from yelling. “You know what I’m asking.”
She sighed long enough and loud enough to make him think she was going to evade the question. Again.
“I can spell it out if you want me to,” he added.
“We work together,” she said in a terse, clipped voice.
“You and William?”
“Yes.”
“At your marketing firm?”
“You’re even slower after sex.”
“Hell, a few more times and I’ll talk backwards.”
The rich, warm sound of her laughter filled the early morning. “The things you say.”
“Don’t evade the topic.”
“Noah, you’ve got it all wrong about William and my feelings for him. There’s nothing romantic going on. I hired him to come aboard and take over some extra work for me.”
“So you’re not—”
“Extras like Stuart Enterprises.”
Noah sat up and took her with him. “You handle the company’s work.”
“For now.”
She wasn’t just running away. She was getting lost from him forever. “No fucking way.”
“That’s why he was meeting with Gray. Someone needs to handle the marketing and PR for the expansion.”
With his hands on her shoulders, Noah set her a few inches away from him. “Why didn’t Gray tell me that?”
The sheet she held up to her breasts kept slipping. Most of it was tucked under him, and he had no intention of moving so she would have more for a cover-up.
“You can ask my brother that the next time you see him.”
Damn right he would. “I’m in charge of the expansion.”
“The business end. This is the other end.”
The end he planned to share with Lexy. Which meant she was removing herself from everywhere he would be. Whatever was going on in her head had to do with more than an ex-wife and a few secrets.
“Why the hell are you turning family business over to a complete stranger?”
“My marketing firm has taken off. I have more business than I can handle.”
Since she did not give him eye contact, he assumed she was only telling half of the story. The less annoying half. “But that’s not the only reason. Me. I’m the problem with you continuing to work at the company.”
She exhaled for what felt like forever. “Yes.”
“For God sake’s, Lexy. Why?”
“It’s time to move on.”
The woman would be the death of him. It was only a question of which would give out first, his mind or his body. “All of this is because I didn’t explain that I was married ten years ago to a woman who ceased to matter long before you and I even met?”
She plucked at the sheet. “That’s only a little piece.”
Her continued refusal to look at him ratcheted his anger up a notch. He lifted her chin so he could see those big green eyes. “I didn’t get it then. I don’t get it now, Lexy.”
“I know.”
That was it. No further explanation. He kept trying and she kept cutting him off.
“What about us? We’re good together.”
“It’s just sex.”
She kept pushing and pushing. “Stop saying that.”
“Fine, but the point is the same.”
“Funny but what happened in this bed felt like more than just two people getting hot and sweaty.” It sure as hell meant more to him.
“To you.”
Her swings kept getting lower. “Then I guess you were just keeping me quiet.”
That stubborn chin of hers inched up. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“So it’s just a coincidence that when I brought up Henderson’s name—a subject you wanted to avoid—you stuck your tongue in my mouth.”
“There’s no need to be vulgar.”
“That’s who I am. That’s part of the past you’re so damned determined to drag out and discuss.”
She slapped her hand against the sheets. “Would it kill you to open up to me?”
“I could ask the same of you.”
Her shoulders tensed. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. As usual.”
“Think back to last night. I walked into your room and found a dead guy in a puddle of blood on the floor. Turns out, you know this dead guy and had a tense chat with him just a few hours
She sighed long enough and loud enough to make him think she was going to evade the question. Again.
“I can spell it out if you want me to,” he added.
“We work together,” she said in a terse, clipped voice.
“You and William?”
“Yes.”
“At your marketing firm?”
“You’re even slower after sex.”
“Hell, a few more times and I’ll talk backwards.”
The rich, warm sound of her laughter filled the early morning. “The things you say.”
“Don’t evade the topic.”
“Noah, you’ve got it all wrong about William and my feelings for him. There’s nothing romantic going on. I hired him to come aboard and take over some extra work for me.”
“So you’re not—”
“Extras like Stuart Enterprises.”
Noah sat up and took her with him. “You handle the company’s work.”
“For now.”
She wasn’t just running away. She was getting lost from him forever. “No fucking way.”
“That’s why he was meeting with Gray. Someone needs to handle the marketing and PR for the expansion.”
With his hands on her shoulders, Noah set her a few inches away from him. “Why didn’t Gray tell me that?”
The sheet she held up to her breasts kept slipping. Most of it was tucked under him, and he had no intention of moving so she would have more for a cover-up.
“You can ask my brother that the next time you see him.”
Damn right he would. “I’m in charge of the expansion.”
“The business end. This is the other end.”
The end he planned to share with Lexy. Which meant she was removing herself from everywhere he would be. Whatever was going on in her head had to do with more than an ex-wife and a few secrets.
“Why the hell are you turning family business over to a complete stranger?”
“My marketing firm has taken off. I have more business than I can handle.”
Since she did not give him eye contact, he assumed she was only telling half of the story. The less annoying half. “But that’s not the only reason. Me. I’m the problem with you continuing to work at the company.”
She exhaled for what felt like forever. “Yes.”
“For God sake’s, Lexy. Why?”
“It’s time to move on.”
The woman would be the death of him. It was only a question of which would give out first, his mind or his body. “All of this is because I didn’t explain that I was married ten years ago to a woman who ceased to matter long before you and I even met?”
She plucked at the sheet. “That’s only a little piece.”
Her continued refusal to look at him ratcheted his anger up a notch. He lifted her chin so he could see those big green eyes. “I didn’t get it then. I don’t get it now, Lexy.”
“I know.”
That was it. No further explanation. He kept trying and she kept cutting him off.
“What about us? We’re good together.”
“It’s just sex.”
She kept pushing and pushing. “Stop saying that.”
“Fine, but the point is the same.”
“Funny but what happened in this bed felt like more than just two people getting hot and sweaty.” It sure as hell meant more to him.
“To you.”
Her swings kept getting lower. “Then I guess you were just keeping me quiet.”
That stubborn chin of hers inched up. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“So it’s just a coincidence that when I brought up Henderson’s name—a subject you wanted to avoid—you stuck your tongue in my mouth.”
“There’s no need to be vulgar.”
“That’s who I am. That’s part of the past you’re so damned determined to drag out and discuss.”
She slapped her hand against the sheets. “Would it kill you to open up to me?”
“I could ask the same of you.”
Her shoulders tensed. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. As usual.”
“Think back to last night. I walked into your room and found a dead guy in a puddle of blood on the floor. Turns out, you know this dead guy and had a tense chat with him just a few hours
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