86
" The pastor. We have kind of a…thing. I asked him to please not let it show in public. I don’t want people thinking I tricked him. And I know some people would think that—but I didn’t make the first move. Honest.” “A thing?” “A very, very new thing. Last night I was upset about the phone call and went to him. He walked me home.” She looked away. “He stayed.” “Oh. Well, that’s interesting.” One corner of Brie’s lips turned up with the temptation to smile. “It’s been heading there, I let Noah kiss me.” A slow smile grew on Brie’s face. “Is that it?” “It was a very good kiss. A couple of them, in fact. Believe me, after all I’ve been through with men, I sure wasn’t about to get involved with another one, but I admit it—I wasn’t exactly put off. And then… Well, I just couldn’t help it. He’s so wonderful.” Brie "
― Robyn Carr , Forbidden Falls (Virgin River, #8)
87
" It’s probably just some good old-fashioned lust,” Noah said. “Hmm, probably,” George agreed. “Some of the best lust I can remember,” Noah said. “Christ above, this is all wrong.” “We both know what’s wrong with it, son. Let’s take a second to talk about what’s right.” “I can’t think of anything at the moment. Besides the lust, that is. And that she’s incredible. I never thought this would work—I thought it was a charity job, giving her the position to help her get her custody deal worked out. But I couldn’t ask for more. And she makes me laugh. She’s so sassy. And soft. Did I mention she’s soft?” “Did you coerce her? Harass her? Emotionally blackmail her?” George asked. “Of course not. I told her she could sue me.” George chuckled. “Well, Noah, what a sweet-talker you are. No wonder the women are just falling at your feet.” “She depends on me and the job.” “Yes, you’ve explained. Is it likely she’s afraid that if she doesn’t yield, you or the job will vanish?” Noah took a breath. “She is afraid of nothing. Even when she should be.” “Noah, are you courting her?” Dead silence hung in the air. And finally he said, “I’m fighting my libido, and for a while tonight it was winning. I don’t even know if I’m courting—it’s too new. I like her, of course. She intrigues me as much as she annoys me. I admire her, but I admit she’s strange to me. I’ve never known anyone like her. And of course she’s entirely the wrong kind of woman for me, in my circumstances.” “Oh, I don’t know. Jesus hung out with Mary Magdalene. You don’t get more provocative than that.” “Thanks a lot,” Noah grumbled. “I’d better come up there. I was going to wait till you got rid of all the mouse shit, but I’d better come before you create some of your own.” * "
― Robyn Carr , Forbidden Falls (Virgin River, #8)
88
" And here I thought ministers were probably boring in bed. Are you sure you’re a minister?” His answer was a mere chuckle and a little squeeze. “And how about the whole waiting-for-marriage thing? I mean, I realize you don’t want to marry me, but I thought ministers especially never messed that up. Isn’t that a real special rule?” He put a finger under her chin and lifted it so he could look into her eyes. “I’m just a man, Ellie. I’ve had to learn to accept that and so will you.” “Do you feel like you failed?” she wanted to know. “This was not a mistake. This was supposed to happen,” he whispered. “Ellie, I’m not going to let you down.” “Hmm. You haven’t so far.” She laughed softly. “I thought you’d make love in black socks,” she said softly. “Badly. I thought you’d do it badly.” “I guess you’re okay with it so far…” “Ohhhh.” She sighed. “Oh, Noah.” “Listen, "
― Robyn Carr , Forbidden Falls (Virgin River, #8)
90
" But you know what? I’m going to figure this out. I’m going to get on my feet, get my kids back, and we’re going to be fine. There have been three men in my life, one of ’em dead and two of ’em too lousy to talk about, and that’s the total number of men there ever will be until I drop dead. How’s that? I don’t care what it takes, I’m getting ahead of this. My gramma always used to say the stuff that doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. Pastor Kincaid, meet Hercules Baldwin.” Right away Noah’s thought was, You might’ve sworn off men, but I bet they haven’t sworn off you—not with that face and body. Shew. He was starting to feel a little warm. Let me seek to understand rather than to be understood. Where there is despair, let me offer hope. And dear God, could you please get her to cover up that cleavage for a while? “Look, "
― Robyn Carr , Forbidden Falls (Virgin River, #8)
91
" Listen, I have to tell you something.” Her drowsy eyes opened. “I don’t want to push you into anything, take your time about me, but you have to know—I feel pretty strongly about monogamy.” Her eyes widened. “You can’t think I’d be with another man! I wasn’t even going to be with you! But there is one thing you have to do for me,” she said. “Anything that makes you happy,” he promised. “I want this to be only between us.” “Sure. Of course. It’s personal. I agree.” “I don’t want anyone around here to know it’s like this between us. I just work for you, that’s all.” He frowned. “We don’t have to share our personal lives with anyone, but we don’t have to hide the fact that we care about each other.” “Yeah, we do, Noah. No one can know about this. About us.” “Ellie, why? Are you embarrassed to find yourself attracted to a man who’s a minister?” She laughed a little bit. “No. But no one would ever believe you seduced me. And you did, Noah. You did and I loved it. Not only are you the sexiest minister alive, you might be the sexiest man alive. But people will think I trapped you. They’ll think I ruined your purity and dirtied you up. And I don’t need that right now.” “Come on, you’re wrong…” “I’m right,” she said. “No matter how much I try to do the right thing, no matter how determined I am to do the right thing, everything that happens ends up being my fault. And when people around here find out you like me…they’re going to think I cast an evil spell on you and made you break your vows.” “Honey, I didn’t take a vow of chastity. I didn’t promise not to love a woman. I never said I wouldn’t have a perfectly normal sex drive. I’m not fifteen, Ellie, I’m thirty-five and I’ve missed passion. Passion and intimacy, two things that are really healthy for a normal man. Don’t argue with a man with seven years of theological training.” “People don’t get that about you like I do. They think of you as different. As a minister. Please, Noah. Let’s just act like I work for you, and that we’re casual friends.” “We can do that, if that’s what you need. Or we could change the way things have been for you. We could be honest without being indiscreet. We could hold hands, you could let me put my arm around your shoulders, smile at you like you’re special. Treat you like the woman of my choice while I enjoy being the man of yours.” “You don’t get it, do you, Noah?” she asked, shaking her head. “Don’t you see how fragile this is? How much hangs in the balance for both of us? At some point—maybe sooner, maybe later—the people here are going to figure me out. They’ll know I come from a dirt-poor background, that the men who gave me my children didn’t marry me, that I was a stripper when you hired me. What if they hate me? What if they treat my kids like trash because of me?” “I won’t let anyone—” “Don’t you see it’s your future in this town, too? What if they ask themselves what kind of minister you could be if you’d choose a woman like me? Oh, Noah,” she said, running her fingers through his thick, dark hair. “We’d get along okay in a bigger town where no one knows us all that well, where I’m not hooked up with the local preacher. But here—you and me? It could ruin us all.” “No,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s not going to be that way.” She smiled at him. “You’re just a fool,” she said. “It usually is that way.” He "
― Robyn Carr , Forbidden Falls (Virgin River, #8)
94
" Thank God. Listen, son. I think Ellie surprised you. You weren’t ready for a beautiful, bright and sassy young woman to make your world light up. And poor Ellie, she wasn’t ready to fall for you. I’d venture a guess that you’re not her type at all. Now, while you two work through whatever issues you have, try giving thanks and being happy. Gifts don’t come banging at the door every day. In a push-up bra, yet.” George peered at Noah. “It is a push-up bra, isn’t it?” “Answering that would be indiscreet,” Noah said. “I suppose,” he muttered in disappointment. “She "
― Robyn Carr , Forbidden Falls (Virgin River, #8)
96
" A rat,” she said, breathless. “Behind that box. It’s four feet long.” Lucy wasn’t trying to get at anything in the closet. “I think you scared my dog,” he said. “The rat scared her, I bet.” Noah entered the closet cautiously, kicked the box, and when nothing rustled, he pulled it out a bit. Ah. Behind the box was a dead mouse. Probably four inches long at best. It was very dead, dried out, kaput. He lifted it by the tail and held it toward her. “Is this the rat?” “No. My rat is much bigger. That must be its baby.” “Maybe you just got scared and it looked much bigger.” “No,” she said. “There’s a rat the size of a Volkswagen in there.” “Was it a dead rat, Ellie?” “Possibly. It wasn’t moving.” He went into the downstairs bathroom and dropped the thing in the trash. “Why did you do that?” she yelled, getting to her feet. “What if he gets out of there and attacks me?” “He’s petrified. It’s over,” Noah said. Then he smiled at her. “I’ll protect you.” “Right,” she said. “So far you don’t even have the real rat! What good are you? "
― Robyn Carr , Forbidden Falls (Virgin River, #8)
97
" Cool. I haven’t been in a church in years!” “No kidding? I’d never have guessed. Well, people will have certain expectations…” “Okay, no swearing. I’ll be totally polite. And I’ll leave my pasties and G-string at home.” Noah went completely red and she burst out laughing. “I don’t have pasties and G-strings. That club? It wasn’t that bad.” “Just out of curiosity, what was your part?” he asked. “Well,” she said, rolling her eyes upward. “That’s the interesting thing—sometimes a certain costume or look does more for the guys than being totally naked. The two most popular outfits were the cheerleading costume and the candy striper’s costume. The men—they really go for pom-poms.” Ellie looked at Noah. “Hey—are you all right?” “Fine. I’m fine,” Noah said weakly. He’d been in his share of strip clubs, but not for a while. And he hadn’t had much female companionship lately, either. Until today, he hadn’t realized how much he missed that. "
― Robyn Carr , Forbidden Falls (Virgin River, #8)
