by Thayer King
Noah nursed his second beer and tried to convince himself not to pull out his phone again to check the time. He was bored out of his mind. Though he didn’t have anything lined up for tonight, he hadn’t wanted to come out. He was only twenty-nine and he was both clubbed out and tired of picking up women in bars. It was just so much of the same over and over. He couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment when his feelings about clubbing had changed. The escapades that he’d found so necessary previously left him feeling dissatisfied and empty of late.
On the barstool next to him, Avery chatted with a guy in a suit who’d bought her a drink. She wore a barely there silver dress that had shocked him when she showed up at his door. He’d never seen her wear anything so revealing before. But she explained to him that that was the purpose of the night. She was going to find a replacement for Patrick. At first, he’d been surprised that she’d changed her mind about trying to find someone new when she’d claimed to want to take some time for self-exploration or some shit. As a supportive friend, he couldn’t say no when she asked him to come out with her. He was tagging along as her wingman and hey, if he could pick up someone, then it would be worth all the trouble.
Only he wasn’t interested in picking anyone up. He wasn’t up to running his usual game of scanning the bar for the type of woman who’d be interested in a casual hook-up. All he could think about was Zoe and her big brown eyes and soft, cinnamon skin. The girl had him tied up in knots. He wanted to know what she hid under those baggy clothes. It was sad that he was jerking off in the shower to just the idea of kissing her.
He didn’t understand the nature of his obsession. For no particular reason, she’d been on his radar since she moved into their apartment building. And she clearly wasn’t going to agree to no strings sex. He couldn’t give her what she wanted. They were at an impasse.
Noah took another sip of his beer. Ty was right. It was a stupid idea to fuck his neighbor. It was better this way—them remaining friends. Now if he could just convince his dick to agree.
“Hey, I think the brunette at the end of the bar is checking you out.”
Noah glanced over to see that Avery was alone again. He’d come out at her insistence. Ty and Julie were so wrapped up in each other it was hard to get the two of them out of the house anymore. And he didn’t like the idea of Avery bar hopping on her own. Noah turned to see which brunette Avery referred to. He’d noticed her watching him earlier. She fit all of his criteria yet he couldn’t summon any enthusiasm at the idea of bedding her.
“What happened with your guy?” he asked, swiveling so that his back was to the woman.
Avery held up a business card and put it in her purse. “He’s here with business associates.”
“Does this mean we can leave now?”
Avery laughed and threw her hair over her shoulder. “But you haven’t found anyone.”
He arched an eyebrow and said dryly, “You’re cock blocking me.”
She tilted her head in the brunette’s direction. “Evidently not.” She put her elbow on the bar and propped her chin on her hand and watched him with interest. “Could it be that you’re tired of changing your women like most people change their underwear?”
“Fuck. Not this again? I’m only twenty-nine. Are my parents paying people to say this shit to me?”
Avery winced. “Sorry.”
Noah sighed. He could tell he’d hurt her feelings. “I’m sorry, Avery. It’s just…when I told my parents that you were single again, the next thing they were wondering was if the two of us were going to date. I mean, we’ve been friends forever. It’s the most ridiculous idea, but they can’t seem to let it go. I think they’re getting desperate to see me settle down.”
She gave him a wan smile. “Yeah, it’s just crazy, right?” She picked up her wineglass and gulped down the rest of the contents. “Ready to go?”
“Sure.” He waved over the bartender and settled their tab. “Are you coming back to my place or do you want to go home?”
“Depends. Do you have food?”
“Leftover Chinese,” he said.
Avery nodded. “That’ll do. It’s better than what I have. Some ketchup packets and salt.”
He slid off his stool. “That it?”
“Maybe some baking soda.”
Noah couldn’t help glancing at Zoe’s door as he let Avery into his apartment. He wondered what she was up to tonight. It was Friday. Did that mean she’d gone out for more Chinese food or did she go for something different since they’d had it earlier this week? He’d offered her some of his leftovers, but she’d declined.
“Are you coming in or what?” Avery asked. “What are you staring at?”
“Nothing.” He closed and locked his door. He led her to the kitchen. Gesturing toward the fridge, he said, “Help yourself.” He sat down at the kitchen table and propped his feet on one of the other chairs.
“You’re not having any?” she asked.
“No, I’m good. I ate earlier.” He watched her move around for a bit. She knew where he kept everything. She still hadn’t told him exactly why she ended her relationship with Patrick, but Noah wouldn’t push her. Avery wasn’t one of those women who wanted to talk about every passing emotion. If anything, she might be too closed off. As a guy who wasn’t into talking about his feelings, she was a perfect friend. Deep down, he knew if he ever wanted to talk though, she’d be there for him. However, he liked keeping things light. Maybe that was why he avoided romantic entanglements. He hated drama.
“So what was wrong with the brunette tonight? What weird vibe did she set off on your radar?”
Avery referred to his ability to decipher a woman’s motives with a little careful observation. He could usually spot if a woman was out for a good time or if she was in search of a wedding ring before he’d even approached her. If he still wasn’t sure from watching her, he usually could tell within a few minutes of conversation. “There was nothing wrong with her.” He shrugged. “I just wasn’t in the mood.”
Avery sputtered. “What? The great Noah Granger—not in the mood for sex! The world has gone crazy.”
He laughed. “I didn’t say I wasn’t in the mood for sex. I don’t know. I…” Damn. He wanted Zoe to such an extent that he wouldn’t be satisfied with a substitute. After only two dinners with Zoe, he was more infatuated with her than ever.
Avery smiled at him as she settled across from him at the table. “Why can’t you admit it? You were uncomfortable all night. You’ve outgrown your love of quick hook-ups. Join the rest of us on the dark side and get into a relationship.”
Noah rolled his eyes, but he said, “Don’t you think that would be an incredible risk for the woman to be with me? I haven’t dated anyone seriously since the year I went steady with Jennifer East in eighth grade. I mean, what if I felt…trapped and I wanted out?”
“Are you seriously considering being in a relationship?”
Shit, he was. Maybe he should have picked up that brunette. A week without sex and his thinking was muddled. But he’d be damned if he admitted what he was thinking to Avery. If word got out that he was interested in dating someone exclusively, his parents would be ordering wedding invitations. “How did we get back on me? How about you? Did you like…what was his name?”
Avery fluffed her rice with a fork. “Don’t laugh.”
“Why would I laugh?”
“His name is Avery.”
Noah smirked. “Well, at least you won’t forget his name.”
“Ha, ha. Other than that, he seemed nice. But I don’t know if I can deal with the same name thing. It’s just too cute.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Already envisioning the headache of sorting your mail after you take his last name?” He loved Avery, but she was the type of woman he avoided in a club. She already had her dress picked out and the wedding details planned. All she needed was the groom. Only no man ever seemed to fit into the mold she’d created.
She glared at him. “
No.” She paused for a minute. “What did you think of him?”
His brows rose. “Me? I didn’t talk to the guy. Why do you ask?”
“I’m beginning to question my judgement when it comes to men. I was thinking that maybe what I needed was a guy’s perspective. You could use your radar on him and help me sort him out.”
“That only works on women. I don’t scope dudes.”
“I still think you should meet him. Guys will talk more honestly with other guys. You’d know quicker than I would if he was a jerk.”
That was probably true. “Ty and Julie are having a party next weekend. Why don’t you invite him? I can try to talk to him there without him getting too suspicious.”
“Thanks, Noah.” She hopped up from her seat and hugged him. “You’re the greatest.”
He returned her hug, surprised and pleased by her sudden show of affection. “Yeah, yeah, don’t thank me yet.” She seemed really happy to have his help and he was glad. Seeing her sad and depressed over the breakup with Patrick hadn’t been easy. She must have really liked this guy despite her claim that she didn’t love him.
“Time for a haircut,” she murmured, tangling her fingers in the hair at his nape.
“I’ll do it tomorrow.” He snagged her hand and pulled it away from his head. She knew his hair was off limits. It took a lot of styling products to calm that shit down while keeping it touchable. He had really thick hair. And the longer it got, the harder it was for him to manage. There were only two times when he let someone touch his hair: when it was being cut and when he was fucking. Both situations were unavoidable. Haircuts were a part of life. He couldn’t deal with longer hair. And when he was with a woman he preferred they pull his hair to scratching his back. It certainly hurt less and at least the pain was temporary.
Avery took her seat and took a long drink of water. “I noticed wine in your fridge. What’s that about?”
“I got it to go with dinner. So what does this Avery do for a living?”
“He’s an executive producer at one of the local television stations.”
“Cool.”
“When did you develop a taste for wine?”
He dropped his foot off the chair and stood. “Earlier this week. You can take it if you want. I don’t need it.” He opened the refrigerator and took out the bottle of wine and handed it to her.
Avery grinned as she took it. “It’s my favorite.”
He shrugged. He’d thought the bottle looked familiar when he’d picked it up. “You’re welcome.”
Avery finished eating and Noah helped her clean up. She yawned and stretched. “I’d better go before I fall asleep. Thanks for coming out with me tonight.”
“Not a problem.” He put the wine bottle in a bag and gave it to her. He walked her to the door, thrilled that he’d had a hand in making her happy. He couldn’t keep his gaze from straying to Zoe’s apartment once more. They’d exchanged a few texts yesterday, but he hadn’t seen her since their Chopped marathon.
Avery smiled and waved at him from the elevator and he went back into his apartment. He brushed his teeth then undressed and got into bed. He closed his eyes. An image of Zoe smiling flitted into his mind, making his chest feel tight. He rubbed the heel of his palm against his breastbone.
He couldn’t believe he was seriously considering giving up his freedom for one woman. The thought of change made him feel anxious and restless. Was Zoe even worth it? He didn’t think he was fixated on her because of the challenge she presented. He wasn’t the sort who went about seeking challenges to make his life more interesting. It didn’t take much to make him happy. But once he had her would he want to keep her? He couldn’t bear the thought of hurting her.
“This is crazy,” Noah groaned, resolving to do nothing for now. It wasn’t like he had to make a decision right away.
Chapter Seven
Zoe jerked upright in bed at the sudden pounding on her door. “What the hell?” Her head felt fuzzy and full of cotton. She’d stayed up late last night. After torturing herself with obsessive thoughts of what Noah might be doing—or more accurately who he might be doing—she’d decide to distract herself by watching a movie. She chose It Follows. Not a smart decision. Women living alone should not watch horror movies. After watching the movie, she’d spent most of the night jumping at innocuous noises. She’d had to turn off her ice maker. Ice dropping in the middle of the night was seriously noisy!
Eyes barely open, she whipped the covers back and slid to the floor. Her long oversized cotton nightgown twisted around her ankles and she almost fell with her first step. She managed to catch the tall bedpost and keep herself upright.
Her robe was draped over the end of the bed and she snatched it up and headed for the door as someone began knocking again. She shrugged on her robe before looking through the peephole. Her heartbeat sped up even more when she spotted Noah.
She smoothed a hand over her hair though she thought the effort was wasted. She’d parted it down the middle last night and plaited it into two braids. With her old fashioned gown and her hair, she imagined she resembled someone’s grandmother.
“I brought you breakfast,” Noah said, sliding past her and entering her apartment. He held up a bag from McDonald’s.
Zoe blinked as he began unloading food onto her table. She moved closer to see what he’d bought. She wasn’t a fan of fast food for breakfast, but she wouldn’t complain about not having to cook when she was still so exhausted from a poor night’s rest. “Why are you here so early?”
“Couldn’t sleep.”
“So that means I shouldn’t sleep either?”
His gaze travelled over her. “Were you still in bed?”
“Yes.”
He grabbed the tip of one of her braids and tugged. “Your hair is really long.”
Her hair fell well past her shoulders. Both she and Felicia had inherited their long hair and high cheekbones from their maternal great-grandmother who was said to have been Native American. “And you got a haircut,” she noted. More of a trim really. His hair was longer on top and cut closer at the back and over his ears. Then she squeaked as he wrapped her braid around his broad palm and pulled her close. “W-what are you doing?”
“Damn, Zoe, I know I said I would be your friend, but I can’t do it. You make me so fucking horny.” She shivered at the desire in his voice and he smiled. “And you want me, too, don’t you?” Before she could protest, he had his arm wrapped around her reeling her in until she was pressed against the hard wall of his chest.
Zoe spread her fingers out and pushed back. “We agreed this wouldn’t work. We don’t want the same things.”
“And if I give you what you want?”
She shook her head. “You can’t.”
His face twisted with some undefinable emotion. “I think I’d like to try.”
He brushed his lips over hers and she trembled at the sensation, but she turned her head when he would have kissed her again. She wanted more of his kisses, but she knew it wasn’t wise. She was not going to be his experiment. At best, he would quickly grow bored with the idea of commitment. At worst, he could be lying to her to get what he wanted. She hated to think that the latter could be true, but it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.
“Please, Zoe,” he whispered, his lips caressing the sensitive skin behind her ear. “We could be so good together.”
“Y-you said you’d never do anything I didn’t want you to do.”
“Oh, you’ll want me to do it.” He trailed kisses down her neck until he found a spot that made her breath catch. Then he paused there, nibbling, kissing, and sucking. Her hands fisted the cotton of his t-shirt as her knees grew weak and wobbly. She could easily imagine his mouth on more intimate parts of her body, suckling her nipples, coursing over her stomach, sliding between her thighs.
With a moan, Zoe wrenched herself from his arms. That was it! She was going to quit reading erotica today! “Noah, are you saying you want to date me?”r />
He sucked in a deep breath. His eyelids were heavy and his irises were darkened with desire. “Yes.”
“But you don’t date.”
He ran a hand briskly over his hair. “I don’t want anyone but you, Zoe. You’re all I think about.”
She blinked in surprise. This was too much to take in this early in the morning. She hugged her robe around herself. “I-I’m not conscious enough for this conversation. I need a shower.” And to brush her teeth. She couldn’t believe she’d let him kiss her before she’d brushed her teeth!
“Go ahead. I’ll wait right here.”
She nodded and swiftly made her way to her bathroom. She brushed her teeth and then quickly stripped. She stuffed her braids under a shower cap to keep them dry. Under the revitalizing spray of the shower and away from the seductive influence of Noah, Zoe decided that she really only had one choice. The smart decision was to say no. He seemed like a nice guy, but she didn’t know him that well. Two dinners wasn’t enough to judge him by.
She dried off and dressed hurriedly before she lost her resolve.
Noah was sitting at her kitchen table sipping orange juice and running his thumb over his phone’s screen. He stopped when she walked into the room. Straightening up, he cleared his throat.
Joining him at the table, she took a deep breath. She tried holding his gaze, but found she couldn’t. She didn’t like delivering bad news. And, damn, he was too gorgeous. The overhead light picked up bronze tones in the thick, dark waves of his hair. “Noah, I-”
“At least think about it,” Noah interrupted as though he knew exactly what she was going to say. “Zoe, look at me.” He leaned across the table and took her hands in his. “I know I’m asking you to take a risk and that’s not something you’re not comfortable doing. I can promise you that I will be completely honest with you. I want to do this with you.”
“Noah, I’m not the type of girl who can deal with being on your arm while you use your x-ray vision to mentally undress another woman.”
His fingers tightened over hers. “I wouldn’t do that to you. The only reason I watched you that way was because I couldn’t not look at you.”