Chapter 323 - Sleepover

This chapter is dedicated to Tanaya_Wadibhasme_5961. Thank you for picking up this story. Your support is greatly appreciated.]

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When Luke finally settled down with his emotional outburst. They went to work and forgot the time. Jess felt her hunger only at around one in the afternoon. With just coffee for breakfast, she can't ignore her stomach when it starts grumbling. She finished what she was doing and looked for Luke.

"Luke, I'm hungry. Let's eat." 

Without looking up from his microscope. "Someone was already here to feed you," he said.

"Who?" She asked, creasing her brows. 

"Hello, Miss Zimmerman," a hoarse voice, speaking behind a chair next to the shelf.

"Noah!" She exclaimed, darting in the direction of the familiar voice. 

Noah stood up from the chair and opened his arms to welcome Jess who dashed straight inside his arms. A smile tore his lips when she jumped into him as though she missed him a lot. A pang of guilt assaulted him when he remembered that he had to be away from her for an indefinite period of time. 

He wondered how he would tell her that he would fly with Lucille to Berlin in preparation for the annual stockholders meeting of ANAT. 

He cursed his grandfather again. If the old bastard didn't lie his way out of meeting an important investor, he had time to spend with Jess. 

"You miss me that much?" He grinned. 

Jess nodded. She buried her face on Noah's chest, circling her arms around his waist, embracing him tightly. It's been weeks since they last saw each other. She does miss him a lot. 

"What did you bring?" She asked with her face still buried in his chest. 

Noah hugged her back, rubbing the top of her head as though she's a small child.  "Your favorite." 

She pushed herself away from Noah's chest. "I don't want to eat sushi." She pouted her lips. 

"What do you want to eat?" 

She clicked her tongue, pursed her lips, and hugged Noah again. "I don't know," she murmured. 

"Should I choose the restaurant, then?" He asked, chuckling. It's the first time that Jess acted like a petulant child to him. Most of the time, he's the one that would act spoiled. Never Jess. Until today. It's a novelty but not unwelcome. Truth to be told, he's enjoying it. Jess acting spoiled is darn adorable. 

"Hmm." She nodded. 

"Let's go, then." He embraced her tighter and pulled her to the door. 

"Luke," she called. "Join us." 

"I don't want to third wheel on your date." 

"Don't be silly. Let's go!" She looked up and mouthed to Noah, "he's heartbroken." She winked at Noah, conspiring him to insist on inviting Luke to join them. 

"Join us, Luke. My treat for taking care of this little one." 

"Hmph." She walked away from Noah. "I'll get my purse and let's go." 

Noah waited near the door for Luke and Jess to get their stuff. And the three of them went out to eat their late lunch. 

After lunch, Luke was the only one who went back to the lab while Noah and Jess went home together.       

***

"What happened to Luke?" Noah probes casually as they walk, holding hands to the elevator to their floor. 

"It seemed that he broke up with his current partner." 

Noah didn't say anything and just pulled her closer to his arms as they got inside the elevator. 

"Baby, can I sleep over at your place tonight?" He softly murmured at the top of her head. 

"I'll think about it." She said, quietly laughing. She has a feeling why Noah was asking permission to sleep over at her place when he no longer asks for permission to enter her apartment ever since he got his own passcode. He must still be thinking of his daughter sleeping in her bedroom. 

"Don't be a meanie, Little Miss Jessie. I'm going to your place now." The tone of his voice changed and he pressed his groin to her lower abdomen, letting her know that he's not going to take a no for an answer. 

She chuckled. It's not like she is going to say no but she likes teasing Noah whenever she has the chance. 

"Lucille is at her friend's house." 

Jess curled her toes inside her shoes, hearing Noah's sexy drawl. She remembered the image she was trying to concur in her mind as she laid down on her bed, hugging Noah's pillow before Luke's call disturb her supposed morning delight. 

But now, the idea of having those images come to life since Noah now is home; a bubbling excitement of desires rose from her core. 

"She can come inside my apartment at any time." She gently reminded him. 

"Then, you just have to be quiet then." He pinched her waist that made Jess squeal. Especially when Noah picked her up off her feet when the elevator door opened and he carried her in his arms to her apartment. 

Jess, knowing that CCTVs were watching them in almost every corner of their apartment floor, buried her face in Noah's neck in embarrassment. "What do you think you are doing, Tiefenbacher?" Her voice was muffled due to her face being pressed to the crook of his neck.

Noah laughed. When they passed by the CCTV, he winked on the camera. He had to talk to the building security later to have the copy of the CCTV clip from the moment they stepped out of the elevator until they reached Jess's apartment door. 

But right now, he's more focused on the woman who was curling herself into the smallest position possible to hide. 

"Hey, baby, look at me?" 

"I don't want to." She murmured. 

"I need to open the door and I have no plan to put you down." 

She clicked her tongue, lifted her face away from his neck, and reached her hand to the door's keypad, and pressed her thumb. "There--" 

She wasn't able to finish her sentence for Noah's mouth covered hers in a breath-stopping kiss.