Page 74 of The Workaholic Down the Hall

“Do you know when Noah will arrive? I haven't heard from him since he brought me back here the other night.”

The sound of the front door opening and closing stopped me from answering. Noah popped into the kitchen, all smiles, his expression bright and cheerful, his arms laden with bags of presents. “Merry Christmas, ladies.” He put the bags down and walked over to kiss my cheek. He took Sophie and cradled her. He smiled down at her. “Merry first Christmas, sweetheart.”

My heart ached and I knew I was in way over my head. I turned from Noah to help Nora fix breakfast.

“This is a lot of food for just the three of us,” I said.

Nora looked over my shoulder at Noah, brows high. He cleared his throat. “Jenna, Jared, and May are joining us for breakfast.”

I turned to Noah, who was still holding a very happy Sophie. “I thought they had other commitments.”

“I convinced them that the best Christmas present they could get you would be their presence. They changed their plans.”

My heart swelled so full I thought it might burst. “That's so nice of them.”

“We were happy to do it,” May said from the kitchen doorway. She walked in and pressed a kiss to my cheek. Then she kissed Noah and Sophie and Nora, before snagging a cinnamon bun from the cookie sheet on the stove.

“May Westerly Reynolds,” Nora said. “Those aren't baked, yet.”

“I know,” May said, her grin wide. She chomped into the biscuit. “'S good,” she mumbled around her bite.

“That is beyond disgusting,” Noah said.

“There's raw egg in that,” Nora said. “You're likely to make yourself sick.”

May shrugged and kept chomping. I agreed with Noah that it was gross. It wasn't like eating raw cookie dough. But May seemed to love it.

Nora stuck the rest of the cinnamon buns in the oven before May could eat anymore.

By the time the buns were done, making the whole house smell like cinnamon and sugar, Jill and Jenna had arrived. Jared was on duty at the emergency animal hospital and couldn't make it.

Jill and Jenna gave me big hugs and fussed over Sophie like she was a princess. Jenna held Sophie, but Jill looked supremely uncomfortable about the idea of holding her.

“Let's not keep Sophie waiting,” Noah said. “Let's open presents.”

I opened my mouth to suggest we eat breakfast first, because I was starving and less-than functional when my blood sugar was low, but everyone else cheered the idea and started passing around presents.

Someone handed me a big box and I plopped into the nearest chair. I held the present in my lap and watched as Jenna held Sophie and May opened a gift for her. Sophie's little arms and legs bobbed in excitement and wonder lit her face. I thought I saw the hint of a smile curve her lips, though it was still a bit too early for her to smile, according to the baby books.

I was so focused on Sophie, I didn't notice Noah pull a small package from the pile under the tree. A very familiar small package. I didn't see him open it, didn't even realize he had it, until he knelt next to my chair, the shiny key in his palm. “Aubrey,” he said. “Is this what I think it is?” His smile was so big I thought his cheeks might crack.

Damn it, my chest hurt and I couldn't breathe. He was holding my heart in his palm and it suddenly seemed like too much, too fast. After our night together, I'd felt so strongly that he was telling me the truth, that he wanted to be me with me, but now…I wasn't ready for any sort of declaration in front of his family and he…He would feel even more pressure to accept what I was offering with everyone watching. I grabbed the key from him and wrapped it up in a tight fist. “It's nothing,” I said in a low voice, hoping not to get everyone's attention. “Just a —”

“Is that a key to this house?” Noah asked, speaking in his regular voice and drawing the attention of his whole family.

My cheeks heated and I wished I could disappear or start this day over. I'd planned for the two of us to be alone when he opened that, I'd planned to ask him to move in with us. I liked him being there and I trusted he was there because he wanted to be. I didn't want to push him away or put him off anymore. I just wanted him. And I still wanted him, even though my heart was pounding so hard I thought I might choke on it. Even though telling him the truth meant risking rejection in front of his family. “It's a key to this house. I want you to move in with me and Sophie if you want to, of course.” Damn, my chest hurt. I wished I could take the words back, could stuff them back inside and have a do-over. Of course, he didn't want to move in with us. He had an apartment. I was pushing way too hard.

Somehow, Noah's smile got even bigger. He grabbed my hand and squeezed so hard I was worried for my circulation. I'd never seen him like this before, practically giddy. “I want to move in with you and Sophie more than I want anything else in this world. Thank you.” He pressed a kiss to my lips, but I pushed him away before it got heated. His family was watching and…But they weren't watching, they were focused on their own gifts, giving us space and privacy.

“Can I have the key?” Noah asked. He was close, very close, his breath a warm whisper against my ear. His arm slid around my shoulders as his other hand gently pried open my fisted fingers. I sighed and did my best to stop freaking out. This was what I wanted. So what if he'd seen me in pajamas and yoga pants, hair messy, date of last shower taken unknown, before we'd had even one romantic date? It would be okay.

I forced myself to smile and handed him the key. “Of course.”

He grinned. “I've got something for you, too.” He walked over to the tree and bent, giving me a very fine view of his very fine posterior. Before I could really enjoy the view, Sophie sent up an ear-piercing shriek. I looked over to see her chubby little arms in the air, as she reached for me. She was on Jenna's lap, but I guess she'd decided she needed her Mama. I walked over and picked her up. I expected her to need to feed, but she snuggled against my chest and quieted as I bounced and rocked her. I rubbed a hand over her back and felt…Wetness. Sticky wetness. I kissed the top of her sweet head and looked down to see brown streaking the back of her adorable little Christmas outfit. I needed to get her upstairs and into a bath. Before I spoke to let everyone know where I was headed, I realized the room had gone silent.

I spun slowly to find Noah on one knee in the center of the room, a small black velvet box in his hand. “Aubrey,” he said. “I—”

“No,” I said. I hugged Sophie more tightly against me. I was a mess. She was covered in poop and there was a very good chance I was also covered in poop, and I wasn't…I just wasn't ready for this. “Please, Noah, don't do this.”

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