exaggerated lick of my ice cream cone. It wasn’t that good, though, and I didn’t even like ice cream like that. I liked hearing Noelle’s breathing hitch every time I ran my tongue against my lips. We’d gone back and forth during lunch and the ball was in my court. I would take advantage of every damn second. “What do you want to do?” I took another lick and then moaned.
“Huh?”
“Are you hungry?”
“Am I what?” She was off her game, making this a little too easy.
Smiling, I rubbed my thumb against her cheek. “Did you want anything else?”
“Chocolate!”
I flinched because she’d pretty much shouted in my face.
That wasn’t what I’d expected her to say, but if that’s what she wanted to call it, I was game.
“Lonnie.”
OK, I was lost.
“You want chocolate and Lonnie?” I repeated the words slowly. She needed to hear how ridiculous she sounded.
“No. Yes.” She inhaled and closed her eyes. “Lonnie told me about this chocolate place. This place that sells chocolate.”
“OK.” I bit my bottom lip not only to mess with her but also to hold in my laugh and kept rubbing my thumb over her cheek. “We can go try it. I’m down to try whatever you want.”
With a short nod, she ducked under my arm and did some speed walking move in the other direction. I brushed off my shoulder, feeling like the man.
Whatever round this was, the point was mine!
-THIRTEEN-
“Lonnie texted me.”
“Yeah?”
We sat in the lobby, and Noelle was quiet, tearing up her chocolate while I centered my focus on the fountain in the middle of the room. The soft splash of the water was soothing, but the lull in the moment wasn’t distracting enough to make me forget about the work waiting for me upstairs.
“She asked if we wanted to go swimming.”
“Swimming?” The doors opened and a family—obvious out -of-towners—hurried in bundled in winter gear. Behind them was another group of girls dressed as if they were ready to go to the club even though it was early afternoon. Weather was one of those things that were all about perception. But I vividly remembered having to put the heat on last night. I couldn’t imagine turning around and stripping half naked to go in a pool. “It’s too cold for that.”
“I said the same thing,” Noelle whispered to her lap, “But she said Grand Pequot has an indoor pool.”
I had no idea if that was true. I’d never stayed there before. But did it matter? “We’re not staying at Pequot.”
“True.” She sounded distant, which made me wonder how the conversation went. What she’d left out.
“What else? Did Lonnie say something to you?”
“Something like what?” The words were muffled around her candy, and I stared at her lips. I wanted them muffled around me. “Something like what?” She snapped her fingers to get my attention.
“Huh?” I made eye contact and, fuck, I’d gotten distracted again. “What’s everyone up to?” I refocused. Not just on Noelle, but on the plans of the day. “I should get back to my room soon. Finish my report.”
She stood before I finished my sentence. “Oh, right. Of course.”
“Relax.” I shook my head and sighed on the cusp of being annoyed with her. “I said soon . Not now. I have some more time.”
She didn’t sit.
“OK then.” Taking her stance to mean our time together was over, I rose and walked toward the elevators . “What are you about to do?”
“I guess see if anyone else wants to go to the pool with me and Lonnie.”
When I heard her name again, I was reminded of something I’d been wondering since they saw each other the day before. “By the way, how long have you and Lonnie been cool?” It might have been a small world, but her knowing Lonnie was too much of a coincidence for me not to ask.
“Lonnie and I go way back, actually.” The smirk was back. It seemed Noelle liked knowing something I didn’t.
When she didn’t elaborate, I stabbed the up button with my
“Huh?”
“Are you hungry?”
“Am I what?” She was off her game, making this a little too easy.
Smiling, I rubbed my thumb against her cheek. “Did you want anything else?”
“Chocolate!”
I flinched because she’d pretty much shouted in my face.
That wasn’t what I’d expected her to say, but if that’s what she wanted to call it, I was game.
“Lonnie.”
OK, I was lost.
“You want chocolate and Lonnie?” I repeated the words slowly. She needed to hear how ridiculous she sounded.
“No. Yes.” She inhaled and closed her eyes. “Lonnie told me about this chocolate place. This place that sells chocolate.”
“OK.” I bit my bottom lip not only to mess with her but also to hold in my laugh and kept rubbing my thumb over her cheek. “We can go try it. I’m down to try whatever you want.”
With a short nod, she ducked under my arm and did some speed walking move in the other direction. I brushed off my shoulder, feeling like the man.
Whatever round this was, the point was mine!
-THIRTEEN-
“Lonnie texted me.”
“Yeah?”
We sat in the lobby, and Noelle was quiet, tearing up her chocolate while I centered my focus on the fountain in the middle of the room. The soft splash of the water was soothing, but the lull in the moment wasn’t distracting enough to make me forget about the work waiting for me upstairs.
“She asked if we wanted to go swimming.”
“Swimming?” The doors opened and a family—obvious out -of-towners—hurried in bundled in winter gear. Behind them was another group of girls dressed as if they were ready to go to the club even though it was early afternoon. Weather was one of those things that were all about perception. But I vividly remembered having to put the heat on last night. I couldn’t imagine turning around and stripping half naked to go in a pool. “It’s too cold for that.”
“I said the same thing,” Noelle whispered to her lap, “But she said Grand Pequot has an indoor pool.”
I had no idea if that was true. I’d never stayed there before. But did it matter? “We’re not staying at Pequot.”
“True.” She sounded distant, which made me wonder how the conversation went. What she’d left out.
“What else? Did Lonnie say something to you?”
“Something like what?” The words were muffled around her candy, and I stared at her lips. I wanted them muffled around me. “Something like what?” She snapped her fingers to get my attention.
“Huh?” I made eye contact and, fuck, I’d gotten distracted again. “What’s everyone up to?” I refocused. Not just on Noelle, but on the plans of the day. “I should get back to my room soon. Finish my report.”
She stood before I finished my sentence. “Oh, right. Of course.”
“Relax.” I shook my head and sighed on the cusp of being annoyed with her. “I said soon . Not now. I have some more time.”
She didn’t sit.
“OK then.” Taking her stance to mean our time together was over, I rose and walked toward the elevators . “What are you about to do?”
“I guess see if anyone else wants to go to the pool with me and Lonnie.”
When I heard her name again, I was reminded of something I’d been wondering since they saw each other the day before. “By the way, how long have you and Lonnie been cool?” It might have been a small world, but her knowing Lonnie was too much of a coincidence for me not to ask.
“Lonnie and I go way back, actually.” The smirk was back. It seemed Noelle liked knowing something I didn’t.
When she didn’t elaborate, I stabbed the up button with my
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