wag about us. So instead, I took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I better get out of here before people start asking why I’m wasting their tax dollars talking to pretty girls in salons.”
Her mouth fell open. “Do people really say that kind of thing?”
“Sometimes.”
“Jerks.” Her face was angry, and it looked so funny with all that foil on her head I had to laugh.
“Oh my God, get out of here,” she said, giving my ass a shove and hiding behind her magazine again. “And forget you saw me like this.”
“I’m going. I’m just going to say a quick hello to Nina.” I headed for the salon’s break room, conscious of the way Meg’s family was staring at me—not rudely or anything. In fact, her mother and a couple of her sisters smiled and said a casual hello.
But it was clear they definitely knew what was up.
I’d told Meg it didn’t matter if they knew we’d spent the night together, but damn if I didn’t feel naked as a jaybird as I passed them. I nodded cordially at anyone who made eye contact and returned their hellos, but didn’t stop to chat.
When I reached the break room, I poked my head in. Nina was sitting in one chair with her bare feet up on another, her phone in her hands. “Hey,” I said.
She looked up in surprise. “Hey. What are you doing here?”
“I was in the neighborhood. Thought I’d come by and say hi.”
“To who?”
“To you, my ever-loving sister. Who else?”
“Ha.” Her smug expression told me she knew better. “You’re so obvious.”
“About what?”
She rolled her eyes. “You didn’t know Meg Sawyer was going to be here?”
“No. I mean, she might have mentioned something about it . . .”
“Please.” Nina held up one hand. “Don’t embarrass yourself. You’re a terrible liar. We both know why you’re here and it’s not to see me. So what’s with you two?”
“Nothing.”
“Really? Then why has every other word out of her mouth for the last two hours been Noah? Why does she turn a lovely shade of pink when she talks about you? Why do her eyes light up every time she tells me about something you said to her or something you’ve done or about how you’re taking her to Frannie’s wedding?” She shook her head. “Face it, Noah. That girl adores you. And you’ve always adored her. The only question is whether you’re going to be too stubborn to admit it.”
“Bye, Nina.”
She groaned. “Men are the worst. Why do you all refuse to admit you have feelings?”
“Say hi to Chris for me,” I called, heading back toward the front of the salon.
Catching Meg’s eye in the mirror one last time, I winked at her, waved again at the receptionist and went out the door. Up the street, I grabbed a sandwich and cup of coffee at the deli, and while I ate, I couldn’t get the thought of Meg hiding behind that stupid magazine out of my head. Or the thought of her cuffed and bent over my kitchen counter while I spanked her. Or the thought of her bursting into my bathroom and seeing me naked. Or the thought of how nice it had been the past two nights to have her close to me as I fell asleep.
So nice that I was already missing her tonight.
It started to bother me a little. What the hell was wrong with me? I’d slept alone every night for the past three years and now two nights with Meg had me so messed up I couldn’t even get through a day without seeing her? It was fucking ridiculous. I didn’t need someone in my bed every night.
Determined to put her from my head, I finished up lunch, threw out my trash, and headed back to the car. I was nearly there when I heard the dispatcher call my number on the radio.
Thank God. Work would distract me.
Eighteen
Meg
My sisters went nuts the moment Noah walked out, jumping out of their chairs and surrounding me, all talking at once.
“Oh my God!”
“I can’t believe he came in here!”
“He’s so cute in that uniform!”
“Seriously, those arms!”
“How about that heat he was packing, if you know what I mean?”
“Did you see the way he looked at her?”
“I know! And with all that foil on her head! She looks ridiculous, and he still couldn’t take his eyes off her!”
“For real, he is totally in love.”
“Okay, enough,” I said, moving the dryer off my head. “It’s not that big a