As if she had the slightest idea what kind of relationship they did have.
He was done with running scared, he’d said, without elaborating on what he’d been scared of. He had asked her to stay the night, knowing they were risking their relationship—for want of a better word—becoming public knowledge. That was the sum total of his commitment thus far.
She’d had an amazing time with him that week. He had been less guarded, letting her see some doubts and self-mockery he’d always hidden before. His sense of humor was more evident, too. And she couldn’t doubt his physical hunger for her.
Why was she even thinking like this? New life, independence, remember? No men? Shouldn’t that ring a bell? And, especially, no domineering men?
But, heaven help her, she was beginning to wonder if that description actually fit Noah, at least in the way she’d feared. Yes, of course he was bossy. Definitely impatient. He evaluated evidence and made decisions quickly and had little tolerance for the wait while other people caught up with him. Unlike Blake, he did listen, though, and even changed his mind based on new information. She hadn’t been able to help noticing that the people he had hired since winning the election were more capable and stronger-minded than the old-timers. That suggested he actively sought out managers likely to challenge him.
She thought about how much he seemed to enjoy arguing. Not once had he behaved as if she threatened his masculinity or sovereignty when she contradicted him or won an argument with superior firepower.
As she rolled thigh-high stockings up her legs, partly to cover the bathtub bruise that was still mostly purple, she reflected again on how much he had in common with her brother. Neither man would like hearing that, she knew; in fact, she could just imagine Noah’s expression if she suggested any such thing. But it was true. And what she’d seen was that Colin had two sides—the police captain who elevated guarded to ten-foot-thick stone walls with slits for pouring boiling oil on the enemy, and then Nell’s husband and Cait’s brother, a man who was patient, gentle and infinitely dependable. A man she’d known she could run to, despite eighteen years of estrangement.
For the first time, she understood how, even in his absence, Colin had shaped her idea of the ideal man. His one check in the debit column was his capacity for violence, so like their father’s to her child’s eyes. Thus explaining her choice of smart, not-so-physical guys. One of whom brutalized her, while Noah, both smart and unnervingly physical, seemed willing to do anything to keep her safe.
Caught up in her reflections, she didn’t even look at Noah when they traded places again. She used gel in her hair and dried it quickly, then applied a minimum of makeup. No need to worry about suntan lotion, either, when the sum total of her outdoor time today would be walking thirty feet to Noah’s SUV and then, at the end of the day, an even shorter distance from it to Colin’s front door. She didn’t have to worry about the sweat factor, either. If this went on much longer, she was not only going to look pasty; she was going to have to start worrying about getting enough vitamin D.
Right. There was the biggest source of anxiety in her life.
She packed her overnight bag and carried it downstairs, leaving it by the front door, then followed the smell of brewing coffee to the kitchen. Noah already had a raisin-cinnamon bagel in the toaster, which she stole when it popped up. He put another in and poured two cups of coffee. He was quieter than usual as they ate, which made her wonder what he was thinking and how much of him she’d see the rest of the week.
It stung that she had to wonder.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Sure.” She grabbed her messenger bag and let him carry the overnight bag. He locked the door, and they cut across the lawn to the driveway.
“Oh, shit,” he said suddenly under his breath.
Cait turned her head. A balding man approached on the sidewalk, towed by a golden retriever on the end of a leash. George Miller, city council member and developer. She didn’t even have time to avert her face before stunned recognition dawned on his face.
Noah reached out and gripped her arm. Both of them stopped where they were. Tail swinging happily, the dog tried to get to them but was brought up short by his leash.