Page 182 of Savage Suit

My lips turned down. I’d had a small dose of such attention, but thankfully it didn’t take long to die down. However, things might take a different tone in the future. “As your girlfriend, I’ll have to get used to the same life?”

My question wiped his frown away. “You’ll have to deal with more attention from the public, yes. However, as my girlfriend, I’ll do my best to ensure they minimize the intrusion.”

“How kind of you,” I said, forcing a lightness into my words. The infringement of my privacy, because I was dating Noah, terrified me. I kept that fear to myself, however. I didn’t want him to think that’d scare me away. If I wanted to be with Noah, and I truly did, I’d deal with it.

He examined my face, and I fidgeted under his scrutiny.

After a moment, he asked, “Did what I say scare you?”

“A little,” I admitted. Honesty was always the best. “But I’ll deal with it.”

“Just because you’re with me doesn’t mean you won’t have privacy. Alessia and Nathaniel, for example, haven’t gotten that much media attention.”

“But Nathaniel isn’t the eldest or the majority owner of the family business. You are. Then there’s the minor fact I’ve been thrust into the limelight because of my role at the company. It will be a madhouse once they catch wind of our changed relationship.” Accusations, mudslinging, debates over Noah’s behavior and how honest my defense of him had been.

“We’ll talk about this another time when we aren’t in the middle of a party. Now, let’s go dance,” he said, standing up and offering me a hand.

I smiled and accepted his hand as I stood, deciding to push my worries aside and just enjoy myself and my newfound love.

“I need to take these shoes off,” I moaned, plopping next to Noah on the L-shaped sectional tucked into another quiet corner in another part of the house.

After our conversation, we’d returned to the epicenter of the party and spent a solid hour dancing. Now, my feet were aching.

“When we first met upstairs, you were shoeless.”

It took me a moment, but I remembered the tiny detail, and smiled. “I sure was.”

If it wasn’t for Quinn, those shoes would’ve been lost to me. They’d been the last thing on my mind when I left the mansion. Hell, I barely remembered leaving.

“Feel free to remove them again. By the way, I’ve always wondered what happened to that beautiful ball gown.”

“It was a rental, so I had to return it.”

Suddenly, he stood, and I followed his line of vision. A good-looking couple, the woman dressed as a medieval princess and the man as a knight, strolled toward us. Once they closed the distance, I recognized the woman as the one who had been in Noah’s office the day he and I had kissed. Soraya, I believe her name was. The mystery man must’ve been the esteemed Graham Morgan. I paid scant attention to him, though. As usual, Noah commanded my attention.

“There you two are,” he greeted, hugging Soraya and shaking Graham’s hand.

My feet hurt so fucking bad, I remained sitting, though I smiled.

“Where the hell have you two been?” Noah demanded. “I thought you wouldn’t show up.”

“In between searching for you, we were pulled into conversations that held us up,” Soraya answered, before smiling at me. “Ryan, right?”

“That’s me,” I said with a grin.

“Ahh.” Graham smirked at Noah. “The woman he can’t say enough about.”

“Graham!” Noah barked, the rebuke sharper than when he’d had a similar response to Soraya’s words the day I met her.

Noah opened his mouth, but Soraya interrupted whatever he’d intended to say, no doubt saving her husband a tongue lashing. “You two are together now?”

He and I looked at each other, before we said “yes,” in unison.

The four of us grinned.

“Congrats. How long have you been dating?” Soraya asked as she and her husband sat on the couch opposite us. “I love your costume, by the way. I loved Sailor Moon when I was a kid.”

Noah dropped next to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulder.