“You’re incorrigible.”
“I’m sure you’d know exactly how to discipline me.”
He let out a throaty growl. “Noah.”
I leaned over the table, pushing my finished dinner aside. “Just so you know, every time you say my name, I think about your hand around my throat, telling me what to do.” I ran my hands over my face. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I just can’t switch off around you. I promise for the hundredth time that I’ll keep things professional.”
He smiled. “I know you will because I won’t let you fail.”
“Ugh, don’t be nice to me.”
“Would you rather I wasn’t?”
I sighed. “No. That would turn me on too.”
“If it makes you feel better, I also wish we could revisit that night, but apart from wanting to keep things professional, I didn’t lie. I really don’t have time to start anything.”
I rested my chin over my crossed hands, with my elbows on the table. “When we met, I thought you couldn’t be more different from me, not just because of the age difference. Now I think we have a lot more in common than we think.”
“I am inclined to agree.”
“Shall we order dessert?”
He laughed. “How can you still eat more?”
“Several reasons. Dessert stomach is a thing. They have chocolate mousse on the menu, and Mom would disown me for not completing a meal.”
“Tell me about your family,” he said.
Talking about his family was work. Talking about mine was…getting personal. But just like I knew I wouldn’t deny him another go with my body if he really wanted it, I opened up and told him all about my crazy Portuguese family.
Lior
Noah’s absence from the breakfast buffet before the start of the conference was explained when he walked on stage for the first session of the day.
I’d sat at the back of the room, hoping to see him as he came in. I regretted that decision now because I wanted to be closer to the stage and ensure I didn’t miss a word.
Last night, he’d proven that he was a great businessman. His default seemed to be boosting his brothers’ creative skills, but I’d argue his ideas had merit. Even if they’d left me a little uncomfortable at first.
His session was titledThe Friends and Family Plan. I’d picked the session because, as someone who managed a business passed down the generations, I wanted to see what fresh ideas or perspectives I could take back.
Had I done my research, I’d have seen Noah’s photo on the conference website as one of the speakers.
He hadn’t even mentioned it last night. I just hoped I hadn’t taken up the time he’d planned to use to prepare for his session.
My heart beat faster as he approached the lectern and pulled the microphone closer to his mouth.
“Good morning, everyone. I’m Noah Spencer, co-founder and director of Spencer Brothers Marketing & PR, and your speaker for this session. Usually, you can trust a PR agency to come in with all the bells and whistles, props, dancers, and smart media. After the dancers threw a tantrum over the lack of cupcakes in the green room and left, we now have a tiny issue with our IT system.” He winked at the crowd. “It shouldn’t take long to fix if you can bear with us for a few minutes.”
I watched as Noah worked with the conference team. The room was full, and all eyes were on the stage. He was the definition of cool under pressure.
Someone took the seat next to mine. My face fell when I turned to greet them. “Pierce. What are you doing here?”
“The way you greet me these days, one might think you’re not happy to see me.”
“I wonder what gave you that idea,” I said sarcastically.
“Why don’t I take you out to dinner tonight? We can talk properly.”
