Page 29 of Keeping Guard
He shook his head. “Try again.”
Drat. He was on to her. “Because I’m hungry, and it wouldn’t be polite to eat in front of you?”
He shook his head again, only slower this time, which strangely put even more emphasis on his rejection of her excuse. “If you’re answering in the form of a question, then you’re still not giving me the real reason.”
Oh, he was smart. “Fine. I want to talk to you about something, and I figure you’ll be more open-minded on a full stomach.”
“Does this have to do with that nonsense about me being your person?”
“Not nonsense,” she muttered. “Do you want a beer or something else?” She cut the grilled cheese in halves, put them on plates, along with the bowls of soup. There were two spring rolls, and she gave them each one.
“A beer’s fine.”
She gave a mental fist pump. He was going to sit down and eat with her. “There are several choices in the fridge. Pick which you want, and one for me.” She’d already set out placemats and silverware on the island, and she carried the plates over.
“This is really good,” he said after taking the first bite of the grilled cheese.
“That’s because it’s sourdough bread and has three kinds of cheeses in it, sharp cheddar, Havarti, and goat cheese. That’s nothing. Just you wait until I make you my famous grilled cheese with bacon and tomato.”
“You’re not going to be making me more dinners.”
She ignored that comment since she planned to have him around for a few days. “Unfortunately, I didn’t have a tomato on hand tonight, and I didn’t feel like cooking bacon. You wouldn’t think a tomato would be good on grilled cheese, but you’d be wrong. Every person I’ve ever made it for—”
“Princess?”
“Hmm?” She never would have thought she’d like a man calling her princess, and although he probably intended for her to take it as an insult, she heard the softness in his voice when he said it. He probably didn’t even realize that.
“No tomatoes on my grilled cheese.”
She saluted. “Copy that.” She’d heard him say those two words a few times. And there was a minuscule upturn of his lips before he flattened them back to his trademark scowl. Getting an almost smile out of this man was almost as satisfying as creating a new beer.
By the time she finished her soup and half her sandwich, she was full. Dropping the other half of her grilled cheese and the spring roll on his plate, she picked up hers. After loading her plate and silverware in the dishwasher, she cleaned up the kitchen while covertly watching Noah finish his dinner. He seemed to really enjoy it, and that made her happy.
Dalton would have turned up his nose at such a simple meal. Her ex never talked much about his childhood, but from the few things he’d let slip, she knew he grew up poor. The one time she’d made him the sandwich, he’d refused it, saying he’d eaten a lifetime’s share of the damn things.
Noah picked up his empty plate and bowl and brought them to the sink. “Thanks. That was good.”
“You’re going to like it even better when I make it for you with bacon and tomato.”
His gaze landed on her, and he narrowed his eyes. “No. Tomato.”
At least he wasn’t still saying she wouldn’t be cooking for him. She picked up her half-full bottle, noting that he still had some left in his. “Let’s finish these in the living room.” It was time to convince him to agree to her plan, and she was nervous.
She sat on the sofa, tucking her legs under her. He walked to the window and looked out. Since she could appreciate his fine body without him noticing, she took advantage. He wasn’t as big as his friend Jack, not quite as muscled, but he was perfectly formed. His dark blue T-shirt stretched over broad shoulders, his hips were lean, and his legs long.
All that was as sexy as all get-out, but it was his forearms that snagged her attention. She didn’t know what it was about men’s forearms, but they did it for her, and Noah’s were perfect. She wanted to trail her hands over them, to feel the strength of those muscles. Even better, she’d love to have them wrapped around her.
“You ready to tell me what’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”
He thought she was pretty? A thrill gushed through her, and she couldn’t help her grin. Maybe his thinking that would help get his agreement to her plan, but she refused to talk to his back. “I will when you turn around.”
A soft sigh escaped him as he faced her. A questioning brow went up, but he kept quiet. He could be quite intimidating when he wanted. Like now with his lips pressed together and his eyes already hardening, as if he was preparing to say no to whatever was about to come out of her mouth.
She almost chickened out under his relentless stare, but she had to at least try. Although her goal was to have him act as a bodyguard for a few days, she couldn’t deny that she wanted more time with him. And just maybe, he would kiss her again.
“Okay, here’s the thing.” She wished she wasn’t so nervous, afraid he was going to give her a big fat no. “I think Dalton’s lost his ever-loving mind. He’s decided I’m going to marry him whether I want to or not. And believe me, I don’t. He said we were going to Vegas. I got away from him and locked myself in the bathroom. He kicked the door in, and—”
Noah made a growling sound deep in his throat as he strode out of the room.
