Chapter 8: Chapter 7

NOAH

Noah was bored out of his mind. He had feared this would happen when he chose this small coastal town, and it seemed his fears were justified. He had tried everything the town had to offer, even visiting the library, despite his lifelong aversion to reading.

The only reason he was polite to the librarian was because she was helpful and reminded him a bit of his mom. It was a silly reason, but it was what it was. He even went as far as getting a temporary library card and borrowing a book just to pass the time.

The younger librarian told him he could either return the book himself or leave it at the villa, and the real estate agent would return it. This had apparently happened a few times before. He found it a bit odd but didn’t say anything.

The librarian looked like a nerd, despite his piercings and creepy T-shirt, and Noah didn’t want to get stuck in a conversation about books he should read before he died. He tried reading the book, but he couldn’t get past the first few pages. He tossed it aside and went for a swim in the pool of his rented villa.

He just couldn’t focus on a story. He had purposely avoided romance novels because they made him want to vomit, but it seemed crime fiction wasn’t his thing either. So, he returned to his routine from the previous days.

In the evenings, he would go to the local bar, but even the easy women there seemed to bore him. He always ended up going home alone. One night, on his way home, he saw people on the beach under his villa.

He wasn’t the type to visit the beach at night, or even during the day for that matter, because he didn’t like the noise from the kids and their parents. But there seemed to be a party going on, and he thought he might check it out.

He didn’t plan on staying long. He would just have a cocktail at the beach bar, which he hadn’t noticed before, and see if he could find some company for the night. If not, no harm done. The night was beautiful, after all.

The first part of his plan went smoothly. With a cocktail in one hand and the other in his pocket, he strolled around the beach, scanning for someone interesting. It took him a while, but when he found her, he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

She had dark blonde hair, a thin but curvy figure, and a bright smile. It was her smile that drew him in the most. He didn’t know why, because he usually noticed other things about women.

Legs, for example, and this girl wasn’t particularly leggy. But she was very attractive. The problem was, she was surrounded by people she seemed to know.

He had no reason to interrupt and introduce himself. He wasn’t used to making the first move. Most of the time, women threw themselves at him.

And since this still happened even without his previous status, he knew it wasn’t just because of that. Making the first move wasn’t his style. This contradicted his dislike for easy women, but by easy, he meant desperate.

Women who would sleep with any man weren’t his type. He had an ego that needed to be satisfied, and not being considered special wasn’t a turn-on. Not being noticed wasn’t supposed to be a turn-on either.

But even though the blonde didn’t spare him a glance, he couldn’t shift his attention elsewhere. Instead, he decided to talk to her when she was alone. So he waited, which wasn’t like him at all.

But how long could she possibly chat with those people? It turned out, quite a while. Eventually, she headed to the beach bar for a drink.

But he didn’t get a chance to approach her because she quickly returned to her group. Annoyed, he rolled his eyes and finished his drink. He was about to leave, thinking he couldn’t waste the whole night watching her.

But then, her eyes met his. She looked at him with a strange expression, as if she were surprised to see him. He brushed it off. But the next time she left her group, he didn’t hesitate.

He walked over to her and smiled. But before he could say anything, she spoke.

“Boss?” she gasped.

He gave her a puzzled look. This was a new experience for him, being mistaken for someone else. That was something that happened to regular folks, not to Noah Ryder.

“Boss, why are you here?” she asked again.

Pushing his bewilderment aside, he focused on her radiant face and moved closer. She retreated, but he continued to advance, guiding her toward the side of the beach bar where a bamboo wall stood. His intention was to corner her against it.

Sure enough, he succeeded, and she bumped into it with a soft thud. A tiny yelp escaped her lips as she looked up at him, her face still etched with confusion. Whoever she was confusing him with, he was determined she’d forget by the end of the night.

“I’d be happy to play boss anytime you want,” he said with a smirk, resting his hand near her head but careful not to lean too heavily on the fragile wall. “And on any surface you prefer,” he added.

For a moment, she looked taken aback. Then, her expression shifted completely. She leaned in, her lips tantalizingly close to his but not touching, her breath warming his face.

He liked that, and the lower half of his body seemed to agree, stirring to life quite enthusiastically. “But you’ve already been my boss,” she purred. “For about a year before you abandoned everything, including me, and left.”

It took a moment for her words to sink in. When they did, he jumped back in surprise, looking her up and down. It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t be.

But the more he studied her face, her dark blue eyes, and her multiple ear piercings, he realized it could be—and it had already happened.

~Oh, shit!~

He froze, but she didn’t seem put off by his sudden stillness. She ran her hand up and down his chest while he stood there, watching her. He felt a slight shiver, but his surprise was still in full effect, and his lower body had returned to its dormant state.

That was probably for the best, considering his current embarrassment. He just hoped she hadn’t noticed his earlier arousal. Of all the women in the world, he had to get turned on by her.

“Miss Astaire?” he stammered.

“The one and only, sir,” she replied with a smirk.

“No way.” He chuckled nervously, stepping back from her. Creating some distance right now seemed like the smart move.

“Not feeling so frisky now?” she teased.

~Oh, yes, she had noticed.~ Nothing ever escaped her attention. ~Damn it.~

“You look different,” he said, trying to regain his composure.

“Oh, no. I’m always me. Less makeup, but still me. But being as superficial as you are, you wouldn’t recognize me. Still, I knew it was you right away, despite the shorts and the stubble.”

“How was I supposed to recognize you? You never dressed like this at the office,” he retorted.

“You were about to jump me just now, Mr. Ryder. And I did warn you about that, remember?”

Her words from years ago when he asked her to ditch her goth makeup and emo clothes echoed in his mind.

“Because, if you see me without my goth makeup, you might realize how beautiful I am and fall in love with me.”

Back then, he thought she was joking. But now, he realized she was hinting at the truth, disguising it as a joke. She wasn’t being arrogant; she was genuinely stunning, a fact he would never have guessed from her usual attire and makeup.

He had even called her a freak. But then again, so had everyone else, so he wasn’t the only shallow one. At least her piercings were real. That was a small consolation.

“Cat got your tongue, sir?” she teased.

Oh, she was enjoying his shock way too much. That hadn’t changed. She was a bit of a sadist, and while he used to find that trait appealing, it was currently grating on his nerves.

“Indeed,” he replied curtly. “What brings you here?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing,” she chuckled.

“Since I asked first, Miss Astaire…” He smirked, trying to regain his cool. He was determined not to let her gain the upper hand. Even though he hadn’t been her boss for a while, he still felt a sense of superiority.

He was aimlessly wandering through life, while she had the stable, well-paying job he’d given her, but he clung to his old arrogance.

“Seeing as this is my hometown and you’ve already made a move on me, how about we drop the formalities?” she proposed.

“That might be awkward,” he said, furrowing his brow. “Don’t you think?”

“We’re already in an awkward situation,” she shot back.

“Can’t argue with that. Are you here with friends tonight?”

“Just some old classmates. I ran into a few of them a few days ago, and we decided to have a beach reunion to catch up.”

“It doesn’t exactly scream ‘party.’”

“We just planned to meet here and have a few cocktails at the bar. We’re not so presumptuous as to claim the entire beach for ourselves.”

He scoffed at her response but didn’t rise to the bait.

“How much longer are you planning to stay?” he asked.

“I’m not sure. Why do you ask?”

“Well, I was considering leaving. I only came here out of curiosity. I’ve rented a villa here for the summer.”

“Oh, I see.”

He gave her a pointed look, his eyebrow raised. He was certain she was about to say something snide, and he braced himself for it.

“You’re not getting lucky tonight, buddy,” she said flatly. “At least not with me.”

He laughed—a genuine laugh. Not because he found the idea of sleeping with her absurd, but because of the way she said it. It was hilarious.

“I was just thinking we could catch up tonight,” he clarified. “We can save the sex for tomorrow.”

“Are you serious?” she scoffed.

“Why not?” He shrugged. “I’m not your boss anymore.”

“And now that I’m not wearing my goth makeup, I’m suddenly attractive?” she smirked.

“Exactly.” He shrugged, unapologetic about his shallow admission.

Lillian Astaire wasn’t someone he felt the need to impress. She knew him too well. He knew that a direct approach would be more appreciated by her.

“You’re an asshole, sir,” she spat, momentarily forgetting her earlier suggestion to use first names.

Or maybe she just wanted to sound more biting. He decided to play along.

“I’d suggest you call me Noah, since you’re no longer my employee, but I prefer my women to show some respect.”

“Okay,” she said, laughing. “I feel the need to remind you that you’re not my boss anymore. I’m exactly where you left me, and I’m not one of your whores.”

“That’s a pretty disrespectful way to talk about other women,” he chided. “I thought you were a feminist.”

“I’m not a feminist; I’m a humanist. And if you don’t like me calling them whores, I’ll just call them idiots—especially if they thought they had a chance with you.”

“So, you won’t make the same mistake then?” he asked. “I don’t like complications.”

“You’ve certainly caused a few, haven’t you? That’s how you ended up with a goth secretary.”

“True. But I’ve learned my lesson. So, about catching up…”

“We can do that here. Given how you approached me earlier, I wouldn’t trust you in a house or a dark alley.”

“For God’s sake!” he exclaimed. “I’m not a rapist.”

“I said, here.”

“Won’t your classmates be upset that you ditched them?”

“Not if I introduce you to them first.” She winked.

Why hadn’t he seen that coming?