“You know,” Alec said, “You’re awfully quiet. What’s going on in that head of yours?”
Noah snorted, looking down at her lap. “I guess I just never thought I’d be on a date with Alec Sinclair,” she said, catching his eye.
“You’re one of the lucky ones. Fortune is smiling down on you now.”
“You think so?” she asked. “That’s good. I could use some fortune in my life.”
Alec took a bite of the bread, debating on what to do next. It was clear that she was hinting at what caused her to temporarily move in with him and Lily, but she didn’t want to say anything more. He could understand that. It had to be serious because he knew Noah enough to know that she wasn’t the sort to just be quiet about things.
At that moment, the waitress brought out their drinks. The two ordered food and once the waitress left, they fell into silence. For whatever reason, Alec felt awkward. He never felt awkward on a date before. Then again, he had never actively taken a girl out on a date before. If anything, he was always very careful to go places where he knew he would meet girls and then get the chance to take them home. Clearly, Noah was the exception to the rule.
Then again, this isn’t a date.
“Thanks,” Alec said, after a moment. “For helping me with this. I think it’ll be a good idea, you know. It’ll help.”
Noah smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes. “No problem,” she said. She picked at her piece of bread, but didn’t actually eat it. “You did me a favor. The least I can do is help you out as well.”
Alec frowned. He knew that she was right, but at the same time, he didn’t like how clinical it sounded.
“I know something is bothering you,” he said instead. He had no idea why he was saying anything, not when he knew he shouldn’t push her. But it was like these were important words and he wanted to make sure she understood that he knew how important they were. “I just want to tell you that when you’re ready to talk about it, I’m here for you.”
Noah cleared her throat, risking a glance at him. He couldn’t be sure, but there seemed to be something in his words she was reacting to. She was grateful, even though he somehow knew she probably wouldn’t take him up on his offer.
“I never thought I’d hear Alec Sinclair say something nice,” she said. Not in a way where she was feeling sorry for herself. More like it was the truth, but it was a truth she liked, one she appreciated.
“Yeah, well, to be fair, I never thought Noah Stone would ever help me with something,” he said. “Might as well talk out this girlfriend-boyfriend stuff. I’ve never had one before, so…”
Noah’s brows shot up. “That’s hard to believe, what with your reputation,” she said, her eyes sparkling.
His breath caught in his throat as he stared at her. He didn’t think he had ever seen something as beautiful as she was right now.
Before he could say anything, the food arrived. For the next ten minutes, the two were silent. A small boy came over and asked for a picture, which Alec was happy to oblige. Other than that, the meal was much more pleasant than he anticipated.
“Ready to go, then?” he asked after they finished up their cheesecake.
“Sure.”
Alec paid the check, left a generous tip, and began to head out back into the crowd waiting at the lobby. Without warning, he stopped. They were supposed to be together. They had just had a date. For some reason, he felt compelled to turn towards her, and in the crowd of people, pulled her in for a long kiss.
12
Noah
The kiss curled Noah’s toes and caused butterflies to rip out of their hollow cocoons and start flapping their wings inside of her stomach once again. She felt rooted to her place and light, like she could float away, all at the same time. Her fingers brushed the back of his neck. She didn’t want to grip him too hard, afraid she might hurt him, might hurt her chances of prolonging the kiss.
It was much more tender than she anticipated from him. Closed mouth, but not frigid or platonic. It was just enough to tease her, to make her want him more. Noah slowly pulled away from him when air was becoming a huge factor, though she would have continued if it wasn’t. From her peripheral, she could see people around them, holding up their phones and recording. For the first time, She didn’t think about the consequences of her actions. She didn’t think if Aaron would find out and punish her accordingly. All Noah could see was Alec. All she could think about was doing it again. And again.
“Um,” he said, tilting his head down and rubbing his jaw. “I think… I think we came here to do what we did, and that, well…” His voice trailed off.
Noah suppressed a smile, curling hair behind her ear. Suddenly shy, she hoped Alec wasn’t upset that he had to pretend to be someone he wasn’t. It looked like he enjoyed the kiss, but maybe he didn’t if it wasn’t real, if it wasn’t going to get him laid at the end of the day.
“We can go home now,” he said finally. “If you’re ready, that is.”
“Uh, yeah. Definitely.” She reached up to curl hair behind her ear but stopped. There was no hair to curl. She had already done it a few seconds before. But it was like she
