Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
‘ D arling girl! You deserve this and a young woman must look her best when she’s surrounded by other diamonds,’ her grandmother had almost sung as she spoke. Maya had run her fingers through the rows of textured fabrics and beautifully designed dresses before her in her grandmother’s dressing room. It always felt decadent to be in here because Maya knew of so many famous faces that had been fitted on the exact same spot she’d been standing on. The room had a golden era glamorous feel to it with rich fabrics draped over an ancient dressmakers table and a full length scrolled wooden mirror that was expertly lit to show the gowns off to their best advantage. Not that anything her grandmother made ever looked bad. Ettie had been overtly ecstatic when she’d casually mentioned Noah’s garden party on the phone and she’d insisted that Maya came round for a fitting because she had the perfect outfit in mind for her, apparently. Maya had shaken her head at her gran’s thoughtfulness and carefully lifted up the hand-sewn garment she’d chosen and held the dress up to her body and gazing at her reflection in the mirror.
‘Gran… I don’t know what to say!’ Maya had moved her legs, and the fabric swished around her knees and made her grin from ear to ear. ‘It’s beautiful,’ she’d touched the deep blue fabric that was often used in everyday wear in wonder. The versatile denim had been transformed into a masterpiece.
‘It had to be understated… but knockout,’ her grandmother had advised. ‘I wasn’t so sad to hear that you dumped the other guy,’ Ettie commented and Maya had to smother a laugh at her gran’s forthright words. She might be fake-dating Noah, but because of the pictures of her and Robbie on Bertha , the tabloids thought she was his latest squeeze, which her sister, Romy, thought was hilarious. She’d had to set her family straight. Maya had thought Robbie to be annoying, but after a whole evening together, she’d discovered his softer side. There was no way she’d date him though!
‘I read he was on - off, dating a girl called Amethyst,’ she’d said haughtily and Maya had sighed and diverted the conversation to her brother and sister for a while, which always worked with her gran. ‘Have fun, my darling.’
Maya controlled her nerves before she stepped off of her boat and onto the wooden jetty next to Noah’s house, bracing her legs as it moved slightly on the water. Clearing security and opening the gate that connected to the wooden and glass balustrading that now surrounded the whole jetty at the end of Noah’s beautiful garden she admired the flickering lighting that he’d installed all along the walkway, giving the garden an almost magical aura. There were staff carrying trays of food and drink everywhere and clusters of people laughing and enjoying the early evening sunshine and breeze from the river which blew across the rose bushes that were planted along the edge of the garden and filled the air with the sweet fragrance from their petals.
She was wearing the dress her grandmother had offered her. It was made from the softest deep blue denim that matched the colour of the river right now and the fitted filigree, almost sheer white lace top underneath had a delicately laced collar. It was fairly short, so she’d teemed it with matching inky blue platform shoes with sexy straps that made her ankles look cute.
Maya took a calming breath for courage. She knew she looked good.
People were gazing at her with interest as she made her way up the path, as she supposed many knew each other or worked in the same industry. She heard one lady comment on her outfit, wondering to her companion who the designer was. Fortified by that one comment, Maya decided she might as well embrace who she was and enjoy herself. A waiter handed her a glass of crisp sparkling champagne from a tray of crystal flutes that he was carrying around the grounds and she stopped by a gigantic tree and looked around, taking a sip and composing herself.
There were twinkling lights strung between the various established trees in the garden, and the deck area in front of the house had huge outdoor heaters blazing with flames. Glowing lanterns hung from the canopies of the trees and small tables were snuggled beneath some with crisp white linen, more lanterns and overflowing vases of lush roses with big fat petals that filled the air with their sweet scent. Each table had chairs dotted around it, with plump green cushions on each one. It was still light and early evening, but the sun was dipping below the horizon, leaving the air feeling warm, sensual and almost electric. People were milling around in groups of beautiful people and she recognised many of them, feeling star struck. A couple were actually recent clients, but they wouldn’t know that because she kept her personal identity hidden. There was a buzz of conversation and her stomach growled when a waitress walked by with plates of delicate canapés. Maya quickly swiped one and savoured the mini crispy sushi rice cakes with seared tuna and smacked her lips, wishing she’d taken two. The lime zest on the top was inspired and her stomach rumbled again, but this time she guessed it was more from nerves.
As she came out of her hiding place by the tree and walked past Tabitha and a group of fashionable women, she heard them bitchily comment about letting ‘the public’ into a private event. Noah was standing further up the garden in smart lightweight trousers and a deep blue shirt, which was rolled up at the arms. She paused as it looked like they’d planned their outfits together and she hid her smile behind the rim of her glass. His face broke into a wide grin when he turned and saw her. He touched his companion on the arm to let them know he was leaving and headed her way, his companion’s line of sight following him with interest. Noah’s eyes danced in the early evening light and when he saw whom she was standing near, he slipped his arm protectively around her waist and pulled her close.
‘You look beautiful.’ His eyes wandered over her appreciatively. ‘Thank you for coming.’
‘I’m glad to be here,’ she said, and he grinned as she was clearly lying. He laughed and tightened his arm around her as if he was worried she’d make a dash for it and throw herself into the river again.
‘How was your date with Robbie?’ he asked casually. Maya eyed him steadily as they had spoken by text since then and he hadn’t brought the subject up.
‘It wasn’t a date… it felt more like an interrogation,’ she chuckled.
‘He needs to up his game,’ he said looking smug.
‘He said the same thing about you when I said we’d been to visit a restaurant that cooked flowers,’ she tried not to laugh at his frown.
‘Would you have rather gone somewhere different?’ he asked, more frown lines appearing on his forehead.
She put a hand on his arm and smiled, her eyes dancing. ‘No. I loved it! I’ve been nowhere like that before and it was one of the best nights I’ve had in ages,’ she admitted and he visibly relaxed and he grinned a cheeky grin at her that made her heart flutter. ‘My grandad now wants you to take him.’
He threw his head back and laughed out loud.
‘And you know that Robbie and I are just friends,’ she chided, nudging his side and enjoying the solid feel of it.
‘Good,’ he said seriously.
‘Good?’ she repeated, surprised. She enjoyed spending time with Noah – it was relaxing in a very un-relaxing kind of way because her skin literally sizzled when he was close and she dreamt of running her hands along his firm shoulders and pulling him closer all the time now, which was mightily frustrating and not something she was looking for… was it?
‘I didn’t like it,’ he admitted bashfully, but she couldn’t be cross with him when all she wanted to do was kiss him. She was also incredibly flattered.
‘Robbie is a bit of a flirt,’ she chuckled, ‘but was actually protecting your heart by finding out if I was a gold digger,’ she shrugged as Noah’s eyebrows shot up into his hairline. He rubbed his hand in his hair and then the back of his neck, her gaze following the movement a little bit lustfully.
‘What the hell?’
‘Don’t worry. He apologised after I’d thrown my wine in his lap,’ she quipped and Noah’s shoulders relaxed. ‘I need nothing from you except for a few fake dates and a meet and greet with my family,’ she added.
Noah paused for a fraction of a second too long and she began to feel pensive. ‘That I’d like to have seen,’ he said referring to the wine.
He ignored the fake date comment, so she carried on. ‘He’s smitten with Amethyst. They just need to stop provoking each other and talk about how they feel,’ she said, and he seemed surprised at her insight. Before they spoke further, Tabitha had strutted over in her long flowy white dress with a group of friends trailing behind her and joined them. Maya tried to work out why Tabitha was there, but guessed she’d wormed her way in again. Poor Noah. She leaned in to him and gave him a reassuring smile, as they all greeted each other and Noah introduced her to the group without saying who she was to him, which made Maya frown and a few of those nerves return - as surely that was the whole point of her being there?
Tabitha’s eyes slowly perused Maya’s outfit and then they narrowed as she grabbed Maya’s hand and examined the delicately sculpted ring on her finger. ‘Is this a No.1 Ethereal Lane piece?’
Maya swore under her breath. She’d worn the ring for confidence, as it was one of the first pieces she’d ever made, but now she wished she’d left it in her jewellery box at home. She forgot how well known and easily recognisable her own brand had become over the past few months.
‘Tabitha!’ scolded Noah. He tried to draw Maya’s hand away, but she had it in a vice-like grip and was studying it rudely. After an agonising moment she clearly realised what she was doing and she let Maya go.
‘Sorry,’ she said, giving Maya what she guessed was supposed to be a winning smile. ‘I’m a huge fan of that brand and I’d love to chat to you about it… Later, maybe?’ she sipped her champagne and observed Maya.
Maya looked at Noah but he seemed at a loss too. ‘Is it a charity piece?’ asked Tabitha, her eyes fixed back onto the ring. Maya swapped the hand that was holding her glass of wine and slipped the hand that the ring was on into Noah's hand.
‘Tabitha! Enough!’ censored Noah, as he drew Maya further up the path.
Maya wished she’d thought about the ring before she’d arrived but she often used it as a kind of lucky talisman and had a habit of wearing her own jewellery out, but only tiny unassuming pieces that she'd thought no one would recognise. Just her luck that Tabitha was a super-fan it seemed. She did make pieces for charity, but not something as unassuming as this. The whole point was for them to stand out.
‘Are you okay?’ asked Noah. She turned to see worry lines on his forehead. She gave him a reassuring smile.
‘It’s okay. The ring is pretty, and she’s right. My friend gave it to me. I often forget just how big that brand has become and I probably shouldn’t wear it out in public.’
‘Surely it’s made to be worn?’ he said with a harassed glance over his shoulder, before he paused and sighed. ‘It looks beautiful, as do you.' She flushed as he gazed appreciatively at her outfit. 'Thank you for joining me tonight. I didn’t know that Tabitha would be here. I was hoping to ease you into my world gently. She arrived with someone else and I couldn’t really turn her away without making a scene, which she probably banked on,’ he said, shaking his head in disgust. ‘I think she’s also tipped off the paparazzi about the party. I’ve seen people hiding in the bushes across the water. They don’t usually bother me at home.’
‘Noah... it’s okay,’ she reassured again, winking at him and making him smile finally. ‘We knew this might be tricky because our lives are so far removed from each other, but we can do this. The whole point of us being together is to keep Tabitha away and my family off my back, so maybe it’s good she’s here and sees us together as soon as possible?’ She nudged shoulders with him and he nodded and led her up towards the guesthouse, still holding her hand, which caught a few curious stares from his friends. He looked divine and smelt delicious with a deep musky aftershave tingling her senses. It would be very easy to fall for a man like him, so she had to keep things friendly to protect her heart.
As they approached the guesthouse, Noah said he’d find them some food, and she nipped inside to freshen up. As she approached the pool, she stopped in her tracks when she overheard Tabitha and her cronies talking in not so hushed voices.
‘We need to make friends with her to find out who gave her that ring,’ hissed Tabitha. ‘Then we might find out who their contact is and be able to get on the No.1 Ethereal Lane waiting list.’
‘I’ve been trying for two months and haven’t found out how to get on that list. It seems they have a system and only the ones in the know find out how,’ replied her friend.
‘Whenever I scroll now, I see a viral post about that brand. It’s literally everywhere when no one had heard about it at the start of the year. It’s so exclusive that everyone I know wants to be in on it. Influencers keep posting hoping to be noticed as a client, or a model,’ said Tabitha, jealousy showing in her tone. ‘I want in! Maybe she stole it?' they all cackled with laughter and Maya felt bile rise in the back of her throat.
‘Let's find the woman who jumped in the river to get an invitation. Perhaps she needs the money and is desperate to sell?’ said Tabitha in sudden excitement.
'Do you think that's why she wore it?' asked her friend. Maya back stepped quickly and sighed in relief when she saw Robbie and Noah heading her way. They had tall cocktail glasses in their hands with what looked like mojitos stuffed with mint.
Noah handed her a drink after Robbie had hugged and kissed her and exclaimed about how gorgeous she looked, which made her blush and return the compliment. Noah took her hand again and introduced her to his guests as his girlfriend, which made her face grow warm. Her hand was linked with his and she wondered what the hell his friends would think about her being there, but they all seemed more curious than suspicious. Robbie got into a raucous debate with a friend about whether knocking his head on the boat had made him funnier, so they left them to it. After a few pleasant chats, Maya turned, and her body froze as she came face to face with Blake who moved forward to shake Noah’s hand and then stood in front of her. Her body went rigid for a moment before she forced herself to smile.
‘Hi Maya. How are you?’ he said, his eyes taking in every inch of her and then noting her hand in Noah’s. He frowned fleetingly, but she saw it.
Noah looked between them with interest. ‘You know each other?’ he asked.
‘We used to date,’ said Maya before Blake could expand. ‘A very long time ago,’ she added, as Noah slipped his arm protectively around her waist. She smiled gratefully at him, and he turned back to Blake. It was like a punch to the stomach, seeing him again after so many years. His dark hair was shorter, and he had a few more lines on his face, but otherwise he was just as handsome as ever, which was annoying.
Blake smiled at Noah politely then once again focused on Maya. He lifted a finger as if he was going to brush a stray hair out of her eyes, like he'd always done when they were together, but then he dropped his hand. 'I saw Joe's boat in the local paper when I was visiting a client recently. I wondered if you’d had anything to do with the revamp. Then I saw a photo of you and Robbie on Instagram and wondered if you were dating. He looked at Noah’s arm around Maya again and his brow furrowed. Do you live here now?’ Blake asked her, an edge to his voice.
‘No,’ answered Maya simply, and Noah frowned. Technically, they were at Noah’s house and she didn’t live there. ‘I’m just visiting.’ She could see the moment where Noah realised which ex Blake was and he didn't seem happy about the fact that he'd invited him to his house. He knew how Blake had treated her, albeit a long time ago. Maya had just never mentioned his name. It hadn’t seemed important.
‘How are your family?’ Blake asked, as he had known them well at one time.
‘Fine, thanks,’ she smiled sweetly at him. ‘How’s Portia?’ she asked. ‘Is she here with you?’ she gazed around the garden but couldn’t see the tall blonde. It was surprising how little it meant to her to stand face to face with Blake, or the woman who had helped him to destroy her life. The adoration and love she’d once felt for him was nowhere to be found. She’d assumed that her feelings would come flooding back along with the excruciating pain of betrayal when she did finally see him face to face, but... nothing.
‘Um… No. She’s not here,’ he said, pulling the collar of his shirt away from his neck as if he was hot suddenly. ‘Portia’s in London,’ he said cordially, his eyes never leaving her face. Maya felt relief for a fraction of a second and Noah stroked his fingers along the base of her neck to let her know he was with her, so she tried to focus on that. Blake watching her so closely unnerved her a bit, but he’d always tried to get inside her mind and she was firmly shutting him out.
‘You’re still together, then? Well, wish her luck from me,’ she said sweetly, and Blake grimaced.
‘I will,’ he replied smoothly. She refused to bite, even though she’d love to throw her drink in his smug face. Her stomach somersaulted, and she took a sip of her cocktail to ease her suddenly parched throat.
Her brain was whirring with what to do to make Blake go away but he seemed to be was enjoying himself now. ‘I can’t wait to see your next collection,’ she beamed up at him before turning to Noah who was glancing between them with a pensive expression. Blake looked afraid suddenly and rapidly changed the subject to the music that the band were playing from the patio.
‘Do you two know each other well?’ Blake asked, his eyes darting between her and Noah. Blake seemed surprised to find her there, as if she was the last person he expected to see that day, but then most of Noah’s guests probably felt that way. Noah tightened his arm around her and eased her into the side of his body.
‘Yes. Very well,’ he said simply, leaving Blake to make of that what he would .
‘Maya, we need to talk,’ said Blake, glancing apologetically at Noah.
‘We don’t,’ she said, looking at Noah and giving him a reassuring smile. She wished she could slip her hand into the back of his jeans and shocked herself at her thoughts, but her past life was getting in the way – yet again. ‘That boat sailed a long time ago, Blake. I’m happy for you… really.’
Robbie jumped in and almost frightened the life out of her before swinging Maya into his arms and planting a kiss on her lips in front of everyone, making Noah step back. ‘Rob,’ he ground out. ‘No more kissing my girl,’ a warning tone came into his voice, which seemed to amuse Robbie as a mischievous glint came into his eye and Maya groaned to herself, but a warmth spread through her body at Noah’s protective stance. She quite liked it!
‘Sorry Noah, but you know how much I love Maya, even though she’s your date,’ he teased and winked at Blake, making him look even more uncomfortable. She hadn’t in her wildest dreams imagined her first meeting with Blake involving Robbie planting a smacker on her lips, while Noah had his arm around her. After that he looked like he couldn’t get away fast enough, but she knew that wouldn’t be the end of it now that he knew she was here and was mingling with the stars, even though he’d clearly been invited to the party too.
As they bid Blake farewell and moved up the garden towards the bar and a huge group of people, Noah stopped Rob in his tracks with a hand to his chest. ‘I meant it about kissing my girl, okay?’ Maya’s eyebrows shot up into her hairline and she paused mid stride in shock. This was a very public display of… she didn’t know what.
‘Sorry Noah,’ Robbie batted his eyelashes at them both. ‘ I forgot how besotted you two are with each other now,’ he shouted and they all turned and almost walked straight in to Tabitha, who had two angry red patches on her cheeks. Maya gasped and plastered on a smile. Had Noah's comment been for show, she wondered, wincing.
‘I didn’t know you two were dating? Surrey you barely know each other?’ Tabitha said frostily.
‘Oh, Noah’s been trying to catch Maya’s attention for ages,’ Robbie smiled, saccharin sweetly at Tabitha. ‘She’s an artist, and he’s been secretly trying to buy more of her art to make her notice him after they bumped in to each other in town. He calls her the siren of the river because her smile captured him.’ Rob was out to cause trouble and Maya bit her lip, but stayed silent. Surely that wasn't true? Her head felt like it was spinning and she almost missed her footing and tripped into Noah. He grinned sheepishly and took her hand to steady her, linking their bodies side by side.
‘Sorry,' he hung his head bashfully and butterflies took flight in her stomach. 'It’s true. Plus, I wanted to buy you another coffee.’
‘To think that Tabitha ‘accidentally’ pushing me into the river actually helped you both realise how suited you are!’ cooed Rob dramatically, clasping his hands together in glee and smiling at Tabitha whose face had drained of colour. ‘It was obviously meant to be.’ He grabbed Tabitha’s arm and drew her away, muttering about lovebirds needing time alone. She stared over her shoulder at them as Robbie drew her away and Maya let out the breath she’d been holding. Noah led her to a quiet corner and shielded her from the rest of the party with his body.
‘Apologies,’ winced Noah. ‘That wasn’t the way I planned on introducing you to my friends and colleagues, or the way for you to find out I really was trying to meet you again before all this,’ he rolled his shoulders and stood up straighter. ‘Your art is stunning, but I was even more interested in the artist… It’s embarrassing. I didn’t know if you were single, so I was trying to find out more about you. You’re a bit of an enigma,' he grimaced and she couldn't help but smile as she knew that to be true, more than he could ever know. Noah had wanted to get to know her, even before the river incident. It was overwhelming, and she was bewildered how they'd ended up fake dating, if that was the case.
Was he testing her to see if she was like Tabitha? She wouldn't stand for that. She didn't mind helping him out, but she wasn't about to be used as a plaything for his amusement. Maybe he regularly picked up random women he saw out an about and got his assistants to organise dates for him? The thought didn't sit well with her.
Maya tried to calm her racing pulse and the uncomfortable doubts in her mind. Tabitha had looked like she’d wanted to scratch her eyes out. ‘It’s okay,' she said, masking her own feelings. 'I’m glad we met. I’ve learned quickly that Robbie is a force of nature and he does exactly as he pleases, whatever the cost.’
‘His heart is in the right place. He was probably just preventing either of us from backing out.’
She looked down at their entwined hands. ‘Did you want to?’ she asked honestly
‘No. I’ve been looking forward to seeing you. I’ve missed you. We’ve both been busy.’
She had to ask… 'Do you usually search out random women you see on the river and try to date them?’ He looked wounded suddenly and turned to face her fully.
'I rarely date at all. After Tabitha, I threw myself into my work and tried to avoid the press interest in my love life, but when I saw you again and you were painting on the boat, I wished my life could be simpler. I kept hoping that I'd glimpse the beautiful artist again. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. It just felt weird to say I'd been kind of stalking your art to find you.'
Maya felt heat rise in her cheeks and smiled finally. They had gotten used to speaking most nights on the phone now to have background knowledge about each other for their fake-partner scenario, but mostly it ended up with them chatting about their days and hours flew by without them noticing. ‘I’ve missed seeing you too,' she admitted. ‘Why the fake dating then? You could have just asked me out?’ Noah’s jaw dropped open and then his eyes grew darker and he moved closer, making her breath catch.
‘I could?’ She nodded shyly. He licked his lips and cupped her face in his hand, which made her brain go fuzzy for a second. She thought he might kiss her, but he frowned and moved back. ‘We’ve both been hurt, and it seemed like a good plan to get to know each other without expectations.’ Maya looked at her hands for a moment and then faced him. She’d hoped for a moment that he might have still wanted something real, but it seemed not now that he knew her better. Just her luck!
‘Probably a good idea,’ she smiled at him, even though she suddenly felt like crying. ‘I’ve sorted out a date for you to visit Bertha if you’d still like to? No problem if you don’t have time, or want to call this daft idea off.’
‘No. I’d love to,’ Noah assured, as the temperature between them cooled. ‘Did you just ask me out on a date?’ he teased, taking her hand and leading her towards the key party with his hand on her waist, making the heat rise again.
‘I did,’ she grinned back, and he leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. She was stunned to silence, then caught sight of Blake in her eye-line and realised that it had been for show. She flushed and grabbed a fresh drink from a passing waitress. The circles he found her in clearly surprised Blake, and didn’t look too happy about the kiss. She gave him a cheerful smile and let herself be led away by one of the nation’s hottest men.
Maya slumped into a chair hours later and Noah flopped into the one opposite her. They had worked the room all night and now all of his guests knew they were dating. Everyone had gone home except for Noah’s staff and he picked up her feet and rubbed them, making her groan in bliss, then blush at the intimacy and tuck her feet under her bottom.
‘It would make it more believable if you stayed the night,’ grinned Noah, his smile devastating. ‘Do you have to get home tonight? The paparazzi might still be outside and everyone else has gone home. They can’t see this far up the garden but will have sight of the docks, which was why most people had left by car.’ Maya blinked and then tried to calm her beating heart, as this wasn’t real. It was the weekend, so she could easily stay over and she was frazzled so she could literally fall asleep while standing up, but this was a very desirable man, asking her to stay the night. ‘Purely platonically,’ he added hastily. ‘You could find out how good the sunrises are from my guesthouse. It’s a gigantic bed, so we can take a corner each,’ he smiled cheekily and her heartbeat sped up. ‘We can work out a plan of action for Tabitha and Blake, but I think we did pretty well, considering we didn’t expect either of them to be here. I can’t believe that your ex is Blake McBride.’
‘Me either,’ she grinned and then tried to cover up a yawn.
‘Come on. Let’s go to bed,’ he said, scooping her up into his arms and carrying her into the guesthouse and upstairs, placing her carefully in the centre of the vast bed. ‘I promise to behave,’ he kissed her softly on the lips and she sighed in bliss. ‘We’ll just sleep.’
‘Okay,’ she decided. Maya rolled over and propped herself up with one arm while she watched him pull his shirt over his head as if she wasn't there with him and then walk into the bathroom for a moment. She had to regulate her breathing to not pass out at the sight of his muscled chest. He came back in wearing a low-slung pair of grey cotton branded pyjama bottoms, and her mouth went dry and her mind blank. Her head was fuzzy from all the wine she'd consumed, but suddenly she was wide awake. She couldn't stop staring at his toned abdomen and the dip just below his waist, tempting her to ease them lower. He came and sat next to her on the bed and smiled at her. 'There's some of my pyjama short sets and t-shirts in the bathroom drawers. Help yourself.' She smiled her thanks and edged herself out of the comfort of the bed and the danger zone of being so near a half-naked Noah Benedict, who was currently making himself comfortable on the pillows next to where her head had just been. 'Do you like to be wined and dined?' she asked as she reached the bathroom and paused, her hand on the door.
'I don't know,' he smiled back and her heart fluttered. 'It's never happened to me. There's always a huge expectation for me to perform a miracle and to entertain on a date, or to be like one of my movie characters, which is exhausting.'
‘Perform?’ she giggled, then grew serious. ‘I can understand that. Not being able to be your true self must be tiring,' she said sadly, realising that her own secret life was taking a toll on her too and that all the subterfuge was maybe not as necessary as she’d thought.
‘Not that type of performance,’ he rolled his eyes and then waggled his eyebrows at her theatrically. ‘I’m told I’m pretty good at that type though,’ he grinned and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. ‘My dates always seem to expect me to excite them, but I’ve never thought about them not interested in impressing me,’ he frowned. ‘I’m more of a low-key guy. I enjoy simple things and less fuss if it’s not something I have to do for work.’
She ducked into the bathroom and quickly pulled on one of his t-shirts and didn’t bother with anything else. It felt nice to be in his clothes again and she snuggled into the warm fabric and then hurried back to the bed, feeling shy suddenly and half-naked. He was looking at her appreciatively, and he took her hand and pulled her into a hug. Too soon he pulled back and was looking into her eyes, his own growing darker as the mood in the room changed and the air sparked with electricity. ‘Join me in the shower?’ he asked. ‘I’ll happily get undressed again…’
‘Tempting…’ she answered honestly, wondering at her own powers of restraint. 'But this is…' she looked around the beautiful room and then at the handsome man in the bed in front of her, ‘fake. It’s probably easier for both of us to keep it platonic.’
‘I’m happy to up the temptation,’ he flirted, kissing her hand and then trailing kisses up her arm, making her body tingle all over so that she almost passed out or gave in.
‘Too complicated,’ she pouted with genuine regret. Noah looked disappointed and as if he might try harder, but he nodded and leaned in to kiss her cheek.
‘You’re probably right,’ he said with his own sigh as he pulled back the covers and beckoned her to join him. She gulped and got in.
Maya remembered a comment that Robbie had said earlier and frowned, turning to face Noah. ‘You said that you’d seen me on the river and wanted to meet me again. Was that just because we had an audience?’
Noah turned her way and grinned. ‘No. I’d seen you on the boat and thought you might have seen me too.’
‘Perhaps,’ she flushed.
‘My assistant was tasked with finding out where you sold your art, because I really wanted to find you. At the very least I wanted to apologise again for bumping into you and rushing off.’ She stared at him incredulously and he held up a hand in surrender. ‘I loved your paintings or I wouldn’t have bought one, but I still hadn’t thought of a way to contact you. Then Tabitha intervened, and here we are.’ Maya frowned. Once again, the question arose… If he’d really wanted to meet her in real life - why the fake date?
He could see her confusion and she could see he was warring with how honest to be. ‘When you had the fake date idea, I knew you were joking, but thought it was a good way for us to get to know each other without the pressures of actual dating. I didn’t want to scare you away with my crazy lifestyle. Plus your own love life seemed as complicated as mine. I didn’t know I’d like you so much!’ he threw that bomb into the room with a grin and then pulled the covers up to his chest. They both lay next to each other in silence for a while, staring at the huge vaulted ceiling, then she heard his breathing regulate as he dropped off to sleep and it took all of her strength not to turn round and slide her arms around him.