“Noah, stop,” I complain with a laugh as he tries to sneak his hand up my shirt.

“I like touching you,” he explains.

And I really like touching him, but I need to get work done before the kids come home.

“We have three hours.”

He stands and lifts his shirt. “Let’s get to work.”

“Sit down.” I giggle. “I mean three hours of work before you need to be gone.”

“Plenty of time for sex and talking, sweetheart.”

I’m not arguing that, but I’m chasing a deadline. So far, we’ve only scratched the surface of his acting history. Nothing personal, nothing that I can write some fabulous article about. If Noah and I fall apart, I still need a job. Therefore, I need a fantastic feature that will blow people’s socks off.

“Not today. Today, I need to learn more about you.”

Noah plops back into the seat like a dejected child and I can’t help but laugh. “This sucks.”

“This was your idea!”

He glides his hand over my shoulder, causing me to shiver. “This was my plan to get close to you.” Noah’s lips graze my ear. “It worked.”

I’m never going to get work done this way. When we’re touching, it’s too much. “Okay, new rules.”

He laughs. “The rules again?”

“Yup. New rule, no touching during interview time. If I miss my deadline, I’ll get fired.”

Not that I love my job all that much, but I need money.

“If you want me to stop touching you, then we need to leave the house.”

What the hell does the house have to do with him restraining himself? “We agreed . . .”

“No, you requested and I refused,” Noah says as he gets to his feet. “Come on, we’re going out.”

Out? No. We can’t go anywhere in public. Not happening. People will photograph us, and I’ve seen firsthand how people behave around celebrities. It’s as if all self-control doesn’t exist. People scream, cry, jump around . . . it’s insane.

Noah already has his keys in his hand and I’m still sitting at the table. “Kris?”

“I’m not sure us going out is such a great idea,” I say as I clasp my hands in front of me.

“Because?”

“Because you’re Noah Frazier,” I say with my brows raised.

“And you’re Kristin McGee.”

Oh, how funny this man thinks he is. “You know what I mean.”

Noah puts the keys in his pocket and comes closer. “Right now, we’re the only ones who know anything. Your friends, your family, my family are all in the dark. What people do know, is that you’re a reporter and I’m an actor. I told you that we need to eat because people do that. If it raises suspicion, I’ll get it squashed. My people are very good. If you want to stay here, know that you’ll be naked beneath me . . .”

I roll my eyes. “You’re ridiculous.”

“You’re gorgeous.”

“Again, ridiculous.”

His fingers brush across my neck and down my throat. “You choose, sweetheart. I’m happy to stay here, strip you, kiss every glorious inch of your body, or we can go out and deal with people.”

My body tingles at his promises because Lord knows I’m a cat in heat around this man. “People it is.”

He smirks. “You can’t resist me.”

That is a fact. “You’re no better. Let’s go lover boy.”

Noah lets out a low chuckle. “I’ll make good on that later.”

We head out the door without losing any clothing but gaining a lot of nerves. I’m not sure what we are, but he knows I’m in no way ready to make this a label. Right now, we’re having mind-blowing sex, enjoying being together, and for the first time in over fourteen years, I feel like I have choices.

I may be alone, have a job that is ridiculous, and be a single mom, but losing the two hundred pounds of asshole husband was the best decision I ever made. Leaving may have been hard, but staying would’ve destroyed me.

Plus, I wouldn’t be having the best time of my life with Noah.

“You okay?” Noah asks as he turns into the parking lot of the restaurant we went to for our first meeting.

I shift my body and decide I need to speak what’s in my heart. “I like you, Noah. I like you and I like what we have going here.” My voice is full of worry.

“I like you, too,” he smiles.

“I worry that I’m going to like you too much and then I’ll wish I had stayed away.”

Noah shrugs and releases a breath out of his nose. “I can’t promise anything just like you can’t, but you’re not the only one who worries about this. I can tell you that being around is what I want. We have no guarantees, but at the same time, I would rather risk it all than look back with regrets.”

“You think you’d regret walking away from me?” I ask with a racing heart.

Each time I’m around him, I realize how wonderful he is. He doesn’t have a problem being vulnerable with me. It’s a rarity that I treasure more than he’ll ever know.

“I want to kiss your lips right now, show rather than say the words, but I know without a doubt that I couldn’t have walked away. I’m telling you that you’re the first girl in over twenty years that I’ve talked to my mother about. I know you’re scared, sweetheart, but a life without risk isn’t one worth living. One day, I want to see the mistrust disappear from your eyes, and I’ll only be able to do that with time.”

My throat goes dry and tears well up on my lashes. “I want to trust you. I do trust you more than you might think.”

Noah’s lips move into a small grin. “Then trust that I won’t put you in a position I can’t get you out of. If I thought this place was swimming with reporters, we would have stayed home. But, look.” He ducks his head to look out the windshield, and I follow his movements. “It’s empty, it’s a small step, will you walk it with me?”

I realize right then he’s asking for more than just one thing. If I say no, he’ll turn around and we’ll leave, but if I go with him, it’s saying more.

Do I want more with Noah? Yes, but I am scared.

If fear is the only voice I listen to, I’ll never have the life I want. The only four-letter word I want yelling in my head is hope. Hope that I can have more. Hope that love will be something I share again. Hope that Noah will be careful with my heart.

So, I let that voice speak from my lips. “Yes.”

The look of appreciation in his eyes causes my stomach to clench. I hope one day making him happy doesn’t make me so happy or this could be really bad.

We enter the restaurant, and it’s pretty empty. Tampa’s in the off-season, and it’s past the lunch hour rush. They seat us at a table with a view of the ocean and my nerves start to quell. Noah knew, and I took a step with him toward something more.

~ Two weeks later ~

My heart races as I look around the boat for him. Our eyes meet and my chest constricts. He doesn’t look good, he looks other-worldly. His tuxedo looks tailored and fits him perfectly, it probably was. His gaze moves back to Eli and he laughs but then finds me again.

I send a reply back as I walk around the other side of the room. Both of us have kept our distance and it’s been torture. Today is about Heather and Eli, not my new relationship with Noah. When they got engaged, we decided to spend that time being sure whatever was growing between us could survive.

Now, I’m not sure that I can endure another minute apart from him.

I grin and put my phone back in my bag. I can’t text him and keep myself on the other side of the room. It’s too much of an effort as it is now.

My three best friends are all acting like idiots on the dance floor, singing and dancing in a circle. It was a million years ago when that was me in the white dress, happy, thinking life was going to be perfect from that moment on.

The music shifts into a slow song, and I seek Noah out. I watch as Eli heads toward Heather, who stands there with her arms open for him. I lean against the wall, smiling as my best friend steps into her husband’s strong hold. The music talks about a life of devotion, love, and promises.

My eyes meet Noah’s, and the intensity burning between us sucks the air from the room. Every part of my body is pulled to him, and when our eyes lock, it’s as if everyone else in the room drops away, leaving just the two of us.

I take a step toward him, unable to stay where I am, and Federico, one of the cops Heather works with, steps in front of me. The air expels from my mouth as though I’ve been punched in the gut, and I attempt to smile.

“Hey, Kristin, I was hoping I’d find you. Would you like to dance?” he asks.

Noah shifts out of the corner of my eye, and I try to move around Federico to get to where I was going. “I would love to, b—”

“Great.” He smiles and takes my hand. “I’m glad your dance card was open.”

Shit. Now I feel like a bitch if I finish my sentence. I give Noah an apologetic look and head to the dance floor with Federico—reluctantly.

“You look great, Kris,” he says as he wraps his arm around my back.

“Thanks.”

Federico is nice, but I have absolutely no interest in him. There’s only one man I want to be dancing with right now, and I can feel his gaze on me.

“Sorry to hear about you and your husband.”

“It’s for the best.”

Federico’s hand moves up my back slightly and guilt floods me. I find Noah, who is watching me as he slowly takes a swig of his beer. I see the anger in his stance while he moves his weight from one leg to another.

In my eyes, I hope he sees what I’m feeling and knows it’s him I want.

“So what do you think?” Federico’s voice breaks my stare.

“Huh?”

“I figured since we’re both divorced, maybe you’d like to have dinner . . .”

“Oh,” I say taken aback. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m kind of seeing someone.”

The truth is, I’m kind of falling in love with someone. Everything today has shown me that my heart wants Noah. My head wants to never again feel the pain of losing a man I trusted to love me. I’m battling both parts of myself even though Noah is nothing like Scott. It’s more because there’s still so much we don’t know.

The longest song ever ends, and Federico’s hands fall. “I hope he treats you right,” he says, and I nod while biting my lip.

He does treat me right.

He treats me better than anyone has before.

How can I feel this strongly when the relationship is this new?

It doesn’t matter how much I tell myself this is a bad idea, I crave him. Not just the sex, which is freaking unreal, I crave him. His smile, his words, his touch, and the way he makes my whole shitty situation not feel so . . . shitty.

I look for Noah, but he’s not where he was. Butterflies fill my belly, and I keep looking around.

“Don’t dance with anyone else,” his deep voice whispers from behind me. “I can’t watch another man hold you, touch you, feel you in his arms.”

I nod. “Same goes for you.”

The heat from his body is against my back, warming every part of me. And then a split second later, it’s gone.

I turn quickly, but all I see is him walking away.

Thankfully, the reception is almost over, and less than an hour later, we’re on the dock, bidding farewell to our best friend.

“Thank you, guys,” Heather says as the four of us stand in a circle.

“You did it for all of us,” Danielle says. “Well, almost all.”

Nicole sticks her tongue out, causing us to laugh.

“You’re off to Vancouver next week?” I ask, trying to hide the sadness.

Heather’s bottom lip curls. “I am, but I’m not staying the whole time he’s filming. I’ll be back in two months. I’ll miss you guys.”

We all group hug, like we’ve done since we were little girls. They’re the closest thing I’ve had to sisters, and the last two years, we’ve grown even closer.

“If Eli were my husband, I wouldn’t ever come back. He could just do me all day,” Nicole says unapologetically.

Danielle slaps her arm. “You’re so crass.”

“You wouldn’t have me any other way.” Nicole puts her head on her shoulder and kisses her cheek.

Heather and I give each other a look and smile.

“Ready, baby?” Eli comes up behind her and slides his arm around her middle.

She nods. “Okay, loves. I’ll see you in a few weeks!”

We all take turns hugging and kissing them both. She grabs my wrist before I can walk away. “Hey,” she says quietly.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I hope. Are you and Noah okay?”

Her question stuns me a little. “Okay? Sure, we’re working on the feature.”

She tilts her head and grins. “Are you going to lie to me? Me? Of all people?”

I should’ve known she’d see through my very bad acting. Tonight was absolute hell trying to stay away from him.

“We’re not saying anything right now. It’s new, and I didn’t want your wedding to be where you found out.”

“Found out?” She laughs. “I’ve known since it started. Hell, I saw the writing on the wall the minute you two saw each other. It’s hard to hide that kind of chemistry.”

I can almost feel Noah’s presence. Sure enough, I look over to see him talking to Eli but looking at me.

“I could love him, Heather. If I let myself, it would be so easy.”

She takes my hand in hers. “I’m pretty sure he’s already in love with you.”

“It’s too soon.”

“It’s never too soon when it’s right. I know how hard it is to take chances after you’ve been hurt, but take them. If I didn’t have Nicole pushing me toward Eli, I would’ve missed out. Don’t miss out because of fear. If Eli and I had fallen apart, I wouldn’t have regretted one minute I spent with him. And the only thing you’ll regret is not following your heart.”

Heather was strong enough to trust Eli, and that worked out for her. Who knows, maybe Noah is my second chance at happiness.

I pull Heather into a huge hug and pull back without letting go of her shoulders. “I love you so much. You give me hope, and as much as I’d like to tell you all the excuses I could come up with, I’m not sure they matter. I think we both know I’m falling in love with him.”

She touches my cheek and offers a knowing smile. “Yeah, I knew you were screwed.”

I’m counting on that tonight. “He’s really good at doing that, too.”

“Kristin!” She bursts out laughing.

“What?”

Heather’s shock is slightly amusing. I was raised to never talk about what goes on in the bedroom. When all my friends were sharing their extremely intimate details, I would stay silent. One time, I got hammered and they somehow got me to spill all kinds of things, but other than that, I’m tight-lipped. I also never had anything worth sharing when it came to Scott. Our sex was lackluster at best.

Then it became nonexistent.

“I love this new you.”

Truth be told, I do, too.

“You girls done yapping? I’d like to have sex with my wife,” Eli says while tapping his watch.

“Go screw your husband,” I tell her.

We say goodbye again, and I stand, watching as Noah walks toward me with purpose. The closer he gets, the faster my heart races. It’s been hours of being near him, but not close enough. Now, there’s nothing keeping us apart.

When I can’t take it another second, my feet start to move. Knowing how I’m feeling, I don’t want to be away from him.

Each step breaks another link in the invisible chain that was holding me back.

I’m not tethered to my past.

My head and my heart start to yell the same thing.

When we’re just a few feet apart, I move faster, and we collide. He catches me as I leap into his arms. Noah holds me as I clutch his face in my hands, bringing our lips together. In the middle of the parking lot, Noah solidifies himself in to my heart. I kiss him in short bursts as he keeps my feet off the ground.

“I hated this,” I tell him before bringing my lips back to his. “I hated not being near you when you were close.”

He leans down so I can reach him easily, his hands travel up my spine and tangle in my hair. “All I wanted to do was take you in my arms. Kiss you. Rip you out of that man’s hands and claim you as mine in front of everyone,” he says, and then our lips are too busy to talk.

Noah fills my senses. The scruff on his cheek scratches my hands. The salt air mixed with his cologne makes my head dizzy. Each swipe of his tongue fills my mouth with the taste of the beer he was drinking.

Our lips break apart, and Noah’s breathing is somewhat labored. “Your house or mine?”

I rest my hand on his chest, sliding my fingers against the placket of his suit shirt. “Well, we can be at mine in five or yours in twenty. Which do you prefer?”

Noah’s hands move to my ass and he pulls me against his erection. “What do you think?”

“My place it is.”