“That’s the problem,” he says, exasperated. “You’re too damn sweet.” The words tumble from his mouth, and I can tell he didn’t mean to say them because he pinches his lips together as if he could somehow draw them back in.
“That’s not a bad thing, Noah. Usually if you’re nice to people, they’re nice back. You should try it sometime.”
Damn. She is sexy as hell when she’s all fired up.
Maybe it’s the shouting, or the fact that she’s within close proximity and my body is buzzing the way it did when she wrapped her legs around me on the side of the road. It’s also entirely possible that the fresh smell of her perfume has somehow drugged me. Whatever it is, something causes me to snap.
“I can’t be nice to you,” I shout back.
Lennon throws her hands up. “Why? You don’t even know me.”
“Because I want to know you, damn it!”
Lennon’s eyes widen, her lips forming a perfect little O.
Shit, I can’t believe I just said that. But it’s true. Every word out of those perfect lips makes me want to know more, makes me crave more. And I can’t give in to that. Closing my eyes, I run a hand through my hair.
“That’s a bad thing?” Her voice is softer, and much closer than before.
When the couch dips beside me, I look up.
“It’s a dangerous thing,” I say, correcting her.
“Why?”
Those big, blue, innocent eyes are my undoing, and despite all of the lies forming on the tip of my tongue, I can’t do anything but tell her the truth. “Because you just might be the most beautiful and frustrating woman I’ve ever met.”
“You think I’m beautiful?” Her voice is coated in disbelief, the annoyance and anger from moments ago gone.
“Absolutely.”
The breath hitches in her throat, and I suddenly want to keep talking just to see if I can get her to make that little noise again.
“You’re beautiful, Lennon. You have to know that, but that’s not why I find you attractive.”
She scoots closer on the couch, causing the buzz to grow stronger. “It’s not?”
“No.”
Beautiful girls in Texas are a dime a dozen. I should know, considering I’ve hooked up with my fair share of them. But Lennon, she’s different. There’s a side to her that turns me the fuck on—a side I haven’t seen in a woman, well, ever.
“I’m attracted to you because you were willing to drop everything to take care of a complete stranger even when he’s being an unreasonable asshole, and you brought me food. I’m sorry I ate your cookie, by the way. And I’m sorry for the way I’ve been treating you.”
It wasn’t that I was mad she was moving in next door; it wasn’t even that I didn’t want her help. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. I do want her help, and more than that, I want to fuck her.
Bad.
And that’s where the problem lies.
She’s sexy, sweet, and compassionate, and nothing good can come from that sort of combination. There’s only one thing I can offer a girl like Lennon, and it isn’t at all what she deserves.
I knew from the moment she ran across the highway and fell to her knees next to me that Lennon could be a distraction, and one I most definitely don’t have time for.
“You’re forgiven.” She smiles and then knocks me on my ass when she says, “And I’m attracted to you too.”
“See?” I point at her. “Blunt honesty, another thing I like. I didn’t need to know that. That just makes this so much worse.”
“But why?” Lennon furrows her brow, and damn it, now I want to reach out and smooth the lines of worry, bring the smile back to her face and see if I can get another little sound that makes my dick twitch.
“Because I already have someone in my life. And she’s my whole life.”
Lennon gasps, covering her mouth. “Oh my God,” she mumbles, slowly lowering her hand. “You’re married.”
Okay, I could have phrased that better. “I’m not married.”
She sighs, mumbling something about not going to hell, and looks up. “Girlfriend?”
“No girlfriend.”
“Then who?”
Visions of dark curls, belly laughs, and a big, toothy smile dance in my head, and my heart swells. “I have a daughter. Her name is Nova.”
“A daughter.” Lennon’s eyes soften. “Nova,” she says, as though she’s trying the name on for size. “It’s unique, sort of like Lennon. I like it. Where is she now?”
“My parents took her on a camping trip. They’ll be back later this week.” Since I can’t get up at the moment, I point toward a picture on the mantle. “That’s her up there.”
Lennon stands and grabs the picture. She studies it for several seconds before looking at me. “She has your eyes. And your nose. She’s adorable, Noah. Absolutely adorable.”
“Thank you.”
Lennon stares at the picture for a beat longer before putting it back. She turns to me, one eyebrow cocked. “So Nova isn’t your car?”
I do feel a little guilty about leading her to believe that, but in my defense, she was a complete stranger and didn’t need to know I had a child. Scrunching my nose, I shake my head.
“You lied to me.”
My mouth drops open. Is she serious? “You told the entire town you’re my fiancée.”
Shit. I forgot about that.
“No,” I correct. “I told Penny I was your fiancée.”
“Same difference. Point is, you lied too.”
“You’re right.” I drop down on the couch next to Noah. It’s only ten a.m., and already I feel drained. “So we’re both liars who are insanely attracted to each other, and now we’re next-door neighbors. Where in the world are we supposed to go from here?”
“I have no idea.” He slumps back on the couch, his eyes searching mine.
“I guess the answer is pretty easy. We’re both adults, right? And we’ve already established that we’re attracted to each other. Isn’t this what single adults do? Find someone they’re attracted to and act on it? So really, we’re just adulting.”
“I can’t adult.”
“Sure you can. It’s easy. Watch.” I scoot forward on the couch, inching my way closer to him in the process. “I like you, Noah, and I haven’t liked anyone in a long time. Would you like to go to dinner with me?”
I fold my trembling hands together in my lap, trying to hide my nerves. It took a lot for me to do that. I’ve never asked a guy out, and I have to give props to the girls who do it all the time, because that shit is hard.
But what’s even harder is seeing the look on the guy’s face and realizing he’s about to reject you. Noah’s face is awash with pity and guilt, and it’s like tiny pin pricks to my wounded heart. This is most definitely not something I ever want to experience again.
“You know what?” I wave my hand in the air. “Forget I asked that.” I push up from the couch, but Noah snags my wrist, pulling me back down.
“If I could say yes, I would.”
Well, that should make me feel better. Except it doesn’t. “But you can’t?”
Noah takes a deep breath and blows it out. “I own my own business. Most weeks I work more than full time, and to top it off, I’m a single father. Honestly, I don’t have time to date.”
“So, what? You’ve been celibate since Nova was born?”
“No,” he says carefully. “I just don’t date.”
It takes a second for his words to sink in, but when they do, I nod. “Got it. You have flings.”
“One-night stand, fling, whatever you want to call it.” He looks over my shoulder before bringing his eyes back to mine. “And that makes me sound like an even bigger asshole, doesn’t it?”
I wish, because that would make it easier to walk away.
“No, it makes you sound human.”
“You’re not a fling kind of girl, Lennon, and I’m not sure I’m ready to share my time with anyone but Nova. Truthfull
y, I’m not ready to share her either. For the past five years it’s just been the two of us, and I like it like that. Plus, I don’t want to bring someone into her life just to have them leave. She’s been through enough.”
I open my mouth to ask more, but Noah cuts me off.
“So no, as much as I want to, I can’t go to dinner with you unless it’s strictly as friends. And even then, there has to be a no-touching, no-flirting, no-looking-sexy rule.” He grins. “I have a feeling if you’re part of the equation, that’s going to be really fucking hard.”
I can’t help it; I smile. Noah rejected me, and I’m smiling at him. Because I get it. I understand where he’s coming from. I may not agree with it, but I get it.
“So, friends?” I ask.
“I’d like that.”
Noah’s grin blossoms into a full smile, drawing my attention exactly where it shouldn’t be: his mouth. Full lips stretched across straight teeth and a dimple in his left cheek that I would totally want to lick if we were adulting. Which we’re not.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been friends with a girl,” he adds.
Still thinking about the dimple, I shake my head. “Yeah, it doesn’t really work out well. We should probably just hook up now and get it over with.”
The look on his face is priceless. His mouth drops open, and then he snaps it shut.
“Lennon,” he warns, his voice low and hard.
“Sorry.” I hold my hands up. “Sorry. It won’t happen again. Can’t blame a girl for trying, though.”
I’m not sorry at all. Not in the least.
“So, does this mean you’ll let me help around the house now?” I ask. “At least until Nova gets back? Because I really do feel bad about the accident. Plus, it’ll give me something to do. I’m bored as hell over there,” I say, pointing toward my new little home.
“I would like that.”
So, that’s what I do. In between Game of Thrones episodes, I do whatever I can to help around the house and keep Noah off of his foot, which I quickly realize is a difficult task. It becomes crystal clear real fast that Noah is a do-it-yourself kind of person. Lucky for him, I’m here to shove him back in the chair every time he tries to get up.
The afternoon flies by. Between vacuuming, mopping, and doing the dishes, Noah and I talk a lot. Mostly mundane stuff—nothing too personal because heaven forbid we venture into adulting territory. And I see no reason to tell him why I’m here. Not yet, at least.
Noah tells me this house used to be his grandmother’s and he practically grew up here. He inherited it after her death and moved in the same week Nova was born.
He goes on to tell me all about Heaven and what it has to offer, including his favorite restaurants and shops. When I collapse on the couch at the end of the day, he tells me about the small automotive shop he owns in town.
Only it really isn’t all that small. From the sound of it, Noah is making quite the name for himself.
Hands resting behind his head, he frowns. “I’m overbooked and understaffed.”
“Well, that’s a good thing, right?” I ask. “Job security.”
“Yes, but I can’t tell anyone no. I don’t like to turn down business, and neither does my secretary, who’s about to go on maternity leave,” he says, laughing.
“Hence the ‘more than full time’ work status you were telling me about?”
“Exactly.”
“Why don’t you just hire more staff?”
“Sounds easy, I know, but I’m a bit of a stickler. I won’t hire just anyone.”
“Hire me,” I blurt. “I can help out while she’s gone.”
Narrowing his eyes, Noah shakes his head. “That would be a disaster. Working with someone I’m attracted to? I’d have a walking hard on every fucking day.”
A smile pulls at my lips, and my heart stammers in my chest. I like that he’s attracted to me and I turn him on. Makes me think someday he could overcome this notion that we should be just friends. Because I think we could be far more than that.
“I get it. But the offer is there if you change your mind,” I say, my words fading into a yawn.
Noah rests his head back on the couch. “Tired?”
“Exhausted. I should probably get going.”
A look passes over his face. I can’t quite place it, but it’s almost as though he doesn’t want me to leave. Unfortunately, I know he won’t ask me to stay.
I gather my belongings and head to the front door. “I’ll stop by in the morning.”
With my hand on the doorknob, Noah calls to me.
“Lennon?”
I glance over my shoulder.
His eyes dance around my face, and for a second I think that maybe, just maybe, I was wrong, and he is going to ask me to stay.
“Would you mind giving me a ride in to work tomorrow? I need to check out the damage on my bike, get it in somewhere to get fixed, and reschedule a few appointments.”
Disappointed, I nod. “Sure thing.”
“Goodnight, Lennon.”
“‘Night.”
The walk home is short. My house is quiet and empty as I get ready for bed, but my head replays our entire day together. I’m about to silence my phone for the night when it pings with an incoming text.
I grin when Noah’s words come into view.
Noah: I forgot to tell you thank you for your help, and your hair looks sexy as fuck.
I type out a quick reply.
Me: Are you flirting with me, Mr. Cunningham? Because that’s against the rules.
Noah: I’m feeling rebellious.
I hope he feels rebellious more often.
Me: Goodnight, Noah
“Get up.”
Planting my fists firmly on my hips, I glare at Noah. He’s on one of those rolling things under a car, so he can’t really see me scowl, but I assure you, I am scowling. Noah’s feet are propped up and his knees bent, but all I can see is the lower half of his body. And the lower half of his body looks damn good.
His faded jeans are tight, showing off muscular thighs, and then there’s the small sliver of skin between his jeans and where his shirt has ridden up. I can’t really see much except the happy trail leading—
“Lennon.”
I blink. “Hmm?”
Noah rolls out from under the car, and my heart starts pounding in my chest. Dark strands of hair flop in front of his eye, and when he brushes them away, he leaves a black smear along his cheek. This man is really too handsome for his own good. No one should look edible covered in grease, but by God, I’m tempted to call it chocolate, climb on up, and lick it off of him.
“Stop looking at me like that,” he says, his voice low and husky.
“I can’t help it,” I whisper.
Noah grins, shakes his head, and slides back under the car.
Then I remember what I was doing to begin with.
“Noah!” I yell.
He slides back out, eyebrows raised.
“You shouldn’t be working.”
Without a word, he slides back under the car.
Looking around the shop, I find another roller board thingy and do what any woman would do in my situation. I lay down and slide under the car. Noah doesn’t move when I appear next to him. In fact, he’s still grinning.
“Can I help you?” he asks.
“It’s dirty under here,” I say, wrinkling my nose.
“It’s the undercarriage of a car,” he says dryly. “Here, hold this.” He passes me a long, silver thingy. Almost immediately he grabs it out of my hand and then seconds later gives it back.
“Could you grab me a ratchet?” he asks.
“Sure.” Without thinking, I sit up, only to smack my head on the car. “Oh, shit! Fuck me.” I wince, rubbing at my forehead. Tears fill my eyes, a few of them escaping. “Shit, that hurt.”
Noah is out from under the car first. He grabs hold of my ankles, pulls me out, and yanks me up to inspect my forehead.
“Are you okay?�
�
I am now that you’re touching me.
“No,” I whimper, holding on to my head.
“Jesus Christ, Noah. What the hell did you do to the girl?” Tommy says, walking up to see what all of the commotion is about. Tommy is one of Noah’s four mechanics. He’s a younger guy, probably fresh out of school, but he seems nice.
“He didn’t do anything. I tried to sit up—forgot I was under the car.”
“You can’t do that,” Tommy says.
Squinting, I look up to see him trying to suppress a smile. “Are you smiling?”
“No, ma’am.” He shakes his head, pulling his lips between his teeth.
I narrow my eyes and bury my face in Noah’s chest because my head is killing me, and not at all because I want to get closer to him, or because I love the way he smells.
“Hurts.”
The throbbing in my head is instantly gone when Noah wraps an arm around my waist—funny how that happened—securing me in his lap. “Tommy, can you have Sara grab an ice pack out of the break room?”
“She’s at lunch. I’ll grab it, boss.”
“Let me see.” Noah tries to pry my hand away from my head, but I resist. “Lennon,” he says, chuckling. “Let me see it.”
“This is your fault,” I mumble.
“How is this my fault?”
“Because, you bamboozled me.”
“I bamboozled you?” he asks.
“You told me we were coming down here to check on your bike—”
“Which I did,” he interjects.
“Yes, but as soon as I had my back turned, you made a beeline for the shop. You came here to work.”
“You’re right,” he confesses. “There are a few things I can do without putting too much weight on my foot, and I thought I could get them done.” He nudges my shoulder again. “Let me see your head.” This time I let him look at my forehead.
Noah’s eyes widen. “Holy shit.”
“What?” I reach for my head, but Noah slaps my hand away. “Oh my God, what? Why are you looking at me like that?”
Noah busts up laughing. It’s a full-blown belly laugh, deep and raspy, that shoots straight to my core.
The Truth About Lennon Page 4