Page 53 of How to Love Your Neighbor
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Abort. Abort. Curl into ball, roll out of room, pretend this never happened.Since that plan likely wouldn’t work, she went with her backup. Standing by what she said.
Lowering herself from her tiptoes, she stepped back, knowing her face was the color of tomatoes. The only thing that helped was that his expression looked tortured.
“I’m not sure I’ve ever wanted to take someone up on anything so badly,” Noah said in a rough voice that vibrated over her skin.
She cleared her throat, held his gaze. “Too late. Offer rescinded and hopefully forgotten.”
“Not a chance,” he said, the heat in his gaze making her too warm.
“This is humiliating,” she muttered. Could she blame the whole 1:00A.M.thing?
Noah stepped forward, touched a hand to her cheek so gently, there and gone like a whisper. “Don’t. You’re an incredible woman in so many ways. You might be the first woman I’ve properly apologized to, Grace, but not the only one I should have. As much as I’m attracted to you, I actually dig the fact that we could maybebe friends. I don’t want to mess that up. Or any of the other stuff I need to talk to you about.”
Part of her was proud of them for putting it all out there like adults. Yeah, so they wanted each other. They weren’t going to act on it. Life was full of wants and disappointments and she’d rather face that than pretend.
“I could come back tomorrow. Maybe we should talk then.”
Nope. Not ending the night like this, still shaky from equal parts desire and embarrassment.
“Come and sit down. Tell me what you’re talking about.”
They moved into the living room. By unspoken agreement, they sat opposite each other, him on the couch, her in the chair across from it. She tucked her feet up under her, pulled the draped blanket over her body. Shivers traveled across her skin.From cold. Not mortification. Or rejection.
When she stifled a yawn, Noah leaned forward, forearms resting on his knees. “The woman you saw at my house? Her name is Emily Swanson. She’s a writer forHome and Heartmagazine.”
Grace sucked in a breath. “You’re being featured in there? That’s amazing.” To be showcased as a designer, homeowner, or renovator in that publication was beyond imagination. It was one of the elite but had a down-home feel, making it one of the most popular magazines around. Grace particularly loved their “Quick Trick Design Hacks.”
“Thanks. I shouldn’t be surprised you’ve heard of it. Emily wants to make editor in chief. She wants to feature my house, my renovations.” He paused, inching forward on the couch. “My designer.”
Grace’s pulse tripled. What she wouldn’t give. She held his gaze, doing her best not to let her jealousy show.
“That’s really fantastic, Noah.” She meant it. She could be green with envy and still be really happyandproud of him.
“Grace, there’s more.”
She leaned forward, unsure why he looked so worried.
“Emily thought there was chemistry between us. Intense chemistry.”
A cross between a laugh and a snort erupted. “Too bad she wasn’t here ten minutes ago to see how right she is.”
“She wants it on the page. She wantsyouto be my designer. She thinks it’ll have some reality TV feel on the page and videos they upload of us working together. Emily says the dynamic between us is exactly the unique twist she’s looking for.”
Had she hit her head? Inhaled too much stain? Too much Noah? She pushed her feet off the chair, touched them to the floor just to feel it beneath her.
“Grace?” He leaned forward, making the couch dip.
“What are you saying?” She needed words. Recorded preferably. That way she could listen over and over again and be sure what he was asking was what he was asking.
“I want this for so many reasons,” he said, resting his elbows on his knees, letting his hands drop between his legs. “In New York, I was at the top of my game. The only thing holding me back was my father. When I came here, I thought it’d be an easy transition professionally. I don’t want to cash in on my father’s name. I want to pave my own way but every step of the way here has been higher, harder. I don’t mind hard work but I feel like I’ve fallen into one of two zones with my deals—those that want the illusion of my father’s reputation and those that want nothing to do with me because of it.”
“You work hard, Noah. You’re making your way. It just doesn’t happen overnight.”
He shook his head, gave her a wry smile. “I know. I’m not trying to play the ‘poor me’ card. But this opportunity would be as big for me as any other person. It’s a privilege I feel like I’ve earned. I want it. She wants you. For the deal to work, it has to include you.”
She swallowed around the lump in her throat. “That’s the only reason you’re asking?” She did her best to keep emotion—hurt—out of her voice.
