10. Can’t Get You Out of My Head

Chapter 10

Can’t Get You Out of My Head

Jade

After a long week, there was nothing better than spending a Friday night with my bestie, wine, and pizza. At least, that’s what I kept telling myself as I got comfortable on the couch while Noelle pulled out her design book.

I’d managed to avoid Noah all week, but I knew that wouldn’t last forever. Captain was bound to get out again, since I hadn’t figured out how he was escaping, but so far, he’d given me a reprieve. Maybe he knew I wasn’t ready to face Noah after what had happened on Sunday.

It wasn’t that I was embarrassed, but I needed the distance, so I didn’t start liking him more than I already did. In a few weeks, we’d end our fake relationship and go back to just being neighbors.

Why did the mere thought of that make my chest ache ?

Guys like Noah didn’t do relationships, and I needed to remember that. The last time I’d given a guy like him a chance, I’d ended up with my heart and confidence stomped on.

A shudder ran through me as I recalled the pain and humiliation of having someone I trusted betray me in such a way.

“Earth to Jade!” Noelle waved her hand in front of my face, snapping me out of my thoughts. “You’ve been staring off into space for like five minutes.”

“Sorry, I’m distracted, I guess.” I gave her an apologetic smile, trying to push away the thoughts of my ex. Usually, I didn’t let my mind go there, because it wasn’t worth my energy, but Noah had brought my insecurities to the surface.

“Distracted by a certain handsome neighbor, perhaps?” She gave me a sly grin and wiggled her eyebrows.

Heat rushed to my cheeks. “No! Why does everything have to come back to Noah?”

He was all she was able to talk about for the past week since I’d spilled everything. It was my own damn fault for telling her.

“Because you clearly like the guy, even if you won’t admit it. So as your best friend, it’s my job to tease you about him until you crack.” She placed a sketch of my bedroom, along with a sheet that had color samples and accessories, in front of me on the coffee table. “What do you think about this for your bedroom?”

I leaned forward, taking in the design. It was perfect, with a dark teal wall behind the bed and blush pink and earth-toned bedding. “This is stunning. How did you get this so perfect on the first try?”

I picked up the paper and examined it more closely. The colors complemented each other, creating a serene yet sexy vibe.

“Because I know you, babe. I bet Noah will like it too.” And there she went again.

I shook my head in exasperation but couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at my lips. “I bet Noah’s bedroom is all gray, and he has the bed pushed into the corner. Probably has posters with beer models hung up.”

“There’s only one way to find out.”

I groaned and leaned back, staring at the ceiling. “I hope you know, the next time you like a guy, I’m going to pester you ten times as much.”

“You don’t scare me.” She sat back, joining me in my ceiling staring. “You let the man watch you use a toy.”

“I know, and that’s the problem. It should have never happened, but it did because I let myself get caught up in the what-ifs.”

“I don’t see the problem.” She was never going to let it go until I made it clear why I was so anti-Noah.

“I don’t want to catch real feelings. This whole fake-dating thing was a stupid way to save face. I’m perfectly happy being single.” Even as the words left my mouth, I knew they weren’t true.

“Are you really, though?” Noelle’s tone was gentle.

The doorbell rang, saving me from having to explain further. “That must be the pizza!” I hopped up from the couch, grateful for the interruption .

But when I pulled open the front door, it wasn’t the pizza delivery person standing there; it was Noah, looking as handsome as ever. He was dressed casually in jeans and a T-shirt that highlighted his muscular upper body. My breath caught in my throat as I took in his strong jawline that now had a beard. How would that feel between my legs?

My stomach growled, and I wasn’t sure if it was because I wanted pizza or because I wanted him.

A slow smile spread across his face when our eyes met. “Hi, girlfriend. I was about to call the police to do a wellness check.”

“Uh, hi.” I glanced over my shoulder to find Noelle heading toward us. Her smirk told me she was going to make this as awkward as possible.

“You’ve been avoiding me.” He stuck out his bottom lip.

Why was this man so utterly adorable? Any other man that tried to pout for not getting his way would end up with the door slammed in his face, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

“I’m sorry, I’ve been really busy.” It wasn’t a complete lie. After my week off, I’d had a lot to catch up on.

“You’re not the pizza guy,” Noelle said from behind me, a teasing lilt to her voice.

I shot her a look over my shoulder, silently begging her not to make this more awkward than it already was. I opened the door farther and stepped to the side to make room for her in the doorway.

Noah chuckled. “No, I’m definitely not the pizza guy.” He extended his hand toward Noelle. “I’m Noah, Jade’s neighbor. ”

“I’ve heard all about you.” Noelle shook his hand with a wink, and I wanted the ground to swallow me whole.

“All good things, I hope?” Noah was staring right at me, barely having looked at Noelle. His gaze was intense, making me shift from foot to foot.

“Well, a few interesting things, that’s for sure.” She was now my ex-best friend. “Our pizza should be here any minute. You should stay; we ordered plenty.”

“Thanks, but I was actually just on my way out. I wanted to drop this off.” He held out a gift bag to me, dangling it from his fingertips.

On his way out? Did he have a date? The thought made my stomach clench in a very concerning way. He wasn’t really my boyfriend, and if he wanted to go out with someone, he could. But the idea of Noah with another woman made an irrational surge of jealousy rise within me.

I took the sparkly purple gift bag hesitantly, our fingers touching and a tingle shooting through me at the brief contact. “What’s this for?”

“Just a little something I picked up at lunch today. Make sure you read the card and let me know.”

“Let you know what?”

He was already walking backward. “Have a great night, you two.” With a final smile, he turned and walked down the driveway, leaving me feeling disappointed yet relieved that he was leaving.

As soon as the door was closed, Noelle pounced. “Oh, my God, Jade! He is even hotter than you described. And did you see the way he looked at you?” She fanned herself dramatically, her eyes bright with excitement .

I rolled my eyes. “Calm down, he wasn’t looking at me any kind of way.”

“There was hunger in that man’s eyes.” She sighed and clutched her hands to her chest. Was she seriously fucking swooning?

“Well, you did mention pizza. He was probably on his way to dinner.”

Clutching the gift bag, I went to the couch and sat down. My fingers toyed with the edge of the card sticking out from the tissue paper.

Noelle plopped down beside me, practically vibrating with excitement. “Well? Are you going to open it or stare at it all night?”

“Fine.” I glanced at Noelle. “Why would he even buy me a gift?”

“Maybe gift giving is his love language. You said he tried to bring you zucchini bread the other day.” She reached for the bag, and I turned my body so she couldn’t get it. “If you aren’t going to open it, then let me.”

“I’ll open it, geez.” I slowly pulled the card from the bag like it was going to bite me or something. My stomach gave a nervous twinge as I opened the envelope and pulled out the handmade card.

“Is that a…” Noelle burst into giggles. The unexpected sight of what was on the card was so absurd that I couldn’t help but join in.

Noah had drawn a penis wearing a crown, complete with a goofy grin on its face. It even had a vein running up it and balls with little hairs all over them. There was a speech bubble that said, “Can’t get you out of my head. ”

“You’re going to marry this man. I just know it.” That was a bold statement coming from a person who didn’t even believe in marriage. “What does it say inside?”

I opened it and read it out loud. “Jade, will you go to dinner with me tomorrow night? I hope you’ll consider wearing one of my gifts. I’ll pick you up at seven. Love, your boyfriend, Noah.”

My cheeks flushed as I looked up at Noelle in confusion. “He’s asking me on a date, and he got me something to wear?”

“That’s so romantic. Just like in the movies, but he really should have left it on the hanger, unless it’s lingerie.” She gripped my arm. “Why are you just staring at it? Open it already!”

Her enthusiasm was contagious, and although I was a little nervous about what he bought me, I pulled the tissue paper out of the bag. My eyes widened as I caught a glimpse of what was inside. “Oh, my God.”

Noelle leaned in, trying to peer into the bag. “What is it?”

I quickly closed the bag, my face burning. “Nothing! It’s nothing... something silly.”

Noelle narrowed her eyes at me. “Jade Dalton, don’t you dare try to hide this from me. What did he get you?”

I shoved the bag at her, covering my face. “I’m going to sic my cat on him.” This should not have been embarrassing for me, yet it was. He’d gone into a store and thought of me as he picked out the gifts.

“What’s so silly about a pretty flower? Oh, ohhh.” She burst into laughter. “He bought you a flower butt plug.”

I peeked through my fingers to find her holding the butt plug package. “There’s something else too.” It had barely been visible under the plug, but I knew exactly what it was.

She pulled out the box. “Remote Cumtrol.” She examined the box, completely unbothered by its contents or that a man had bought it for me to possibly wear on a date. “Why doesn’t your company have something like this yet?”

“It’s in the works. We can only grow so fast and maintain the quality I want to have.” I took the product from her. “This is top of the line.”

The doorbell rang, and both me and Noelle jumped in surprise. I’d almost completely forgotten about the food.

“I’ll get it. You have your hands full.” She snickered and practically skipped to the door, leaving me with my jumbled thoughts... and two new toys.

Was Noah just like all the other guys I’d dated? Only interested in getting me into bed? His gifts certainly seemed to point in that direction. But I could hope that he was different.

It didn’t matter, anyway. We were fake dating. But, then, why did he ask me on a date? Or was it just a friendly dinner to discuss our plan for the game in a few weeks? The lines were becoming increasingly blurred.

Noelle returned a moment later, carrying the pizza boxes. She set them on the coffee table and sat down. “You look like someone stole your favorite toy.”

“I think that Noah is just like all the other guys. He’s interested in one thing and one thing only.” I cringed at the sound of dejection in my voice. This wasn’t like me.

Noelle rolled her eyes. “Jade, come on. Every guy is going to be interested in that. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t want more.”

“But it’s like he’s trying to send me a message.” I waved the toy box around before placing it back in the gift bag. “I just don’t want to get hurt again.”

She placed a comforting hand on my arm. “Noah seems like a sweet guy. He bought you those things because he knows you have a collection.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Thoughtful? He bought me a butt plug and a remote-control vibrator.”

Noelle laughed. “He paid attention to what you like and went out of his way to find something special for you. That’s thoughtful. I bet no other guy has ever gotten you butt stuff as a romantic gesture before.”

“But who is it really for?” I opened the pizza box that had breadsticks and grabbed one. The scent of garlic and butter wafted toward me, making my stomach growl. “Maybe this is my own fault for showing him my closet.”

“Babe, you’re grasping at straws. Just go out with the man and see where things lead. Life is too short to hold on to all your negative feelings about men.” She grabbed a breadstick and took a bite.

Maybe she was right, and I needed to stop assuming the worst. I could go out with Noah one time and see what his deal was. One date didn’t mean I was going to fall head over heels in love with the man.