Page 34 of The Marriage Mission

"Maybe I was enjoying the show, too."

Her eyes flashed in the evening light. "Too?"

Noah knew he should pull back. This wasn't the plan. But this wasn't the first time he'd come in hot on a live wire.

"Maybe I like the way you taste," he said. "Maybe I want another bite."

Jacqui's throat worked. Her gaze dropped to his mouth. That swan's neck of hers tilted back, like she could already feel his lips against her skin.

Noah took a step forward, ready to lay claim to the prize that was his wife.

"And here I thought she married you for her money."

That brought him up short. They both turned to see Nãinai walking toward them, leaning heavily on a bejeweled cane. Noah wasn't so sure the old woman needed that cane. He'd bet it was for show.

"Isn't it past your bedtime, Nãinai?" said Jacqui.

"Don't be sassy when I come bearing gifts." The older woman held up a folio of documents. "This will release your inheritance to you."

The night was warm, but at that moment a chill breeze whispered through the parking lot. An owl hooted a somber call. The scent of spice wafted toward them from the restaurant as the doors opened and closed. The heat of the spice almost had Noah choking.

He watched as Jacquie's fingers flexed, eager to grab at her financial freedom. He'd thought this wasn't coming for months. But here it was.

"There's also the document for one share of the restaurant in there," said Nãinai, her gaze moving from Jacqui's wide-eyed wonder to Noah's narrowed glare.

Noah got the sense that just like this woman didn't need the cane to support her, she knew she was shaking things up between him and Jacqui. But why? What was her end game?

"That gives you girls forty-nine percent interest in the restaurant," said Jacqui, her fingers curling around the paperwork and then bringing it into her chest.

Again Noah scowled. Those papers were resting where he wanted to be. He wanted to be the one curled into her chest. He wanted to be the one who came to her rescue.

"When both of your sisters marries, then you girls will have the controlling interest," Nãinai was saying.

What Noah knew was that he didn't have control in this situation anymore. He thought he'd have more time. Now that Jacqui had everything she wanted and he was finished with the wiring job, she didn't need him anymore.

He just couldn't let her know that. He wasn't ready to be done with her. He knew he never would be.

ChapterTwenty-Four

Jacqui sat in the passenger seat of Noah's truck. Her fingers unconsciously played with the edge of the envelope she held. Inside was a significant infusion of funds for Chow Town and more control over the culinary empire she was determined to build.

She could make updates. She could redesign the dining area. She could even afford to shut down for a week to do it. This should have been one of the happiest days of her professional life, yet there was a hollow feeling inside her that she couldn't quite shake.

She stole a glance at Noah. He was focused on the road, his jaw set in a way that told her he was carrying his own set of worries. The lines around his eyes seemed deeper today, like they were etched by a mixture of fatigue and something else—perhaps reluctance? She couldn't help but wonder if, now that the restaurant was finally on stable financial footing, he would feel his job here was done. The thought that he might leave, that he could very well step out of her life as seamlessly as he had stepped in, pressed down on her chest like a physical weight.

But that's what she wanted, right?

That was the deal, right?

They pulled up in front of her house. The engine's gentle rumble cut off as Noah shifted into park. The silence that settled between them was heavy, filled with unspoken questions and silent answers.

He turned to her, his expression softening as he caught her eye. Then it hardened. "Wait until I get your door."

Jacqui nodded, biting the corner of her lip. His gaze dipped down to track the movement. She let go of her lip, and a sigh escaped.

Noah tore his gaze away from her mouth. She thought she might have heard a muttered curse as he punched open his door and climbed out.

She watched him walk around the truck, his movements deliberate, always so mindful of her in these small, considerate ways. When he opened her door, the evening air brushed against her skin, carrying with it the subtle scent of blooming jasmine from her garden, a reminder of home and something resembling peace.

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