The excitement that rushed through her was the only reason she allowed the blatant subject change. “Good. There are fifteen of us. We went around the room and talked a little about ourselves. Why we’re coming back to school and the degrees we’re pursuing, that kind of thing. I had coffee with some classmates and walked around campus afterward.”And thought about you.Did he remember walking the campus with her when they were eighteen? “It was fun.”
“That’s awesome.” His hands dropped to his lap. “I’m happy for you.”
“Me too.”
Paula appeared at the table with their food, directing a megawatt smile in Noah’s direction. He smiled back.
“Thank you. I hope you’ll forgive me for being so unadventurous when it comes to food.”
“Oh pish.” Paula flicked her wrist. “Consistency in a man is one of the best qualities.”
Noah raised his brows and looked at Mia. “Did you hear that, honey? One of thebestqualities.”
Mia crossed her eyes at him and couldn’t help but grin. “How long have you and Steve been married?”
Paula beamed with pride. “Thirty-five years this spring.”
“Wow,” Noah said.
“That’s awesome. Good for you two.”
“He drives me crazy sometimes,” Paula said dryly. “Especially since we work together. But I love that man to the moon and back.”
Mia glanced at Noah and found his eyes on her face, soft and contemplative. He didn’t look away when he said, “Hey, Paula. If you could give us newlyweds once piece of advice for a long, happy marriage, what would it be?”
“That’s easy. Never stop showing affection.” She winked. “You’d be surprised how much a simple touch can mean to someone you love.”
10
“Get a room.”
Noah tightened his hold on Mia and leveled his gaze at Graham. “Maybe we will.”
Graham snorted and went to the kitchen, probably in search of another beer. Claire and Reagan had just left, the group having spent the evening playing Cards Against Humanity.
Mia tilted her head up a little and whispered, “How are you so good at this?”
Noah barely moved when he responded. Close as she was with his arm wrapped around her, if he so much as turned his head, their faces—their lips—would be centimeters apart. That kind of temptation might just push him over the edge. “Good at what? The game?”
“That, too. But I meant with us. Graham has no clue this isn’t real.”
He couldn’t respond without lying, and he sure as hell wouldn’t tell her the truth: that he’d taken the words Paula spoke to them several weeks ago to heart and had constantly been looking for excuses to touch her. He said nothing, and soon Graham was back in the armchair to his left. “Man, I’m glad you invited me tonight. Free beer, good times, and I scored a new place to live.”
“Yeah, are you sure about that decision?” Mia asked. “Claire’s not the easiest person to live with. She comes and goes at all hours, leaves bags of chips everywhere, and will definitely cut you if you turn the thermostat below seventy-two.”
“Seventy-two?” Graham cried. “It’s a condo, not a sauna!”
“Try telling her that.” Mia paused. “But when you do, can I watch?”
“Me too,” Noah added. Claire was feisty as hell, and he’d love to see Graham go toe-to-toe with her.
Graham waved his bottle in the air. “It’s gonna be fine. We’ll get along great. You’ll see.”
“This will be fun to watch,” Noah murmured.
Mia laughed. “Totally.”
Graham took a swig. “So what time are we heading out tomorrow, man?”