Page 18 of Her Noble Protector
“Taking turns.”
Lifting the wineglass to my lips, I eyed Noble intensely. From his crisp, signature haircut to the glow of his deep brown skin, he was perfect. He wore a plain white T-shirt, a gold chain, and a pair of black pants. To complement the look, he wore designer sneakers and a gold watch. I wanted to massage my fingernails through his thick beard.
“What’s your favorite color?” I asked with a smirk.
He raised a brow. “You only get five questions, and you want to waste it on my favorite color?”
“It’s not a waste. There’s a method to my madness.”
He chuckled. “My favorite color is black.”
“Interesting.”
He took a sip of his wine before he licked his lips. “Unlike you, I’m asking the heavy questions off rip.”
“That’s fine.”
“When was your last serious relationship?”
I blinked. “Oh. Um . . .” I shrugged.
“Nah, don’t bullshit me.”
“I don’t think I’ve had a serious relationship. At least not one worth talking about. I’ve had flings and a couple of men take me on a few dates, but I have never had a long-term relationship. None who have made it to the meet the parents’ stage, at least.”
He nodded. “Good to know I won’t have to kill any crazy exes.”
I snorted. “Absolutely not. Nobody is checking for me. Now, back to you. What’s your family situation like? When we get married, how many invites will we send on your behalf?”
He chuckled. “It’s just me. My parents waived their rights to be parents the moment I took my first breath. My mom was fourteen, and my pops was seventeen. I think I met them maybe one other time before they asked me never to contact them again.”
I placed my hand over my heart. “Oh, Noble. I did not know. I’m sorry.”
He shrugged. “It’s fine. You didn’t abandon me and leave me to fend for myself in the corrupt foster care system. I learned how to survive and realized I only needed to rely on myself.”
A sad frown tugged at the corners of my lips. It broke my heart to hear how much he went through as a child. He didn’t askto be brought into the world, and the adults in his life failed him too many times.
“What do you want to do in life?” Noble’s question caught me off guard.
“I want to continue to help as many people in the world as possible. I have a lot of money that I haven’t had to work a minute of my life for, so I like to give back through volunteer work and donations. I think my biggest goal is to partner with Roosevelt Corp and build more shelters and homes for the unhoused. I have more than enough money to pay people’s rent for a few years, at least.”
“That’s very nice of you. Most rich people get their money by sacrificing and exploiting the poor. It’s refreshing to see you be different.”
I shrugged. “My mother did her best to teach me and my brother how to be humble, respectful, and hard workers, despite having financial comfort.”
“That’s good.”
We moved from the table to the love seat near the band. We had another bottle of wine opened and continued our conversation.
“My turn. What are your views on kids?” I asked as I lifted my heeled feet and placed them in his lap.
“Honestly, before I met you, I was content with being one deep. I was content with my solitude. Now . . . I’ve thought about what it would be like to have someone to love unconditionally in ways I never got to experience.”
I giggled. “See, look at me bringing some light into your grumpy life. I bet I’m the first person to ever make you smile as much as you have since getting this job.”
He smacked his lips. “Man, gone on somewhere with that.”
I shook my head. “Nope. Admit it.”
