Page 51 of Falling for Fury

“Addy, I told you at Bozzelli’s what I wanted. To be clear, you’re the one leaving me right now.” He is confused and frustrated, but I just don’t have the capacity for this right now.

“You have no idea what you want, Noah. Not sharing isn’t just something that you can have. You’re here now because what? Rosie dangled the fact I was ‘seeing other people’ in front of you, and you caught me on a couple of dates? You’re acting like a territorial five-year-old that had his toys stolen. What happens when I do become yours and I am not seeing other people? Well, I am not sticking around to get my heart broken when you get bored.” Fully dressed now, Noah not having moved a muscle, I grab my phone and order an Uber.

“Addy, wait, will you just wait a sec—”

“No, Noah. Thank you… for tonight. You’re… well, I am sure you know what you are. Good night.” I leave his room and head down the stairs. As I do, I take stock of the surprisingly nice interior design for a single guy in his late twenties. The details I missed because he threw me over his shoulder to haul me upstairs like a starved barbarian. Damn, that was hot.

His oak herringbone floorboards are accented by deep coloured walls of jade green and accents of brown. Surprisingly sleek and sophisticated. I definitely pictured beer pong tables and pinball machines. A pleasant surprise, I suppose, too bad I won’t ever see it again.

Noah’s approaching steps following me down the stairs snap me from my snooping, and I open the front door to the entryway alcove, my Uber only a minute away.

“At least let me drive you home. Or… just stay?”

“No, go back upstairs, allow your ego to settle from the knowledge you just did—that,” I say, pointing to the top of the staircase, unable to hide my smile. His gorgeous, disheveled face and exposed chest on display in the moonlight are like a sick kind of karma for leaving him like this. “But let me leave. Alone. We both know this won’t work.

“Goodbye, Noah.” I give him one last smile and leave the surprisingly sleek brownstone, entering the Uber out front.

Noah

“Noah, the meeting. Are you coming?”

I snap back from my daydreaming out of my window and realize I am sitting in my office staring out the window. Not lying in bed, on top of Addison, watching as the blush of arousal climbs her neck to her cheeks, and hearing her moans from those perfect plump lips.

We both know this won’t work.

I, in fact, do not know that, Addison.

Your actions contradict your words.

Time to get fluent in the actions, then. She left my house after world-altering sex a week ago today. I sent her a string of texts, wanting to see her again, stating that I think this could work if she gave me a chance to show her. Singing a completely different tune to when I had messaged her before our night together. Obviously, she broke my brain. It is the only explanation of why it was like a chemical reaction when we were together and why she was now embedded even further, rather than being out of my system, like I had planned.

After she left, I asked if she would at least let me know when she was home. She didn’t, and I had to ask Rosie instead, which of course led to Addison responding. ‘Yes, I’m home, don’t text my friends about me. That’s… weird.’

Pffft, weird. I was concerned. How’s that for an action?

Well, I am not sticking around to get my heart broken when you get bored.

Fucking Jake is still ruining shit between me and Addison. She wants actions, I’ll give her actions.

“Noah?”

“Right.” I cough to clear my throat and my head of all things Addison. “Sorry, coming.” I gesture to the door, as I stand and round my desk, for Caleb to lead the way. He halts a second or two, analyzing my eyes, trying to read what I am desperately trying to hide.

“Mmhmm. This meeting is important. I don’t think I need to remind you what is riding on this going well?” His eyes narrow with scepticism, but he turns and heads for the boardroom. No, he doesn’t need to remind me. EcoX and AIM are here to settle this issue of the contract being put on hold. They say they haven’t finalized their investigation, but they have enough to clear us from any breach and are willing to at least come to the table to discuss moving forward. Despite mine and Matt’s recent discovery, we’ve managed to remain tight-lipped enough to give the problem a chance to sort itself out without dragging us all down with it. I can only hope it gets sorted out once and for all, and soon. EcoX is understandably anxious, and any wrong move in this meeting could spook them. All my expert maneuvering would have been for nothing, and I can kiss this deal and my future goodbye. Caleb is right, I need to pull my head out of my ass.

The ever-present distraction still hovers in the front of my mind, despite me trying to wrangle my thoughts. Addison is probably prepping for her exams next week. I wonder how she is. I’m glad she has Rosie and Casey. They sound like they are a strong support system. Not to mention Addison herself is incredibly intelligent and resourceful. She will be fine. Better than fine. I don’t need to worry about her in the slightest.

The thought lasts all of five seconds before I make a quick detour to my assistant’s desk on the way to the boardroom.

“Emery, could you please organize a basket to be delivered to this address?” I say as I push a piece of paper across the desk while typing on my phone with one hand. “I will text you the items.”

“Yes, boss.”

That will never not be weird. “Emery, it’s just Noah.” I give her a reassuring smile, but she still looks pale, and I turn, catching up with Caleb.

I slowly plot my way to win over Addy, bring her to the dark side of not being able to focus on anything but on the way us together is like sexual poetry, while I head into the meeting that is meant to make my future. I pay as much attention as I can.

Overall, things went well, considering. They are still nervous, but I managed to help progress the team on some of the marketing material for the company as a whole, leaving out this mystery product for now, giving us the green light to proceed with the proposal for a relaunch of their website.

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