Good Girl (Love Unexpectedly 2)

From anyone else, the words might have come across as a light jest, but said in his low, silky tone, they feel almost like a threat.

Or a promise.

“Did you have fun on your night out?” I ask, hoping to defuse some of the sexual tension.

I expect him to snap at me again like he did the last time I asked, but to my surprise, he responds.

“I did.”

Okay, I’m wrong about the sexual tension. Because his confirmation does nothing to reassure me that his fun didn’t involve a female companion, and I feel oddly on edge.

I do manage to keep from pressing for details, though, so that’s something.

“Any temptation to Google yourself?” he surprises me by asking.

“Nope. I know what’s true about me,” I say, dipping my chin to kiss Dolly. “That’s all that matters.”

Noah glances up at the night sky before glancing at me. “I call bullshit.”

I skid to a halt even though we’re nearly to the house. “Meaning?”

He stops with me and faces me, tossing that damn stick from hand to hand. “Meaning that if you were easily able to let public opinion roll off you, you wouldn’t be here hiding out. You’d be flaunting your fling with the pretty boy.”

“Deep thoughts from someone whose best friend is their dog,” I snap as I resume walking the last few feet toward the house.

“I’m right, though,” he calls. “Ignoring what people are talking about is one thing. Avoiding it is something altogether different.”

I’m on the front porch now, and Dolly is squirming, so I open the door and set her inside before turning back to the jerk lurking in the shadows.

“And what about you, Noah?” I say, coming slowly back down the steps and walking toward him. “Which are you doing? Avoiding or ignoring?”

He doesn’t respond, but then, I didn’t really expect him to.

“It’s bad form to pick at other people’s problems when you’re not ready to confront your own,” I say softly.

“Right now my biggest problem is the pampered diva living in my backyard.”

“Yeah?” I ask softly, crossing my arms and moving closer. “And what are you going to do about that?”

My voice is low and sultry, and I barely recognize it, but when he takes a step closer, I realize just how utterly out of my league I am, because when his lips drop to my mouth I go pretty quickly from aspiring seductress to utterly seduced.

“You’re playing with fire, little girl,” he says quietly. “I’m not one of your toys, and I’m not interested in what you’re offering.”

“I’m not offering anything,” I retort, even though his words sting. “I like my men more…refined.”

His grin calls my bluff. “You sure about that?”

I swallow. Lie. “Very.”

Noah steps closer. “So you haven’t been thinking about what I said earlier, about my tongue spending time in some more interesting places?”

I swallow but don’t say anything.

His eyes rake over me. “Playing dumb won’t change the fact that you’ll be thinking about me all night, princess. Your fingers will be a poor stand-in for my tongue, I can promise you that.”

“I’m trying to figure out which word better applies here, delusional or disgusting. I’m thinking it’s a tie.”

Noah bends down slightly, enough so that I can feel his warm breath on my mouth. “Enjoy your night, princess.”