And I did. It was hard not to do everything she said, especially when she was in this mood.
I picked her up, and we danced around the room. Gina’s laughter filled the air and also filled my heart.
Noah walked into the room, and I smiled at him. I bit my tongue to hold myself back from reacting to his new look. I recalled his impressive body when he was naked and on top of me, but I liked him in this look. He’d gone for casual today. I hadn’t seen that side of him before. He chose straight legged jeans with a form-fitted navy polo. He looked like any dad on the street, not a wealthy executive. Either way, he was drool-worthy.
“Good morning,” he said, coming into the kitchen.
We continued to dance. “Morning,” I said.
Noah appraised us and shook his head, grinning. My knees turned to jelly, and my stomach fluttered. Him looking at me like that wouldn’t be good for keeping away from him.
“You ready?” he asked Gina.
He didn’t need to ask. Gina jumped up and down chanting, “Yes! Yes!”
The park was a little over a half hour away. For once, it was nice that I wasn’t the one driving Gina around. For the first time in a long time, I could relax. Sharing tasks like driving was something I missed about being in a real relationship. Not that I thought Noah and I were in a relationship, but having Gina in the back seat allowed me to imagine what I wanted in a future partner. Kids were a must, but I had a feeling that wouldn’t happen for some time. At least not when I had a serious crush on my boss.
There were a few people in line when we arrived, but as we passed through the doors, the other spread around the grounds, giving us freedom of the place with no lines.
Since Gina was still a toddler, we went to the kid’s area of the park, a designated place for the younger group with less scary rides. That was all right with me. I was never the thrill-seeker when I came to places like this. I preferred the slower and more predictable rides.
“The trains!” she called when she saw the little train-shaped roller coaster. Gina was on the taller side for her age, so she reached the minimum height for her to ride alone. The attendant let her through the small gate.
Noah and I stood off to the side. Of course, she went for the conductor car. There was a little wheel there, and she pretended to steer the coaster, even though it hadn’t started moving yet.
“All aboard!” she called out.
“Choo choo!” Noah and I said in unison.
We looked at each other and laughed.
After two other tots had gotten onto the ride, the attendant went to each of the cars to make sure the kids were strapped in before he started up the train.
Gina screamed with glee when the coaster moved. My hands tightened on the metal fence. Even though it wasn’t far off the ground, I kept a close eye on her to make sure she didn’t fall out.
“Which types of rides do you like?” he asked.
“I’m not a ride person,” I said.
“Seriously?”
“I’m more of a games person. I like to keep my feet planted on the ground. How about you?”
“Anything with loops.”
“Of course.”
He chuckled. “Why do you say that?”
“You seem like the adventurous type.”
“I thought you were too,” he said.
I glanced at him to see if there was another deeper meaning to his comment, but it didn’t appear so. “Not when it comes to the loopy rides. These rides break all the time.”
“Don’t you love the risk though?” he asked.
I licked my lips as they were suddenly dry. “Not when it comes to my life.”