“That’s not the point.”
“Then what is?”
I stop walking and turn to face her. “The point is that I don’t want to get tangled up with a guy who probably has a different woman in his bed every weekend.”
“You don’t know that for sure,” she says softly.
“And I really don’t want to.” I gesture to the building behind us. “That? That’s my priority right now.”
Noia studies me for a moment, then links her arm through mine. “Okay, I get it. It’s just...” She sighs. “All work and no hanky-panky makes Sasha very cranky.”
It’s damn near impossible to keep myself from smiling as I roll my eyes. “Come on, let’s go. Claire and Lizzy are probably waiting for us already.”
Glancing back at my new space, I feel a surge of pride. That is what matters now. Not Jax and his perfect mouth and sexy abs. Not the way my body reacts to his touch. Not how I’ve spent every night since thinking about what might have happened if I hadn’t pushed him away.
No. What matters right now is my business and my future.
Everything else—especially my hot as fuck neighbor—will just have to wait.
When we enter the café,I spot Claire and Lizzy already seated at a booth by the window.
“Sorry we’re late,” I say as we slide in across from them. “Got caught up showing Noia my new space.”
“No worries,” Claire shrugs with a grin. “We went ahead and ordered some appetizers. Hope that’s okay.”
I nod, noticing they already have their drinks.
“So, what’s new? I’ve been so busy unpacking and getting everything situated, there hasn’t been enough time to catch up over the past couple of days.”
Lizzy fiddles with her coffee cup. “Actually, I got a call from my brother yesterday. Logan’s thinking about moving back to Oregon.”
“He’s your twin brother, right?” I ask.
“Yeah,” she nods. “He’s been working as a firefighter in Vancouver, Washington for the past few years, but he’s thinking about transferring to a station closer to home. Possibly here in Lakeside.”
“That’s great,” I say. “Are you two close?”
“We are. I miss him. Haven’t seen much of him over the past year, so it’ll be nice to have him around again,” she smiles.
The waitress comes by with our drinks, taking our food order before disappearing again.
“What about you, Claire?” I ask. “What’ve you been up to?”
“Nothing exciting,” she shrugs. “Just been busy with clients and managing the shop. There’s a big convention the entire staffis attending in a couple of months, so I’ve been helping everyone prep their portfolios. We even have a new guy starting this week. Lizzy’s going to mentor and help get him acclimated.”
“Sounds like a lot.” I take a sip of my iced tea.
“It is, but I love staying busy.”
“Jax helped Sasha unload her moving pod,” Noia chimes in with a mischievous grin.
I shoot her a glare, and she grins. I can’t be too pissed at Noia for airing my dirty laundry. I gave her so much shit when she first got with Ryder, so I know it comes from a good place. Doesn’t make it any less annoying though.
“Aww, he’s is such a good guy, isn’t he?” Claire wiggles in her seat and tsks. “What’s that look on your face? Did something happen?”
“It’s not a big deal.” My face flushes with embarrassment. “He helped me unload some boxes, we talked, and… he kissed me.”
The three of them exchange knowing grins, making me want to slide under the table.
