“Don’t you have the final say?”
“Technically. Sam owns a stake in Nox and is the COO, so his opinion matters, but I built Nox and have the final say.” His fingers flexed around mine. “The problem is I’d set a precedence of acquiescence at the beginning of our friendship, and now that I’m saying no, he’s finding it difficult to handle.”
“You met in college, right?”
“Yes. My senior year. We were paired as roommates, and he’d made it his mission to make me cool.” He smiled faintly. “I’m not sure it worked, but he gave it an honest try.”
“How exactly?”
“You know, the typical things. Sent me to his barber—which had been needed and appreciated—helped me upgrade my wardrobe, dragged me to the gym. All good things. Oh, and he started calling me Tore.”
“Wait, what?” I pressed on his chest. “What do you mean?”
“My full name is Salvatore. Everyone called me that or Sal my whole life. Sam said Sal sounded like an eighty-year-old man, so he switched it up to Tore.”
I blinked at him. “He…changed your name?”
He shrugged. Like it wasn’t completely crazy. Like it wasno big deal. “It’s a nickname, and I’ve had it for a long time. I’m used to it now. My father would never call me that, but everyone else does.”
My mind was on the verge of exploding. Sam hadn’t given me the best vibes the handful of times we’d met, but right then and there, I decided I did not like him at all. What kind of person had the audacity to tell someone—theirfriend—their name was no good? Red flags were waving all over the place.
“I don’t like this story.”
He laughed. “You don’t have to be angry on my behalf, Bea. Sam and I have plenty of other issues, but that isn’t one of them.”
“Fine. It’ll be an issue between Sam and me, then.”
He stopped walking and pulled me into his arms, holding me close, one hand cupping my nape, the other splayed on my lower back. Dipping down, his lips covered mine in a slow,sweet kiss.
My toes curled in my shoes, and my heart leaped into my throat as he deepened our connection, his tongue sweeping into my mouth. My fingers fisted his shirt, clutching him to steady myself so I didn’t float away.
That was how this man made me feel. Like a feather, taking flight with the whim of his breeze. Light and buoyant, untethered from responsibilities and the worries weighing me down.
He smiled against my lips. “You don’t have to protect me. I’m good.”
“But I think I want to.” I blinked away the haziness in my eyes. “Wouldn’t you be pissed if some chick made me call myself Trice?”
His laugh rolled out like silk, smooth and easy. “Fair point. And as much as I love that you want to go to bat for me, I’d rather you just stand by my side and in my arms. Can you be okay with that?”
“Fine,” I huffed, then kissed him hard and fast. “It’s hard to say no to you.”
“Exactly as I planned.”
He laced our fingers together again and tugged me forward, our steps syncing as we turned the corner toward the restaurant.
“Should we be worried about what we’re walking into?” I asked, only half joking.
“Possibly.” He glanced over at me, his mouth twitching. “But we’ll stick together.”
His reassurance warmed me from head to toe. Everything about tonight was new and outside my comfort zone, but with Tore next to me, it felt manageable. Like we were on the same side.
As we reached the restaurant, I peeked through a window, catching sight of Sam already seated at the table with a few other people, glaring at his phone like it had murdered his family.
I turned to Tore. “Ready?”
His smile became soft. “To spend more time with you? Always.”
Chapter Twenty-six
