Page 38 of Colton's Last Resort

“Tallulah,” Laura greeted her, going straight into the woman’s arms.

Noah relinquished her hand as she hugged Tallulah. The woman placed both hands on Laura’s shoulders and searched her face, speaking quietly. “How are you doing—with everything?”

Laura’s smile dimmed slightly. “I’m okay. Are you?”

“I’m still in shock, I think,” Tallulah murmured. “Poor Bella. She remains out.”

Laura nodded. “Knox has taken some time off, too, but he’s returning full-time today. We need him, but I hope it’s not too soon.”

Tallulah eyed Noah. “Who is this?”

Laura pivoted to him. She took his hand again, fixing that poised grin into place. “Tallulah, this is Noah. My boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend?” Tallulah’s focus flitted over the tattoos on his neck and hands, the leather jacket and rustic boots. She shook her head. “You didn’t tell me you were seeing anyone.”

“I’ve been keeping it quiet,” Laura explained. She placed her hand low on Noah’s back. “We’vebeen keeping it quiet.”

“We haven’t had enough time together over the last few months,” Noah said. “Have we, Pearl?”

Laura’s gaze snapped to his. After a beat, she remembered herself. “No. But once Noah heard everything that’s happened, he flew in to be with me.”

“That’s nice,” Tallulah said, a smile warming her mouth. “She needs someone. It’s good to meet you, Noah.”

“It’s nice to meet you, too, ma’am,” he returned.

When Tallulah swept away, Laura took a moment to gawk at him.

“What?” he asked. “Have I done something wrong already?”

“No,” she said with a slight shake of her head. “You called her ‘ma’am.’”

“Shouldn’t I have?” he asked.

“You absolutely should,” she agreed. “It was just odd hearing something that polite come out of your mouth.”

He rolled his eyes. “Right. Because I’m uncivilized.”

She sighed at him. “Never mind.”

As they ventured into the restaurant, heads swiveled in their direction. He tried not to squirm under the attention. Up front, he’d known that being Laura Colton’s boyfriend would make people openly curious.

He had been right. The maître d’ took his coat. Noah had put more thought into his appearance, for once. The black T-shirt with the Metallica logo exposed the web of tattoos down both arms. He placed his hand on Laura’s waist as they were led to their table and could practically hear the buzz of speculation surrounding them.

“Thank you,” she murmured when he pulled out her chair, aiming a high-wattage smile over her shoulder.

There was a flirtatious note in those baby blues. When they heated like that, they no longer reminded him of ice floes. They made him think of hot springs, and his body tightened. His hands hardened on the back of the chair. Leaning over her shoulder as she lowered to the seat, he whispered, “Don’t lay it on too thick, Colton. Neanderthal like me might get the wrong idea.”

He saw the tension weave through her posture again. She said nothing as he moved to the chair facing her and dropped to it. Without opening the menu, she told the server, “Billy, may we have the champagne breakfast?”

Billy looked back and forth between them, owl-eyed. “Just for the two of you?”

Laura smiled Noah’s way. “Just us two.”

Noah shook out his napkin. Billy skipped off to the kitchen, no doubt to spread the gossip. “We’re an organized spectacle.”

“You wanted in,” she said, not losing the smile. “Too late to turn back now.”

“You could make a scene,” he pointed out. “Scream at me. Throw something at me. Demand that I sleep with the horses tonight and be on my way in the morning.”

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