Page 57 of Smoldering Nights
A sound behind them made her freeze.
The bell on the front door jangled again.
Izzy turned just as Mitch shifted his stance in front of her, placing himself like a shield.
Noah Grady stood in the entryway, holding a clipboard and a single cardboard box.His face registered mild surprise, but his eyes, those eyes, were darker than usual.Sharp.Fixed on her.
“You're open early,” he said, his tone neutral but thinly stretched.“I brought an order.Said it was urgent.”
Izzy took a step around Mitch, keeping her voice steady.“I didn’t place an order.”
Noah’s gaze slid from her to Mitch and back again, lingering just a little too long on where her fingers still touched Mitch’s arm.
“It was added late,” Noah said, smiling thinly.“Maybe your assistant?”
“No,” she said.“She’s off today.”
Noah’s expression didn’t change, but the tension in his posture coiled tighter.“Well, I’m here now.Want me to just leave it on the counter?”
“Sure,” Mitch said, voice cool.“Right there is fine.”
Noah walked slowly across the room and placed the box down with deliberate care.He didn’t speak.He didn’t even look at the box.His eyes stayed locked on Izzy, like he was memorizing her.Marking her.
Izzy felt the unease crawl across her skin like static.
Mitch stepped forward.“Thanks, Noah.We’ll take it from here.”
Noah didn’t move.“You two were cozy.”
Izzy blinked.“Excuse me?”
“You know,” he said, voice brittle.“Romantically, are you two together?”
Mitch’s stance shifted.“That’s not your business.”
Something flickered across Noah’s face, hurt?Anger?Possession?Then his mouth twitched into a forced smile.“Just asking.I saw you kissing.”
He turned slowly, walking back toward the front door, but paused with his hand on the handle.“People don’t always stay who they were, you know,” he said without looking back.“Sometimes they change.Fast.”
Then he left.
The bell jingled behind him, cheerful and wrong.
Izzy stood frozen in place, her pulse hammering.Her throat was parched.
Mitch turned to her.“That wasn’t a delivery.That was a warning.”
She nodded slowly, the edges of her vision fuzzing with anxiety.“He saw us.And he didn’t like it.”
“No,” Mitch said, walking quickly to the counter and opening the box.Inside were two items, a note…and a long-stemmed red rose.
A chill swept down Izzy’s spine.
Mitch’s jaw clenched as he picked up the rose and turned it in his fingers.The small note was tucked into the petals.
It read:“Will you have dinner with me?Call me...”
Izzy backed away from the counter.“Mitch…”
