I suppose he wasn't wrong. I had a reputation for being difficult to get along with. I didn't know a lot about babies, but I generally got along well with kids. I suppose Noel and I had that in common. Perhaps it was why Bran was looking at Boss Kids and seeking my involvement.
"I have a degree in psychology and business administration." I don’t know why I shared that except I didn’t like that Noel made statements that suggested he didn’t think I was intelligent.
He looked at me. "Do you plan to use it when Bran buys Boss Kids?"
"I don't know. Maybe."
We walked until we reached the end of the beach. "I didn’t go to college. I finished high school, went into the military, and then out on my own."
Okay. Now we were talking. "That seemed to have worked out well for you."
He shrugged. "I guess it did."
When he didn't say any more, I looked at him, studying his expression, which appeared a little bit haunted. Like maybe he wasn’t proud at having done some of the things that got him where he was.
We walked further in silence and finally, I asked, "I'm not asking about Mo's mother as I know you don't want to talk about her, but out of curiosity, have you ever been in a relationship before?"
He surprised me by stopping. He looked at me with sincerity and some vulnerability. "Not really. My work has never been conducive to anything long term. And, I suppose I’d never met a woman who made me want to change my ways."
Once again, my heart tried to grab onto those words as if they meant something. Was I a woman worth his changing his ways?
He gave me a sheepish smile. "It's probably why I suck at it. What about you?"
"I've had a couple, but generally they ended because I'm too mouthy."
He cradled my face, his thumb tracing my lips. "You are mouthy, but I kinda like it." His gaze went to my lips and this time if he wanted to kiss me, I knew I’d let him. Mo started squirming and whining. "I think that's my cue to head back."
We returned to his house, and he made a bottle for Mo. I sat and fed Mo while Noel prepared dinner. We struggled to carry on a conversation, but as the evening wore on the silent moments felt less uncomfortable. It was as if we both understood the other and the challenge of embarking on something new between us was going to be.
The dinner was surprisingly delicious and afterwards, I helped Noel give Mo a bath, which turned out to be a bad idea because by the time we finished my heart was yearning to have this life for rest of my days. For a woman who never thought much about marriage and family, I found deep down in my soul wanting exactly that.
After Mo went to bed, Noel and I watched a movie deciding that would take the pressure off having a conversation. When the movie ended, the natural thing would have been staying the night, but I needed to know for sure that what was going on here was more than just sex.
I rose from the couch and walked over to the table where I'd set my purse. "I should get home. I put off meeting with Bran today, but I should do it tomorrow."
He stood up and walked with me to the door. A part of me wondered what it meant that he wasn't asking me to stay and at the same time, I was glad that he wasn’t. Maybe he understood too that this was a test to find out if there really was more between us than just sexual chemistry.
At the door, he put his hands on my arms and rubbed. "Well, you haven't slapped me or walked off, so perhaps I did okay on my first real date."
I smiled up at him. "B-plus. "
He laughed. “Not bad, but room for improvement." He leaned forward. “Can I give you a kiss on the first date?”
I pretended to think about it, even though on the inside I was screaming yes. “Sure.”
He bridged the small distance between us, covering my lips with his. Immediately, my insides went liquid hot. I moaned as sensation swelled through me. My nipples beaded. My pussy throbbed. Against me, Noel’s dick hardened.
He pulled back and stared at me sheepishly. “Sorry about that.”
I stared into his eyes, feeling like the first time I was really seeing him. A man with a hard and dangerous history, but who deep down loved his son and was trying to start something with me.
I lingered for a moment longer and then exited his house making my way back to my place. Inside I felt like a giddy teenager who had just attracted the most popular boy in school.
When I got into bed, my phone pinged with a text.
Thank you for the date tonight.
My heart turned to mush.