Page 41 of Bond Strength

The kettle clicked off, and I poured the water into my mug, the fragrant scent of vanilla and bergamot drifting my way. The heat from the filled ceramic scorched my palms, but I savored the feel, the way it woke me up. Being with Noah felt similar to this, a slow realization that grew stronger with every passing moment with him. My feelings became brighter, sharper, and more defined.

“Do you want to meet my family?” I blurted out.

Noah blinked at me. “I’m pretty sure I’ve met the whole crew before.”

“No, as my boyfriend.”

His jaw dropped, and he shook his head as if to clear it. “You don’t do anything in half measure, do you?”

“Our date was a solid enough sample to confirm our compatibility.” I shrugged. “So I’d assume we’re dating, aren’t we?”

“Romance me with those words, baby,” he teased, his eyes crinkling at the edges. The smile he leveled my way was liquid sunshine, and I almost immolated on the spot from the strength of it. “I’d love nothingmore than to date you, Declan. And fuck, yes, please. Introduce me to your family as your boyfriend.”

A frisson of unease lingered at the decision. We hadn’t tested the waters on whether he could balance his demanding schedule with respecting the time I needed to be carved out, as minimal as it was. But we could only figure that out by continuing to date, and dodging around my family sounded like a pointless headache. They were too nosy not to piece together our relationship.

I took a sip of the Earl Grey Crème, the flavor bursting on my tongue. Satisfaction swirled through me as the liquid heat seeped through my veins. “Right, so date Saturday and then Brannon family brunch on Sunday?”

“Yes,” he said. “I’ll visit my family on Saturday morning to warn them I’m busy the rest of the weekend.”

My heart thudded hard. Maybe we stood a chance.

Noah finished fixing his drink up and leaned against the counter beside me, his shoulder against mine. The heat there, the solidness thrummed through me the same way the tea did, a relief I sorely clung to. My rituals soothed me, the processes I went about on a regular basis, and what startled me the most about all this new with Noah was how little it felt new or overwhelming.

Far too easily, I could see myself in this kitchen with him, preparing our morning drinks and sitting together as we basked in the quiet. The intense longing surging forth in my chest at the imagining solidified it in my mind. Noah didn’t mind my silences, my hyperfixations. Instead, he just sat there with me. He listened. He shared in his own way, little messages throughout the day of his observations while on jobs.

I’d known from an early age that most kids didn’t understand me. My family always did, and the protective buffer had filled most ofmy needs. But as I’d gotten older and started dating, the feeling of otherness emerged again, the awareness that finding a partner would be an impossibility. Like the rarity of catching Halley’s Comet in the night sky.

But then Noah had reappeared in my life, and all those confusing factors about him had slotted into place. And the rarity of our connection, of how special he was, hadn’t been lost on me. I’d never fallen in love, never had been aware of those spine-tingling, skin prickling sensations that could sweep in with a breathtaking intensity.

But I’d come to realize—far too easily—I could fall in love with this man.

Chapter sixteen

Noah

Brandon had tacked on a few extra jobs Friday, so even after I’d finished up at Declan’s, I had to work longer than planned. However, he was still cranky about me missing time on the jobs, and I’d rather deal with a rough Friday than have it interfere with my plans with Declan.

The idea of anything work-related ruining with this weekend made my stomach twist. Not only was I excited for the date and nervous as fuck for him to come out to his family and tell them we were dating, but I was also aware of Declan hesitating a bit. He’d made it clear that while he didn’t need a ton of my time, he did need me to follow through when I made plans with him.

And even though the thought of disappointing my family or my boss made me uneasy, the idea of disappointing him slammed in so much harder. Probably not the best way to break my tendency of not carving out my own space, but baby steps.

I pulled up to my folks’ house. My mom had called me over because “her faucet dripped too loud.” The more I saw her excuses to get me to come over instead of asking directly, the more I realized where my own patterns had started. But that didn’t mean I had to continue them. Olivia’s purple Bug was in the driveway, and she’d most likely brought Lauren with her.

My nerves hummed. I’d never brought anyone home to my family. Even when I’d still attempted relationships, we hadn’t lasted long enough to do so. But I wanted to take Declan with me something fierce. He already knew my family for years, and…wait, was it okay to tell my folks?

I walked up the pathway, snagged my phone, and shot out a quick message.

Can I tell my parents we’re dating?

When I reached the door, I paused instead of barging in like normal. I stared at the screen of my phone, willing Declan to answer. My phone buzzed.

Yes.

A grin ripped to my lips. Normally, that short answer would send me spiraling…from anyone but Declan. He guaranteed was neck-deep in a project and just answered my question. Before I could reach for the handle, the door swept open.

“Why are you hanging out there, weirdo?” Olivia asked, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

“Hey, Noah.” Her girlfriend, Lauren, stood right behind her, tall and gorgeous, with her black locs pulled back. They had been inseparable since second grade, and now they were getting married. In the past, the occasional envy had flickered through me, not because I’d wanted to be tied down with just anyone…but because I’d longed for the guy I’d first fallen for way back when.

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