Page 28

She’s the spicy cinnamon to my roll. The book to my worm. The angel to my… demon?

“Don’t you have to pose for a lot of promotional stuff?” Noel asks, glancing up at me briefly.

“Yeah, we do. It’s fun, actually. But on media days, I get to enjoy interacting with everyone I don’t usually see. Like our social media team. It’s a good time to get to know everyone.”

“What’s your least favorite part of your job?” she asks, taking me by surprise. No one ever asks me that.

I think for a minute before answering. “Being recognized everywhere I go. Sometimes I wish I could go into Target and grab some shampoo without anyone asking for a photo. When I’m at an event, or at a game, I don’t mind that… because I’m in work mode.” I sigh. “But when I want to be normal, I can’t.”

She nods in understanding. I don’t know how she pulls these honest answers out of me, but I always show more of my true self around her than I do other people.

“As an introvert, I would hate that, too. Being around a lot of people I don’t know wears me out. That’s how my book obsession began. As a kid, that’s how I would unwind after school.” She smiles down at the dirt path.

I love seeing her smile. It’s a nice change from the glare she usually sports when I’m around. “What was your favorite book as a kid?”

“Lord of the Rings,” she answers quickly. “It was my first fantasy, and I was hooked. I re-read it every year; you never forget your first love.” She sighs contentedly, and I think to myself that I could listen to her talk about books all damn day.

I could listen to her talk about anything. I imagine her presenting a lecture to her students, how captivated she must keep an audience. She’s passionate about the things she loves, and the people she loves. Noel has more depth than anyone I've ever known. There are endless layers to get through.

“Do you like to read?” she asks, and I realize I’ve been quietly thinking for several minutes.

I quirk my mouth to the side. “I haven’t read a book in ages. I’d like to, though. What would you recommend?”

She goes into serious professor mode, and it’s hot as hell. “The Hobbit is a great place to begin if you want to try fantasy. Tolkien is literally the grandfather of all fantasy works. Jane Eyre is excellent historical fiction. Really, you just need to think about what excites you and give it a try.” She glances up at me, her caramel-colored eyes shining brightly. “And if you don’t have time to sit and read a physical book, audiobooks are a great option too. I know Mitch loves audio.”

I chuckle at that. “That’s a good idea, I should try that. I have a hard time sitting still too long.”

We come to a stop as we reach the platform, and it hits me that we just had a whole conversation without fighting. Or me making an inappropriate flirtatious comment. Something like hope swirls in my gut. Maybe I could win her over, after all.

CHAPTER 10

NOEL

“No. Absolutely not,” I tell Colby as we stare up at a platform built for bungee jumping.

And here I was, only a moment ago thinking, wow, I’m enjoying my time with Colby Knight. He’s being so normal and lovely. But it was all a trick.

“Oh, come on. The camera crew is all ready to go, and the fans will love it.”

“Your fans!” I throw my hands up.

Colby holds out a waiver, one that I’m supposed to sign. There are two young men waiting to strap on my harness. Colby is already buckled into his. “It’ll be fun. I dare you to bungee jump... or are you too scared?”

I hate him. He knew he’d get me with that comment. I hate backing down from a challenge. I yank the waiver out of his hand and scribble my signature on it. One of the men who works here takes it from me and places it in the pocket of his cargo shorts before arranging my harness on the ground. I step into it, taking deep breaths… because I’m about to free-fall off the extremely tall platform above me.

Once it’s buckled and deemed secure by the employees, they tell us to go on up. Oh, yay. I glare at Colby, who’s totally calm. He gives me a reassuring smile. “Ladies first.”

With a groan, I grab the ladder and climb up. The metal platform is in the middle of a forest, but the surrounding area has been cleared out for safety. It’s quite picturesque out here. As I climb higher and higher, I stay focused on the forest instead of how high up I am. I’m not scared of heights, but I’m scared of plunging to my death. Isn’t everyone?

I step onto the platform and two more employees greet us, a woman who’s brunette and probably in her forties, and a man around the same age. I allow Colby to pass by me and stay where I’m at, clinging to the pole in the center of the platform.

The woman smiles at me. “Hey guys! I’m Andrea, and this is Logan. There’s nothing to be nervous about. Bungee jumping is very safe.”

The blond man extends his arm to me. “You’ll have so much fun, you’ll be begging to go again,” he teases.

Andrea looks at Colby. “Did you want to go separate, or together?”

I answer, “separate.”