by K. C. Crowne
“That works. I should be home from work by five.”
“I can be there then. I just need your address and we can talk more tomorrow.”
I gave her my address and disconnected the call. I placed the phone next to me and ran my hands through my hair, feeling my short nails scrape my scalp and groaned.
Jenna Robertson would be in my home tomorrow, and I would have to try and control my thoughts. It had been so long since a woman had piqued any sort of interest in me. Sure, I had noticed attractive women, but none had invaded my thoughts like Jenna.
An enormous wave of guilt washed over me as I sat on my bed. When Carolyn was in her last days, she’d made me promise that I would move on and find happiness and love again. She hadn’t wanted me to wither away without her. But even two years later, I couldn’t imagine letting another woman into my life. And I had Tess to think about too. I tucked my phone away and walked to Tess’s room to tell her the news. She let out a little shriek of joy and launched herself at me. She gave me her best impression of a bone-crushing hug as my phone rang.
I chuckled as she released me and walked into the hallway. I thought it was Jenna, so I picked up without looking at the number.
“Hello?” There was no response. I looked down at my phone to see if I actually answered the call and didn’t recognize the number. “Hello?” Still no reply, but I could hear breathing. I felt a wave of rage. Not again. “Who the fuck is this?” I walked away from Tess’s door.
The breathing continued and got louder like the person on the other line had the receiver away from their face and moved it slowly closer.
“Listen here, motherfucker. You need to find someone else to prank!”
My grip became crushing around my phone. My knuckles turned white, and I wanted to tear the person apart. I couldn’t even count how many times this had happened in the past year. It started a couple of months after my father died and I took over the company. I thought nothing of it at first; it was just a prank caller.
Now? I was pissed.
“Leave me the fuck alone! Stop calling!” I hung up and almost threw my phone across the room.
Chapter 6
Jenna
I woke up around noon and puttered around my apartment with coffee in hand. I was really excited to have the work, but I was also nervous. Noah was very curt and sounded almost begrudging on the phone. I really liked Tess and wanted to make her happy first and foremost. Noah might be paying the bill, but Tess was the client.
I distracted myself until four. I pulled the Clarks’ address up on my phone and found that it was a solid twenty to thirty-minute walk from my apartment. I groaned and mentally kicked myself for not checking how far away they lived before.
I tied my hair back into a high pony and slipped into my most comfortable sneakers. I put everything in a messenger bag instead of my usual purse so it was easier to carry. My portfolio was in the bag already, but I didn’t want to bring more than I needed. I also had a little note pad and a pen to write notes for inspiration. When I made sure everything was secured, I put headphones in and left my apartment.
Twenty-three minutes later, I was outside the Clark residence. I took a deep, calming breath and walked up to the doorman, who called up to make sure I was welcome. I rode the elevator up, rang the doorbell in the tiny hall, and barely fifteen seconds passed before the door was opened by Noah himself.
I sucked in a breath through my nose at the sight of him. He was wearing sinfully tight jeans like the ones he wore when we first met. I tried to keep my eyes on his face, but they did trail down his muscular body and lingered on his package before I caught myself.
My mouth went a little dry, and I cleared my throat nervously. “Uh, hi, Mr. Clark.” I offered my hand for him to shake.
“Noah.” He took my hand, and I was surprised how big his hands were compared to mine. Not to mention they made me feel like lava ran through their veins.
“Nice to see you again, Noah.” I swallowed and offered him a smile. “You can just call me Jenna.”
“Okay, Jenna. Please come in.”
I could barely refrain from shivering at the sound of his voice saying my name. It was one of the sexiest things I’ve ever heard. His deep baritone was like a low purr. If I didn’t know any better, I would have assumed I was walking into a lion’s den.
“Where’s Tess?” I asked. I was surprised by how homey their living area was. I would have guessed that Noah would have a more modern, minimalist aesthetic.
“She’s with a group of friends having a study group right now. They’re all trying to get into the same private school for their freshman year.”
“Oh wow. She must be really smart!” Just from that little nugget of information, I could begin to picture what I wanted to do to her room.
“She is.” A small grin found its way onto Noah’s chiseled face.
“Could you show me her room? I want to get a sense of the size, and if you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you about her.”
“That’s fine. Follow me, I can take you to her room.” He waved for me to follow him upstairs.
On the left-hand side of the hallway was a door with a colorful sign that said Tess’s Room. It obviously had a child’s touch, and I couldn’t fathom at what age she’d made it.
Noah opened her bedroom door, and I was blown away not only by how young the room seemed, but from the sheer size of it. It was almost as big as the living area of my entire apartment.
“Oh, wow.” I pulled out the measuring tape I always kept in my messenger bag and walked into the center of the room. All the furniture was pushed up against the wall, making the room seem larger. My jaw dropped at the sheer amount of pink, and I looked at Noah for confirmation as I asked, “I take it pink is her favorite color?”
Noah moved to stand next to me and shook his head. “Used to be. I believe her favorite color now is mint green. She’s been trying to convince me to let her dye her hair for months now.”
I could feel the heat radiating off Noah as he stood next to me. He was so close that I could touch him if my arm moved an inch.
“My mom never let me dye my hair either. I wanted chunky blonde highlights.” I heard Noah exhale through his nose like he almost laughed. “So, what does Tess do with most of her time?”
“She reads and studies.”
“By her own volition?” I was somewhat surprised.
“Yes actually.”
He looked at me, and I was mesmerized by his eyes. They were a shade of green I’d only seen in stones.
“She has a thirst for knowledge I never had as a child.”
I nodded and left Noah’s side. I explored the room, getting dimensions of the space as well as inventorying the furniture.
I wanted to get rid of her desk as well as paint her walls a creamy off-white. It would be more mature for a girl getting ready to go into high school in another year or so, and it would go with anything. She wouldn’t have to worry about repainting her walls if lavender or some other color became her favorite color instead of mint green. New curtains, a new desk, new bedding, all would do wonders in updating a child’s room to a budding young woman’s.
Noah followed me like a shadow, and I could feel his gaze piercing my back. He answered all the questions to the best of his ability.
“How long has she had this bed and bed frame?”
“Four or five years.”
“Where does she keep her clothes?”
“In that dresser and her closet.”
“What does she do in here besides study and sleep?”
“She has a couple of handheld games she plays.”
“Does she have a favorite animal?”
“Uh, I’d have to guess a giraffe or owl.”
“Any prints she wears often?”
“She wears plaid and stripes a lot.”
“Gold or silver?”
“You’ll have to ask her that.”
We had moved to the couch as I asked him more
questions about Tess. I had my notepad out and wrote a series of notes for myself. Sitting next to Noah, I felt a lump form in my throat.
I felt like a fish out of water. I had no idea what he thought, and I had no idea why it bothered me so much. I wasn’t like this with other men. I was confident in my appearance and my abilities. With Noah, I was the complete opposite. I kept stumbling over words and my face felt like a wildfire - out of control and a burning red.
We were both more relaxed as time passed. I asked to look at the rest of the house. Noah had mentioned that he might want the house as a whole redecorated.
“What makes you want to change the whole house? I think it looks nice,” I said as I gestured to the happily cluttered living area.
“Too many memories here. My wife passed a few years ago and she chose everything in the house.”
I nodded and hugged my arms to my chest. That explained why I’d yet to meet his wife, though he still wore his wedding ring. “I’m sorry to hear that and I completely understand. Would you mind if I looked around the rest of the house? My main focus will be on Tess’s room, but I could come up with some concept boards for different rooms.”
“That’s alright by me.” His responses were fairly even throughout our conversations with little emotion shown. I wasn’t sure if he was just a normally guarded person, or if I somehow made him uncomfortable.
He got up first and offered me his hand. For a beat, I stared at the hand in confusion. When it finally clicked what he was doing, I gladly took it.
If I had been in some romance novel, I would have said there was a spark between us when our hands met. I rationalized the sudden weight in my belly as lack of food and the shock from our hands as static. But it didn’t feel like static. It wasn’t the sudden, sharp jolt you get when shocked. It felt warmer, like some force joined our hands together.
Noah pulled up from the couch with more force than he needed. I stumbled over my feet and accidentally slammed into his chest. He didn’t seem to be fazed by my body slam and stood firm like an old oak tree.
The flush that had faded a tiny bit came back full force.
Noah steadied me with his hands on my hips, and I thought I could die right then. I was a tall woman, but I still had to look up to make eye contact with him. Just like I was now. My hands were pressed firmly on his pecs, and they felt like stone beneath my palms.
My mouth fought between losing all moisture and salivating.
“I—Thank you for catching me.” My voice was embarrassingly breathy. I couldn’t wrap my mind around what was happening to me. I wasn’t this type of woman. I didn’t lose all composure over a hot guy, especially not a client.
Noah was silent for a moment as he stared down at me. Heat continued to climb up my neck, and I felt like my brain might fry.
“Not a problem.”
I don’t know if I was just imagining it, but our faces seemed to move closer. I looked at Noah with wide eyes and felt like I could fall into his. His unexplainable green eyes were hungry.
Before I was consumed, before anything happened, Tess threw the front door open and bounded into the room. Noah and I whipped our heads around to look at the young girl. We took a few steps back from one another and avoided eye contact. Tess didn’t seem to notice anything out of place and rushed to give her dad a hug.
She also gave me a quick hug. I smiled down at her and returned the hug.
“How was your study group?” Noah signed as he spoke, and though his fingers moved expertly, they were a little slower than they’d been in the store. I understood that he was doing this for my benefit, to include me in the conversation, and I appreciated it.
Tess beamed. She signed and Noah translated. “It was really good!” She bounced over to her father and took his large hands in her small ones and squeezed before dropping them to sign. He didn’t say her words out loud, so I waited patiently.
“She wants to know if you can stay for dinner so she can hear all about your plans for her room?” he asked, shifting his weight from foot to foot in a sign of discomfort.
I found it incredibly sweet that he would do just about anything for his daughter even if it made him uncomfortable. “Sure. If it’s alright with you, I can stay.”
“What would you like to eat?” he asked gruffly, looking from me to Tess.
I shrugged and offered a smile. “I’m good with just about anything.”
Tess was vibrating with a ton of energy, and Noah spoke out loud for my benefit. “Can we get takeout?”
“What type?”
“Sushi!”
“Sushi?” I asked. “I’ve never actually had sushi before.”
Noah translated my words with his hands. Tess gasped and threw her hands over her mouth in disbelief.
“How have you not had sushi?”
I chuckled and shook my head. “My parents were never big fish eaters. They’d rather have poultry or pork. My mom wasn’t a huge fan of beef either.”
She quirked her head to the side and gazed at me with wide green eyes. She signed, Noah spoke aloud. “Would you like to try sushi?”
“I’m always willing to try something once.”
I glanced at Noah, who watched us with a strange intensity. It was strange to suddenly realize that he was a spectator to this whole conversation. I was conscious of the fact that I’d been talking to Tess even though Noah had been representing both of our voices. How long had it actually been since he’d said anything?
I waited for him to voice his opinion about the sushi, lifting my eyebrow at him in question.
“Sushi is fine by me. We can get a variety for you to try.”
“Sure, that sounds great.” I looked between Tess and Noah. The man seemed more relaxed with Tess here, which I thought was incredibly sweet. His daughter made him into a softy. Tess continued to smile and took my hand. She guided me to the kitchen where I saw a cork board covered with takeout menus.
“How do you find everything?” I asked in regard to the board.
“We only find the menus we’re looking for half the time,” Noah answered me.
We were able to actually find the menu, and Tess spouted off her order with ease. Noah smiled at her antics and told her to wait.
I sat down at the island bar and scrutinized the menu. I hadn’t eaten much fish in my life. I’d sometimes get a fish fry or have a tuna melt. Other than those I didn’t have much exposure. I hadn’t noticed that Noah walked over to me until I saw him out of the corner of my eye. I jolted at the sudden closeness and waited for him to do something. I felt as if I was walking on eggshells around him
“Do you have any idea what you might want to eat?”
I felt his breath on my neck and could feel the baby hairs there stand on edge. “Oh… um… I guess something basic? I don’t want you to waste your money on me.”
“Food isn’t a waste of money.”
“It is when it’s not eaten,” I retorted.
Noah leaned back and gave an absentminded nod. “I guess that’s true, but Tess would never see any food be wasted. She’ll eat just about anything.”
“That must be nice.” I had laughter in my voice. “Most parents have to deal with picky devils.”
“Most yes, but not me.”
Noah ordered our sushi and told Tess and me there would be around a thirty-minute wait. Tess groaned aloud and dramatically clutched her stomach. The three of us walked back up to her bedroom. She had begged me to tell her my thoughts about what to do with her room.
I explained my desire to make a table the center of the room where she would spend most of her time. We would get rid of her desk and replace it with the table so she could have group study sessions at the house and be tucked away in her room. I also wanted to get her a new, full-sized bed and new frame, one with the storage compartments built in. I explained about the walls, the curtains, the bedding, so she could get a clear picture.
Before Tess came home, Noah told me that I could do anything to her room a
s long as she liked it. I didn’t need to worry about a budget. I could only imagine what his job was if he had that much expendable cash lying around.
Tess jumped in place as she looked around her room. I imagined she was picturing the finished product. She signed something to her father, who laughed and looked at me. “She’s excited,” he said.
“I’m glad you like my ideas so far. When I get home, I can make a concept board so you can actually see my ideas.”
“My room is gonna be so awesome!” Noah translated.
During the thirty minutes we had to wait for the food, I spoke more to Tess about what she’d like in her room. Overall, it was a pleasant experience, except for the fact that I could feel Noah’s eyes on us. Even when the food arrived, his eyes bore into me.
Maybe it was all my imagination. Maybe it wasn’t. But I could feel a tension forming between us. I ignored it to the best of my ability with Tess as a buffer between the two of us.
Noah didn’t participate too much in the small talk over dinner. He asked me what I thought of the sushi, which was called a California roll and was apparently one of the usual beginner rolls for first-time sushi eaters.
I enjoyed the sushi and told them so. Tess insisted I try some of her rolls, which were very good as well, and I thanked her for opening my tastes to something new.
Different topics were tossed around during dinner, and I tried to ignore the burning green gaze two seats away from me. I was proud of myself for not squirming under his stare.
Tess was oblivious to any of the tension between Noah and myself, for which I was grateful. I didn’t want to explain what happened, because I didn’t know myself. I was also grateful that dinner didn’t last too long. I arrived around four-thirty and had been at their home for a couple of hours. I didn’t want to walk all the way home at nine or ten.
Maybe I could convince Sara to pick me up. If I did, she would badger me for details. I sighed through my nose and finished what was left on my plate.
“Thank you both for having me.” I pushed my plate back and hopped out of my chair. “I really do appreciate this, but I need to head home. I don’t want to walk home super late.”