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All he wanted to do was be with her, burn with her.
Her breath grew desperate and ragged. He knew what he wanted, but he kept her on the edge for a little while longer.
“Noah… God, please. I need you.”
“You’re mine, Leia.”
“Yes. Let me come, Noah. I’m yours… Let me come.”
“Yes,” he rasped, his vocal cords barely able to form the words as she exploded around him.
“Beautiful. So fucking beautiful,” he whispered.
33
It felt like they’d gone to bed mere minutes before the phone rang. Noah groaned and cursed under his breath. Leia started to move away. He clamped her closer and inhaled her intoxicating smell.
“Leave it.” His mouth drifted over her collarbone.
“Can’t. It’ll drive me nuts.”
“Do I need to show you again who’s in charge here?” He nipped playfully at her shoulder.
Sexy, half-drowsy eyes met his. “Maybe. But after I answer the phone.” She smiled and reached for the handset. “Hello.”
She brushed her hair out of her eyes and squinted at the clock. He followed her gaze. 3.39a.m. Foreboding slammed into him. Almost nothing good came from a call at this time of the night. He sat up and hit the light remote.
In the silence, Snyder’s voice came through loud and clear. “Leia. My messages. Did you not receive them?” The man sounded like every picture Noah had seen of him—eerily, unnaturally calm.
Leia’s gaze shot to his. Shit. The messages she’d stuffed in her purse earlier…
“I did… Hang on a moment,” she replied.
Noah rose and padded to where she’d dropped her bag and pulled out the white and gold cards. He looked down at them but nothing in them elicited a middle of the night phone call. Frowning, he handed them to her. She read the first two, discarded them and moved on to the third. “I’ve got them here—No!”
She dropped the phone as her eyes filled with icy horror.
“What the hell?”
She looked as if she’d been electrocuted.
“What’s wrong?”
Jaw locked, eyes wide, she shook her head.
Noah scooped up the phone from the floor. “What the hell did you say to her, Snyder?”
“You know who I am, so you won’t be offended if I tell you this is a private matter and none of your concern.”
“Leiaismy concern so you better tell me what the hell is going on. Right now.”
“Mr. King?—”
“Noah, stop it.” Her whole body was shaking. She held out her hand to him, and he took it.
Gritting his teeth, he said into the phone, “I’ll call you back.”
He hung up and pulled her to his chest. “Baby, it’s okay. Whatever it is, you’re safe. I’ll protect you.” He rocked her until her shaking abated. He stared at the five message cards scattered around her. Four were messages for Leia to call Warren. The fifth had a name with a message.