"I don't know," I murmur, feeling sleep tug at the edges of my consciousness. "The whole holiday is about unexpected miracles. Finding light when you thought there was none."
Her fingers trace patterns through the hair on my chest. "And is that what this is? A miracle?"
I capture her hand and bring it to my lips. "You tell me. A man who's spent his entire life running, suddenly desperate to stay in one place? If that's not divine intervention, I don't know what is."
She nestles closer, her body soft and warm against mine. "Stay tonight?"
"Absolutely," I agree, my eyes already closed. As sleep takes me, cradled in her arms, I realize I've spent forty-five years chasing success across the country, never understanding that what I really needed was right here—this woman, this feeling of finally, finally belonging somewhere.
Chapter 15
Noa
I've been awake for several minutes, just watching Brian sleep—the steady rise and fall of his hairy chest, the way his face softens in sleep, with hardness melting away from his features.
This morning feels different from our first one together. No rush, no storm clearing, no sense of a fleeting connection. Instead, there's a tentative permanence to the way his arm drapes possessively across my waist, the way our legs remain tangled beneath the sheets.
His eyes flutter open, instantly finding mine. "You're staring," he murmurs, his voice rough with sleep.
"Appreciating," I correct him, echoing his words from last night.
He smiles, pulls me closer, and presses a kiss on my forehead. We lie like that for several minutes, neither speaking, just existing in the quiet intimacy of the morning.
"I finished your book," he says suddenly. "The fantasy one about the orc."
My heart skips. "You did? What did you think?"
"I loved it." His fingers trace lazy patterns on my bare shoulder. "You were right about the parallels." He meets my eyes. "Your margin note about familiar faces really got to me."
Joy blooms in my chest. He not only read it, he understood why I chose it for him. "I'm so glad you liked it."
"It made me think about what I want my life to look like." He pauses. "Speaking of which, I have my contract meeting with the Stag family today. To finalize yesterday’s discussion."
My heart skips again but for a different reason. "You're really doing it? Moving to Pittsburgh?"
"That's the plan." His voice carries quiet certainty. "It makes sense professionally. The Stags are my most stable clients, and they're all here."
I hear the unspoken reason hanging between us. Me. I'm here, too.
"It's a big change," I say carefully. "Are you sure it's not too... sudden?"
He props himself up on one elbow, looks down at me with those intense blue eyes. "I've been living out of suitcases for twenty-five years, Noa. Trust me when I say this feels right."
The certainty in his voice should be reassuring, but a knot of anxiety forms in my stomach. We've spent a total of two nights together. Is that enough to upend an entire life? To change a decades-long pattern?
"What about your other clients?" I ask. "Your family in New Jersey?"
"Newark is a ninety-minute flight. I'll still handle the important meetings personally, but I'm bringing on associates for day-to-day management." He brushes a curl from my face. "I can see those wheels turning. What are you worried about?"
I take a breath. "That you'll wake up in a month and regret this. That I'm not enough reason to change your whole life."
His expression softens. "This isn't just about you, though you're a compelling factor." He kisses me lightly. "It's about me, too. What I want. Who I want to be for the second half of my life."
Before I can respond, his phone buzzes from the nightstand. He glances at it and sighs. "Tim Stag. I should get this."
While he takes the call, I slip out of bed and into the shower. The hot water helps clear my head, but the questions remain. Is this real? Or just the afterglow of incredible sex and holiday sentimentality?
By the time I emerge, Brian is dressed in yesterday's suit, looking remarkably put-together for a man who spent the night making me scream his name.
