“You don’t even care about hockey,” he pointed out, stepping even closer to her.
“But I care about –“ She stopped herself before she said too much. Hell, she didn’t even realize what she was saying. She took a moment to catch her breath, not daring to look at Alec, not daring to see him because she knew he would see her. Instead, she sucked in a breath, took a moment to calm herself down.
Without warning, Alec reached out. She glanced at his hand, waiting. There was no way he would touch her, right? No way he would do something to her like that. But he didn’t drop his hand. Slowly, so slowly, his fingertips brushed the top of her ear as they pushed stray hair behind her ear. She sizzled when he touched her. Everything froze. Even her heart stilled for a moment. She shouldn’t like when Alec touched her. She shouldn’t feel her skin burn in a way that was both pleasurable and confusing. She expected pain and shame to come with touch, not gentleness. Not pleasure.
But that was exactly what happened.
“I think,” Alec said, his voice low. “I think you and I can help each other.”
Noah furrowed her brows, crossing her arms over her chest. The word help never sat right with her since she and Aaron blew up. It always made her blush because it implied that she couldn’t help herself. It was stupid, she knew, but that was just how she felt about things now.
“Really?” Her voice was flat and she didn’t care.
“Look, I know it’s me and I’m probably the last guy you want to be around right now,” Alec said.
Noah bit back a snort. If he truly believed that, he was an idiot. If anything, she wanted to be around Alec. For some strange reason she didn’t quite understand, he was the one that made her feel safe. He was the one that calmed her down and made her forget about Aaron, even briefly. She needed to be around that more. She had to be.
“But considering the whole world thinks we’re dating, I was wondering if maybe you might be open to the possibility of letting people think that way,” he finished.
Noah blinked once, twice. He wasn’t serious, was he? He wanted the world to think they were together? He wanted people to believe that?
“Why would you want that?” she asked.
Alec cleared his throat and dropped his gaze. Immediately, Noah narrowed her eyes at him. Something was going on here, something she couldn’t put her finger on. But if Alec was asking for her help, that had to mean something was up.
“Well,” he said, “Seraphina found out about what happened at the rink. That little fucker Zummo actually called her up and told her himself. Can you believe that? What an asshole, am I right?”
Noah twisted her finger. “Let’s move along, Alec,” she said. “What are you trying to say? What’s going on?”
“Look,” he said, “for whatever reason, you need my help pretending to be your boyfriend, right?” Noah opened her mouth, ready to say something, even if she wasn’t quite sure she knew what she wanted to say. Alec held up a hand, stopping her. “You don’t have to get into it if you don’t want to. I get it. But I need your help.”
Noah blew out a breath. She supposed that was fair. “Okay,” she said. “What is it?”
“I can be your boyfriend,” he said. “But I need you to be my girlfriend. Seraphina Hanson thinks we’re together and she approves. She thinks it’ll help my public persona and that you will ground me. Whatever that means.” He tilted his head to the side. “Well? Will you do it?”
Noah hesitated. She didn’t think it was a good idea, but Alec helped her. The least she could do was return the favor.
“Yeah,” she nodded. “I’ll be your girlfriend.”
11
Alec
The first thing Alec did after Noah approved of his plan was instruct her to get dressed up in something fancy.
“Why?” she asked, furrowing her brow and crossing her arms across her chest.
Alec rolled his eyes at her response. He shouldn’t have been surprised that this was how she was going to react to him. Now that they were fake girlfriend-boyfriend, he expected at the very least that she would go along with everything he suggested and not question him, but apparently that wasn’t going to happen.
“Well, Pat Zummo wrote all about us,” he pointed out. “Which means people are going to look for us. I’m thinking I take you to a nice restaurant at the Spectrum. Everyone and their mother is at that outside mall, which means I’m sure paparazzi will be there too. If not them, then Mayhem fans with camera phones. If we’re going to be together, we need to sell it.”
“And that requires me to dress in something fancy for dinner?” Noah asked, arching a brow. He could tell she wasn’t entirely convinced.
“Well, do you honestly think I’m going to settle down with someone ugly?” he asked. “Fix up your hair, put on makeup, and voila! You could almost pass for someone I would realistically take out.”
Noah flipped him off and his lips curved up before he could stop them. At least she wasn’t throwing things at him – yet.
“You’re doing me a favor,” she commented, “so I’m going to refrain from insulting you.”
“I appreciate it.”
“This only lasts for today,” she said as she stepped back in her room. “Tomorrow, fake boyfriend or not, you’re fair game.”
She slammed the door closed before he could reply.
Hopefully that means she’s getting dressed.
When Noah stepped out of her room twenty minutes later, Alec was a little more than agitated. It was easy for him to throw on a collared shirt and slacks. Even though he would have preferred jeans and a t-shirt, they had to sell this. It had to seem like this date was romantic. A romantic date meant fancy clothes. People put more effort into people they cared about, didn’t they? Which meant he had to look nice.
Luckily for him, looking nice took all of ten minutes. Noah, on the other hand…
He kept glancing at his watch until he heard the door swing open. His mouth opened, ready to tell her that she wasted twenty minutes when all she had to do was throw on a dress, but the words evaporated on his tongue. How the fuck was he supposed to say anything when she looked like that?
The white dress clung to her body just a little too tight, which meant she must have had the dress since early high school. Alec knew she hadn’t filled out completely since senior year – not that he noticed this about just her; he noticed it about every girl on campus that was aesthetically pleasing – so the dress didn’t quite fit the same way it had when she was a freshman.
This meant, of course, that the dress fit perfectly. So perfectly, in fact, that Alec couldn’t take his eyes off of her. And he wanted to. Alec liked to play it cool. He dated numerous gorgeous women, all with characteristics or qualities that he found extremely attractive, but he always kept the things he noticed close to his vest. He didn’t make it obvious because he didn’t want to give them the power. Because before, dating – because it sure as hell wasn’t relationships – were a power struggle, and Alec always wanted to have the upper hand. This was why he stuck to dating. Even he knew it wasn’t the healthiest viewpoints to have.
But all of that didn’t explain why he couldn’t keep the upper hand with Noah. Granted, Noah was gorgeous and this wasn’t even a real relationship. At least, they both understood they were helping each other out. Regardless, it was something different, and since it was different, that made him notice it even more.
“You look…” He let his voice trail off, finally meeting her eyes.
“You don’t have to pretend when there’s no one else around,” she said quickly, pressing down the wrinkles of her dress. Alec would have said she was nervous if this was anyone but Noah. Noah wasn’t the nervous type, especially when they were going to a dinner that definitely didn’t mean anything.
Alec opened his mouth, ready to tell her he wasn’t pretending, but thought better of it. She was right. Even if he thought he was stating a simple fact, he didn’t want to seem like he was getting too caught up
into things. How would that be for a power struggle?
“Right.” He clapped his hands together. “Ready to go?”
She fiddled with the hemline of the dress. “Yeah, sure.”
Alec decided the best place to be seen in Irvine was the Spectrum. He considered going to Newport and driving to a trendy bar on the Pacific Coast Highway, but considering how nervous Noah was presently, he didn’t want to put undue pressure on her. As much as he loved to step out of his car and hear both the crashing waves hitting the shore and the low murmur of pop music and glasses clinking, he thought it might be better to go somewhere more neutral.
The Irvine Spectrum was an outdoor mall where middle school kids got dropped off by their parents Friday nights and they could roam freely and pretend they were older than they actually were. Alec remembered coming to the big Edwards theatre and hanging out by the large fountain right in front of the food court. There was always such a mixture of people – businessmen in suits, kids in baggy sweats, women in tight dresses and the highest of heels – and no one ever felt like they didn’t belong. There was something there for everyone.
Alec pulled up to the valet and stepped out of the car. A valet attendant opened the passenger door for Noah and another handed Alec a ticket. Alec thanked him and the two headed over to the sidewalk. Tangy barbeque and buttery popcorn filled the air. The Spectrum had a wide range of restaurants lined up, but Alec knew exactly where he wanted to eat with Noah. It wasn’t terribly fancy, but you could go in a jeans or in suits and no one would blink either way.
“I’m going to put my arm around you,” Alec told her.
Noah nodded but didn’t say anything. He wondered if maybe she was going to change her mind about their plan to work together, to pretend to be together. Hell, he couldn’t blame her. It wasn’t as though he was her favorite person. In retrospect, he was an asshole. More than that, this whole plan benefited him more than it benefited her. She was doing him a favor, and he couldn’t remember thanking her for it or, at least, showing some sort of appreciation.
Alec slid his arm around her waist and brought her closer to him. Without meaning to, he managed to catch a whiff of the scent on her. He knew it was something floral, and while he couldn’t exactly recognize the different flowers, there was a hint of vanilla so the scent wasn’t as sharp. All that to say she smelled alluring, enticing, and if there was a way for him to bring her even closer to him, he would.
“I hope you like cheesecake,” he said as they headed past the theatre, past the fountain, and towards an aisle of shops.
Noah smiled. “I love cheesecake,” she said.
“Great,” Alec said. “We can share one.”
As usual, there was a crowd of people inside The Cheesecake Factory. The couple managed to slide through the crowds. Luckily enough, the hostess was a huge Gulls fan and immediately recognized Alec. As such, they were seated quickly and in minutes, their waitress was at their table, offering to take drink orders. By the time she left, Alec grabbed some butter and bread and began to douse the bread with the butter.
“You know,” Alec said, “You’re awfully quiet. What’s going on in that head of yours?”
Noah snorted, looking down at her lap. “I guess I just never thought I’d be on a date with Alec Sinclair,” she said, catching his eye.
“You’re one of the lucky ones. Fortune is smiling down on you now.”
“You think so?” she asked. “That’s good. I could use some fortune in my life.”
Alec took a bite of the bread, debating on what to do next. It was clear that she was hinting at what caused her to temporarily move in with him and Lily, but she didn’t want to say anything more. He could understand that. It had to be serious because he knew Noah enough to know that she wasn’t the sort to just be quiet about things.
At that moment, the waitress brought out their drinks. The two ordered food and once the waitress left, they fell into silence. For whatever reason, Alec felt awkward. He never felt awkward on a date before. Then again, he had never actively taken a girl out on a date before. If anything, he was always very careful to go places where he knew he would meet girls and then get the chance to take them home. Clearly, Noah was the exception to the rule.
Then again, this isn’t a date.
“Thanks,” Alec said, after a moment. “For helping me with this. I think it’ll be a good idea, you know. It’ll help.”
Noah smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes. “No problem,” she said. She picked at her piece of bread, but didn’t actually eat it. “You did me a favor. The least I can do is help you out as well.”
Alec frowned. He knew that she was right, but at the same time, he didn’t like how clinical it sounded.
“I know something is bothering you,” he said instead. He had no idea why he was saying anything, not when he knew he shouldn’t push her. But it was like these were important words and he wanted to make sure she understood that he knew how important they were. “I just want to tell you that when you’re ready to talk about it, I’m here for you.”
Noah cleared her throat, risking a glance at him. He couldn’t be sure, but there seemed to be something in his words she was reacting to. She was grateful, even though he somehow knew she probably wouldn’t take him up on his offer.
“I never thought I’d hear Alec Sinclair say something nice,” she said. Not in a way where she was feeling sorry for herself. More like it was the truth, but it was a truth she liked, one she appreciated.
“Yeah, well, to be fair, I never thought Noah Stone would ever help me with something,” he said. “Might as well talk out this girlfriend-boyfriend stuff. I’ve never had one before, so…”
Noah’s brows shot up. “That’s hard to believe, what with your reputation,” she said, her eyes sparkling.
His breath caught in his throat as he stared at her. He didn’t think he had ever seen something as beautiful as she was right now.
Before he could say anything, the food arrived. For the next ten minutes, the two were silent. A small boy came over and asked for a picture, which Alec was happy to oblige. Other than that, the meal was much more pleasant than he anticipated.
“Ready to go, then?” he asked after they finished up their cheesecake.
“Sure.”
Alec paid the check, left a generous tip, and began to head out back into the crowd waiting at the lobby. Without warning, he stopped. They were supposed to be together. They had just had a date. For some reason, he felt compelled to turn towards her, and in the crowd of people, pulled her in for a long kiss.
12
Noah
The kiss curled Noah’s toes and caused butterflies to rip out of their hollow cocoons and start flapping their wings inside of her stomach once again. She felt rooted to her place and light, like she could float away, all at the same time. Her fingers brushed the back of his neck. She didn’t want to grip him too hard, afraid she might hurt him, might hurt her chances of prolonging the kiss.
It was much more tender than she anticipated from him. Closed mouth, but not frigid or platonic. It was just enough to tease her, to make her want him more. Noah slowly pulled away from him when air was becoming a huge factor, though she would have continued if it wasn’t. From her peripheral, she could see people around them, holding up their phones and recording. For the first time, She didn’t think about the consequences of her actions. She didn’t think if Aaron would find out and punish her accordingly. All Noah could see was Alec. All she could think about was doing it again. And again.
“Um,” he said, tilting his head down and rubbing his jaw. “I think… I think we came here to do what we did, and that, well…” His voice trailed off.
Noah suppressed a smile, curling hair behind her ear. Suddenly shy, she hoped Alec wasn’t upset that he had to pretend to be someone he wasn’t. It looked like he enjoyed the kiss, but maybe he didn’t if it wasn’t real, if it wasn’t going to get him laid at the end of the day.
“We can go hom
e now,” he said finally. “If you’re ready, that is.”
“Uh, yeah. Definitely.” She reached up to curl hair behind her ear but stopped. There was no hair to curl. She had already done it a few seconds before. But it was like she needed something to do with her fingers, she needed to find an outlet for this energy that had sparked through her since the kiss.
Somehow, they were back at the valet, ushered into Alec’s car, and heading back on the 405 north, heading back to Alec’s place.
He called it home, but Noah wasn’t sure she had the same right to do so. She was staying there. Because of Aaron. Suddenly, she realized what had happened tonight. She and Alec went on a date. She and Alec kissed. She and Alec kissed in public with people recording them.
Shit. Aaron is going to find out. Aaron is going to find me. If he knows I’m with Alec, he’ll be able to put everything together. He’s going to –
Alec grabbed Noah’s hand and laced her fingers through his.
“Hey,” he said, his voice low. It broke her heart, how gentle it was. She didn’t think she had ever heard him speak like that, especially with her. She didn’t feel like she deserved it. “You okay?”
Noah swallowed. She couldn’t look at him. She wanted to tell him. God, she wanted to tell someone. But Alec was doing her this favor and the last thing she needed was to bring him into her drama.
“I just, I get uncomfortable with lots of people,” she said. It was a lie, but she needed him to believe it. She needed so badly for him to believe it.
Rookies Say It Better: Book 2 in The Minor League Mayhem Series Page 7