Page 54 of Code Block
Claire looked up at him. He was still pressed against her, but the phone call had cooled their passion. Her voice croaked, and she cleared her throat to try again. Ignoring what had just passed between them, she asked, "How long will you be gone?"
He rolled off of her and sat up in the bed. The cold rushed in from where the bedding fell back, but the sight of his naked back distracted Claire. She tracked his movements as Noah dragged his fingers through his hair. "I don't know. Let's go down for breakfast and find out, shall we?"
She nodded, but didn't move. He shifted to face her and her gaze dropped to his bare chest. He was lean and solid, with just enough definition to make her brain short-circuit. And the sprinkling of chest hair? Unexpectedly fascinating.
"Claire," he said, his voice low and amused, "you're staring. Should I be flattered or concerned?"
Her eyes snapped up, and heat rushed to her face.
"Sorry," she said. Then inexplicably added, "I liked kissing you."
He groaned and flopped back down beside her. "I liked kissing you, too. This is a problem."
"Yes," she agreed. Everyone knew messing around with someone from work complicated things. And women usually got the short end of the stick if things went south. Her stomach growled, and she took the opportunity to duck and run. "But we'll worry about it later. Breakfast is a great idea. And we can find out what's going on outside."
He rolled toward her and propped himself up on one elbow, the blanket slipping dangerously low. "You might want to leave first," he said grinning.
"Why?"
"Because I'm not wearing much under here. And if I get up before you leave, you're going to see more of me than you bargained for."
She yelped and scampered out of the room, his laughter chasing her as she fled.
Chapter 22
Encapsulated
Noah stomped his boots on the mat and hung up his coat to dry in Mrs. Ferguson's utility room—or mudroom, as Claire had called it. His coat, scarf, and boots joined the collection of the other guests, who had made themselves at home. He scrubbed his hand briskly over his hair to shake off any loose water. The storm had spent its fury overnight, but continued to scatter light rain across the land as if to ensure they didn't forget its passing. He'd neglected to pack a proper beanie to cover his head, and the water had run down his neck to seep into his shirt.
After a quick breakfast, he'd gone to the airport with Archie and Devon, leaving Claire to analyze the update on the Norway issue they'd received this morning. Apparently, the internet had blipped with the power and their email had just caught up. He hadn't read the details, but it sounded like they'd already identified the key problem.
Noah grabbed a towel from the bench and rubbed his hair down. He wanted to hear what the team had discovered, and he had news to share with Claire. While repair of their plane wasn't happening soon, the airline planned to send a replacement jet to get them back to their origin point. He wasn't sure how the other passengers would feel, but this worked out great for them. With their teammates already working on a solution, he and Claire no longer needed to travel to Norway.
Earlier, he'd texted a brief update to Simon about returning to England with a promise to call later with more details. Simon had suggested a conference call when he returned to the hotel, since he had something to discuss with Claire. Before he found the tiny ginger and set up the call, Noah wanted to change into dry clothes. His shirt was damp and his socks soaked through from stepping in puddles.
He stripped off the offending socks and headed upstairs to their suite. The room was dark except for the fire and the ambient light coming from the windows of the exterior rooms. Claire must be working downstairs.
Noah stepped into the open door of the bathroom and stopped short. His suite mate was not downstairs. Her long red curls hung over the side of the bathtub, with her alabaster arms draped daintily along the sides of the tub, and her eyes closed peacefully in sleep. A discarded e-reader and a single candle occupied the shelf beside the tub. The smell of eucalyptus permeated the air, presumably from the candle. The remnants of what must have been a bubble bath did little to hide her shape from him. His body responded immediately and he swallowed.
He slowly stepped backward, intending to sneak out before she realized he'd interrupted her, when the board beneath his foot creaked and her eyes snapped open. Shit. He froze.
"Noah!" She covered her chest, the water sloshing at her sudden movement.
They stared at each other until he decided something needed to be said. True to form, instead of blundering through an apology, Noah reached for the flirtatious charm he was known for. He nonchalantly leaned against the wall and folded his arms across his chest. "Having a lie in, are you? I thought you planned to work while I was gone."
She sputtered, and he grinned. She moved to sit up, then thought better of it. "I'm naked here! Do you mind?"
He kept his gaze strictly on her face. A pretty shade of red covered her from chest to forehead and he figured better to stop while he was ahead. He turned his back to her, then grabbed the towel hanging on the wall next to him and held it out behind him. "I've got an update on our situation, and Simon wants a conference call. He's got news on his end as well. He's waiting for us now."
Water splashed behind him and a tug slipped the towel from his fingers. "I wasn't lying in?—"
"Having a lie in," he interrupted. "It means sleeping in late."
"Whatever," she huffed. "I finished my review early, and I thought you'd be gone for a few hours, which was perfect for trying out this fantastic tub."
"You know, if you'd closed the bathroom door, we could have avoided this whole embarrassing situation." An elbow in his back and a muffled apology sent him stumbling closer to the door.
"Again, you weren't supposed to be back so soon. And leaving the door open let in the heat from the fireplace." An exasperated sigh, then, "If you'd kindly step all the way out, I will finish getting dressed and meet you in the sitting room for Simon's call."
