but had somehow inched forward so her breath teased across his lips. ‘How about we just start with making out on the beach?’ That mischievous glint was back in her eyes, the one he selfishly hoped only he got to see. Even though he shouldn’t. Even though this thing was temporary. He’d take this image of Hazel above him, looking wind-blown and sun-kissed, with him. Another little Hazel treasure.

‘Hell, yeah.’ He cupped her face with his hands and brought her mouth down to his. Her soft sigh ricocheted through his body. Hazel Kelly was going to be the death of him. He rolled her onto her back, suddenly needing to take control of the situation. She’d blindsided him with too many kisses, left him dizzy and reeling. He was taking the lead this time.

Or he thought he was, anyway. With Hazel’s arms wrapped around his neck and her breathy little sounds against his mouth, Noah had lost all sense of reason once again. He kissed down her neck and Hazel arched into him and he suddenly hated the damn sweatshirt she was wearing. He sucked on a particularly sensitive spot on her neck and she groaned.

Oh, God, he wanted more of that.

He let a hand wander to Hazel’s hip, letting his fingers slide along the skin above her waistband. Soft and warm. He traced further, over the soft curve of her stomach, the dip of her waist. His mouth was on hers again, the kiss deeper, more urgent. And the way Hazel had started squirming against him meant she felt it too, just as desperate. Just as––

‘Wait.’ The word combined with her hand clamped around his wrist, stopped him in his tracks. They were both breathing heavily and Hazel looked up at him with dark eyes. ‘Can anyone see us?’

Noah blinked. Right. They were outside on the damn beach and he was feeling her up. Or was about to, anyway. He looked up, glancing down the beach in either direction. Empty. He turned his grin back to Hazel.

‘Not a soul around.’ He dipped his head and kissed her again. Softly, repeatedly. Little kisses along her lips and jaw, to the place behind her ear where she smelled like coconut sunscreen. ‘But we can stop if you want to. Exhibitionism wasn’t part of the clue.’

She squirmed a little as he continued his way down her neck, her hands roving over his back now, the gentle scrap of her nails through his shirt doing more for him than they probably should.

‘I mean … our clothes are still on … so I don’t think we’re breaking any laws.’ Her words were interspersed with sighs and Noah couldn’t help but smile against her skin.

‘Very good point. HANSOF is a law-abiding endeavor.’

She started to laugh, but his hand had resumed activities under her shirt and her laugh dissolved into a soft groan. Her skin was warm and a little sticky from the sea air and Noah knew if he ran his tongue down her body she’d taste like salt. He wished he could see more of her, but he had to settle for the feel of her beneath his fingers.

He pushed up beneath her tank top and found the edge of her bra. It was soft cotton, with no padding to block the peak of her nipple. Hazel gasped when his thumb traced over the top of it. He grinned against her lips.

‘I’m starting to like the beach even more,’ she sighed as he cupped her breast, his thumb running back and forth over her nipple.

He huffed a laugh. ‘Yeah, you’re really getting the hang of it.’ He pushed up her bra and somehow having Hazel’s naked breast in his hand, even under the bulk of her sweatshirt was the most erotic moment of his life.

He groaned, pressing his forehead against her shoulder.

‘You okay?’ she asked, her voice breathy and tight.

‘Fine. Just trying not to come in my shorts.’

Her surprised laugh made him smile even though it was true. He was harder than hell and they both still had all their clothes on. He rolled her nipple between his fingers and she gasped, her body bowing toward his.

‘Noah,’ she groaned and he nearly lost it right then and there. How would he ever live his life normally after hearing Hazel Kelly groan his name? He really didn’t know, but he didn’t have time to think about that right now.

‘What do you want?’ he asked, brushing his lips against hers. He’d do anything. Strip down right here and take her on this beach blanket, despite his concerns about sand in unfortunate places and public indecency charges.

‘I want…’ She groaned a little in frustration, her hips moving on their own accord, rolling against his. She sighed. ‘We can’t.’

He looked down at her, her cheeks pink from desire. ‘Well … we could…’ He took his hand from her breast and let it slide back down her stomach, pausing at the waistband of her shorts. ‘Let me make you come.’

Her eyes got impossibly wider. ‘Here? On the beach?’ She looked truly scandalized, but also like … like she wanted to. And whether this was all part of her ‘live the last months of her twenties like a reckless teenager’ or not, Noah was here for it.

‘Yeah, here on the beach.’ He tore his gaze from Hazel’s to check up and down the beach again and saw no one. ‘Do you want to come, Hazel?’

Desire flared in her eyes, the flush on her cheeks deepening. She hesitated. ‘Okay.’

‘Okay? I’m going to need more enthusiastic consent than that,’ he said with a teasing grin, his fingers still running along the edge of her shorts.

She huffed. ‘Yes. Please. A big enthusiastic yes.’

He kissed the word from her lips and flicked open the button of her shorts with one hand. The zipper came down just as easily. He dipped his hand in, under her panties, not wasting any time. He was dying to know what color they were, but he could tell they were simple and cotton, no lace or frills and somehow this thrilled him even more. This wasn’t a hook-up. She wasn’t some girl he met at the bar.

His fingers brushed against her soft curls, dipping lower into the wet heat of her.

She bucked beneath him, her groan vibrating against his lips. ‘Holy crap, Noah.’

He stroked her, learning what she liked, letting her sighs and whimpers guide him. He kissed her, letting his tongue match the rhythm of his hand. He forced himself to stay in the moment, to not dwell on everything else he wanted to do to her, everywhere else he wanted to touch and taste.

Because right now, he had Hazel in his arms, whimpering his name as he circled his fingers faster, backing off and picking up again, until she was breathless.

‘Noah, please.’

He wanted to make it last longer, didn’t want the moment to end, but they were outside, in public. The beach was empty for now but people could show up at any time. The last thing he wanted to do was embarrass her or cause a town scandal. Showing up at the carnival together was one thing, public sex was another.

He worked his fingers faster until Hazel gasped, her nails digging into his shoulders. She squeezed her eyes shut, a shudder running through her whole body.

‘That’s it … Noah … that’s it.’ Her voice broke as the orgasm crashed over her, Noah could feel it pulsing beneath his fingers. He slowed his movements, letting his hand linger in that private place against her for a moment longer before pulling it out.

Hazel stared up at him with a dazed expression. ‘That was…’

‘Good? I hope.’ He propped himself up on one elbow to look down at her.

‘Good is an inadequate word for what that was. That was incendiary … transcendent…’

Noah laughed. ‘I’ve never heard anyone call an orgasm transcendent before.’

Hazel grinned. ‘Well, they should. That was amazing.’ She was buttoning her shorts and her gaze snagged on the raging erection still pushing against the front of Noah’s pants.

‘Uh … I don’t think there’s a way to reciprocate that’s as discreet,’ she said.

‘No need. I’m fine.’

She frowned. ‘Are you sure?’

‘I’ll take care of it later.’

This seemed to catch her attention. A new flush worked its way up her cheeks. ‘You will?’

Noah gave her a slow smile. He liked this Hazel, this daring, sexy Hazel. ‘Does that turn you on, Haze? To think of me touching myself later?’

Her eyes widened like she was shocked at his words, but her tongue darted out and traced her bottom lip.

‘Maybe…’

‘Maybe?’ He raised an eyebrow. ‘What if I told you, I’ll be thinking about you when I do.’

She swallowed hard. ‘You will?’

Noah’s smile grew. ‘I’ll be thinking about how sexy you sound when you come and how your body felt in my hands.’

Her breath had gone shallow again, her gaze dark. God, what was he doing besides torturing them both? But he couldn’t stop. Not with Hazel looking at him like that.

‘I’ll be thinking about all the things I want to do to you next time.’

‘Like what,’ she breathed.

He brushed the hair from her face and her eyes fluttered closed. ‘Next time, I want to lick between your thighs and see how you taste.’

Hazel trembled against him.

‘I want you completely naked so I can see how beautiful you are. I want to suck on your sweet little nipples. I want to make you come again and again until you beg me to stop.’

‘Shit, Noah.’ She breathed out a long sigh and opened her eyes again.

‘Yeah.’ He cleared his throat, pressing a hand against his aching erection. This was a bad idea.

‘That was hot.’ She smiled up at him.

‘You are a little bit kinky, after all, Hazel Kelly,’ he said with a wink, needing to steer them back to safer ground before he really did come in his pants in the middle of the beach.

She sat up with a laugh and he sat, too. The sun had dipped lower in the sky, painting the water gold. It had gotten chillier, but their recent activities had kept him warm. Now, with no blood left anywhere else in his body, he was feeling the cool air.

Hazel nudged him with her shoulder. ‘This was a really fun day.’

He peered at her from the corner of his eye. The sea breeze swept through her curls, tossing them around her shoulders. Goosebumps ran up and down her legs.

‘It was very fun.’ He picked up the back half of the blanket and flipped it up and over their shoulders. Hazel leaned into his side and he put an arm around her so they were snuggled beneath it as they gazed out at the water.

‘I mean, even before that last part.’

‘So do I. I think you’re better at having fun than you think you are.’

He could feel her shrug against him. ‘Maybe. I think you bring it out in me.’

‘Happy to help.’ He turned and pressed a kiss to the top of her head and it was that touch, that kiss, that settled into him even more than anything else they’d just done. This moment right here, him and Hazel tucked together under his old beach blanket, this was the one that would haunt him.

Noah could do casual sexual encounters. He did them all the time. But this was different. Hazel was different.

‘I really appreciate you helping me with my little quarter-life crisis. You help me get out of my head. I don’t take everything as seriously when you’re around. It’s nice.’

She put her head on his shoulder and he knew she meant the words as a compliment. She was having a good time. She was doing things she didn’t usually do. He was happy to help with that, he really was.

But he was doing things he didn’t usually do, either.

He was falling hard for Hazel Kelly.

And it wasn’t exactly what she said, but her words twisted in his mind, turning over until he was convinced she wouldn’t take him seriously, either. She didn’t see him that way. She couldn’t. Noah was her adventure guide until she turned thirty.

And then what?

What more could Noah offer other than orgasms on the beach? Certainly not as much as a girl like Hazel deserved. She was smart and sweet and deserved a guy with more than a battered boat and a half-baked idea to renovate some old fishing shacks. He’d be better off if he remembered that. This thing with Hazel was temporary.

He gave her a little squeeze. ‘Happy to help.’