“You want to know what I looked forward to the most when you invited me to come this afternoon?”
She dropped her eyes to the containers in her arms and lifted them slightly. “Cake?”
He laughed, lifting his other hand to her face. He brushed her lips with his thumb, releasing the lower one she’d managed to snag between her teeth. Then his eyes turned serious as he stared at her lips, and he shook his head. “What I was lookingforward to the most was standing beneath the mistletoe with you again.”
One side of her mouth tugged upward. “Really?”
He nodded. “Really.” His voice held that husky quality that could send her heart into overdrive. “You don’t know how much I crave you, Jane.” He leaned in closer and brushed his nose along the side of her neck. “You were made for me. You just haven’t figured that out yet.”
She sucked in a shuddering breath, her eyes fluttering closed. “Maybe I’m beginning to.”
Noah withdrew, his eyes sparkling with mischief. He didn’t say anything more, he simply brushed a kiss to her forehead and helped her into her seat.
Jane watched him charge around the front of the truck and allowed herself to drink in the oxygen he’d stolen from her lungs before he climbed behind the wheel himself.
He flashed her his usual charming grin. “Let’s head home.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Noah peeredover the book he was reading at the woman he still couldn’t believe had chosen him. Seated on the couch with his legs propped up on the coffee table, he had opted to spend time at her apartment rather than leave her to do her work alone.
While he was perpendicular to the couch, she was spread across it. Her knees bent over his lap as she worked. A pen was stuck between her lips, and flashes of teeth appeared as she nibbled on the end while she went over the stapled document in her hands.
Noah had lost track of how many times he’d reread the same page. He was enjoying watching Jane far more than he would ever readily admit to her. The crease between her brows was adorable, to say the least. The way her focus remained locked on the work at hand only solidified that he’d made the right decision in forcing her supervisor’s hand.
Jane deserved the task and promotion she’d been given. She was darn good at it. Already she’d scribbled notes into the proposal she’d been given from his board. She’d crossed a few things outas she shook her head, then scribbled some more. The event she was planning was going to be perfect.
She must have felt his gaze on her because she lifted her eyes without moving her head. A smile tugged at her lips, and she tilted her head to get a better look at him. “What?”
He shook his head, brows lifting somewhat. “Nothing.”
Her lips stretched wider. “You’re staring.”
“Am I?”
This time Jane rolled her eyes, but based on how quickly her cheeks colored, it was clear she was flattered by his attention. When her focus flicked up to meet his as if she was making sure he was still looking, he grinned right back.
Noah nodded to the document in her hand. “How’s it going?”
At that, she sighed, and the professional side of her reappeared. She gestured to a spot on the paper. “They’re requesting an exorbitant amount of security. I mean, I get it to a degree, but it’s unnecessary.”
He was more than aware that those in attendance were paranoid about their wealth. The people who would attend this particular event usually wore clothing and jewelry that cost more than Jane’s annual salary. They had every right to want to protect their property. But her statement tugged at something in the back of his mind. “Why would you say that?”
She gave him a flat look. “You think they should be spending that amount of money on security?” She turned the document around with a huff.
His eyes darted to the number—one that the board had agreed upon—but he didn’t react to it. “I would assume they know what they’re talking about since they’ve been holding these events for years.”
Jane nodded. “You’re right that they’ve been running these events for a couple of years…”
“But?” He could sense it coming, and he pushed her forward.
“But,” she sighed, “when you’re running something like this, every single penny has to be accounted for. The point is to not spend more than is needed. In the beginning, they can only make assumptions. But based on this? I would say they’ve never adjusted their numbers.”
“And that’s… bad.” It wasn’t ideal. But Noah knew better than to mess with something that worked. He wanted to assure his guests that they were safe. If that meant they spent a premium for their security, he was happy to do it. Jane was making it sound like his opinion was wrong.
“Yes.” She said it with such a matter-of-fact tone that he couldn’t bring himself to tear his eyes from her. Jane must have understood the expectant look on his face because she leaned forward and grabbed her laptop. In a few short minutes, she had found what she was looking for and turned the device around.
A list of stats was displayed on the screen. “These are all the events. These are the prices they’ve paid. And these,” she pointed to a column off to the side, “are the recommended prices for the suggested security measures. Yes, the numbers go up and down based on location. But you’ll notice that the amount that was actually spent has remained the same.”
