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Her phone vibrated, making her jump.
Noah. The ringtone pierced through her consciousness and her heart stopped. He must have tracked down the session he’d done with Fused Realms because her ringtone for his number was now the five-second piece of the jam. When exactly had he tracked it down? And when had he put it in her phone?
She cursed when the phone went silent. A second later it flashed to life again.
Forcing herself to remain calm, she answered it, despite her pulse beginning to race. “You know, you can’t keep summoning me to your presence like I’m your personal lapdog.”
“I wouldn’t have to summon you if you answered your phone like a normal person,” he said through gritted teeth.
“I was doing what normal people do at 1a.m. Sleeping.”
“And you sleep with your phone turned off?”
“When I don’t want to be disturbed, yes.”
She didn’t want to admit that she’d had her headphones on with the music turned high to drown out her thoughts. The lie she’d told Noah just to get away from him on Monday had eaten at her until she’d been a whisker away from calling him to confess why she couldn’t be with him.
Well, now he knew.
Her palms dampened at his silence. Was he going to say something, or was he going to let her twist in the wind?
“I… I was going to call you back,” she ventured.
“Yeah? When?” he demanded.
“After my meeting this morning.”
“You didn’t think what I had to say was important enough to schedule me in before your meetings?”
She bit her lip. “I’m meeting with retailers from across the country. I couldn’t afford to have you?—”
“Fuck with your head? Or fuck you sore once we’d dispensed of this bullshit?”
Her pulse skipped so hard her hands shook. “It’s not bullshit.”
“I beg to differ. You decided how I feel without waiting to hear my side of things. What’s that if not fucking bullshit?” His voice was growing colder, a sign that he was getting angrier with her. “I made the mistake of forgetting what you told me in Switzerland. I remember now, Leia. I know you can’t have kids. Isn’t that what this is all about? You bowing out of this relationship because you think that affects how I feel about you?”
“Doesn’t it?” She held her breath.
“You get your answer to that face to face. Not over the phone.”
She exhaled. “Noah…”
“Are you interested in having a conversation?”
She closed her eyes and laid her head back against the seat. Bargaining furiously with herself that this would be the last time, that she wouldn’t let Noah sway her no matter what, she answered, “Yes.” She’d hear him out and explain to him why they were better off without each other. And this time, when she walked away, she would stay away.
But maybe she could walk away with another reminder of how incredible Noah could make her feel?
“Good.”
Opening her eyes, she noticed her driver had pulled up in front of her office. She had six of the major retailers from all over the country flying in for a meeting about stocking La Carezza’s latest lingerie in their stores. She needed her head in the game, not dreaming of Noah’s belt. Or his hand. Or his tongue. Or, please God, his cock.
“…did you hear what I said?” he growled in her ear.
“Umm… sorry, no. I spaced out for a minute,” she confessed.
“I said we’ll talk tonight,” he repeated. “My place. Come straight up when you get there. The code is 77493. Repeat it.” She recited it. “Six-thirty on the button, Leia. Don’t be late.” He hung up.