Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 116232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
A tight laugh came from him, and he took the towel from me.
It was nice, standing side-by-side with him at the sink, working together. We made a great team. I finished scrubbing the last pot, unplugged the drain, and water gurgled down the pipe as I watched him finish his task.
God. Noah doing dishes was way sexier than it had any right to be. The muscles in his forearm flexed as he wiped the white towel over the stainless steel, and then he tucked the pot in a cabinet beside the stove, before returning to me at the sink.
Did he realize how powerful an effect he had on me? One simple look from him and my body heated.
“I’m sorry the movie got ruined.” But he gazed at me like he wasn’t sorry we’d ended up right here in this moment together.
“It’s okay.” I tried to sound sexy and seductive. “I’m sure you’ll find a way to make it up to me.”
His smile was wicked, and he placed a hand on my cheek, holding me still so he could seal his lips over mine. His kiss was deep and thorough, and so intoxicating, I forgot where we were. The longer it went on, the more serious my concern became that I might liquify into a puddle on the floor at his feet.
Noah ended the kiss right as my need for him became dire, and he hovered only a few inches away, teasing another kiss. “Any suggestions?”
All I could think about, all I could see was him. “You have such a beautiful face,” I said. “I just want to sit on it.”
He grinned bigger than I’d ever seen, and my legs went boneless. It was a miracle I didn’t collapse or—
Someone on the other side of the room cleared their throat.
And they did it in a very loud, very fake way, making sure we knew it was only to get our attention.
We instinctively leapt away from each other, and my gaze reeled around, searching for the source of the sound, and as soon as I found him, everything in me went cold.
Well—not everything. Blood rushed hotly to my face.
Fuck.
Noah’s father was tall and broad-shouldered. His gray hair was mostly dry already, and he wore a pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt that stretched across his belly. He was a big guy, and it made sense why Theresa would have a hard time helping him up, even without a bad shoulder.
A scowl painted his face, and my gaze dropped to the floor. Noah’s dad was fucking intimidating, and him overhearing me tell his son I wanted to sit on his face wasn’t just cringe.
It was horrifying.
“Dad.” Noah straightened and pretended he didn’t feel any awkwardness. “This is Charlotte.” I sensed he was looking at me then, and found his expression was fixed. “Charlotte, this is Gabe Robinson.”
My voice shook. “Hello.”
The only acknowledgement I got from Gabe was a grunt, like I was unworthy of using full words. It held the room in tense silence and made me want to die. But Theresa appeared then, oblivious to it all, and strolled to the fridge. She opened the door and surveyed its contents.
“Noah,” she said, “does your friend want to stay for dinner?”
His father laughed, only it wasn’t warm like his son’s could be, and he poured on the sarcasm. “I think they’re a bit more than friends, Theresa.”
I could feel the irritation rolling off Noah in waves, but he ignored his father’s comment. “No, thanks, we already ate.”
She closed the refrigerator, and it was then she noticed something was different in the kitchen. “What happened here?” Her focus went from the now-empty table to the bare counter beside the sink before zeroing in on me. “Did you clean?”
I nodded. “I hope you don’t mind. I wanted to be useful.”
She stared at me with disbelief and the discomfort grew inside me until I couldn’t handle it anymore.
“Noah helped me,” I added. “I’m sorry.”
She blinked as she considered what to say next. Perhaps she was thinking up the perfect way to tell me what I’d done was rude but do it in a passive-aggressive manner like Southern women preferred.
Instead, she strolled over to a cabinet, opened it, and began to pull down some wine glasses. “All right. A drink, then.” The bases of the glasses clinked against the stone as she placed them on the counter, and her tone walked the line of being teasing or serious. “I’m assuming your girlfriend is old enough to have a drink.”
Noah gave his mother a plain look. “Yes, she’s old enough to drink.”
I pressed my lips together and steeled my expression so no one would know how excited I was when he didn’t correct her. Maybe it was for his father’s benefit, and it was just pretend for tonight, but I didn’t mind in the slightest.