by Kensie King
“Dammit,” I growled standing. “That’s enough.”
It wasn’t just that I didn’t want Fox thinking about Noah that way, it was that he was putting pictures in my head. Ones I’d already had there for years, wondering what it would be like to run my hands through Noah’s hair and make his eyes go blurry when I slid into his tight hole.
Fuck. This was getting to be too much.
Fox started laughing. “Damn, brother. You have it bad. Bring him some ice for his ankle and turn him to the dark side.”
I frowned, which only made Fox laugh harder. The dark side. What the hell was that supposed to mean? But I could picture that as well. Instead of wearing his geeky and completely adorable glasses, they’d be off—and so would his shirt. His hair would be mussed from an afternoon in bed, and instead of looking like a professor, he’d look like a sex god. One that I’d spent the afternoon with, our naked bodies pressed together by the fire.
“Do you have any?” I asked.
Fox blinked, still smiling. “What?”
“Ice. Do you have any ice I can bring over there?”
“Yeah.” Fox vanished for a moment, then returned with an ice pack. “And tell him we’ll be open for dinner. Better yet, ask him to dinner. If you don’t, I will.”
I rolled my eyes, though I wasn’t entirely sure Fox was joking. He was right. I’d waited too long to do something about this.
I wanted Noah, plain and simple, and it was about time I acted on it.
Chapter 5
He pulled off Carter’s shirt, eyes drawn to the broad expanse of chest, muscles tight and hard. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this,” he murmured.
Carter was hard as rock and every touch from Preston felt like heaven. It had been so long since…
I lifted my head, searching for the words. I was right in the middle of Carter and Preston’s love story. Their first intimate moment, and one I could picture clearly in my head.
I’d been with men before, but nothing like the steamy romance I was writing. Most guys I’d been with didn’t have the same charm—or patience—as my fantasy men. And true love? Forget about it.
Finding real love in a world like ours…well, it was a lost cause. It didn’t happen. And my sister was proof.
Speaking of my sister, I needed to call her back. But I was on a roll. Just because I knew Brady was out of my league and he clearly didn’t think of me as anything more than an irritating guest—who wanted to sue Belle Resort—I still couldn’t help using him as inspiration for my fictional romance.
It would be a shame to waste those images in my mind of his perfect, sculpted features and rock-hard body.
My cock jerked in my pants as I remembered his strong hands on my ankle, pulling off my shoes and socks and touching me in such a gentle way. Like he was trying to take care of me.
Or, I supposed, trying to make sure I didn’t sue him.
I rolled my eyes. I mean sure, I was still going to use that scene in a story, with a very sexy outcome, like wild animal sex by the fire, but that kind of put my libido in check.
There was a knock on the door in the living room. I frowned. Now what? Maybe Brady had sent Derek down here to make amends. What kind of person did they think I was?
It was an accident. And it was partly my fault anyway because I was supposed to be staying in a different cabin. None of this would have happened if I hadn’t decided to come early.
Which I wouldn’t have done if Nellie hadn’t decided to get another divorce.
I was starting to think it might be a very good idea to buy my own secluded cabin by a lake. One without a phone. Or the internet. So I could pretend the outside world didn’t exist and live with the heroes of my stories.
The knock came again, and I eased out of bed where I’d plugged in my laptop. My ankle protested slightly, but it wasn’t bad. I’d just take it easy for the rest of the day and by tomorrow it would probably be like nothing happened.
“Coming,” I said, though probably not loud enough for anyone to hear.
When I opened the door and saw Brady again, my heart lodged in my throat. Hell. How did he manage to get even more sexy after less than an hour?
“Hey,” Brady said. He held up an ice pack. “I brought this for you.”
My mouth hung open. He brought me an ice pack?
“And I fixed the stairs, so you should be good to go,” Brady said.
Did he actually sound nervous?
“I feel better,” I told him, nodding vigorously. “A lot, lot better.”
He frowned. “Did you lose your glasses?”
“No, they’re—” I patted my pants pockets, then the pocket of my shirt before reaching up to see if I’d set them on my head.
I glanced back into the cabin and saw the blurry figure of my glasses on the table. “I didn’t want them to get wet before and then…I forgot I wasn’t wearing them.”
He gave a slow smile, one that was capable of melting my bones. “You forgot.”
“Yes.”
“You probably get distracted easily with all those stories in your head. I know I would.”
He was right. I did get distracted easily. I spent probably 80% of my life in my head, which was another reason why I was terrible in social situations. I kept thinking of stories or characters and couldn’t focus on what was really going on.
I shifted more weight onto my good foot.
Brady winced. “Sorry. I came to give this to you and now I’m making you stand instead of relax. Here,” he said, striding right into the cabin like he owned it. “Sit down.”
I did as he said, only because it would probably get him to leave faster.
“If you put it up here like this,” he said taking my foot again and making me shiver, “and brace it on these pillows, that will hopefully stop it from throbbing.”
He cushioned my ankle with pillows, then put the ice pack against the sore ankle.
“Don’t leave the pack on there for too long, but that should help the swelling,” he said.
He was crouched next to me, gazing up into my eyes. He looked sincere—like he was really trying to take care of me instead of trying to stop me from suing him.
“I’m sorry,” he said after a moment.
“Wh—what? Why?”
“I don’t really think you’re going to sue me or Derek or—” He shoved a hand through his hair. “Hell, I was just thinking out loud and making an ass of myself.” He met my eyes. “I know that’s not the kind of person you are. And I didn’t mean to say it.”
The words settled in. I had to remind myself that I was in real life, not a book, and he had no idea what I was thinking. “It’s fine,” I said.
“You sure? Because I sort of got the impression that you might be upset and…” He shrugged. “I don’t want you mad. Especially at me.”
“I’m not mad,” I mumbled. No, I was surprised. And unsure where he was going with this.
“Good.” He reached out and adjusted the pillows again absently, his fingers brushing my leg. “I didn’t mean to interrupt your work. Again.”
“It’s fine.”
“Can I get you anything?” He stood and glanced around, looking for something. “Your glasses, that’s right.”
He took the few short steps to the table to retrieve my glasses and passed them over.
“Thanks.”
“And your computer? Do you need that? Or anything else?”
I had to laugh. He looked so cute trying to make sure I had everything I needed.
“I’m really okay,” I told him. “I’ll take a break from work for now.”
He propped his hands on his hips. He started to say something, then stopped. His eyes locked on mine and he opened his mouth again. “You think you can take a break later, too?”
I put my glasses on so his face wouldn’t look so blurry. It was a mistake because it just made him that much hotter. And that much more untouchable.
“I—a break? What do you mean?” I
asked.
“I thought…you might have time for dinner. At the restaurant. With me.”
My heart lurched in surprise—sweet surprise. Dinner? With him? So he could apologize again—that’s what it was. He really, really wanted to make sure I didn’t sue him and thought if he brought me an ice pack and took me to dinner, I’d forget about it.
Or maybe…no, the alternative was too unrealistic to think about.
“Is that a no?” Brady asked when I didn’t answer.
“What? No. I mean yes. I have time for dinner.”
He blew out a breath. “Good. That’s good. How about I swing by at seven?”
Swing by? Like come and get me? Even though it was just a short walk up to the restaurant. “Sure,” I said immediately. “That’s fine.”
“Good,” he repeated. His eyes lingered on mine for another moment, then he took a step back. “Okay. I should let you get back to work. I should work. I—” He shook his head and walked to the door. “I’ll see you tonight.”
He left without waiting for my answer, shutting the door softly behind him before jogging down the newly fixed stairs and vanishing from sight.
I looked at the ice pack on my ankle, then back to the window. Holy shit. I had a date with Brady Belle.
“Not a date,” I reminded myself through gritted teeth. It was a conciliatory dinner at best.
But still, a dinner with Brady was sure to give me all sorts of ideas for my book. As long as I didn’t throw up from nerves.
Chapter 6
I took longer than I should have getting ready. But it was Noah, and I’d been waiting a long time for this. I’d already made a fool of myself earlier, I didn’t want to do the same thing again tonight.
And I wanted him to have a good time. If I knew he was going to be here longer, I might have driven him into the next town over and treated him to dinner at Marco’s.
But Fox was an excellent chef and dinner by the lake was romantic enough for what I was trying to accomplish.
I rolled up the sleeves of my button up shirt and glanced in the mirror one last time. Good enough.
I pulled a windbreaker over the top so I wouldn’t get wet and grabbed an umbrella as well just in case Noah didn’t have a hood.
Besides, I wanted him to take his time so he wouldn’t hurt his ankle. The least I could do was make sure he didn’t get wet in the meantime.
Scanning the property as I walked, I took note of things that needed to be updated. I’d already fixed the light in the restaurant, but once I got looking around, I saw how right Fox was. The place needed a major overhaul.
And so did most of the property. But it would be good to start with the restaurant. I had two weeks until we started opening for breakfast and lunch. I could get the bigger cosmetic stuff out of the way before then and plan for projects after that.
Noah’s cabin came into view, shrouded in mist. He had the porch light on, which I had no clue whether or not was intentional, but it was damn cute. It was nice to know someone was waiting for me. Nice to know I’d have company for dinner tonight.
I tested my weight on the stair as I hiked up, making double sure it was secure. It didn’t even budge. Then I knocked on Noah’s door.
It took him a moment, but then he opened it. He wasn’t wearing his glasses again—maybe he had contacts?—and he’d changed from earlier. Instead of the casual pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, he had on a dark pair of jeans and a cashmere sweater.
My throat dried. “You look good,” I told him.
He glanced down as if he’d forgotten what he was wearing, then back at me. I swore his cheeks flushed. “Thanks. So—so do you. It’s raining.”
I grinned at him. “Yeah, it does that a lot around here.” I held out a hand. “Are you ready?”
Noah pulled the door shut and stepped carefully onto the porch.
“Does it still hurt?” I asked, glancing at his foot.
“It’s better,” he assured me. “I’m just being careful.”
“Hold onto me.”
He looked like he was about to protest but I didn’t give him a choice. I kept him steady as he came down the stairs, and then put my arm out for him to hold as we walked back up the path to the restaurant.
Lights. That was another thing we could use. Lights along the sides of the paths.
And fuck, why was I thinking about work when I had a cute man holding onto me as we walked to dinner? Oh, yeah, because it had been a long time since I’d done anything like this. I was always at work, always thinking about work.
Except at night. That was when I let my mind wander—and only sometimes. Usually when Noah was here.
Damn, Fox was right. I should have done this a long time ago.
“Doing okay?” I asked Noah. He seemed to be as lost in his own thoughts as I was.
He glanced up and nodded, face barely more than a shadow under the cover of the umbrella. Standing this close, I realized he was several inches shorter. Actually, the perfect height for me to pull him into my arms—which I was sorely tempted to do. Maybe just to apologize for the way I’d acted earlier or to thank him for making time to have dinner with me. But definitely to be closer to him.
When we reached the restaurant, we paused under the overhang and I shook out the umbrella to set aside. Then I did it before I lost my nerve like I’d done so many times in the past.
I set my hands on his arms and eased closer. His mouth dropped open, almost derailing me.
“Noah,” I said quietly.
His wide eyes blinked up at me. Shock reflected in their depths. He had no clue that this was just as out of my comfort zone as it was his.
“I’m sorry about earlier,” I told him.
“I know. You already apologized.”
“Well, I meant it. And I wanted to say it again. And thanks for making time to come to dinner with me. I appreciate the company.”
“Of course,” he murmured, dropping his chin.
“I appreciate it even more because it’s you,” I told him.
When his head came back up, there was a drop of water on his cheek and I reached out to brush it away. Fuck, his skin was smooth. He felt amazing. I wanted more. Now, it wasn’t a question of if, it was a question of when.
Except that Noah was looking at me like I’d grown two heads. Like he thought I was out of my mind.
I eased back, confused. I thought I’d felt a spark of attraction back at the cabin, and he’d agreed to dinner, but maybe…
Before I could get too deep into my own head, I opened the door for him. He stepped inside with measured footsteps, stopping after he’d cleared the door.
I moved beside him, my hand brushing his before I pointed. “I thought maybe one of those tables by the window. You can see the lake from there.”
“That looks good.”
I blew out a breath. Okay, better. Maybe he was just nervous. I sure as hell was.
When we got to the table, I held out his chair for him. He did a double take, and in that moment, it all fell into place.
He was nervous, sure, but also I realized he hadn’t thought of this as a date. Or at least not a serious one. Maybe he thought this was just another way of apologizing for what happened earlier—a way to make it up to him.
But I needed to make it clear that wasn’t it at all. No way. I was interested in Noah and had been since the first time I’d seen him. And now that I’d started this, now that he was here, I was invested. I wasn’t going to stop until I’d made it clear how much I wanted him.
I sat across from Noah so I’d be able to see his face as we talked. There were candles on each of the tables and the rest of the lighting in the room was dim. Fire crackled in the fireplace nearby. It was perfect.
Noah’s face was buried in his menu.
“I’d recommend starting with the clam chowder,” I told him.
He peered over the top of the menu and nodded.
After he disappeared again, I said, “Noah?” His eyes appeared aga
in. I held back a grin. “If you don’t mind, I’d be happy to order for you. I know you’ve probably eaten here before, but Fox told me earlier what he was making for tonight’s special, and I think you’ll like it.”
“Oh.” He cleared his throat and set down his menu. I put it with mine, hoping he didn’t try to hide behind it again. “Sure. That would be good.”
Before I could say anything else, Fox came over with his charming grin. “Hey,” he said, eyes moving to Noah and taking him in.
A decent amount of jealousy ran through me. I hadn’t been lying. Noah looked good. He still had that nerdy edge that was getting sexier and sexier, and I could tell it was working for Fox. But to be fair, almost everything worked for Fox.
“I’m glad you came early,” Fox told Noah.
Noah blushed. “Me too. I look forward to coming here every year. It’s inspiring.”
Damn. Noah was talking more to my brother than he was to me. That couldn’t be a good sign.
“I could see that,” Fox said with an easy nod. “And a change of scenery probably helps.”
Noah nodded. “Definitely. Sometimes I’ll go days without leaving my apartment.”
I instantly pictured him in sweats, lounging on his couch with his laptop on his lap, glasses on as he poured out pages of prose. Sure, he was a children’s writer, but I imagined he wrote other things as well. Poetry, maybe. That sounded like something Noah would do.
“You write anything else besides children’s books?” Fox asked Noah, as though taking the question straight from my mind. “I loved the last one, by the way.”
I shot him a look. Had he actually read it?
Noah blushed again. Dammit. If it kept going this direction, Noah was going to fall for Fox.
“I do,” Noah said.
Fox opened his mouth to ask another question, but I cleared my throat. They both glanced at me, surprised.
I stood with a smile at Noah. “Excuse me a minute.” I turned to Fox. “Can I talk to you?”
“Sure.”
“In private?” I said through clenched teeth.
Fox frowned but walked with me back to the counter, where I lowered my voice.
