Page 39 of Noah

He wasn’t aware of the effect he had on her, and she didn’t know if he was aware of the reaction of females. In medical and on the short trips they took to shop for essentials, they had seen enough damn friendly eyes to make her want to scream.

If she had claws, she would have unleashed them and snarled at the female and that was a hugely inappropriate response. She wondered if it was a little hero worship on her part…yes, that was it.

That’s what she hoped it was because being attracted to him was insane though. The suspiciously roaring green-eyed beast inside made her feel like screaming, “Hello, do you not see me standing right next to him?”

She was ignored like she was insignificant, and he wanted to correct that.

Their lack of reaction to her made her feel inadequate and she wondered if she lacked something. Did she have too wide hips or too small breasts?

They didn’t consider her a threat.

It was a bit depressing. She had always been proud of and liked her hourglass figure. She ran her hand down her body and paused at her waist, where she felt a pronounced curving dip. She always loved that womanly arc…her short legs, not so much.

Her shoulders slumped. Then, a silent voice, her strong inner voice that had an obsidian core, reminded her not to doubt herself.

So, what if her body wasn’t someone else’s idea of perfection? Noah seemed to like what he saw. Besides, she remembered the hot gleam of lust in his eyes when he smelled her desire. She let out a breath, realising she had nothing to worry about.

“Are you okay?” he asked jerking her out of her thoughts.

She pressed her hand against her cheeks as red spread across them. A futile attempt to cool them off.

Stepping forward, her shoes thumped on the wood. Pine was heavy in the air and she felt a cool mist brush her cheeks.

It was no delusion or hallucination, so she swallowed and muttered, “It makes no sense.”

Her chest heaved and she took a step back almost frantically. She hit a solid wall of muscle and her eyes closed from sensory overload.

His hands settled on her shoulders as he said, “It’s your reward.”

She frowned; her nose wrinkled up. “A reward. It makes me feel like a fraud and a little insulted. I didn’t do anything, and I certainly didn’t do it looking for recompense.” He cocked his head and she sighed, “A reward…I didn’t do it for a reward.”

His face was blank as he shrugged, and she knew that was the only answer she would get.

It felt incomplete almost as if she was missing something. “Why did we have to live together?”

“I feel comfortable with you. I don’t know anyone, and I can’t leave your side.”

Yes, he said that more than once. “They are your people,” she said biting her lip.

“Maybe,” he replied sceptically. Her heart clenched at his caution. “This is what…they call home?” he asked slowly.

“Yes. This is a shared home. They’re designed to house multiple people with multiple bedrooms so Numbers who don’t want to be alone don’t need to be.”

It was a brilliant idea. He nodded.

With en-suite bathrooms attached to their bedrooms and a spacious sitting area in each, it gave them somewhere to retreat to. Sharing wasn’t the end of the world, and she was comfortable with him.

As long as he didn’t try to strangle her, she thought wryly.

She felt the first flutter of excitement. She took the key, ignoring the warning bells inside that something was suspicious, and turned it in the keyhole.

Despite its enormous size, the door was lighter than it appeared and easily swung in.

Bringing woodland tones inside with green classical country looks to mimic outside. A sense of wildness, homely space in cosy nooks dotted along the wide-open windows.

It was a lovely place, and she could imagine living there.

Noah sniffed loudly as he started checking pieces of furniture like he thought they would bite him.

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