Page 62 of Marrying a Spy

He squeezed her tight for a moment longer before he pulled back. Leaning down, he brushed his lips against her cheek and straightened.

She hoped he bought the confidence she was so desperately trying to mimic as she smiled at him. He held her gaze for a moment before ducking his head and walking out the front door for the second time that night. The lock clicked as he secured the door and a moment later, she heard a car door slam and tires speed away.

The silence deafened her as she rubbed her arms. The memory of Noah’s skin against hers seemed burned into every molecule of her body. She let out her breath in a slow burst as she shivered.

She needed a shower and then bed. Maybe she’d be able to forget everything that was happening. Forget that Noah’s life was in danger. That men were looking for her. And maybe, forget how empty she felt knowing that Noah was gone.

But, from the way her heart was hemorrhaging, she doubted that she’d be able to forget that anytime soon.

* * *

18 Hours Later

“Hey, Sophia?” Bobby, the CIA agent who was sent to protect her knocked on her open bedroom door at the safe house.

Sophia paused the Hallmark movie she was watching to pass and glanced toward him. He was tall,with dark brown skin, and his bald head shined under the overhead lights. He smiled at her like he had good news, which sent a wave of relief through Sophia.

“Yeah?” she asked, trying to keep her hope under control.

“Georgie has been arrested. Noah and your father were successful.” He clapped his hands together and grinned at her.

This was good news, it really was. But the fact that she was hearing this secondhand bothered her, it just made her realize that she and Noah were really over.

“That’s great,” she said, pulling the covers off and standing. “Does that mean I get to go home now?”

Bobby nodded. “It does.”

It took all of twenty minutes to pack her items and get her luggage into the car. After she slammed the trunk shut, she nodded toward Bobby. “I’m ready to go home,” she said.

She was ready to move forward and forget everything that had happened this last week. Never mind the fact that today was her wedding day. In three short hours, she was supposed to be getting married. But now that Noah had the man he’d been sent after, the wedding was off.

He wasn’t going to show up for the wedding, and she’d be left alone to cancel all the plans they had made. Even though she’d prepared herself for him leaving, it still hurt. If possible, it hurt worse this time. How was she going to explain his running out on her for the second time? How would that look to all the people in town?

Like she was fool, that’s how.

The drive back seemed to take forever. Sophia was itching to get out of the car, pack up only the sentimental things in her house, and leave. Noah seemed pretty good at abandoning his life. She figured it was time to take a page out of his playbook.

A strange car was parked in her driveway when Bobby pulled up. Her heart picked up speed when she saw it. Was it one of Georgie’s minions? Had he come to finish her off?

She ducked down and peered up at Bobby, who was studying her.

“What are you doing?” he asked. His low voice had a playful hint to it.

Feeling sheepish, Sophia straightened and pushed back her hair. “I don’t recognize that car,” she said, nodding in the direction of her driveway.

Bobby followed her gesture. She saw him reach for his gun, but then he stopped and his arm relaxed.

Sophia glanced toward her now-open door, and her heart stuttered to a stop.

Noah.

She swallowed. What was he doing here? Once he had the chance to leave, he never voluntarily came back.

She blinked a few times, convinced that her eyes were playing tricks on her. But he was still there.

Why?

“I think we solved that mystery,” Bobby said as he moved to open his door.

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