“We…” I start, unsure of where I’m trying to go with the sentence.
Noah clears his throat, trying not to laugh.
“Why does Noah look so damn pleased with himself?” Connor asks suspiciously.
“Oh, nothing. He’s just…sunburned.” I try and fail to kick Noah under the table before continuing, “Yes, sure, we are enjoying ourselves.”
“Have you been swimming a lot?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Going out to the ruins?”
I blush thinking about the way we made out like teenagers until we got in trouble. “Yes. They were very…old.”
Natalie’s eyes narrow. “Something’s up.”
I shake my head vehemently.
“You’re blushing!”
I fan my face. “It’s hot down here! We’re like three feet from the equator!”
“OH MY GOD!” Natalie screams, dropping the phone. “ARE YOU GUYS HOOKING UP?! WAIT—don’t answer that! I don’t want any details! Ew ew ew.” Then something dawns on her and she shifts gears. She picks up the phone again and says, “Wait…it’s only been like two days since you arrived! I figured it’d take the whole week before one of you finally made a move!”
Noah takes the phone out of my hand and aims a good-natured smile at his sister.
“Natalie, the truth is, I’ve had a crush on Lindsey for a few years now.”
“I KNEW IT!” Natalie shouts.
“So we’re dating.”
Connor laughs. “’Bout damn time, man.”
“We’d appreciate both of your support.”
Natalie laughs. “Obviously! Lindsey’s the only woman I’ve ever wanted you to date. BUT don’t get it twisted.” Her tone turns menacing. “If you harm a single hair on her body, if you break her heart or string her along, so help me GOD, NOAH MARTIN, I WILL CUT OFF YOUR B—”
“All right, I think he gets the picture,” Connor interjects. Then he laughs. “I guess I should issue the same warning to Lindsey, right? You’re pretty obsessed with her. I don’t want her breaking your heart either.”
Noah’s gaze meets mine, and I shake my head like that’s completely impossible.
I’ve wanted him for too long to ruin it now.
His free hand reaches out for mine across the table and he brushes his thumb across my knuckles.
“I think we’ll manage just fine on our own, guys,” he says, smiling at me.
I hear sniffling through the phone, and when Noah hands it back over to me, Natalie’s on the screen, wiping tears from her eyes.
“Oh my god, you’re crying.”
“I’m sorry!” she says weepily. “I’m just really happy!”
“It’s new. C’mon, don’t make it more serious than it is.”
“It’s serious,” Noah amends for me.
I laugh, though inside, the confession fills me with butterflies.
“So do you forgive us for canceling last minute?” Connor asks.
Noah and I lock eyes, neither of us missing a beat.
“All’s forgiven,” I say.
“We’ll call you guys later,” Noah says before we say goodbye and hang up. I highly doubt we’ll call them again, though. We have no plans for the rest of the day, but I have a feeling we’ll be extremely busy.
“Are we totally insane for jumping into something so soon?”
His brows shoot up. “Soon? Lindsey, it’s been years in the making.”
I laugh, realizing he’s right.
“True. I feel like I know so much about you…but I’m still learning a lot too,” I say, blushing deeper, obviously referring to the more intimate aspects of our relationship.
“I’m learning things too,” he says, sounding devious. “I’ve learned you love when I kiss you between your thighs. I’ve learned what you sound like when you’re getting close, what it feels like when you wrap your legs around my hips.”
Our waiter is approaching with our breakfast and I hiss for him to stop, not quite wanting him to. I love the way he talks to me, love the way he handles me in bed. He’s as confident as I thought he’d be, as intense and wonderful as I’d hoped.
“Is it insane if I say I feel like I’m already falling for you?” I ask, just before our waiter reaches our table.
We’re forced to stay quiet as we wait for him to arrange the plates and then ask us if everything looks good.
“Great,” I tell him with a big smile.
I look back at Noah to find him studying me intensely.
As the waiter walks away, he leans in.
“You aren’t alone,” he admits. “I’m right there with you.”
“Scary, isn’t it?” I ask with a lopsided grin, trying to ease the tension.
He nods solemnly.
“Terrifying.”
“This isn’t just paradise, right? We aren’t just caught up in the moment?”
“This isn’t a paradise sort of love, Lindsey. It’s the real thing.” He grabs my hand across the table. “I’ll prove it.”
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“GOD, I’M SORRY, Bessie,” my brother says. Then he sighs into the phone, which sounds like a hurricane. “I’ll make it up to you after training camp. I promise.”
“It’s really okay. My birthday isn’t that big a deal.” I trap the phone against my shoulder so I can take a bite of my sandwich. I’m eating lunch at my desk in Manhattan, while he’s out on Long Island with his team.
“Yeah, it is. I thought that when you moved to New York, we would see each other more.”
“We do,” I remind him. “We had lunch together last weekend.”
“Still. I didn’t know about this golf tournament. Hey—what if you could take the day off? You could come out here and—”
“No way.” I laugh. “Not happening.” I’ve only had my job at Kassman & Associates for a month. I’m still a little stunned to be working for a legendary sports agency. There’s no way I’d ask for a day off. “I can have a birthday without my big brother. I’ve done it before.”
“I know.” He sighs. “But still. After three years apart, I thought I’d get to take you someplace nice.”
He’s been playing for the Long Island team while I finished up my
