Now I just need to figure out how to make it okay.
“Well, I’m glad you’re not too badly hurt. I’ll, uh, see you in the morning.” I steal one last look at Noah, but his jaw’s tight, the muscles clenched, and his eyes are focused on the floor.
“Thanks. Good night,” Luke says as I head for the door.
This isn’t how I planned for the night to happen. Shit. I close my eyes for a moment as I walk out of the room. Part of me is expecting Noah to follow, to yell at me even. I’d take any kind of contact from him.
But he doesn’t budge.
Once down the hall, I jab the call button and wait for the elevator. I slip inside as soon as the doors part and press the number for my floor. I lean back against the wall and bite my lip, trying to keep the tears at bay as the doors close.
But I startle as the doors touch together only to pop back open.
Goose bumps spread across my arms at the sight of Noah on the other side.
He keeps his eyes on me as he comes in. “You shouldn’t go to the parking garage alone at night.”
He turns his back and stands off to the side as if he doesn’t want to be close. A moment later, we’re on the next floor, and two more people join us, which has him stepping to the back, his arm brushing against mine. That slight bit of contact makes me shut my eyes as my body absorbs the shock of his simple touch.
I look at him from the corners of my eyes and find his eyes are closed and his chin tipped up a little. He’s tense, his breathing slow.
I flinch when the doors open, and I wait for the others to exit before I do.
Noah stays a few feet behind me as we walk into the parking garage. And the silence hanging between us is killing me, so I stop and spin around to face him. I think he was expecting this, because his hands are hidden in his pockets, and he’s just standing there, eyeing me as if I’m dangerous, an enemy.
“Noah.”
“Don’t,” he warns.
This can’t go down here, not in a garage of all places. It’s late at night, and surely not many people will be coming out here, but still…
“I was going to ask if you’d ride with me to a hotel. I’m not sure I’m up for driving,” I lie, knowing he’ll see right through my flimsy, paper-thin words.
“Then call a cab.”
I take a cautious step his way, my eyes scanning the area to make sure we’re still alone. “I’m sorry.” But the words feel like they can never possibly be enough.
“For what, Grace?” And it’s not a real question—sarcasm wraps a tight ribbon around his words. His hands come out of his pockets, and he rubs his jaw and his dark beard.
“There’s so much I need to say. Please, can we talk at the hotel? Or even in my car?”
He closes the space between us, and it’s as if the garage has shrunk to the size of a tiny six by six jail cell, and there’s only us. His strong presence controls the room, it controls everything—especially me at the moment.
He stands before me, observing me, his chest moving with slow, deep breaths. His eyes remain on mine for a moment before he shifts back a step. “We can’t go to a hotel.”
And now I notice the lust in his eyes. I can hear it in the slight strain in his voice.
Even after everything, he still wants me. And it gives me hope.
“I stood up to my father. I’m not marrying Patrick.” The truth, even in here, is better than not at all, I decide. I need him to know that if he takes me into his arms like I want him to, he won’t become the “other man.” He was cheated on, so I know Noah would never allow himself to be that man.
“It doesn’t change anything. It’s too late.” He turns, but I reach for him, desperate not to lose him, to lose this moment.
“I’m begging you to hear me out.”
He bows his head. He’s thinking about it.
The feel of his warm skin beneath mine wakes up my body, and it’s as if a thousand little wings beat inside my stomach and flutter south.
“There’s nothing to say.” He lifts his head. “You’re you.” He shifts to face me as my hand drops, going cold at my side. “And I’m me.”
His words cut me. The pain I’ve caused him is chilling, but I refuse to surrender. Not this time.
“We have to talk. I won’t leave here without you talking to me.”
“And I can’t go to a goddamn hotel with you,” he bites out, and the flair of emotion and grit in his voice has me stepping back.
“Why not?”
“Jesus Christ—just leave,” he says in a lower voice. He puts a hand to his forehead and grips his temples with his thumb and middle finger.
“No.” I step in front of him, reaching for his wrist in an attempt to unmask his eyes. I need him to look at me, to see me. To trust me, even if I don’t deserve it.
He says my name like a hiss as he shifts his hand in one fast movement, so it’s now him holding on to me. Lightning-fast reflexes.
“Why can’t you come with me?”
“Because I’m mad as hell at you.” He releases his grip, and I don’t want him to. I don’t want to lose his touch.
“You hate me so much that you can’t be alone with me?”
“Yes.” He shakes his head. “No…”
“Well, what is it?”
His eyes flash to mine. “Because I want to fuck you. And I shouldn’t want to.”
The rawness of his words and the gravelly sound of his voice makes the hairs on my arms stand.
He means just sex, though.
“So do it,” I whisper.
The heat radiating from his body blasts me. He takes me by the elbows, gently holding on to me, and I watch the movement in his throat—the emotion being swallowed. He leans forward and my lips part, my nipples tighten, and my eyes close as I wait.
But instead his breath is at my ear. “You know I’m not that kind of man.”
Then his hands are off me again, and when I open my eyes, he’s walking back to the hospital.
“They threatened me with Lily,” I say in a rush.
I’m screwing everything up. This isn’t how I wanted to tell him, but I’m so afraid if he walks away from me now, I’ll never get another chance.
His palm rests against the door, and he keeps his back to me for a moment.
“If I didn’t stop seeing you and agree to marry Patrick…” God, I can’t say the words, they’re so vile. Will he ever be able to look at me knowing my own blood is so ruthless? I stop a foot shy of him, a little terrified of his lack of a response. “My parents promised to make sure you lose your custody case.”
No movement at all. He remains still.
“I quit. I tried to get free of the company, but then my parents hit me where they knew they could hurt me.” I close my eyes. “You.” I draw in a shaky breath. “Lily.”
When I finally peel my eyes open a minute later, I find Noah looking back at me.
“What choice did I have?” I ask, my voice trembling.
He angles his head, his eyes narrowing. “You should have told me. We could have figured this out together. You took the choice from me. You made it on your own.”
His words have my eyes widening in surprise. “But—”
“You know I would never let anyone hurt Lily—or take her from me. I’d walk through hell and back for her.” He turns, his biceps tightening. “I would have walked through fire for you too.”
My hand darts to my stomach at his words. Did I mess everything up by not trusting him to help? God, no. I thought I was doing the right thing, but…
“Did your father threaten you too?” he asks a moment later and slowly faces me.
I notice his hand curve into a fist at his side.
Is Jessica right? Is Noah capable of killing my dad? He’s one of the sweetest men I’ve ever met, but there’s still a dangerous edge to him. Maybe it’s from being a SEAL, but I don’t doubt for a minute he won’t kill for someone he loves.
I close the gap between us, wetting my l
ips as I look into his eyes. This side of him—this bit of dark—it doesn’t scare me. Nothing about this man scares me, except for the idea of there never being a tomorrow with him in it.
“No, he didn’t threaten me,” I say. “I should have told you. You’re right. I thought I was keeping you safe, but we’ve always been honest with each other, and I—”
His mouth captures mine so fast that I almost stumble back, but he catches me, his hands swooping around to my back, pulling me in closer to him…to where I belong.
“I need you,” I cry into his ear as he pins me to the wall inside the hotel room. He’s holding on to my hips as he kisses my neck, and my eyelids fall, heavy as desire swells inside me.
He inches away so he can lift my blue blouse over my head and toss it to the floor. “I’ve missed you so much.”
He holds my face with both hands and kisses me again, his tongue coaxing my lips apart, finding mine. I want to buck and grind against him, so desperate for him to be inside me. His tongue only makes me want it that much more. I press my palms against his chest and gently shove. His lips break from mine as his eyes meet my now-open ones.
“I. Need. You. Now.” I try to catch my breath. “I’m not going to repeat myself again.”
His lips curve up a little, and the sight of a smile on his face does me in.
He reaches behind my back and works at my bra. “I can assemble a rifle faster than I can get this thing off.”
I chuckle as I assist, but this moment isn’t lost on me—the way his eyes remain on mine, his brows drawn inward the slightest bit as if there’s still some question in his mind about what we’re doing…
But when my bra falls to the floor, and he palms my breasts with both hands, I forget everything.
And I mean everything.
His name.
My name.
My birthdate.
“Oh, God,” is about all I can manage when I observe the soldier stripping out of his cargo pants and boots—following orders.
I stand before him, naked myself now. He takes my wrist and kisses the inside of it, his lips gentle there, and my thighs tighten as his mouth trails to my thumb. He tugs it between his teeth and applies a little pressure.
“I’m going to fuck you now,” he says in a low voice, his eyes darkening.
And I’m so turned on.
He lifts me, and I cradle his neck as he carries me to the bed and sets me down. He parts my legs, urging them to open wide. His eyes sweep over every inch of my body as he holds his shaft. He finally braces himself above me, his biceps flexed as they hold the weight of his body.
I try not to look at his tattoo, to think about the people he’s lost—and that he could have been hurt or worse tonight.
“You okay?”
“Yes,” I cry as he reaches between my thighs and strokes my flesh. I immediately respond to his touch and lose myself in the moment again.
I almost expect him to slam inside me harder than he ever has—to make it hurt. To make me scream. And I want him to. I screwed up, even if I thought I was doing the right thing. I deserve some pain.
But this is Noah we’re talking about.
He slowly eases all the way into me.
But when our eyes connect, he pulls back out for a moment before he thrusts so deep and fast that his pelvic bone hits mine. Then he does it again with even more intensity.
My eyes…I can’t see. The sensations of his movements have me seeing bursts of color in my mind since I can’t focus my sight.
Hard.
Fast.
Carnal and pure.
Everything is stripped free, and we’re two people who need only one thing—each other.
I writhe against him and bite my lip when his hand shifts from my hip to my ass.
“Yes. Yes. Don’t stop. Oh, God.” I tense. “Don’t. Fucking. Stop.” My toes curl, my body shakes…and I come.
A few moments later, a deep rumble escapes from his chest, and his body jerks as warm liquid fills me.
I don’t want to move even if I’m filled with his come. I’m mush—boneless.
Totally sated.
The last time we had sex, it was wild and even a little kinky, which I hadn’t expected of the good soldier—and it was incredible.
But this…wow.
“Grace.”
“Hmm?”
He lowers himself next to me. “I need to know something before we do this again.”
“Do what?” I point at my naked body like an idiot because my limbs are like jelly, my body limp—I need a few minutes before we go again, and I’m a woman. How can he be ready again so fast?
“Before we become an us.”
Become an us. I repeat his words in my head, loving the sound of that last one—us. Us. I want to bottle that word up like an oil and rub it all over myself.
He clears his throat. “I need to know you’re going to fight for us.” His brows pinch together as if he doesn’t like his own choice of words. “I understand what you tried to do for me, for Lily, but I have to know that if things get hard again or something else happens, you won’t bail. I’m a father. I can’t fall in love with someone if she won’t be around tomorrow.”
His mom stayed when things were rough.
Cindy bailed.
I bailed…
“This was supposed to be just sex,” I say. “But that was the only real lie I told you. Well, up until that day in my office.”
His eyes remain intense and focused on mine. “These last two weeks were the worst of my life, and regardless of what I said to you that day, I was always going to try to find my way back to you. And that’s the truth,” I say.
My heart skips into my throat, and I sit up. I’m only just now stringing all of his words together as if I didn’t have all the musical notes in the right order. “Wait, did you say the word love a moment ago?”
He smiles and takes my hand, lacing our fingers, and he gently squeezes. “It’s been a whirlwind since I met you. The timing of this…it’s clearly not great.” He looks at our hands for a moment.
“There better be a but coming.”
He laughs and raises our clasped hands to his lips and kisses my hand. “But”—he smiles—“now that I have you back, I’m for damn sure never going to let you go.”
26
Noah
“What’s he doing here?”
Grace’s father looks up from his desk, and it’s the first time I’ve laid eyes on the man. I’m doing my best to trap my anger about his threats deep inside me, but it’s going to be hard.
Grace is at my side, and both her brothers are sitting across from her dad’s desk. Cade tips his chin her way, giving her the signal to come all the way in.
Her father stands and braces against the desk. “Have you lost your mind bringing him here?”
Maybe she has, because testing my limits in regards to my anger toward him might not be the best idea. I don’t have a gun, but I don’t need one to do what I’d like to him. My jaw locks tight, and I remain closer to the door as Grace walks up behind her brothers.
She wanted me with her. She wanted her dad to truly understand that he wouldn’t be able to come between us. We may have been all wrong for each other when we first met, but it doesn’t matter anymore. All that matters is that we’re right for each other now.
Cade rises, and so does Corbin. I’m still furious with Cade, but knowing he punched Patrick in the face and had Grace’s best interest at heart all along makes me feel a little better.
“What’s going on?” Her dad narrows his eyes at Grace before shifting his attention to her older brother, attempting to demand answers by staring them down.
“It’s over,” Grace says softly. “You won’t be threatening us anymore.”
“What?” Her dad laughs a little and eases his stance. He moves to the side of his leather chair and casually rests a hand on top.
Cade slides a folder across the desk to his father. “The board members are meetin
g in ten minutes, and they’ll be voting in favor of you stepping down as CEO.”
Her dad eyes the folder before his gaze darts back up to Cade, his eyes darkening. “They wouldn’t.”
“You think we’re the only ones who can’t stand you?” Corbin walks away from the desk to the window.
“Corbin, Grace, and I—along with nine of the other members—will vote to terminate your position. I’ll be taking over.” Cade tucks his hands in his pockets, his jaw tight, and there’s not an ounce of fear on his face.
And not on Grace’s either…it’s about time. Her father has been pushing her around too long. She deserves to be free of him.
But he’s still her dad, so this must be hard. And because he’s her dad, and because I don’t want to go to jail, I won’t touch him, even if I do want to wrap my hands around his neck.
His face is blank as he says, “You can’t do this to me. You wouldn’t dare.”
“I figured out how to save the company without merging or cutting back on our assets. And the first step means eliminating you.” Cade shoots me a glance over his shoulder. I don’t know if it’s his version of a peace offering, but he nods before looking back at his father.
“Look in the folder,” Grace says while motioning to it. “You’ve been blackmailing all of us so long, it’s time you know what it feels like.”
“All the shady shit you’ve done in the last ten years, well, I’ve been paying attention, keeping track. And you don’t really want to go against me, do you? I’m marrying the governor’s daughter, after all.”
Her father pushes his glasses further up on his nose and snatches the folder. He flips through the papers before tossing the folder back on the desk, grumbling. “How could you do this to me? I’m your father.”
The second the man starts for Grace, I move across the room, prepared to defend her.
He’s face to face with me now. “You going to hit me, boy?”
My hands go tight at my sides. “Call me boy one more time.” I swallow. “Please.” I look down at him, my rage barely concealed…but when Grace’s hand touches my back, my pulse slows a little.
Someone Like You Page 23
