Page 100 of The Broker

The pans clanked together as I stacked one clean one on top of the next.

“What are you doing?”

I startled at the sound of Noah’s voice and dropped the pan in the sink, making the sudsy water slosh around. Thankfully, he sounded surprised and not angry, and when I turned to face him, he only looked confused. I’d found a clean dishtowel under the sink earlier and used it to dry my hands.

“I’m keeping busy,” I said, channeling my mother. “How’s your dad?”

He sighed and walked toward me, stopping only a foot away, so I could peer up into his worried eyes. “He’s all right,” he lowered his voice, “but he’s stubborn as shit.” His gaze went to the stack of pans that were drying on the counter and flicked to the doorway leading to the living room. “You should stop cleaning. If my mom comes in here and sees what you’re doing, she’ll be embarrassed.”

I’d been so compelled to clean, I hadn’t thought about my actions or if they’d come off as offensive. They hadn’t known I was coming, nor had I been invited into their home, and if the roles were reversed, I would have been mortified.

Shit.

“It’s why I was nervous on the drive over here,” he added. Why did he look so sheepish? “I knew it would be bad. Maybe even overwhelming for you.”

My heart beat a little quicker. He’d been concerned for his father, sure, but he’d also been thinking about me during the drive. He got that mess bothered me, and fuck if he didn’t know me better in a few short months than nearly anyone else.

Certainly better than your last boyfriend.

I motioned to the sink and gave him an embarrassed smile. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t help myself.” My expression turned serious. “With everything your parents are going through, it’s totally understandable if stuff like this falls to the wayside. I’m happy to help. And wouldn’t it be nice for them to have one less thing to deal with right now?”

His shoulders straightened and he tilted his head. He was acting like my question was so unexpected, he didn’t know how to deal with it. As if consideration wasn’t something he was sure I was capable of. He scrubbed a hand over his jaw, and it bristled against the whiskers of his beard, and then his eyes lit with warmth.

“Yes,” he said quietly.

I thrust the dish towel at him and cast my other hand toward the stack of drip-drying pans. “Then help me. Dry these and put them away, so we can finish before your mom catches us.”

A tight laugh came from him, and he took the towel from me.

It was nice, standing side-by-side with him at the sink, working together. We made a great team. I finished scrubbingthe last pot, unplugged the drain, and water gurgled down the pipe as I watched him finish his task.

God. Noah doing dishes was way sexier than it had any right to be. The muscles in his forearm flexed as he wiped the white towel over the stainless steel, and then he tucked the pot in a cabinet beside the stove, before returning to me at the sink.

Did he realize how powerful an effect he had on me? One simple look from him and my body heated.

“I’m sorry the movie got ruined.” But he gazed at me like he wasn’t sorry we’d ended up right here in this moment together.

“It’s okay.” I tried to sound sexy and seductive. “I’m sure you’ll find a way to make it up to me.”

His smile was wicked, and he placed a hand on my cheek, holding me still so he could seal his lips over mine. His kiss was deep and thorough, and so intoxicating, I forgot where we were. The longer it went on, the more serious my concern became that I might liquify into a puddle on the floor at his feet.

Noah ended the kiss right as my need for him became dire, and he hovered only a few inches away, teasing another kiss. “Any suggestions?”

All I could think about, all I could see was him. “You have such a beautiful face,” I said. “I just want to sit on it.”

He grinned bigger than I’d ever seen, and my legs went boneless. It was a miracle I didn’t collapse or—

Someone on the other side of the room cleared their throat.

And they did it in a very loud, very fake way, making sure we knew it was only to get our attention.

We instinctively leapt away from each other, and my gaze reeled around, searching for the source of the sound, and as soon as I found him, everything in me went cold.

Well—not everything. Blood rushed hotly to my face.

Fuck.

Noah’s father was tall and broad-shouldered. His gray hair was mostly dry already, and he wore a pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt that stretched across his belly. He was a big guy, and it made sense why Theresa would have a hard time helping him up, even without a bad shoulder.

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