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I don’t miss the way his throat bobs with a swallow, nor do I miss the way his jaw tenses as if remembering. “I did.”
Okay. So we can work with this. Maybe it wouldn’t be so awkward if we laid out some ground rules to begin with.
“You know,” I start, moving away from where I’m standing to circle his desk, “there’s nothing that says we can’t help each other and also, you know,helpeach other.”
Noah looks up at me as I approach. “How do you mean?”
“I don’t think it will be the end of the world if we get a little enjoyment out of this relationship—even if it is fake.”
“Enjoyment?”
“I just mean... we don’t have to think so much about our little addendum.”
“We don’t,” he parrots, eyes on my mouth.
I press my hands on either side of his desk chair. “We both know what this is, and there’s no risk since we aren’t looking for anything to come out of it.”
“Right,” he murmurs. “Since I’m leaving.”
For some reason the reminder of the expiration date of our little arrangement gives me pause, but only for like a second. I remind myself that’s the best part of the whole thing.
“Exactly,” I tell him. I curl my body to bring my mouth inches from his, reaching to cup his jaw. “So let’s enjoy it until then. No more worrying about how I’m doing, okay?”
“If that’s what you want,” he breathes.
I close the distance, letting my lips brush against his in a lazy kiss that makes his scent bloom around me, making my knees wobble. I have to press my legs together when I pull away, and Noah’s expression says he’d like to do a lot more than just this. It’s a very different look for the normally taciturn Dr. Taylor.
It’s weirdly arousing, being the only person to know this side of him.
“It is,” I assure him. I give him another quick kiss for good measure before I pull away. “If you weren’t working tonight, I’d say that you could show me your place.”
The implication is clear, and thankfully, Noah looks much less wary than he did the last time I propositioned him.
“You want to see my place?”
I have to bite back a smile, my earlier uncertainty currently being washed away by anticipation. “For research purposes, of course.I need to be able to tell people with confidence that you don’tactuallysleep upside down in a cave.”
He doesn’t laugh, but I think it’s because he’s looking at me now like he wants to pull me into his lap. Should I tell him I would probably let him?
“I could...” His throat bobs. “I could do this tomorrow.”
Idocrawl into his lap then, my lips curving against his. “Noah Taylor? Procrastinating?NowI’ve seen it all.”
Turns out Noah’s mouth is an effective method of shutting me up.
Who knew.
12
Noah
We barely makeit inside my front door.
I think maybe it had been the promise of what was to come when we got to my place; maybe that’s why she’d smelled so much sweeter on the drive over. Almost like she was anticipating it. Almost like she wasexcitedfor it.
It’s been a very long time since anyone has been excited to be with me.
My white coat is on top of hers in a pile, her back against the wall as my hands explore every inch of her they can reach. I’m learning that something about Mackenzie makes me impatient, and impatience is not something I’m used to experiencing. I don’t think I’ve felt restless in a long time, but Mackenzie makes me feel damn near unhinged.
