Noah's Unexpected Embrace

Noah had pulled Adeline into his arms without a word of warning. Her eyes flew open wide, but the hug he gave her was only meant to lift her from the chair. Those few seconds stretched slowly, as if time itself had slowed. The heat of his body pressed against hers. His neck brushed against her hand, and his firm palm supported the small of her back and the curve of her knee. Adeline held her breath, her gaze locked helplessly on Noah's face. He didn't seem to notice her stare, though. He simply rose from the table and strode forward. A low creak echoed as the chair rolled back. Adeline snapped back to her senses, mortified by how blankly she had stared at him. 'Still, if I just sit, I can escape this humiliating situation.' She waited for him to lower her onto the chair. But the world rarely unfolded as planned. "N-Noah?!" Adeline's voice cracked as her cheeks flushed the color of ripe tomatoes. She looked utterly flustered. Noah, with her perched on his lap, gazed down at her with calm arrogance. "Is something wrong?" "W-Wrong? This is—what kind of pose is this?!" His bold, transparent discomfort made him chuckle softly. "Am I making you uncomfortable?" He propped his chin on his hand and studied the woman in his arms. "What? Is it embarrassing to eat like this?" Adeline's eyelashes fluttered. "N-No..." A tiny crack escaped her throat. Adeline bit her tongue, wishing the floor would swallow her whole. 'Never mind. Let's just get on with it.' Noah lifted his fork as if asking what the problem was. Adeline realized something had gone wrong. Pretending to be embarrassed felt like admitting she cared for him, so she forced herself to act bold. Little did she know that would trap her. "A—" Noah brought the fork to her lips. The way he spoke was the same as when he fed a stubborn toddler. Heat flooded her ears. Adeline clenched the hand resting on his thigh. The hem of her skirt bunched up. "I can eat it myself. I'm fine." "Hmm." Noah made a pleased sound and fixed her with a firm gaze. He shook his head. "You'll collapse." His insistence left Adeline speechless. "As the host, I feel responsible for your weakened state. Adeline, do you want me to remain a cold person?" She shook her head. She understood his sense of responsibility. Still, sitting on his lap was mortifying. They weren't even lovers—yet this felt far too intimate. "It's enough already. Even if I were willing, feeding me in this pose is out of the question." "Out of the question?" His hand drew closer, pressing their bodies nearer. The distance between them was painfully close. Adeline lowered her head and turned her face away. "Why is it out of the question?" Noah leaned in, trying to meet her eyes. No matter which way she turned, he followed. His relentless gaze made Adeline bite her lip. He didn't realize how differently such an easy gesture landed with her. In the end, she raised her eyelids. The instant their gazes locked, a shiver ran through her and she tensed. "Why is it out of the question?" A teasing smile colored his light words. His warm breath teased her ear. "Just a moment..." Adeline pushed at his shoulder and twisted her body. The hard thigh beneath her was impossible to ignore. A pout formed on its own. "It's not your fault I collapsed." "It is. I brought you here and you fell into malnutrition." "No. I probably would have anyway. I've always been such a terrible eater." "Why?" She nibbled her lower lip, feeling his gaze pin it. "I-It's just... my appetite's off." "Is there something you love?" The sudden question left Adeline at a loss. She thought for a moment. "Mmm..." She couldn't remember. Loved it? Loved it... "I don't know." "The waiter said salmon salad is good when your appetite is poor." Adeline thought it over. She remembered she had loved that dish as a child. "Ah. I used to like it." "You used to like it?" Noah's eyebrows shot up. He had read her diary after swimming. One of the entries mentioned her favorite food. So he had prepared it—though the past tense still stung. "Yes. It was something I loved as a child. Now that I think about it, it's been a while." "Really? Then what about chocolate fondant, melon cake, and canelé?" Adeline felt a strange warmth bloom in her chest. Hearing the foods Noah listed, she realized they had been the ones she once loved. Chocolate fondant. Melon cake. Canelé. Once, she had begged the chef to make them at dawn. The memory brought a small laugh to her lips. "I don't like them anymore." "..." Noah's facial muscles tightened. Was reading her diary really that meaningful? The heart he had been inflating with hope deflated like air escaping a balloon. "Still, those are the things I used to love. All of them. Do you like them too, Noah? How strange." "There are plenty of strange things. I read your diary," he might have said. But he simply nodded. "If it wasn't there, I wouldn't have made it." "Oh..." "Well then, a—" Noah's face twisted with disappointment and he offered the fork again. Watching him eat the salmon salad he had once adored, Adeline unconsciously lifted and lowered her hips. Shit... what the hell am I doing? Noah's eyes sharpened. Adeline, who had finally looked away, kept writhing against his thigh as if her body was uncomfortable. When she tried to rise, Noah gripped her waist tighter and her back stiffened once more. The corner of Noah's mouth lifted in triumph. 'She still can't ignore me.' 'Indeed.' Is there any woman who truly dislikes me? Even that proud Adeline... would be no different from any other... Crack. Noah's confident smile froze. Adeline had tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and parted her lips. The side profile was like a painting. If painters had seen it, they would have needed no brush. When her plump, red lips opened and white teeth slid the food inside, and the sauce clung to the fork, Noah jerked his body forward. "Mmm. It's delicious, isn't it? Noah?" Noah swiftly lifted her into his arms. The smile in her eyes bloomed into shock. He exhaled sharply, as if angry, and pulled out the chair opposite. Then he sat her down. While Adeline stared up at him in confusion, Noah turned his back. Thud, thud. Just as Noah sat, Adeline saw it. The clear outline of something pressed against his pants. "Cough...!" Adeline choked on the water she had been drinking. Noah patted her back as he tried to sit. He couldn't stop staring at the thigh so close to her. The thigh, which he clearly had no intention of hiding, muddled her mind. "I'm... I'm fine." "Are you really fine?" "Yes. So hurry and sit. My legs... hurt." Adeline couldn't bear to show weakness and pushed at his arm. "My throat is dry." Noah, oblivious to her gaze, sat and poured water with perfect calm. Adeline unconsciously put the fork in her mouth. Her throat burned just like the rest of her. "Eat it all. Adeline. Leave nothing. Finish it." "..." Ah, yes. "My head is a mess." Adeline trembled in surprise at Noah's words. She answered vaguely because she couldn't hear properly, and the veins on the hand gripping the cup stood out. Later, Adeline finally understood and began eating in silence. The moment she left even a single bite, she feared something terrible would happen. So she kept pushing the fork forward without pause.