Chapter 16: Chapter 15

NOAH

Her sofa wasn’t exactly the epitome of comfort, but he wasn’t in a position to complain. After all, she could have easily kicked him out, but she chose to show him some mercy.

He had secretly hoped that he would be spending the night in her bed, preferably lost in a passionate frenzy. He couldn’t say that was his initial plan when he decided to visit her, but her fiery attitude had stirred something within him.

But hey, at least she offered him her couch to crash on.

Sleep… That was a bit of a stretch. He was a tall guy, and the couch was barely long enough to accommodate him, forcing him to curl up into a fetal position. He spent most of the night tossing and turning, but eventually, he managed to catch some sleep, only to wake up early in the morning.

He chose to stay put, not wanting to disturb her with his movements. He just lay there, waiting for her to emerge from her room, thankful that he didn’t feel the need to use the bathroom after all the beer they had consumed the previous night.

“Oh, you’re awake,” she mumbled as she finally made her appearance.

Her eyes were slightly swollen, and her pajamas were an odd mix of ridiculous and sexy. He was drawn to her.

He had been attracted to her during the summer too, when she would casually walk around his villa in the nude. However, reminiscing about her naked body wasn’t the smartest idea at the moment.

“Just opened my eyes,” he fibbed.

“Well, I need coffee to open mine,” she yawned, heading straight for the kitchen. “We shouldn’t have stayed up so late last night. I almost missed my alarm clock.”

He stretched his body before getting up and trailing after her. She was already setting the coffee machine in motion.

He moved behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

“No sex,” she stated flatly, but didn’t push his arm away.

“It would be a great way to wake you up,” he whispered in her ear. “Much more effective than an alarm clock.”

“It would be a great way to make me late for work, so hands off.”

He complied and took a step back.

“You’re no fun in the city, you know that?”

“Fuck off,” she grumbled.

“Not before I have my breakfast.”

“The fridge is right there—help yourself. I’m going to drink my coffee, take a shower, and leave.”

“Without eating?”

“I’ll grab something at the cafeteria.”

“At least we serve good stuff.”

“I don’t remember you eating there.”

“I did. A couple of times before you started working there, when I was too swamped to go out for lunch.”

“Okay. I don’t really care. I’m going to take a shower and get ready for work.”

“Can I watch?”

“Excuse me?” She chuckled in disbelief.

“Can I watch you get ready for work?”

“Why?”

“I want to see how you transform into a workaholic.”

“You’re a pervert.”

“Well, if you won’t let me sleep with you, I have to settle for the smaller pleasures.”

She flipped him off, and he laughed as she walked away. Then he realized he would need to find another place to stay for the night, and his mood sobered.

It wasn’t about the money. He just hoped she would let him stay for a few more days. He had been overly optimistic, it seemed.

***

When she left for work, he had to leave the apartment too. He didn’t even attempt to persuade her to let him lounge around until she returned. He despised clingy people and hated the thought of becoming one himself.

So, he found a hotel a few blocks away and booked a room for a couple of days. He might stay longer, but he wasn’t one to make long-term plans.

Once he had sorted out his accommodation for the next two nights, he decided to take a stroll to kill some time before lunch. He tried calling her to meet up, but she didn’t pick up. She probably had her phone on silent.

He decided to just drop by and whisk her away. He didn’t fancy eating alone.

If he was lucky, he wouldn’t bump into Tamara. Not that he was hopeful about that. The woman was the head of the branch. The chances of her not being around were slim.

His lack of optimism was justified when she was the first person he saw upon entering, even though she should have been in her office. He chose not to let his disappointment show.

“Tamara,” he greeted with a smile.

“Noah,” she returned his smile. “I didn’t expect to see you so soon again.”

“Yeah. I thought I’d pop by.”

Just then, Lillian made her entrance. Her gaze hardened the moment she spotted him. Talk about polar opposite reactions. He felt a chuckle bubbling up, but he managed to suppress it.

“Miss Astaire,” he greeted her. “It’s been a while.”

Her glare intensified at his insinuation, but Tamara seemed oblivious, her attention solely on him. Once again, their reactions were like night and day, and this time, it was even more entertaining.

The last thing he needed was Tamara’s undivided attention, but it seemed today wasn’t his lucky day.

“Why don’t we move this to my office?” Tamara suggested, pointedly ignoring her assistant.

“Well…” he began, but she cut him off.

“It’s more private there, away from prying ears.”

“As if I’d be interested in eavesdropping,” Lillian retorted sweetly.

“Stay out of this, Miss Astaire,” Tamara snapped.

Lillian rolled her eyes. Noah was almost certain she was itching to flip Tamara off, and he would’ve paid good money to see that.

Tamara’s treatment of her assistant made him want to do the same, and everyone knew he wasn’t exactly a saint when he was in charge.

Tamara approached him, her grip on his bicep almost possessive. He didn’t appreciate it, and he didn’t bother hiding his displeasure. He wasn’t one to put on a polite façade.

“Let go of my arm, please,” he said flatly. “I don’t need to be escorted to your office, Tamara. I’m capable of walking there myself.”

“Oh.” She blushed, clearly embarrassed, and quickly let go. “You’ve become quite sensitive, haven’t you?”

“And you’ve become quite presumptuous,” he shot back.

He entered her office first, with her trailing behind him and shutting the door.

“You didn’t have to embarrass me in front of my assistant, Noah,” she chided.

“Maybe you shouldn’t act so…territorial when she’s around,” he suggested, taking a seat.

Instead of sitting behind her desk, she chose the chair across from him.

“I can’t stand her,” she admitted bluntly. “I’m almost upset that she’s back from her vacation; can you believe that?”

“The same vacation you tried to prevent her from taking?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I didn’t want her to take it at a time that was inconvenient for me,” she clarified. “But yes. Just seeing her face ruins my day. She’s the most infuriating person I’ve ever met.”

“Still not used to her makeup?” he teased.

“No sane person would get used to that,” she scoffed. “But it’s her sarcasm that really gets to me. It’s like she’s mocking me without saying a word. It’s infuriating. Thank God you’re here. I needed a break.”

“I didn’t come just for you,” he said casually.

He knew he should tread lightly with Tamara, but she wasn’t someone he cared about. She wasn’t an ex-girlfriend—just a casual fling who wanted more than she should.

But she had a fiery temper, as he’d just witnessed.

“What do you mean?” she asked, her tone serious.

“I came to see Miss Astaire as well.”

“What?” she exclaimed, her face turning red. This time, it wasn’t from embarrassment.

“I asked about her the last time I was here. You must remember.”

“You came here for her?” she hissed.

“Why not?” He shrugged.

“Are you sleeping with that weirdo?”

“Who I sleep with is my business, Tamara,” he said flatly. “You’re not my girlfriend, you never were, and we agreed that what we had was temporary.”

If he’d slapped her, she couldn’t have looked more offended. Why did he always attract this type of woman? Not all of them were like this, though. Dorothy wasn’t, because she wasn’t in love with him.

Lillian wasn’t either. They had an understanding, and she didn’t ask for more than he was willing to give. She wasn’t in love with him either.

Maybe he should stick to women who weren’t likely to fall for him and weren’t gold diggers, because he also attracted women like Vanessa, who was the epitome of a manipulative gold digger.

“I thought you kept her around out of pity,” Tamara sneered.

“Tamara, I kept her here so you wouldn’t give her the boot right away. She’s good at what she does, just like you are. If you could just see that, you two might actually get along. I mean, I’m not the easiest guy to get along with, and even I can tolerate her.”

“Once her contract is up, she’s out of here,” Tamara declared.

He just shrugged in response.

“Doesn’t that bother you?” she asked, her voice laced with disbelief. “You went through all this trouble to keep her here, even checked up on her twice. And now you’re indifferent about her potentially losing the job you fought for?”

“I made a deal for a set period of time. Miss Astaire is aware of it. What she decides to do after that is none of my business.”

“But you came here for her. Twice.”

“Yes, I did. And you’ve reminded me of that twice now, as if it’s of any importance.”

“You came here for her, not for me. And you’re not even sleeping with her.”

“I never said I wasn’t sleeping with her,” he retorted, a frown creasing his forehead. “I simply said that who I sleep with is my business.”

“So you are,” she said, her eyes narrowing at him.

“I think it’s time for Lillian’s lunch break,” he said, effectively ending their pointless conversation. “I’m taking her out. I’ll bring her back on time, so don’t give her a hard time when she returns.”

He left Tamara’s office and headed straight for Lillian, not caring about the storm he’d left brewing behind him.

“Get up. We’re going for lunch,” he told her.

“Are you ordering me around?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

He leaned in closer to her. “Yes, I am. And if you’re a good girl, I might let you boss me around later—at your place.”

“In your dreams.”

“I do dream. That’s why I wake up hard every morning.”

“You’re impossible,” she said, rolling her eyes as she pushed her chair back and grabbed her bag.

“I know.”

“And you’re looking a lot like your old self right now. If you were wearing a suit…”

“I might wear one soon,” he interrupted her.

“You’re up to something.”

“I am,” he admitted, a smug grin on his face. “It’s your fault for putting ideas in my head.”

“You didn’t seem like the type to let them stick.”

“They are. But I’m not telling you anything until I’m sure.”

She rolled her eyes at him again, and he chuckled.

“Come on, get up. Let’s go.”

“Does she know you’re taking me out?” she asked as she pressed the elevator button for the lobby.

“She does.”

“And she let you leave alive?” she asked, a smirk on her face as the elevator doors closed.

“She didn’t have a choice. But she’ll give you a hard time.”

“Why do you always have to stir the pot?”

“Because I can,” he said, winking at her.