‘Are you two playing or what?’ Caleb called from the mat.
Ellie nudged her gently. ‘You don’t have to play if you don’t want to. You’ve got the perfect excuse.’ She nodded at Beth’s wrist.
Tired of making excuses, Beth held up her good hand. ‘I’m left-handed. Will you teach me how to play?’
‘Absolutely!’ Ellie stood. ‘C’mon, let’s show these boys how it’s done.’
CHAPTER
NINE
‘She’s got a good body.’ Noah stood in front of the house with his arms crossed and his feet hip-width apart, his gaze assessing.
Beth mirrored his stance but tilted her head just so, running her eyes over every line, every angle, trying to ascertain why he held that opinion. In the end, she gave up and instead mimicked his knowledgeable tone, saying, ‘Yeah, shame about her innards, though.’
Noah flashed her an amused grin and they both laughed.
‘Do you think it’s safe to go in?’ she asked, looking up at him.
‘Hard to say. I wouldn’t think she’s structurally compromised. The roof lines look okay, no buckling or anything out of place. But we should probably call in the guys with the lab coats to test for asbestos.’
‘I was afraid you’d say that.’
‘Better to be safe than sorry.’
‘I guess.’
Noah eyed her critically. ‘Oh, I forgot. I’m talking to Little Miss Risk Taker, here. Climbing unstable objects, breathing in deadly invisible fibres. Nothing scares you, am I right?’
Beth gave him a dubious look. ‘You’re right about one thing, youareforgetting who you’re talking to. It’s me, Beth. You know, the one who almost had a panic attack last night because she was surrounded bypeople.’ She huffed out an indignant breath. ‘Nothing scares me. Yeah, right.’
‘I get it. People can be scary.’
She nodded, completely serious. ‘Yeah. They can.’
The silence lasted only a moment.
‘Okay!’ He rubbed his hands together like he was ready to get stuck in. ‘Where’s this window you were so desperate to spy through?’
With a healthy dose of side-eye, she led the way around the side of the house and stopped beneath the kitchen window. Then she turned to face him, arms crossed, hip cocked, and waited.
He looked her up and down as he joined her, as if he couldn’t quite believe her sass—which, to be fair, neither could she. Then he glanced up at the window and immediately down at the crates, which still lay where they’d fallen after she’d tumbled from them yesterday. Arching a brow, Noah gave her a stern look, then turned without a word and disappeared in the direction they’d come from.
Beth was still trying to decide whether she was meant to wait or follow him when he returned with a ladder perched on his shoulder. He made carrying it seem easy, which was, quite frankly, annoying and impossible not to notice.
She made a concerted effort but got distracted when he hoisted it from his person, his biceps bunching with the movement, the material of his navy T-shirt stretching around the muscles. And, holy cow, when he looked her straight in the eye and kicked the ladder’s legs wide with the finesse of a man who’d done it a thousand times, she physically had to restrain herself from lifting a hand to fan her face.
He tested the ladder’s stability, giving it a violent shake and ensuring its feet were wedged firmly into the sand. Then he had the gall to give her a measured look, as if to say:See? This is how a sensible person raises themself off the ground to peer through a window so high it practically touches the clouds.
Then, and only then, did he climb the rungs.
While he was occupied with peering through the window, his face pressed up against the glass, she took the opportunity to drop her cool facade. Tearing her gaze from his back and shoulders—No! Don’t stare at his jean-clad butt!—she took a deep breath, puffing out her cheeks and slowly expelling the air from her lungs as she frantically waved her good hand in front of her face. What the hell had gotten into her? Was this how you were supposed to feel when you flirted with someone? Were they even flirting? Or did he truly think she was an imbecile for climbing those crates? Could it be both? Why was it so damn hot outside today?
‘I can see you, you know.’
Her head whipped up and she guiltily shoved both hands behind her back, except Noah still hadhisback turned towards her. How could he see her if he was staring through the—No. Scratch that. He was staringatthe glass. Or, more specifically, at her reflection.
Now, she put one hand on her hip. ‘Aren’t you meant to be assessing the damage? What am I even paying you for?’
