hurt her emotionally or you’ll have to answer to her brother. The man is an ex–Army Ranger, and those Special Forces dudes are crazy.”
“I don’t plan to hurt her, Giles.”
“I’m not saying you would, but just keep it in mind if things don’t work out.”
Noah stood up and stretched his arms over his head. He was tired from the long drive from New York to West Virginia, and right now all he craved was a bed. “I’m leaving. Kiss Mya and Lily for me.”
Giles got up. “I will.”
“Do you have any plans to fly down to the Bahamas?”
“No. I told my father I’m taking a break until Mya completes her first trimester.”
Noah patted his older cousin’s back. “Good for you. Thanks for dinner and the talk.”
Giles hugged his cousin. “Anytime, coz.”
Noah folded his tall frame into the low-slung Porsche and fastened the seat belt. Tapping a button, he brought the powerful engine roaring to life, and he executed a perfect U-turn and headed back in the opposite direction.
There was only one car in the section designated for guest parking when he drove past the main house, and he wondered if Viviana had enough guests to sustain the bed-and-breakfast. He parked his car behind the guesthouse and walked around to open the front door. He lingered long enough to brush his teeth before climbing into bed. An audible sigh echoed in the bedroom decorated in monochromatic hues of blues when he pulled a lightweight blanket over his nude body. Within minutes he fell asleep, and for the first time in a very long time, he wasn’t disturbed by erotic dreams of making love to a faceless woman he knew was Viviana.
* * *
Viviana had just finished inspecting the dishes the cook had set over warmers on the buffet server when Noah walked into the dining room. She smiled, and she wasn’t disappointed when he returned it with a friendly one. After he’d left, she’d chided herself for her waspish tone when he had done nothing to deserve it. Viviana knew if she did not stop believing every man was like her con-man ex, then she would never be able to move on with her life. Thankfully, Leland had paid the delinquent property taxes, and with the land sale, she was able to repair and update the property and put some money away for the proverbial rainy day. Now she was ready to reclaim the life she had before her last failed relationship.
Her admiring gaze took in Noah’s crisp light blue shirt he had paired with slim-fitting jeans and Doc Martens. “Good morning. Did you sleep well?”
He stared at her under lowered lids. “Like a newborn in his mama’s arms.”
“Good.” She pointed to the buffet table. “Breakfast is ready. Let me know if you want an omelet, and I’ll have the cook make one for you.”
Noah glanced around the dining room with a table set for six. “How many guests are you expecting?”
“Only two. A couple checked in late last night, and they’ll probably be down later.”
“Did you eat?”
Viviana shook her head. “I had a cup of coffee. I’ll eat later.”
“Will it bother you if I ask you to eat with me? I hate eating alone.”
She wondered if he was extending an olive branch when it should’ve been her apologizing for her sharp tongue. “Of course I’ll eat with you.” She pointed to a round table in the corner with place settings for two. “We can eat over there.”
Noah rested a hand at the small of her back. “Why don’t you go and sit down. Tell me what you want.”
“Oh, you’re going to serve me?”
He smiled. “Of course. We Wainwright men may not be able to cook well, but we do know how to serve a woman.”
Viviana wanted to remind Noah that she wasn’t his woman or even a Wainwright woman but decided to play along. It was better than trading barbs with him. She executed a graceful curtsy. “I’m sorry I barked at you yesterday, and I want to—”
Noah placed a finger over her parted lips, cutting off her apology. His mouth was a hairbreadth from hers. “No apologies. It’s in the past, and I don’t believe in reliving the past,” he said, winking at her. His eyebrows lifted questioningly. “Agree?”
Viviana was too stunned to speak and nodded instead. Noah hadn’t kissed her, but that did not stop her heart from beating faster than normal. Did he not know he was much too virile for her to ignore? All he had to do was stare at her, and she felt things she did not want to feel. The scars from her last relationship were still healing, and she did not want to reopen them.
“What do you want?”
“Bring me whatever you’re going to eat.”
“What if I bring enough for us to share?” he asked.
Viviana smiled. “Okay.”
The cook always prepared enough for the registered guests and staff, eliminating the need for storing leftovers or throwing food away—something she loathed because there were people in The Falls that depended on the church’s outreach pantry to supply them with staples they needed to feed their families.
She watched Noah fill several plates and balance them along his arm as he returned to the table, and she wondered if he had been a waiter but quickly dashed the idea because of what she’d gleaned about the Wainwrights. She knew Noah and Giles did not have to wait tables to earn extra pocket money like a lot of young men she knew. Fortunately for her, she and Leland were exempt; they weren’t as wealthy as their ancestors, the Johnson County Wolfes, but they had still grown up in relative comfort.
“It looks as if you’ve had a lot of practice waiting tables,” she teased when he set down four dishes with scrambled eggs, home fries, bacon, sausage patties and sliced melon.
Noah winked at her again. “I’m auditioning for a job in your dining room.”
Her smile grew wider, bringing his gaze to linger on her lips. “I haven’t advertised for a waiter.”
Noah tugged on the single braid falling down her back. “If you decide to advertise, then I’m willing to take the position. I’m going back to get some juice and coffee.”
Viviana held his arm. “Sit down and eat. I’ll get the beverages. What do you want?”
“Cranberry juice and black coffee.”
She got up and walked over to the beverage table and filled a glass with chilled juice and a mug with coffee. Noah stood up when she returned to the table and pulled out the chair to seat her. Viviana did not have too many memories of her parents together when she was a young girl, but the one that had lingered was when her father would pull out a chair to seat her mother. It was a habit he had repeated with her whenever they were together.
She smiled at him over her shoulder. “Thank you.”
It was several seconds before he returned the smile and nodded.
*
