23. Noah
She’s standing opposite me, frozen like a beautiful ice sculpture. Her dark brown eyes are staring straight into my soul.
I think I enjoy making Dani nervous, and I don’t know why.
I’m unable to catch my breath with the way she’s looking at me.
“The fridge is fucking cold,” she mutters under her breath.
I close the gap between us. Our lips are so close I can smell her breath, a combination of mint and iced tea.
“What the hell are you?—”
I cut her off before she can finish asking me what I’m doing. “You have no idea what you do to me.”
I hear broken breathing coming out of her mouth as she sucks in her stomach and holds her breath. She blinks her eyes rapidly like a toy trying to reset itself when it malfunctions.
When she releases her breath, her stomach falls back into place. “I need to get stuff out of the fridge, so we can make breakfast.” She pushes at my arm to get me to move.
I put my arms out, elbows bent with my hands up. “Alright. Let me get out of your way, Princess.”
She looks around the kitchen, mouth slightly parting open. She’s taken aback by what I just called her.
Princess.
Because she is one.
She’s always been one.
She takes out the carton of eggs we bought last night along with goat cheese and a loaf of bread. “I know what you’re thinking. ‘Dani, I don’t like goat cheese. Why are you taking it out?’ Because it’s for me. You don’t have to have any.”
“Sit down.”
A confused expression writes itself all over her face. “What?”
“Sit the hell down,” I command as I take her over to the kitchen table. “You’re not making shit. I am. It’s about time someone takes care of you for once.”
She pouts. “People do take care of me.”
“Not compared to the way that you take care of people.” I pause. “How do you want your eggs?”
“Scrambled.”
“Do you put the goat cheese in last?”
She nods. “I can help put?—”
“No.”
“Yes, I put it in last,” she says softly.
“We’re not going to the hospital today,” I blurt out.
“What?”
“You heard me. We’re going to get the fuck out of this house. And we’re going to try and get you inspired to write again.”
“How are we going to do that?”
“After breakfast, we’re going to go to Sweet Salty.”
She bursts out into laughter. “You in a romance bookstore? Ha, I’d pay to see this shit.”
“No payment needed. We’re going to get lunch at Coastal Shores because I’ve been craving a fried chicken sandwich so badly.”
“You got a little drool there,” she says pointing to the corner of her mouth.
I’m looking down at my chest, but I can’t see where she’s talking about.
“Made you look.” She giggles like a baby.
“And how old are we?” I laugh.
“But it made you laugh, didn’t it?”
Yeah, you did.
“It did.” I stare at her, getting lost in her eyes. “Thanks. I needed that.”
“I know you did.”
“Anyways, Sweet Salty and Coastal Shores are definitely on the list. It’d be good for the both of us to get out and away from the hospital.”
“I don’t want to hear the word ‘hospital’ for the next few hours.”
“You and me both.”
“That looks really good, Noah,” she says as I place a plate full of scrambled eggs and a piece of buttered toast in front of her.
“Did you think it was going to look horrible?”
“No, of course not.”
“You’re so full of shit, Dani.”
She places both of her hands over her mouth, her laughter bouncing off inside them and crackling like flames in an open fire.
My mouth curves up into a devilish smirk. “I hate when you underestimate me.”
“You love it when I underestimate you.”
Okay, maybe I do.
“Oh, shut up.” I walk over to the table with a plate of scrambled eggs without goat cheese crumbles and buttered toast.
“This is good,” she says before she stabs her fork into the eggs and puts them into her mouth.
“I’m glad.”
“You know the only other people who make meals for me are Mom and Bella.”
“What are you trying to say, Dani?”
“It’s nice to have a guy cook for me.”
Once we finish eating breakfast, I wash the dishes and the pan I used to make the eggs.
Dani’s still sitting in her chair.
I’m leaning against the front of the sink, studying her from head to toe.
She looks so fucking beautiful.
Her white top is made of thick material, so I can’t see her nipples peeking through this time. I don”t know whether to be relieved or disappointed. Her shorts are made of the same thick material. I’m assuming it’s a matching set. It looks really soft too.
Fuck, I want to touch her.
I can’t stop thinking about what it would be like to run my fingers up her arm, feeling the warmth of her skin under the pads of my fingertips.
She gets up off the chair and walks past me.
It’s taking everything in my power not to pick her up by her perfect ass, throw her down on the counter, and kiss the shit out of her until she loses her breath.
And I thought it was a good idea to spend yet another day with her. This time is different because I finally admitted to myself and the guys I’m absolutely crazy about her.
My mind is on a constant loop, making me dizzy as hell. Like, how the hell do I act somewhat normal around her now? Guess I’m going to have to try my very best because I’m not ready to tell her how I feel yet.
I stop her before she leaves by grabbing her hand.
She looks down and her eyes bounce back up at me. “Hi.”
“Go get dressed.”
“Right now?”
“Yes, right now.”
“Anything in particular you want me to wear?” She threads her fingers into mine, smirking at me.
Oh, she’s really testing me.
“You can wear whatever you want. If I’m being honest, you look pretty in every piece of clothing you wear.”
Why did I just say that out loud?
The cutest smile spreads across her lips. “You think I’m pretty?”
I think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid my eyes on.
I nod, my eyes starting at her feet and working their way up to her face.
“I’ll go get dressed,” she says through a breathy laugh.
She walks away from me and into her bedroom, closing the door behind her.
God, I hope I make it through today.