“He didn’t seem mad to me,” I said nonchalantly. I wondered how old she was. Probably, truthfully, closer to Noah’s age than to mine.
“Normally he’s a touch mellower, honey. So—” She smiled wide like I was her friend or something. “What did he want to talk about earlier…when he called you into his office?”
He wanted to kiss me. I almost said the words, really, I did. “Family stuff,” I said instead. “It was personal.”
“Oh. That does seem pretty personal—especially for your second day.”
Really? Did she not already know that I was related to Ellie? Minus my sister’s short hair and tattoos, we looked a lot alike. It was pretty obvious. “Ellie’s my older sister. I’ve known Noah since I was about eight years old. So, yes, it was pretty personal.”
Connie didn’t try to make small talk again after that.
CHAPTER 11
NOAH
I’d kissed her. Well, sort of. It had been a closed mouth, barely one second long kiss you saved for your grandma on Sundays. But nevertheless, despite its brevity and G-rating, that one little kiss might have been my undoing. I knew I liked her; I just hadn’t expected the burst of emotion that shot through my chest as my lips connected with hers.
Was it protectiveness or lust or more?
I didn’t even care. I only wanted more.
The minutes ticked by but two o’clock eventually came around. I was outside pulling weeds. No, shit. I would have gone home sooner or taken a long lunch, but I couldn’t leave while Georgie was still working. I’d been watching the time but had been momentarily sidetracked by the sudden groundskeeper job I’d given myself. I normally saved this sort of thing for the occasional flair of my so-called ‘OCD’—when my need for order mixed with my insomnia and I found myself awake with nothing to do at five in the morning. At least, when that sort of thing happened, it happened in the early morning hours when it wasn’t so blistering hot. The afternoon sun was torture, but it became bearable when the most fucking gorgeous girl snuck up on me.
“There you are,” Georgie said. “Connie thought maybe you’d left already. I guess not.”
“Still here,” I replied, squinting against the sun to get a better look at her. Hangovers and the sun never mixed well, but seeing her instantly made up for it all. Her dark hair fell over her shoulders and The Presidential Swing American flag t-shirt she wore fit her body exceptionally well. Ellie had designed the t-shirts for our employees, and they were corny as hell. Secretly we’d both had a big laugh over the fact that we had the power to actually make people wear such a horrendously backwoods redneck t-shirt. But dammit, Georgie could wear whatever the hell she wanted and still look gorgeous.
“I was kind of waiting for you,” I admitted.
“Yeah?” She smiled but it quickly faded and was replaced with nervousness. It was the same nervousness she’d exhibited when she came into my office earlier. “Did you need to see me about something?”
I stood, peeling the gardening gloves off my fingers. My hands were sweaty. I was sweaty. Or I might have grabbed her and kissed her right then because I sure as hell didn’t like the way she phrased that question or the way she was fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. “Yes, I wanted to see you. But when you put it that way it makes my stomach churn. I wanted to see you because I wanted to see you—not as your boss but only as me. I had fun working with you earlier. It was light. It was casual. It was just us. That’s how I want it to always be when we work together. Don’t be nervous. It’s just me.”
Her fidgeting stopped, and she met my stare rather fiercely. “Trust me, the boss thing isn’t an issue right now. It’s the Noah Clark, pulling weeds, sweat trickling down your neck, white t-shirt clinging to your abs thing that’s the problem. Sorry if I find that—” She waved her hand, motioning to my body. “Distracting. Meanwhile, I’m over here in my new flag t-shirt—the one I know for a fact you and Ellie designed to be as dorky as humanly possible. So…thanks for that, boss.”
I could not stop the big-ass grin that took over my face. She was too fucking adorable for her own good, especially now that I’d gotten her a little riled up. “Spend the rest of the day with me,” I demanded. “Please. It’s what I wanted to see you about—why I’ve been waiting out here for you.”
It took her a few long seconds, but she slowly nodded. “Okay.”
“Thank Christ. It’s too damn hot for this.” Being a touch dramatic, especially for me, I tossed my gloves on the ground and kicked aside the shovel I’d been using to dig up weeds. “I’ll finish this later. Or never. Let’s go.” I stretched out my hand for hers. And she took it. She locked her fingers with mine, not even the least bit concerned that my palms were somewhat sweaty. Words completely failed me. I was not sure why this girl had so much power over me—but she did.
We started back toward the main building, saying nothing. Once we reached the door, I left her and hurried inside. Grabbing my helmet and jacket out of the office, I mumbled a quick goodbye to Connie and the other employee now working. Then in a flash, I returned to Georgie. I nodded in the direction of my bike and led her across the parking lot. My heart was beating out of control and all I wanted was to get out of here. I set the helmet down on the seat and held up the jacket for her to wear. “Put this on. I know it’s hot, but if a giant dragonfly hits your skin it stings like a bitch.”
She narrowed her pretty blue eyes up at me. “What about you?”
“I’m a man. I can handle the pain.”
“Okay. Fine,” she said, smiling. Then she let me help her into the jacket.
I handed her the helmet next. “This too.”
She put up no argument about the helmet which was a good thing because there was no chance in hell I would have let her within ten feet of my motorcycle without it. I sat down and she, using my shoulders as a prop, climbed on behind me.
Shorts. She was wearing fucking shorts.
I’d touched her legs before—when snuggling almost turned into something more the other night. However, this was different. Somehow more intimate. Her legs hugged the sides of my hips, while my hands itched with the need to grab them and pull them tighter to me.
“I’ve never been on a motorcycle before,” she said. “Where do I put my hands?”
Shit. My mind went straight to the gutter. I swallowed hard. “You can hold onto me.”
Lightly her fingers touched my sides—like she was too afraid to hold me properly. But then something changed. She scooted her hips flesh against my backside and wrapped her arms around my stomach.
Dammit. This wasn’t going to work.
“How did you get here today?” I suddenly needed to know. “Um. Did you drive? Do you have a car? Maybe we should take your car. That would be much safer.”
“Noah,” she whined. “Just go. I’m burning up in this jacket.”
“I don’t even know where the hell I’m going.”
Smooth, Noah. Real Smooth.
“Can we go by my house, so I can change?” she asked.
“Yes,” I said. “I need a shower anyway.” An ice-cold shower.
* * *
The speed limit was thirty-five. I drove fifteen. We reached her house where she handed me back my jacket and helmet. Then we went inside.
And, of course, every single member of her family was home and hanging out in the living room. The real-estate family business thing meant that sometimes this was the case. I guess it was a slow day and none of them had anything better to do. Including Ellie, who sat on the sofa with a tub of Ben and Jerry’s in hand. Whatever. Either way, I expected a reaction out of someone—anyone. Georgie and I had just shown up. Together. Alone. Randomly. And no one so much as batted an eye. No one noticed it as anything out of the norm.
“Hi, sweetie,” Mrs. Turner said to Georgie, glancing up from her laptop. She sat at the kitchen counter—her usual spot for working. “How was your second day?”
“Fine,” Georgie answered. She was doing that ‘fidget w
ith the hem of her shirt’ thing again.
Mrs. Turner smiled brightly at her daughter. She was generally a happy person, but this smile seemed forced. I could tell everything—Ben’s death and Georgie’s suicide attempt—weighted down on her, despite how effectively she was hiding it all. “Anything exciting happen?”
Georgie shook her head and avoided glancing in my direction. “Nothing much. I’m just going to go change,” she said.
Nothing much? I was not sure if her words were meant for me or for her mother. But she spoke quickly and then moved for the stairs, disappearing from the living room.
“So,” Ellie said through a mouth full of ice cream. “Rhett is at Chancy’s. Again. Apparently, according to Luce who called me earlier, he’s making a big scene of not leaving. Again. Want to head over there with me? I mean, you’re better at dealing with his moods than I am.” She sighed, taking another bite of ice cream. “God, he was so annoying last night when I picked you two up. He kept going on and on about some random girl. Anyway, what do think? Go with me. Pretty please.”
“Um.” Realizing now that I was lingering at the edge of the room, I took a few steps toward the couch. “Fine, I guess.”
“I’ll invite Georgie too. Hope you’re okay with that.” Ellie winked at me.
That reminded me that I needed to shower. I excused myself and went downstairs. Georgie’s casual words, nothing much, kept repeating in my head. Technically, ‘nothing much’ had happened between us today. But it felt like something more to me.
I undressed, stepped into the shower while the water was still lukewarm, and took my time washing off. I still had those butterfly things happening in my stomach. They hadn’t left me all day. Mostly I wondered how the rest of the afternoon would play out. Would Georgie come with us to Chancy’s? Would she fit in with my friends? Because, other than the Turners, these people were the only family I had. I wanted her to like them. But mostly, I just wanted her to like me.
“Noah,” Ellie yelled, beating on the bathroom door. I was standing, absentmindedly under the shower head, the water running down my body. “Let’s go, princess. Georgie and I are ready and waiting on your ass. Save some water for the rest of the planet, please.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m coming,” I yelled back. Cutting off the water, I stepped out of the shower and dried quickly. I pulled on a pair of clean boxers and a fresh pair of pants, but a small knock stopped me cold. Ellie never knocked; she only pounded. A second later, Georgie opened the door and slipped inside the bathroom.
Thoroughly fucking surprised, I nearly fell backward into the tub.
“Hey,” she said softly. “Is this okay? Me going with you and Ellie to Chancy’s. I feel like I’m intruding. Ellie said it was okay but if it’s not then I’ll stay home. No big deal.”
“Do you want to stay home?” I asked, pulling my shirt on over my head.
“I don’t know,” she answered with a shrug.
The bathroom was steamy, tiny, and forcing us closer together. She’d changed into a short-ass skirt and a lacy tank-top thing. Both way too damn fancy for Chancy’s. The men there were going to eat her alive. I wanted to eat her alive. How easy would it be to grab her waist, lift her up onto the bathroom sink, push that little skirt of hers up, and find out if she tasted as sweet as she looked?
Holy shit. Stop thinking about her like that, Noah.
Summoning all my control, I managed to keep my hands to myself.
“I said I wanted to spend the day with you,” I told her. “I meant that. We can do something else instead.”
“No.” Shaking her head, she reached for the door knob. “Let’s go. I just needed to make sure it was okay with you.”
And as quickly as she’d snuck into the bathroom, she snuck out.
* * *
“I’ve never been to Chancy’s,” Georgie confessed. “Am I dressed okay?”
“Rule Number Sixty-Two,” Ellie said from the driver’s seat. “As long as you own whatever you wear, you can wear whatever the hell you want. And right now, you look smoking, kiddo. Own it.”
“Okay then,” she muttered. “Um, what does number sixty-two mean?”
“It’s a little game Noah and I play sometimes. We assign random numbers to rules—the important ones always get ‘Rule Number One.’ But, like I said the other day, Rule Number One: There are no rules. And I seriously do mean that.”
I sighed. No one on the planet could follow Ellie’s logic. I played along with her games, but mostly they made zero sense. But Georgie nodded in agreement, as if she understood perfectly.
The three of us were all riding in Ellie’s small two-door Civic. Instead of driving like I usually did, I’d handed the keys over to Ellie because, truthfully, my emotions were still going haywire, and I didn’t need to be the one driving. She’d understood, picking up on my silent plea, and hopped in the driver’s seat without making a big deal of it. Thank Christ. And being the gentleman that I wasn’t but wanted to be around Georgie, I’d sat in the tiny backseat. Meanwhile, my leg had a mind of its own and would not stop bobbing up and down.
Was she dressed okay? Fuck, no.
From my view in the back, I could see that tiny skirt of hers riding up her thigh. Not only that, she’d since added cowboy boots to her outfit. So, was she dressed okay? Yes, she was fucking stunning. But was I going to be able to make it through the rest of the day without getting into a fight or taking her in the bathroom. Unlikely. I squeezed my fingers into my thighs, wishing like hell my mind would stop thinking such dirty thoughts about her.
It was a short drive to Chancy’s since everything around here was a short drive. We exited the car and headed for the doors. Instead of fidgeting with the hem of her shirt, Georgie now fidgeted with her skirt. Her eyes kept flickering in my direction. Several feet separated us on our walk across the parking lot. I’d been nervous as hell all morning. But suddenly, a calm and new sense of confidence washed over me.
She. Was. Mine.
At least, I wanted her to be mine. We were different ages—I didn’t care. We were at different stages in our lives—I didn’t care. The circumstances of us coming together weren’t ideal—I didn’t care.
I decided right then and there that she was going to be mine, in every way possible, and that was all that mattered. Fuck the rest of the world. And fuck my ‘no wild cards policy.’ I’d risk it all for this girl. Give up all the control in my life for her. And it was as simple as that.
So why the hell wasn’t she already tucked in close under my arm?
I quickened my pace, closing the small gap between us. I wanted to walk into Chancy’s together so that no other soul in the building questioned who she belonged with. So Georgie didn’t question it either.
Wrapping an arm over her shoulders, I pulled her close against me. At my sudden touch, she sucked in a small, surprised breath but didn’t push me away or resist my gesture. On the contrary, she relaxed against my chest—the same way she tended to do during the times we’d shared a bed together.
“You’re beautiful, sweetheart,” I said softly against her temple, low enough so that Ellie’s eavesdropping ears couldn’t hear. “I’m not sure how that fact didn’t consume me before, but it’s all that consumes me now. I need you to stay close to me tonight.”
I looked down at her, wanting to be sure she’d heard me. She had. I knew she’d heard because her cheeks were a nice, rosy pink shade. Damn, it was the sweetest thing—knowing I had been the one to put that blush on her cheeks.
The three of us entered the bar. And it was a packed house. Tourist season meant you could never quite tell when or where the vacationers would all decide to flock. Today it seemed Chancy’s was the hotspot in town. Had Rhett had any luck finding his girl since yesterday? Actually, for as crowded as the place was, now I started wondering if we’d even find him.
“I’m gonna get some drinks,” Ellie said, nodding toward the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd around the bar. “You two go find Rhett.”
> Weaving through the people, with Georgie still tucked close against my side, I quickly located Rhett—the thoughtful bastard had a table saved for us. He and Luce, plus our mutual friend Trevor, sat in a spot on the cusp between the indoor seating and the outdoor deck. I pulled out a plastic chair for Georgie and took the seat opposite her.
“This is Georgie—Georgina,” I said making introductions. I had no idea if she’d already met any of them or not. “She’s Ellie’s sister. Georgie—this is Trevor, Luce, and Rhett.”
“Nice to meet you all,” Georgie said with an easy smile on her face. Obviously, she was much better at meeting new people than I was. “A lot of people call me Gina, but whatever is fine.”
Gina? Hell, I didn’t even know that. I preferred Georgie.
Georgie reached across the table, shaking each person’s hand in turn. Rhett was the last in the circle and as she let his hand go, he said, “If whatever is fine…then I think I’ll give you a special nickname.”
“Oh, no. Not again,” Luce whined. “He does this with everyone he meets—gives them a random, yet cute, nickname. And, seriously, he’s gonna call you that nickname forever. He does it so he doesn’t have to remember anyone’s name.” She nudged Rhett in the ribs. “Jerkoff, maybe you should stop doing that…since it worked out so well with the last girl.”
“What’s your nickname?” Georgie asked Luce.
Luce shook her head. “Nope. It’s too awful to share.”
“I’ll share it. It’s Lollipop,” Trevor deadpanned. “She hates it.”
“Trevor,” Luce moaned, slumping back in her chair with her arms crossed tightly over her chest. “Not fair. No one needs to know that. It’s embarrassing.”
“It’s kind of cute. Random yet cute,” Georgie said politely, but then she unexpectedly burst out laughing. “Sorry. No,” she said, catching her breath. “I lied. It’s a really bad nickname. So…what’s Noah’s nickname then?”
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