Hooking his sunglasses onto the neck of his faded gray t-shirt, Noah reached for the door to The Hollow Bean, his favorite coffee shop in River Hill, stepped over the threshold, and stopped dead in his tracks. Because there she was. Angelica Travis: Noah’s greatest desire and the biggest nemesis, all wrapped up in one mouth-watering package.

Up until the other night things had been going well between them. So well, in fact, that Noah couldn’t get the taste of her off his lips, couldn’t stop thinking about what the rest of her would taste like too. But damn it if she wasn’t the most infuriating woman he’d ever met. As he’d gotten to know her better, one of the things he appreciated most about Angelica was that she’d willingly walked away from a life in Hollywood to pursue her dream of opening and running a B&B. He’d been impressed by her fortitude in the face of uncertainty, by her complete faith in her ability to succeed in this new venture. She’d reminded him a bit of himself in that regard, if he was being honest.

But now that she’d told him about the TV show she’d be starring in, he had to wonder if Angelica had meant all the things she’d told him previously, or if she’d only said what she thought he wanted to hear. She was an actress, after all, and delivering scripted lines was her specialty.

What other bullshit might she have fed me?

For a fleeting second Noah considered turning around and walking out, but this was his town, and he refused to be chased out of all his favorite haunts just because she was there. Besides, River Hill was a small community; he’d better get used to running into her whenever he stepped foot in town.

Noah ran a hand through his hair, noted that it was getting overly long, and stepped into line behind her. Even though ogling a woman in public wasn’t the gentlemanly thing to do, he couldn’t stop his eyes from falling to Angelica’s ass encased in soft, well-worn denim. Now that he knew how that sensuous flesh filled out his palms, he didn’t think he’d ever be able to keep from staring. Which was a problem since he probably wouldn’t get a chance to repeat the experience anytime soon.

Unless …

Noah knew he’d reacted harshly, but that was only because he’d been disappointed. The truth was, he’d grown to like Angelica these past few weeks. He’d found her exasperating at times, sure, but what women wasn’t? But now that he’d learned where her priorities lay, he’d gained a bit of clarity where his sexy neighbor was concerned. And the more he thought about it, the more he wondered if this show wasn’t a good thing after all. Somebody who was committed to a TV show wouldn’t be looking for a commitment from him, and that sounded… well, perfect. Not to mention, their chemistry was off-the-charts explosive, and if they didn’t do something about it soon, Noah wasn’t sure either of them would survive the combustion. He definitely wasn’t in the market for a relationship—and now he suspected Angelica wasn’t either—but that didn’t mean they couldn’t enjoy each other. Specifically, each other’s bodies. They just needed to keep things nice and friendly between them without stepping over the line.

But first, he’d have to eat crow.

Noah stepped closer and cleared his throat, causing Angelica to swing her head around to investigate the noise. When her eyes landed on him, her pupils flared but then her gaze turned flinty. “Oh, it’s you.”

“Yup, it’s me,” he said, rocking back on his heels. “Who were you expecting?”

“Go away.” Angelica faced forward, giving him her back.

“Sorry, no can do.”

Noah couldn’t see her face, but he’d bet she was speaking through gritted teeth when she said, “Isn’t there another coffee shop you could go to?”

He laughed and shook his head. Who the heck did this woman think she was? “You’re kidding, right?” The Hollow Bean was River Hill’s only coffee shop. Which was why the line was always so damn long.

Angelica peered at him over her shoulder. “Does this look like the face of a woman who’s joking?”

Noah took a few moments to study the woman in front of him. Damn. Just looking at Angelica caused his temperature to spike and his dick to swell. Which reminded him what he needed to do if he was going to get to touch her again. “I wanted to apologize for my behavior the other night.”

Angelica raised an eyebrow, and he noticed that since he’d last seen her last, they’d been groomed into perfectly sculpted arches. His gaze roved over her face, taking in other changes in her appearance. The adorable freckles that dotted the bridge of her nose had been masked by a heavy layer of makeup, and her eyes were dusted with a shimmery shadow that reminded him of the burnished hillside behind his house during the height of summer.

“What happened to your face?” he blurted. When Angelica winced, he realized how his words had sounded. “Shit, I didn’t mean for it to come out like that.” He scrubbed a frustrated hand over his jaw. Noah had never been good at apologizing. “I just meant, your face looks different.”

“It’s called makeup.” She turned her head away, giving him her profile.

“I know what it is.” He rolled his eyes. “What I mean to say is, why are you wearing makeup?”

Not that Noah thought she looked bad—because she didn’t, she looked fucking beautiful—but he’d gotten used to seeing Angelica all fresh-faced and relaxed, not this primped and polished version of the woman. It reminded him of the women his mother was always trying to set him up with.

“Everyone wears makeup on TV.” Her tone was excessively patient, her voice rising an octave as if explaining a very simple idea to a very simple person.

“Yeah, but you don’t need it,” Noah said as he edged out from behind her to eye her from the side and make room for the growing line.

When the customer at the front of the line paid and moved aside to wait for his order, they both took a step forward, and Angelica lifted her face to study the chalkboard menu, ignoring Noah’s words.

He waited, but when she continued ignoring him, Noah plowed on. “Because you’re beautiful without it.”

Angelica’s lips hitched up in a small, shy smile that she quickly fought to control, but it was too late—Noah’d seen it and he’d be damned if he wasn’t going to build on that tiny bit of progress. Stepping close enough to smell her light, floral scent, he traced the line of her collarbone with his finger. “I always think you’re beautiful.”

He watched with satisfaction as her skin turned a becoming shade of pink, starting somewhere below the neckline of her shirt and moving up to color her cheeks. But before Noah could lean forward and whisper in Angelica’s ear that he’d bet good money she looked best with nothing on at all, it was her turn to step forward and place her order.

As she asked the barista for a triple cappuccino, Noah pulled his wallet from his back pocket. “Make that two,” he said, handing over a ten-dollar bill.

“I can pay for my own coffee, Noah.”

“I know. But it’s the least I can do to make up for the other night.”

Angelica’s cheeks colored again, and Noah’s dick stirred with the memory of her curves pressed up against his hard body. Why couldn’t she have waited to tell him about the show until after they’d fucked? He’d probably still have been angry, but this way, he’d wound up angry and sexually frustrated.

“There’s no need,” Angelica responded, interrupting his wayward thoughts.

She could argue all she liked, but he was buying her goddamned coffee. With a fixed stare, he accepted his change from the barista. “Too late. I win.”

Angelica stepped aside to wait for her coffee and crossed her arms. “Is that what this is about? Winning?”

Noah stared at her in bewilderment. “What?”

“This thing between you and me,” she answered, rolling her hand between them. “You always have to have the upper hand.”

“That’s not true,” he protested, as an uncomfortable sensation of dismay grew in his chest. The thing was, Angelica wasn’t the first woman who’d accused him of something like that. He was competitive—he knew that—but he didn’t think it was as bad as she was making it out to be.

“It is,” she said firmly. “The vines, the tacos, the music, the coffee. You always have to be right, always have to come in first.”

Noah blinked long and slow and inhaled a frustrated breath. He didn’t want to admit Angelica was right but … she wasn’t wrong either. He opened his eyes. “What can I say or do to make things right between us? I’m tired of fighting with you.”

Angelica studied him for a few brief moments while Noah’s heart hammered in his chest. He didn’t know why, but suddenly he was very worried what her answer would be. He couldn’t have guessed, but suddenly he had this overwhelming fear that she’d say there was nothing he could do. And that would be bad. Very, very bad. Because as much as she infuriated him, she also intrigued him.

Peering up at him, her mouth lifted into a smile she didn’t try to hide this time. “Tell you what. I’ve smelled you barbecuing a few times and I know you have good wine at your place. How about you invite me over, ply me with steak and alcohol, and we can start over?”

Noah smiled at her offer of a truce and tried not to think what else he’d like to ply her with. “I’d planned on cooking up some ribeyes tonight. You free?”

Angelica grabbed their coffees off the counter and passed Noah’s cup to him. “Six o’clock work?”

Quickly, Noah calculated everything he still had to do that day, including cleaning up his house and making sure his bed was made with fresh sheets and blankets. He had a meeting down in Santa Rosa later that afternoon and with rush hour traffic, he didn’t think he’d be back until well after dark. “Can we make it 7:30?” he asked.

Angelica pursed her lips and lifted her eyes to the ceiling. “I have an early call time tomorrow but if you think you can wine and dine me by ten, that should be fine.”

“What time?”

“Um, ten?” Angelica asked, clearly confused by his question.

“No, I mean what time do you need to be up tomorrow?”

“We start filming at 7 a.m., which means I have to be in the makeup chair by six. That means I need to be up by five.” She contorted her face into a look of mock horror and he laughed.

“Perfect. Me too.”

Again, Noah realized too late how his words had sounded. He wasn’t going to be in a makeup chair. “I just meant that I have to be up early too, so I won’t keep you up too late.”

She smirked, and he chuckled in response. “I swear I’m not usually this bad.” His tongue usually got him into trouble in very different, more pleasurable ways.

“I don’t know,” she said, hitching her purse higher on her shoulder as they moved through the tables and out the door. “You seem to find yourself saying things you don’t mean to an awful lot.”

“Only around you,” Noah admitted. Angelica stopped and raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “I’m serious, ask anyone.”

“Sure.” She snickered as they reached her car.

Noah shook his head and took a sip of his coffee. “So, 7:30 then?”

Angelica dropped down into the seat of her BMW. “It’s a date.” She winked at him..

Noah closed the door of her car and flashed her a rueful smile as she started the ignition. When she rolled down the window, he said, “You’re trouble. You know that, right?”

Her responding smile made Noah bite back a startled gasp as her whole face lit with happiness. She’d smiled at him before, but this was the first time he could recall her looking so … so …enchanting was the only word he could think of to adequately describe her now.

“I do know.” She put her car into reverse and backed it up. When she was a few feet away, she leaned out the window. “My parents have been telling me that since I was five. The sooner you accept it, the easier things will be.” Angelica winked again, threw her car into drive, and pulled away.

Noah watched her tail lights until she reached the stop sign at the intersection, then shook his head and climbed into his truck with a smile glued to his face. Angelica Travis might infuriate him, but she also made him laugh like no woman had in a very long time. And if he wasn’t careful, those two things could prove dangerous.