Page 87 of Seven Night Stopover

Noah wanted to ask her to repeat what she’d said. But words like those couldn’t be mistaken. And even if he wanted to believe he’d overheard, the look in her eyes told him he hadn’t.

Several puzzles fell into place. Seventeen. The age her life had imploded. The age her mother had taken her life.

“Leia, did your mother see what he did?” He could barely speak past the fury and the harrowing sorrow he felt on her behalf.

Her grey eyes were almost black with painful shadows and unshed tears. She nodded. “She came into the pool house with my father’s gun. He kept it in his safe. That’s where they found the monitors, so I’m guessing she saw what he was doing and grabbed the gun. She was so calm, Noah. So steady. She told me she was sorry for failing me. She shot him. Then turned the gun on herself. I tried to get to her. God, I tried so hard but… he was on top of me. By the time I freed myself it was too late…”

Wrenching tears ripped from her throat and poured down her face. His heart broke wide open with each sound. He tugged her to his chest and closed his eyes. “Baby, it wasn’t your fault.He was the sick one. The creep spied on you and got off on it. He was the fucking adult. There’s nowhere in this universe where that can be turned back on you.”

She shook her head, despair in each movement. “It wasn’t just that. The coroner found signs of abuse all over my mom’s body.” She shuddered. “I’d left her alone in the house with that monster when deep down I knew what he was capable of.”

“Dammit, it wasn’t your fault. Think of what else he could’ve done to you if you’d remained in the house?—”

“When we met, I called you a tease. I know what it is to be one.”

“No, you weren’t. I was playing hot and cold. I wanted you beyond reason, beyond sanity, and I was scared of what I’d do to you if you gave in to me.”

“My last therapist told me I won’t find closure until I accept my part in what happened.”

His teeth gritted hard enough to make his jaw ache. He captured her chin and kissed her hard, branding her with his tongue, his mouth, adoring her with his touch in the hope that he could wash away a little bit of the bastard’s stink off her psyche.

He closed his eyes when she finally relaxed and melted into him. He slid his hand up and down her arm.

“Fuck the shrinks. Not all of them know what the hell they’re talking about. Trust me, I know.”

“Warren agrees,” she whispered. “He thinks owning the guilt will make me stronger.”

An irrational wave of anger swept over him. “Bullshit.”

Noah had looked up the other guy this afternoon while he’d been holed up in the hotel across the street, wondering if he’d lost his mind for agreeing to the whole masquerade ball and separate hotels crap.

On the surface, Snyder’s success and standing were impressive enough. He had other business interests besidesLeia’s company that Noah had dealt with in the past. But something about the guy, who was more than twenty years older than Leia, made him uneasy.

He’d seemed too perfect, too put together to the point of being icily aloof. But there was something else in the guy’s eyes that made his gut clench. He’d have been the last person he pictured his passionate and generous Leia leaning on.

“Listen to me. You have nothing to be ashamed of, and nothing to feel guilty about. You’d already lost so much. The bastard not only replaced your dad, he also took your mother away. You would’ve been a saint not to act out in some way. That’s no excuse for him to do what he did. And I’ll castrate anyone who dares to tell you otherwise. Do you hear me?”

She gave a half nod and Noah knew he’d have to work harder to convince her. She’d gone far too long with her trauma of being violated and guilt ingrained in her. He kissed her, willing her chill away. She leaned into him and his heart soared.

Rising, he walked them into the bedroom and crossed over to the bathroom. He undressed her first, then himself. Keeping one arm around her, he ran a bath. Her head remained on his shoulder the whole time, until he lifted her into the heated water and slid in behind her.

When he went to settle her against him, she turned sideways. Her eyes were slightly red and her cheeks were flushed. The water lapped her breasts and the white ropes twined in her golden hair. He’d never seen anything more beautiful in his life.

“You’re breathtaking, my darling. Inside and out. I intend to repeat that until you believe it.”

She bit her lip, and he stopped himself from roaring the words until she drowned in them.

“What?” he asked instead.

“I’ve kept a very low profile for a long time, since it happened. Warren’s house is big enough?—”

“Wait, you live with Warren?” Every last atom in his body froze.

She nodded warily. “He was appointed my guardian, remember?”

“That was when you were seventeen.” He tried to keep his voice even, but it vibrated with the dangerous energy lashing through him.

“I saw no reason to alter the arrangement. Like I said, his place is more than big enough for the two of us.”

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