Noble Love (The Nobles of Sweet Rapids #1) by Té Russ

the other side of the island.
    Dana's face scrunched up into a disgusted frown. "No way," she said, shaking her head.
    Tessa studied her sister for a moment before saying, "There's obviously some kind of attraction between you two. Hell, you've already kissed him once..."
    At the look of embarrassment on her sister's face, Tessa realized Dana just may have locked lips with her neighbor more than once.
    "Twice...?"
    When Dana cringed, Tessa laughed. "How many times have you kissed Aiden?"
    "Only three!" she insisted.
    " Only three?"
    "Yes, but they were meaningless."
    "They can't be all that meaningless if you keep kissing the damn man," Tessa challenged.
    "Can we not talk about this right now?" Dana said. "We're supposed to be discussing you and your date with Isaiah."
    "Fine," Tessa said, throwing her hands up. "But one of these days, we're gonna figure out what is going on between you and that neighbor or yours."
    
     
     
    Isaiah looked up at his parents and smiled.
    "You guys ready?"
    His mother smiled and nodded.
    He hit 'record' on the camera and asked his first question.
    "How did the two of you meet?"
    Irene's smile widened and she looked over at Isaac, who cleared his throat.
    "Irene...and I...met in..."
    "Cut."
    Isaac blinked and narrowed his eyes at Isaiah.
    "What do you mean 'cut'?" he grumbled. "We just started."
    "Pop," Isaiah sighed, trying to find the right words. "You've gotta relax. You're kinda sounding like...a robot. There's no script here."
    It was obvious that Isaac wasn't comfortable in front of the camera.
    "Just pretend like the camera’s not here," Isaiah advised.
    "But the camera is here," Isaac griped.
    "Okay," Isaiah said. "You've told us this story a million times. Just tell it the same way you've always told it to us."
    Isaac nodded his head and began to speak.
    "I met Irene when we were freshmen at the University of Nevada in Reno."
    "I was originally from Georgia," Irene threw in.
    "It was so funny to me," Isaac said. "Watching this Southern girl trying to get used to the desert."
    Irene laughed along with him as she placed her hand in his and gazed lovingly at her husband.
    Over the next hour, they continued talking, telling their story of how they met and fell in love.
    "That's good for now," Isaiah finally said.
    "What's next?" Irene asked, as she stood.
    "I've set up interviews with some of your old college classmates and friends, as well as people in town. I've also begun reaching out to some employees, specifically the few who have been around since the beginning. But we're done for now. Some time in the next week, I'll come back to interview you more about how you took Nana Noble's homemade concoctions, reinvented them and turned them into the success they now are."
    "Sounds like a plan," Isaac said.
    As Isaiah packed up his camera, his mother asked, "Are you staying for dinner?"
    "Can't," Isaiah said. "Already got plans."
    "With Tessa?" she sang.
    Isaiah grinned as he slung his bag over his shoulder. "Yes, with Tess."
    He'd been so involved in preparing for the start of the shooting of the film that he didn't get a chance to see Tessa that much. She'd texted him earlier that day and told him she would be going to hot yoga later that night and asked if he was interested. He told her he'd meet her there.
    "Oh! So it's just 'Tess' now?" Irene teased.
    Shaking his head, he kissed his mother on the cheek. "I'm late. I'll see you guys soon."
     
    
     
     
     
    The class was already starting the standing deep breathing practice when Isaiah slipped into the studio onto the mat next to Tessa, which she'd saved for him. She peeked over at him as he interlaced his fingers together and placed his knuckles under his chin.
    Seeing him in his compression shorts made her wish she'd have just invited him to her place instead of this damn class. The heat of the room already had his skin glistening, and he'd only been in there for a couple of minutes.
    His eyes met hers and he gave her a sexy wink