You Are Blushing

CHAPTER 43: YOU ARE BLUSHING.

RACHEL'S POV

It has been a week since I arrived at the house with Noah. Surprisingly, things have been going well between us. He hasn’t been as cold, and while he still keeps his distance, there’s a certain ease between us now that wasn’t there before. It feels...different.

On this particular Saturday, I prepare to leave for an outing. I had promised Emily to come and see her when I came back from the event. As I make my way through the house, I ask Marco if he has seen Noah. Before leaving, I decide that it is best to let Noah know since I didn't speak about wanting to leave the house earlier this morning.

   "He's in the guest room with someone," Marco informs me. I  pause, wondering if it’s even necessary to interrupt him just to inform him about my plans. Would he even care?

But something inside me urges me to go, so I do. I find myself standing outside the guest room door. Taking a deep breath, I knock and push it open.

As I step into the guest room, my gaze lands on a man sitting across from Noah. He’s well-dressed and poised and immediately turns his attention toward me. He has an air of quiet confidence, his gaze sharp as he takes me in.

Is he probably one of his best friends?

 I offer a polite greeting, even though I have no idea who he is.

Noah’s eyes are on me the moment I enter, unreadable as usual.

   "I am sorry for the intrusion,” I say quickly, glancing between the two men.

The man offers an easy smile. “Not a problem at all.”

There’s a pause. The man looks at Noah expectantly, and I realize he’s waiting for an introduction. I suddenly feel curious as well. How exactly would Noah introduce me?

I’m wearing my wedding ring, but would he acknowledge that? Does it even matter?

  “Uh..." Noah decides to speak probably after noticing the slight change in the atmosphere. He points to the man, "This is Reeves,” Noah finally says, his tone neutral. Then, with a slight pause, he continues with his hand now stretched back to me, “And this is my wife, Rachel.”

My breath catches for a second. My eyes widen slightly as I glance at him. Oh, so he actually doesn't hide it. Surprise.

Reeves blinks, clearly taken aback. “I never knew you were married. There wasn’t any publicity about that, and also, don't look like you are married.” he lowers his eyes to Noah's finger, which is devoid of any ring, unlike mine.

  “There was no need for it,” Noah responds calmly, almost indifferent. “It’s contract-based.”

The words shouldn’t sting, but for some reason, they do. I swallow the discomfort and push it aside. Of course, he’d say that. It’s the truth, after all.

 I straighten my posture as I shake the man's hand, "Nice to meet you, Reeves."

   "Nice to meet you, Mrs Sinclair. You look so beautiful. I am not surprised a person like Noah would go for someone as attractive as you. I am only surprised that he didn't go for a cold person like he is."

I chortle as I glance at Reeves, enjoying his compliment obviously.

  "Thank you very much. You are not looking bad yourself."

Noah clears his throat and I bite my lips.

Forcing a small smile, I clear my throat. “I just wanted to let you know that I’ll be heading out to see someone. I might come back late.”

He nods, his expression still unreadable.

Then, on impulse, I do something reckless. Something entirely unlike me.

But before I turn to leave, I step closer, lean in, and press a brief kiss on his lips. It’s quick—barely more than a brush but enough to make my heart race. I feel his lips part slightly in surprise before I pull away.

I don't know what possessed me to do it. Maybe because it was the way he looked at me or maybe I just wanted to see how he'd react.

I don't stay to find out.

   "See you later,” I murmur before hurrying out of the room.

My heart pounds as I step into the hallway. I have no idea why I did that. Maybe it was just an impulse. But one thing is certain—my lips are still tingling, and my heart is fluttering in a way I don’t fully understand.

And...

I love it.

NOAH'S POV

The moment Rachel leaves, my mind is still reeling.

The kiss was fleeting, but it was enough to leave me completely unbalanced.

A chuckle from Reeves drags me back to reality. “Well, well, well, that was interesting,” he says, amusement lacing his voice and arms crossed.

I scowl, feeling the heat creeping up my face. “Shut up.”

Reeves only grins wider. “That reaction says a lot, my friend.”

“It meant nothing,” I say firmly, straightening in my seat.

Reeves smirks. "Yeah, sure. Nothing. That is why your face is turning red."

I scoff, leaning back against the chair. "It was unexpected."

   "Unexpected?" Reeves tilts his head.

He leans forward, his smirk unwavering. “No man reacts the way you just did unless he has some kind of feelings for her.”

I exhale sharply. “She’s just an employee. Nothing more. There are no inappropriate feelings anywhere.”

Reeves raises an eyebrow, sarcasm dripping from his tone. “Right. That’s why you were staring at her like a starved man and nearly jumped out of your skin when she kissed you. Your face went blank, then you looked like you were about to explode. Don't get me started on how your lips responded. Your lips were too receptive, Noah.  And from your reaction, I’d say this isn’t even the first time something like this has happened, right?"

I shoot him a glare but he only grins wider.

   "An employer-employee relationship, huh?” he teases. "Very admirable and very professional of you."

  "If you don't shut up, I swear..."

   "Alright, Alright, I was just pulling your legs, okay?"

He only chuckles before finally sobering up. His amusement fades, replaced with something more serious.

  "Alright, let's continue from where we stopped. I managed to track down the journalist who wrote the Burning Fire scandal years ago,” Reeves says, pulling out a small stack of pictures. He slides them toward me.

I glance down, my jaw tightening. They were old photographs. The photos show a woman in her prime years, her features sharp, her eyes carrying a knowing glint.

"There is just one problem though," Reeves continues.“ I have no idea what she looks like now. Too much time has passed already. If my calculations are right, she should be in her late sixties or so.  And we need to be careful—if the higher-ups catch wind of this, they might try to hinder us further.”

A thought crosses my mind, my fingers clenching slightly against the table. “But what if she’s dead already?” I ask, my voice low. “Is she our only hope?”

Reeves meets my gaze. “Then we are out of luck. There is no other survivor of the incident who can give us a detailed answer as to what happened than her because even the netizens who were alive during the incident have no correct details of the fire. So as of now, yes. She is our only hope.”

His words settle heavily in the room.

  "So, what's next? Do we look for her together?" He asks me and I shake my head as I check my phone for the date.

  "Not yet. In about two weeks, I have an important event coming up, which is a family one, so I have to focus on that first. I will inform you to let you know when we will continue."

  "Alright, I am readily available. And also, happy birthday in advance to you."

I nod, "Thanks."