by Lee Rose
“I don’t understand why,” she cried, sitting up. She held the sheet over her bare skin. She looked so bewildered that it broke his heart. He truly hated Cora for putting Alana through this stress.
“She won. She broke us up.”
“She didn’t win. She lost. When I confronted her about what she did at that restaurant, we had an awful fight. I told her I wouldn’t touch her if she was the last woman on earth. I had no idea she would stoop so low to hurt you,” Noah explained, trying to sound calm when all he wanted to do was punch something. “She claims she has no idea why Jeremy stabbed you or why he is here in town. I don’t believe her, and Drake is watching her. My hope is that she will lead us to Jeremy. She has to be running scared, and she will want to warn him to get out of town.”
“I know she is vain and spoiled, but to hate me so much? I can’t comprehend all these new facts you are telling me, Noah. I almost died, and to think she was behind it makes me feel more scared than I was before.”
Noah held her as she sobbed into his chest. Truth was he wanted to join her, but he vowed to be strong for her, to comfort her.
When she stopped crying, he kissed the top of her head. “I am so sorry. This is all my fault, and if you want me to take you back to your parents’, house I will. If you never speak to me again, I will understand.”
“This isn’t your fault, Noah.” She sniffed, looking straight into his eyes. “This is Cora’s fault. I knew she was jealous of me, but I had no idea how deep her hatred for me was.”
“I didn’t either. I should have seen a sign of what she was capable of. I wrote her off as a spoiled, vain woman but not dangerous.”
The moonlight shined its light into the window and onto her face. She was beautiful and warm and sweet. Her eyes were puffy from crying, but it didn’t detract from her beauty.
“I don’t blame you, Noah. You had no idea she would do this. If she did this.” Her voice was raspy from crying.
Noah tightened his hand into a fist. He gripped the cover tightly. He felt the regret rise up inside of him.
“My instincts tell me she knows something. She knows he is here in town and where he is. I am so ashamed I even slept with her.”
“Don’t do this, Noah. Cora is guilty, not you. Did you think I would blame you?” She gave him a loving smile that went straight to his heart and his cock. He felt it come to attention. She reached out and caressed his cheek. “All that happened these last few weeks did bring us back together. Let’s focus on that. You can’t control what that bitch does, but we can control how we deal with it. Ups and downs, no matter what, we deal with it together.”
The blanket slipped off, and he saw her bare breasts. The nipples were hard, like little berries, and his hand went straight to them. He cupped them in his hands, loving the weight and feel of her.
“All that is in the past. I am the only woman you are allowed to flirt with or have sex with,” she told him firmly.
“Make love,” he corrected her, looking into her eyes so she could see he was serious. “And that is an easy promise to keep. I love you now and always. Only you.”
He cupped her full breast in his hand, and she licked her lips. She leaned down and kissed his lips. Her hands stayed at his shoulders. His hands wandered up and down her body, loving the silky soft feel of her skin. He squeezed her ass and heard her moan.
He flipped her so she was lying on the bed underneath him. He broke the kiss reluctantly.
“We need each other, baby. We need to forget this day in each other’s arms,” he told her.
She nodded, and he could see the trust in her eyes. She opened her thighs wide, and his hands went directly to her pussy. It was wet. He inserted his fingers inside her and found her swollen clit. He rubbed it back and forth with his finger and loved the wetness leaking out.
She moaned and tilted her head back on his pillow. He loved having her here in his home. She might not get it, but he was not letting her go after they caught Slate. Possession was nine-tenths of the law.
“Oh yes, Noah. It feels so good.” She sounded breathless. Her hands were caressing his back.
“I’ll never get enough of you, Lana.”
“I hope not, Noah. When you touch me, it’s like a volcano blowing up and overflowing. I don’t want that feeling to end.”
“Me either.” He smiled.
She sat up and kneeled between his thighs. Her hair was tousled, and it gave her such a sexy look. She licked her lips and eyed his cock, which was hard and standing up. He swore it twitched with just her looking at it.
She bent down, and he felt her tongue swiping the mushroom tip, licking it. He sucked in his breath and gripped the sheets as she licked him up and down with enthusiasm. Soon his cock disappeared in her mouth, and he groaned, trying not to be loud. Hell, she was going to kill him. It felt so good, and knowing it was Alana’s lips on him only increased the pleasure. He put his hands in her hair as she bopped her mouth up and down on his cock with her tiny little moans that vibrated against him. He tried not to lose control.
She sounded like she was enjoying herself, and he wanted to hold his climax, but it was so amazing. After a few more minutes of her hot mouth going up and down on him and sucking him in deeper and deeper until he hit the back of her throat, he was losing it. She cupped his balls, squeezing them lightly and caressing him. He couldn’t hold it in.
“I’m coming, baby.” He tried to give her a fair warning, but she kept going and swallowed everything he gave her. When he was done shaking, she looked at him with glossy eyes and licked her lips.
“I think you liked that?” She grinned with joy. “I’ve seen movies but never done it before.”
His eyes went wide with surprise. She had never given a blow job before? Holy hell, she was definitely going to kill him.
He grabbed her without any finesse until she was under him. She laughed and ran her hands up and down his chest.
Noah rubbed the tip of his penis over her mound, teasing her. He was ready to enter her fast and hard, but he forced himself to slow down. “You are hot, baby.”
He kissed her belly over the scar, which was finally losing its redness. Every time his eyes landed on it, he thanked God she was here with him and not dead.
He lined his penis up to her pussy and pushed in slowly, an inch at a time. She was so wet and so tight.
He closed his eyes and grabbed her thighs, opening them wide so he could bury himself to the hilt inside of her. She rolled her head side to side as he began his thrusts.
“I’m sorry, baby. I want to go slow, but I can’t,” he apologized.
“I don’t care Noah. Fast or slow. I can’t take the torture,” she muttered underneath him, digging her nails into his back. She was lifting up her hips to meet him thrust for thrust. She wrapped her long legs around his hips. His thrusts were hard and fast, and he couldn’t make himself slow down. His need for her was fierce and made him feel like some caveman trying to claim his mate.
Before he knew it, he felt the climax creeping up on him. He rotated his hips and thrust faster and harder. Her wetness made it easy for him to rub his cock against her walls. He reached underneath to her pussy and found her clit. A few rubs and he felt her explode with liquid. Only then did he give in to his own pleasure.
“Wow,” she whispered with a loud sigh and yawn. “It gets better and better.”
Noah was speechless. He agreed. Why had he waited so long? Now it was his mission to make up for lost time.
“One more time, baby?”
She laughed, and it was a laugh filled with joy. “Yeah, one more time.”
Chapter 19
Noah felt disgusted by Cora’s performance. A performance was exactly what she was doing. Her crocodile tears traveled down her face but didn’t ruin her makeup or make her eyes red. She dabbed at her eyes delicately with a handkerchief. Her lawyer was patting her hand in a comforting gesture. He was in his late fifties and had arrived from Morehead in his fancy Benz. Cora�
��s blonde hair looked perfect, and gold bracelets dangled off her wrists and made noise every time she moved. She wore a conservative navy-blue suit instead of her usual tight skirt and low-cut blouse.
Noah had been surprised when she showed up at the station with her father and a lawyer. Her lawyer did all the talking. Cora was willing to admit she paid Jeremy a hundred dollars to go to the restaurant and scare Alana. She wanted to make a deal because she felt guilty Alana had been hurt. Noah snorted to himself. All she wanted was to get out of the mess she had created.
“I never meant for this to get so out of hand,” she replied for the hundredth time. She gave Noah a pleading look. “I did pay Jeremy to scare her and push her around a bit. She is so stuck-up and thinks she can waltz in and just steal my man from underneath my nose. I hate her, but I had no idea Jeremy would stab her or stay in Red Hook. I am not responsible for this mess. I did it because I love you, Noah.”
“Love? We barely knew each other, Cora. We had two meaningless hookups that I am ashamed of. Alana loves me, and she stepped out of the way because she wanted me to be happy. She didn’t hire some thug to do something so cruel. She almost died, Cora.”
Cora’s father gave him a mean glare, but Noah didn’t care. He was going to speak his mind.
“How can you take no responsibility for your actions, Cora?” Noah said disgustedly, shaking his head in frustration. “Alana almost died. Does that not bother you?”
“Miss Stanton is not responsible for the assault of Alana Garcia. That lies with Jeremy,” the lawyer stated with his nose up in the air. Cora’s dad had stayed silent so far but nodded with the lawyer’s words. Noah wanted to yell at him, too. He spoiled Cora rotten, so this was his fault, too.
“Do you have any idea where Jeremy is now?” Noah muttered. “If you have one ounce of dignity in you, you’ll tell us.”
Cora and her father both shook their heads no. Noah felt himself getting really angry. They probably had bought him a bus ticket out of here. He gave Cora one last disgusted look. Her cheeks turned red, and she got up to leave.
The lawyer signed all the paperwork needed to take her out of the station. After they left, Noah told Drake to keep an eye on her.
“I think she can lead us to Jeremy,” Noah said with confidence. “She knows more than she is saying, for sure. She is good at playing a certain part, but when you look into her eyes, they are empty and cold.”
Drake agreed. “You had a lucky escape with that one. Whoever lands her had better sleep with one eye open.”
Noah nodded with a grimace. He was a fool. He knew that already. He just wanted to find Jeremy so Alana could feel safe again. Adam had gone back to work, so she was at the restaurant again. She promised not to leave, but he still felt his gut twisting in knots. This guy was close. He could feel it. His men had combed the woods, but there was no sign of him. Hopefully Drake would discover something today. He couldn’t handle all this tension for much longer. He was going to see Alana.
* * * *
Alana was sitting down eating lunch when she saw Noah’s cruiser pull up. Her feet hurt, and she was starving. As soon as he entered the building, she waved him over to her. He scooted in close to her and kissed her forehead. She was so glad to see him.
“Hey, baby. What you eating?” He took a big whiff of her plate, and she had to laugh. He was so cute sometimes. Despite everything going on with Jeremy and Cora, she felt happy and hopeful, a very good combination.
“Ray’s specialty. Fajitas with green peppers and onions, tortilla, and salsa.”
She was about to offer to share her food when Alicia walked up to their table and handed him a hot plate. “From Ray.”
Noah looked a little shocked and a little scared by her regular smile. He gave Alana an inquiring look.
He whispered in her ear when Alicia went back to her station, “She wasn’t rude. Is that good or bad? What if the food is poisoned?”
He scooted the plate toward her, and she smacked his arm. “So you’d let me be poisoned?”
He shook his head seriously. “Alicia would run over here and stop you before you could eat. She is like a grumpy mama bear when it comes to you.”
Alana rolled her eyes. She put a fork in his hand. “Eat before you hurt my sister’s feelings. I think she bonded with you the night Jeremy left those pictures and you hugged her. She likes to act tough, but she was just as scared as I was. Ray told me she was still jumpy the next day.”
He nodded and started to eat. “Any problems, strangers? Men’s asses I need to kick?”
She laughed, looking confused. “What?”
“Drake told me that Jesse Hanson at the grocery store volunteered to guard your body. His words, I swear.”
“I went out with him once after we broke up. There was nothing there. I hope you told him I have a guard. We have been busy with people wanting to ask questions. Everyone has heard Cora was involved,” she explained while eating.
She tried not to get upset all over again. She would love to tear Cora’s golden locks out of her head, but Noah would never let her near that bitch.
“I’m not sure if they expect a big catfight between me and Cora or not. They all act like this is some entertaining show, but I am truly terrified Noah,” she admitted in a low voice so the other customers wouldn’t hear her.
“I know, baby. Hang in there,” he said firmly. “Cora got bailed out, but she is not allowed near you. If you even see her across the street, you call me. I don’t trust her.”
Ray came over a few minutes later with a glass of tea in his hand. He sat across from them. He looked tired, too, and Alana knew her family was just as concerned as she was.
“How’s it going? Any luck?”
“No.” Noah frowned. “I have Drake following Cora. I think she is hiding him. Otherwise we’d have found him by now. Red Hook is nowhere near the size of a large city. Matt and Tony Smith are helping me out here in town. They are ex-marines and capable of finding a needle in a haystack.”
Ray looked out the big window as if scanning the area. The sidewalks were empty. “I agree. I hope they find something soon. We won’t be able to relax until this guy is off the streets. It sucks Cora’s fancy lawyer didn’t let her sit in a jail cell. She better not get away scot-free.”
“She won’t. A judge will see to that. Worse is her reputation in this town is in tatters. People are shocked and upset by her actions,” Noah admitted. “Even Daddy can’t buy her a new reputation. Our phones are ringing off the hook. People are shocked and angry that she could do something so low to Alana. Helen brought her daughter in to help answer the phones. Hopefully people don’t interfere with our search.”
Alana leaned against him, and she felt herself shiver. He immediately put his arm around her, and she felt better. “Sorry, babe. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“That’s okay. I just feel jumpy. I have never been the target of such hate before. I want this to be all over. I am tired of being scared and worried every time I hear the door ring,” she confessed.
“I doubt Jeremy has the guts to come in here,” Noah assured her. He looked at Ray. “Personally I think Cora is the brains behind all this. I just can’t prove it, but I won’t stop until I do.”
Ray frowned. “If I see that bitch even try to come in here, I will not stop Alicia from kicking her ass.”
Noah smiled. “Let Alicia have her.”
His cell rang, and he answered it. Drake was reporting that the Smiths caught Jeremy trying to break into the hardware store.
Noah sighed with relief and pumped his fist in the air. “Yes, keep following Cora, and I’ll get to the station.” He looked at Alana and Ray with an elated expression. “They got Jeremy.”
Ray smiled and high-fived him. “Awesome news, man.”
Noah kissed Alana’s cheek. “I have to go, baby. Stay with your family until I come and get you. We have Jeremy, but Cora is still around.”
He felt some of the tension leave him as he d
rove to the station. Some but not all.
Chapter 20
“I’m telling you, man. Cora told me to get rid of the dark-haired Latin chick. She said she didn’t care how I did it as long as she was out of her way. I was so desperate I took the money. I was messed up that night,” Jeremy insisted. He had been read his rights, and he still wanted to confess. “All I wanted to do now was get out of town. Cora won’t answer her phone. She has deserted me, that selfish bitch.”
Noah took a deep breath to calm down. He was tempted to get up and drag Cora down here by her fancy hairdo. He was so angry.
“She told me to go in there pretending to rob the place but to get rid of the girl. Those were her exact words. She said she was tired of some dumb waitress taking her man,” Jeremy confessed. His clothes were dirty, and his eyes were red. “I went to Morehead and lay low that same night. Cora promised me a ticket out of state.”
“Are you using meth again?” Drake asked him. He was sitting next to Noah, recording the session with Jeremy.
Jeremy nodded and took a sip of the water Helen had brought him. His hands were shaking. “She took those pictures and told me to deliver them. It was a scare tactic only. I had no intention of doing anything else. I am tired of taking orders from her. She promised me a bus ticket out of here when I told her I was not helping her do anything else. She has lost her mind.”
“Who set the fire at my house?” Noah asked. He believed Jeremy. Now he was afraid Cora would go after Alana herself if she found out Jeremy was in custody.
Jeremy shrugged. He looked at Noah with a serious expression on his face. “It wasn’t me. I have been hiding and trying to get Cora to give me money to get out of here. She won’t answer my calls. After everything I did for her, she left me hanging.”
“She only cares about herself,” Noah told him. “You were drug-free, Jeremy. Why go back?”
