Athena walks away, shaking her head, muttering about how she should’ve stayed in England.
I don’t think Athena would know how to stomp away even if she wanted to.
“What happened?”
“I got busy,” Hazel is evasive with me; then I notice the hickey on her neck and everything makes perfect sense.
She’s seeing someone.
“What’s that?” I point to the very obvious hickey on her neck, which she hasn’t bothered to cover up.
In a pair of jeans and a sweater, she looks out of place, especially next to me in the white dress my mother selected.
“A hickey,” she shrugs, her face flushed. “No big deal,”
“Well, are you seeing someone?” I feel as though I shouldn’t have to ask her this.
“No one special,” she blurts out, and then Hazel proceeds to attempt to walk away from me.
I follow her, getting that she might be hurt that I haven’t been paying attention to her.
I’ve been in my own head quite a bit, lately.
Especially, after my night with Noah.
“Listen I’m sorry if I haven’t been paying you enough attention, Hazel. I’ve had a lot on my mind,” I try to explain.
“You always have a lot on your mind,” Hazel turns to me. “You’ve been a terrible friend; it’s like you don’t even care anymore!” she whines.
“Hey, that’s unfair. You know how stressful this wedding has been for me,” I counter.
“Yes, the wedding! That’s all I ever hear about these days!” Hazel says, as she rolls her eyes at me. “To a man you don’t even seem all interested in, to top that off!”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I stare at her, eyes wide, wondering where this is coming from.
“Connor? Your husband to be? Or did you forget about him again?” Hazel huffs.
“I didn’t forget about him, I was…” I trail off.
This entire argument is strange.
“What do you mean I don’t seem all that interested in him?” I demand.
“Please! You take that man for granted!” Hazel is near shouting. “You don’t deserve him!”
“Excuse me?” I am in disbelief.
If she only knew the whole story.
Connor was the one who wanted to marry me; he knew I didn’t want any of this, and I still don’t.
“You need to open your eyes and realize some things,” Hazel snorts at me.
She storms off, a cruel laugh on her lips, ending the strange argument.
“What was that about?” Athena, seemingly listening. “What is her problem?”
I look at Athena, but words don’t form in my mouth.
“She’s acting like this wedding is all about her,” Athena soothes, as she rubs my back gently.
“Let her go; she’ll realize that it’s not her wedding soon enough,” she says.
“We need to talk about this,” I explain to Athena.
I try to follow Hazel as she walks out of the ballroom, and then outside of the hotel, but when I get to the sidewalk, she is gone.
Gone?
I look around, and the only person I see is Olivia, who is also late.
How she got invited, I do not know, but she is here now.
“Tinsley you look much better like that, as opposed to underneath my ex-husband,” she remarks, all catty.
I’m blind-sided.
I thought we were over this.
“Hello, Olivia,” I reply, trying to keep my voice even.
This is hard, because I just want to scream into her smug face.
“Trust me, dear; you’re much better off marrying Connor, than flitting about like Noah’s flavor of the month. I trust that didn’t end well?” she says.
“I was not his flavor of the month Olivia. We loved each other. Deeply,” I say.
That almost hurt me.
Almost.
Olivia sniffs, as though this isn’t possible, and then, “The only woman he’s ever loved is me, darling Tinsley.”
I snort for real this time because it just isn’t true.
“You’re just some tart he had an affair with, while he was married to me,” Olivia fluffs her hair.
“You cheated on him too. Besides, you’re re-married,” I remind her.
Olivia doesn’t seem to care about her new husband, only her last.
“And you will be married soon, too, darling,” she says, her voice as menacing as I’ve ever heard it.
She had something to do with my father wanting me to marry Connor.
“You did this, didn’t you? You convinced my father that I had to marry him?” I ask.
Olivia just starts laughing at me, as though she’s admitting to it, but it doesn’t matter now because she’s won.
And then Olivia is gone, and I’m standing on the sidewalk feeling stunned.
29
Noah
April 3, 2017
I’m surprised when Olivia walks into the NLS Financials office and demands that I handle her portfolio for her.
Her excuse is that she simply wants to make some changes.
The fact that my ex-wife has trusted me thus far has proved beneficial to her, so this perplexes me.
“I want everything sold,” she announces.
“Olivia that’s not a good idea, you’ve got a good amount here,” I reply.
“Sell it,” Olivia demands.
“Well, can we at least talk about why you’re asking me this?” I say.
I personally wouldn’t advise her to do this.
“You’re still carrying on with that tart aren’t you?” she asks, narrowing her eyes.
It would be so much easier for me to divulge that I want this engagement ended, but Olivia seems to sense this anyway.
She continues.
“Noah, dear, I want everything sold. I’m moving to another firm,” she informs me.
“Why not just take your portfolio then?” I’m not offended.
I’d rather be rid of Olivia.
“I have financial advice of my own, thank you,” she huffs.
“What does that mean?” I narrow my eyes at her.
“It means, watch your back, Mr. Stone,” she grins.
Her malicious smile tells me everything I need to know.
“If it weren’t for you, Corban wouldn’t be about to lose everything,” she says, smirking.
“Corban is fine,” I tell her.
“In fact, I’ve just looked at his books, as he asked. He’s doing better than fine,” I assure her.
“You should stay away from my son. He doesn’t need you acting like some half-assed father when you’ve got children running all over the place,” she accuses.
“Olivia, where is this coming from?” I ask.
“I don’t want you anywhere near my son,” she tells me, pointedly.
For emphasis, she jabs her finger into the desk.
She taps the documents.
“We agreed it was for the best that Corban and Evan maintain a relationship,” I remind her.
“Yes. And then, Evan slept with his soon-to-be-fiancée, do you remember that?” she spits.
“She was only after him for the money,” I explain.
This is a recent development, and Corban hardly seemed heartbroken.
He was more upset with Evan than anything else.
“Doesn’t matter. They aren’t brothers, and you are not his father,” she tells me, as if I don’t know that.
I don’t pretend to be Corban’s father.
I never have.
Especially since his father died suddenly last year.
Corban has been through a lot, and his mother acting strange with baseless accusations worries me quite a bit.
“My relationship with Corban has always been perfectly appropriate, and you know that,” I explain carefully.
“So please, do not tell me who I can, and can’t associate with,” I say, firmly.
“Take your own advice, Mr. S
tone,” Olivia says as she glares at me.
“Get out of my office,” I tell her with a calm voice, my rage bubbling beneath the surface.
“Done. I’ll expect my check within the week,” she states, flatly.
She stands up, and then she’s gone, in a fog of hairspray and perfume.
I call Lucius up to my office within moments.
I know that Olivia is just making trouble, but having her making baseless accusations to my clients is nothing I want.
I have to satisfy myself that they are unfounded.
“Noah?” Lucius asks, as he enters my office, standing by the door.
“Look into Clint Hale for me,” I tell him.
“Anything and everything, I want it all. His financials, who he spends his time with. I don’t trust him,” I say.
“Is there a reason for this?” Lucius usually doesn’t ask questions, but this out of the blue for him.
“I don’t trust him,” I tell Lucius.
“And if he’s about to get Corban in trouble, I’d like to be the first to know.”
Olivia has me worried.
I don’t like being worried.
30
Tinsley
April 6, 2017
With my wedding looming so close in a few weeks, the thought of going through with it makes me sick to my stomach.
It didn’t seem real before, but now with the wedding dress hanging in my closet, it’s as though my impending marriage is unavoidable.
The thought of not being with Noah, makes my throat constrict and I call him on instinct.
“Hey, you want to go for a run?” I ask, as soon as he picks up the phone.
“A run?” Noah sounds as though he has no intention of running today.
“Why don’t you just come over. We’ll leave from here,” he suggests.
“Alright, I’ll see you soon,” I nod, unconsciously.
He knows I need to talk to him.
At first, I am determined to make an effort not to rush to him, but what is the point?
He knows how much I need him; I don’t pretend to hide it.
When I do arrive, Noah’s door is open, and I walk right in, calling his name.
“In here, love,” Noah states.
He is sitting at his dining room table, reading the paper, sipping from a cup of coffee.
“Hey, you,” I say, smiling.
I lean down to kiss him on the cheek.
Instead, Noah pulls me forward, drawing me into a kiss before I settle on his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck.
“Much better,” he says.
Noah smiles at me, the glint in his eye mischievous.
“I’m calling off the wedding,” I tell him in earnest.
“Good,” he replies.
Is all I am going to get from him?
“What do you mean by that?” I prod him further.
“What else can I say? You know I will support whatever decision you make Tinsley,” he says.
His voice sounds slightly strained.
“You don’t believe I’ll do it, do you?” I accuse.
“It’s not that, it’s that you’re cutting it pretty close now aren’t you?” he asks.
His voice is wry.
“I’m going to call it off,” I tell him firmly, before slipping out of his lap. “Maybe you don’t believe me; maybe I should just go.”
I take a step backward.
Noah crosses the room to me, pulling me into his arms.
“You’re not going anywhere. I believe you,” he says.
His admission is as good as anything.
“I know I told you I would understand if you went through with this farce of a marriage, but I can’t say that’s true anymore. You belong with me,” he whispers, staring directly into my eyes.
Noah’s firm voice makes me feel weak.
“So, end it,” he whispers.
“I will,” I reply, my lip trembling.
I’m hypnotized by this man; all I want is for the two of us to be together.
This is not sudden.
It’s what I’ve always wanted.
“Okay,” he whispers, again pulling me into his arms.
As our lips meet, I feel a shiver run down my spine, as though the idea of being with him genuinely makes me somewhat afraid of what our future could hold.
There’s also the fear of not being together.
What if I don’t have the strength to undo my engagement?
What then?
But, under Noah’s lips, all of that evaporates, and I’m left with nothing but the raw emotion of agreeing to end it with Connor.
The torrid attraction between us takes hold of me.
Under Noah’s lips, I’m simply undone.
Noah’s strong hands take hold of me, picking me up and forcing me to wrap my legs around his waist as he carries me out of the dining room and towards the couch.
He covers my body with his, hands snaking up the back of my shirt, unclasping my bra with one swift movement, before he pulls my shirt over my head.
We are safe here, where no one will find us.
The satisfied growl that comes from his lips as my bra falls to the floor encourages me onward, and his shirt joins mine on the floor as Noah slips out of his pants.
When his hand moves between my legs, he smirks at how wet I am, and slips his fingers inside me, and I feel myself clench around them.
With measured movements, he lifts me up to my knees, bending me over the couch, his finger sliding over my clit in slow motions, meant to torture me.
“What do you want?” his low, sexy voice demands an answer.
“Noah…” I whine, playing his game. “Please.”
“That’s not an answering love,” he says, shaking his head, and kissing my shoulder, as he continues to drag his finger back and forth slowly, making my body shudder.
“You,” I beg.
“Better,” he continues, rubbing the head of his cock against my clit, which just makes me more desperate for him.
“But not enough,” he adds.
“Fuck me, please! Noah!” I gasp, on the edge of orgasm.
That’s when he slides his full length inside me, filling me with his cock while still rubbing my clit.
“Noah!” I cry in pleasure.
I’m moaning, as he begins rubbing my clit faster, just enough to send me spiraling over the edge of an orgasm that makes my legs shake and my body tense up.
The tension that I’ve felt over everything the last few weeks fades away under his touch, and I grip the couch harder as he begins to thrust into me, making my whole body shake.
I welcome the roughness as Noah takes hold of my hips, making me scream in pleasure and whine for more as he continues to pound into me.
With every powerful thrust, my body shakes, and my toes curl.
He pulls my arms behind my back, holding me up as he continues to rock my body.
“Fuck! Noah!” I gasp.
Another orgasm rolls through my body, and only then does he let my arms go, and I collapse on the couch, panting and gasping for air.
Then, I let out of final whimper of his name, as I feel Noah pull me tightly against him, and the warmth of his cum floods my body as he roars my name.
31
Noah
April 7, 2017
“Noah, I just watched Clint Hale exit the address you’ve given me. He’s got a briefcase in his hands, but didn’t go in with one,” Lucius reports over the phone.
“Really,” I let the word roll off my tongue, wondering what the hell Clint is doing with Elizabeth.
“Rowan is with him,” Lucius reports in a bored voice.
Rowan, the model, made famous by her family name.
She is a woman who’s had too much plastic surgery and briefly dated Corban.
Their relationship ultimately ended when she started engagement rumors after two weeks.
Corban pitched a fit.
From what he told me, that was
a turbulent breakup.
The rumors are still circulating, and he’s extremely unhappy about it, especially with his investor’s asking questions.
“They just got in his Lamborghini and drove away together,” Lucius reports.
“Should I follow them?” he asks.
“Follow them,” I confirm, and then hang up the phone.
Obviously, Corban’s business partner is getting into some trouble.
The first call I make is to him.
“Hello, Man of the Year,” Corban reports in a chipper voice, all the way from Los Angeles.
“What’s this I hear about you coming to LA and not calling?” he reprimands me.
“It was business,” I report in a calm tone.
“Well, I’ll be in New York for a week or so, we should get together,” he says.
He mutters something under his breath as his phone goes off in the background.
“This situation with Rowan is getting out of hand,” he complains.
“Just keep refusing to comment on it. That’ll shut them up,” I advise.
“Well, it hasn’t worked so far,” Corban grumbles.
“Did she ever say anything about knowing Clint?” I ask.
Corban is silent for a few moments, thinking it over.
He’s used to my strange questions.
“No. I introduced them. She’d never met him before that,” he replies.
Why do I think that was a lie?
Women don’t just get into cars with men unless they are familiar with them.
“Why?” Corban asks. “Don’t tell me you’re spying on Clint, Noah, that’s a little much.”
“Corban-” I begin, but he stops me.
“No, look, Noah, this is my problem. Let me handle my problems, for once. Okay?” He says.
His voice is firm.
“This is coming from Olivia I presume?” I ask.
This is a pure guess.
“No,” he states, angrily. “It’s coming from me. My mother doesn’t control me, though she seems to be angrier with you than usual. Did you do something?”
I kept up my affair, is what I did.
Not that Olivia is aware of this.
But, if she has an inkling, I can see her being upset about it.
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