“Okay, strike one.” He looked out the window and nodded his head. “That is a beautiful dog you have.”
Lexi smiled. “She really is.” She leaned against the kitchen counter to look out the window at Pepper. “I think she’s so thankful for being rescued, she’d do anything for me. We’re really good for each other.”
“I noticed she didn’t follow you into the garden. Stopped at the edge. That is some great training.” Noah handed Lexi a coffee cup, letting his fingers linger on hers as she lifted it from his hand.
She cleared her throat. “I’ve made sure she doesn’t get into your garden and dig up all of Sam’s hard work. Pepper waits for me to be done, then we usually play on the beach as her reward.” Lexi smiled in Pepper’s direction and took a drink. “Do you like dogs?”
“I love them, but with all the traveling I have to do, it isn’t good to have one.” Noah leaned over and filled his cup.
“Pepper goes in and out of my house all the time. If you ever want to play with her, she’d love it. Just keep her out of your gardens. She might not be able to resist digging.” Lexi couldn’t resist directing her smile over the edge of her coffee cup at Noah.
“That would be great. Now I was wondering…” He stopped as an alarm in Lexi’s bag started going off.
“Sorry,” she said as she went over to her bag and found it. “It’s my reminder that I need to get ready to head into town to the senior center.”
“The senior center?”
“Yes, Golden Ages. I try to help out there as much as I can.” There was a warmth to her voice when talking about the center. “There are wonderful people there. I love spending time with them.”
He didn’t want her to leave. But he knew sometimes you had to take a step back and leave them wanting. “Anytime you want to take more pictures, my garden is always open.” Noah smiled as she handed him her mug.
She looked back at him over her shoulder. “Thank you, but I’ll give you your space while you are here. The garden will still be there when you’re gone.”
He grabbed her arm and gently spun her around so that she was looking him in the eyes. Her eyes grew large and she let out a little gasp. He dropped his hand. “I didn’t mean to startle you, but what gives you the idea I wouldn’t like you in my space?”
They were standing so close, he could feel the heat from her body radiating out. “Alexia, I came here to get away from the business, not people. It would be great to get to know you and spend some time.” His voice was like silk caressing her. “Please? Friends?”
She stared at him for a few moments, “Umm… yeah… sure.”
He watched as she raced to her house, wondering how his life could change in one hour. This is going to be a fun couple of months.
*
Lexi kept her mind deliberately blank as she ran back to her house from Noah’s. Once inside, she sank to the floor and put her head between her legs. After a few moments, she looked up to see Pepper sitting in front of her, head cocked to the side. Lexi laughed.
“Yes, I know, I’m a dork.” She covered her face with her hands. “But come on, Pepper, it’s Noah Matthews. The Noah Matthews. Famous rock star. Hot, famous rock star. Oh my god, so flippin’ hot.” Her hands dropped to her sides.
“Do you think I’m just supposed to ignore him? Don’t answer that. What am I saying? You can’t answer. Okay, I need to get a hold of myself.” She paused, took a breath, let it out. “Ugh, I can’t. He was flirting with me, Pepper!” Lexi thumped her fist against her chest as the dog came closer and sat down next to her.
Absently petting Pepper, Lexi said, “Maybe he does that all the time. It’s just part of his personality and I need to not read too much into it. Yeah, that’s it. Enjoy him as a friend, keep my hormones in check—I can do that. Piece of cake.”
She stood and paced the room. “I can control myself. Even if he does want a fling, we know I’m strong enough to resist. I love my life. I’m content with my life. I don’t need a man.” She glanced out the windows towards his house.
“But man-oh-man, did you notice how tall he is?” Lexi sighed. “A good six inches taller than me. And his arms… oh my goodness. The tattoos and the muscles. What I wouldn’t give to trace them all. How many tattoos do you think he has? And where… oh man, maybe I shouldn’t go there. Stop, brain, just stop.” She sat down on the couch and stared at Pepper. “What am I going to do?” She stood up again. “Be his friend. Yeah, that’s it, just friends.” She sat back down. “Is that possible? Let’s face it, we share a beach together. We’ll see him a lot. I wonder what he wears swimming. Oh, I hope he goes soon.” She walked to the refrigerator for some water.