It was becoming frustrating. Alexis wanted Noah to be a part of it. But, she was wary to demand it.
Noah seemed different during those sessions. Almost detached and yet completely focused on her reactions to the other two men.
She didn’t understand it. For that matter, she didn’t really understand the dynamics of this kind of relationship.
She did look forward to the Fridays when Mason and Logan joined them. It had become like a drug in her system, one that needed to be fed on a regular basis.
The sensations they elicited, floored her every time. She was left boneless and on a cloud of euphoria that took hours to come down from afterwards. But, she loved it; especially when Noah cuddled and caressed her afterward to settle her raging hormones.
And yet, Noah never partook in a threesome with her. It worried her, and she had no idea how to approach the subject with him.
“Just man up, Alexis and ask him outright. Maybe that’s what he’s waiting for.”
Alexis was listless and paced the small sitting room in her cottage which was nice and toasty with the fire raging in the fireplace.
Noah, Mason and Logan were away on business in Los Angeles. They had been for the past week and the days had ebbed by slower than treacle.
It was strange how quickly packing up and driving to Noah’s lodge on a Friday after work had become a habit. Now, it was six in the evening and for the first time since she’d arrived at Silverstone, she felt lost.
“Well, I guess it’s time for a bit of a sugar rush,” she muttered to herself and placed a bag of corn kernels in the microwave. She hummed the tune, ‘Stuck on you’ , that had been running through her mind the past two days while she prepared the sticky caramel for the popcorn.
She plunked down in the sofa and kicked off her pumps to curl her legs underneath her.
“Hmm . . . if this is what heaven is like, I don't mind dying,” she moaned almost in ecstasy as she popped the first handful of sticky popcorn in her mouth.
The television was on an entertainment channel and she watched it with disinterest.
“I miss him.”
She stopped chewing as the reality of her words infiltrated her mind.
“Oh god. I do miss him. So much!”
Alexis was floored as she chomped away. It felt like she was swirling under an emotional hurricane. On the surface she’d been joking and laughing the entire week, while deep inside, all she’d wanted was to be with Noah; to touch him, to feel him. She shivered, feeling like she was being pulled into a vortex.
She’d warned Noah that she didn’t believe in love. Until now; right this very minute when the realization sank in. The feeling she had for Noah was different. It was, in a way, similar to what she felt for Rachel and Shanna, just stronger, more intense . . . completely encompassing.
“Oh lord! Is this it? Do I love Noah?” Her voice croaked hoarsely above the crackling of the fire in the background. She put the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table and leaned back against the sofa. “God, how do I know if this is the real thing?” She ran her hand through her long hair. “Worse, what if he doesn’t feel the same way? What if I’m nothing more than a good fuck and partner to play with his mates?”
Alexis hated the insecurity. Love shouldn’t do that. It should make you feel wanted, safe and secure, not . . .
The screen on the television changed to a gala being held at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills. What caught her attention were the three tall men dressed in black tuxedos. They stood out above all those around them with their larger than life presence. Not to mention how mouthwatering they looked in their suits.
Alexis caught her breath when she noticed the three women who were draped around them. Noah, included. Her heart sank. Noah—the bastard, had his arm around the tall blonde’s waist as he leaned closer to listen to what she whispered in his ear. He laughed. Alexis watched in misery as the woman pulled his head to hers.
The kiss they shared was heated and anything but timid.
And it broke Alexis’ heart.
Hours later she unfolded her legs from under her, not having realized that she hadn’t moved and still sat staring blindly at the television. She bit into her lip, forcing the tears back that still threatened to fall.
She switched off the television, threw the leftover popcorn in the trash and headed for the bathroom. She stood under the scalding water for a long time, fighting the despair that threatened to drown her in a pool of darkness.
“That’s why I don’t believe in love. I should’ve remembered. I should’ve remembered the lesson my mother and father taught me.”
Her father’s words came back to haunt her now.
“No one is worth your tears, Alexis and do you know why? Because no one will ever cry over you. You’re a useless female with nothing to offer.”
She’d calmed down somewhat by the time she climbed in bed with a cup of tea. Her cell phone began ringing.
She took a sip of her tea and ignored the continuous ringing. She knew who it was. Noah always phoned her at eleven.
“I suppose he slipped away to a quiet corner. The fucking audacity! To even bother phoning me.”
The ringing stopped, and she glanced at the screen. Four missed calls. All from Noah. His name flashed across the screen as the phone rang again.
Alexis finished her tea and settled into bed after switching off the light. When the phone rang for the fifth time, she answered.
“Yes, Alexis speaking.”
“Where the hell have you been?” Noah bellowed in her ear.
Alexis tried to remain composed but was flabbergasted when just hearing his voice, elicited a torrent of tears to finally spill from her glassy eyes. She swallowed and blinked furiously.
“It’s none of your business, Noah. I’m trying to sleep. Please stop bothering me.”
“What the fuck is going on? Alexis! Alexis—”
She ended the call and immediately switched off the phone. Tears fell unchecked down her cheeks.
“Nothing is going on, Noah,” she whispered in the dark. “Not anymore. I should’ve known better and now that I do, I’ll . . . I’ll . . .”
She choked on her words as sobs racked her body. She curled into a ball and for the first time in her adult life, she cried herself to sleep.
Chapter Ten
“I was thinking along the lines of romantic fables. Cinderella, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, you know that kind of thing.”
Jason Keanz’s voice yanked Alexis’ attention back to him. She’d been relieved when Bill had finally managed to secure a meeting with the movie director, scheduled for Tuesday morning. They took the red-eye to Los Angeles. She was gone by the time Noah returned and came looking for her on Tuesday morning.
He’d continuously tried to contact her for the past three days and she’d dogmatically ignored every phone call.
“I love the sound of that. So, what do you propose? We do short fables on the snowy slopes, in and around the resort?” Bill asked when he noticed how distracted Alexis appeared.
She noticed his concerned look and made an effort to pull her mind out of the maelstrom it had been engulfed in since Friday.
Accept it, Alexis. You were a plaything to Noah and that’s it. Either live with it, or walk away.
Well, that was easier said than done, because she’d already made the decision to walk away in the early hours of Saturday morning. It was obviously taking her heart a little longer to catch up with reality.
She just hadn’t had the strength to contemplate exactly what such a step would mean for her career. She loved this job and the thought that she might have to walk away from it because of her own stupidity made her feel even more depressed.
“I just finished a project and the timing is perfect. At the same time, I can relax and enjoy the beauty of your resort. I need a little break, according to my wife,” Jason said with a wink.
“The sooner the better,” Alexis agreed as they shook hands. She was re
lieved that Jason was so accommodating and understanding. “Thank you for accommodating us. I’ll contact you by Friday to finalize the arrangements. Does that offer you adequate time to set up the cast?”
“More than enough time. Eleanor is one of the most efficient assistants I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.”
His assistant blushed in obvious pleasure and accompanied them to the lobby.
“We will keep the cast limited to five or six and use them in different roles in the fables. Makeup and clothing also make a huge difference in how the actors look on camera,” Eleanor explained in answer to a question from Bill.
“Please confirm the final number as soon as possible. We’re fully booked this time of year and will need to plan very carefully not to have double bookings.”
Bill was taking note of what was needed to be done before the filming could begin as they walked out of the building.
“Do you think we’ll have spare rooms for the entire crew, Bill? And we’ll be needing the Royal or the Presidential suite for Jason,” Alexis said, scrolling through her iPad as she walked, checking the bookings register.
“Leave it to me, Alexis. I’ll sort that out. You just concentrate on . . . oh, Mr. Harris? I didn’t notice—”
“Bill,” Noah acknowledged gruffly. His hand clamped around Alexis elbow. He led her toward the limousine parked at the curb. “Ms. Moore is coming with me. I’m sure you can find your way back to the airport?”
“Ehm . . . sure thing, Mr. Harris,” Bill responded. “I’ll see you in the morning, Alexis.”
He walked away with his usual swinging step. The moment his back was turned, Alexis began to struggle.
“Let go of me,” she sneered through thin lips but avoided looking into his eyes that were as hard as diamonds from the brief glance she’d given him.
She was shocked to find him there and battled to keep her emotions locked inside her cold heart which seemed to be beating a mile a minute.
“Get in, Alexis.” His hand tightened around her arm when she tried to wrestle out of his grasp. He yanked her against him, which forced her chin up.
Her gasp was audible in the thin air. He looked furious. His eyes were narrowed, cold and hard—so far removed from the warm chocolate color she’d come to love.
“You are coming with us, Alexis. So, we can do this in two ways. Either you get in that limo on your own accord, or I will pick you up and throw you inside.” He said with a scowl.
She squared her shoulders.
I’m not the one in the wrong. He will not fucking intimidate me.
“All you had to do was ask, Noah. You don’t have to manhandle me like a caveman that you are.”
Her tone was as frigid as her heart felt, no matter that it was thudding furiously inside her chest. Her anger was slowly unfurling beneath the surface.
His eyes turned a shade darker if that was at all possible and became lethal. The way he looked at her felt piercing.
“Then get in the goddamned limo,” he grated so low, she strained to hear him. It was clear that Noah’s patience was hanging on a very thin threat.
She yanked her arm from his grasp and climbed inside, only to draw a surprised gasp when she encountered the equally aggressive stares of Mason and Logan. She slid into the seat. Neither one bothered to greet her, so she didn’t either. She folded her arms over her chest and stared out of the window as the driver pulled away from the sidewalk.
The silence inside the luxurious limousine was oppressive but at least the trip was a short one. She was surprised when they entered the tarmac and parked next to an impressive private jet. The Silverstone logo was boldly imprinted across the side of the plane.
She’d heard about this luxurious plane but seeing it for the first time, ideas on how to utilize the plane for promotional purposes, flashed through her mind.
Alexis didn’t wait for the driver or Noah to open the door for her and quickly exited the limousine. She was already running up the stairs and had disappeared into the plane by the time the three men followed her.
“She looks pale,” Mason observed.
“Like she hasn’t slept in days,” Logan added with a sideward glance at Noah, “Much like our mate over here.”
“Stop pulling hairs. We’ve wasted enough time by turning back halfway home this morning. Have you managed to postpone the meeting we were supposed to have this morning with the Olympic committee?” Noah barked irritably as he shouldered past the two flight attendants waiting at the door.
“Yeah, but they weren’t happy. It meant postponing their trip back to Switzerland. I offered them free accommodation for the first night’s stay to placate them,” Logan huffed as he took a seat in one of the posh seats.
Noah sat down next to Alexis who was staring out the window and continued to ignore them.
“Buckle up, Alexis. We’re taking off immediately,” he ordered. He watched her comply without a word. He stared intently at her. He hadn’t missed the dark circles under her eyes or the obvious signs of fatigue.
He’d be damned if he knew what was wrong, but he had every intention of finding out before they landed on the resort’s private airstrip.
Noah was still annoyed that he had to resort to threats to find out from her assistant where she was during their flight earlier. It seemed her staff was extremely loyal to her already. Mason and Logan hadn’t blinked or protested when he told them they were turning around. They had been suffering his repressed anger for the past three days. It didn’t bother them because that’s what friends are for. If one needed to vent, the others took the brunt of his anger.
“Come with me,” Noah grated the moment they were in air and the seatbelt lights were switched off. He towered over her, the chilled look in his eyes accompanied by the scowl on his face.
Alexis bit the inside of her lip. It was no use fighting Noah. He meant to have it out with her and nothing would stop him. She just didn’t know if she had the strength to see it through without begging him to kiss her.
That triggered her anger because it also brought forth the memory of the lustful lip lock with the blonde. The fact that she still craved his lips on hers maddened her. It was ludicrous. How could she still desire him while she hated him for his duplicity?
That’s what hurt her most. That he’d managed burrow inside her heart to awaken warmth. And now, she was left with hollowness inside her that she had no idea how to deflect.
Noah ushered her to the back of the plane. It was designed and equipped for long-distance travel with all the perks of luxury. She counted at least five rooms, two lounges with fully stocked bars, a movie theater, and a study with shelves full of books. There were a couple of doors she missed because she was almost running to keep up with his long strides.
He ushered her into a well-equipped bedroom. She immediately moved to the other side of the bed, putting some much-needed distance between them.
“What is going on, Alexis?” Noah finally asked.
She could hear the fatigue in his voice and wondered about it. She snorted to herself.
Silly question. He’d probably been fucking that blonde all this while.
“Luv, talk to me,” he prodded gently behind her, spinning her around to face him. “Jesus, Alexis, you look like death.”
Alexis opened her mouth to inform him bitingly that he didn’t look much better, but the words were caught with his mouth on hers. His hands palmed her cheeks with the gentlest touch as he explored her lips with butterfly kisses.
Her body sighed into his—of its own accord—because Alexis had no intention of letting him pacify her with his lips. But the little pecks turned to deeper, harder ones until finally he dragged her against his chest and kissed her with all the repressed passion and anger he’d suffered the past few days.
Just like he’d kissed the blonde!
“Let me go ,” Alexis snapped, struggling to get away from his hard body that stole away her ability to think clearly.
“Luv,
tell—”
“Don’t you ‘luv’ me, Noah Harris! You lost that privilege when you . . . when you . . .”
Alexis swallowed hard and spun around, trying to hold onto the anger. Now, all she felt was loss and pain.
Noah didn’t move. He stared at her with a deep frown slashing across his forehead.
“When I what, Alexis?” He asked softly but she could hear the warning note vibrate in his guttural tone.
She turned to face him, finally managing to muster some control.
“Did you honestly think I wouldn’t find out, Noah? Or wait, no, it doesn’t really matter, does it. Because we never committed to a relationship. I got the message. I’m just a willing body for a good fuck.”
Noah’s body turned to a statue. His jaw turned rigid and his flashing eyes warned her that he was on the edge of letting loose.
“I have never treated you like a good fuck and you fucking know it . Don’t ever demean me or this relationship by suggesting that. Do I make myself clear, Alexis?”
“As crystal, but it doesn’t matter anymore, because we,” and she pointed between them, “you and I, don’t have a relationship. We never have, Noah and you know that.”
“I do? Funny thing that. Here I was under the impression that we have been building a relationship over the past two months.”
“Which requires trust! And you’ve proven you can’t be trusted,” she finally erupted. Hurt and anger mingled in her violet eyes.
“You better explain, Alexis and no,” he stopped her when she started to march toward the door, “you’re not going anywhere until I know what the fuck this is about.”
“I saw you, Noah, with that blonde; hugging and lip locking in a fucking vulgar display of lust, in public, completely unconcerned!”
Noah’s expression didn’t change but he rocked back on his heels.
“When did this supposed alliance with the blonde happen, if I may ask?” His voice had deepened to a dark undertone that caused her to take a cautionary step back.
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