Solene shot off the couch. “Thewhat?”
“Sotouchy. I meant him.” He nodded down at the baby, whose head did seem to bobble around on that tiny neck. “You, dearest Solene, are nothing less than breathtaking.”
“You got that right.” Solene shook her blonde hair, and the effect was spectacular.
Addy saw Deacon try not to look impressed and fail.
Solene winked at her. “Be good, Addy.”
“No, be bad,” Deacon encouraged.“Noel needs a break. Dude is missing you something fierce, but you didn’t hear that from me.”
Addy left the house feeling lighter than she had in days. Noel really did like her. He missed her maybe, too. As much as she missed him? She hoped so.
It didn’t seem possible to care for someone in so little time, but it felt as if she’d been given a taste of the real man under the aloofshell, only to have it ripped away before she could get to know him. And that hurt.
She knocked on his side door and waited for him to answer. The evening settled in, and the sky lost its bright blue color under the encroaching pink and orange blanket behind indigo clouds. The day looked magical.
Noel opened the door. He appeared the same as before, tan slacks, a button-down shirt,bare feet, she noted. But the sparkle in his eyes as he surveyed her made him seem more alive.
“Addy.” He stepped back. “Come in.”
“Hi, Noel.” She passed him and did her best not to shiver. She could feel him watching her.
She jumped when she felt his hands on her shoulders.
“Can I take your coat?”
“Oh. Sure.” She gave a half laugh and let him ease the jacketfrom her.
“You look nice.”
She glanced down at her long skirt, boots, and favorite green cashmere sweater. It provided warmth while flattering her shape. “My teacher clothes. Thanks. Timmy Johnson likes it too.”
“Timmy Johnson?”
“He’s very cute and just turned nine. Oh, and he has a loose tooth.”
Noel gave her one of his rare smiles. “Scared me for a minute there.I thought I had competition.” His smile faded. “Addy, are you okay?”
She nodded. “It’s been hard to forget, but I know you did what you had to do to save me.”
He stepped closer and reached out, then lowered his hand to his side. “I would never,ever, do anything to hurt you. You have to believe that.”
The raw expression on his face reassured her. “I know.” She closed the distancebetween them and drew him down for a kiss.
The brief contact wasn’t long enough. Then Noel did something that stirred her, deep inside. He tucked her head into his shoulder and hugged her. The warmth from the contact and his slow sigh melted her resistance.
“God, I missed you. It was only a couple of days, but it felt like forever. Give us a chance, okay? I can be a safe bet. I swear.I just need to work out a few kinks first.”
She couldn’t help the desperate laugh that left her. “A few kinks? The ones with guns, you mean.”
“Yeah.” He rubbed her back, and she loved the affectionate gesture. Noel offered comfort, not a seduction, and the difference meant something to her.
“Noel?”
“Yes?”
She pulled back to look into his dark eyes. When he strokeda finger down her cheek, another burst of emotion heated her belly. So much feeling for this man, and so much of it more than sexual. “Can we play cards again?”
