She slapped his chest, not hard, but firmly.
“Hey.”
“Noel, do you love me?”
He actually sputtered and blushed, and she stared at her answer, surprised she had to ask. “I, well, Addy, I want you to movein with me. I want to marry you. I’ve been infatuated with you for years.”
“But do you love me?” she asked softly, aware she’d startled him. She, boring old Adeline Rose, school teacher, terrified her assassin.
“What I feel for you goes beyond love, and it scares the crap out of me because of the danger we’re facing. I don’t want to lose you, Addy.” He gripped her hand in his, soshe could only prop herself on one arm and his chest.
“You love me.”
“Yes, yes. I love you.” He blew out a breath. “Now with any luck I haven’t jinxed us. I haven’t had a lot of softness in my life. Not a lot of experience with love. But I don’t like being away from you. And don’t tell the guys, but Noel Jr. has really grown on me.” He blinked away suspicious moisture. “Addy, I imaginea life with you that’s so far beyond what I deserve.”
“What youthinkyou deserve,” she corrected, doing her best not to cry with him. “I know I deserve it. I’ve been good, darn it.” She laughed with him. “I love you, Noel. And if you’re sure about staying here, I want us to be together. We’ll take it slowly, once you’re here for sure. I don’t want you to have regrets.”
He snorted.“That’s my line. You can do much better than me. I’m scared once the novelty of having me around wears off, you’ll find out I’m too boring for you.”
She leaned down to kiss his chest. “Now, Noel. You’ve met my dad and seen his gardens. Who do you think he passed all that secret gardening information down to? You want big tomatoes and cucumbers like Bert Rose? You have to get them from me.”
“So you’re saying that in order to learn how to grow like a pro, I have to seduce my neighbor? That’s more Deacon’s style. I’m more of a fixer. But…” He smiled and kissed her. “I can do it. Maybe if I had more practice though.”
In a slick move, he had her on her back, his hand in the drawer fishing out a condom. “Let’s put this on and try again. I’m not sure I have the hang of missionary.And being old and boring, I should really know how to do this one position, shouldn’t I?”
Ready to take him on once more, she wrapped her legs around his waist and nodded. “Yes, you should. Then I’ll tutor you in math, and we’ll take a closer look at the number sixty-nine.”
He groaned on a laugh and entered her, and then there was no more talk as they both became the teacher, andthe student, in bed.
Two days later,Noel was still on cloud nine. Yes, he now owed Hammerfor disposing of two bodies—and not in his garden, thank you very much. Yes, they were no closer to determining the father of Noel Jr. since the lab had gotten the results screwed up and had to test again, adding more time to the delayed progress. And yes, he was stuck with Deacon and Hammer through it all, because they had decided to stay to help stop the hitmen after Noel and now Addy andthe baby. But life couldn’t feel any more perfect.
Deacon and Hammer actually liked the little guy, though Hammer did his best not to touch the baby, afraid of hurting him. Deacon had no problem toting the kid along, because it helped him pick up chicks—his words.
Solene grudgingly stayed at Addy’s while Addy stayed with Noel. Solene would soon go back to her house, and when shedid, he knew Deacon or Hammer planned to go with her. At least until they worked out who had targeted them. Solene would be in danger on her own.
They’d upped security at her daycare, at Addy’s school and in her classroom, though the ladies remained unaware of Noel’s extra precautions, because he didn’t trust the quiet.
The men he’d killed—in his own fucking house—were the key tothe puzzle he was slowly trying to work out. Hammer hadn’t gotten very far, though he had learned a vital clue in Pennsylvania.
Someone wanted all three of them dead for a purported wrong they’d done him on a job overseas.
That meant Noel, Deacon, and Hammer had all been involved in a particular mission. It wasn’t just Noel, as Deacon had already confirmed. Hearing Hammer say thesame made it certain. That made Noel feel better about ordering the guys to stay. Not just for the baby, but to clear up potential danger. It was bad enough they had to watch their backs during regular civilian life. But to be in the middle of an op with an extra target painted on their backs? No way.
The phone rang while he stood in his greenhouse and spliced a new tomato plant he wantedto try. “Noel here,” he answered.
“Noel, it’s Addy.”
“Hey, beautiful.”
“I wanted to remind you we had an early day today because we’re prepping for teacher conferences.” She paused. “I’m going to finish up here then head to lunch with Brent.”
He put down his clippers. “What’s that?”
She sighed. “Brent called me yesterday. We’ve been friends for years. We’ve dateda bit, but we’ve never been serious. At least, not on my end. He was hoping for something else. I think I owe it to him to tell him face to face I’m seeing someone else.”
“You mean, that you love someone else, and he could never be more than a pale substitute for my manliness.”
“Yes, something like that,” she said dryly.
