“Kate?” His eyes widen in shock. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to talk.”
“You flew over here to talk?”
“No, I flew over here for Amelia’s birthday. After all, she is my goddaughter. Can I come in?”
He leans against the door in all his glory, extending his hand to welcome me in.
“Isn’t it too early for gray sweatpants season?” I mumble, averting my gaze from the noticeable bulge demanding my attention. Count to ten, take deep breaths. You can get through this.
“Gray sweatpants season?”
“Never mind,” I say while stepping into the foyer.
The condo is nothing short of stunning—a contemporary, modern space with floor-to-ceiling glass windows and, of course, the most breathtaking view of the ocean. It’s not overly large but decorated with simple furniture creating a cozy feel.
“Nice place you have here.” I draw my attention back to him, though keeping my distance. “Why did you choose Malibu?”
“I wanted something near the beach, but close to Jessa. The commute to work is painful but doable.”
Inside the living room, his laptop is open to what appears to be work emails. There’s a beer on the coffee table and some movie on the screen, which is paused on a shooting scene.
All of a sudden, my nerves cripple me. The air is tight, and I’m questioning why I came here. Just breathe. You can handle this.
“Noah, about our call.”
“Yes?”
“You said things…”
“I did say things.”
“And those things you said.”
“Yes?”
“I think you’re confused. There, I said it,” I admit, burying my feelings deep inside. If he knew how my thoughts have drifted to something more, he could use it against me like every other man in my life. “I’m a woman, one who’s in your life. We’re close, and I’m glad we’re close because I’ve missed you. But you can’t go changing things on us. We’re fine the way we are,
and with Morgan gone, I understand it’s only natural to think you have feelings for me when, in fact, maybe I’m just a rebound thought.”
Noah shuffles closer to me, closing the gap between us. My heart rate spikes, creating a frenzy within me and muddling my thoughts. I blame his scent as well as his half-naked body.
“You’re wrong,” he breathes. “Firstly, you’re not just any woman. You’re Kate Hamilton, CEO of Lexed Europe. You’re smart, intelligent, witty, and above all that, you’re beautiful.”
“A lot of women are beautiful, Noah…”
“They’re not you.”
His lips are inches away from mine. A kiss, if this is where it’s heading, can change it all, and that alone terrifies me. We’ll never be able to bounce back to just friends.
I place my hands on his chest, the instant burn inside of me becoming unbearable. I’m filled with regret for touching him, but my hands refuse to move in any other direction.
“Noah, we both need to think about this. You’re not just a fling for me or a quick fuck. There’s too much history between us. If I were with you, we’d be more.”
“I want more.”
“You don’t know what you’re asking…” I trail off as his lips inch closer and graze against mine until the sound of his phone ringing startles us both. Tilting his head to glance at the number, his eyes widen with curiosity.