by CM Albert
“And your watchdog doesn’t mind if I take you out on a date tomorrow night?” he growled.
“I make my own decisions, Noah. Pierce and I aren’t exclusive yet.”
“Yet.” Noah gazed down at me. Those eyes. I’d spent so many hours as a kid looking into them. They were wiser now. A little harder, more mature. And somehow, both sexier and softer at the same time. They belonged to a man who knew how to treat a woman. Gone was the uncertain boy who had kissed me that first time.
“Still have your engagement ring?” he asked, smirking.
I swatted him. “You’re awful, Noah Chance.”
“But I think you still like it,” he whispered. “Maybe just a little?”
His head dipped, and before I knew what was happening, my eyes were closing, and I gave my lips over to my childhood crush again, for the first time after eighteen years. He held my head possessively, as if he were afraid to let me go. His tongue swept my lips gently, testing the waters and giving me time to relearn his terrain.
Then he cupped my head tighter and pressed his tongue forward, parting my lips to find my own. The spark was instant and unlike anything we’d felt in that tentative kiss back on Operation Goodbye day. Our tongues explored cautiously at first, finding our pace. I wrapped my arms around his broad back, swooning over the changes in his body. He’d had eighteen years to fill out—and had he ever.
As he tasted me, teased me, I realized how different his kiss was from Pierce’s—they were like night and day. Unfortunately, you need both to make the world go round, and how I would ever choose was beyond me. Where Pierce’s was forged in fire, Noah’s was grounded in sensuality. My Leo and my Taurus.
One of fire, one of earth.
Both with the potential to break my heart.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
PIERCE BARELY LOOKED up when I knocked on his office door.
“Have a minute?” I asked.
He finally put his pen down and sighed, looking up at me. He looked stressed for the first time since I’d met him. He was always nothing less than powerful, confident, and in control. Now, he looked vulnerable, and my heart couldn’t handle the responsibility.
“Did we get the deal?”
I grinned and waved the signed contract in the air.
“I knew you would be a fierce negotiator,” he said, grinning back for the first time. “Come here.”
His command was a question—just like the day he’d asked me to kneel for him on his office floor. I’d submitted then. Would I do it again?
In that moment, with our eyes transfixed on one another, I knew.
I would always go to Pierce Abrams.
I knew it in my bones as I crossed the room to his desk. Noah had a part of my heart, but I was afraid Pierce may’ve captured my entire soul.
I set the contract down in front of him. When he patted his knee, I about lost it. I curled up on his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck. His shoulder was the perfect place for my head, so I let myself sink into his comfort.
“Mine,” he said, low and possessive.
He found my mouth, ravaging it, erasing any trace of Noah from my lips. I whimpered as he shifted me and lifted my skirt so I could straddle his lap. When he looked down, he noticed I was completely bare, having not replaced the underwear he’d confiscated.
“Christ, Brynn. You fucking negotiated a six-figure deal with no underwear on?”
I nodded my head, nipping at his lower lip.
“You know you’re perfect, right?” he growled, freeing himself from his pants. He reached around me and grabbed a condom from his top desk drawer. Guess he knew he would be getting lucky more in the office.
He rolled the condom down with one hand, then held his cock, stroking it along the front of my pussy to wet the tip. “I can’t wait, Brynn.”
“Then don’t,” I said breathlessly, sinking my thighs over his cock and lowering myself to encase him. I stretched to hold him, to take him all the way in. His arms wrapped around me, holding the back of my head possessively as he helped lower me up and down over his straining cock.
It was as if we hadn’t fucked in a week and were starved for one another. We both came fast and hard, my body arching away from Pierce’s in total surrender. It was quick and dirty, and right in all the best ways.
Except for one.
I’d forgotten to lock his office door. And Noah chose that moment to knock and enter—before Pierce had a chance to answer.
Even though Pierce was fully clothed as far as Noah could tell, my ass was on full display, and there was no desk big enough to cover what we’d been up to.
I looked over my shoulder at my nighttime, my shadow. And knew in the worst way possible, I’d just broken his heart.
“Noah,” I said. But my words were empty at this point.
Meaningless.
“Congratulations, Brynn. Guess things don’t have to be so complicated anymore.”
With that, Noah shut the door on any possible different outcome as he left.
“Fuck!” I said, burying my head in Pierce’s shoulder.
“Go after him.”
I sat up, stunned. “What? No. It’s not like that.”
“But you’ll always wonder, Brynn. And I won’t ever be someone’s second choice.”
I swallowed, looking down at the man who had decimated my life and turned it upside down in such a short amount of time.
“Don’t get me wrong. I want you more than I can even comprehend is possible. It’s not logical. It doesn’t make sense that my entire being can want you so badly, so entirely. I won’t settle till I have you all to myself. For that to happen, you need to either explore what’s there so you flush him from your system or just talk to the poor guy to say goodbye for good. Either way, you’ll know what to do when you see him.”
“How did I get so lucky?” I whispered.
“Must be fate,” he said huskily.
I looked down at him and smiled. “Why, Mr. Abrams, are you telling me you believe in soul mates and stuff like that?”
His eyes drank me in, and he pressed my lower lip with his finger as if marking it one last time.
“I do now.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
NOAH WOULDN’T ANSWER his phone or his texts. I couldn’t blame him. He must’ve been so hurt and confused. I’d let myself get swept up in the gravitational pull that was Pierce, and I never stopped to make sure the door was locked. It was a rookie mistake, and unfortunately, one that cost me one of the dearest people in my life.
Because even if Noah didn’t end up being the one, he was my first one. The boy I’d promised to marry if I was single by the time I was thirty. The only problem was, for the first time in my life, that no longer seemed like an issue. Whether I was or not, I was starting to like the life I was building here in Charlotte. And surprisingly, my “complication” was turning into something that made a lot more sense to me.
But I knew Pierce was right. I either had to exorcise Noah from my system and break his heart, or I had to be crystal clear on what my heart wanted from both him and my boss. I wouldn’t string either of them along.
Noah never picked up, but around two thirty in the morning, he finally texted me—stone-cold drunk off his ass. And my heart ached knowing I was the sole reason for it.
Noah: Brynnie… you there?
Brynn: I’m here.
Noah: Why? Why couldn’t it be me?
Brynn: Where are you?
Noah: At my house. I mean, the hotel.
Brynn: Are you okay?
Noah: Would you be?
Brynn: No.
Brynn: I’m so sorry, Noah.
Noah: You broke me, pigtails.
I choked out a cry, hot tears flooding down my face.
Noah: You still there?
Brynn
: I’m here.
Noah: I might be a little drunk.
Brynn: How much did you drink?
Noah: I don’t know. I lost count. The bartender was counting, though.
Brynn: And he cut you off?
Noah: Yeah. Asshole.
Brynn: But you’re safe at the hotel now?
Noah: Yeah. I’m fine. I’ll be fine.
Noah: Will you still go out with me tomorrow?
Noah: I need to see you before I leave.
Brynn: I’ll be there for you, Noah.
Noah: Thank you, pigtails. I knew you would be.
Brynn: See you tomorrow at 6?
Noah: That’s good. You remember Loula Belle’s house?
Brynn: How could I forget? It was my favorite one ever.
Noah: I’m gonna fall asleep now.
Brynn: I think that’s a good idea, Noah.
Noah: I love you, Brynnie.
Brynn: Get some sleep.
The flashing dots came up more than one time, letting me know he was typing a response and then deleting it more than once. They finally went away, and I figured he probably passed out. Either he was going to wake up in the morning and regret asking to still see me, or I was going to have the hardest conversation of my life.
Either way, I needed the gods to be with me.
I snuggled up with Gracie Lucine and cried myself to sleep, her soft, constant purring the one thing comforting my guilt-ridden heart.
PIERCE TOOK WEDNESDAY off, at least according to his PA, Alastor. I spent the day meeting with my team and brainstorming our new organization, the breakdown of roles, and what our first-quarter projections would be. For the rest of this year, we’d be finishing any open projects and closing out any contracts that were no longer aligned with our new direction. Things, at least on a work front, were looking up by the time I left the office.
I went home to change my clothes and get into something more comfortable. I didn’t know where we were going, but I was pretty sure it would be somewhere laid back and low key.
I pulled up in front of Loula Belle’s home, and my heart skipped a beat. The Historic Dilworth bungalow hadn’t changed much since I’d last been there, but it had gotten a makeover. The java brown house sat close to the road like the other properties nearby, its classic cedar and stone exterior blending in nicely with the other renovations that had been done. A wildflower garden burst with color in front of the large signature open-air porch. The floor was painted red, and a fan was gently blowing the still night air around the space. Rocking chairs flanked the front door, and I had sudden and swift flashbacks of riding bikes back from the store with Noah, abandoning them on the front lawn to run in for a bottle of Cheerwine soda.
There were three things that were always certain at Loula Belle’s house: Southern hospitality, Cheerwine, and a warm hug.
I was about to knock on the front door when I noticed Noah standing there, leaning against the door frame, and looking at me with all the longing of what might have been in his eyes. He pursed his lips sadly and held up a bottle of Cheerwine for me.
“Hey, Noah,” I said, as he stepped onto the front porch, letting the screen door slam shut behind him.
“Hey yourself,” he said, handing me the bottle. I missed the smile that met his eyes just yesterday. It was as if he knew he’d lost and the last quarter of the game was just too hard to fumble his way through.
“Can I get a hug?” I asked.
I was afraid he’d say no. I breathed a sigh of relief when he finally set his Cheerwine onto the front railing and came to me—a small sign that our friendship wasn’t completely lost. I set my drink down, too, and glanced up at him shyly.
He wrapped his arms around me then, holding on tight as if he never wanted to let me go. I felt the hard planes of his chest as he crushed me against his body, drinking me in. He kissed the top of my head, then stepped back. It was over before I’d even had a chance to properly hug him back.
“Here,” he said, pointing to the rockers. “Let’s sit.”
We both sat down, Noah looking out at the quiet neighborhood street. A lady jogged by with a double stroller and waved at us. We waved back.
“Can I start?” I asked. I didn’t know how any of this was supposed to go, but I knew I owed Noah better.
“Sure,” he said, rubbing his hands on his jeans.
I moved my rocker in front of his. “Noah, can you look at me at least?”
He steeled his jaw, still looking out at the street. Then he finally dragged his eyes to mine, and I noticed they were fresh with tears. He’d been crying.
“Fuck,” I said, pulling in a deep, ragged breath.
“It’s fine, Brynn. Really.”
“No, it’s not. I owe you the biggest apology ever.”
“You don’t,” he said sadly. “That’s the thing. I had a lot of time yesterday, last night, and today to think about things. You didn’t seek me out. I found you. I’m the one who came back for you.”
“That doesn’t change the fact that I was excited about hearing from you,” I said.
“No, but you also don’t owe me anything, just because we were friends once. No matter how much I’ve romanticized you over the years, we’re not the same people anymore. We weren’t dating. Hell, I’d only just seen you again for the first time after eighteen years.”
“Yeah, but I shouldn’t have let you kiss me when my feelings were so torn.”
“Maybe not, but I don’t regret that kiss. It reminded me of what’s been missing from my life and how badly I want it again.”
“Just not with me?” I said, suddenly realizing we’d landed on the same page.
“Someone as amazing as you, yes.” He smiled for the first time. “But you know what I noticed yesterday?”
“What?”
“Your feelings were never really torn. I knew that the second I walked into that conference room and was slammed with the intensity of your connection with Pierce. It was a dick thing to do—to kiss you. To take what I knew wasn’t mine. But I had to know, Brynn.” He ran his hand through his blond hair. “I owe you an apology for that.”
“Noah,” I said, reaching out.
“It’s okay. Things are a lot clearer to me now. I’ll be fine. I’m glad I got to see you while I was in town, and before I close the last chapter on my life here in the States for good.”
I looked at the “For Sale” sign in the front yard, and my heart dipped as I saw the fresh, new “SOLD” label slapped over the realtor’s name.
“Wow,” I said, “that was fast.”
“Let’s just say I priced it to sell. I needed to tie these loose ends, and I found someone who I know will love this house, this property, as much as I did growing up. That’s all I could ever ask for,” he said, looking through the screened door and into the house.
That’s when I saw him.
My Pierce was standing in Loula Belle’s kitchen with a Cheerwine in his hand.
I looked back at Noah, my eyes widening.
“Let him take care of you, Brynn. Apart, you’re both powerhouses. Together, you’ll be unstoppable. He loves you, you know.”
I shook my head. He couldn’t possibly. We hadn’t known each other long enough. But we had room now, with Noah stepping back, to explore the possibilities and figure it out.
“Go on in. This was always the date you were meant to have here.”
Tears brimmed in my eyes as I hugged Noah one last time, my eyes fixed and glued to Pierce’s the entire time.
Noah glanced back into the house one last time before leaving. “London’s only a seven-hour plane ride away, Abrams. You hurt her, I’ll make a special return flight just for you.”
Pierce actually nodded.
“Take care of my girl,” Noah said, rubbing my arm one last time.
; “You mean my girl,” Pierce warned low.
“She was always yours,” Noah said as he walked off the front porch.
I stood there in disbelief, not understanding what was really happening, but knowing for sure that my future was on the other side of the familiar screen door.
I held Pierce’s steady blue gaze, opened the door, and stepped toward my future.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
PIERCE DIDN’T MAKE me wait. He closed the gap between us and picked me up into his strong arms, twirling me around in the cozy living room I remembered. Except Loula Belle’s fancy gold couch was no longer there, and the fireplace had been painted white—a natural, raw mantel warming the space. The bay window still held a reading nook, only it had been updated and was now larger and much more magical looking. A booklover’s dream, I thought, soaking in the matching white built-ins flanking the fireplace.
I slid down Pierce’s body, my arms wrapping around his head. “Mind explaining to me what you’re doing here? In my childhood best friend’s late grandmother’s home?”
He laughed. “Well, when you put it that way.”
I stood back, putting my hands on my hips. “Well?”
“How about this? I’ll explain everything… if you come out in the backyard with me.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “What’s the catch?”
“It’s a date. I want to explain everything, but I want to woo you, too. Do you trust me?”
I rolled my eyes. “I think we’ve established that I do.”
“Good,” he said, grinning. “Then you won’t mind putting this back on.” He pulled the same silk tie out of his jeans’ pocket that he’d put over my eyes the first weekend we’d met.
I swallowed nervously, glancing around. “Boy, I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I am not doing that here.”
Pierce burst out laughing. “I said trust me, not fuck me. Though,” he said, shrugging, “I wouldn’t say no.”
“The last time you said ‘trust me’ and covered my eyes, I got it up the ass,” I reminded him.