How to Love Your Neighbour(75)

When he rolled, bringing her under him again, he brushed her hair back from her forehead. “You’re pretty messy.”

She reached up, cupping his paint-covered cheek. “So are you.”

“We should go.”

“That wasn’t where my mind was headed,” she said honestly.

Desire flashed in his eyes. “As much as I want you, Grace—”

When he paused, embarrassment surfaced. Here she was throwing herself at the man. It wasn’t like he was hard up, and here she—

He cut her off, clearing his throat. “There are just some places a man doesn’t want to get paint.”

Grace’s thoughts came to an abrupt halt as she envisioned Noah covered head to toe in paint. “Good point.” Maybe her voice was a little huskier than she’d intended but it was tinged with amusement as well. “I think you’d look good with a blue ass.”

He pressed a kiss to her lips. “Flatterer.”

She started to get up, but he pulled her onto his lap as they sat up. “What would you say to heading home? We could shower, have dessert there?”

She wasn’t sure if dessert was code for what she wanted, but she figured she won either way. She got either Noah or sugar—or, best-case scenario, both.





34


Noah dropped Grace off at her house so they could each clean up and grab fresh clothing. As he showered off a rainbow of paint, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d had so much fun with a woman. And that painting. It was gorgeous. He couldn’t wait to hang it exactly where she’d suggested.

He’d finished his shower, changed, and set out a selection of bite-size cakes from Baked. When she knocked on his door, his stomach and heart actually clenched like they’d both been given a hard hug. This woman had the potential to wreck him. He’d surpassed the point of this just being for fun.

Opening the door, he found Grace in a pair of thin, checkered pajama pants and a sleep top that said BUT FIRST, COFFEE.

She shrugged. “I figured there was no point in dressing up.”

Why that turned him on more than if she’d shown up in lingerie, he couldn’t be entirely certain, but he was pretty sure it had something to do with Grace being exactly what she was: herself. She didn’t put on a show, try to be something she wasn’t. She didn’t expect him to be anything other than who he was. It was damn refreshing and sexy as hell.

Reaching out, he took her wrist, pulling their bodies together. He forgot to ease them into the kiss. As her hands roamed over his chest, he drowned in the feel of her, the scent of her shampoo and her still slightly damp hair.

When he boosted her up, her arms and legs locked around him without hesitation. She pulled back as he shut the door with his foot.

Looking down at him, she ran her hands through his still-wet hair. “Guess you like my jammies.”

He kissed a path up one side of her throat, reveling in the way she arched for him, then down the other. “I like you, Grace. Everything about you.”

Their mouths met again and there were no more words.

Noah stretched out on his bed, his arm moving to the other side, which turned out to be empty. In the dark quiet of the room, he blinked a few times. They’d fallen asleep wrapped up in each other. In his life, Noah had never felt the connection he did with Grace. It got better each time and it wasn’t just physical. It transcended his expectations and, if he was being honest with himself, shook him to his core. Because when it was more than physical, lives changed, concessions were made, hearts got broken like promises.

Maybe focus on the immediate problem—like, where is she? Shoving back the sheet, he pulled on boxers, ran his fingers through his hair, stifling a yawn as he padded out of his bedroom.

She wouldn’t have gone home . . . would she? He thought about all the times he’d left in the middle of the night. He’d never done so without saying goodbye. Apparently, neither did she. Her legs were pulled up on one of the stools. The only light came from her phone. Her hair was tied up in a messy knot, her chin tilted down. She looked elegant and adorable at the same time. If that was even a thing.

“Everything okay?”

She squealed, tossed her phone on the island. Noah hurried over. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

He pulled her close, pleased when her arms went around his waist.

“If that wasn’t the goal, then announce yourself. You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

Noah leaned away, ran his hand down from her neck to the upper swell of her breast, letting it rest there.

“Nope. Heart feels completely normal.”

“Now you’re a doctor?”

“Just making an observation. Here’s another one: you’re sitting in my kitchen at two A.M. instead of keeping me warm in my bed.”

Grace tipped her head back, her hands moving up on his chest. She twisted her lips, staring at her own hands, making him more curious by the second.

Noah put two fingers under her chin to lift her gaze. “Grace?”

“Okay, well, I’m still not used to sleeping beside someone. I woke up and had that moment of where am I? Then I looked over and I was like, Oh, yeah. I’m right here. I tried to go back to sleep but couldn’t.”

Okay. More cute. She was full of it. “Why didn’t you wake me?”