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She got four right and Noah threw in a bonus just for laughs.
Which was part of the reason she wore a broad smile as they were driven to the airport. “Counting tonight, we’ve only had six highs, not seven.”
Noah kissed their linked hands. “You told me you love me. That’s the high to end all highs for me. But if you insist on being pedantic about it, I have a private jet fueled and waiting. And I’m not afraid to use it.”
31
“Noah?”
“Yes, sweetheart?”
“Tell me about this T-shirt.”
They’d been back in Miami for less than a day, and it looked like Leia had found her favorite item of clothing again. And fuck if Noah didn’t feel stupidly light-headed with happiness from seeing her in it.
His heart thumped hard at her beauty framed in the early morning light. He held out his hand to her. When she reached where he sat on the terrace, he pulled her into his lap.
Clearing his throat, he played with the soft hair above her ear. “It’s my father’s. He wore it the day he proposed to my mom. He wore it the days my brother and I were born. He jokes that if it could withstand not being ripped apart by my mom when she was in labor with me, it can survive anything.” Noah shrugged. “It’s his lucky shirt.”
Her fingers traced his brow. “Why do you have it?”
“He… he gave it to me the day I left New York two years ago. I guess he could tell I was in a dark place and needed something tohold on to. I didn’t want to take it, but he insisted, said I needed it more than he did. And he was right. It brought me luck. It brought me you.” He nuzzled her cheek and she melted into him.
Noah was sure in that moment there was nothing more beautiful in the world than the woman in his arms.
She took his face in her hands and kissed him. “I’m so glad.”
He reluctantly pulled away when things started to get heated. “You need to get dressed, baby.”
“Why?”
“Paddy’s on his way over. Or he’s probably already inside, helping himself to my most expensive booze again.”
She yelped and jumped off his lap. Peering cautiously into the living room, she looked back at him with relief before disappearing inside.
Paddy walked out onto the terrace three minutes later.
Noah sighed. “You do know that the day you see Leia anything less than fully dressed is the day you die, right?”
His PI grunted. “Relax, I have impeccable timing.” He sat down and patted his pockets restlessly.
“You lost something?” Noah asked.
“Yeah, the Marlboros I quit smoking five years ago.”
“Any reason you want to light up now?”
Paddy shrugged. “It’s still morning. According to my daughter, every time I take a drink before noon, a fucking hamster dies.”
Noah’s brow rose. “And you happen to love hamsters?”
“Yeah, go figure.”
“We have coffee,” Leia said as she walked back onto the terrace. She’d taken his T-shirt off and replaced it with jeans and a tank top. Her hair hung loose and silky around her face.She sat next to him and put a hand on his thigh. His heart swelled larger. “You have news for us?” she asked Paddy.
He nodded. “We’re almost sure we’ve tracked Snyder down to a lake house in Maine.”
“Almost?” Noah asked.