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Chapter

Twenty-Five

“I’ll go camping with you.”

“Hm?” Noah’s face is buried in the scoop neck of my paint-spattered tank top, his thigh pressing me against the door to the supply closet while his knee eases my legs apart.

I don’t know how he can breathe with his nose so deep in my cleavage, but the way his tongue swirls around my nipple sets my nerves on fire in an ungodly way, so I don’t complain.

“I said—” I inhale sharply at the feel of his teeth tugging. Gently, then harder. “I said I’ll go camping with you.”

That gets his attention. He straightens so suddenly that his forehead knocks against my chin. I wince, but it’s not his fault. The closet is cramped.

“Really?” His tone is a weird mix of doubtful and hopeful. It makes his pitch go high.

“Yeah,” I say. Why not? “I think it could be fun. I’ve never been, but I want to go with you. Are you working this weekend?”

“No.” He looks thoughtful as he drags a knuckle down my chest, from the base of my throat down between my breasts, ending at my belly button. “We could go this weekend.”

I won’t lie. I have ulterior motives. Ever since we were interrupted by the college kids, my mind’s been swimming with thoughts about what might have happened if we’d been left completely alone and gone on just a bit longer.

Would Noah have continued whispering in my ear, his fingers moving inside of me until his touch had me dissolving like thousands of bubbles chased to the surface?

Or would he have slipped his shorts down lower, lower until—

It’s probably for the best that we were interrupted, all things considered.

Indecent exposure and all that. That being said, it does have me aching to be alone with him—more chances to make up for lost time.

But this week is turning out to be a scheduling mess, full of “When can I see you again?” and “When are you free?” on both of our parts.

I told Liam I’d go to the game store with him after he’s done working tonight. He wants another set of dice, even though he’s got hundreds.

Tomorrow Dan has me staying late, experimenting with the new food menu he’s launching soon. Don’t hold your breath—so far, it’s all shit. Wednesday?

Fuck. I’m supposed to catch up with my mom that night on FaceTime. Thursday?

I didn’t say that Wednesday is also the day of my next interview with Paragon—this time with the whole team. I know there’s a good chance I’ll be a mess of emotions afterward, and I don’t want to see him then.

When I’d suggested Thursday, Noah had shaken his head. He’d broken my gaze, and his lips had curled into a little smile. “I can’t Thursday,” he’d murmured into my ear, “I’m working on a secret recipe. I’ll show you soon.”

Eventually we agreed on meeting over the weekend, but this is the first time I’ve proposed solid plans.

After a week of breathless make-out sessions cut short by Noah’s work schedule, I need assurance that our next date is set.

I need something to look forward to. Noah is the type to spontaneously come up with a plan the morning of, but I’m always desperate for early details to key in to my Google calendar.

“Do you have an idea of where we could go? To camp?” I still haven’t even left Heller yet.

“I’ll figure it out.”

“Do I need to bring anything? Like—a tent? Bear spray? Fire?”

“ Sadie. ” He says my name so playfully—half laugh, half groan—as if I’ve said the funniest thing in the world. He hides his grin by burying his face in my hair. “No, you don’t need to bring anything. You don’t need to bring fire. I have plenty to share.”

I pinch the side of his thigh. “Don’t mock me. This is my first time, I want to be prepared.”

He runs his hand over the crown of my head. “I’ll make sure we’re prepared. I’ll teach you everything.”

There’s another reason why I want to go camping, too.

On our hike, I felt like I got a glimpse of a side of Noah I’d never seen before.

During D I am color and movement, gliding along.

It had been so long since I’d found that peace. Drawing exclusively smut and anime fanart over the past few years hadn’t exactly gotten me there.

But the mural does. Painting it gets me out of my skin, especially as I’ve focused on adding the details this week. It helps me breathe.

I want to see what that looks like for Noah, too. I want to peel back his layers of paint and see what lies beneath.

“What are you thinking about?” Noah hums, nuzzling the crook of my shoulder.

“I’m thinking I might like to see you naked.” In a figurative fashion. But, as his teeth nip against my skin almost chidingly, I admit that I’m eager for a literal interpretation as well.

Noah laughs low in his throat. “That can be arranged.”

The team interview with Paragon feels like another D&D game.

I’m Josephine again, with my black thick-rimmed glasses, magenta blazer, and hair curled so tight and bouncy that it barely reaches past my ears. Before the call, I hadn’t really recognized myself in the mirror, but that’s okay. I’m just playing a character for now.

A youngish man situated in a little video box at the top of my screen asks the first question. “Can you tell us more about the projects you worked on while you were with Incite, Josephine?” His hair is so gel-slicked to his skull that he looks like a Lego figure.

Intelligence check. Roll with advantage.

I give a brief overview of the projects I’m proud of, including a rebranding campaign for a clothing line that switched gears to prioritize sustainability, a surprisingly successful launch campaign for a company that made formalwear for dogs, and a local marketing passion project for a new ice-cream shop in my neighborhood in Queens.

As I run through each campaign, I make sure to highlight the data, metrics, and revenue and my own lightning-fast project turnaround time.

“And how do you like to connect with new clients? What is your outreach strategy like?” A woman with warm brown skin and hair twisted into a cute side bun smiles at me, her chin propped on her fist.

Charisma check. I talk through my networking strategy, which includes a mix of sending personalized emails to new clients I admire, scouting out conferences and events, and wooing new local connections at my favorite charming coffee shops and wine bars.

I throw in a formulaic but endearing joke for good measure.

They continue to pepper me with questions, and I juggle them all as best I can.

“Tell me about a time you experienced a challenge or a disagreement with a client. How did you handle it?”

Wisdom check.

“How do you balance many competing priorities in your day-to-day schedule?”

Dexterity check.

“How well do you work in a team environment?”

Charisma check, again.

There’s a man in the bottom right corner of the screen who hasn’t spoken up yet.

He sits with his arms crossed over his dark suit jacket, shifting from side to side in his swivel chair.

He’s older than the rest. Finally he clears his throat and speaks directly into the camera, and it’s like he’s locking eyes with me.

“Can you give us a little more insight into why you left your previous role?”

Constitution saving throw. Roll with disadvantage.

My throat is suddenly dry, and I use it as an excuse to stall and take a sip of water as I rush to gather my thoughts.

My stomach roils uneasily. “I loved my time at Incite, but I’m eager for a change of environment,” I say.

“I’m hungry for new challenges, a new atmosphere, and a new team to learn from. ”

Deception check. Of course I don’t tell them the truth. Incite felt suffocating. I wasn’t sleeping. I met my deadlines only by regularly staying up into the early hours of the morning. I was exhausted, and I couldn’t handle the pressure.

Dark Suit looks like he wants to dig deeper, but Addison cuts him off, a cheery smile on her face.

“I think that’s all the questions we have for you today, Josephine.

I’m happy to discuss next steps with you now, but everyone else—feel free to drop the call.

” As the other team members wave goodbye and wink out of existence, Addison’s face fills the screen, expertly painted with what I can tell are expensive cosmetics.

“As I said at the beginning, the last step of this process will be an in-office visit. If anything, it will be your chance to interview us —and for us to show you everything we have to offer.” She beams. “The whole team will be there. We’ll also meet with my director, Cary, but it’s more of a formality than anything… ”

I nod and laugh along obediently. Performance check.

“I need to compare everyone’s schedules—and of course see when the best time is for you,” Addison says.

Her gaze pans off to the side, away from the camera.

She must have another screen up somewhere.

“I’ll get in touch with you as soon as I know more, and we’ll have our assistant book your flight out. ”