“So, will you be in town long?” Cash’s question barely escapes his lips before a shadow is cast over us. Looking up, I see Noah. Anger burns bright in his eyes.
“Hey man,” Cash says, completely unaware of the situation he has just stepped into. “About time you came over. I was just talking to… Eva was it?”
I nod slightly and glance briefly his way before looking back into the eyes of a man who looks as if he could kill Cash if he scooted his chair even an inch closer.
Noah studies me for a moment before turning back to Cash. His eyes glaze over as he lifts his cup up to his lips and takes a drink. He reaches in between the two of us and sets his empty glass down on the table. Turning slightly towards me, he says, “You have a terrible habit of pretending, darlin’!”
His words sting as they sink deep into my heart. Cash, entirely oblivious to the words just spoken, continues the conversation without missing a beat. “Why didn’t you tell me you had friends as pretty as this? Where did you say you were from, Eva?”
I swallow over a lump in my throat as my eyes never leave Noah’s stare. His stern look deepens as he leans back and crosses his arms over his chest, silently daring me to answer.
“Somewhere, far away from here.” I finally say which wins me a smug smile from Noah.
“How long are you planning on staying?” Cash asks.
“Oh, I’m sure her wings will take her home faster than you can imagine,” Noah fumes. “Just when you think she might stick around for good, she’ll up and leave. Didn’t you know, Cash? Women have a terrible habit of changing their minds.”
Leaning in towards me, I can smell the bourbon on his breath as his lips rest near my ear. “What are you trying to prove, darlin’? We both know this little act of yours will get old and you’ll soon be running home. Save me the sob story and just leave now.”
Shooting up out of my seat, Noah’s heated stance meets me toe to toe as I fight to rein in my anger. I’m not sure what has gotten into him. It could be the bourbon but something tells me it is something more. Never since we met has he ever talked to me that way before.
Cash takes a step back and slowly eases away from the table.
“I’m not leaving,” I say. He stays silent. “Care to call my bluff, Noah?”
He laughs and leans back a little before lowering his head and coming eye to eye with me.
“Bluff? Darlin’, you’re only deceiving yourself if you think hanging around here any longer will convince me you actually intend to stay.”
I feel a presence at my side and turn slightly to see Jolene standing behind me.
“Back off Noah, you’re drunk,” Jolene insists, but her brother has no plans for surrender.
Noah glances behind me to meet her stare. “Not drunk enough, sister. Whatever you got up your sleeve this time,” he says gesturing between the two of us before harshly meeting her stare, “Leave it!”
Jolene and I flinch.
A hand crawls up Noah’s shoulder. A blonde figure comes into sight.
“Noah,” she drawls, but he doesn’t take his eyes off mine. Eyes trained towards me, he holds me in place, daring me to make a move. To say something. To leave like he just threatened. But the stranger’s presence renders me speechless as she pouts, “You left me all alone over there, baby.”
I push past both of them and hurry towards the front doors. Stepping out into the cool evening, I look to the right and then the left before the realization I am in a strange town sets in and forces me to stop. With no way of knowing where I should head next, I take a few deep breaths before I hear the door behind me slam open.
Looking behind me, I lock eyes with Noah. Quickly, I dart to the right and walk a few feet down the road. Angry footsteps sound behind me. Without thinking, I shoot down an alleyway and make it only a couple of steps before I am forcibly grabbed from behind. I let out a gasp as I stumble a few steps backward before I am roughly pulled back against him and a brick wall in the shadows of the buildings surrounding us.
His breath is hot on my neck. His grip is tight around my waist, pushing me harder against him, I swear I hear him groan before he says, “You have a nasty little habit of running away from me darlin’.”
I shiver as his free hand runs up and back down my side before he grabs ahold of my waist with both hands and forces me around to meet his stare. Lacing both hands behind my waist, he holds me in a death grip I could never escape from.
Noah stares deep into my eyes, then slowly licks his lips. My eyes dart to where they glisten in the moonlight. A moan, somewhere between pleasure and pain escapes my lips. Looking back up, I see a man on the brink of destruction and want only to be his undoing.
“Ah, to hell with it,” Noah growls seconds before his lips meet mine. Anger, desire, greed fill his kiss as he takes more than he gives. His hands move up my back and hold my head in place as he devours me, body and soul like he never has before.
Hungrily, I kiss him back. Pulling on his shirt, frustrated with not being able to get him close enough. I grab him towards me and feel his need growing harder against my lower stomach. Ruthlessly, he pins me against the wall. Hoisting me up, I instinctively wrap my legs around his waist as his hands slowly work their way up my curves. I nip his bottom lip and he lets out a moan before kissing me back with such force it steals my breath away.
The coarseness of the wall behind me, and the firmness of his body against mine ignites a fire that builds with each caress of his tongue. His hands find my hair and he tugs deliciously on my locks cursing another purr of ecstasy to leave my lips. Slowly, he pulls back and runs his tongue from the top of my neck to my collarbone, before continuing his slow tortuous descent lower. My nails scrape down his back as I let out a moan. He responds by pushing himself up against me harder, and thrusting his painfully erect cock between the curve of my pelvis.
“Darlin’,” he chuckles. “You keep making sounds like that and I won’t hold back from taking you right here and now against this fucking wall.”
