“I think I’m going to walk.”
“No.”
“No?”
“No, Charlotte. You’ll take the car with me.”
“I think a walk would be good for me. I need the fresh air, I need to clear my head.”
“It’s not safe. Until we figure out who’s been making those calls to you, I can’t allow that.”
I balled my fists at my sides until my nails were cutting into my palms.
I hated this. Why was he acting this way?
The last thing I wanted was to get into a car with him. But I knew that if I got upset, he would just make me feel like I was being emotional, that I needed to get control of myself. What was it he’d said? That I needed to focus.
So I pasted a smile on my face.
“Okay,” I said. “Let’s go.”
**
There was no conversation on the ride to Midtown -- Noah rolled calls the whole time. His practice was thriving and well from the sound of it. The fact that he’d been arrested for murder hadn’t hit the newspapers yet, and I wondered what would happen when it did.
For a while, I had my iPad out, scrolling through my emails, responding to one about a Criminal Law class that was being held next semester, checking online message boards for my classes to make sure I hadn’t missed anything. I had a paper due that I was going to need to get working on.
The whole time, though, I was focused on Noah.
I couldn’t help it.
I listened to him bark orders and make deals, his voice strong and commanding. I watched him out of the corner of my eye. He’d changed into a beautifully cut black suit and crisp grey shirt that set off his broad shoulders. As he talked, he made a note in his phone, and his sleeve slid up just a tiny bit, revealing a gorgeous black watch with a large face. His forearm was strong, his skin smooth and flawless, and I felt my body fill with longing.
He caught me looking at him as he ended his call.
“Is everything okay, Charlotte?” he asked.
“Yes. Fine.”
I turned to look out the window, watching Manhattan slide by in a blur. It was raining outside, not the romantic kind of rain that made you want to stay inside curled up under a blanket, but the kind of drizzle that hung heavy in the air and made your hair frizz.
When we pulled up in front of the Orange Ivy, Jared opened the car door for us.
Noah pulled out an umbrella, and put his arm around my waist, holding me close under the umbrella as we walked into the restaurant. I felt small next to him, his height and broadness making me feel safe, protected.
But as soon as we got inside, he pulled his arm from around me.
The Orange Ivy was a beautiful hotel, all high ceilings and elegant gold fixtures. We walked through a shiny marble foyer that was lined with mirrors, then through an open waiting area that was more like a lobby for the restaurant.
Noah strode purposely to the hostess stand, and the hostess sat him right away at a table in a private back room, not even asking for his name or whether or not he had a reservation.
As soon as we sat down, a waiter appeared with two tall narrow glasses filled with smoothies.
“Thank you,” Noah said. “Just coffee for now. We’ll wait for our party to arrive before ordering.”
The waiter slipped away and Noah regarded me over the table.
“What?” I asked, feeling self-conscious under his gaze.
“I just… “ he trailed off, seemingly at a loss for words, which was very unlike him. “You are so goddamn beautiful.”
My face flushed as the waiter returned and set down a carafe of coffee on the table. Noah picked it up and went to pour some into my cup, but I stopped him.
“I don’t like coffee.”
He didn’t listen, instead filling my cup to the brim and watching to make sure I took a sip.
The liquid was rich, and even though I was drinking it black, it wasn’t bitter. It went down hot and smooth.
“It’s good,” I admitted. I wasn’t sure if my newfound taste for coffee was because the coffee here was just that good, or because of the pleasure I got from pleasing Noah.
I noticed for the first time that the table was set for four.
“Is Josh coming?” I asked.
“He’s not.”
“Then who’s the fourth place for?”
“An associate of Colin’s,” Noah said.
“An associate?” I frowned.
“Yes.”
“For what?”
“Now that the trial is staring, he thought it would make sense to have more help.”
“Right.” I set my napkin in my lap and twisted it hard to keep from screaming in frustration. I didn’t want another associate on Noah’s case, didn’t want another pair of eyes looking everything over. I wanted to ask Noah when it had been decided that another person would be working with us, if it was before or after it had been found out that I was on the witness list. Had Professor Worthington brought on another associate because he knew I was about to be thrown off the case?