Three Wishes: A Second Chance at Love Contemporary Romance (The Sisters Quartet Book 3)

by Mary J. Williams

"Thank you for getting me out of there."

  "Glad I was there to help." Noah smiled for the first time. "Something tells me you'd have handled the creep just fine on your own."

  "Probably. But, you made an exit easier." Andi frowned. "Were you on a date? Oh, God. Did I ruin your evening? Should I apologize to your friend? Maybe not. She's probably already pissed off. I would be. Go back to her. I'll be fine."

  "I wasn't on a date." Noah shook his head, chuckling. "When you start to ramble, you really go to town."

  "Family trait." Andi reminded herself to breathe. "Bryce has the same problem. Calder not so much. And Destry—"

  "I know, she is one of a kind." Noah opened the taxi door. "So are you, Anderson."

  "Really? In a good way, I hope."

  "In the best way. You aren't like any woman I've ever known."

  Noah helped her into the cab. She stopped him when he would have backed away.

  "Come with me."

  Sure of her decision, but uncertain how he would answer, Andi's heart raced. Noah didn't make her wait. He slid into the cab, the heat in his eyes robbing her of what breath she had left.

  "Your place?"

  Andi shook her head.

  "Too many sisters. And Billie."

  Noah grimaced. "My apartment isn't far, but… Honestly, where I live isn't your kind of place."

  "Do you own a bed?"

  "Yes."

  Andi scooted closer.

  "Relatively clean sheets?"

  He chuckled. "I've been known to change them on occasion."

  She put her arms around Noah's neck.

  "Does the door lock?"

  Nodding, Noah's fingers slid through her hair until the length fell down her back.

  "Then what are we waiting for?"

  "Hell if I know."

  Noah barked out his address to the driver. A second later, his lips closed over hers, and Andi felt the world slow until all that mattered was here and now. She sighed, sinking into his kiss. She didn't need a bed or the luxury of clean sheets. A lock on the door would be great, but unnecessary.

  When he pulled away just long enough to look into her eyes, she knew she was lost and at the same time, found. As long as she had Noah, she had everything.

  ~~~~

  "YOU HAVE A tiny freckle right here."

  Andi laughed as Noah kissed the inside of her upper thigh. He'd kissed every inch of her body, but, much to her delight, seemed particularly interested in the area between her legs.

  "So pretty."

  "Come on," she chided. "No one's hoo-hah is pretty. Serviceable, yes. But, pretty? You need to check your eyesight, fella."

  "You speak from a woman's point of view." Noah settled himself so, with her legs spread wide, he was in Andi's direct line of vision. He winked, blue eyes twinkling. "I, on the other hand, am a man."

  "Yes, you are." She sighed and couldn't be happier.

  "Thank you." He nodded. "As a man, I have a different perspective."

  "Few people have been at your perspective," Andi teased. "My gynecologist, a woman. And, well. About the men. Do you want a number?"

  "Do you?"

  "Good Lord, no." Just the thought made her insides roil.

  "Then you have my answer. No numbers—ever." With the tip of his finger, he absently caressed Andi's leg. "Back to more important matters. Your sweet pussy."

  "I wish someone would come up with a better word."

  "Hoo-hah, for instance?" he teased. "Pick a name you like, I don't care. What's important is my point of view. You, Anderson, are beautiful. Top to bottom. Inside and out. Why would here…" His finger ran across her very center. "Why would any part of you be any different than the rest?"

  "I'll accept your reasoning." Gasping, Andi's head fell back. She'd accept anything Noah wanted to give her. "Do you think your dick is beautiful?"

  "Do you?" His touch deepened.

  Andi gripped the sheets, her back arching off the mattress.

  "Yes. Yes!"

  "Good." Noah's tongue joined his fingers. "So damn pretty."

  Biting her lip, Andi couldn't argue. She felt pretty. She felt amazing. All because of Noah.

  ~~~~

  NOAH STARED AT the ceiling the same way he had thousands of times before. The same crack ran from wall to wall, and flecks of the same faded blue paint still hung from tiny chips, ready to fall to the ground at any time.

  But something was different. He held Andi in his arms. She wasn't a dream or a fantasy. She was reality. And for the life of him, he didn't know what to do. Nothing had changed. They were the same two people with the same obstacles in their path.

  So, why did he feel like the luckiest S.O.B. in the freaking world? Because of Andi. She even made his crappy little room look brighter.

  Had he really expected her to take one look at where he lived and run? Instead, she treated his apartment as if it were just another place. She walked in, looked around, and pushed him onto the bed. Once they were naked, they could have been in a hole or the top of the Ritz. They were together. End of story.

  Carefully, he slid under the covers until his head lay next to Andi's. He thought she slept. He was wrong. Her lips curved upward and her eyes opened, green as precious gems.

  "Do you always watch your lovers while they sleep?"

  "Never wanted to… until tonight."

  "Noah." She sighed his name, brushing his cheek with the back of her hand. "Don't worry."

  "About what?"

  "Us." Andi moved into his arms. "The day we had sex in the linen closet. I recognized the panic in your eyes because I felt the same."

  All Noah remembered was the need to get away as fast as possible. Then later, the feeling he was a fool but didn't know what to do about it.

  "I can't marry you. Not now."

  "I'm sorry," Andi chortled. "Did I blank out and miss the part where I asked?"

  "You aren't a casual fuck, Anderson. I care about you." Unconsciously, Noah pulled her closer. "But, I'm not ready for marriage. I don't know if I'll ever be."

  "The last thing I want is for you to go down on one knee. Not now. If the day comes, we both need to be certain because I only plan to say my vows once. The man I marry better take 'til death do we part seriously. I sure as heck will."

  Noah felt a huge weight lift from his chest.

  "Can I show you something?"

  "Again?" Andi grinned. "Your stamina is beyond impressive."

  "All you ever think about is sex, sex, sex." Noah gave her backside a playful pat before he rolled to his feet.

  "What can I say? I'm insatiable."

  "Give me a few minutes, and I'll be happy to satiate you."

  Laptop in hand, he hopped on the bed. Unconcerned about his state of undress, Noah opened the computer and used his crossed legs as a table.

  "Online porn?" Snickering, Andi made a face. "Not a fan."

  "Again, you aren't a man." Noah typed away, one eye on the screen, the other on Andi as she snuggled close to his side. He hit a final key and pointed. "There."

  "As someone who knows how to turn a computer on and little else, you need to tell me what all those letters and numbers and squiggles mean."

  "My baby." Noah didn't need for Andi to understand how his program would work, just how important it was to him. "The idea is simple. Unbreakable internet security."

  "Is such a thing possible?" Andi turned her attention to Noah. "I know how fast change happens. My business isn't so different. I fix one problem, another pops up. If the human element is involved, full-proof isn't possible. Right?"

  "So damn smart." Noah kissed her temple. "You may not know computers, but you ask the right questions."

  Beaming, Andi rubbed his back.

  "Explain to me in baby steps. What is your goal?"

  "A self-correcting security program."

  "Self-correcting is good," Andi nodded.

  "I hope to mak
e a streamlined program available to the average person for a one-time fee. They get automatic updates for five years. If they want the next version, they must pay or keep the old one without the new bells and whistles."

  "The old program will still protect the user?"

  "Yes. The new stuff will mostly be aimed at corporations and, if I can get a foot in the door, government agencies—local and national."

  "You think big." Laughing, Andi hugged him tightly. "Big is good."

  "Money is the problem." More than numbers and squiggles, he doubted Andi could understand his lack of funds. "If I had enough cash, I could spend more time on my program for which I need money to gain access to the right equipment."

  "Money equals time, time equals money. Because of one, you don't have the other." Andi gave her head a shake. "Makes me dizzy."

  "I'm caught in the middle of the ultimate Catch-22."

  Andi scooted around until she was behind him. Her fingers, cool and soothing, massaged his temples. With a contented groan, Noah's head fell back onto her shoulder.

  "Will you listen to my suggestion without blowing your top?"

  Relaxed, Noah didn't want anything to kill the mellow vibe.

  "I know you mean well, but no."

  "You didn't hear my suggestion."

  "No, Anderson. Just no."

  "I know investors who jump at the chance to back a brilliant young man with a solid business plan." She whispered in his ear, her voice the seductive call of a siren, "My money would stay a million miles away. Not even a penny would roll your way."

  "Do you know how many high-paying jobs I've turned down over the years? Jobs where I would have access to the best and most up-to-date equipment possible?"

  "Quite a few, I'd imagine."

  "Want to know why I've turned each and every one down?"

  "Yes." Andi kissed the side of his neck. "Tell me."

  "Control." Noah's eyes narrowed as he thought of the vultures who wanted him to do all the work while they reaped the bulk of the reward. "The offers were tempting—on the surface. As soon as I dug a little, I realized how much control I would have to give up for financial security."

  "A fifty-fifty split for anything you developed while you were under contract?"

  Noah let out a humorless laugh. Better than his violent reaction to the last offer he received. He put his fist through the front door. For his troubles, he dealt with swollen fingers and money out of his pocket for repairs.

  "More like my employer owned the program outright and after all my sweat. I was left with a fraction of the profits."

  "Oh, Noah. I'm so sorry."

  Pulling Andi around until she lay in his arms, Noah met her gaze. What he saw wasn't pity, but anger. His breath hitched in his chest. For so long, he'd felt alone and isolated. No one to confide in. No one who cared if he succeeded or fell flat on his ass.

  He could never have guessed a rich girl from the right side of the tracks with emerald-green eyes would be the one to ease the weight on his soul.

  "I didn't think you could understand." With infinite care—almost reverence—Noah touched her face. "But you do."

  "Yes." Gaze locked with his, Andi kissed his palm, once, twice, three times. "You'll succeed, Noah."

  "How can you be so sure?" Even he, with his ego and determination, felt moments of doubt. "All the time and hard work might be for nothing."

  "Never. I believe in you. More importantly, you believe in yourself. When I look into your eyes, I see your strength and the sheer force of your will. And," she placed her hand on his chest directly over his heart. "I see myself."

  "Right," Noah scoffed. Unconsciously, his hand covered hers. "We have so much in common."

  "Don't be a snob," she chided lightly. "Yes, I had every advantage. I could have been anything, done anything. But drive and ambition can't be bought. They can't be manufactured. My will to succeed is part of me like my long legs and blond hair."

  "DNA."

  "My grandfather didn't think a woman could do anything except look good on his arm and bear his children. He wanted a boy who would become a man worthy to carry on the Benedict name and legacy. All he got was Billie." Andi chuckled. "Karma bit the old bastard right in his misogynistic ass."

  "Ambition skipped a generation. Maybe your grandfather would change his mind about women if he met you and your sisters."

  "A nice thought." She shook her head. "Narrow-minded old men don't change. However, the legacy he thought died with him carries on through Calder, Bryce, Destry, and me. We're Benedicts. The Y chromosome editions."

  God, she was beautiful, Noah thought. From her delicate features and deceptively strong body to her indomitable spirit. Even her scary-smart brain was gorgeous—especially her scary-smart brain. Andi glowed from the inside out. She made him want things he hadn't known were possible. Scary things. Wondrous things. His heart thumped so hard he could feel the beat through her hand.

  "I want you, Anderson. All of you." The realist in Noah pushed the newfound romantic aside. "We aren't a good bet. Bad odds."

  "Why? Because of where we come from? How we were raised? I have money and—"

  "I don't."

  "You are a snob."

  Since the day they met, Andi had shown him many emotions. Until now, he hadn't seen disappointment in her clear-green eyes. His stomach sank, and he didn't care for the feeling. But, if they tried to ignore the elephant in the room, they were doomed before they began.

  "Money matters, Anderson. A great deal of money matters a great deal."

  "Clever turn of phrase." As she slid from the bed, she took the blanket with her, wrapping the thin cotton around her. She paced. "You say you want me? All of me? I say bullshit. You can't pick and choose, Noah. I'm a package deal. You want my breasts and my pussy? Then you must take my brains and ambition. And my hefty bank account."

  "I don't want your money, Anderson."

  "Don't be deliberately obtuse. You know I meant the idea of my money. I have more than you."

  "No fucking kidding."

  Andi whipped around, the blanket swirling at her feet.

  "Watch your mouth."

  "You can say bullshit, but fucking is off the table for me?"

  With a huff, Andi fell backward onto the bed.

  "Why are we fighting?"

  "Because money makes people crazy." Noah lay next to her, inches apart. But he took her hand. "The disparity might not matter to you—"

  "Absolutely doesn't matter."

  "What about your family? Your sisters? Your mother and father? What will they say?"

  "Where my love life is concerned, my parents are non-factors. I won't begin to guess what they will think about us as a couple, and I don't care."

  "Your sisters matter."

  "Yes, they do." Andi's nod was empathic. "They want one thing. My happiness. When they look at you, Noah, they don't see a lack of dollar signs. They see a good man. A man they like. One simple rule. Don't hurt me, they won't hurt you."

  Noah raised an eyebrow. Andi joked, but only a little. Her sisters were the guardians at the gate. Any man who wanted entrance had to go through them first. He was lucky enough to have one foot in the door. Calder, Bryce, and Destry weren't an easy bunch to please. But one thing any man who wanted one of them had to understand. The Benedict sisters were a package deal.

  "I like your sisters."

  "Good. Me, too." Andi rolled on top of him, settling her naked body along his, the blanket a warm cocoon. "Have we settled our differences for now?"

  Their differences hadn't smoothed over with one conversation. Maybe, with time, they would find common ground. Noah ran his hand down Andi's soft, smooth back. Luckily, where time was concerned, he was filthy rich.

  "For now? Yes."

  "Good." She glanced at the window. "Still pitch black. What do you suggest we do to fill the time until dawn?"

  "Sleep would be the smart option."
<
br />   "True." Andi wiggled, adjusting her body until her long legs bracketed Noah's hips. "I'm a fan of sleep."

  "I have another idea." Hands on her hips, Noah let Andi feel the rigid length of his suggestion. "Well?"

  Andi grabbed a condom from the bedside table. She rose to her knees, tossed the blanket aside, and joined their bodies in one slow, agonizing, moan-inducing, glide. Her eyes, twin glowing jewels of green, met his, her lips curving. She was the cat, he, a great big bowl of cream, anxious for her every lick.

  "Great minds," Andi sighed, "definitely think alike."

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  ~~~~

  "ALL THE TIMES you ran into each other were a coincidence?" Bryce speared a trifecta of pancakes from the plate Mrs. Finch set on the counter.

  "Yup," Andi nodded, content with her coffee and a piece of toast.

  "What about the last time? The night before last at the bar?"

  "Noah was there to meet a few friends for a truncated version of a guy's night out. His buddies are family men who prefer an upscale bar to a dive, so, the plan was for a couple of overpriced drinks and an early night."

  "Which he heroically brushed off to play Sir Galahad." Destry yawned over her oatmeal. "Did you ever clue him to the fact you were never a damsel in distress?"

  "No." She sipped her coffee. "Because, in a way, I was. As much as I wanted to knock Ingo Hunter on his arrogant ass, the chance he'd hit someone on the way down was too much to risk. Noah's intervention meant I didn't have to put anyone else in danger."

  Calder, still in her nightgown and robe, joined them, smiling her thanks when Mrs. Finch set tea and a bowl of fruit in front of her.

  "Did you ooh and ah over his big muscles?"

  "I thanked Noah, to everyone's satisfaction, by the way. And no, I will not share the details."

  "A lady never does," Mrs. Finch reminded her girls. "What happened is between Andi and Noah."

  "You tell them, Mrs. F.," Andi nodded, plucking a blueberry from Calder's bowl.

  "Are you happy?" the cook asked, her eyes a little misty.

  Andi gave Mrs. Finch, the only real mother she and her sisters had known, an understanding smile.

  "I'm very happy."

  "Happy?" Bryce snorted. "You're glowing. We all need a little of whatever Noah has to give. With different men, of course."