This wasn’t what she was thinking when she’d asked him to help her. She was utterly and hopelessly attracted to Noah, but she didn’t have time for a boyfriend. Or friend, or whatever their relationship was becoming. He worked in Manhattan, had a life that didn’t involve her.
He also had a brother who didn’t hesitate to do a background check on her, and when she refused to work with Noah, he’d tried to blackmail her.
But his grandma had taught him how to dance, so he wasn’t all bad.
Noah brushed a strand of hair away from her face and handed her an earbud. “Cue the music, Cassie.”
Next time she was in town, she was buying a portable speaker. Dancing with him was dangerous enough without having to share her only set of earbuds.
She found the music app on her phone and pushed “Play”. As the first notes of an Anne Murray song drifted into her ear, Noah tapped the beat against her shoulder. “Should I ask Sam what songs they’re playing at the wedding? We could practice dancing to that music, too.”
“Focus, Ms. Harper.”
Cassie sighed. She’d unleashed a monster when she’d asked Noah for dancing lessons.
“One, two, three…”
Noah’s muscles tensed a moment before he stepped forward.
Automatically, her body moved backward, matching his long, graceful stride. Her sneakers brushed against the grass as each step became easier, each turn a little less awkward. Cassie forgot about Noah’s rock-hard body pressed against hers, the way they moved together like long lost lovers. She simply enjoyed the moment, lost herself in the music, and fell a little in love with the man in her arms.
Her eyes widened as they completed their first flawless circuit of the backyard. “We did it,” she whispered.
Noah dropped his hand to her waist and sighed. “We did. But where do we go from here?”
Cassie searched his face, trying to decide if he was still talking about dancing. “I guess we go back the way we came.” It was the coward’s way out of his question, but Cassie didn’t care. She still hadn’t told Noah whether she would work for him. And until that was settled, she wouldn’t be getting any closer to him, even if Anne Murray was asking if she could have this dance for the rest of her life.
Noah turnedover the steak on the barbecue. After they’d finished dancing, Cassie had invited him for dinner. They could have been any other couple, anywhere in the world, enjoying each other’s company. Except they weren’t a couple. They weren’t friends. They were something in between that didn’t make a whole lot of sense.
“Would you like Dijon, ranch, or honey mustard dressing on the salad?”
Noah turned toward Cassie. For a moment, he forgot what she’d asked and soaked in her beauty. While he was sitting on the veranda, she’d changed into a white T-shirt and a long, pale blue skirt. She looked like the girl next door, the woman a man would be mad not to marry.
“Noah?”
He cleared his throat and tried to remember the options she’d given him. “Sorry. Ranch would be great.”
Cassie smiled and turned toward the living room.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.” Her smile dimmed but didn’t completely disappear.
“Have you and your dad decided whether you’ll work for Wilson Enterprises?”
“I…” She took a deep breath and focused on the table between them. “I was going to talk to you about that after dinner.”
“Is there a reason we can’t talk about it now?”
Her chin lifted to meet his gaze. “Dad doesn’t want to work with you. He’s happy where he is.”
Noah rubbed his temple. “Would it help if I talked to him? I could explain—”
“He knows what could happen if we created jewelry for your company. But he wants to keep working with his friend. Steve was one of the few people who believed him when he said he didn’t steal the designs.”
“Loyalty won’t make him rich or famous.”
Cassie winced. “None of that matters.”
