Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

A WEEK LATER, LOUISA waited out the front of Noah's house with a bottle of wine in one hand and a bunch of flowers in the other, looking somewhat longingly at the car that had dropped her off, arranged by Noah, which was currently speeding away. Leaving her stranded out the front of Noah's, for a dinner date with him and Taylor, that was now feeling like a terrible idea.

She was nervous.

The woman who, in another life, might have been Queen by now. Who had been on Ares's arm when they'd entertained other Kings, Queens, Politicians, Hollywood stars. She'd never felt anything other than at home in those circumstances, but just the prospect of meeting a fifteen-year-old flooded her with uncertainty.

But that wasn't really about Taylor.

It was what this moment meant. It was what Noah meant to her. Somehow, over two weeks, he'd become a part of her soul, and she couldn't even remember what life had been like before him.

They lived and breathed one another. At work, they were the perfect complement. He listened to her ideas, encouraged her, pushed her, made her wonder if maybe advertising was her true calling after all. And every now and again, he'd suggest something she might have missed, or explained something about the heritage of Fox hotels, and it would spark a dozen more lightbulb moments. He both enabled and admired her curiosity. And at night, in the privacy of her home, they'd rebuilt the connection that had wavered slightly, reaffirming their places in each other's lives. Then, as Friday had rolled around and the Fox offices closed for two weeks over Christmas, Noah had asked her over to celebrate.

"We'll keep it brief," he'd said, by way of inducement. "I have no idea what Taylor will be like, but if we can just get through a meal…"

The door opened and Noah stood on the other side, thunderclouds on his face.

Louisa's heart dropped. "Hi."

His smile was more of a grimace, but he leaned forward and pulled her into an embrace, before kissing her quickly on the mouth. As was now normal for Louisa, her pulse twisted and turned.

"Is everything okay?"

"Oh, you know," he shrugged. "I'm glad to see you."

She thrust the wine bottle towards him, and the flowers, which had been bought for Taylor and now seemed a little silly. They were very Christmassy though, with Holly, Ivy and baby's breath making a delightful arrangement, regardless. They'd fit right into his Santa's grotto lounge room.

In the kitchen, she saw dinner was in progress. With no sign of Taylor.

"You're cooking?"

"Sure am."

"I didn't know you cooked."

"My stepmother insisted on it."

Louisa knew now that Noah's mother had died shortly after his youngest brother was born. He had no real memories of her, but her stepmother had loved him like a son and had insisted that they celebrate the boys' birth mother each year and keep her memories alive with stories about her. It was something Noah hadn't appreciated as a boy, but as a grown man, Louisa knew that he saw what a kindness that was. The boys had never needed to choose between their loyalty to either mother.

"Can I help?"

He turned to face her. "Sure, I'll get you an apron."

When she stepped into the kitchen, he hooked it over her head and fastened it at her waist, his hands lingering there, before spinning her and holding her in the circle of his arms. Their eyes met, and held, and Louisa felt a spark in her veins. Fireworks.

They burst between them with the power of a thousand suns, as though they were now an intrinsic part of her connection with Noah.

Christmas was only a week away, and the knowledge that he'd be going to the outback property to spend it with his family was a wrench. Partly because she didn't want to be away from him for Christmas, but mainly, because she didn't want to be away from him at all. Not even for one night.

He'd be gone for four nights. Noah had invited her to go too, but she'd refused. It was way too early to foist herself on his family, and she could imagine how Taylor would resent her for that. Instead, Noah had booked her into the penthouse at the Fox hotel, then told her he'd planned surprises for her each day, so to sit back and enjoy. It was both thoughtful and perfect, given that she couldn't go home to be with her family, or be with Noah.

Ares had been in touch to advise her that the official engagement announcement would be made on the morning of Christmas Eve, so there was not much longer to enjoy living under the radar. She knew the storm it would stir up, and in some ways, being in a hotel would make that easier, because there was tighter security and guest protection, particularly somewhere like a Fox hotel.

"Okay, I think we're ready," he said, about a half hour later, pouring two glasses of wine and grabbing a bottle of mineral water from the fridge. "I'll just go get Tay." He hesitated, lines of tension radiating from his neck. "Make yourself at home."

Louisa's own nerves stretched and stretched, almost to breaking point, and finally, she expelled an uneven breath, moving to one of the chairs and curling her fingers around the top of it, holding on as if for dear life.

"Louisa," Noah's voice was deep and low, and she felt his own anxieties throbbing towards her. So much so, that she yearned to put him at ease. "This is my daughter, Taylor."

She smiled at the teen, who wore a pair of oversized jeans and a big t-shirt, her blonde hair scraped back into a messy bun. "Hi," Taylor said, lifting her hand in a nervous wave, though her voice was the last word in reluctance.

"Hi Taylor, I'm pleased to meet you."

"You've sort of already met me, remember? The other night?"

Louisa's eyes widened at the teen's acerbic tone. "Well, I heard you vomit," she volleyed back, softening her rejoinder with a kindly smile. "That's not quite the same thing as meeting you."

She saw Noah's expression shift from shock to bemusement.

"Kind of," Taylor said, awkwardly, clearly not prepared to be called on her attitude. "Anyway, whatever. I'm starving, can we eat?"

Noah gestured to the table. "Dinner's ready."

Taylor walked towards it, then pulled a face. "I hate pasta."

Louisa's heart sank. Not because she cared what Taylor thought of her, but because of how she was speaking to her father. It was so clear to her, in those few moments, that Taylor had been given the world, and was now just seeing how far she could take it. And because Noah felt bad about Amy, bad for moving Taylor halfway around the world, bad for being a Fox and having enough money and renown to be somewhat famous, meaning Taylor couldn't live a normal, private life. Bad for all of it. So, he'd spoiled Taylor and looked past her rudeness, blaming himself instead of doing what any other parent on earth might have done and grounding her for a while.

Or maybe Louisa just really, really hated seeing Noah vulnerable to attack. Noah Fox, the man who could control a room with a single look, who was fierce and intimidating and admired by all, was being treated like dirt by his own daughter. It stank.

"Well, I love it," Louisa smiled sweetly at both of them. "There's garlic bread, too," she gestured to the loaf in the centre of the table.

"Great. What a well-rounded dinner."

Louisa's eyes met Noah's, and he shrugged, then shook his head a little as he took his seat.

Louisa reached for her glass of wine and took a large sip, glad for the cooling drink.

"Oh, Dad, by the way, Mom said she might be coming over for Christmas. I already told Gramma to make up a bed."

Noah's hands tightened visibly on his cutlery but otherwise, he didn't react, and nor did Louisa. She was far from being jealous or insecure regarding the other woman.

"You don't tell your grandmother to make up a bed," Noah said, in a relaxed, conversational tone. "You speak to me, and I ask her if it suits. Gramma is not your servant."

"Oh, well, she didn't seem to mind."

Noah curled some spaghetti around his fork and held Louisa's eyes as he ate.

"What are you doing for Christmas, Louisa?" Taylor asked, her own voice sugary sweet now.

"I'm going to spend it in the city," Louisa replied, imitating Noah's calm, relaxed tone. Refusing to take the bait.

Despite her protestation that she didn't like pasta, Taylor dug her fork into some spaghetti and twisted it around.

"You're not going home?"

She thought of the press release that was in the offing and just imagined the fuss that would cause. "Definitely not."

"But you will go home eventually?"

Subtle, as a brick, she thought. "My plans aren't really set in stone."

Taylor frowned. "So, you might stay in Australia?"

Louisa glanced at Noah, then across at Taylor. "I really haven't thought it through."

"Aren't you a little old to be doing the working holiday thing?"

Noah's laugh was a spontaneous eruption, which he stifled behind a napkin quickly. "Taylor, that's incredibly rude," he said, his eyes still twinkling. "Though, you're right. Age is a relative concept." He winked at Louisa though, who caught a darkening of Taylor's expression.

If the teen was trying to drive a wedge between them, she was failing miserably.

"It's just, I thought you had a serious relationship back there," Taylor insisted. "With the King and everything."

Louisa's heart turned over at the unexpected mention of Ares.

"Taylor," the sparkle had died from Noah's eyes and the thunderclouds were back. "Don't say another word."

"It's no secret. You're all over the internet. I just had to google your name and you came up. Hundreds of pictures of you and King Ares. He looks nice."

Louisa's pulse was rushing; she felt ambushed, but she refused to give the younger woman any indication of that. Because she wasn't a young woman at all, she was still, in many ways a child.

"He is very nice," Louisa said calmly, slipping back into Queen-in-waiting mode. "We remain good friends, but there is no longer a relationship between us. That was my decision, and it was the right decision."

Taylor ate some pasta, nodding obnoxiously. "But you were together ages, and the break up's kind of fresh. So, you must still be kind of into him, right?"

Louisa looked at Noah, who shook his head once. "Taylor, listen?—,"

"I'm into your father," Louisa said, point blank. "I like him, a lot. So even if I were to go to Moricosia for the holidays, it would be to see my parents and sister, not my ex- boyfriend."

Taylor definitely hadn't expected to be one-upped. It was clear to Louisa that she was unused to having her rudeness challenged directly—something Noah really ought to be doing more regularly. It wasn't normal for a fifteen-year-old to rule the roost like this, no matter what she'd been through.

"Whatever. Can I eat in my room?"

"May I eat in my room," Noah corrected. "And no. We have company."

"No, you have company. I have a headache. I think it might be hormonal."

Noah ground his teeth but stared at his daughter for several beats before nodding. "Fine. You can come back out for coffee later."

Taylor scraped her chair back and stormed off, leaving them in peace.

And silence.

And more silence. Which stretched and stretched and stretched until Louisa, finally, laughed. A laugh that was borne of the ridiculous of this situation, by how terribly Taylor had behaved, and how utterly at a loss Noah was to explain it.

"She's awful," Noah admitted, burying his face in his hands. "Except, she's really not. She's just hurting…"

"Yeah, she's hurting," Louisa conceded, keeping the rest of her thoughts to herself. Not because she didn't feel it was her place. Strangely, with Noah, she felt as though nothing was off limits. But she wanted to take some time to think and get some perspective. She was more than a decade older than Taylor; she could barely remember the nuanced emotions of that stage, and she knew she didn't go through anything like a lot of kids did. Her sister being a prime example.

"That was a bust," he said, shaking his head. "It will get easier."

She lifted her shoulders. "I still get to share dinner with you. So, it's not a total bust."

His eyes landed on hers and the air between them seemed to hum with something magical and perfect.

"I'm sorry she found out about Ares."

Louisa pulled a face. "She googled me. That's normal. Besides, it's no secret."

"I don't even know how she knew your last name."

"She's a teenager. They're excellent snoops."

"You don't seem annoyed?"

"I didn't expect a bed of roses tonight." Nor had she expected it to go quite like that. She placed her fork down and stood up, moving around the table to sit on Noah's lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist like he never wanted to let go. "There's a lot for her to get her head around. Like you said, we just have to give her time."

"You are wonderful."

"I know." She smiled as she kissed the top of his forehead.

"Listen, about Christmas?—,"

She padded her thumb over his cheek. "It's fine. It's not even on my radar. I'm looking forward to the quiet time."

He frowned. "Apparently a bed's been made up back at the farm," he said with a groan.

"You mean I wouldn't get to share your bed?" She pouted, pretending disappointment. "Then I'm definitely not coming." She caught his face in her hands. "Is Amy going to be there?"

"No."

"How do you know?"

"Because she's in rehab. She went in last week. Court ordered because she was picked up for drink driving again."

"Taylor must know that," Louisa said.

"It's been kept out of the papers. I haven't mentioned it, and nor has Amy."

Louisa nodded slowly. "She must miss her mother terribly."

"Yes," Noah sighed. "Do you think I made a mistake, to separate them?"

"I mean, it's not ideal, but nothing about the situation is. You said you felt she was unsafe, with Amy."

"I tried to live near enough to her that Amy could still see Tay, supervised, but she started picking her up early from school, signing her out for ‘appointments', and the stuff she exposed her to on those visits." He shook his head as if to clear the memory. "I didn't know, but there were parties, and ‘lunches' at ‘friends'' houses, where I hate to think what was going on. I know Amy was drunk or high most of the time." He expelled a rough sigh. "I just wanted to give Taylor a fresh start, and Amy a proper chance to focus on herself. I thought it would scare her into taking rehab seriously, if I'm honest." He dropped his head forward. "I never intended to have sole custody. I was hoping she'd get clean and then we'd work out a series of holiday visits, a way for Taylor to have the best of her parents."

"Maybe this time…"

He pulled a face. "You know what they say? Tenth time's a charm."

"Noah, it might be. You can't give up hope."

"You give me hope," he said, finally, slowly, and he kissed her, in a way that made any thoughts of parenting, arguments, custody, the past all fade away, until there was only this.

Louisa went over again the next night, this time, with a bag. It had been a decision she and Noah had made, to show Taylor they weren't backing down, but for the first time since things with Noah started up, she wasn't relishing the night ahead.

Louisa cooked a traditional Moricosian rice dish, with almonds, nutmeg, chicken, raisins and eggplant. Noah took one mouthful and groaned. "This is so good."

Pleasure flooded Louisa, her cheeks flushing pink. "My mother used to make this all the time. It's one of the first recipes I learned, growing up."

To her right, Taylor said nothing, but she kept lifting forkfuls of the meal to her mouth, so she must have liked it more than pasta. Louisa and Noah made small talk throughout dinner, mostly carrying on as though Taylor wasn't there. They spoke about the hotel, and Louisa's parents, and sister, about the places in Europe where the Fox family had hotels, and the cities Louisa had been to and loved.

When Taylor had finished eating though, and she'd gripped both sides of her bowl as if to leave the table, Louisa turned to her. "You're on school holidays, aren't you, Taylor?"

"Yeah, so?"

"I was just going to ask if you're enjoying them?"

"Oh, I'm having a ball," she said, with sarcasm.

"That's good. You must be heading into grade eleven next year?"

"Yes."

"Do you have any idea what you want to do after school finishes?"

"No."

"You have ideas," Noah corrected. "What happened to studying law?"

"It's a five-year degree," she said, shaking her head. "No, thanks."

"Yeah, but five years goes by like this," he clicked his fingers. "When you're having fun."

"I don't think I'll find more school ‘fun'."

"University is different to school," he promised her. "Much more freedom, and more people, too. You'll love it."

Taylor remained belligerently silent.

"Why did you want to study law?" Louisa asked, sipping her water.

"I just always wanted—," Taylor compressed her lips, as if she just realized she'd forgotten to be snarky and regretted it. "What does it matter?"

"It doesn't," Louisa said with a lift of one shoulder. "I was just curious."

Taylor stared at her plate. "May I be excused?"

Noah leaned back in his chair. "Taylor," his voice held a soft growl.

Louisa watched as the young girl stared daggers at her father and then turned to Louisa. "Thank you for dinner," she said, as though it was the last thing she felt like saying. But then, with more spontaneity. "It was nice."

Louisa's heart lifted at the very unexpected few words that had been genuine and somewhat normal. "You're welcome. Any time."

Taylor stood up, deposited her plate on the kitchen counter and then stalked from the room.

"I can't get used to this," Louisa said, swimming through the water with unconscious grace.

"Swimming at midnight?"

"Swimming right before Christmas," she corrected. "Back home, we've already had snow in the mountains."

"You get snow in Moricosia?"

"Only in the mountains to the west, but yes. And not usually this early in the season."

"Do you miss it?" Noah asked, as he swam up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her wet body against his. Beneath the water, his legs paddled enough to keep them upright, so she could wrap her own legs around his waist and focus on him. And how amazing it felt to be so close and intimate like this.

"No," she said, finally. "If I missed it, I'd go back."

She felt him stiffen in response to that and she knew why. The future was an intangible beast, impossible to see clearly. There was the prospect of her returning to Moricosia, but everything had become so much more complex since meeting Noah.

"We could plan a trip," he said, thoughtfully. "I'd love to meet your family."

Her eyes widened.

"See where you grew up. You know, go to your palace."

She laughed, squeezing him a little tighter. He grinned at her, as he swam them towards the steps of the pool and sat on the second shallowest one, so she was on his lap, but still submerged in the refreshing water. The night was balmy and warm, the sky a deep, velvet black, the stars shimmering almost as if they were dancing. The lights of Sydney made a soft, ambient glow in the distance, and the black void beyond that was the ocean, full of mystery and stories.

"I think we should walk before we run," she said after a beat, stroking his cheek.

"Too fast?"

"No. If it was just you and me, nothing would be too fast," she said honestly. "But it has become very clear to me that I'm not just dating you. Taylor is a part of this, and until we work out how to be in the same room together without her wanting to kill one of us, I can't imagine planning anything like a trip."

"She's like that just with me, you know. It's not about you."

"It doesn't matter why she's the way she is, it's still something we need to be aware of, and respect." She shrugged. "Hopefully in time, she'll get used to this."

"I just…" Noah frowned, his brows drawing together.

"What is it?"

"Are you willing to give me that time? To give us more time?"

"What do you mean?"

"I feel like this is way more than you signed up for…"

"I signed up for you," she said. "And I don't regret that, even a little bit."

He pushed up so he could claim her mouth with his. "Are you a dream?"

"Why don't you pinch me to find out?"

"Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?" he asked, as his fingers slid into the waistband of her bathers and curved around her bottom, which he did, indeed, pinch.

She made a soft moaning sound, and felt the throb of his arousal between them. All thoughts were forgotten, just as they had been the night before. Whenever they were close like this, it overtook everything else.

"Noah," she murmured against his mouth. "We shouldn't?—,"

"Louisa," he kissed her again. "We really should." And he lifted her from the pool, holding her easily against him, as he made his way not towards the deck and the living room, but rather, to the pool house, and all the privacy it afforded. Louisa had never been so glad for anything in her life.