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I love you. I love you. I love you.
Even mouthing them had seemed like a monumental step, but the emotion was there in her heart, ready for when the time was right.
Because.Too soon, too soon, too soon.
Noah turned and cursed. “You’re swimming in dangerous waters, baby. You’re sore from last night and we need to eat and go meet this guy.”
She slowly bent her knee, crossed her wrists above her head and pushed out her chest. “Why, what am I doing?” She blinked innocently.
“God, you’re fucking lethal.” He started towards her just as the buzzer sounded. His curse turned way filthier as he crossed the room. “Get dressed and come down. If I have to come up and get you, you won’t be able to walk for the rest of the week.”
“Yes, sir.”
She basked in the grin he threw over his shoulder as he left the room.
Noah was still grinning when he pushed the buzzer. “Come on up.”
He poured two mugs of coffee and added cream and sugar to Leia’s. He took a gulp of his brew and grabbed his wallet for a tip as the elevator pinged.
The doors parted and he froze.
Of the two people in the car, Ashley stepped out first.
“You don’t need to tip me for bringing up breakfast, Noah. Consider it my good deed of the day.” She held out the white and gold bag from his favorite deli two blocks away.
Noah ignored it, his eyes fixed on the other occupant of the elevator. “What the hell are you doing here, Snyder?”
Even on a Saturday, the older man was impeccably turned out in a suit, tie, and pocket handkerchief. “I’m here for what is mine.”
Cold fury rolled through Noah’s gut. “I think you took a wrong turn somewhere, buddy. There’s nothing of yours here.”
“Manners, Noah. Honestly,” Ashley huffed.
Pins and needles shot up his arms, and he realized his fists were bunched tight. He focused on the pain. “Leave now, both of you, before I throw you out. And you”—his gaze flicked to Ashley—“since you don’t seem to understand the words stay-the-fuck-away-from-me, I’m filing a restraining order against you first thing Monday morning.”
She gave a mock shiver. “I’ve always thought there was something so sexy and dangerous about a restraining order. Maybe I should look into it. It’s that sort of danger that turns you on, isn’t it?”
“The problem with you, Ashley, is that you always thought you had me figured out. But you didn’t, which was why you resorted to silly mind games.”
Her lips pursed. “Oh, come on, we both know you thrive on the danger. What else would you call wanting to tie me up, gag me until I could barely breathe, and smacking the hell out of me? You got off on dicing with death. Dicing with my life.”
Horror dredged through Noah as her words sank into his skin like toxic claws. Had she really seen it like that?
“Noah?” Leia called from the kitchen.
Ashley turned. “Ah, there’s your little…” She paused at Noah’s warning growl. “Friend. Now we can all have a civilized conversation.”
Noah stalked past her as Leia entered the hallway. She was wearing his Vassar T-shirt and her leather shorts. Her sun-kissed hair was still mussed from sleep and she was barefoot. He’d never seen her more beautiful.
She looked past him, and her expression changed. “Warren? What are you doing here?”
“I’m waiting for a lucid answer to that myself.” Noah caught her arm and pulled her to his side. A shade of his fury abated when she melted into him.
“Like Miss Maitland suggested, I think we should sit down and talk,” Snyder said.
Noah noticed that Leia’s eyes hadn’t moved from Warren. The urge to physically block him from her view was instinctive.
Her gaze shifted to Ashley then to him. “What’s going on, Noah?”