Noah reached for the laptop. He’d trusted his board in deciding the price for security. According to what he was seeing here, Jane was right. About twenty percent of the events he’d hosted had far more security than was necessary. It wasn’t terrible, but it was wasted money they could have put toward things they needed for the vets they were helping. He lifted his eyes to meet Jane’s as he handed the computer back. “And your event doesn’t need as much?”
She scoffed with a rueful smirk. “No. We’re not in the middle of a huge city. Crime in Rocky Ridge is near nonexistent. I’m not suggesting we don’t have security present, but I know we don’t need the same kind of surveillance as we would if this event was being hosted in the heart of California or New York.”
He nodded. She was probably right. “So you’re going to tell them, right?”
“I already did,” she huffed. “They said that they weren’t going to change anything.”
The frown he wore on his face drew her attention.
“There’s nothing else I can do.”
“Are you sure about that?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I could write an email to the CEO and go over the board’s head.”
If only she knew she was speaking to the guy in charge. A smile tugged at his lips. “I think you should try. It can’t hurt, right?”
“No, I suppose not.” The smile she gave him had heat pooling in his core. She shifted, her body brushing against him in a way that stirred his desire. If he was a weaker man, he might have pulled her into his lap and kissed her right then.
He wouldn’t, though. If he started, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop. It was the way she looked at him. Or maybe it was that smile. Heck, it could be her brains and the fact that she’d found something he hadn’t been aware of.
Jane’s eyes tangled with his, and he saw that same desire he felt simmering within him mirrored in her features. A sly smile tugged at her lips, and she tossed the document to the coffee table before she returned to him. She straddled his lap and placed her hands on his shoulders.
His heart stuttered in his chest as he stared up at the angel who hovered overhead. He was the luckiest man alive. His thoughts grew hazy at her proximity and only worsened when she moved closer to him.
“Noah,” she breathed. “I wanted to ask you for something.”
She could ask him for anything, and he’d give it to her with the way he was feeling. She had his heart in her clutches, and there was no going back. “What’s that?” he rasped.
Jane shifted. Her hand reached up to his hairline, and she toyed with his locks. Her attention went there as well, and he felt the loss of her eyes on his potently. The flirty smile stole his focus, and he watched her mouth as she formed her next statement. “This event is going to be the biggest one of the year. I’m already terrified that I’m going to fail.”
“You’re not going to?—”
She pressed a finger to his lips and met his stare. “Not only do I have to make sure everything goes off without a hitch, I have to find something appropriate to wear and make sure that everyone enjoys themselves.”
He wanted to tell her that last one wasn’t part of the job description, but with her finger still on his lips, he kept his mouth shut.
Jane chewed on her lower lip, and her cheeks flushed a deeper color. “You’ve been a huge support for me, and I really want you to come with me. I think if you’re there, then I can relax a little bit.”
He didn’t think before the words, “Of course I’ll be there,” slipped from his lips.
Her eyes brightened, and an excited breath bursts from her lips. “Are you sure? I’m sure the people who will be there will be stuffier than the ones who came to the last one. But the food should be good, and the entertainment is going to rock.”
Noah laughed, pulling her hands into his grasp. “Nothing could keep me away.” He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her palm.
She’d pulled her lower lip between her teeth again, but it was tugged free when she grinned at him. “You’re the best.”
He shook his head, turning his attention to her other hand and kissing the tender skin of that palm. “Actually, I’m selfish.”
Her confusion was quickly wiped away when he continued.
“You’re going to be at an event all night with the most eligible bachelors on this side of the continent. If you think that I would risk letting one of them catch your eye, you don’t know me very well.”
Jane tilted her head. “Is that jealousy I hear?”
Again, he shook his head. “Jealousy would indicate I’ve witnessed you getting attention from someone else, and I feel the need to drag you away from the threat. Like I said. I’m selfish. I’ll be by your side, holding your hand, and kissing you so everyone at that event knows who holds your heart.”
She stared at him with a look he couldn’t read. Was she upset about his opinion? Worried that they were moving too fast? When she didn’t speak, he knew he wasn’t capable of reeling in his overthinking.
