Page 35 of Saved By Two

His cheeks flush from the compliment, and I squeeze his thigh under the table and then get stuck in.

“Hmmm, this is good,” Jessica says around a forkful.

“Now you’re both just stroking my ego,” Noah replies, sipping his wine, looking heavenward with an overdramatic eye roll.

I raise my eyebrows as I move my hand higher on his thigh, and he coughs around his wine.

But the sound of Jessica laughing now has our full attention.

“No, I tried a lot of food in culinary school, and I wouldn’t lie. This is really good.”

Neither of us reply, caught in the sweet afterglow of hearing her at ease for the first time in a week.

She tilts her head slightly when she glances up and notices us both looking at her. “What?” She runs her tongue over her top teeth. “Do I have something in my teeth?”

Noah is the first to break out of whatever spell she has us under.

“No, sweet girl, it was just good to hear you laugh,” he admits.

Her cheeks flush; even with the bruising, the glow beneath her skin still shines.

“Oh.” She tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and for the first time in what seems like forever, we fall into a semi-comfortable silence.

ChapterEighteen

NOAH

“Thank you, that was delicious,” Jessica says, resting back in her chair, her shoulders relaxed as she covers her stomach with her hand.

“You’re welcome.”

Caleb starts stacking all the plates, and before Jessica can even think to help, he tells her he’s got this, giving her a wink.

“You’ll have to let me cook for you both as a thank you for having me.”

I reach over and touch her arm. “You don’t have to do anything to thank us. But I’d love to try anything you’d be willing to cook for us. It’s not every day we have a chef at our disposal.”

Her look is wistful. “Not quite. I missed out on my diploma. But I’d love to cook for you both regardless.”

“You can always go back though, right, finish and get your qualification?” Caleb asks as he tops up all our wine with the tipple left in the bottle.

“Yeah, maybe,” she says, picking up her glass and swirling the rose-coloured liquid like it holds all the answers.

“You can do anything you put your mind to. I have no doubt.”

My eyes follow Caleb as he returns to the kitchen, and I mouth, “I love you.”

He returns with dessert. “Tiramisu,” he says.

“Okay, now you’re really pulling out the big guns. At this rate, I’ll never leave.”

It’s such a contrast to see her coming out of her shell again and being relaxed; honestly, she can stay as long as she needs to. I don’t think either of us is in a hurry for her to leave any time soon, and from Caleb's glance, it's clear he feels the same way.

“Well, full transparency, this is shop bought. Neither of us can bake, so you need to submit any complaints directly with Marks and Spencers.”

She laughs again, the sound so carefree. It reminds me she’s only twenty-two. Eight years younger than myself and twelve years younger than Caleb.

“And for the record, you can stay for as long as you need, just so we’re clear,” Caleb says, glancing at me and then back to Jessica. This is why I love this man. I know he thinks he’s hard to love—but he’s not—loving him is easy. Relationships are hard, there's a lot of give and take, but at the end of the day, being with him is worth it.

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