Page 19 of Gossip Game

Her eyes shot back to clash with his just as Devlin returned with her salad.

“Thank you,” she said to their host.

Devlin leaned across the bar and kissed her on the cheek. “On the house. But next time you’re in town, don’t wait until the last minute to stop by. I’m headed home.” He looked between them both. “You two behave now. Charlie, I’ll let your security team know you’ll be exiting through the kitchen when you’re finished.”

“Give my love to Carly,” she called after him.

An uncomfortable silence settled over them. Charlotte pushed her salad around on her plate. Noah looked around the bar. Everyone was still sneaking glances at them.

“Will you hurry up and eat that,” he said gruffly. “We’re going to have to leave here together, and I haven’t got all night.”

This time, when she turned to glare at him, Noah really looked at her. Taking in the dark circles beneath her eyes and the pinched line of her lips, he instantly felt like a douche. A strand of her hair had escaped her ponytail and was stuck to the side of her face. Instinctively, he reached for it, gently settling the silky strands behind her ear. He wasn’t sure, but he thought Charlotte might have stopped breathing. He was sure he’d heard one of the waitresses sigh, though.

“Tell me about your sucky week,” he asked quietly.

She blinked a few times before absently licking her lower lip. Noah bit back a groan. He snagged one of her olives and popped it in his mouth to keep from touching her again.

“I’ve been interviewing potential CEOs for my company,” she announced with a heavy sigh before spearing some lettuce with her fork.

Her words surprised him. In London, she’d been so animated about Truly You. She was about to take it global. And he could easily see how thrilled and proud she was about the prospect. Had she gotten bored playing businesswoman?

“You don’t want to run it anymore?” He hated how he instantly thought the worst of her. Except her track record spoke for itself.

“The last thing I want to do is hand it over to someone else,” she replied sharply.

He deserved her pique for being so judgmental. “Then why do it?”

Her gaze remained focused on her salad. “Because I’m not good at running it.”

Something snapped inside his chest at the sorrowful way she uttered the words. “Bullshit.”

She whipped her chin up to meet his gaze.

Noah stopped fighting his body and lifted his palm to her face. “Look what you’ve done with it so far? Christ, little girls are buying my jersey because they adore you and the company you created. You did that.”

Charlotte leaned into his palm. Her eyes were shiny. “Maybe. But there’s so much more to it than simply creating a product. I don’t have the skill-set necessary to keep it all afloat.”

There was dejection in those beautiful blue eyes of hers and Noah suddenly wanted to punch someone.

Or kiss her until she forgot all about her troubles.

He dropped his hand from her cheek and nicked a cherry tomato from her plate instead.

“So, you hire someone with those skills. A CEO willing to teach them to you.”

She smiled and the hardness in Noah’s chest relaxed.

“You sound like Bridgett.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” He popped the tomato in his mouth. “She’s pretty badass.”

Charlotte ate her salad with a bit more gusto after that.

“I know I’m being too picky,” she said when she slid her empty plate forward. “It’s hard, though. I keep thinking I’ve failed by handing Truly over to someone else.” She laughed softly. “You’re the only person I’ve admitted that to.”

A warm feeling replaced the tightness in his chest. “My Meemaw always says everything looks better when you put your fears out into the world.”

“Meemaw?”

---