He spotted her as she walked through the garage with the team, and Noah's heart swelled. All the suspense, the questions over if and how they'd be together… all of it was over. They could move forward and explore this thing between them.
He didn't know who moved first, him or Claire, but suddenly they were both flying toward each other. Before she could say anything, he swooped her up and crushed his mouth against hers.
She stiffened. Shit. He was kissing her in front of everyone.
But then she melted into him, her arms winding around his neck, and something bright and fierce bloomed in his chest. Laughing inside, he spun her in a circle, deepening the kiss as the world around them faded away.
A throat cleared near them. "I take it you got good news?" Teresa asked, making Noah aware of his surroundings again. He pulled back and watched Claire's face turn bright red.
"Yes." Noah kept his gaze on Claire, and whispered, "We can start our life together now." He kissed her again, then slowly lowered her until her feet touched the ground, keeping his arms tight around her. To the group, he said, "They approved everything. You're looking at the new director of operations, reporting to the COO."
The team's cheering hid the sharp click of heels approaching. Jackie's clear British accent cut through the noise, startling everyone when she spoke. They turned as a unit. "Now I understand why you were so reluctant to accept my offer. Congratulations, Noah. Claire." She nodded at them both. "And nice proposal for the new ops position."
Noah's stomach dropped. He released Claire and straightened his spine. He faced Jackie and nodded to Simon, who trailed in her wake. Claire slipped her hand into his and his nerves settled.
"Mitch told you? You were my first stop afterward, but I missed you when I swung by your office," he said, caution permeating his body. He'd hurried to catch Jackie privately before word got out, but her office had been empty.
She shook her head. "Not Mitch. Frank called me. He said it was brilliant." She walked past them and everyone followed. "I agree. And you'll be positioned nicely to help with three upcoming production projects we're involved in."
Noah dropped Claire's hand to hold the door for Jackie as they entered the building. The rest of the team peeled off until only Jackie, Simon, Noah, and Claire walked together. Noah's hand brushed Claire's, happy she'd stayed by his side.
Once they were in the elevator, Jackie continued, her voice softening. "You could have told me, Noah."
He hesitated, thinking his words through. "I'm not sure I could have. I was afraid it would influence your opinion of me and you were potentially my next boss if things didn't work out."
She considered it. "Fair enough."
"You're not mad?" he asked.
"Not anymore," she said with a self-deprecating smile he recognized. Noah relaxed a notch, happy he hadn't burned a bridge with a longtime ally and friend.
Simon spoke up. "It's not the first time someone has manifested a job they wanted."
Noah watched as Jackie smirked at Simon. He shrugged at Claire's perplexed look. Damned if he knew what they were talking about.
"Alex Tanner," Simon answered the unspoken question. "You know, I asked her about it once. Alex always gets her way. Always. So I asked what her secret was. She told me that the higher ups had a hard time saying no when what she asked for made sense for the company." Simon looked pointedly at Noah. "Seems like you've got the same instincts."
Claire set the hot dish on the stove and lifted the cover. Savory smells teased her nose and filled the kitchen. Brinnie had dropped off her version of homemade beef stew with instructions for both her and Noah to rate and review the recipe and a promise to share if they liked it. She stirred the dish, mentally reviewing the bread options she had in her pantry.
Noah's laughter drifted in from her bedroom. He'd been on the phone for the last half hour with his family, getting and giving updates on his move to the States. In the two weeks since his promotion, there'd been a flurry of calls back and forth, sharing news and making arrangements. They'd been both sad to see him move away and excited for the new opportunity. His voice became more distinct as he walked into the kitchen. She pulled down bowls as he wrapped up his call.
"Yes, I'll do that. Love you too, Mum. Later, Pops."
Arms wrapped around her waist and warm lips nuzzled her neck. "What smells so good?"
She turned in his arms and pulled his face down for a kiss. "Brinnie dropped off supper. We're to report back. How's your family?"
"Involved." He grimaced, then stuck his tongue out to show he wasn't overly upset.
"And by involved, you mean…?" She reached over and pulled spoons out of the silverware drawer, watching as Noah lifted the pot's lid and sniffed the stew.
"My sister-in-law—you remember Simone, Connor's wife?—has taken on selling my house. She was all excited to set up open houses and show it off, but it seems one of my cousins is in the market for a new place and it's the perfect location for him. She's both miffed and excited at the same time."
"Wow. That seems fast. How do you feel about selling it after all the work you put into it?" Claire watched his face. The past two weeks had been a whirlwind of making plans, drawing up checklists, and figuring out the next steps. And that was in his personal life alone. At work, he'd been just as busy handing off his former duties, figuring out his new job, and working with HR on his legal status. Claire never knew so many rules existed around work visas until watching Noah deal with it.
He shrugged. "I'll miss it, but I'm looking forward to figuring out where my next place will be." Since the company intended to pay for his housing while he got settled, finding a new place to live wasn't the most pressing issue. Especially since he'd been spending so much time at her place.
"I have to admit, I like the convenience you have living this close to the office, but I'm used to having space to work. Power drills and miter saws don't go over well in high-rise apartments. I think I want to find a house or condo with a garage I can convert into a workshop." He opened the glasses cupboard and looked over his shoulder at her. "Iced tea or milk tonight?"
