Perfectly Inappropriate

“See ya,” Olivia said, her voice shaky.

Once they reached the bar area, Olivia squeezed Noah’s hand, pulling him to a stop. “Oh my God, will all that be okay? I mean, we were just talking, but even I felt the tension through that conversation. Do you think—”

“It’s fine,” Noah interjected gently. “No one got punched. We’re good.”

She didn’t laugh. She stared at him firmly.

He stared right back at this woman who kept surprising him more every minute he spent with her. Noah had always been a man of routine. He wasn’t impulsive. With her, he was. He needed to investigate why. Without distractions. And that single thought brought an idea. “Come away with me tonight.”

She blinked. “What?”

His laugh came easy and felt good. He liked surprising her too, which he seemed to do often. “My family has a home in Bedford. Come there with me for the night.”

Her expression pinched. “More time together? That’s the second time you’ve changed the rules, you know.”

“Yes, I’m aware.” Fully aware. Which was exactly why he needed more time with her. To explore why. “Is my changing the rules a problem for you?”

Her eyes searched his for a loaded moment. “That depends on why you’re changing the rules.”

He didn’t mind her pushback one bit. In fact, he respected her calling him out for not staying firm on his resolve. “Meaning what exactly?”

She drew in a deep breath, holding his gaze intently. “Listen, I know we’ve got this incredible chemistry. I mean, on the radar, it’s Titanic-sized chemistry. But I can’t…I’m not ready for…”

“A relationship,” he finished for her.

“Yes, exactly,” she said with a nod and a long sigh. “It would be totally crazy to even think about dating anyone so soon after what happened with Cameron.” She glanced over her shoulder, obviously glancing at Cameron before setting her haunted gaze back on Noah. “I have nothing to hide here, and the truth is, seeing Cameron again rattled me. I’m not over all that happened with him, and I’m not sure exactly when I’ll be. Which is why I signed up for SiR. I want the fantasy, not the reality. As long as you can accept that, then I’ll go away with you.”

He had thoughts. Sure, he had a lot of them. He simply didn’t feel like talking. Instead, driven by pure instinct now and not refusing what he wanted, he scooped her up and kissed her. Hard. Passionately. Kissed her enough that when he broke off the kiss, she was breathless, and so was he. “Yes, you’re right,” he told her.

Her eyes slowly opened, pulling him in. Her pouty pink lips were puffy, inviting him to kiss her again. “Right about what?” she breathed.

“We do have Titanic-sized chemistry.” He felt Cameron’s gaze burning him from where he stood. When Noah looked back in Cameron’s direction, he let his dark grin spread across his face, then he strode away, out of the restaurant.

Without a doubt, Olivia would follow.

He knew that for certain because she had him hopelessly chasing after her too.

Chapter 5

After a quick stop at Olivia’s apartment to gather an overnight bag, Noah sat behind the wheel of his Porsche four-door sedan with Olivia chatting away next to him. He liked the sound of her voice, finding all the conversation relaxing. He’d learned about her childhood and about life in college at NYU, while he also shared stories about his time at Harvard. They had driven along I-87, the tires gliding along the roads like a warm knife against butter.

When they reached their destination, and Noah pulled into the driveway of a three-bedroom white brick Colonial farmhouse built in the 1930s that sat on 5.7 acres, he wished the drive had been longer. He could not recall ever enjoying spending time with anyone as much as he did with Olivia. She felt good to be around, almost like a breath of fresh air.

“Wow,” she said, leaning forward and staring through the windshield at the house that had been in the Grant family for three generations.

Black shutters surrounded the windows with the greenery from the gardens drawing the eye. He parked off to the left side of the house, then Olivia was out before he could open her door. He liked how different she was than the women he knew in his past. Anyone in his inner circle would’ve waited for his gentlemanly gestures. With her realness, excitement for things, and easy way all intriguing him, he joined her outside on the cobblestone driveway.

She stared long and hard at the house before glancing over her shoulder with big eyes. “Just wow.”

“It’s quite something, isn’t it?” He moved around to the trunk, recalling so many fond memories at this house.

“It’s totally unexpected is what it is.”

He clicked the key fob and the trunk slowly began to open. “Why unexpected?”

“Because you’re…” She paused then smiled, gesturing at his car. “I mean you own a Porsche. This place is really quaint and charming, not extravagant.”

He smiled. Any house in Bedford had a high price tag. Though he let that point slide. “This house doesn’t need to be extravagant to be beautiful, and that might be what makes it so perfect.”