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“No, I’m not.”
“I’ve never seen you into anyone before.”
“Because I’m not,” I said.
“Is he single?” he asked, ignoring my denial.
“It’s…complicated,” I said, giving up the act. I was tired of acting anyway, and this was Noon, he knew me better than anyone.Almostanyone.
“Please don’t tell me he’s married,” Noon begged.
“They’reseparated,” I stressed.
“Since when?” he asked, unconvinced.
“The start of summer.”
“Leland…” he warned.
“But things weren’t good between them prior to that,” I said defensively. “Doesn’t matter anyway. I finished the mural, and we don’t plan on seeing each other ever again.” God, it hurted to say it. Noon watched me doubtfully. “What?” I snapped.
He jabbed a finger at the door. “That didn’t look or sound like a man who plans on never seeing you again, Leland. I believe his exact words were ‘He’ll be coming home with me.’”
“He just feels guilty,” I said.Always guilty.“I’ll grab my car from his place once we leave here, and be back home before the sun goes down.”
“Your non-existent dating life has made you stupid,” Noon said with a snort. “That man isn’t guilty, he’s territorial. He saw my hands on you, and he nearly blew a blood vessel. He’s a married man, and he hardly knows you. He shouldn’t be that intense about you.” He’d lowered his voice to a concerned whisper. I didn’t point out that Franky knew me in ways he didn’t.
Was Noon onto something? I’d already convinced myself on the car ride from Franky’s house that anything I believed meant something more than it did had been a figment of my imagination.
A good defense attorney could call a medical professional to the witness stand to explain away the boner Franky popped out on the patio. It didn’t need to mean anything simply because I wanted it to. I’d sometimes get hard while thinking about food whenever the wind blew the right way.
And him getting himself off on the boat didn’t have to mean anything either. He’d likely gone from having regular sex to having to do without overnight. I’d jacked off for much less.
But the kiss… He’d kissed me back.Hard.There was no explaining that away, was there?
I’d been about to ask Noon what else he’d picked up from Franky’s actions, but the man in question reappeared, entering without knocking like he owned the place.
Franky’s stare darkened at the sight of Noon holding my hand. I slid my palm free, locking my spine against the shiver racing up it. “Someone will be by with your discharge papers shortly,” he said tightly.
Noon rose from his chair, a mischievous glint to his eyes that only I could see. “Don’t—” My warning hiss was sliced in half by his lips smashing onto mine. He gave me a loud, smacking kiss, smiling against my mouth as he held my head, then backed away before I could draw blood.
“Do you make a habit of touching him against his will?” Franky asked, deceptively cool as a cucumber.
“Oh, trust me,” Noon whispered near Franky’s ear as he moved toward the door, “he’s willing.” He’d all but told Franky we’d fucked, and then I went and confirmed it by blushing with mortification.The idiot even had the nerve to wink at me.I’m gonna kill him.
Franky’s nostrils flared as he nailed me to the bed with his black, sinister stare.
Noon reached the door, stopping with a hand on the handle. “Leland,” he said, all traces of humor swapped for misgivings. Made it hard to be upset with him. “Don’t forget about the scratch-offs.”
If I wasn’t already struggling to contain my embarrassment, my face would’ve reheated, tipping Franky off to what Noon’s comment implied. Franky knew about the scratch-off story, but luckily he was still boiling over Noon’s previous innuendo to notice his latest insinuation.
Noon vanished, leaving me alone to weather the storm he’d caused. Maybe that was his point. If I hadn’t seen what was right in front of me before, Noon had made sure nothing blinded me from it now.
“We need to talk,” I said, done with denial and with fighting my feelings.
“I know,” he replied, haggardly. “I know.”
Chapter 11
