Perfectly Inappropriate

Desire rushed across him, filling heat into his groin. He rose a little, then pressed his mouth against hers, taking her up on her invitation. When she melted beneath his mouth, he leaned away and so there was no confusion between them, he told her, “I agree completely, angel. We’re perfect just the way we are.”

Chapter 10

Later that day and ready to either drink three strong martinis to forget her hellish workday or go give Isaac a knee to the groin, Olivia escaped out of the elevator with her coworkers. The meeting with the new client had gone well and they loved the idea for the website. Olivia’s idea. Which, of course, Isaac gave her zero credit for. With her mood in a downward spiral, she was ready to forget it all with Noah.

When she made it outside, she gave Mateo a wave goodbye then stopped short, her breath catching in her throat. In the herd of people and the noise of the busy street of honking horns and revving engines, one person stood out among them.

Noah.

He leaned against his Porsche, wearing his crisp black suit with a shiny silver-

and-black-striped tie. As easy as it was to spot him within the crowd, she became damp and needy, wanting to rip that suit right off his muscular body.

“Hi,” she said when she reached him.

His smile warmed. “Hi, angel.” He leaned forward and dropped a kiss on her lips. “Did you have a good day?”

“Not particularly,” she admitted. Though when he leaned away and brushed his knuckles across her cheeks, she smiled, all her irritation at Isaac melting away at the potent heat in his eyes. “But my day is most definitely improving.”

“I’m glad.” He returned the smile before he opened the car door and took something off the seat. “Hopefully, this will improve your mood even more.” He handed her a black gift bag with gold tissue paper. “For you.”

She accepted the bag. “What are we celebrating?”

“You.” His voice had lowered into that sexy low rumble that usually happened before playtime.

Her insides quivered in response, but that was soon replaced by a racing heartbeat when she peeked inside the gift bag. Nothing could have prepared her for what she found. Her fingers trembled when she reached in and took out the Leica M7 Rangefinder camera. “Oh, Noah….” Her breath caught, and her heart nearly jumped out of her chest. “This is incredibly sweet of you, but I can’t accept this camera. It’s too much.” Thousands of dollars too much. Which was exactly why she used her old—but reliable—Canon AE-1.

Noah’s eyes softened as he placed his hand over hers that was holding the camera. “You can accept this.” Then in classic Noah style of avoiding conversations he refused to have, he plucked the gift bag from her hand and placed it back into the car before pressing the key fob. With a loud beep, the doors locked, and he took her hand. “Come on, angel, let’s walk.”

This time, she wouldn’t let him distract her. She could never repay him. Digging in her heels, she pulled against his hand. “Please hear me out. I cannot accept something so extravagant. It’s too much.”

His shoulders lifted and fell with his heavy sigh before he turned around to face her again, giving her a hard look. “We are going to stop talking about this,” he told her firmly, looking very much like the authoritative senator. “Do you want to know why?”

Holding her ground, her chin promptly lifted. “I’m guessing you’re going to tell me, even if I say no.”

The air between them flickered with electricity as his fingers sprawled across her lower back and brought her in nice and close against the warmth of his hard body. And then his mouth came down on hers, and for one good long moment, she did not think about anything but the way he madly kissed her. His tongue was hot intensity. His lips moved with hers wildly and overpoweringly, demanding she follow where he wanted to take her. And she willingly went there, losing her mind in his passion.

When he finally broke off the kiss, they were both breathless. His firm hand remained on her back, keeping her tight against him. “The reason we are going to stop talking about this is because I felt good buying you this camera today knowing how happy it would make you. There is no price tag on that, Olivia. Do you understand me?”

There in his eyes she saw a truth. Noah’s truth. And her heart broke a little for him when she realized that as much as the gift was about her, it was also about him. He’d done something entirely selfless, maybe something he had not done in a long time for anyone. Something that was not motivated by his desire to win an election. She realized in that truth, he likely needed to give her that gift, as much as she had to accept that someone was doing something good for her. For that reason, and maybe some others that deep down she was not ready to face yet, she smiled and said, “Then I guess all I can say is thank you. I can’t think of anything that would be more special to me than this camera.”

“You’re very much welcome. I’m glad that I got it right.” His sweet smile spoke of a certain peace she’d never seen before in his gaze. “Now, can we go enjoy the rest of day?”

Tears threatened to rise at his kind gesture, but she refused to allow them to spill over. No more tears. Even if they were happy ones. She nodded and slid her fingers into his again. “Ready.”

As they strode down the street, she had a moment of thinking that holding his hand should feel awkward, and yet, being with Noah felt entirely natural. Comfortable. Easy. Like they were living in the moment, not rushing through it.

Until they noticed a homeless man who was watching them intently. He sat on a cardboard box, blankets around him, with a mutt lying next to him. Noah increased his speed and walked toward him. “Gary,” he called. “How are things?”

The man gave a toothless grin. “Been good.”

Olivia’s attention fell to the dog with the big floppy ears. “Is he friendly?” At the man’s nod, she bent down and scratched its ears. She’d always wanted a dog, but she no longer had a home to put one in.

When the dog flopped onto his back for belly scratches, Noah asked Gary, “Why are you out here today? Is the shelter full?”

“Too beautiful to be inside,” Gary muttered.

“It is that.” Noah glanced sideways then he walked toward the street vendor. When he returned, he came carrying four hot dogs, a couple of bags of chips, and waters. “Dinner is on me today.”