Noah stiffened. Then his arm tightened around me, his hand stroking up and down my spine and sending a shiver through me. He pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “No. But I will admit I think you’re kind of sexy when you’re shouting at me.”
“Only kind of?”
“Very,” he corrected himself in a murmur.
“Is that why you disagree with me so much?”
“Absolutely.”
I softened, smiling, and pressed a kiss into his shoulder before shifting so I could kiss him properly.
The way Noah kissed me, the way he held me, it was with such total adoration, holding me so tenderly, with a grip like he couldn’t ever bear to let me go. I could feel how much he loved me, and I knew that whatever had happened last year, I had nothing to be jealous of now.
I only hoped he could tell how much I loved him.
Chapter Seventeen
“Hello, hello, strangers! Anyone home?” a voice sang, ringing through the house. “Do you guys really leave your front door unlocked?”
There was no mistaking that peppy voice with the English accent. I heard someone moving around in the kitchen. Lee and Rachel’s bedroom door opened. I launched myself out of Noah’s and my bathroom, toothbrush still in my mouth.
Amanda was standing in the doorway. Her blond hair was cut short, hanging in chin-length waves that framed her face. She didn’t seem to be wearing makeup, but her smooth skin had a dewy glow. She wore a cropped white T-shirt that hung off one shoulder and pink denim shorts. I could see a pink bikini top through her shirt and the ties of it around her neck.
Laughing, Noah dashed forward to draw her into a bear hug that lifted Amanda clean off her feet. She giggled, mussing his hair when he set her back down. “All right, muscles, no need to show off. Rachel! Elle! Hey!”
I drooled toothpaste all over the floor and down my pajama top, which made Noah snort when he noticed. I shoved my toothbrush back into my mouth and gesturedone secwith an incoherent mumble, dashing back to the bathroom to sort myself out. I patted the patch of toothpaste drool off my shirt before heading back out.
Amanda gave me a huge smile, pulling me into a hug. She smelled like vanilla. Like cookies.
For Pete’s sake, was therenothingabout this girl that wasn’t perfect?
“It’s so good to see you!” she was saying. “Where’s Lee?”
“Sleeping in,” Rachel said with an affectionate roll of her eyes. “He and Ashton ended up going out with the football team last night after their movie. I think he’s gonna have a sore head today,” she added in a whisper.
“Oh, oh right,” Amanda whispered back with a serious nod, pressing her finger to her lips.
Noah caught my eye just long enough to wink at me, then drew a deep breath.
“Lee!” he bellowed, cupping his hands around his mouth. “Lee Flynn, get your ass out here!”
A few seconds later, there was a faint grumbling and scuffling coming from Lee and Rachel’s room.
I laughed, while Rachel shot Noah a stern look and Amanda elbowed him and gave a sharp sigh.
Lee dragged himself out of his room, wearing just his boxers and rubbing his face. “What the hell, Noah? Are you kidding…” His eyes settled on Amanda, blowing wide. His cheeks flushed, which only made me laugh harder. “Shit, Noah, you could’ve said we had aguest.”
“Don’t worry yourself, big boy, it’s nothing I haven’t seen before,” Amanda told him with a nonchalant wave of her hand. “Good to see so much of you, Lee.”
He laughed. “Nice to see you again, too, Amanda. I didn’t realize you were coming.”
He said this with a cutting look at me and Noah, and all I could do was give him a guilty shrug. I hadn’t even seen Lee yesterday, we’d both been so busy; Noah obviously hadn’t thought to mention it to him either.
“Surprise!” She held up her purse, then a navy leather tote. “Oh, and I come bearing gifts.”
She pulled out two little white squares, handing one each to me and Lee. A refrigerator magnet that readI heart London.
“I know technically you haven’t been, but I thought you could add them to your magnet collection.”
