The voice came from behind her, and Sarah turned to see Noah walking up, confidence in each step he took.
“I can’t stand being late. It shows disrespect,” she told him. The man was getting far too close to keep her hormones under control.
“Nah, it just means you’re a busy person. No disrespect intended when a person is running a little late,” he said.
“You can keep telling yourself that all day long,” she assured him. She really didn’t do well at small talk, but any conversation she had with him was always so easy. That was another thing that drove her slightly insane.
He smiled, and her heart stuttered. She had to look away from the man, so she began playing with the strap on her large bag that had her plans in it. She’d do just about anything to keep herself distracted from Noah.
“So are you ready for some fun adventures?” he asked.
His good humor made her want to relax and fall into him, so instead she felt her body stiffen. She was fighting this feeling every step of the way.
“I’m not up for an adventure. I want to get this job done,” she told him.
“I’ve come up with a new philosophy in life,” he said. She waited, but he was quiet.
“Fine. I’ll bite. What is it?” she said with an eye roll.
“Life doesn’t have to be all about work. I want to do this the right way or not do it at all. You’re either all in or not in at all,” he told her. There was such intensity in his eyes; she wondered if he was telling her she was about to get fired from this project, like she’d already attempted to do. Maybe the best thing she could do would be to walk away, but everything inside her rebelled at doing just that. She was a competitive person, and she didn’t easily walk away from anything. And now that she was truly in, she needed to finish.
Instead of just easily complying with the man, she narrowed her eyes and stiffened her spine. She wasn’t going to be a pushover. No way, no how.
“Let me know more of what you have in mind, and I’ll tell you if that’s acceptable or not,” she said.
He was quiet for several long moments before he smiled, his eyes sparkling. He knew a challenge when he saw one, and she was certainly challenging him right back. She wasn’t even 100 percent sure of what she wanted, but she knew she wasn’t ready to give up.
“What I have in mind about the project or about us?” he asked, his expression almost mocking.
“There absolutely, positively isn’t an us,” she said with a glare.
“I’m not going to even justify that response with an answer,” he said. He looked slightly ticked at her reply. Had she somehow offended him or hurt his feelings? That was impossible. Sure, they’d slept together a while ago, but that didn’t mean they were in a relationship.
He took a step toward her, and she nearly panicked. She absolutely couldn’t allow this man to touch her. She’d go insane in a heartbeat. She needed to stay strong and not let him see that he intimidated her or affected her, but she also couldn’t allow him to touch her. She was definitely in a quandary.
He stepped forward again, and she felt herself taking another step back. It was irritating her.
“What are you afraid of, Sarah?” he asked, his voice softer.
“Not you,” she said with a glare as she stopped and stood her ground. He was getting too many wins lately when it came to the two of them. “But we need to focus on the project at hand, not on what’s happened in the past between the two of us.”
“Man, do you know how to make your voice grow cold when you’re trying to get a point across,” he said with a chuckle. “Are you putting me in my place?” He didn’t seem as if she’d put him anywhere. She had a feeling the man wasn’t easily intimidated or controlled. A lot of guys she’d dated had been far too weak for her. She didn’t want to be a bully, but sometimes she came across that way. Her stubbornness made her too controlling sometimes. Maybe one of the things she liked about this man was the fact she couldn’t control him. That gave her a liberation she couldn’t explain.
He reached toward her, and she glared at him. He backed off before he’d touched her, and she was glad for that.
“We need to set some ground rules right here and now, Noah,” she told him.
His lips turned up into a brilliant smile. She didn’t like feeling as if she was getting laughed at, but she couldn’t call him out on every little thing. They’d never get through this day if she did.
“Hmm, I’ve never been good with rules. Isn’t there a saying about rules needing to be broken?”
“Rules are a good thing,” she countered. “We’re both working on this project, and I think we need some firm boundaries while we finish it.”
“Well, I’ve never been good with boundaries,” he said with a shrug. His smile was still firmly in place.
“Maybe I do need to quit,” she said with a sigh. “Maybe it’s impossible for us to work together.”
He reached out and touched her arm, making a shiver run through her. She didn’t pull away this time. “I’m sorry,” he said, sincerity ringing in his voice. “I can be an ass. I know it. But sometimes breaking molds in life can give us the biggest advantages.”
His voice had softened with an edge of huskiness that made her knees go weak. It was so strange the effect he had on her. If it was anyone else but him, she’d be embracing the relationship, taking it wherever it led. But he was dangerous to her sanity, and that was too scary for her to play with. It was worse than fire.
She pulled away from him, though it was hard to do. Then she looked in his eyes, keeping her expression serious. He was going to agree to her rules, or she was walking, even if it did set her way back in her career. At least her sanity was going to be okay, and that was more valuable than any job.
“Are you agreeing to listen to me or not?” she asked.
“We’ve been working together just fine up to this point, so I’ll listen,” he told her. There was a bit too much mischief in his eyes, and that worried her, but she decided to move forward in the conversation.
“Okay, then let’s go over the rules,” she said again.
He looked at her with humor, as if he was indulging her. She once again had to get over her irritation, or this conversation was never going to end.
“Okay then,” she said with a smile. “There’s to be no more flirting or innuendos. We are going to keep it professional. That means no touching and definitely no trying to have sex with me.” She took a deep breath, glad she’d gotten all of that out smoothly. She ignored the smile on his face. She knew she had to continue. He wasn’t saying a word.
“This is a working relationship, and we’re to keep it that way. Nothing but professionalism from here on out. I love that I’m on this project, and I love your trust in me and really love Joseph Anderson’s trust, so we’re going to stick to these rules, or there are going to be consequences,” she warned.
He still wasn’t saying anything as he looked at her as if he were a parent indulging a mischievous child. That got her back a little bit more straight. He was going to take her seriously if it was the last thing she accomplished in her entire lifetime. Several long moments passed as she grew more and more impatient.