Page 51

Noah leaned back, loosening his tie. “Understatement.” His eyes flicked to her arm, and something shifted in his face. “I feel like a jerk for not asking earlier—how’s your wrist? Seriously.”

She shrugged, wiggling her fingers slightly. “It’s okay. Ibuprofen’s doing its job. Hurts less than the time Molly pushed me off a wall at our neighbor’s house when I was twelve.”

His frown deepened. “I don’t like when you get hurt.”

Her heart did something strange at that—an ache, unexpected and unwanted. She covered it with a teasing smile. “Occupational hazard. I’m a klutz, and I have four sisters.”

But she knew he saw the flicker of something deeper beneath her words. He always did.

The waiter arrived, setting down their plates—medium rare for Noah, medium for her. The scent of seared steak and butter filled the air, but Noah didn’t immediately reach for his knife. His focus stayed on her.

“What about your day?” he asked, finally picking up his utensils. “Before things went to hell with me. You didn’t get a chance to tell me.”

Ruth snorted softly, spearing a piece of asparagus. “Before hell? Oh, just another circus in the courtroom. I spent the morning convincing a jury to drop a ridiculous drug case.”

“Did they listen?”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course. They charged this kid, probably thinking he’d flip on someone bigger. But all he did was buy two Percocet. Two. And turns out, they were laced with fentanyl. He’s lucky he didn’t take them.”

Noah winced. “Yeah, younger cops sometimes jump the gun. Eagerness is good until it isn’t.” He shook his head. “Speaking of young cops, Alex had to step in and fix one of our newer colleague’s prep for the grand jury. Some real rookie moves.”

She dipped the edge of her popover in some gravy. “The FBI agents. Were they rookies?”

His brow creased. “They were both in their thirties, best I can tell. But their questions felt… programmed. The same ones, over and over again. And Ethan—he seemed truly surprised. Something was off.”

She studied him, raising an eyebrow. “You know, I’m technically one of those young people Alex, and now you, are always griping about. I’m only twenty-six.”

Noah tilted his head, a slow smirk forming. “Rae, you’re an old soul. Smarter. Dynamic. Just… different.”

The warmth that spread through her was immediate. She bit her lip before looking up at him. “Noah, are you sure you want to date me?”

His knife paused mid-cut. Slowly, deliberately, he set it down, leaning forward. “Yes, Rae. I do. I want you.” His voice was low, steady. “But I feel horrible because I can’t get you out of my mind. And that scares me.”

She set her fork down, her eyes locking onto his. “Why does it scare you?”

His exhale was slow, controlled. “Because I’d hate myself if something happened to you. I worry I’ve put you in danger. And I’ve never felt this way about a woman before.”

Her chest tightened. “I wish I could take that feeling away. But you scare me too.” She hesitated, then reached across the table, her small hand resting over his. “You make me feel things I’ve only dreamed about.” She squeezed his fingers lightly. “And as I’ve proven, something can happen to me just walking across my driveway.”

“I know,” he said quickly. “But I brought this mess to your doorstep. They already killed a witness, Rae. And now I worry I’ve made you and Alex—and maybe even your family—targets.”

Her jaw tightened, but her gaze stayed soft. “You didn’t put a target on us, Noah. That’s on them. Not you. My dad was a firefighter. My mom was a cop. Olivia is one too. Dangerous things happen no matter what we do.”

He muttered something under his breath, pushing his steak around his plate. “Tell that to my conscience.”

She tilted her head, voice quiet but firm. “You’re not doing this alone. You have people to lean on.” She squeezed his hand again. “I’d hope you’d lean on me.” She smirked. “Though, at your size, I may fall over.”

His lips twitched into a faint smile. “Maybe I should tie you to your bed in your apartment. Keep you where I can protect you.”

Her eyes widened, and she nearly choked on her drink. “Excuse me?”

He waggled his brows, his grin mischievous. “What? It’s a solid plan. Strategic. Effective.”

“You’re impossible.” She shook her head, but the warmth in her chest was undeniable.

His hand lifted hers to his lips, his touch lingering. “I care about you, Rae. I want this—us.”

She swallowed, her fingers tightening slightly. “I want this too. But if we’re doing this, you have to trust me to handle myself. This doesn’t work if you’re constantly scared of what might happen.”