by Erika Wilde
Then she remembered nothing else, though those images felt real and familiar. She tried to conjure more recollections, something that would better explain what she’d envisioned, but all she got for her effort was more fragmented pieces to add to the already complex puzzle in her mind.
There was no doubt that she was recalling flashes of her accident, and she couldn’t help but wonder if the man she’d seen at the restaurant had a link to her past somehow. And what if he wasn’t only a part of her nightmare, but was connected to her reality, as well? She desperately wanted to remember details, but a part of her was also afraid of knowing the truth for fear that the sense of security she’d come to know with Noah might shatter, leaving her to flounder all on her own.
Doubts and uncertainties mingled with the other disturbing emotions her dream had evoked, and she huddled beneath the warm weight of the blankets, as if the covers could protect her from the oppressive thoughts and haunting visions tumbling through her head.
Noah shifted beside her, his hand absently sliding across the strip of cool sheet separating them. A frown furrowed his brow, and he blinked his eyes open. His expression relaxed when their gazes met in the shadowed darkness, an intimate, soothing connection that instantly eased the tension from her body.
“Natalie?” he murmured sleepily, and came up on his arm to get a better look at her, which caused the sheet to fall to his waist. He must have sensed her distress, because concern immediately flashed across his expression. “Honey, are you okay?”
The man had the uncanny ability to know when she needed him the most. His presence. His internal strength. And his intuitive ability to calm her when she felt so close to falling apart. “I had a bad dream,” she told him, and heard the quiver in her own voice.
“Want to tell me about it?” he asked.
No, she really didn’t, mainly because there was so much she didn’t understand, and she suspected she’d look like an idiot trying to explain what she, herself, couldn’t make sense of. So, she gave him a brief summary, just enough to satisfy his curiosity. “The only thing I can remember is being chased by a man, and I couldn’t escape him.” And she was so grateful that she’d woken up before he’d captured her, because she didn’t want to think about what fate he might have had in store for her.
Awareness glimmered in his gaze, making her wonder if he knew the significance of her dream. Then he lifted the covers, beckoning her to his side of the bed. “C’mere and let me hold you,” he whispered.
She couldn’t refuse something so elemental, the need to be held and comforted. She scooted over to him, welcoming the shelter of his arms surrounding her. Snuggling close to his warm, naked body, she draped her thigh over his and rested her head on his chest. She inhaled deeply, and the male scent of him soothed her frazzled nerves and relaxed her, as did the absent way his hand stroked along her side and over the curve of her waist.
“Are you sure you’re ready to go back to work tomorrow night?” he asked a few minutes later, his tone low and gruff.
His question didn’t surprise her, because she knew how much he objected to her returning to work so quickly after the accident. She glanced up at him, taking in his gorgeous features, that sexy mouth that could curve into an irresistible grin as well as do incredible, wicked things to her body. “Is there a valid reason why I shouldn’t?”
He looked mildly annoyed with her argument. “You know I think it’s too soon, and after what happened at the restaurant this afternoon with that guy, I’m thinking you might need more time.”
And she’d use that time to sit at home and contemplate what she couldn’t remember. Ugh. “We’ve already talked about this, Noah. I have to go back, for me.” She refused to be a victim to unexplainable fears, and she needed to move forward with her life, despite her memory loss. “I feel good physically, and it’s only for a few hours.”
He sighed, the release of breath ruffling her hair. “You know I had to ask.”
“Yeah, I know.” Stifling a grin, she placed a kiss on his jaw then laid her head back on his chest, amused by his attempt to be gruff when she knew he was as soft as a marshmallow inside. His caring and tender attitude toward her was what she adored about him, despite how overbearing he could be at times. No wonder she’d fallen in love with him and agreed to be his wife.
Love. The word resonated in her chest, filling it full with the rich, precious emotion, along with the security of belonging to someone else.
It was the first time she’d thought of Noah in terms of love since being diagnosed with her amnesia, but the sentiment felt perfectly right, as did being a part of Noah’s life.
She sighed, and cuddled closer, so very grateful that at least her relationship with him, and their future together, was something she could believe in and trust. Grateful, too, that this incredible man made her feel so safe and secure when everything else seemed so muddled and uncertain.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Natalie punched in a new drink order to Murphy behind the bar, then loaded her tray with a fuzzy navel and two bottles of beer to deliver to another table in the establishment. She scooped up a bowl of peanuts and gathered a few extra napkins just as Gina sidled up next to her at the bar to place a drink order of her own.
“You have new customers at table nine and fourteen,” she said, slanting Natalie a quick, attentive glance. “Would you like me to take their orders for you?”
Natalie had only been on her shift for about thirty minutes, but within sixty seconds of working the floor she’d known that she was going to have to prove to her coworker and boss that she was fully capable of handling her job—no coddling necessary. Unfortunately, she hadn’t quite convinced them that she was more than ready to tackle a three-hour shift, and that her partial memory loss wouldn’t affect her getting the job done since she could still recall drink orders.
Topping the fuzzy navel with a garnish, Natalie lifted a brow Gina’s way. “Are you trying to horn in on my tables to make some extra tips tonight?”
Startled by Natalie’s comeback, Gina’s eyes widened. “Oh, no, of course not. I didn’t mean it that way.”
Natalie couldn’t ever remember seeing the fun and frivolous Gina so flustered before. And if everyone didn’t stop being so cautious around her, she was going to scream. “I’m teasing, Gina,” she said with a smile, putting the other woman at ease. “I saw Noah talking to both you and Murphy as I was coming out of the back storage room before starting my shift, and I’m assuming that he was enlisting your help to make sure that I didn’t overdo on my first night back.”
“Among other things,” Gina muttered, then winced. She instantly looked away and busied herself adding an olive to the martini Murphy had put on the pour pad. But not before Natalie had witnessed a glimmer of guilt in the depth of Gina’s expressive eyes, which gave Natalie the distinct impression that her friend was hiding something from her. “What do you mean by that?”
Gina quickly composed herself and shrugged. “It’s hard to blame Noah for being concerned about you. You are his fiancée, after all. It’s sweet and you’re a very lucky girl to have him.”
Natalie heard the wistful quality to Gina’s voice and smiled, though again she got the distinct impression there was more to her friend’s comment than she was catching on to.
“Yeah, I am lucky,” Natalie agreed, unable to deny her feelings for Noah, or how fortunate she was to have him in her life. “And believe it or not, I’m getting used to him being so protective.”
Like tonight, he’d insisted on staying the three hours of her shift, just to be close by, he’d said, though she suspected his motivations ran deeper than the need to be near her. He was still worried about her state of mind, and that she might overexert herself and end up physically and mentally exhausted. Rather than argue, she’d let him win this minor battle, and now he was in the back of the place playing a game of pool with Bobby. The scene felt familiar, comforting even, as if he’d done it many times before.
&nbs
p; “I’m fine, really,” she assured Gina one last time, then picked up her tray of drinks. “I promise I can handle my share of the lounge or I wouldn’t be here. And if it makes you feel any better, if I need help or feel swamped or overwhelmed, I’ll let you know.”
Gina nodded, and softened. “Fair enough.”
“Thank you, though, for being concerned.” Natalie felt equally lucky to have friends who cared about her. “It means a lot to me.”
Before Gina could reply or the discussion turned too maudlin, Natalie left the end of the bar to deliver her drinks. After dropping those off, she headed to table fourteen to greet the three new occupants of the booth and take their order. The trio welcomed her back to Murphy’s and commented that they were glad to see that she was doing so well after the accident. While their faces seemed vaguely familiar, she couldn’t place their names, but assumed they were regulars if they knew so much about her. She smiled and pretended they were old friends, conversing with them openly and easily about mundane things.
And so the evening went, with her working from table to table and keeping busy with the Thursday evening crowd that frequented Murphy’s. She felt energized and invigorated and enjoyed the steady stream of orders that kept her moving and enabled her to shake off the restlessness of the past few days.
She delivered trays of drinks and appetizers and was amazed and touched at just how many people were concerned about her. Some of the customers she recognized, others she had a hard time placing, but she managed to fumble her way through conversations without anyone being the wiser.
During a lull in business near quitting time for her, she made her way back to the gaming area to see if Noah and Bobby needed a refill on anything. Just as she arrived, Noah bent low over the pool table to make a difficult shot, and a keen sense of déjà vu washed over her. Or maybe a real, tangible memory, she realized giddily. Instinctively, she knew she’d seen him in this stance before, could recall admiring him and his firm, muscular backside in soft worn denim.
And it seemed very likely that she might have admired him in such an audacious way. Noah was a sexy, gorgeous man with enough masculine sex appeal to make any woman breathless with wanting him. Except he was all hers, and that knowledge made her tingle with warmth and anticipation of what would happen once he took her home tonight and they were all alone.
But first, she’d up the stakes of his game.
She leaned in next to his side, so close his arousing male scent surrounded her. “Make that shot, and I’ll be your love slave tonight,” she whispered seductively in his ear, just to rattle his composure and test his restraint.
He tipped his head sideways, meeting her gaze. “I’m going to hold you to that promise, sweetheart,” he drawled.
“Oh, I do hope so.” She winked at him. “But first, you have to make the shot.” Challenge issued, she stepped back next to Bobby to give Noah the room to line up his cue.
Most men would have lost their concentration at such a provocative proposition, but Noah didn’t so much as falter as he hit the cue ball, which connected with a red solid, pocketing the billiard ball with precision.
Slowly, he straightened, a lazy, disarming smile curving the corners of his mouth and devilry dancing in his hot blue gaze. “Looks like you’re mine tonight, honey. Are you off the clock yet?”
She laughed as she picked up the empty glasses on a nearby table and wiped down the surface with a damp rag, noticing that Bobby was observing their flirtatious interaction with amusement.
“Feeling a bit impatient to be out of here all of a sudden?” she quipped, a naughty inflection to her voice.
“Damn right,” Noah growled, low and sexy, his hungry eyes watching her as she worked.
She deliberately put an extra sway in her hips just for him. “Well, you’re going to have to hold your horses just a bit longer, lover boy. I’ve got a few more minutes before my shift is over.”
Noah groaned. “You’re lucky I don’t just haul you over my shoulder and carry you out of here, caveman-style.”
“Now, that sounds tempting,” she teased, wondering if he’d truly dare to be so bold, and found herself very excited by the notion of Noah being so sexually aggressive with her.
Putting aside those lustful thoughts, she returned to business, knowing she had a few more customers to attend to before she called it a night. “Any last orders for either of you boys?”
Noah shook his head. “Nothing for me. I had my limit of sodas for the night,” he replied wryly.
“I’m good,” Bobby said, eyeing the balls on the pool table for his shot. “After this game I’m outta here, too.”
“Great.” She turned back to Noah. Her stomach fluttered at the seductive game she’d instigated between them, and at how he might take advantage of his prize. “Give me ten more minutes to finish up with my tables, and I’ll be ready to go.”
With a spring in her step, and a few erotic scenarios of her own tumbling through her mind, she returned to the lounge. The steady stream of people had slowed considerably, and she filled a few last drink orders and cleared off the tables her customers had vacated. She tossed the empty beer bottles in the trash and set the dirty glasses at the end of the bar where Murphy washed them. Finished with her cleanup duties, she glanced around for Gina to let her know that she was on her own for the next hour or so.
The other woman was heading toward her, her own tray filled with empty drink glasses. “I’m getting ready to clock out for the night,” Natalie said. “Can you handle things from here?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” Gina withdrew a folded cocktail napkin from her apron pocket and handed it toward Natalie. “I have a note for you.”
“A note?” Natalie repeated, suddenly feeling wary, though she couldn’t explain why. She hesitated an extra heartbeat, then reached out and took the napkin, though she didn’t immediately open it. “Who is it from?”
“A guy sitting in my section,” Gina replied as she emptied her tray, then glanced back toward the far corner of the bar. “He’s right over there at that booth facing the window…” Her voice trailed off, and she shook her head. “Well, he was sitting at that table. Maybe he went to use the restroom.”
Unease prickled along the back of Natalie’s neck, and though every instinct in her rallied against reading the note, morbid curiosity won over common sense. She opened the napkin, and her gaze scanned the words written in a bold, masculine scrawl: Be more careful of your surroundings. I’m watching you and waiting to make you mine again.
“Oh, God,” she croaked, and immediately dropped the ominous note as if it were toxic. Her entire body shook uncontrollably, the tremors starting deep and working their way up to the surface.
The words be more careful of your surroundings echoed in her mind, and an image of the man at the restaurant saying them formed in her head. Had he followed her here to where she worked? And if so, why?
The questions came fast and furiously, but unfortunately there were no answers. Her head spun, an awful pressure grew in her chest, and an unexplainable fear clawed inside her, as if attempting to break loose. She swayed on her feet, desperately trying to tamp down those alarming emotions, afraid if she dared to set them free they’d strangle her.
“Natalie?” Apprehension laced Gina’s voice, and she grabbed her arm to steady her. “You look like you’re going to pass out!”
Natalie leaned against a bar stool before her legs collapsed and reached for the only lifeline she knew she could count on. The only person who might make sense of what she was experiencing.
“Get me Noah,” she whispered.
* * *
“Noah, Natalie needs you.”
The panic in Gina’s voice snagged Noah’s attention, putting every one of his personal and professional instincts on full alert. Abandoning his casual conversation with Bobby, Noah searched the room for Natalie, until he finally found her sitting at the far end of the bar, her face buried in her hands.
Without hesitatio
n he started after her, with Bobby and Gina following. “What the hell happened?” he demanded, feeling as though a mile separated him from Natalie. He couldn’t seem to get to her fast enough.
“I was waiting on a guy in my section,” Gina said, taking two steps to his every one to keep up with his quick stride. “He seemed nice enough, and he gave me a note to give to Natalie. Whatever it said set her off.”
Shit. “What did he look like?” Without asking, Noah knew who’d sent Natalie the note. But he had to ask Gina, just so both he and Bobby could document the information on an official report.
The quick description she gave him matched Chad Freeman exactly and made Noah’s blood run cold at the thought of how close the other man had been to Natalie…and Noah hadn’t even known. Fuck.
“He was sitting at that far booth facing the window, and after I gave Natalie the note I looked back and he was gone,” Gina explained, the contrition in her voice clear. “I didn’t think anything of it, really. I mean, he knew Natalie’s name, so I automatically thought she knew him.”
As much as the situation made Noah’s gut twist, he couldn’t blame Gina for her actions. If anyone was at fault, it was himself. He was responsible for Natalie; he knew what kind of danger she was in, and it was his job to protect her.
While he’d informed Murphy and Gina of Natalie’s amnesia and the engagement ruse, he hadn’t seen the need to tell them she was being stalked. Not when Noah had been right there in the establishment to make sure she remained safe. Yet the creep had found a way to get to her, anyway. Dammit, he should have stayed up front to be closer to her.
“Maybe he went to the men’s restroom,” Gina suggested in an attempt to smooth things over.
Noah highly doubted that. Most likely, Freeman had hightailed it out of there after asking Gina to deliver the note. As Noah rounded the end of the bar, he exchanged a knowing look with Bobby.