“Not yet.” He turned her around. Kept his grip on her right hand. “I need to know that you’re okay.”
The laughter that escaped from her held a ragged edge. “Okay doesn’t quite describe me right now.” She was too raw for okay.
“I didn’t want him near you.”
She shook her head. “Austin has never hurt me.”
His eyes flickered. “He said he tried to give you money.”
“He came to see me when I was in the hospital after my—” Say it. “After my suicide attempt. He wanted to give me money to leave town.” She could still see the stark expression on his face. He’d been so pale and shaken. “But taking money from his family, I-I couldn’t do it. I didn’t want anything from them.”
I just wanted to get away.
“Don’t see him again, Claire. Promise me.”
“He’s not a threat to me—”
He put his forehead against hers. “I don’t trust him, and I want you to stay away from the guy. And when I find out who let him up here, that jerk is done.”
Claire put her left hand on his chest. “I don’t like games.”
His head lifted. His gaze gleamed.
“You should’ve told me what you had planned. I nearly passed out when you announced to those people that we were getting married.” She pushed against his chest. She needed some space between them. Talking was too hard when he was that close. Her body was hyper-aware of him. Too attuned.
Too weak where he was concerned.
“I was afraid you’d say no,” Noah admitted, and his words had her stilling. “If you knew what I wanted to do…”
She knew exactly what he wanted to do now. “You think this killer is fixated on me, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
At least he wasn’t trying to deceive her anymore.
“He’s picking off the people who’ve hurt me.” She’d pieced this together. “And he wanted to eliminate you—”
“Because I’m standing between him and you.”
Her voice lowered as she said, “You just put a big target on yourself. Didn’t I tell you…I don’t want you dying for me?”
“I’m not, but I’m also not going to just wait for the bastard to strike again. I pushed him, so now he’ll push back. I’ll be ready.”
She was afraid he wouldn’t be. “We don’t know anything about this guy.”
“Not true. He’s good with demolitions, he uses a silencer when he hunts—”
Her brows climbed.
“He has to use the silencer because no one reported hearing gunshots.”
“You keep saying ‘he’—”
“A man called me. A man is focused on you.” His pupils seemed to swallow the gold of his eyes. “He wants you, and he thinks that he is going to take you from me.”
“So you decided to publicly tell the world that I was yours.” The anger and fear twisted inside of her. “My life, Noah. You shouldn’t have pulled this stunt without telling me first.”
“I’m trying to let you have a life!” Noah snarled back.
His anger had her tensing. Noah had never really been angry with her before.
But he sure seemed furious then.
“I don’t want you always looking over your shoulder. I don’t want you wondering who is watching you or what some sick freak might do next to you. I want you to be free.” A muscle flexed in his jaw. “And no matter what I have to do, I will get you that freedom.”
Then he caught her chin. He tipped her head back, and his mouth crashed down on hers.
***
Drake escorted Austin Harrison out the back of the Towers. He stopped under a streetlight and jerked the guy close as he warned, “Don’t forget what Noah told you. Stay away from Claire.”
Austin nodded. “I’m done,” he muttered.
“You’d better be.” Drake shoved him away.
Austin straightened his suit. Fumbled in his pockets. Hesitated.
Does he want an ass-kicking?
“Why were you at the funeral?” Austin asked him.
“Let’s just say it was a pit-stop for me.”
Austin stared down at the ground. “If he hadn’t died, Ethan would just have come after her again.”
Drake tensed.
“He would have kept coming. He had pictures of her that he kept in his cell. He wouldn’t have stopped. Not until Claire was dead.” He swiped his hand over his face. “I knew that, and this time, I had to stop him.”
Was the guy making a confession?
“I should’ve done it sooner.” Austin turned away. Began to walk into the darkness of the night. “But it’s hard to send your own brother to hell.”
***
He had his hands on her, but Noah couldn’t shake the feeling that Claire was about to slip right out of his fingers. She was kissing him back, her mouth moving so perfectly beneath his, the taste of champagne on his tongue.
Don’t leave me.
The kiss became harder, rougher. His hands curled around her hips, and he pulled her forward. His c**k shoved against the front of his pants. Just one kiss from Claire, and he was hard and swollen. Aching. He remembered the feel of her silken mouth on his cock. The way she’d licked him. Sucked him.
His fingers slid down, and he found the slit in her dress. He put his hand on her thigh. No stockings for Claire. Just silken, golden skin. He parted that slit a little more and his hand rose. He touched the light scrap of lace that shielded her sex.
She was wet for him.
We touch, we kiss, and we ignite.
At least he wasn’t the only one addicted. For them, it worked both ways.
His mouth pulled from hers. He stared into her eyes. “I want to f**k you.”
“Th-they’re waiting…”
“Let them wait.” He jerked on the panties, hard, and they tore. He needed her. There. Right there.
No foreplay. No sensual build-up to release.
He had to take her.
He would. He freed his cock. The damn thing sprang forward, so eager for her that moisture already beaded the tip.
He lifted Claire up. She had on her heels. Those incredibly sexy heels. He held her easily.
And he drove into her as deeply as he could.
You’re mine, Claire. I’m not letting you go.
She thought the engagement was fake.
He withdrew. Thrust deep.
She didn’t realize…
I did it so you’d be tied to me.
The sound of her moans filled his ears. Her sex was a tight, hot paradise around his cock. Squeezing him. Driving him out of his mind.