Page 59 of The Forever Formula
“So, he came into town to win you back?” Noah had an unreadable expression on his face. He seemed to be studying me.
“He did,” I said plainly.
“Congratulations,” Noah croaked.
I shook my head vigorously. “Nothing happened. He hugged me—without my permission. I shouted at him to leave. He eventually did. And that was that.”
Noah’s arms dropped as I stepped closer to him. That’s why he ghosted me. He thought I was back with Roger the baked potato. There wasn’t a chance in hell of that happening.
“I don’t want Roger.”
“What do you want?” Noah asked, stepping closer to me.
I didn’t answer in words. Instead, I stepped into Noah and crashed our lips together. My body finally relaxed as he accepted my kiss.
Could it be this easy? Was that possible? It all felt so familiar with Noah. Like I was his and he was mine. Despite all the time and distance, it was so natural between us.
I pulled back from the kiss just to admire him. He looked a bit dazed, but happy as he blinked his eyes open slowly.
My heart leaped. Noah Hart would be very easy to fall in love with. Part of me wondered if I’d ever really fallen out of love with him in the first place.
Dropping my gaze, I said, “I know we can’t just pick up where we left off ten years ago ...”
He stepped back in and kissed me again. “Who says we can’t?”
26
ABOUT DAMN TIME
Noah
Rachel and I left the game in my truck without telling anyone. I shot a quick text to Austen so no one would send out a search party. The last thing I wanted was another poorly timed interruption. I wanted Rachel all to myself tonight.
As we drove home from the game, we were laughing about it already.
“Let’s vow to never make assumptions again. Deal?” she said, grinning.
I reached across the console, and we shook on it. “Deal.”
Inside, I was buzzing with anticipation. I think we both knew what was going to happen tonight. We didn’t even need to say more. After she suggested—in so many words—that she wanted to pick up where we left off, I wasn’t going to let that chance slip away again. Wasn’t going to letherslip away again.
As we parked the truck, I turned to her. “Will you be my girlfriend again?”
She giggled at me. “Do people our age still call it that?”
“Hell yes. I don’t want any more confusion from this point forward. So, will you?”
She exhaled sharply. “Yes.”
“Good.”
I raced around the truck to open her door for her. When she stepped out, I leaned down and scooped her into my arms. She immediately broke out into nervous laughter.
“What are you doing?” she said with a chuckle.
“Carrying my woman inside. You got a problem with that?” I asked, leaning down to kiss her before she could answer as I walked us up the steps to the front door.
Opening it with one hand was tricky, but I managed, and soon I was marching her toward my bedroom.
