Page 19 of Numbers Boy
“Hey, Stacy, I was wondering if I was going to see you today.” He gives her the pat that she’s come to expect, and I unclip her so she can bounce off to play.
“Hey, beautiful,” Noah says, grinning over at me.
I roll my eyes and smile sardonically. “Yeah, sure. Just rolled off the couch and into sweats is real beautiful.”
“Do you think you need the makeup and clothes to be beautiful?” Noah’s brow is furrowed, and I realize that he reallymeant it. I fight the urge to squirm under his steady gaze. For as comfortable as I am in my own skin, it’s been a while since anyone but my closest friends have complimented me freely. It feels strange. Not bad, but something I’ll have to get used to if it’s going to keep happening.
“Well, no, but I know it’s a big difference from what you’re used to seeing.”
“Steve, all the makeup does is accentuate what you’ve already got.”
My chest warms at his words. Personally, I know that the makeup is just for fun and because I like doing it. But hearing it from someone who is a potential romantic interest is validation I didn’t realize I needed. The weird thing about Adam is he didn’t want me to be “too girly,” but he also commented whenever I wasn’t wearing a full face. It’s one of the ways he kept me unsure and questioning. Damn, I need to wake my grouchy ass up and shake off my nerves. Noah isn’t Adam.
“Thank you.”
“Besides, now your freckles are on full display.” Noah grins and trails his eyes down where I know a line of freckles leads down my throat and under my collar. “Well, as much as they can be in this weather.”
I feel a blush creep up my neck and spill onto my cheeks, the cool air a stark contrast to the heat under my skin.
“Any reason you woke up so late?” he asks, stepping close enough to press his arm against mine but still watching the dogs. I’ve noticed he does that when he’s fishing for information but doesn’t want to come on too strong. Please, after the flirting on Valentine’s Day last week, I think we’re past this. Time to let him know where I’m at in terms of us. But it won’t hurt to play with him a bit. I infuse as much innuendo in my voice as I can manage.
“Yeah, I stayed up late last night. Ended up passing out on the couch.”
The little muscles around Noah’s eyes tense the smallest bit, and I’m really glad he’s not looking at me so I can watch him for other tells.
“Sounds like you had a fun night.” His voice is strained, so I decide to let him off the hook. He’s been too nice to me for me to drag this out any longer.
“Oh yeah, reading on the couch is always a blast.”
He finally turns to me, and the hope and relief in his eyes has me falling for him even more.
“Reading?”
“Yeah, my friend Henry picked out this vampire and shifter romance novel for our book club in a week, so I’m trying to make sure I finish it.”
“That sounds cool,” Noah says, his voice sounding much more natural than before. “It’s just you made it sound like maybe you had someone over or something. Not that you can’t. I just… I don’t know where I’m going with this.”
I laugh and lean in closer to him.
“Noah, if I had a guy over, you would know about it.”
“Oh yeah?” he asks, the morning sun highlighting his brown eyes and making them even lighter, almost amber. “Why’s that?”
“Because the only guy I’m interested in having over would be you.”
Noah’s face lights up with a smile, and I can’t help myself from pressing even closer. He does the same, and my lashes flutter closed as I prepare for the first touch of his lips to mine. I wonder if they’ll feel as soft as they look, even with the slight chap from how long he spends in the winter weather. At the very least, they should be less of a shock than in my dream earlier.
I can feel a puff of warm air against my lips, but before we can close that small gap, Stacy barks from right next to me and makes us both jump.
We pull back a few inches, and Stacy makes her way between us, wiggling her cute butt and offering a ball up as payment for her poor timing. Noah laughs and runs a gloved hand over the back of his neck.
“Alright, girly, let’s play.” I take the ball and toss it for her to fetch.
“Umm, so I know the moment is ruined, but would you want to come over and hang out sometime?” Noah offers, and I smile over at him, glad that he brought it up first.
“Absolutely.”
CHAPTER TEN
