Until You (Off-Limits)

Gray’s lips find mine as I wrap my arms around his neck. He lifts me up and pushes me against the wall, my legs wrapping around him. I whimper when he pulls away, missing him instantly.

Gray sighs, his forehead resting against mine. “Noah will be here soon. Don’t interrogate him, okay?” he pleads. I pout at him, and he presses an indulgent kiss to my forehead. “Don’t do it, baby. He’s bringing Amara, and I’m not sure what’s going on, but something is up.”

I nod reluctantly just as the doorbell rings. Gray lowers me to the floor and I bite back a smile as I walk into the hallway, excited to finally meet Noah’s mystery girl.

I stare at the beautiful redhead standing in front of my door, her blue eyes filled with trepidation. She’s hiding behind Noah, and I grin at her.

So this is Amara. She’s drop-dead gorgeous. Her beauty is unreal. No wonder Noah is so smitten.

“Come in,” I tell them, stepping back as I open the door wider. Noah throws a grateful glance my way and leads her into the penthouse. I expected Noah, but Amara… I didn’t see that coming. Gray only informed me she’d be coming with Noah a few days ago, and Noah has been hesitant to mention her to me, probably because he knows I’d ask him countless questions.

Noah was meant to come over for the weekend so we could go visit venues for the wedding and ensure that he doesn’t feel left out. I was looking forward to spending some time with my brother, but I’m far more excited to find out more about Amara. He’s been so incredibly tightlipped about her, and the curiosity is killing me.

“Hey, buddy,” Gray says, walking into the hallway. His eyes find mine, and my heart skips a beat. I wonder if he’ll ever stop having that effect on me. I doubt it. Every day I fall a bit deeper.

“Aria, Gray,” Noah says, “meet Amara Astor.”

Her eyes move between Gray and me, and she hesitantly offers me her hand. I can see her trying to gather her courage, and it pulls at my heartstrings. How often have I felt the way she must be feeling right now, out of place.

“I’m Aria,” I tell her. “I’m Noah’s sister.”

She nods and wraps her hand around mine, her palm clammy. She’s nervous, huh? “It’s lovely to meet you,” she says, smiling tightly before turning to Gray, repeating the process.

Gray throws me a warning look and I pout at him. How does he know I was about to question the two of them? Surely I’m not that transparent…

“Remember when I told you about the company I thought you should invest in?” Noah tells Gray. “She’s the founder.”

“Hmm,” Gray says, glancing at his watch. “I need to get to the office. Walk with me and fill me in,” he tells Noah, who nods before turning to Amara.

I watch as he places his hand on her lower back and leans in to speak to her. I’ve never seen him so attentive before. He’s crazy about her.

“I was about to go cake tasting,” I tell Amara. “How about you come with me while the boys catch up? I think I’d have much more fun with you than I would with Noah.”

She looks up at me, startled, and then turns to look at Noah, who nods at her. That look between them… yeah, I can see it. This girl is going to become my sister-in-law.

I struggle to hide my giddiness and Gray shakes his head at me as he walks up to me. He wraps his hand around the back of my neck and tilts my head up as he leans in for a kiss, his lips lingering. “Be good, Nyx,” he tells me, grinning as he walks away, Noah in tow.

“Nyx?” Amara repeats, her eyes wide.

I glance at her as I grab my handbag. “It’s a nickname,” I tell her. “No one but Gray calls me that, though.”

Amara follows me down to the garage, her gaze intent. “You’re Nyx, aren’t you? The Nyx. It makes sense… Noah told me you’re an engineer too.”

I look at her with raised brows as I get behind the wheel of one of Gray’s precious babies. “You’ve heard of the Nemesis Platform?”

Amara smiles as she buckles herself in. “Yes. Who hasn’t?”

I grin, trying my best to hide my excitement. “So you’re an engineer too?”

Amara nods and tells me that she’s a mechanical engineer doing a post graduate degree at the same college that Noah’s clinic is at. Now that it’s just the two of us, she seems far more relaxed, and much more talkative.

I listen to her as we walk into the bakery, a sense of pure joy washing over me. I’m engaged to the love of my life and Noah seems to have met an amazing girl. This… this is what I always wanted for the two of us.

I take a bite of a coconut flavored cake slice and offer Amara a bite. “So, tell me, how did you meet Noah?”

Amara blushes and looks down. “Well, um… the company Noah asked Grayson Callahan to invest in… it’s mine. I, um, well… I founded a company that creates sex toys. I basically use my engineering skills to create unobtrusive yet revolutionary toys.”

I smirk, unable to help myself. Sex toys? Noah is done for. He’s as straightlaced as they come, and Amara is perfect for him.

“So, I… well… I was testing a new invention,” she says, her cheeks bright red. “It, um… it got stuck in me, so I had to go to the doctor’s office to get it removed.”

I burst out laughing, loving every second of this story. “Doctor Grant… Noah, he was startled, to say the least.”

Her flushed cheeks and the look in her eyes tell me more than her words could. Just as I’m about to question her further, my phone buzzes, a notification from the Nemesis Platform popping up.

Ash: I’m grabbing a coffee with Noah, and I was just thinking about how you looked this morning, your hair spread over our pillows and that look in your eyes that tells me I fucked you good. You’re Brew-tiful.

I giggle to myself, my heart skipping a beat. I’ll never get enough of this man.

Nyx: Love you a latte.

I glance at Amara, my heart overflowing with happiness. Noah and I have been through so much, yet here we are… I’m loved beyond measure by the man of my dreams, and Noah? Noah is falling for Amara far harder than he realizes. I’m going to enjoy seeing him lose his mind and heart to the redhead sitting opposite me.

Ash: I love you more, baby. Words can’t espresso how much.

This… I never thought I could ever be this happy. For so long I thought Gray, Noah and I would never escape the sorrows of our past, but I know better now. Our future is what we make of it, and I can’t wait for Noah to discover that too.

“That story better than anything I could’ve imagined,” I tell Amara, a smile on my face. “So tell me, what do you think of my brother?”

She blushes, and I lean back in my seat, a wide grin on my face. Yeah… I’m without a doubt counting my blessings. The life I’m living right now is a dream come true, and I’ll never take it for granted.

I can’t wait to see what the next couple of years might bring. I have a feeling life will only get better…and I’m ready. I’m ready for all life has to offer.