Page 13 of Negotiating Tactics

“Do I look like a savage or something? Of course, I did,” he said like it was the most obvious answer.

“The coffee’s pretty good,” I said, sounding far more grudging than I intended.

He lifted one corner of his mouth, revealing the cutest little dimple, but he didn’t say anything. Just loaded a few eggs on a plate and brought it over to me.

“Thank you,” I said.

He didn’t say anything but watched as I ate.

I didn’t say anything either.

Between the eggs in my mouth, and how tongue-tied I was by his scrutiny, I couldn’t, to make no mention of how great the eggs were.

And they were. Not overdone, not underdone. Fluffy, perfect.

“How are they?” he asked.

“Fine.” I followed up my bland response with a sip of coffee.

He didn’t say anything else, just sat there like being under his scrutiny wasn’t making me a nervous wreck.

“Is there something I can do for you, Noah?” I said finally.

I put down my fork, took another sip of coffee, but then put the cup down too.

He just stayed leaning against the counter, looking me up, down, then back up again, his gaze giving away nothing.

I shifted, hoping my movement didn’t give away the nerves that were starting to eat at me.

I just waited, determined to play whatever game this was to the fullest.

And this was most definitely a game.

I didn’t have much experience with men, least of all men like Noah, but I knew when I was being put to the test.

Alex Emilia McPherson didn’t fail tests.

Then, finally, when I thought he was going to get the best of me, he said, “I want my room back. May I have it?”

I could tell that his pleasant question was grudging at best. Even still, it was a request that, all things being equal, I ordinarily would have granted.

But there was something about Noah…

He’d barged into my apartment and had accused my best friend of being a liar.

And he’d said literally zero words to me at Birdie’s and Dominic’s wedding, not even an acknowledgement that he’d been wrong to accuse Birdie in the first place.

He’d broken into this house while I was sleeping!

Before I dismissed him outright, I couldn’t help but think of what my mother would say, how she would remind me that a little kindness went a long way.

Those words were something I tried to live by, but…

I looked at his stupid face, which I still couldn’t call handsome, but that I still couldn’t seem to keep my eyes off of.

Those stupid shoulders that looked like they could carry the weight of the world.

Stupid arms that looked like they could catch me if I fell…

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