Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 31257 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 156(@200wpm)___ 125(@250wpm)___ 104(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 31257 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 156(@200wpm)___ 125(@250wpm)___ 104(@300wpm)
I shiver, wrapping my arms around myself.
Dillon doesn't say anything, which seems to be answer enough for Noah.
He rattles off a string of curses under his breath.
"I can assign someone to watch her," Dillon offers. "The alternative would be for you to send her somewhere else until the dust settles."
"I can't just leave town," I protest. "I have an entire business to run, Dillon."
"I can assign someone to sit on her," he says to Noah again.
"I've already got Cormac Carmichael on standby. He starts first thing in the morning."
"What do you mean, I can't go to work?" I ask, staring at Noah like he's grown a third head. "Jack's expecting me back at the shop. He has an entire company to run!"
"Not today he doesn't," Noah growls, shoving the rest of his stuff into his gym bag. "I've already talked to him. He agrees that you need to lay low until Dillon finds Troy."
"He agrees that I need to…. You called him already?"
"Before I hit the showers."
"I can't believe you called my boss. That's over the line, Noah."
"Believe it, baby." He lifts his gaze to mine. "When it comes to your safety, there isn't a line I'm not willing to cross. Your safety is everything to me. I'll do whatever I have to do to make sure my goddamn life doesn't flash before my eyes like it did yesterday morning when I heard you scream."
I want to be mad at him, but he makes it so hard. If he were anyone else, I'd be furious right now. But he says things like that, and my heart hears them before my head does. It leaps for joy, and I forget that I'm supposed to be mad. I forget that I'm supposed to be anything other than his.
"You are so lucky I lov…" I snap my mouth closed, eyes wide as I realize what I almost said. I'm in love with him. Crap. How, in God's name, did I fall for someone even more overprotective than my brother? I don't know, but here I am anyway. Head over heels for a crazy man.
"Say it," he growls, rising to his feet.
Part of me wants to refuse just because I'm stubborn and I never do what I'm told. But he's not demanding. He's pleading with me, begging me to say the words and release him from the bonds he's tied himself into to keep himself moving at my pace.
I don't refuse him. How can I?
"You are so lucky I love you," I say, my voice shaking. "Otherwise, I'd be kicking your a—"
That's as far as I get before he launches himself at me. My back lands against a row of lockers as his lips crash down on mine. He kisses me until I can't breathe, running his hands all over my body. He sets me ablaze, igniting me like a supernova.
"It's about goddamn time, Dimples," he growls against my lips.
I smile, beaming like the sun. "Take me home before I change my mind, Noah."
Chapter Ten
Noah
I don't remember the drive to the house. All I can think about is the woman sitting beside me. The one who just told me that she's in love with me. Fuck, I'd hoped. And prayed. But I didn't think I stood a chance in hell of hearing those words from her perfect lips anytime soon.
Being wrong has never felt so right.
She's in love with me. She's mine.
Fucking finally.
As soon as we pull into the driveway, she bounces out of the truck like a spring. I catch her on the front porch, crowding her up against the wall.
"You trying to get away from me, Dimples?"
"No. I'm trying to get you naked, Noah." She shoots me a cheeky grin. "I want to see this tattoo of yours."
I chuckle, tipping her face up to mine to kiss her. "Maybe I'll let you see it."
She hums against my lips as I press her back against the wall, pressing my dick against her belly. She trembles, moaning my name when she feels it.
"You keep making that sound, we aren't going to make it inside, Aspen."
She moans again, fucking with me this time.
I nip her bottom lip and then scoop her up into my arms. She immediately wraps her legs around my waist, planting her lips against the side of my throat. I growl, palming her ass as I fight to keep us upright and get the key into the lock at the same time.
"You're making it damn hard to concentrate over here."
"Good," she hums against my skin, dragging her teeth down the tendon in my neck.
I growl, nearly ripping the fucking door off the hinges in my haste to get her through it. It slams behind us. I pause long enough to lock it and then charge for the bedroom.
Her teeth close around the shell of my ear, delivering a stinging bite.