He wasn’t the man she’d thought he was. No, he was much, much more.
After everything he’d shared last night—the whispered confessions and the raw, aching truth of it all—she couldn’t believe she’d ever dismissed him as a cocky, fun-loving playboy. Sure, he had charm for days and could melt her knees to jelly with one flash of that irresistible smile, but there was another side to him that he kept hidden behind the flirty quips. Something deeper, something wounded, something he was trying his best to heal so he could leave the past behind.
Just like her.
Evie reached out and gently brushed his hair from his eyes. Noah stirred, smiling even with his eyes closed. “Go back to sleep,” he whispered, tugging her closer. He tucked her into the crook of his arm like she was made to fit there, dropping a kiss on her forehead. “Didn’t I tire you out enough last night?”
She smiled. “You did pretty well.”
He cleared his throat. “Ahem.”
Evie laughed. “OK, very well. Spectacularly well. Unforgettably well.”
“That’s more like it.” Noah rolled them over, pinning her beneath him and brushing her lips with a kiss. She happily sank back into the sheets.
The surprisingly luxurious sheets.
“You know, I’m impressed by these linens,” she added, snuggling even deeper into the covers. “And I’ve tested every brand around for the inn.”
“They were a housewarming gift from Mackenzie,” Noah said.
“I’ll have to thank her.” Evie paused, realizing how weird that would be. “Or maybe not,” she added with a laugh.
“I don’t think she’ll mind. In fact, I’m probably heading for the biggest ‘I told you so’ of all time when I see her,” Noah said, smiling. “She’s the one who convinced me to cut the crap and ask you out.”
“Then I really do owe her my thanks.”
Evie sat up, realizing for the first time that she’d barely glanced at her surroundings. They’d barreled into bed the moment they stepped through the front door, and after that … well, there had been far more swoon-worthy things to focus on. But now, curiosity got the better of her.
“So … this is where the magic happens?” she asked teasingly as she looked around. The bedroom seemed to be on an open mezzanine level, with original beams from the old barn stretching overhead.
“Don’t expect too much,” Noah warned her as she slipped out of bed. “I left most of my stuff in Nashville. I’m just subletting here from a friend.”
“What are you talking about?” She grinned, spinning around. “You have a bed … linens … actual furniture. I was half expecting some bachelor hell with a dirty futon in the corner and a milk crate for a table.”
Noah gave a chuckle. “You think my mom would stand for that? If she drops by and my kitchen sink isn’t spotless, I’ll hear about it.”
“She drops by?” Evie paused, naked, in the middle of the room. Having Gayle quiz her about her fertility levels was bad enough, but if she found the two of them like this, Evie didn’t know what she’d do.
Advise them on positions, probably.
Evie shuddered, and Noah laughed at her reaction. “Don’t worry, she’s not about to come walking through the door,” he reassured her. “She definitely doesn’t have a key.”
“Phew.” Evie spied a robe on the back of the bathroom door and belted it around her body, just in case. “Because I know she loves you, and she seems like a great person, but … that lady has zero boundaries!”
Noah winced at the reminder. “I’m so, so sorry about dinner,” he said with a groan, getting out of bed.
“No, I’m sorry!” Evie insisted. “I’m the one who got roped into the whole thing. You tried to warn me. I thought …”
“That my mom would be a reasonable woman with a healthy respect for polite conversation?” Noah finished for her. He slipped his arms around her waist and grinned down at her. “Yeah, not so much.”
“It’s not your fault,” she said again. “My mom would have done the exact same thing if I brought you home. Not that we need to do that now,” she quickly added, and Noah laughed.
“Yeah, I think we’ll avoid parents for the foreseeable future. Do you think there’s a memo they all pass around?”
“An interrogation guide for unsuspecting dates?” Evie smiled, relaxing. “Probably. Well, at least I know for next time. We can come up with some excuse and send our regrets.”
Noah’s smile widened. “Next time?” he echoed, looking smug. “So you’re not ready to bolt a mile away from me?”
“Not just yet.” Evie grinned back. “Besides, I’d need strength to bolt,” she joked, “and I haven’t eaten a decent meal in days.”
“Well, we better do something about that.”
Noah fixed them scrambled eggs and bacon in the sleek galley kitchen before he had to leave for work. “Take your time,” he said, grabbing his keys and wallet. “In fact, take all day. Stay right here, naked, until I get home.”
“Tempting …” Evie laughed, kissing him at the door. “But I have a million and one things to do back at the inn.”
“Then how about dinner, tonight?” he suggested. “I still have that reservation favor to call in at Sage, and I owe you to make up for that pathetic excuse for a meal last night.”
“Definitely,” Evie agreed, gulping at the memory.
“Then let’s do it right this time,” he said, smiling. “Candlelight, flowers, little fancy carved butter pats …”
Evie laughed. “How can a girl resist a butter pat?”
He gave her a last steamy, searing kiss—one that had Evie reconsidering her plans for the day. Maybe she could just laze around here in a haze of morning-after glow …
But no, there were purchasing orders to place, and she needed to contact local staffing agencies about hiring some housekeeping help. So Evie took a quick shower and dressed in last night’s clothes, glad she’d picked a casual outfit that didn’t scream “walk of shame” now that she was wearing it to stroll back through Sweetbriar Cove.
“Evie, hi!”
She was halfway across the square when Mackenzie, sporting a pair of paint-splattered dungarees and an extra-large coffee cup, flagged her down. Evie eyed the cup enviously. As stylish as Noah’s apartment had turned out to be, it was missing one vital appliance: a coffee maker.
“It’s from the cart around the corner,” Mackenzie said.
Evie laughed. “Am I that obvious?”
“If you started drooling, maybe. Want to walk over?” Mackenzie asked. “I said no to a muffin, and I’m regretting it already.”
“Done.” They strolled over, and Evie ordered up a frothed, whipped confection that made even the guy behind the cart look ill. “And two—no, make that three extra shots of espresso,” she added.
Mackenzie raised her eyebrows. “Late night?” she asked.
Evie blushed. “Those are cute overalls,” she blurted, changing the subject from who, exactly, had kept her up so late. “I should get a pair of those. These days I can’t take two steps though the inn without brushing up against some wet paint. I was walking around town all yesterday with a massive blue patch on my butt.”