by J. L. Beck
She seemed to sway on her feet now. “M-my name…” Her eyes rolled up in her head as she fell forward.
He leapt and caught her before she could face plant. Hefting her up, her head rolled back. He checked for her pulse at her jugular. It was beating fiercely. Pausing, he stared at her soft, creamy neck. He steadied himself and lowered her to the couch again.
She had entirely passed out. Completely gone. In a dead faint. One minute she was lively and flirtatious then the next? He let out a breath and gathered the blankets over her. Maybe she would wake up and feel… he paused. Maybe she would remember? He worried about that lump. He felt around through her silky hair at the back of her head. It was still pretty huge.
The fainting bothered him. He sighed. Concussions. Now, he had a real problem on his hands. If she were cognizant and aware with her memory intact, he could have gotten to the truth. He had his ways. But this…
She stirred a bit.
Gazing down at her, he waited.
Those baby blues popped open again. She stared at him for a long moment. Then raised her hand to his face, rubbing his jawline.
Noah remained still, though he wanted to grab her up and kiss the hell out of her. He shook himself. Dumb move. Dumb. Kissing her when she could have been tracking him to kill him for…
A tear slipped from her eye and rolled down her cheek. “Do I know you?”
He let out a disgusted sigh. They had just come a full, complete circle. “Why do you keep asking that?”
“Because you look familiar, but…not?”
Noah tamped down his frustration. This whole thing might be harder and take longer than he’d previously thought. “Why don’t I feed you some soup and then after you rest, we can discuss…things.”
She blinked her eyes as she swiped the tear away. “Why do you seem so…”
He waited. So…? So what?
Then she nodded. “I am hungry.”
At least she was following current questions now. He chuckled as he stood up. “Ok, I will be back in a few minutes. What kind of soup do you like?”
Her gaze took its time traveling from his calves, up to his waist then from there to his wide chest, her eyes stopping at his face. Those blue orbs were wide again. “Wow, you are so tall.”
He fought the smile tugging at his lips. “Yes, been that way for a while. So what kind of soup?”
Her eyes remained on his face. “Soup?”
Noah knew he needed to be gentle for once. Not lose his focus or let frustration lead his actions. Careful. After all, she couldn’t help the state she was in. So he spoke slowly as if she were a small child, “What… kind of soup… do you like?”
She worried her lip with her teeth as she concentrated.
He decided to help her a little. “I have tomato, chicken noodle, chicken rice, navy bean, potato, cream of—”
Her eyes grew big again. “Do you own a restaurant or do you just collect a variety of soups for kicks?”
He stared at her. Then again, he chuckled. She said the damndest things, taking him off guard. He wasn’t at all used to this. “I store and collect a lot of things up here. I have to.”
“Up here?” she asked. “What does that mean?”
Noah felt exasperated as he swooped down and scooped her up. Maybe if he showed her, it would help her lack of memory. After all, he’d watched her trekking up this very mountain.
Gasping, she clasped her arms around his neck.
He swung around and marched across the room with her in his arms to stand in front of a large window. “Curtains,” he spoke aloud to his tech system in the cabin.
The huge drapes made a whirring sound as they eased apart until the scenery outside could be viewed.
He knew this view so well, as he’d looked at it daily for three months now.
Her eyes widened as she stared.
They were for real up on a mountain and this spot at the huge picture window showed the downslope, all the way down. Even then, you couldn’t see the bottom into the forest it was simply too far. Snow covered it all, glistening under a winter sun.
“Oh, my god,” she whispered in shock. “What am I doing up here?” She turned her stunned gaze up to his face. “You brought me all the way up here just to fuck me?”
Again, Noah wasn’t at all prepared for this question either. He wanted to laugh, as her thoughts were so off course from what he believed she would say. He stared at her. “Yeah, I did,” he whispered back. He would’ve too, had he met her in the civilized world, he might have done just that. If he’d ever met a woman possibly worth it, she would be perfect for him as far as looks were concerned. He wondered for a second if she would pass his quiz. He again, had to take a hold of his thoughts. She doesn’t even know who she is! Let alone what answers he sought. Fucking thinking with your dick.
Blinking her eyes, she replied, “Well, I hope I was worth it. Cause damn, talk about impressing a girl just to get laid.”
Okay, so now, he laughed outright and hard enough for tears to spring from his eyes.
With sigh, she laid her head on his shoulder.
His laughter slowed, as he sort of liked this feeling. A woman comforted by him. Strange, he never cared about this kind of response in a woman before. “So, I’ll just pick a soup for you then.”
She gave no reply.
Noah peered down at her and saw she was out again. He felt a ripple of some feeling. Like he was scared or—no, not fear, he never allowed fear. But the way she couldn’t seem to stay awake for any length of time worried him.
He swung her around and again laid her on the couch, covering that delectable body she believed he’d already partaken of. He let out a sigh.
If this didn’t improve, he would fly her out and break his cover.
His head rose up. You will? For a complete stranger that brought trouble to your mountain? He shook his head at the selfish thoughts…an attitude he never questioned before as survival usually depended on this very thing. Self-sustainment.
Noah was just getting an inkling that this woman meant a change for his life…he just didn’t know what that might be. She might ruin it. End him. Or she might be something more. Set him straight again.
Pushing the inane and yes, preposterous thoughts away, he headed to the kitchen to fix her some soup in case she woke up soon.
CHAPTER THREE
Opening her eyes, she knew two things: her head pounded and she wasn’t alone. Other than this, she knew nothing. Absolutely nothing. The world was a deep dark void. No sense of self, of where she was. What she did for a living.
No name.
She didn’t know her own name! She bolted upright with a gasp and her startled gaze swiveled over.
Deep green eyes like the thickest forest she’d ever envisioned were trained right on her from an almost perfect male face as he sat in the overstuffed chair by the fireplace.
Okay, she did remember this man. When she’d awoken earlier. Apparently, she’d gotten drunk, slept with him and…She rubbed a hand over her eyes—she was up on a mountain?
“So how are you feeling now?” he asked.
Staring at his yummy lips, she allowed that deep voice to settle over her. It felt like a band tying her body up, so she couldn’t move. She blinked and tried to get loose from the odd effect. The man was just so familiar. “Do I—?”
He raised a hand at her. “Please do not ask if you know me, again.” It sounded like an order.
She shook her head.
“Let’s just say you do know me, but not very well, yet.”
Okay, she could get with this as it had already been established that they did spend a night together. “How long was I out?” she asked.
Something flickered in his emerald gaze. “This time, you mean?”
She pulled her head back a little. “What do you mean by that?”
He sighed and stood up from the chair. “You were out for a day this time.”
Her eyes rose up slowly along his body. Fuuuc
cck. This man could not be real. He looked like one of those heroes in some military movie or a soldier in those video games. She could easily put him in battle gear, mentally adding the needed accompaniments to finish the picture. Her eyes traveled up to his crotch and there—her perusal stopped. The bulge there seemed to grow a bit as she stared. Gasping, her startled gaze swung up to his face.
His expression looked stormy, almost angry. “And you need to stop doing that too,” he almost growled.
Swallowing, heavily she squeaked, “Dong what?”
An almost smile tugged at his lips. “Checking me over, looking at me like I was steak and you have the A-1 sauce ready to pour over me.”
She batted her eyes at the description. Then her mouth blurted out words before any stop sign in her head could stop her, “Well, it’s not my fault… just look at you!”
He did smile now as he walked over toward her.
The way he moves. Shit, he didn’t walk, he stalked, he glided like some panther after his prey.
“You are staring again.”
She looked away. “Well, it is natural. I mean…JUST LOOK AT YOU!” She again turned to look at him as if she couldn’t help it.
He bit at his lip as if hiding a smile as he knelt on one knee in front of her. “Yes, you said that already.”
Oh, okay. She mentally concluded the truth. He is used to this. Being ogled like what did he say ‘he was steak?’ Why of course, he was used to it! She couldn’t remember ever seeing such a specimen of a man, up close anyway. Halting, she felt nauseous suddenly when reminded of her lack of any memory. Well, of course, I don’t. I don’t remember any man, except him.
His warm hand covered hers his expression changing to concern. “I shouldn’t have…gotten mad. You need to eat.” He stood up and gazed down at her. “Please. Please stay awake?”
She swiped a tear away that she hadn’t realized she’d shed as she nodded. Her gaze rose up and he was no longer there. A little panicked about her own sanity, she looked around. How did he disappear so fast? Or had more time gone by than she realized? Her head throbbed badly and she sunk down to the couch.
“No, no. No sleeping,” he spoke from above her.
Startled, she gasped as she peered up at him. “How do you keep doing that?”
He tilted his head at her looking perplexed as he sat a TV tray in front of her and then put down a bowl, napkin and spoon. “Do what?”
Sighing, she sat up and winced at the headache from hell. “Disappearing and reappearing.”
He grabbed her hand. “Look at me,” he ordered.
She couldn’t. Her head spun. She also couldn’t seemed to piece anything together.
Firm hands gripped her face as he tilted her head back.
Now, she was looking into those green depths again. She saw concern and something else, but she couldn’t figure out what it was. Then his eyes shuttered and she saw no emotion, just a cold surveying of her face.
He grabbed her wrist and stilled for a long moment as if taking her pulse. “Do you mean, you imagined I disappeared?”
She slowly shook her head. “I-I don’t know. You were there then not. Then not, then you were there again.”
“You just need to eat.” He handed her the spoon.
She took it and with a trembling hand, she let it hover over the bowl.
With a sigh, he grabbed it from her, dipped it in, and held it to her lips.
“You’re going to feed me?”
He nodded. “Open up.” His voice deepened with the command.
Open… his eyes were intense again with the order and she could imagine him ordering her to…Her body shivered of its own accord.
“Pretty please?” he added.
Oh, wow. He could demand and he could ask nicely. Well, didn’t matter, she knew she would comply instantly, no matter how he phrased it. Open up? Her mouth…her pussy. Oh yes, open she would. She let out a giggle.
His eyes were transfixed on her. “You think that was funny, eh?”
She nodded. “Well, give it to me,” Then she slowly opened her mouth.
The spoon in his hand didn’t move as he stared at her lips.
She closed her mouth. “See? You get it now, don’t you?”
His eyes moved to hers his expression telling her he did in fact get it. “Okay, so I will have to be careful about commands.” He slipped the spoon through her lips.
Swallowing, she moaned.
His eyes remained glued to her, but a flicker of heat ran across his face.
A little thrilled at rattling his cage, she opened her mouth again.
He arched a brow at her, dipped the spoon and into her mouth it went again.
This time, she suppressed the moan and swallowed.
“There see?” He dipped the spoon into the soup again, raised it up and grinned at her. “Swallowing isn’t all that hard.”
She’d just gotten this spoonful past her lips as she choked at his observation.
He dropped the spoon and patted her back. “Just breathe!”
Her eyes watered while her throat clogged.
He grabbed her up and stood her on her feet.
Her choking stopped.
Sighing, he stared at her face. “Dammit, what am I going to do with you?”
Thoughts rushed to her fuddled brain. Do me over the table, up against the wall. Fuck my mouth, just anything. Her eyes widened at the images she’d just conjured up. She could see it, him his bare skin gleaming in the firelight, those eyes full of heat as he plunged into her again and again. Like a punishing force, taking her senses away, her breath away. Yes, she could see this man fucking her senseless and her doing anything, everything he said. Oh, yes. She grew breathless as the images just kept on coming, him in her mouth her sucking him like he was some kind of drink she just had to gulp. She halted as her entire body flushed. Damn, they must have been combustive together! “Is that what we did, the first night I was here?”
He blinked his eyes in confusion at her.
“I-I mean. I just remembered something…I think?”
He stared hard at her. “You remembered?”
She nodded. Damn, did I! Maybe they’d gotten so carried away that she’d fallen and hit her head? A wild idea, but maybe? She could see this man getting beastly. Oh, and how. Maybe that was it?
He eased her back down. “I want to hear it, but eat first.” He handed her the spoon. “I think you can do it yourself now.”
She held back her smile. He’s pulling back. Maybe she wasn’t the only one thinking that it’d just gotten way too hot in this room. Maybe that was why he would be so gentle with her at times. He felt responsible. But then, why didn’t he know her name? She gasped. She’d just rushed into a one night stand, drunk, with a man who didn’t even know her name? She again, stared at him. Well? Maybe. Who would fucking care what his name was? She shook herself.
“I just don’t want you to swallow it down the wrong pipe again,” he explained at her pause.
She again, nodded trying to shove away the heat as her panties were now wet. Dammit, and she would bet she had no clothes here either. She proceeded to eat her soup with no moaning or otherwise.
When she finished, he gave her an orange juice. Then he sat over in the sofa chair.
She drank it down. Her headache had abated and she felt so much better. Her head still felt a bit wobbly on her neck though. “You were right, I just needed to eat and thank you.”
He remained silent for a few minutes.
A little nervous now at this silence, she finally broke it, “So how did I get hurt?” Maybe he would confirm her theory now.
He cocked his head at this.
“I-I mean it had to have happened after you brought up here. To-to…”
“To fuck you. You mean?”
Wow, he just put it out there. Mutely, she nodded.
“So you remembered that part?” he asked.
Her brow furrowed. “Well, I got images of…”
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��…of?”
Her cheeks heated up and she pulled the blanket up over her breasts as her nipples hardened before she even realized it. “Yes…like you and I—we…”
He sat forward looking truly curious, his cold expression gone. “WE? We did what?”
Oh, wow. Did we do it the way I saw it? “You were—I mean I…”
“Anything you remember is important right now. Just tell me.”
“Okay…” So she launched in, but refused to look him in the eye as she did so, or else she wouldn’t get through it, “I had images of you fucking me. Up against the wall. Over a table. Then…”
Silence hung in the room.
“You ordered me to suck you off and I did with great pleasure, you tasted so…” Her gaze rose up.
The man sat stone still. Like he’d been poured into that chair as liquid cement then had hardened in an instant. “The fuck you say.”
Her eyes widened as he slowly stood up.
Rage covered his face and eyes now. “What the fuck kind of game are you playing at?”
CHAPTER FOUR
He towered over her with fury. Dammit! Noah clenched his fists. How could I be played like this? By a woman no less. Making up a memory that never happened. He now knew she was at some game and in his life—there was only one kind of game. Kill or be killed.
Grabbing her up from the sofa, he tugged her to him, breathing his words to her lips, “How in the fuck did you remember something like that?”
Her round blue eyes looked fearful, as she didn’t speak.
He stared at her mouth. Don’t do it Noah. Don’t. He ignored his logical side as he lowered his mouth and smothered hers. Forcing his tongue in, he took over, as was his way. He sucked on her tongue, and gathered her tight to his hard body, to his hard cock. The things she’d said had him so hard he thought he might burst. He punished her mouth as he grasped that fabulous ass and squeezed.
Her body simply melted to him. No fight, no resistance. Her mouth had opened to him as if she’d been used to his rough taking. Her eyes closed as she kissed him back like she was starved for him.
He finally came to his senses as he pulled his lips from hers and set her down. “How the fuck did you remember that?”
