In a rash move, I slam my hands on the steering wheel, letting out a frustrated roar. Overwhelmed by the complexity of her constant mood shifts, I decide I have to do what’s best for me in this situation.
Confrontation.
I need to find her right now.
NOAH
I turn on my GPS and drive myself to Sc
arlett’s office. I have no idea what I’m going to say. Battling the traffic only elevates my already irritated mood. There’s an endless sight of brake lights and equally frustrated commuters getting nowhere.
Inside my head, I’m talking like a madman, airing my frustrations with no conclusion. I almost miss the off-ramp, swerving the car last minute with a bunch of drivers releasing their horn at my reckless driving. Finally, I reach the office at the exact time we’re supposed to meet at the restaurant.
Driving the car close to the building, I park behind another sedan and place my sunglasses on, disguising my face and lowering my body incognito.
In my entire life, I’ve never been on a stakeout, except for every Christmas up until I was ten where I’d wait for Santa to arrive who obviously turned out to be my mom.
For ten minutes, I wait until I see Morgan carrying a bag and her laptop toward a white Mercedes. She doesn’t see me and dawdles as if she has nowhere to be. She’s dressed fancy today, wearing an ivory pencil dress that stops just below her knees. Around her waist is a skinny black belt, accentuating her attractive curves.
You’re not thinking clearly. Stop looking at her damn clothes and focus on HER!
I open the door to my car, marching toward hers at a fast pace. “Morgan,” I call out stupidly.
She turns around abruptly, shocked at the sight of me. Pursing her lips, and relaxing her worried frown only minutely, she stumbles out, “Wh… what are you doing here?”
“Why did you cancel our meeting?” My voice is filled with malice and judgment.
“I have another commitment that came up…” she says, uncertain, adjusting her posture and straightening her back. “You can’t just turn up here. It’s very unprofessional, Mr. Mason.”
“Why are you calling me, Mr. Mason? I don’t understand.” I raise my voice above my normal level, unable to control the anger that’s built up on the drive over here. I run my hands through my hair—something I do when I’m frustrated and want to shout at someone.
“I need to go.” She opens the car door, and I grip her arm, perhaps a bit too tight. She stills, unwillingly making eye contact with me. Her chest rises and falls, and somewhere beneath this tough exterior of hers, I know my presence is doing something to her. I just need to find out what.
“Noah,” she speaks, in a calmer, more pleasant tone. “I really need to be somewhere.”
I let go and stand close, obstructing her way. A wave of insecurity almost knocks me down, the emotion crushing my ability to think straight.
“Is that somewhere another man?” I blurt out of nowhere.
What the fuck, Noah? Is that what this is? Jealousy?
Pausing and turning my way, her eyes plead with me to back off. “No, but please… I need to go. I’ll text you tonight with somewhere we can meet up tomorrow. Scarlett’s back, so maybe we can meet at her place,” she says, defeated.
Scarlett. How easily I forgot about the real reason behind all of this.
And as if her personality has different buttons, her face contorts into a bitter stare. “Isn’t that who you’re after? Scarlett Winters… the movie star?”
My grip on her arm is tight.
Like she’s my possession.
The wicked bitch from the West.
I release my grip, instantly pleasing her. With my hand free, I raise it to her chin and pull it closer to me, slowly twisting as I caress her face with merely one stroke. Behind all the animosity, her eyes reflect defeat. And with the gentle rise and fall of her chest beating against mine, my chest tightens, restricting my breathing. Yet, even without releasing a breath, the excitement streams through my veins and settles in the pit of my stomach.
This mad, sexual, tormented feeling pushes me to inch my mouth closer to hers until I feel her warm breath against my lips. “I want a lot of things, Morgan. I’m selfish that way.”
I could take her right now. Spread her legs and push her against the car. My mind is conjuring up a million different ways I can fuck her, yet I’m brutally interrupted when she shoves my chest in the opposite direction creating distance between us.