Alcohol wasn't the answer then and it sure as hell wasn't now.
God, he'd become a cliché. The poor kid turned rich man who had the world at his fingertips. Yet, to get where he was, he'd lost the only person he could ever love. Sounded like a bad TV movie. Or a country song.
With an angry growl, Noah scrubbed a hand over his face. He was happy, damn it. He had a good life and good friends in California. But, Los Angeles would never be home. To be truly content, he needed to be here. And to live in New York with any ease of mind and spirit, he had to make peace with Andi.
Anderson Benedict. She captured his heart from the moment they met. And to his continued chagrin, held the elusive organ in her lovely hands to this very day. The distance of an entire country, three years, and other women—many, many women—hadn't purged her from his soul.
After years of denial, Noah was ready to be honest with himself. He loved Andi. Always had, always would. He didn't fool himself into thinking he could get her back.
Noah learned to live without Andi in Los Angeles. He sure as hell could do the same in New York.
What he needed was a shower and a good meal. Not in the mood for company, Noah picked up the phone as he scanned the room service menu. He placed his order, a thick New York-cut steak, baked potato, sautéed garden-fresh green beans, and a gooey slice of chocolate cake for dessert.
His stomach growled, a reminder he hadn't eaten since the day before. The nerves that made the thought of food untenable for the last twenty-four hours had dissipated. Mentally, Noah knew he was home the second he stepped from the plane. His body had finally received the memo.
Kicking off his shoes, Noah unbuttoned his shirt on the way to the bathroom. As he leaned into the shower to turn on the water, a harsh, staccato rap sounded on the hotel room door.
Too soon for his dinner. He wanted to ignore the uninvited intruder, but another knock, more insistent, followed by several more in rapid succession, made up his mind for him. Someone wanted his attention.
Noah strode across the room. Grabbing the knob, he jerked open the door.
"What?" he barked.
"Told you he'd be a dick." A tall, dark-haired man spoke to his companion, but his gaze was trained on Noah.
"Didn't expect anything less." The second man, a few inches shorter but built along the same lean lines, nodded.
"You pound on my door, and I'm the dick?" Noah felt a rush of good old New York animosity he hadn't felt in too long. "I don't know what your problem is, and I don't give a shit."
When he would have slammed the door, the first man stopped him with three words.
"Leave Andi alone."
Noah's head whipped around, ready to eviscerate the asshole. Then, he took a closer look. Before he came east, before he agreed to work with Dee Wakefield to take down Ingo Hunter, he'd done his homework. Three years was a long time, and he wanted to know what had stayed the same, and what was different with the Benedict family. The two men in front of him were a big part of the change.
"Adam Stone and Zach Devlin. Calder and Bryce's fiancés, respectively."
"Congratulations," Zach sneered. "You figured out how to use Google."
"He is reported to be a computer whiz." Adam's words dripped with sarcasm. "Even if he's an idiot the rest of the time."
Noah understood why Zach and Adam came to see him. They loved Andi's sisters. Which made Andi their sister and their job was to protect her. Part of him appreciated the sentiment. However, the bigger part of him wanted to tell them to mind their own business and go to hell.
Sizing Adam and Zach up, Noah figured he could take one of them down with a sucker punch—temporarily. Prepared, the other wouldn't be as easy. Blood would spill, bones might break. He wasn't in the mood for an emergency room visit. And if the police were called? The publicity alone would piss all the Benedict women off. And when riled, they, more than any man, scared the crap out of him.
"Might as well come in." Noah stood back. When Adam and Zach hesitated, he pointed out the obvious. "You want some resourceful hotel guest to record our interaction?"
"Shit." A man who was used to the dreaded invasiveness of paparazzi, Zach shoved Adam into the room.
"Help yourself to a drink." Noah took a seat near the window, the light at his back.
"We aren't here on a social call." Still, Adam poured a splash of whiskey into two glasses, handing one to Zach.
"Why are you here? Your real reason. To get Andi back?"
Zach didn't pussyfoot around, a quality Noah could relate to.
"The Benedict sisters want to purge Ingo Hunter from their lives. I can help."
"You didn't need to come to New York, did you?" Adam moved to the sofa. "Handy thing about computers. They work almost anywhere in the world."
"You want my answer?" Noah looked from Zach to Adam. "Last time I looked, we live in a free country. I have the right to come and go as I please."
"Fair enough." Zach leaned against the wet bar, crossing his ankles. "I say you go. Take Hunter down from Los Angeles."
"And forget you ever knew Andi Benedict," Adam added, his eyes like ice.
"Does she know you're here?" Noah chuckled. "Of course she doesn't. Neither does Calder or Bryce. Destry must be out of town, or she'd be right by your side."
"Look." Zach dropped the tough guy routine, morphing into Mr. Reasonable. "What happened between you and Andi has nothing to do with us."
"Finally, something we can agree on."
"I don't know you. Not sure I want to, all things considered. But one thing's certain." Zach downed his drink in one gulp. "You had a gift. Something few men will ever have the honor to experience. To know and love a Benedict sister? Then to throw her love away? I can't begin to fathom why you made such a colossal mistake."
"Makes you wonder," Adam scoffed. "How can such a stupid human being manage to make himself rich as Croesus?"
"Dumb luck?"
"Do you trust him to help our women take down Hunter?"
"I wouldn't trust him to walk my dog." Zach shrugged.
"You don't trust anyone to walk Hitchcock. Other than Bryce."
"True." Zach's expression turned dopey. "Bryce loves Hitch. She loves me. I'm the luckiest S.O.B. in the world."
"I hear you, brother." Smiling, Adam sighed. "Calder changed my life. Don't know what I'd do without her. And I sure as hell don't want to find out."
Zach's gaze, like sharp daggers, turned toward Noah.
"You had Andi. You let her go of your own free will. Yes?"
Rather than try and push a word past the lump in his throat, Noah nodded.
"Why?"
Noah cleared his throat, wishing he hadn't already downed his one drink of the day. He didn't owe these men an explanation. He should be the one to protect her, not them. But he gave up his right a long time ago. As Zach said. He was an idiot.
The fight and anger drained from Noah's body. Adam and Zach couldn't understand because they held onto their women.
"I don't have a good reason," Noah admitted aloud for the first time. "Other than, at the time, I didn't think I had a choice."
"Well, hell." Adam scratched his chin. "You still love her."
Noah shrugged. Why state the obvious?
"Winning her back won't be easy."
"Who said I planned to try?"
Adam shot him a look filled with pity.
"You poor sap. How can you not try?"
"If I screwed up with Bryce?" Zach shuddered at the thought. "I'd spend the rest of my days doing anything and everything to make things right."
"Unless you don't think Andi's worth the effort?"
Noah had to laugh. One second Adam and Zach wanted him gone, now they expected him to win Andi's forgiveness. They needed to make up their minds.
"I don't need your blessing."
The second the words left his mouth, Noah realized the truth. He didn't simply love Andi. He wanted
her—needed her—in his life. She was the one thing missing. He had to stop telling himself he was okay when deep inside, he knew Andi was his joy—his true happiness.
"Our blessing would be worth about as much as a plug nickel."
"Less," Adam grinned.
"I'm glad someone finds my predicament funny."
"We came here ready to kick your ass—if necessary."
"I figured."
Zach set his glass on the wet bar, rolling to his feet.
"I figured you'd turn out to be a jerk. A dickwad. A pain in the ass. A—"
"I get your point," Noah snorted. To his surprise, he liked Zach. And Adam. He sure as hell admired them for their attempt to protect Andi—not that she couldn't take care of herself. The men's instincts were what counted.
"If Andi wants to give you a second chance…?"
"Let me guess. I'll be the luckiest S.O.B. on the face of the earth."
"Second luckiest," Zach corrected.
"Third," Adam said. "Actually, you two can fight it out for two and three. Obviously, I'm number one."
"The hell you say, son." Zach's chest puffed out like an outraged peacock. "I adore Calder, but Bryce is the most beautiful, intelligent, compassionate woman I've ever known."
"Compassionate?" Adam looked outraged. "Calder runs a freaking charity. Bryce is beautiful. But next to Calder, she's—"
"Are you kidding?" Noah tossed up his hands. "Each Benedict sister is unique, agreed?"
"Can't argue," Zach said.
"You're right," Adam nodded.
"The comparison is ridiculous." Noah rose, moving until he stood between the other men. "Though, Andi is obviously a gem amongst gems."
Adam chuckled, Noah joining in. He slapped Noah on the back.
"If Andi forgives you, we can spend the rest of our charmed lives arguing the point. Out of the earshot of our ladies."
"God, yes," Adam agreed. "Calder would have my head on a platter if I ever suggested she was better than her sisters in any way."
"Sounds about right." Noah reached for the phone. "You guys had dinner yet?"
"The plan was to work up an appetite kicking your ass then grab a bite later."
Noah handed Zach the receiver. "Order whatever you want. While we eat, you can fill me in on Ingo Hunter. You really think he tried to hurt Bryce?"
"I think the scum wanted her dead." Zach's fingers gripped the phone with enough force to turn his knuckles white. "His plan failed, thank God. Since then, he's laid low."
"Completely disappeared?"
"Oh, he's around." Adam rattled off his order. "He's smart enough to stay away from the Benedict mansion. From what I understand, he and Billie meet at Hunter's club downtown. She stays there several nights a week."
"He has his claws, and DNA, into Billie. Hunter knows how quickly she loses interest. So, he makes certain he stays close."
Seething, and with good reason, Zach hung up the phone with a firm click.
"Andi mentioned you had a run in with Hunter back in the day."
"Hunter's like the creature from The Blob. He slithers under doors and through cracks." Noah considered how much he should share with his new friends. He only hesitated for a moment. The more everyone knew, the better chance they had to bring the bastard down. "He slid back into my life shortly after I left New York."
"What?" Adam's head shot up. "When? Where? Do the sisters know?"
"Sit down, and I'll tell you everything."
Noah was grateful for the opportunity. He used Adam and Zach as a way to sort through his thoughts. When he met with Andi, when he tried to explain, he would need to be as clear and concise as possible before she had the chance to take his head off.
If Noah could make Andi listen, he might have a chance. No guarantees. Whatever she needed to say or do, he'd stand and take her wrath. And if she walked away, he'd accept his fate. All he could do was hope that a little of the love that burned in his heart, still flickered in hers.
CHAPTER TWENTY
~~~~
SWEATY, CRANKY, AND out of breath from the extra four miles she forced on herself, Andi wasn't in the mood for surprises as she took the key from the chain around her neck. Damn Ingo Hunter. He'd invaded their lives and ruined the sanctity of their home. Since the day Calder caught him snooping around her room, they'd made a pact to keep their private spaces locked whenever they weren't around.
Once, Andi would have breezed into her room without a second thought. Now, she had to carry two extra keys around. One for her office, one for her bedroom. The inconvenience was bad enough. Their lost peace of mind was another.
If they didn't rid themselves of Hunter soon, Andi felt as if her head might explode.
As she reached for the doorknob, she froze. Her door was ajar. Andi was sure she closed it firmly behind her before she left for her morning run. In her mind, she could hear the familiar click of the lock turning into place.
Now would be the moment in a movie where Andi screamed at the screen for the foolish woman not to enter the room. Run. Get help. Forget help. Get out of the house. But like any stupid horror film heroine, she ignored the logical and barreled ahead.
"Hello?"
Andi rolled her eyes. Way to let the knife-wielding slasher know you arrived.
A noise from the bathroom drew her attention. Sounded like someone dropped a bowling ball on the floor. Andi forgot about the fictitious killer in her head. She was more concerned about her Tuscan-tiled floor.
If some jerk left even one chip behind, he was the one who should worry. Andi would be out for blood.
"What is going on in here?" She burst through the door. What she found was worse than a serial killer.
"Mrs. Finch mentioned you had a slow-running drain." On his back, Noah peeked up at her from under the sink. "Figured since I've snaked a pipe or two in my day, I'd save you the cost of a plumber."
"Get the hell out of my bathroom. Now!"
"One second." Noah made a grunting sound. "There. All fixed." Wrench in hand, he rolled to his feet in one smooth motion. "Are you going bald, Anderson?"
Certain she was in the middle of a surreal nightmare, Andi blinked.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Your hair." Noah's deep blue gaze narrowed. "Still blonde and still thick. But considering what I found in your drain, you can see why I'd ask."
Noah held in his hand a wad of hair.
To make certain she wasn't dreaming, Andi poked him with her finger. Solid as a rock—just as she remembered. The bastard.
"I don't want you here."
"Then I'll go."
The shock of finding Noah in her bathroom, let alone her home, wore off as he walked out the door. Numb was quickly replaced by anger.
"Of course," she huffed, trailing after him. "Take off. You're good at leaving."
Noah stopped in the hall.
"You told me to go." He sounded so reasonable. Too reasonable for Andi's liking.
"And you promised to come back. Which you did, obviously. Three years too late."
Andi wished she could take back her words. She didn't want Noah to think she still cared. However, she had the satisfaction of seeing a flash of pain enter his eyes seconds before she slammed the door in his face.
"Anderson?" Noah rattled the knob. "Damn it, Anderson! Open up!"
"I plan to take a long, hot shower. If you aren't gone by the time I finish, I will inflict pain on you, Noah."
"What kind of pain?"
The question was so ridiculous, Andi smiled in spite of herself. She lifted her hand to her door and pictured him doing the same. The shock was gone. She wasn't numb. And the anger she wanted to feel left as quickly as it materialized.
She wanted to hate Noah. After how he treated her, didn't she have the right to at least enjoy a bit of righteous indignation? Trouble was, she couldn't get past the tingle of excitement one look at him sent through her blood. No one made her h
eart pound like Noah. Not before, not after.
Andi listened. Nothing. Carefully, she opened the door enough to barely peek through. No sign of Noah. She didn't know if she was relieved or disappointed. Yes, she did. She knew exactly how she felt and she wasn't happy with herself. Trouble was, after accepting lukewarm passion as the norm for so long, the heat Noah generated drew her like a moth to a flame.
"He burned you once," Andi reminded herself as she pulled off her clothes. "Look hard, and you can still see the singe marks."
Rubbing her chest, the spot right above her heart, Andi realized she was a fool. Her feelings for Noah hadn't died a slow, painful death. They simply found a safe place to hide—out of sight, out of mind—ready to appear at the most inconvenient moment.
Andi turned the water on to almost scalding. She stepped into the stall, lifting her face to the pulsing spray, and sighed.
Honesty was easy when no one was around to judge.
"I still love Noah Brennan."
The question was, after everything, could she ever trust him again?
~~~~
"PICK HIM UP and throw him out on his ear."
"Okay."
Bryce crossed her arms and waited.
"What?" Zach paused, a spoonful of bean soup halfway to his mouth. "You mean now?"
"When did you think? Next Christmas?" She snatched the roll from his plate before he could take a bite. "Of course I mean now."
"Help him." Calder bumped Adam's arm. "Noah's bigger than I remembered. Zach might not be able to take him alone."
"Hey." Zach sent his future sister-in-law an annoyed frown. "I resent the implication. If I wanted, I could knock Noah on his ass. And he'd stay there."
"You could try." With no one to disturb his lunch, Noah slathered butter on his freshly baked roll. "No one can cook like you, Mrs. Finch."
Mrs. Finch made her feelings on Noah's return crystal clear. She would talk to him and feed him—until she gauged Andi's reaction. If her oldest girl wasn't happy, she wasn't happy. And she would gladly hold the door while Zach and Adam tossed him to the curb.
Three Wishes_A Second Chance at Love Contemporary Romance Page 19
