Page 58 of Noel
Noel nods, jaw tight, hands flexing against the steering wheel like he’s imagining punching something.
Or someone.
He’s been quiet ever since he burst into that glass office I was using at Sigma, slammed the door, and kissed me like I was air and he’d been holding his breath for years.
Not that I minded.
God, not at all.
The man makes my knees weak and my brain foggy.And okay, maybe this is moving too fast.
Maybe I am caught up in the sparkle of Manhattan at Christmastime.
In the protective arms of a very dangerous man who somehow makes me feel like the safest person in the world.
But something about Noel Kane just feels right.
The way he watches me.
The way he listens.
The way he doesn’t treat me like I’m fragile, even though I probably look like I might break at any second.
I just hope my heart isn’t completely wrecked when this all ends and he moves on, as he undoubtedly will.
Men like Noel don’t do forever.
They do missions.Objectives.Exit strategies.
Still.Right now?I need to focus.
We pull up to Big City Events, and even from the curb I can see lights on inside.It’s still business hours, so I’m not surprised some of the team is here.
What does surprise me is the sight waiting when I walk through the glass doors.
The conference room is full.
And not just anyone.Carly Williams, my boss, is standing inside with Ambrose and Darlene—two of my co-workers—and they’re holding contact info for my biggest vendor partners in their hands.
And behind them, like a slap in the face, is a whiteboard.
My whiteboard.
Covered in color-coded sticky notes, sketches, catering orders, final seating charts, and scribbled reminders that only I could decipher.
Every single detail of the gala.
On display.
Without me.
I don’t slow down.
Noel follows, his frown deepening with every step.His hand hovers near my back, like he wants to step in but knows I need to do this myself.
I push open the door without knocking.
“What’s going on?”
