“No.”
“I saw you, Nora. I told you hiding isn’t your strong suit.”
I glanced sideways at him.
“You’re enjoying this way too much,” I muttered, shifting awkwardly. It felt…intimate. No makeup. No bra. Just me—barefaced and barefoot, in his oversized shirt. It was unnerving. It made me feel vulnerable. It made me feel restless.
He reached behind him. “You might be looking for this.”
My phone. Dripping wet.
“Crap.” I bolted upright. “I was supposed to meet Otis. And now I have no way to reach him. Or Mom. I—” Panic clawed at my chest. “I have to leave.”
John placed a firm hand on my arm and gently pushed me back down. “Like this?” His brow lifted, smirk still present.
I looked down. Bare legs. No shoes. No coat. No money.
“Where are you staying?” he asked. “I’ll take you there after your clothes are dry.”
“You’re drying my clothes?”
He nodded. “Might take a while. There was still a tag on the dress. I hope you weren’t planning to return it.”
“Fuck,” I groaned. “Yeah. I was.”
“Shame. I’m rather fond of it.”
My heart leapt into my throat. I ignored it and sank deeper into the couch. “I have no clue which hotel Otis booked.”
“I’ll text Jeremy. Let him know where you are.”
He started typing.
“Wait.” I reached out, placing my hand on his arm. “What will they think?”
He raised a brow. “What will they think? Don’t worry, Nora—I’ll say we’re having a glass of wine, and I’ll bring you to the hotel later. Or…you can stay in the guest room.”
He sent the message and set his phone down.
I glanced around the houseboat again, ignoring the fact that he’d just casually invited me for a sleepover. “You have a guest room?”
“Actually, no. You’ll sleep on the sofa.”
I turned to him. “Thesofa?Me? Where are your manners?”
He leaned forward on his elbows. “Says the woman who tried to break into my house.”
“I wasn’t breaking in.”
“Only because you fell.”
“Only because you weren’t supposed to be here.”
“Why did you follow me?”
“Why didn’t you go with your fiancée?”
We had moved closer. Both leaning forward. Eyes locked. The air between us was electric—taunting, testing.
