48

C H A P T E R 6
J E N N A
woke up around noon and puttered around my apartment with coffee in hand. I was really excited to have the work, but I was also nervous. Noah was very curt and sounded almost begrudging on the phone. I really liked Tess and wanted to make her happy first and foremost. Noah might be
paying the bill, but Tess was the client.
I distracted myself until four. I pulled the Clarks’ address up on my phone and found that it was a solid twenty to thirty- minute walk from my apartment. I groaned and mentally kicked myself for not checking how far away they lived before.
I tied my hair back into a high pony and slipped into my most comfortable sneakers. I put everything in a messenger bag instead of my usual purse so it was easier to carry. My portfolio was in the bag already, but I didn’t want to bring more than I needed. I also had a little note pad and a pen to write notes for inspiration. When I made sure everything was secured, I put headphones in and left my apartment.
Twenty-three minutes later, I was outside the Clark residence. I took a deep, calming breath and walked up to the doorman, who called up to make sure I was welcome. I rode
the elevator up, rang the doorbell in the tiny hall, and barely fifteen seconds passed before the door was opened by Noah himself.
I sucked in a breath through my nose at the sight of him. He was wearing sinfully tight jeans like the ones he wore when we first met. I tried to keep my eyes on his face, but they did trail down his muscular body and lingered on his package before I caught myself.
My mouth went a little dry, and I cleared my throat nervously. “Uh, hi, Mr. Clark.” I offered my hand for him to shake.
“Noah.” He took my hand, and I was surprised how big his hands were compared to mine. Not to mention they made me feel like lava ran through their veins.
“Nice to see you again, Noah.” I swallowed and offered him a smile. “You can just call me Jenna.”
“Okay, Jenna. Please come in.”
I could barely refrain from shivering at the sound of his voice saying my name. It was one of the sexiest things I’ve ever heard. His deep baritone was like a low purr. If I didn’t know any better, I would have assumed I was walking into a lion’s den.
“Where’s Tess?” I asked. I was surprised by how homey their living area was. I would have guessed that Noah would have a more modern, minimalist aesthetic.
“She’s with a group of friends having a study group right now. They’re all trying to get into the same private school for their freshman year.”
“Oh wow. She must be really smart!” Just from that little nugget of information, I could begin to picture what I wanted to do to her room.
“She is.” A small grin found its way onto Noah’s chiseled face.
“Could you show me her room? I want to get a sense of the size, and if you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you about her.”
“That’s fine. Follow me, I can take you to her room.” He waved for me to follow him upstairs.
On the left-hand side of the hallway was a door with a colorful sign that said Tess’s Room. It obviously had a child’s touch, and I couldn’t fathom at what age she’d made it.
Noah opened her bedroom door, and I was blown away not only by how young the room seemed, but from the sheer size of it. It was almost as big as the living area of my entire apartment.
“Oh, wow.” I pulled out the measuring tape I always kept in my messenger bag and walked into the center of the room. All the furniture was pushed up against the wall, making the room seem larger. My jaw dropped at the sheer amount of pink, and I looked at Noah for confirmation as I asked, “I take it pink is her favorite color?”
Noah moved to stand next to me and shook his head. “Used to be. I believe her favorite color now is mint green. She’s been trying to convince me to let her dye her hair for months now.”
I could feel the heat radiating off Noah as he stood next to me. He was so close that I could touch him if my arm moved an inch.
“My mom never let me dye my hair either. I wanted chunky blonde highlights.” I heard Noah exhale through his nose like he almost laughed. “So, what does Tess do with most of her time?”
“She reads and studies.”
“By her own volition?” I was somewhat surprised. “Yes actually.”
He looked at me, and I was mesmerized by his eyes. They were a shade of green I’d only seen in stones.
“She has a thirst for knowledge I never had as a child.”
I nodded and left Noah’s side. I explored the room, getting dimensions of the space as well as inventorying the furniture.
I wanted to get rid of her desk as well as paint her walls a creamy off-white. It would be more mature for a girl getting ready to go into high school in another year or so, and it would go with anything. She wouldn’t have to worry about repainting her walls if lavender or some other color became her favorite color instead of mint green. New curtains, a new desk, new bedding, all would do wonders in updating a child’s room to a budding young woman’s.
Noah followed me like a shadow, and I could feel his gaze piercing my back. He answered all the questions to the best of his ability.
“How long has she had this bed and bed frame?” “Four or five years.”
“Where does she keep her clothes?”
“In that dresser and her closet.”
“What does she do in here besides study and sleep?” “She has a couple of handheld games she plays.” “Does she have a favorite animal?”
“Uh, I’d have to guess a giraffe or owl.” “Any prints she wears often?”
“She wears plaid and stripes a lot.” “Gold or silver?”
“You’ll have to ask her that.”
We had moved to the couch as I asked him more questions about Tess. I had my notepad out and wrote a series of notes for myself. Sitting next to Noah, I felt a lump form in my throat.
I