Page 65 of Kissing Chaos
“Jett won’t help me choose.” Kelsey pokes out her lower lip in a ridiculous pout.
Noah hugs me closer and whispers, “Overwhelmed?”
I shrug noncommittally. While it may be true, I won’t admit it. I want this place to be perfect. Can we make it what I’ve always dreamed of? A quiet, cozy escape from reality for the bookworm while also being a judgment-free zone for aspiring authors. With tasty treats and coffees and teas. Sandwiches during the lunch hour. The perfect getaway right in the town square.
Noah’s warm hand settles over my lower back, his pinky dipping under my T-shirt as he brings my focus back to our current dilemma.
“When you thought about creating this place over the years, what colors were in your mind?”
“I don’t know, Noah,” I snap before I can stop myself. “The color doesn’t matter. The atmosphere does.”
His fingers slip around my hip and squeeze tight enough to grab my attention. It isn’t as addictive as when he cradles my head, but it’s a close second.
“Take a breath, chaos.”
I work on centering myself. This isn’t something to get out of sorts over. It’s simple. I’ve fixated on it enough over the years.
“I always pictured dark wood and lavender with either olive or a deep teal.”
Kelsey squeals. “That’s perfect! I can take it from there if you want.” She sashays to the back room that is now our shared office space.
“She driving you crazy yet?”
I pick up our empty mugs and carry them to the sink behind the counter and wash them so the two high schoolers working today won’t have to. Although, my willingness to clean up has more to do with the pent-up energy that makes my skin tingle.
“I love her, but I think I need to go hide and decompress. When I walked through the door this morning, it was like she was waiting to pounce.”
Noah snorts as he pulls me to the front of the café. “She probably was. That girl has been obsessed with this project since you agreed. Maybe even before that.”
Reaching up on tiptoes, I brush a kiss across his lips, reveling in the feel as his arms wrap around me, his hands settling just above my ass.
“Can I steal you away for a bit?”
“Might be able to work something out. What for?”
Hugging me close, he drops a kiss to my temple. “I was hoping to convince you to just trust me and go along for the ride. I think you’ll like it.”
“Is there food?”
Nodding, he grins. “So, is your answer yes?”
“Whisk me away, Mr. Elevator Man.”
***
And boy does he ever whisk me away.
“You know, this could be considered questionable behavior from a male suitor. Definitely morally gray behavior.”
I can’t see his face thanks to the blindfold he insisted I wear until we arrive wherever he’s taking me, but his snort is perfectly audible and loaded with amusement.
“The number of book tropes that flit through your head on any given day is impressive, chaos.”
“I’m just impressed you’ve caught on so quick to the fact that it is fictional-boyfriend material. And while I may enjoy a sprint through a dark and dangerous fictional world, I’m not sure what I think of it actually becoming a reality.”
He places a warm, steady hand on my thigh and offers a light squeeze. “I promise I am not kidnapping you or leading you to any dark and dangerous areas. No crazed murder fantasies here.”
I do laugh at that—at some of my words to him from that first time we met again in Havenwood. He’d been so concerned about me walking back to Reece’s alone. If I’d had any idea of the trauma that triggered his reaction, would I have let him go with me?
