Page 146 of Savage Suit
In every available space, I’d penned Noah’s name like a crazy, obsessed stalker woman. Disgusted, I shut the notebook with more force than necessary.
God, what was wrong with me? This shouldn’t be a tricky situation. Perhaps I tormented myself over nothing. We shared a mutual attraction, and we were consenting adults.
ExceptNoah, my boss,had rules in place against office romances. I didn’t agree with many of his opinions, no matter their basis. On the other hand, he didn’t intend to keep me in his employ. I should’ve been searching for other jobs, instead of waiting until the last minute. Yet maybe Quinn was right. Maybe I should seize however long Noah was my lover and worry about all else later. Acting on my feelings without considering the fallout was a foreign notion.
If it concerned Noah, my attraction guided me, consequences be damned.
Sighing, I stood from the desk, suddenly needing a cold shower.
Good Lord, I was beat.
After my morning yoga, my emotional confrontation with Quinn, writing Noah’s name in calligraphy an ungodly amount of time, and my cold shower, I brooded over my situation a little more. I stayed in my feelings for fifteen or twenty minutes, then decided more strenuous physical activity would be the perfect way to unwind.
Now, hours later, after spending the entire afternoon cleaning up my very messy apartment, taking a longer, warmer shower and picking out an outfit for dinner with my family, I was exhausted. But it was the good kind and gave me a sense of accomplishment.
My mother used to say housework was one of the best workouts a person could do, with the added benefit of being free. Boy was she right. Today reminded me why I needed to make cleaning my apartment regularly more of a priority. Beyond keeping the dishes in check, my bathroom clean, and changing my bedsheets once a week, I allowed mess to pile up. That bad habit had me so fucking tired.
Thankfully, I had time to recharge before I headed to Armani’s house, so I intended to use that time wisely.
My feet were grateful my precious respite allowed me to sit on my ass and do nothing.
The chiming of my doorbell filled me with annoyance, and I groaned at the inconvenience of entertaining anyone. Since I wasn’t expecting any visitors today, I debated on ignoring the bell. My brothers would head straight to Armani’s place. Besides, we had three hours until dinner. Quinn had already come and gone, so who could this be?
The bell rang again, and I scowled. At the urgent knocking, I realized I couldn’t escape answering. Sighing, I hurried to the door, not checking the peephole before flinging the door open.
I gasped and clutched the knob tighter to remain standing upon seeing Noah. My ratty gray sweatpants, no bra, and thin white top stood in stark contrast to his immaculate clothes.
His gaze flickered to my breasts.
“Noah,” I managed, my voice in my throat.
“Ryan,” he responded in kind. He peered over my shoulder into my freshly cleaned apartment. “May I come in?”
Quinn’s words drummed through my head. Except I’d worked myself to a state where I couldn’t fully process all she’d said.
“Why are you here, Noah?”
“To see you. To talk.”
My worst nightmare. Quinn had undermined the self-righteous indignation I felt toward myself. That didn’t mean I was ready to talk to Noah.
“That’s what phones are for. You could’ve called me.”
“Would you have answered?” he challenged.
“Go home, dial my number, and find out.”
“I don’t like how awkward things have been between us, and you made it clear you didn’t want me to approach you in the office.”
“Just following your dictates, Mr. Keegan.”
“I deserve that, Ryan.”
His voice was deep and held a bit of wariness. Without a doubt, it was also the voice living in my head for months.
“You do,” I agreed. “You ordered me to forget our lovemaking in your office, so what’s changed?”
“You know what’s changed.”
