Mine to Hold (Mine 3)

Noah didn’t plan to let this guy anywhere near Claire. “I’ll be sure and pass that along to her.”

Austin’s jaw hardened. “I’m not like them. I want to make this right.”

“Then walk away from her and never look back.”

Austin blew out a hard breath. Then he turned and stormed for the door. His hand curled around the knob. His shoulders stiffened. “I think it’s my fault.”

Noah slowly uncrossed his arms. “What’s your fault?”

Austin spun back toward him. “Before he died, Ethan said…he told me that I was the one who saw her first. I’d forgotten about that. It was so long ago. Another life.”

Noah advanced on him.

“I must’ve made some comment. Said I was going to ask her out. Ethan was always so competitive with me. I said I liked her, so he had to cut me out. He went after her first.” He gave a miserable shake of his head. “I brought Claire to his attention. He wanted to one up me, and he did it—”

“By taking the girl you wanted.”

“Ethan hated me.” His hands were shaking. “I realized just how much…at the end.”

“The dead can’t hate anymore. They can’t do anything.”

Austin nodded but his shoulders slumped. “I want to tell her myself. Just say how sorry I am.”

“No.”

“Look, I—”

“No one in the Harrison family ever needs to see Claire Kramer again. You say you’re sorry? Then prove it. Stay the hell out of her life. Claire doesn’t need you and she doesn’t need your apologies.”

Austin’s lips pressed into a thin line.

Noah stood toe-to-toe with the man. “Claire isn’t your concern anymore.”

“How do you fit into this?” Austin’s shoulders straightened. “You and Claire are lovers, okay, fine but—”

“Claire is mine.” That was all that needed to be said. “Now, Harrison, seeing as how your business isn’t in New York, I’d advise you to get out of my town.”

Austin held his gaze.

Noah waited. This guy would be leaving town, one way of another.

Then Austin sighed. “Right. No business in New York, and no one left in Alabama. Maybe it’s time for me to try something new.”

“Maybe.” Noah yanked open the door. “But stay away from Claire.”

Austin stepped into the hallway. But he lingered. Lingered. “I guess I had this wrong.”

He sure as fuck had.

“If…if someone is after you and Claire—you protect her, got it?”

A warning, from that jerk?

“I figure she’s been through enough,” Austin whispered, and then he finally walked away.

Noah stared after the guy. Yes, she has. It was time for Claire to know more than just blood and death.

***

Noah York would be a problem.

The man’s guard was up. It wouldn’t be so easy to lure him into another attack.

And Noah would have men watching Claire. Making sure she didn’t slip away.

He thinks Claire is his.

Noah was dead wrong.

An attack would come again. He just had to be careful. Had to wait and plan. Had to draw out his enemy.

And I know just how to do it.

Noah had left loose ends in D.C. Those ends would come back…and bite the guy in the ass.

Chapter Ten

“We’re going out tonight,” Noah said as he strode into Claire’s office.

Claire smoothed her hand over the faint ridge near her hair-line. The stitches had come out yesterday. The doctors had given her the all-clear.

It had been eight days since the bombing.

Eight days during which Noah had treated her as if she were going to shatter if he touched her too hard.

He made love to her each night. Slow, tender sex. His control was always in place. He made sure she came, and then, he found his pleasure.

He held her during the night.

And he had a giant wall between them during the day.

Something had changed. Something was off between them. His stare was too guarded when he looked at her. His voice was too careful.

His touch was too careful.

Is he already finished with me? And he just doesn’t know how to tell me? Maybe her time with him was up.

“There’s a big party tonight in the hotel’s main ballroom—”

“I know,” Claire told him, slightly annoyed. “I’ve been working on details for it most of the week.” Only he hadn’t exactly been around to see that. The guys from Weston Securities weren’t camped out by Noah’s suite any longer, but Claire still had a guard. Drake was the one who tailed her like a shadow during the day. While Noah—she wasn’t sure where he went.

Or what he had been doing.

The party that night was to celebrate the one year anniversary of the opening of the New York branch of York Towers. It was supposed to be an epic event, with all the local power brokers in attendance. Claire had figured she’d be working behind the scenes, and she already had a to-do list that stretched a mile long for—

“You’ll be my date,” Noah said.

Her brows climbed. “Thanks for the invitation.” Yes, her voice had bite. Something is so wrong. He was barely looking at her.

But at her snapped words, his gaze did shoot to her. “I’ll have a dress sent up for you.”

“You already did that, remember?” Claire pushed to her feet. “The first day. You bought me a whole wardrobe. I don’t need anything else.”

“You’ll need this.” He turned away. “Head upstairs. It will be there within the hour.”

What? “Noah, stop.”

Surprisingly, he did. Noah glanced back at her, and, of course, his gaze was guarded. No expression was on his face. She felt like screaming. Instead, Claire managed to semi-calmly ask, “What’s happening?”

“We’re getting ready for a party.”

Her teeth snapped together. “You know what I mean. Things are different between us.” Was it because she’d pushed him to reveal more of his past? Was he trying to shut her out now?

“Nothing has changed.” He turned back for the door.

Liar, liar.

“Are we finished?” The question slipped from her. She’d more than passed his one night limit, so maybe it was time for her to go and he just didn’t know how to tell her because of the train wreck that was her life. But there’d been no more attacks. No more—

“No, Claire,” the words were growled and Noah didn’t look back at her, “we’re far from finished.”

***