“You have a little filling, right here,” Miriam said, instead of answering Noelle’s question. She leaned over, brushing her thumb over the corner of Noelle’s mouth before licking the filling off the pad of her finger, never taking her eyes from Noelle’s.

“That was evil,” Noelle said, desire sparking all along her body, little dancing flames along her skin. She was trying so hard to behave, but Miriam was making it so difficult. “I didn’t know you had an evil streak.”

“I had a fiancée,” Miriam said. “I hadn’t started flirting yet.”

“I thought we agreed—”

Miriam’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “We agreed we weren’t dating. We didn’t agree I couldn’t flirt with you. Although I’ll stop, if you want me to.”

Noelle did not want her to stop.

“I’m going to bed before I get into trouble.” She stepped deliberately away, shaking her head and smiling a little, her hands flexing in a battle to take control from her brain and touch Miriam, everywhere. “Save me some rugelach for the morning.”

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Miriam

Miriam did not sleep that night, just listened to Soul Asylum and watched pastry cool until the sun rose. Her skin felt hungry, and the butterflies in her stomach were starting to reproduce at an alarming rate. Noelle disturbed her life, made her think about her choices, made her be present in her body. A month ago, Miriam would have said that was the last thing she wanted, but now she couldn’t stop wanting it.

She missed Cole. If he were here, he would distract her.

She’d made him go home, to Charleston, to his boat and his job (whatever that was). Cole had tried to convince her he could stay through Christmas, that he could set up an office here. She loved, so much, that he would offer to make his life wherever she was, but she couldn’t let him. “I’m FaceTiming you EVERY DAY,” he’d said. “If you need me, I will break the sound barrier to get here to you.”

“I know,” she’d told him, and she had known. Her heart had understood that he would always have her back, no matter what, and that allowed her to let him out of her sight. Tara and Charleston might have been temporary, but Cole was her person forever.

She called him once the sun was up, his huge face appearing on her screen.

“Miriam Blum, are you eating rugelach for breakfast?” he asked, instead of saying hello.

“I mean, it’s a breakfast food,” she said, defensively.

“I haven’t seen you eat a vegetable since you got to Carrigan’s, except for three candied carrots at Thanksgiving.”

“There were potatoes with dinner yesterday!” Miriam protested. “I take a multivitamin!”

“Potatoes are a carb,” he recited, a little primly.