A lump rose in her throat, and it took Claire two attempts to actually speak. “I screamed for you,” she whispered, not wanting anyone but him to hear her words. “I-I…never expected that.”
“Then why leave me?” His words were harder. Sharper.
Claire squared her shoulders. Her bag was at her feet. “Because you don’t fuck your employees.”
He kept staring at her.
“You fucked me, so I’m not your employee any longer. I thought it would be…easier…if you came back and I wasn’t there.”
“It wasn’t easy.” He bent and grabbed her bag. “Where the hell were you going?”
“Some place new,” she told him, her voice still soft. “Some place—”
“Where you hoped Harrison wouldn’t find you? Forget him. He’s done. He’ll never bother you again.”
If only she could believe that.
One of his hands easily held her bag while his other hand brushed over her cheek. “Do you seriously not realize just how much power I have? I can bury the man. I will bury him. You don’t have to fear him again.”
Hope was fragile as it tried to rise in her heart. She wanted to believe him but…
We still fucked. Noah had told her that they couldn’t work together if things got personal. She had to move on.
“Do you want to leave me?” Noah asked her as his body seemed to surround hers. “If you do, Claire, if you really want to go, I’ll let you get on my jet, and I’ll have it take you any place you want.” His hand fell from her skin.
I want his touch back.
“But I don’t want you to go.” His voice was a deep rumble. “I want you with me. In my bed. Screaming my name again. One night wasn’t enough for me.”
It hadn’t been enough for her, either.
He stepped back. “Your choice, baby. Always yours. Stay or go, but you won’t get to cut out on me in the middle of the night again. If you stay, then you’re mine.”
“My job—”
“I’ll work it out. I’m the boss, and that means I can do anything.” His eyes glinted. “Even break my own rules. For you…I’d break any rule.”
He lifted his hand. Offered it to her, palm up.
She wanted to take his hand. So badly. So very badly.
“What’s it going to be? Do you want to be with me? Or…”
Are you gone?
The question hung between them.
Claire had no one. Nothing. The clothes in the bag were really Noah’s. If she left, where would she go?
Do I even want to leave him?
Her hand reached for his. His fingers were a little rough, callused on the tips.
She liked the roughness of his hands. She liked to touch him.
“I want to stay with you.”
His fingers curled around hers. “Remember that.” Then he bent and kissed her. She leaned into him, because right then, Claire thought that maybe, just maybe, she could have a chance.
Everyone else could live and love.
Why not her?
***
Noah shut the door of the suite.
I’ve got her. She won’t leave again.
Claire glanced back at him. She tucked a lock of blonde hair behind her ear. Her gaze was nervous. Hesitant.
Did she know just what he wanted to do with her? To her?
Fucking Claire Kramer had been incredible. And he planned to do it again and again.
“I won’t be easy this time.” He felt it was only fair to warn her.
Her eyelids flickered.
She didn’t realize just how furious he’d been when he returned to find her gone. Women didn’t slip away from his bed in the middle of the night, acting as if screwing him was somehow shameful. They stayed. They begged for more. But…
I never want Claire to beg.
He didn’t want her to beg for anything.
“I don’t remember ever asking you to be easy,” Claire said, surprising him. She turned to face him fully. She was wearing a snug pair of jeans and a loose top.
She looked even sexier than she’d been in that black dress.
“It’s going to be hard. It’s going to be fast.” Fair warning, Claire. They were lucky they’d made it up the elevator. He’d thought about taking her there, but then he’d remembered the security cameras installed there. He didn’t want anyone else seeing Claire’s passion. “And it’s going to be right here.”
He yanked his shirt off and tossed it to the floor. His hands went to his belt. To the snap of his jeans.
Claire’s gaze was on his chest. Her blue stare…heated.
His cock jerked, swelling even more as it pushed against the zipper of his jeans.
Claire walked toward him. Her eyes were on his chest. “I wondered…” She licked her lips.
Sweet hell. Lick me.
“I wanted to touch you before,” she confessed.
Wait, hold the hell up. Claire had wanted to touch him? His heart was jack-hammering in his chest.
Her hand rose, hovering above his shoulder. Then, while he barely breathed, her fingers lowered and skimmed over his flesh. Lightly, carefully.
“You’re always so warm.” Her voice was husky. Pure sin. “I like that.” Her fingers slipped down.
His body wasn’t perfect. Far from it. Scars snaked across his chest. Some from wounds he’d gotten while he was enlisted, and the newest came from the attack he’d survived in Chicago.
The world might think he led the easy life.
They thought wrong.
“I knew there was more to you,” Claire said as her head bent. “You’re not just the businessman.”
Hell, no, he wasn’t.
Her lips brushed over the scar on his shoulder. Then the one that was too near his heart. The bullet that had nearly ended him.
His muscles stiffened.
Claire slid down his body. Her mouth skimmed over the scar that wrapped around his side. Then she went even lower.
Her knees dropped to the carpet.
Fuck me.
“Baby, as much as I like where you’re going, I can’t wait.” Her mouth on him…there’d be no control then.
He didn’t want to hurt Claire. He was far too close to the edge.
He pulled her back to her feet. Stripped her in seconds.
“But—”
“Here, Claire. Now.”
Then he put her against the door. “Are you on the pill?”
Claire shook her head.
“Don’t move,” he growled out the order.
She didn’t.
In seconds, he was back. He wanted to go bare with her. To drive deep and feel her hot grip all around him. And he would…
Soon.
But this time, he’d use care.