Page 250 of Hell Hath No Fury
But even if he’s only staying two streets over, it is a small detour to turn down my block. “Interesting route to the beach, walking a block in the opposite direction…”
Noah breaks out into a full smile, and it’s utterly brilliant. “Touché, smartass. You win. I wanted to check in on you.”
I smile in victory, but it’s dulled as Noah’s humored expression is suddenly colored somber.
His tone softens. “The other night was a lot, Liza.”
As if I need a reminder. I still wear enough of them on my skin, only hidden by the long, still-damp hair placed carefully over my shoulders. and beneath the three quarter-sleeve-tee it’s far too hot to actually wear outdoors.
“I’m fine,” I murmur, making a conscious effort to stop myself from fingering the offending marks and drawing Noah’s attention to them, and, presumably, his strange ire.
“Hey,” he whispers, drawing my gaze back to his. “I did have another reason I wanted to stop by.”
Oh?
“Well, I…” He hesitates again, nerves that seem completely out of place on Noah Reed slipping back into his tone. “I guess I was wondering if you had plans today.”
Plans?
“Um…no. Not really,” I answer honestly.
“’Not really’?” he questions.
“I mean, other than hanging around the house and avoiding myex.” I accentuate the last word, making myself, and my earlier point, clear.
The corner of Noah’s mouth quirks up at that, and something in my chest lightens. “So basically, you’re free?”
I nod cautiously, wondering what he has in mind, but his bright smile of satisfaction earns one from me in return, and I’m suddenly ready to go wherever Noah Reed might lead.
CHAPTER SIX
I climb into Noah’s bright yellow Jeep Wrangler, the top down and windows wide. Classic summer boy.
“We’re not going to the beach?” I ask.
“Not exactly…” He glances as we drive north toward the bay instead of the ocean.
Three blocks later, Noah turns onto Alabama Street, and the beginnings of anxiety take hold deep in my belly and on the telling surface of my skin. “Are you taking me to Randy’s?”
Part of me revels at the idea of being alone with him, but most of me is ready to jump ship at the thought that this was his plan. That he might think that now that Jonah and I aren’t together anymore, Noah might just be trying to get me into bed, like I’m easy or something.
“Not exactly…” Noah repeats, and I throw him a confused look that only incites an pleased smile.
A gust of wind blows through the open jeep, my red waves flying all over so that I can barely see, and I let out a giggle as Noah glances over at me, amused.
Until he isn’t. He does a double take, his smile fading instantly as his brow furrows in a quiet fury I struggle to make sense of, just as he pulls into Randy’s empty driveway.
I blink at him in confusion until Noah sucks in a hard breath between gritted teeth as the back of his large hand feathers along my neck, ever so gently, and I know. I momentarily forgot about the fading bruise in the precise shape of Jonah’s massive palm, a tell-tale reminder of just how bad the other night was. How bad it might have been had Noah not been there.
Somehow, still, his touch affects me in ways I can barely understand, and my eyes flutter closed as his callused fingertips tenderly examine the damage.
“I could kill him,” he mutters, his soft tone completely at odds with his meaning.
“I think you almost did,” I breathe before meeting his gaze.
It earns me a small, sober smile from Noah, and, for some reason, just this makes me feel like a million bucks.
“He doesn’t deserve you,” Noah says meaningfully.
