allow him to do
it, but he felt too good for her to pull away. Her eyes closed and she let
herself sink into his warmth, momentarily taking what he offered, doing her
best to convince herself she did it for Carlos’s sake in case they were being
watched. She ignored the part of her that knew better.
God
help her, she wanted Noah to make her feel safe and protected. Dangerous? Yes.
Went against everything she prided herself in? Yes. Her independence had always
been important. Making her own way was her top priority. She wasn’t ready to
give that up. Not to this man. Not after what he’d done.
“Why
don’t you finish the shower and then get some rest,” Noah suggested, stroking
her back in a slow caress. “You’re going to need it.”
“But—”
“There’s
nothing we can do tonight, Attie. Take your time.” He let her go and stepped
out of the shower, closing the curtain for her privacy.
More
tired than she thought, she quickly slipped out of her clothes, tossed them out
and let the water wash away her tension. Her weakness with Noah concerned her.
Could she forget the past so easily?
Not
seeing him in six months had kept things in perspective. It had been easy to be
angry at him and harbor those feelings of resentment for what he did, but now,
not so much. In fact, it was getting damn difficult. How did she let go of her
resentment? It was as familiar to her as her own hand and the thought of losing
it made her feel vulnerable and scared.
Attie
scowled. She didn’t like where her thoughts were going. Melodrama wasn’t her
thing. She must be more tired than she thought, which presented problem number
two: one bed. She wouldn’t be able to sleep in the same bed as Noah. For two
reasons. One: the kiss. Two: the nightmares.
Carlos
attacked in the night. In six months she hadn’t had a night when she didn’t
have a nightmare that had her waking up in a cold sweat. She slept with a light
on. The dark terrified her now. Evil things lingered in the dark. She didn’t
want Noah to see her like that. She didn’t let anyone see her like that. Not
even Uncle Jed and Brendan. Noah knew her as an agent and she wanted to keep it
that way. All business. Professional. Just like before.
She
knew, even though she tried to deny it, that it wasn’t going to work. Not after
what they’d shared last night. Nothing was going to be the same again. Too much
lay between them. The past, the present. The kiss.
Attie
sighed and turned off the water. When had this gotten so complicated? It had
never been simple between her and Noah, but this…this tied her in knots. Throw
in Carlos and fear for her brother’s safety and she was borderline certifiable.
Stepping
out of the shower she wrapped in a towel and walked into the bedroom to find
Noah stretched out on the bed, fully clothed, his hands stacked behind his
head. He had changed into a pair of tailored slacks and designer shirt, open at
the neck.
Her
steps faltered. God help her. This wasn’t the man she knew. This was insight
into the man, not the agent. Images of him in their bedroom, lounging in bed in
civilian clothes and waiting for her, wanting her, filled her head. It made her
want things she couldn’t have. Any possibility of a future together had been
destroyed, and they weren’t getting it back.
He
glanced over when she walked in. His eyes did a slow perusal from head to foot
before meeting hers. The heat she saw simmering there made her breath hitch.
Then she remembered they were putting on a show for Carlos’s sake and it cooled
her hormones instantly. How were they going to pull this off? Somehow, they had
to convince Carlos that they were spending the night together. With Noah
stretched out on the bed like that, limiting it to pretend would be difficult.
Stopping
that train of thought before it began, Attie walked to the closet and opened
the doors. She pulled a light blue dress shirt off a hanger and returned to the
bathroom, ignoring Noah’s quirked
it, but he felt too good for her to pull away. Her eyes closed and she let
herself sink into his warmth, momentarily taking what he offered, doing her
best to convince herself she did it for Carlos’s sake in case they were being
watched. She ignored the part of her that knew better.
God
help her, she wanted Noah to make her feel safe and protected. Dangerous? Yes.
Went against everything she prided herself in? Yes. Her independence had always
been important. Making her own way was her top priority. She wasn’t ready to
give that up. Not to this man. Not after what he’d done.
“Why
don’t you finish the shower and then get some rest,” Noah suggested, stroking
her back in a slow caress. “You’re going to need it.”
“But—”
“There’s
nothing we can do tonight, Attie. Take your time.” He let her go and stepped
out of the shower, closing the curtain for her privacy.
More
tired than she thought, she quickly slipped out of her clothes, tossed them out
and let the water wash away her tension. Her weakness with Noah concerned her.
Could she forget the past so easily?
Not
seeing him in six months had kept things in perspective. It had been easy to be
angry at him and harbor those feelings of resentment for what he did, but now,
not so much. In fact, it was getting damn difficult. How did she let go of her
resentment? It was as familiar to her as her own hand and the thought of losing
it made her feel vulnerable and scared.
Attie
scowled. She didn’t like where her thoughts were going. Melodrama wasn’t her
thing. She must be more tired than she thought, which presented problem number
two: one bed. She wouldn’t be able to sleep in the same bed as Noah. For two
reasons. One: the kiss. Two: the nightmares.
Carlos
attacked in the night. In six months she hadn’t had a night when she didn’t
have a nightmare that had her waking up in a cold sweat. She slept with a light
on. The dark terrified her now. Evil things lingered in the dark. She didn’t
want Noah to see her like that. She didn’t let anyone see her like that. Not
even Uncle Jed and Brendan. Noah knew her as an agent and she wanted to keep it
that way. All business. Professional. Just like before.
She
knew, even though she tried to deny it, that it wasn’t going to work. Not after
what they’d shared last night. Nothing was going to be the same again. Too much
lay between them. The past, the present. The kiss.
Attie
sighed and turned off the water. When had this gotten so complicated? It had
never been simple between her and Noah, but this…this tied her in knots. Throw
in Carlos and fear for her brother’s safety and she was borderline certifiable.
Stepping
out of the shower she wrapped in a towel and walked into the bedroom to find
Noah stretched out on the bed, fully clothed, his hands stacked behind his
head. He had changed into a pair of tailored slacks and designer shirt, open at
the neck.
Her
steps faltered. God help her. This wasn’t the man she knew. This was insight
into the man, not the agent. Images of him in their bedroom, lounging in bed in
civilian clothes and waiting for her, wanting her, filled her head. It made her
want things she couldn’t have. Any possibility of a future together had been
destroyed, and they weren’t getting it back.
He
glanced over when she walked in. His eyes did a slow perusal from head to foot
before meeting hers. The heat she saw simmering there made her breath hitch.
Then she remembered they were putting on a show for Carlos’s sake and it cooled
her hormones instantly. How were they going to pull this off? Somehow, they had
to convince Carlos that they were spending the night together. With Noah
stretched out on the bed like that, limiting it to pretend would be difficult.
Stopping
that train of thought before it began, Attie walked to the closet and opened
the doors. She pulled a light blue dress shirt off a hanger and returned to the
bathroom, ignoring Noah’s quirked
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