The episode ended and he turned off the TV, then tried to decide if he should disturb her to turn off the light.
She shifted slightly, then lifted her head to look at him. “I’m sorry. I fell asleep.”
“It’s okay, I’m tired too.” He reached up and flipped the switch, flooding the room with darkness.
She scooted off him but stayed close. “Noah? Can I ask you a favor?”
“Anything . . . well, except for buying you tampons. A guy has to draw the line somewhere.”
She laughed. “You’re safe there . . . for now.”
He grinned in the dark. “What’s your favor?”
She paused, and when she finally answered, her voice sounded unsure. “Will you hold me?”
He didn’t answer, just rolled onto his side and reached for her, pulling her back to his chest, bending his hips back in case touching her aroused him again.
She put her hand over his. “You’re the only one who stood by me today.”
The thought sobered him. How could that be? He was the least responsible of all of her friends. He instinctively pulled her closer. “Oh, Lib. I’ll always be there for you. I promise. I’m sorry I said I wasn’t coming. If I’d kept my original flight yesterday, maybe I could have helped you change your mind.”
Her head rubbed against his chest as she shook it. “No. You couldn’t have. I was sure I knew what I was doing.”
The sadness in her voice wrecked him. “It’s over. Tomorrow is Libby Day and we won’t mention any of this at all, okay? Just fun.”
“Okay.”
Soon her breath evened again, and he drifted off to sleep too, wondering if this was what contentment felt like. If it was, he knew he wanted it with her.
Chapter Eight
Libby woke facing Noah, their legs intertwined. For a few moments she was confused and horrified. Had she had sex with him? But the thought barely had the chance to form before she remembered everything. He’d only held her.
She’d slept in a bed with Noah and he hadn’t made a move on her. She wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or insulted. She settled on disappointed—another surprise. But sex with Noah was bound to ruin everything, she reminded herself. Yesterday he’d proved himself to be a loyal and supportive friend. She couldn’t let her hormones screw that up.
She untangled herself, making him stir, then propped herself up on one elbow. “Good morning.”
“What time is it?” he muttered, keeping his eyes closed.
“I don’t know. I can’t see a clock.”
“Go back to sleep,” he grumbled. “Whatever time it is, it’s two hours earlier in Seattle. For me, it’s like the middle of the night.”
“It’s not the middle of the night. The sun’s out.”
Groaning, he rolled over and looked at the clock on the nightstand, then groaned again.
“So what time is it?”
“9:13.” He didn’t sound very happy about it.
“I’m hungry.”
He lay on his back, looking up into her face. He blinked as his eyes adjusted to the light. “You’re worse than Tortoise.” Then his eyes widened. “Hey, where is Tortoise?”
“Did you seriously think I was irresponsible enough to leave my dog alone overnight?”
“Well, no.”
“Liar.”
He looked relieved when she laughed.
“He’s with my friend Steph. She treats him like a little prince.”
“I miss him.”
That surprised her . . . then it didn’t. She’d adopted Tortoise while Noah was in town—they’d gone to the dog shelter together—and he’d teased her to no end about the name she’d given him. But he’d grown attached to the animal too, and often asked about him, as infrequent as his calls had become these past weeks.
“Hey,” she said, giving his arm a shove. “Why haven’t you called me very much over the last month?”
“That’s a two-way street, Libby.”
It was true. She’d pulled away from him after telling him about her engagement. She realized now it was because his disapproval had smarted. Even though she hadn’t intended to go through with the wedding, she’d known all along he was right about marrying Mitch.
“None of that,” he said, pulling her close again. “Yesterday happened in a vacuum.”
It hadn’t, not really. But it was nice to pretend it was true. “Maybe so, but today has its own very real problems.”
He frowned. “What problems could you possibly have on your special day?”
“Remember? The only thing I have to wear is a wedding dress.”
“Hmm . . . I see your point. Should I go out and pick up an outfit for you?”
“Are you kidding?” she asked in mock horror. “I don’t care to spend my special day dressed like a hooker.”
He leaned to the side to catch her gaze. “I’m slightly insulted by that.”
“Only slightly?”
“Well, I admit, it’s a legitimate concern.”
She lifted her eyebrows in mock surprise.
“I have a pair of sweatpants in my bag. You could wear those.”
“So I’m going to pair your sweatpants and T-shirt with my white beaded shoes?”
“Only so we can go out and find you something more suitable to wear. Unless you want to go in the buff. Or in your dress.”
“Sweatpants it is.”
“Thought so.”
She hopped out of bed and grabbed her bra from underneath the wedding dress on the chair, then slipped into the bathroom and closed the door. She was in the process of putting her bra on under Noah’s T-shirt when she saw his toothbrush on the counter.
Oh, God. She’d been talking to him with morning breath. She could get a toothbrush while they were out shopping, but she didn’t want to go that long. Looking over her shoulder, she turned on the water and grabbed his toothbrush, quickly putting toothpaste on the bristles. She’d been brushing for half a minute when Noah knocked on the door and pushed it open a crack. “Are you decent?”
“Uh-huh,” she said with the toothbrush in her mouth.
He opened the door the rest of the way and stared at her in the reflection in the mirror for a moment, his forehead wrinkling. “Here’s the pants.”
“Thanks,” she mumbled, still brushing.
His mouth dropped open. “Is that my toothbrush?”
She pulled it out and spat in the sink. “Yeah.”
“Oh, my God!” he said in horror. “That’s disgusting.”
“Come on,” she said, cupping water into her hand and slurping it into her mouth. “You’re telling me that you’ve never shared a toothbrush with someone before?”
“Absolutely not. Now that thing is covered in your germs.”
She rinsed off his toothbrush under the running water. “It’s no different than kissing.”
“But at least I get something out of kissing. What am I getting out of this?”
She turned around to face him, lifting her eyebrows in a playful manner. “My charming personality without halitosis?”
Something happened in his eyes then, the annoyance shifting to something she didn’t recognize, but it was gone just as quickly as it had appeared. “Just remember paybacks are a bitch.”
A grin spread across her face as she stalked closer to him and rested her palms against his chest. “Am I supposed to be scared, Noah McMillan?”
His eyes narrowed. “You have no idea what I’m capable of.”
His tone was teasing, but the combination of their proximity, their playful banter, and the suggestive words he’d just uttered sent an unexpected wave of heat coursing through Libby.
That was the thing. She wanted to find out what he was capable of . . . .
Her hands were still on his chest, but her fingertips were on fire now. She inhaled sharply, trying to make sense of the war being waged in her head. Her body demanded she grab the back of his head, pull his mouth to hers, and drag him to the very available bed le
ss than ten feet away, so they could have what she was sure would be the most amazing sex of her life. But her head commanded her body to stop. She had too much to lose with a spontaneous fling. It wasn’t worth the risk. Even if she let herself think they might have the potential to have something long term, she had a hard time ignoring what was plainly written in her palm. She was destined for a man who was creative. She was certain an engineer who worked in an office didn’t qualify.
“Lib?” he asked, concern in his eyes. One minute she’d been playing around with him, the next she’d practically turned to a statue, her hand glued to his chest.
She forced a smile and stepped back. She would not make things awkward between them. She needed Noah. No matter what her heart wanted, her body wanted, she couldn’t afford to do anything that would risk pushing him away, especially now. She tugged on the sweatpants in his hand. “Thanks.” Confusion wrinkled his brow as she pushed him out of the bathroom. “I’ll be out in a minute.”
When she emerged several minutes later, he was looking at his laptop again. He glanced up at her with a sly grin before closing the lid.
He wanted her to try to wrest his secret plans from him, so she gave him a haughty smile instead. “I’m starving.”
“Good thing for you they have a continental breakfast here,” he teased, packing his computer into his messenger bag. “We can take our things downstairs and leave after we eat.”
She noticed his bag on the bed, the lid open. He brushed past her, and into the bathroom, as she turned her attention to the wedding dress he’d arranged on the bed next to it.
Noah came back out and packed up his toiletry bag. “What do you want to do with your dress? It won’t fit into my bag.”
“Leave it.”
He spun around to face her. “You’re the one who picked it out, not Mitch, right?”
She hesitated. “Yes.”
“Do you love it?”
“What?”
He released a sigh, looking embarrassed. “Megan’s mother picked out her wedding dress, but she had her heart set on another one. Josh bought it for her.”
“I know. I was there,” she teased.
He forged on. “Libby, do you love the dress?”
She tilted her head to the side and gave him an ornery grin. “If I say no, does that mean you’re going to buy me a new one?”
Groaning, he grabbed her shoulders, then enunciated his words slowly. “Do you love the dress?”
She did, but she couldn’t very well wear it again. What man would tolerate her wearing a dress she’d bought for her wedding to another man? She could hardly explain that her reasons for almost marrying Mitch weren’t exactly honorable.
Noah grabbed the room key and walked out the door without another word.
Had she pissed him off? She couldn’t figure out what she’d done other than borrow his toothbrush.
But she didn’t have long to contemplate it. The door opened a few seconds later, and Noah walked in with a clear trash bag. “Hold this open.” He shoved it toward her.
There was no denying him, so she did as he’d asked. He folded up the gown and crammed it into the bag. When he finished, she looked up at him with an inquisitive gaze and he shrugged. “We couldn’t leave it. If nothing else, you can sell it on eBay or make an art piece out of it.”
She sucked in a breath, then released it, thrown off by an unexpected rush of emotion. “Thanks.”
She slipped on her wedding shoes, then stood in front of the full-length mirror. Noah’s black T-shirt hung to her thighs and his gray sweatpants were rolled up to her ankles. The drawstring in the waist was pulled so tight it looked like she had a life preserver hidden under her shirt. The beaded, two-inch white heels topped off the ensemble. “I look like I’m about to join to the circus.”
Noah grinned. “You look better in that shirt than I ever did.”
She’d seen him in this shirt before, and she had to admit he filled it out quite nicely. It swam on her. “You liar. You’re loving every minute of this.”
“Okay, you look like a homeless person who stole a bride’s shoes. Happy? Let’s go eat.”
He insisted on carrying his bag and her dress down to the lobby. The obvious wedding dress crammed into a trash bag drew strange looks from other guests at the breakfast buffet, but they flat-out gawked at her. She was used to getting attention, but not like this.
A couple of younger women sat at a table together, snickering as they watched Libby pick up a tray from the counter and follow Noah in the food line.
“Is this some new fashion craze?” a woman behind her asked.
“Yes.” Noah leaned around Libby with a serious expression. “It’s taken over Lesser Mongolia and Kurdistan. It’s all the rage.”
“Kurdistan?” she asked in amazement. “I had no idea it was a high-fashion country.”
“Until a few months ago, they had no fashion at all. They used to go around naked. Do you know how cold it gets there?” Noah asked, heaping his plate with bacon. “Let me tell you, it’s not pretty. I had to draw the line when Libby tried that one.” He shook his head with mock disapproval. “You can only imagine how many times I had to bail her out of jail.”
The woman eyed Libby up and down.
“I can see what you’re thinking, what with her swimming in these clothes,” Noah said, moving to the next food station, “but I can assure you she has the figure for it. She used to walk around town and cause massive car pile-ups from all the men gawking at her. In fact,” he winked at her with a conspiratorial grin, “she wasn’t arrested for indecent exposure. She was arrested for breaking up so many marriages—those men got one look at her and they knew no woman could ever compare to such a goddess.”
The woman’s mouth dropped and she stared at Libby wide-eyed before she realized what she was doing and jerked her gaze back to Noah. “I had no idea someone could be arrested for that,” the woman said.
Noah nodded. “They had to make an emergency law. It’s called the Libby Law. In Hedonista, Iowa.” Noah shot Libby a wide grin and moved to the other side of the room to get some coffee.
The woman kept sneaking glances at Libby, but Libby ignored her, trying to keep a straight face as she walked over to join Noah.
“Walking naked in public?” Libby whispered.
Noah shrugged.
He started to say something to her when one of the seated young women snickered, then stage-whispered, “She’s so tacky. There’s no way she could break up a marriage.”
Noah’s back stiffened as he glanced over his shoulder, but Libby simply reached for a mug and poured herself some coffee.
“I have no idea what that fine looking man is doing with someone like her,” the woman continued.
The second woman giggled. “Must be charity work. Girls like her make guys feel sorry for them, which is why they never give us a chance.”
Noah’s eyes hardened, but Libby put her hand on his arm. “Ignore them. They’re not worth it.”
He stood still for several seconds, but then he set his coffee cup on the counter and handed Libby his plate. “Could you take this to the table for me? I’ll bring your coffee over.”
She tilted her head and narrowed her gaze. “Why? What are you going to do?”
His eyes twinkled with mischief. “Trust me on this one, okay?”
“Okay . . .”
“I’ll join you in a minute.”
Libby took the two plates to their seats and watched as Noah wandered over to the table with the two women. He grabbed a chair and pulled it over to their table, angling it between them. “Good morning,” he said, pouring on the charm.
Their eyes widened and one of the women held back a giggle.
“How are you two lovely ladies this morning?”
“Good. We’re good,” they mumbled, their words slurring together.
If Libby hadn’t known better, she would have thought Noah had gone over there to flirt with them. And even though he’d clearly
stood in line with her, they were falling for it hook, line, and sinker.
He placed his forearm on their small table and leaned forward. “I couldn’t help overhearing what you said about my lovely bride over there.” He tilted his head toward Libby and they at least had the grace to blush. “Now, I have to ask you two, do I look like a fool?”
One of them turned from pink to scarlet while the other shook her head and mouthed “no,” horror in her eyes.
Noah’s voice took on an air of condescension. “I can assure you that Libby has more class in her pinky finger than the two of you put together, and even if I had never been lucky enough to meet her, I wouldn’t have given either of you the time of day. I don’t care for mean, gossipy women.” He stood and grabbed the back of the chair. “Now that we’ve got that clear,” he added, his charm restored, “you ladies have a good day.”
The other hotel guests stared at Noah and several began to clap as he replaced the chair at a nearby table.
The two women hastily gathered their things and headed for the elevator.
Noah grabbed his coffee and Libby’s and headed back to their table.
She pursed her lips in disapproval. “Noah, you didn’t have to do that.”
He picked up his fork, concentrating on his food. “Of course I did. Those two imbeciles were trash-talking you. I had to set them straight.”
“You could have just let it go.”
He glanced up in surprise. “I’m your friend, Libby. I can’t stand by and let you get hurt. Why do you think I changed my mind about coming to Kansas City?”
His question caught her off guard. “I thought you came because you were supposed to be in my wedding.”
Something unreadable flickered in his eyes and he looked down at his food. “I thought you were hungry.”
“You’re hiding something from me.”
He hesitated for a long moment, then met her gaze and held it. “You wanted me at the wedding. I couldn’t let you down.”
Tears stung her eyes. “You’re the only person in this whole mess who hasn’t let me down.” She shook her head, once again reminded of her humiliation. “I’m an idiot.”
“You’re not an idiot, Lib.” His voice was soft and understanding. “You just got blinded by what you thought was love.”
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