“What can I do?” Thomas knew the words sounded like little more than a growl, but his rage was too strong for anything else. “Tell me how to help you.”
She shook her head and tried to pull away.
He just held her tighter, and he kissed her other cheek. Crying had always made him uncomfortable. Truth be told, emotion made him uncomfortable, but with Noelle, everything was different. Her hurt seemed to be his. He felt it slicing through him like a knife.
“I’ve seen men like him before.” Her voice was soft. Husky with pain. “I’ve brought them in for the FBI. I’ve seen the broken victims left in their wake.” She swallowed and whispered, “Now I’m one of them.”
“No.” A sharp comeback. “There is nothing broken about you. You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met.”
She blinked up at him. Her eyes were so gorgeous, even glistening with tears. Hell, maybe they were more gorgeous that way. Did she have any clue she was bringing him to his knees? “You got away,” he told her, fighting to keep his hold light on her. “You got away, and you were the one who finally brought down this jerk.”
“The EOD—”
“We couldn’t have done this without you, and you know it. It’s not about being a victim. It’s about being a survivor. Survivors are the brave ones. The powerful ones. That’s you, baby. Through and through.” He had to kiss her, so he did. Thomas lowered his head, and his lips brushed against hers. He’d meant for the kiss to be easy. Light.
At first, it was.
Her hands rose and curled around his shoulders. She pulled him closer and kissed him harder.
And the desire he felt for her raged hotter.
In an instant, the kiss wasn’t about comforting her. It wasn’t about taking away her pain. It was just about them. The consuming need they felt for each other.
He locked her against his body, holding her flush against him. She had to feel his desire, because there was certainly no hiding it.
Then she—
Pulled away.
Thomas sucked in a hard breath and clenched his hands into fists. Noelle didn’t look at him as she backed off, putting a careful distance between them.
“Noelle...”
She jerked at his voice.
He frowned at her, then he remembered all of the things Patrick had said. Things he’d feared the man would say. Because he and Patrick Porter... Their paths had crossed before. Only back then, the man had been using an alias.
So had Thomas.
“It’s not true,” he told her. He needed her to look at him. Hell, he needed her back in his arms.
“I don’t want to be here,” Noelle said, her voice still whisper soft. She stalked for the door. Before she could leave, his hand flew out, and he shoved the wooden door closed.
“It’s not true,” he said once more.
Her head turned. Her eyes met his. She wasn’t crying anymore, but there were secrets in her gaze. Thomas was pretty sure he’d sell his soul if it meant he could learn what they were.
“I didn’t do anything to hurt you all those years ago, I swear.” He had to make her believe that. It was so important she trust him.
Noelle blinked. Then she smiled. A slow smile that made him ache. Her hand rose and touched his cheek. “Oh, Thomas, I know that. You saved me then. I didn’t doubt that truth for an instant.”
For a moment, he was the one who couldn’t speak. Her faith in him seemed so strong. Staggering. No one had ever believed in him the way she did. “I—” He broke off, cleared his throat and tried again. “I need you to know that I have met that man before.”
He felt the tension that hardened her body. “When?”
Aw, damn, this was going to hurt the most. “When I was working undercover in Alabama.” So long ago. “I got the intel I needed on that group, and the EOD stormed in, but before I did...I had to pass
the group’s initiation.”