Page 34 of Between the Flames

CHAPTERTWENTY

It was Noah.

Fucking Noah.

That’swho she was with at the pub last week.

I seethed, anger radiating off of me as I paced the hallway just outside of the banquet hall. They were best friends in high school, and now they were, what? Together? They have to be after that pissing match, Noah just began when he put his arm around her, pulling her attention off me.

I had seen him in my peripheral and knew he was watching me as I stared at her. I could see a look of darkness painted across his face, but I refused to pull my eyes away from Elle. She looked stunning standing there in her royal blue dress and jean jacket, dark hair swept up slightly on one side with curls cascading everywhere, and those fucking red lips.

Nothing could have pried my eyes away from her.

She was beautiful, and I knew in that moment I was completely fucked. If she had married him… fuck. There was no way I was going to stop until I made her mine. I had sacrificed her for my entire adult life, and I was done. She would be mine if it was the last thing I did.

Once Noah threw his arm around her and she pulled her gaze away from me, I chose that moment to slip back into the shadows to reevaluate. Exiting the banquet room, I lingered in the hall to get my head together.

I needed to go speak to her, that’s why I had come tonight, but I also needed a plan.

So much had happened since that night that I saw her at the pub—my head was still reeling and I was finding it hard to organize my thoughts. I leaned against the wall in the corridor, raking my hands up and down my face, willing my mind to process a coherent thought.

What I wanted to do was to go back in there and demanded she talk to me, but after that display Noah had just put on, I could see him and I having words and ruining any chance I had of talking to Elle tonight.

No, I had to do this right.

It was clear she was with Noah. I couldn’t just go in all ‘mister steal your girl’ and throw her over my shoulder like a complete caveman. For all I knew, they were in love and had a solid relationship.

Shit, were they married?

I groaned, my head hitting the wall with a loud thump, at the same time I heard the click of the door a few feet away. My head whipped in the direction of the noise, eyes instantly connecting with bright blue ones. I watched Elle’s perfect lips form an O as I took her by surprise; she hadn’t expected me to be out here. She turned to leave, but I wasn’t willing to miss my chance to speak with her.

“Wait,” I said, my voice gruff but pleading.

She froze, saying nothing, her back to me. I could see the movements of her breathing in and out, her fingers grazing the door handle as she debated her next move. It was going to be an uphill battle, but I had wielded my sword, ready to fight for this girl.

“Talk to me, Elle…” My voice trailed off. I made no move to go to her, allowing her to have full control of the situation. It took every ounce of restraint in my body to not close the distance between us.

Turning slowly, she lifted her head to look at me. My eyes couldn’t help but trail up and down her body, fully taking in the way she had changed over the years. My cock twitched in appreciation.

“What do you want, Ryder?” she said with defiance, her chin lifting in an attempt to come off strong. Uncertainty swam in her eyes. I wanted to take her against the wall and fuck the defiance out of her, show her that her facade didn’t fool me. My breath caught in my throat and I struggled to find the words to say next.

What did I want?

Her.

I wanted her.

After all this time, after all these years. Still. Fucking. Her.

Did I say that? Of course I didn’t.

That would be too easy, and apparently I was in the business of making my life much harder than it needed to be.

Speak words, Ryder.

Fuck.

We stared at each other, her eyes silently willing me to say something. Instead of opening my mouth to speak, my legs led me to her. Neither of us said anything as I approached, but a thousand things ran through my mind that I wished I could put into words. As I closed the distance between us, her eyes flashed with bewilderment, passion, and...fear. I planned to erase that look from her features permanently; she had nothing to fear. I was ready to make up for lost time.

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