AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“She’s our…well, she’s our Glenna.” Annalise looked puzzled at first, but then a satisfied grin crossed her face, as if what she said cleared everything up. “But I have a great idea!” She held up a tiny finger, her dramatic flair not lost on Franchesca who watched the entire exchange.
“You do?”
“Yes. I think you should help my Uncle Dubs learn how to bake.”
Noelle stood tall again, thrown by the child’s comment. “Now, why would you think I could be of any help?”
“Well, you always bring us such yummy cookies and cupcakes once a month for when we’ve been good behaved.”
“Well behaved.”
“Right. That’s what I said.”
Franchesca laughed again. Noelle had to admit, the kid was adorable. But her heart rate accelerated at the thought of her being set up by a child to help some strange guy bake.
“I’m not so sure that’s a great idea, Annalise. I don’t even know your…”
“Uncle Dubs!” Annalise’s loud voice cut through Noelle’s words as she raced toward the door of the studio and straight into the arms of the man Noelle had danced with at Grey’s.
Chapter Five
Noelle stared atthe door. Cute Guy from the other night stood there, Annalise now propped on one of his arms. His rather muscular arms. A detail she was aware of because of how he’d held her when they’d danced. The arms that had moved them across the floor with ease.
“If that’s the uncle, I say you definitely need to consider a baking class. Or two. Or three,” Franchesca whispered beside her.
Noelle couldn’t find words. She’d thought about him, sure, but most of the time ended up convincing herself he wasn’t real, that he wasn’t as good-looking as she remembered. Anything to put him out of her mind and move on. Seeing him now in her doorway, it pained her to admit, he was even more handsome than she remembered, and all-out drop-dead gorgeous with a tiny, pink dancer in his arms.
Noelle had never considered herself one to settle down and have kids. She loved children, but her lifestyle before would never have meshed with motherhood. And she couldn’t risk her body changing while dancing professionally. A harsh truth, but a truth nonetheless. However, watching Cute Guy with his niece as he listened to her every word as she rambled in his ear, Noelle’s ovaries stirred something fierce.
“Good Lord. If the uncle looks likethat, just imagine what that little girl’s father looks like.”
Still unable to form words, Noelle nodded. Seeing them together, Annalise almost had more of her uncle’s coloring than her dad’s, the sandy hair and blue eyes matching. Her dad’s coloring was darker. But Noelle could see the resemblance. She could see they were brothers.
His long cashmere coat was camel colored, as if custom made to match his hair. Beneath it he wore dark dress slacks and a crisp white button-down. A Burberry patterned scarf hung from his neck. His black leather shoes looked untouched by the elements, almost like the weather wouldn’t dare try to muss him up. He looked like he’d stepped out of the pages of a fashion magazine. Maybe more likeFortune Magazine. A twinge of guilt hit Noelle at teasing him for being dressed so nice at Grey’s. The man shouldn’t dress any other way.
He looked away from Annalise and made eye contact with Noelle. For a brief moment, his eyes flickered with the same shock that still coursed through her system. Handling the situation much better than she, however, he smiled, the gesture softening his face and making her sigh.
“Did you just sigh?”
That snapped her out of her trance. “No!” Although the protest sounded lame, even to her.
Franchesca laughed. “Damn, girl. You’ve got it bad. And you’ve only just seen this guy for like thirty seconds.”
“Well…not exactly.”
Franchesca put a hand on Noelle’s arm. “Wait. What? What does ‘Well…not exactly’ mean?”
“It means we sort of, kind of, danced at the saloon the other night but we never got each other’s names.” Noelle spoke to her friend beside her, but didn’t take her eyes off of Cute Guy. He set Annalise down and she scampered over to her cubby for her things.
“You danced with this guy?”
“Yes. And he’s coming over here so be quiet.” Noelle didn’t mean to hiss, but darn it, she was trying to whisper and make a point at the same time.
“So, I was right.”
Oh, dear Lord. His voice was even better the second time around. “Right about what?”
“You’re a dancer.”
