A week later, with an Elements exhibit starting in twenty minutes, Raven turned away from the door in her office and sat on the edge of her desk, listening to her mother blubber about a recent breakup. She cradled the phone in one hand and plucked dead blooms from her potted plant with the other.When there was a pause, Raven said, "I thought you were seeing someone named Daniel."Her mom sniffed. "Oh no. Daniel was weeks ago. I thought things with Richard were going so well."They always did, until a few weeks passed and Willow Crowne fell head over heels. Surprise, surprise, it ended shortly after that. Raven had had this conversation so many times, but it still pained her that her mom was hurting. "I'm sorry.""Me, too." She blew her nose. Loudly. "Enough about me. How are you? Are you seeing anyone? Why are you calling me on a Friday night?"Her mother liked Noah, but the two of them were a temporary thing, so no sense in telling her because it would only get her hopes up. The
Noah held the door for Raven and slid into the back of the limo after her. Once they were underway, he closed the partition so Max couldn't hear their conversation. He had two goals and two goals only tonight: to find out what her mother had said to upset her and to make her forget in as many creative ways conceivable.But first- "Here." He pulled a box out of his coat pocket and handed it to her."What's this?""Open it."She lifted the lid and gasped at the watch. Silver and gold, the face was small and the band adjustable. It also had a tracking device inside, just in case."I love it. Thank you."He removed the watch from the box and clasped it around her wrist. "Do me a favor and wear it whenever you're away from the condo."Her finger traced the face. "Why?"Staring at her profile, he decided not to lie. "Because if something happens to you, I can find you if you're wearing it. The trace inside links to an app on my phone."Her gaze slid to his. "You scare me when you ta
How fitting her and Noah's last day together be Valentine's-a holiday they both despised and was the epitome of everything they rejected about romantic love. In the past, no matter who they'd been dating, she and Noah spent Valentine's Day together, usually watching an action movie in her apartment. Except this year, he demanded they do something different.She glanced down at the dress laid out on her bed. This morning, she'd packed up her things and told Noah she'd return to her apartment after work. Their time was up. Other than a clench of his jaw and a tight nod, he had no response. She'd come home from the gallery to find the dress and a note. She'd tried to sever the physical aspect of their relationship cleanly, just as he'd wanted-as she'd wanted, even though a tiny part of her hoped-Wear this tonight. I'm taking you out. How did he even know the right size? And shoes, too. A thin slip of a dress, it was ankle-length and dark red, with the neckline coming to a V between h
Noah followed Raven into her apartment and shut the door with Max on the other side to stand vigil. Wordlessly, she went down the hall toward her bedroom, so he plopped on the couch with his head in his hands. His shaking hands.Ten years and he'd taken every precaution to avoid this exact moment. Looked like his FBI contact was right. There was a hit out on him. But why taunt Raven by following her instead of just taking a shot? Not that he wasn't grateful.And he hadn't been with her. Max Gerard was the best, Noah wouldn't have hired him if he wasn't, but shit-he hadn't been with her. That little incident could've been something much more than a tail. Tonight was just a warning. Something could've happened to her, and he wasn't fucking there. He'd stood in his condo this morning like a dumb fuck and had said nothing as she packed, despite how everything inside his head screamed not to let her walk. He thought he was being irrational, clouding the friendship line with sex, so he'd
To HaveRaven grabbed the armrests of her seat and pinched her eyes closed. She'd been in Noah's float plane before, but this was different. The helicopter didn't offer the same smooth ride or peace of mind. Sure, she was being silly, but with her stomach in her throat it was hard to think rationally.After his rather cryptic announcement back at her apartment, Noah had told her to change into comfortable clothes and then ushered her out the door. God. He had a helicopter. His own helicopter. At his disposal. They'd taken off in Anchorage and were heading to destinations unknown somewhere north. He refused to tell her where.She wondered what he meant by meeting his family. Having been introduced to his parents a few times in college before their fatal car crash, she'd known he had no other living relatives besides some distant cousins on his mother's side. What could he possibly have meant by that statement?From the seat beside her, Noah patted her hand. "You okay, baby?" His voi
With Raven leaning against the doorframe, Noah pulled a blanket up to Aubrey's chin and leaned over the bed to kiss her forehead, reassuring her he'd be there come morning. Her blonde hair spread out over the pillow, her blue eyes sleepy, he had to resist not rubbing the ache in his chest. His whole adult life had been about protecting this precious little girl, when he'd barely been of adult age himself. And she needed her sleep. "I love you." He rose and headed for the door."Love you more. Does she like coloring?" Aubrey asked through a yawn.Noah lifted his brows, pleased Aubrey was sending out feelers for Raven. In no time, they'd be past the awkward phase and Aubrey would love her to no end. That's how she rolled. Her trust was never-ending. "Raven's a master colorer."Aubrey laughed. "That's not a real word."Raven smiled, exhaustion in her features. "I don't know about master, but I can hold my own. How about we get right on that after breakfast tomorrow?"Leaving Aubrey
Noah swallowed and turned away from Raven, facing the window and the view, but not truly seeing it. He shoved his hands in his pockets and tried to prepare himself for what rehashing his past was going to do to him, to her."My mother had a daughter through a previous marriage when she met my dad. Fresh on the political circuit, they got married quickly and had me. Melissa was eight years older than me and spent a lot of time with her dad, so we weren't exactly close. Neither of us harbored any resentment, there was just such a big age gap."Pressing his palm to the frame, he leaned into his hand and hung his head. "She married Mario Francesco when I was ten, and none of us had any idea he was a legal aid for Rizzoli. My father was part of the Democratic Party and went up against Rizzoli in a few elections. Mario found out about misused campaign funds, but that was the tip of the iceberg. When the feds dug deeper, they found money laundering and drug pushing out of New Jersey. We did
Not knowing what else to do, Raven encouraged, and then forced, Noah into the bathroom. He preferred to shower at night and, after such a long, stressful day, a bath was a decent way to unwind before crashing. The room was just as generous as the one in his condo, but the color tones were dark blues and grays instead of mossy green. The shower wasn't as luxurious, but the tub was big. The room smelled like him, like spice and comfort, even though they'd just arrived, and she realized, after a moment, that it was from oils he'd dripped into the water.He climbed in and she followed, sitting behind him and urging him to lean against her. Since making love, he'd been silent, and she suspected the guilt was eating away at him. The desperation, the sheer frustration rolling off him afterward, was heart-wrenching.Tears threatened when she thought about everything he'd been through, been forced to endure by no fault of his own. Lesser men would have let his parents take the girl or had t