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Chapter 18
Bab terkait
Exposure Chapter 19
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
Exposure Chapter 20
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
Exposure Chapter 21
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
Exposure Chapter 22
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
Exposure Chapter 23
They woke late in the morning and, though Noah wanted to burrow under the covers and make love to Raven, Aubrey was no doubt anxious for them to come down. He didn't get to see her near as often as he wanted and Skype just wasn't the same.Aubrey drilled Raven with questions while they ate breakfast. Raven took them in stride, patiently answering each one. He'd never seen her around kids, but she was a natural with Aubrey. Afterward, they went to Aubrey's art room to color, and he got a great shot of their heads huddled together working on the same drawing. That one was going up on the wall before they left.He'd been anxious to get Raven alone for the shots he wanted, but late light would be better for what he had in mind. He sat back in the chair in Aubrey's room, listening to his two best girls chat about stuff and smiling at how full his heart was. Odd, that. Finished with the picture, Aubrey held it out for Raven. "To take home.""For me? Really?" She grinned and swiped a str
Exposure Chapter 24
Leaving Noah to have a few minutes of private time with Aubrey, Raven climbed the steps to the third floor and stopped in the living room. Aubrey wasn't kidding. He'd printed and framed the photos already. The arrangement was different, too. Three shots of her and Noah were together in a floating frame, with family portraits around it. Studying them closely, she could scarcely believe the couple was them. They resembled a jewelry ad or greeting card. So happy, carefree. Loving. God, they looked-real. Not friends with benefits, but the genuine article.Panic threatened, her chest growing tight with too little air. She fought it. Seeing them together shouldn't frighten her. This was Noah. Protective, loyal Noah. He was the same person and so was she. The only difference was the physical relationship. She glanced again at the pictures and knew she was lying to herself. A man didn't look at a woman like that if he wanted only sex, if he had any intention of returning to a safe friends
Exposure Chapter 25
Noah dropped the camera and was between her thighs before her tremors ceased. Crashing his mouth to hers, he pushed for entry and stroked his tongue inside, doing with his mouth what he wanted to do with his cock. He had no idea if she was serious about giving head, didn't know if that was a trigger for her, so he kissed her like his life depended on it, because his sanity did.She wrapped one leg around his waist and rolled him to his back. He cupped her neck, holding her to him. When she raked her nails down his chest and her mouth followed the path, he thought he'd blow. Lower, lower.He grabbed her hips. "Only if you want to, baby. If it-""I want to," she moaned against his nipple, taking it between her teeth and sinking in.His head hit the mattress. "Holy fuck."She grinned against his flesh, licking her way down past his naval to-"Holy, holy fuck."Her tongue swirled around his head, darting into the slit and spreading the moisture beading. His cock was so full with see
Exposure Chapter 26
Raven lifted her brows at Nicole and bit back a smile. Nicole, just as amused, widened her eyes, pleading with Raven to stop.Michael Hawthorn, Hoan's agent, was more than a little surprised by her assistant being in the meeting to set up the exhibit. And by Nicole's low-cut peach dress, which molded to her curves. His gaze kept drifting, even while he fiddled on his phone to check his event calendar.He smoothed a hand down his tie. "I think the end of March would work best. What do you have open?"Nicole checked her ledger. "The twenty-eighth? That's the last Friday."He nodded and adjusted his tall frame in the chair. "That works. When do you need the pieces by and how many?" As it had been since he'd arrived, his tone was clipped and curt. Gone was the smooth, amused man who'd strolled into her office a little more than a month ago to initiate Noah's reveal.They both looked to Raven. "Nicole will oversee this show, so you can deal with her directly. I'll step in if need be."
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