Page 37 of River
CHAPTER 11
House Hunting
River
I can’t explain why trusting Noah came easier than with others. He was bigger than most men and could easily hurt a woman like me if he wanted. But all my instincts told me he was a gentle giant.
Another thing that was different about Noah was his lack of need to talk about himself. I was used to self-centered men with big egos who liked to brag about their success and status.
Noah spoke about his love for his dog and the satisfaction of making a difference in his job as a policeman, but he wasn’t sharing his five-year plan or fishing for compliments about how amazing he was.
I’d dated men of all types: sports stars with rigorous food and training schedules, flamboyant celebrities who were obsessed about fans and social outreach, billionaires so snobbish that they would refuse to drink anything less than the most excellent wine.
Noah was as easygoing as my own family. Well, easy-going except for Charles, Lumi, and Atlas, who were all a bit much at times with their extreme work ethic and academic talk.
After our massage, we stood on the beach.
“Thank you for the massage,” Noah said, and for a moment, I felt a little awkward. Were we going our separate ways now, or would he still like to be around me even though I’d made it clear that sex between us wouldn’t happen?
As if he could read my uncertainty, Noah took my hand. “I’d still like to invite you out for dinner tonight.”
My lips pursed up. “I’d like that.”
“What type of food do you prefer?”
“Vegan or at least vegetarian.”
“You’re a vegan?”
“No, if I were, I wouldn’t have eaten a Magnum ice-cream.” I smiled. “For a while, I was rigid about it, but I’m more relaxed now. Still, my skin is better when I live plant-based, so I try to avoid animal products as much as possible.”
“Huh.”
“Look, remember I said I have a meeting today?”
“Yes.”
“Well, the truth is that Maximum and I have decided to buy a new home for Maya and the children. I’m going house hunting with a real estate agent to see what’s available.”
“Wow, that’s very generous of you.”
“Thank you.” Other tourists approached to get massages, so Noah and I moved out of the way.
“If you want, you’re welcome to come with me. Maximum and I agreed that I would do the initial search and call him if I find something worth seeing. He’s with the children today.”
“I’d love to come!”
Noah’s enthusiasm made me laugh. “You really like house hunting, don’t you?”
His face softened, and he moved closer to me, stroking my arm. “If it means spending more time with you, I’ll walk through every house in this city.”
Heat spread in my cheeks, and again I wondered why I reacted so strongly to his compliments. I’d received dozens of poems and extravagant love declarations over the years and couldn’t remember ever feeling this affected.
“Well, then how about we grab a quick lunch and head up to meet my contact?”
“Sounds good to me.”
Muhammed, the real estate agent that our contractor had set us up with, turned out to be his cousin. He was in his thirties and had an easy laugh.
