Enchanted (The Accidental Billionaires #4)(23)

“Does that mean I should shop at Walmart, then?” he asked. “It’s cheaper.”

“Hell, no, big guy. I’m going to help you break in that black card. We’re hitting the mall.”

He needed to spend some of that money. Noah had obviously always shopped in Walmart stores or thrift stores to keep within a budget.

Time for a change!

It was time that Noah Sinclair learned to spend some of those endless funds that he had, and I was just the woman to help him do it.





CHAPTER 8

NOAH



“Wouldn’t it be amazing to be here in the spring or fall to see the serpent during the equinox?”

I watched Andie twirl around with her arms out wide, that colorful bracelet of hers catching the sun as she went, her excitement over being at Chichén Itzá almost contagious.

I had the sudden urge to haul her back here on one of the equinox dates so we could watch that serpent creep down the back staircase of the giant pyramid together.

During the equinox, when the sun was just right, the form of a serpent would appear there for a very short time to delight anybody there to see it.

Apparently, people came by the thousands to see the spectacle, and I wanted Andie and me to be two of those participants because I knew it would make her happy.

I had to admit, the ancient Mayans had been brilliant at engineering and architecture way before modern times. The skills to design the pyramid to just the right specifications to form a light-and-shadow snake figure at the equinox was astonishing. Yet they’d done it over a thousand years ago.

“It would,” I finally agreed, although I was pretty sure that if we were viewing it together, I’d spend a lot of time watching her instead of the snake.

We were going to miss the big event by just a couple of days, but Andie and I could always come back to see it. After all, I could afford my own private jet.

I shook my head while I watched the light in Andie’s intelligent eyes as she surveyed the pyramid and glanced around the ancient city, like she was afraid we’d missed something.

There was no coming back.

Not with her, anyway.

Yeah, I was going to savor the next twelve days in her company, but she was Owen’s friend. Why would she want to spend any more time with me after the Cancún trip was over?

She’s here to do her damn job. She’s not really here to hang out with me.

Damned if that wakeup call didn’t hurt just a little, but I couldn’t let myself get used to being with her.

Andie was like a falling star that a guy was never going to be able to capture.

She traveled for a living.

I spent every available moment in my home office.

The two of us were complete opposites.

And I was old enough to be her . . .

Older brother?

Hell, it wasn’t like I was old enough to be her father. Not even close. But I felt like I had a ton of miles on my body, while Andie was so damn fresh and vibrant.

I squirmed a little as I felt a droplet of sweat trail down the back of my neck.

Shit! It was hot. Chichén Itzá was definitely interesting with its rich history, but it was hotter than blue blazes out in the middle of the enormous open field. There was no shade, and the sun was high overhead.

“I’m sweating my balls off,” I muttered.

She rolled her eyes in a way that said she was more amused than irritated. “I told you to wear a hat and heavy sunscreen.”

Unlike me, Andie was sporting a cute floppy hat, and she’d slathered her skin with sunscreen. She managed to look cool and comfortable, even though she was standing in the direct path of the scorching sun.

She was adorable today in a light, breathable pair of blue cotton capri pants and a sleeveless shirt.

Since we hadn’t been shopping yet, I’d put on my jeans and a long-sleeved button-down shirt. I’d rolled up the cuffs, but I was still hot. Thank God it wasn’t summer, but the humidity was oppressive, and the direct sun was hot.

“I don’t own a hat,” I rumbled.

“We’ll get one for you when we go shopping tomorrow. Are you ready to go?”

I nodded, and Andie and I wandered back toward the parking lot, where our private transport was waiting.

With air conditioning.

Thank God!

We didn’t get much peace until we arrived back at our car. There were kids and young adults everywhere trying to sell souvenirs, and they didn’t give up easily. We were hounded for the entire walk.

“Do you want some water?” Andie took off her hat, and dug into her seemingly bottomless tote bag once we’d settled into the vehicle.

“Yeah. Please.” I took a bottle from her and chugged down the entire thing.

She sipped hers as she asked, “Did you enjoy yourself?”

“It was really interesting, but I’m glad I wasn’t here in the summer. It was hot enough today.”

She wrinkled her nose. “It is hot. It’s a pretty warm day for this time of year. But at least it wasn’t raining.”

As I started to cool down, I could almost feel the warmth of her body next to me.

We were way too close in the smallish back seat of a vehicle that was now headed for our next destination, which was the Ik Kil cenote.

Or maybe the seat just felt small because it seemed like every damn moment, I got one step closer to losing my mind every time she was in the same space with me.