The oven timer begins to blare its obnoxious tune, and I am quick to remove the tray of chicken nuggets I made for Gavin.

I place his plate on the table when my step-father, Charles, comes in with my son perched on his hip.

Gavin jumps from his grip and runs to the beloved chicken and apple slices waiting for him. My heart almost stops because Charles is a tall man, and the last thing I need tonight is a trip to the emergency room.

My step-father comes and kisses the top of my head, then wraps his arm around my much shorter frame. "Did I hear your mother correctly? You have a date with Noah?"

Warmth begins to spread across my face when I remember when Noah called me this afternoon. He just left and was quick to call me from his car. I believe his exact words were, "I don't want to wait another minute to go out with you."

I'm pulled from my daydream when Charles clears his throat and says, "You got it bad, Kid."

A smile pulls at my lips, and I nod my head, "I guess so."

"I always liked him," Charles states as he makes his way over to the refrigerator. He pulls out a bottle of water and takes a swig. "I never had to worry about you when he was around. I knew you would be taken care of."

"I think his intentions are good. At least I hope so." This is something I have yet to admit out loud, but my level of trust and comfort with Charles knows no bounds.

Charles puts his water down and marches over to me. He places one hand on my shoulder while his other guides my chin upwards, causing me to look up at his emerald eyes. "You listen here, Kid, don't let Simon's idiotic actions taint your view on love. Take it from me. I know what it feels like to be in your shoes, so does your mother. If I held on to the pain, my ex caused me, who knows if I would have had the balls to ask your mother out. I love that woman more than I thought possible, and I thank God every day for the shitty, bumpy road that led me to her."

Cue the waterworks.

"Plus," He continues. "I got you and Ben as a bonus. How lucky am I?"

His last comment causes me to come undone, and I begin to sob. I crash my face into his chest, thinking about how lucky me and my older brother are to have a second chance at a father figure. It's almost as if Charles could read my mind and my concerns about my children. "What about the baby? This could be a disaster. I feel so selfish diving into this."

Charles begins to rub circles on my back while quiet hushes attempt to calm me down. "What if it isn't a disaster, but the greatest decision of your life?"

The doorbell chimes, and Charles doesn't move to get it. He holds me in a tight embrace, and my cries turn into soft whimpers.

Footsteps shuffle to the door, and I hear my little brother, Liam, yell, "Noah!"

I press my hands on Charles's chest and push away. The palms of my hands come up to my eyes, and I begin to rub away any proof of my breakdown.

As if he could read my mind, Charles leaves the kitchen to greet Noah, leaving me to pull myself together. Once my heart rate is back to its normal rhythm, and I no longer feel the need to vomit.

I barely make it through the doorway before smashing into a wall. Noah's arms wrap around my stumbling body. The way his hands feel against me sends shocks across every inch of my skin.

Noah's crystal eyes sparkle, and that is all it takes for my heart to take over. I rise on the balls of my feet and press my lips onto his stubbled cheek. I hold myself there longer than what would normally be acceptable, but I can't help myself. I'm becoming addicted to the way he feels.

When I go to pull away, Noah's large hand fans across my back, and he pulls me impossibly close. He leans down, and his warm breath hits the shell of my ear, sending my hormones into overdrive. "A guy could get used to being greeted like this, but I don't think I will ever get used to popping a boner in front of your Dad."

The room becomes incredibly hot, and I shake my head to remove the impure thoughts. "It was just a kiss on the cheek, Noah."

"If It were appropriate, I'd have you cop a feel, but that seems inappropriate."

Without a thought, my hand grazes the waistband of Noah's jeans. His whole body stiffens, and he takes in a quick breath.

Knowing I have this power fills me with something that I lost long ago— Sexual confidence.

My fingers seductively inch closer to his belt buckle. Right as I am about to see how hard he really is, I am interrupted by a loud screech.

"No No!"

Noah clears his throat before giving Gavin a high five. "Hey, Buddy."

When I pick up Gavin, he is quick to catapult himself into Noah's arms. His cat-like reflexes come in handy and catches my son with ease.

I turn to walk into the living room, but Noah stops me when he leans in and whispers, "I don't like to be teased, Annie."

Goosebumps pop up across my body when his warm breath hits my outer ear. "Who said I was teasing? I've been sexually deprived for a while, Noah. If this is going to work out, you're going to need to keep up."

Noah stays frozen, his mouth opening and closing like a goldfish.

I should have kept the last sentence to myself. Now I need to explain how horrible my sex life has been the past five years. Maybe I'll finally get some pleasure from an actual man rather than a battery-operated toy.

When I walk away, Noah follows me like a puppy and says, "This conversation isn't over."

Liam pops up out of nowhere and hands me his phone. He turns to Noah and asks, "Can we get a picture? I want to post it. I bet it will drive the chicks crazy."

Noah looks at me and gives me a toothless smile. It seems as if he is trying his best not to burst out in laughter. I chuckle because it seems like yesterday I was changing this kid's diapers. Now he is old enough to talk about girls. It's wild.

"Sure, man," Noah says before transferring Gavin over to me.

Liam's face lights up like it is his birthday. He is quick to wrap his arm around Noah's waist, and when he looks at the camera, the corners of his lips reach his eyes.

Noah places his arm on Liam's shoulder and gives a thumbs up with his free hand.

God, he's handsome.

I perch Gavin on my hip and hold up the phone. Liam is quick to run over and inspect it. "No worries, I took a few for you to choose. You know so that you can pick the best one for the chicks."

Liam snarls, and I can't help but laugh.

Gavin's cheek is calling my name. I place a few kisses on his face and set him on the couch next to Charles. "We should get going."

I grab my purse, and right as Noah and I are about to walk out, Charles yells, "You two have fun!"

When the door closes, Noah grabs my waist and pulls me into his strong, firm frame. Heat pools to my core when I notice the same deep blue color I saw yesterday begin to take over his hypnotizing gaze.

"Noah." His name comes out as if I am forcing the last breath of air from my lungs.

His fingertips cling to my body as if I will float away if he was to let go, causing me to move in closer. "How are you feeling?"

Our peaceful bubble settles my nerves, and my body fully relaxes as the world around us fades. "Perfect."

The way Noah rolls his tongue along his bottom lip has me in complete awe and causes my heart to skip a beat.

My arms snake around his neck, and my fingers begin to run through the soft tousles of hair at the nape of his neck. With my breast firmly pressed against him, I can feel his racing heart.

"Is it okay if I kiss you?" Noah's words hit me straight in the chest and send excitement through my veins. "I don't want to make you sick or uncomfort—"

Fireworks erupt behind my closed eyes when my lips meet his. If this was some sort of fairytale, I'm positive my right foot would lift behind me in complete bliss.

Noah's plump, soft lips melt into mine, and it is like I am being kissed for the first time.

Hungry for more, I slide my tongue between his parted lips and begin to explore our newfound feelings. Noah strokes my mouth into pure ecstasy with his long drugging kiss- I am officially addicted.

When we pull away, my whole body is set ablaze. I begin to count down the seconds until I can experience the sweetness of his mouth again. Noah's pink lips are beautifully swollen, and it amazes me that I am the reason for it.

"Wow," Noah says as he rests his forehead against mine.

"Noah Buckman, if I knew you could kiss like that, I would have done it a long time ago."

A deep laugh bursts from Noah's chest, and the sound fills my ears like music. He grabs my hand and intertwines our fingers as he guides me down the porch steps. "Yeah, we've been missing out."

We continue to make our way down the walkway, and I stop in my tracks when I notice the ruby red Mustang. "Your Mom's car?"

Noah pulls the silver handle and exposes the inside of the vintage car. I slide across the old leather, and right before he closes the door, he says, "She left it to me."

I watch as Noah jogs around to the driver's side and quickly hops into his seat. When the key turns on the ignition and the engine roars to life, I am transported back in time. Visions of his mom driving around town with the top down and her long blonde hair flowing behind her.

The beautiful memory brings a tear to my eyes, and when I turn to Noah, I say, "I miss her."

Noah's face drops, and he nods his head. "Me too. She loved you. You know that?"

I try my hardest to sniffle away the emotions of losing someone as amazing as Lucille Buckman. "I loved her too."

Noah cracks a somber smile. He reaches for my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. "This is a horrible, depressing first date conversation. Lucy would not approve."

I release an unattractive snort which only leads to an uncontrollable laugh. My silent tears are quickly replaced with ones of amusement. "You're right," I nod in agreement. "How about we go back to that kiss?"

The car begins to move from the curb, and Noah glances in my direction. His teeth are shining through his mega-watt smile. "That's more like it."

I rest comfortably against the worn seats and watch the trees pass us by. "So where are we off to?"

"Bowling."

My brows raise to my hairline, shocked that Noah would challenge me to a game of bowling on our first date. "You sure about that? Is the great Noah Buckman ready to lose?"

"Yup," He says, popping the "P."

It's about to go down.