Page 69 of Best Friends for Never

There was no doubt in my mind that Noel would want that, not after tonight. But to just come out and say it so brazenly? I wasnotexpecting that.

He takes another step closer, his eyes boring into me. “Is that understood?”

I nod. “Understood.”

“Good.” He puts distance between us, and I miss his warmth instantly. “Go home. I’ll wait here to make sure you make it safely.”

“All the way across the street?”

“Humor me. Please.”

“Fine.” I walk backward away from him. “I’m humoring. Are you happy?”

“Ecstatic.”

I turn around with a smile, making theoh-so-longtrek back to my house, adding extra sway to my hips.

I can feel his eyes on me the whole way. How can a stare I can’t even see be so intoxicating? So thrilling?

“Hey, Peter?” Noel calls when I’m about halfway across Borgen Avenue.

I pause, looking over my shoulder. “Yes?”

“Bring your swimsuit.”

He laughs when my eyes widen, and I scurry along to my house, tucking myself inside and away from Noel Carter before I do something foolish, like invite him in.

I press my back against the door, holding a hand over my rapidly beating heart, trying to calm it down.

It’s not going wild from the walk.

No. It’s going wild for Noel, the thing it’s always done where he’s concerned.

Tomorrow, we’re going on a date.

And I know exactly which swimsuit I’m going to wear.

“I really am sorry about your face.”

I wince, looking up at the three lines cutting across Noel’s otherwise perfectly sculpted cheek. He shaved for the auction last night, and I admit I was a little sad about it. But now, not so much. Not with the stubble that’s already grown in.

He looks good like this. Older. More distinguished. Rugged.

He looks more like the Noel I remember and not the Hollywood version of him I’ve seen for the last ten years.

He ducks under a tree branch covering the trail as we head out to Rockaway Falls, then reaches up and runs his finger over the fresh cut from my cat. “It’s okay. You know, when you said Pumpkin wasn’t likeother cats, I thought you might be kidding. But nope. He’s really not like other cats. He’s evil.”

“Well, actually, in that regard, heislike other cats. All cats have a little bit of evil in them. It’s sort of their thing. Like sometimes, I’ll wake up in the middle of the night because I can feel eyes on me, and it’s just Pumpkin sitting in my doorway watching me. It’s eerie.”

“This is why I’m getting a dog if I ever get a pet.”

“You always did want one.”

“Still do.”

“Then why don’t you have one?”

He shrugs. “I travel too much. Don’t think it’d be fair to the dog.”

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