Noah didn’t answer me right away. I was still shocked about feeding him. But more than that, I waited for his verdict with bated breath. The tension almost killed me. This was worse than watching MasterChef on TV. I couldn’t even scream at the screen and release some of my anxiety.

Why was he taking longer than a commercial break to answer me?

“I…” Noah finally started. He smacked his lips and savored the aftertaste. “Love it!”

I broke out into a grin. “Really?”

Instead of answering, Noah took the cup noodles from my hands and took another big bite. I laughed and picked up my own cup. Finally, I could satiate the monster living inside my stomach. I slurped on the noodles. The flavor exploded inside my mouth, and I closed my eyes. High on MSG, I almost moaned in satisfaction. That hit just the right spot.

“You really like it, huh?” Noah’s eyes twinkled with amusement.

I simply nodded, unable to stop eating. It was kind of funny. I might have been a shy, awkward mess moments before, but I turned into a gangster in front of food. I took another long slurp, and Noah copied me this time, slurping even more loudly. We looked at each other and laughed again.

If someone had told me that I would be slurping noodles with my CEO one week ago, I would have called them crazy.

Yet, here we were.

I watched Noah from the corner of my eye. With a startle, I realized he wasn’t unapproachable at all. He had just never experienced these things like the rest of us. I smiled to myself and said, “I used to make instant noodles on exam nights.”

“In college?”

“Yep. Quickest thing to cook when you’re studying.” I placed the empty cup on the table and chuckled. “But then I would be so full that I would fall asleep. And miss my revisions.”

Noah laughed. He kept his empty cup on the table as well and stretched his legs. His knee brushed against mine, and my muscles went taut. I ignored the casual touch and looked up at his face.

“My nutritionist used to coordinate my meals,” Noah said. He shook his head and sighed. “The amount of carbs and protein best for my height, weight, age…”

I winced. “That sounds tough.”

“It was.” Noah gave me a tight-lipped smile. “There was a calendar in the kitchen. Healthy meals ‘round the clock.”

“I’m sorry,” I said.

Noah looked startled. “Why?”

I pointed my chin towards the empty cups. “I have ruined you for life, sir.”

There was a beat of silence, and then Noah gave me a full-bellied laugh. “Don’t worry, Ms. Rose. I won’t ask you to take responsibility.”

I wouldn’t mind. My mind supplied the words immediately, and I shot them down in panic. Hold your horses, Isla!

“That’s why I started cooking when I was young.” Noah straightened up. “It took me a while, but I dare say I’m a good cook now.”

That was one sentence I never thought I would hear in my life. I imagined Noah inside the kitchen, wearing an apron, and cooking. The vibe felt all wrong. How could he cook? Even my cooking abilities were limited to instant noodles and coffee!

Noah turned towards me. “You look like you don’t believe me.”

I avoided his eyes. “I believe you.”

Noah narrowed his eyes. His voice went an octave lower, and he said, “I can prove it to you, Ms. Rose. Just taste my cooking, and you will know.”

I almost choked. The idea of my CEO cooking for me was so wild that I could only nod for now. If I thought about it, he had done the same thing at the bowling alley. We can win next time. How was he so sure that we would hang out in the future?

All of this felt as fleeting as my abs after a workout.

Now that we weren’t slurping anymore, the sound of the rain filled the room. Noah looked outside the window, water sprinkling inside through some cracks, and sighed. “A cup of coffee would have been perfect in this weather.”

“Oh?” My eyes traveled over to the electric kettle. “They have coffee.”

I walked over to the corner table and picked up the complimentary coffee and sugar sachets. Noah glanced at them once, and his face drained of all color. He only said one word. “No.”

It was precisely the wrong thing to say. Suddenly filled with the idea of making Noah taste instant coffee, I said, “Don’t worry, sir. I’ll make you an amazing cup of coffee.”

“Please, Ms. Rose.” Noah looked aghast. “Don’t.”

“You haven’t tried instant coffee, sir. Though I like it better with sugar and cream.” I opened the sachet. “But the black coffee will blow you away.”

Noah wanted to protest more, but his phone rang. He motioned for me to wait and walked over to the other side of the room. I grinned and hurriedly emptied the coffee powder into the cup. The water boiled in the kettle, and I imagined his expression when he would drink this coffee. It almost made me want to record it.

I poured the hot water into the cup. The rich, nutty aroma spread throughout the room. I giggled. Noah was about to save a lot of money on his coffee from now on. Not that he needed to, though.

I picked up the cup of coffee. Steam rose from the brimming cup, and I walked over to Noah carefully. He was still on the call, standing with his back facing me, so I whispered, “Sir—”

Noah spun around, and his outstretched arm knocked the cup out of my hands. I gasped and took some hasty steps back. Still, the hot coffee splattered over my hands and on the front of my dress. The cup crashed onto the carpeted floor, but thankfully, didn’t break.

“Shit,” Noah cursed and apologized. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I mumbled. Noah quickly grabbed some tissues and wiped my hands. I winced in pain. Only a few drops had made it onto my bare skin, but the coffee had been almost boiling. Noah noticed the stains on my navy dress and tried to wipe them off. I blushed as his fingers grazed over my waist and thighs.

“I-I’ll do it.” I took the tissues from his hands and wiped it. The dress stuck to my skin, and I shifted uncomfortably as the heat penetrated the cloth.

“Stop,” Noah said. I was still trying to pull the fabric away from my body when he held my wrist. “Stop, Ms. Rose.”

I looked up at him. “Sir?”

Noah gave me an intense look and commanded, “Take off your clothes.”