"Say it," I dared her, breaking the kiss, eyes locked on her pretty face. When she shook her head I caught her chin between my thumb and forefinger and forced her to look at me. "Say it, Thorn," I repeated in a gruff tone. One word. That was all I needed. One f.u.c.king word. "Say it and we can move on." My heart was hammering in my chest. This was it. The moment I had waited seven years for. She believed me. I could see it in her eyes, all the guilt and regret.

People were watching us, obviously noticing she was the woman from the papers, and a few were even going as far as taking pictures with their phones. f.u.c.king let them. I was too immersed in the conversation about to unfold to care. My focus was entirely on her.

"Noah, I'm...I'm..." Teagan opened her mouth and then shut it quickly. "I need to cool down," she blurted out before slipping out of her seat. "I need to... Sean," she hissed, grabbing her friend's hand and dragging him out of his seat.

"Stubborn as ever," I muttered to myself as I watched Thorn escape to the dance floor. Oh yeah, she was sorry. But I needed the words.

"I'll see you in the a.m., boys," Quincy piped up with a s.h.i.t eating grin on his face as he slipped out of the booth, arm in arm with the redhead.

Stopping in front of me, Red leaned into my ear and whispered, "Last chance, big boy."

"I'll pa.s.s," I replied flatly, taking a swig of my beer.

"Your loss," she spat before shimmying out of the booth and attaching herself to my coach.

"Christ, Quincy better not take a leaf out of your book with that one," Lucky, who had arrived back with two beers, chuckled as he sat down beside me. Pa.s.sing me one bottle, he took a deep draught from the other before saying, "Women like that are a dime a dozen with an eighteen to life commitment fee."

"YOU NOT GONNA TALK TO ME?" Noah asked, leaning closer. Stretching his hand out to grab his beer, he accidentally grazed my bare thigh and that was all it took to make me squirm. Heat crept through my body, starting in my toes and settling on my cheeks. "Easy baby," he chuckled. Leaning back with his beer in one hand, he placed his other around the back of my seat. "I've touched you in far more intimate places."

"I don't really know what to say to you," I admitted quietly, knowing I needed to lay it all out there, but really not wanting to. "Well, obviously I do know what I should say," I rambled, feeling like a tool. "But I really don't see how it can change things now." I was far too tipsy for this conversation and Noah looked entirely too good to argue with. If I didn't get the words out right this would end in disaster and that terrified me.

"You look real f.u.c.king good tonight," he told me. Dropping his hand to my thigh, Noah shifted closer to me and leaned into my ear. "Stop hiding your face from me," he ordered in a soft tone, tucking a curl behind my ear. "Look at me."

I did look at him and it caused my body to ignite in a raw spasm of l.u.s.t. He was too much. Too beautiful. Too everything. "You look...dapper," I blurted out before mentally kicking myself. Throwing my hands up, I covered my face and stifled a groan. "The clothes." I pointed to the black shirt, tie and suit pants he had on. "That's what I...meant."

"I'm just out of a meeting," he replied, enjoying every minute of my discomfort. "You know me, Thorn," he teased, gesturing to his clothes. "They can put a suit on me, but they can't change me."

"I don't want to change you," I heard myself say. "I want to own you."

My declaration caught us both by surprise and I watched in horror as his brows shot up. "You already do," he replied slowly, frowning at me like I was a puzzle he couldn't quite figure out.

Well, he was my puzzle; all six feet four inches of his tattooed, ripped and perfectly molded body. And he was a puzzle I desperately wanted to solve. I searched his face for truth, and when I found it in his eyes, I reached out and took his hand in mine, wanting nothing more than to fall into this man and never resurface.

He only had to look at me and my heart went crazy in my chest, hammering against my ribcage, demanding to get to him. It was like I had no control over it. I felt myself being physically drawn to Noah, edging closer and closer...

"Oh my G.o.d, Oh my G.o.d!"

"Noah, we love you!"

The chorus of women's screams as they lunged for Noah enraged me. I watched horrified, as Noah smiled and nodded at the women, and when he stood up to take a group picture with them I thought my head would explode. The women threw themselves at him they literally f.u.c.king threw themselves at him. I was burning with jealousy. I couldn't hide it. It was obvious, etched all over my sour expression, even when he returned to my side. "What?" Noah asked, more like growled in frustration, as he studied my face. "You p.i.s.sed with me for taking a d.a.m.n picture now?"

"I'm jealous," I admitted without an ounce of shame. He knew that about me anyway. I wasn't revealing a new ugly trait. It was on him if he was surprised. "I don't like girls throwing themselves at you, Noah. Especially ones with plastic t.i.ts and peroxide hairstyles."

Noah grinned in amus.e.m.e.nt, which only p.i.s.sed me off more. He was loving this. I knew he was. It was clear from the smug expression on his face that my discomfort was amusing him. "Yeah," he purred. "Those ones are the worst."

"It makes me sick to my stomach," I hissed cattily. "Seeing them touch you and paw you and...ugh!" I threw my head back and groaned, feeling so d.a.m.n worked up. "We're supposed to be in a fight and here I am b.i.t.c.hing and moaning like some jealous girlfriend when I have no right." I was pathetic. Completely and utterly pathetic...

"Do you know how many nights you've kept me up?" he asked in a soft tone, interrupting my thoughts, as he tipped my chin up towards him. His brown eyes speared me when he whispered, "Every. Single. Night." Leaning forward, he pressed a rough, hard kiss to my lips before pulling back to stare into my eyes. "You have no reason to be jealous," he a.s.sured me, stroking my lip with his thumb. "They can look, they can talk, they can invent all the imaginary stories they want, but at the end of the day, it doesn't change a d.a.m.n thing for me. Because I only want you."

"Really?" I panted, unable to stop the tremors that were racking through my body.

"Come back to the hotel with me," he asked no, he ordered.

"I can't," I whispered, though everything inside of me was screaming, yes!

"Why not?"

"What about...Sean," I breathed. "I came here with him."

"He'll survive without you," Noah growled, cupping my neck, dragging me closer. "I won't."

The minute his lips touched mine a fierce throbbing ignited low in my belly, my p.u.s.s.y clenched, and my body welcomed him home. Plunging my hands into his s.e.xy disheveled hair, I dragged his face closer to me, and clung to him, kissing him back with everything I had.

"Say it..." Noah panted, ripping his mouth from mine. Tipping my chin upwards, he leaned forward, looked into my eyes and whispered, "Say it, Thorn. Say it and we can move on."

"Noah, I'm...I'm..." I opened my mouth to speak, but the stupid words wouldn't come out. Dammit, why was it so hard for me to admit that I had been wrong? "I need to cool down," I finally blurted out before scrambling out of the seat. "I need to cool down...Sean," I hissed. Needing to get out of the environment that was overwhelming me, I grabbed Sean's hand and dragged him out of the booth.

Smirking, Sean nodded and followed me onto the dance floor. "Babe, he is out of this world," he called out over the music, wrapping his arms around my waist and drawing me closer to him as N-Trance's Set you Free blasted through the speakers.

"Less talking, more dancing," I shouted back as I worked my a.s.s off, grinding, thrusting and jiggling, and basically pulling out my best s.e.xy moves. Wrapping my arm around Sean's neck I shook my hair out, and swayed against him, all the while looking over his shoulder at Noah's table.

When I noticed his empty seat my heart accelerated in my chest and my step faltered.

Stepping back from me, Sean grinned and pointed towards the bar before slipping away.

"Where are you going?" I called out moments before two hands clamped down hard on my hips and dragged me backwards into a wall of rock hard muscle.

"Does it make you feel good?" Noah growled in my ear. "Knowing you're affecting me."

"Am I?" I breathed, resting my head against his chest, swaying my hips to the music.

"What do you think?" he growled, thrusting his crotch into me. I could feel his arousal digging into my back and it was turning me on like nothing had before. I felt drunk and dazed, and erotically h.o.r.n.y, as I moved against him. Noah's strong hands on my skin were all I could feel all I ever wanted to feel for the rest of my days on this earth.

Noah Messina had me.

The f.u.c.ker had all of me and he knew it.

The hypnotic sound of the dance music hummed around us, coc.o.o.ning us in our slick soaked bubble of l.u.s.t.

He held me close, with his large bruised hand splayed across my stomach, like he was claiming me, like he was marking his territory.

The song ended and quickly rolled into Jason Derulo's Want To Want Me.

Not missing a beat, Noah took my hand and twirled me away before pulling me back towards him again, dropping one large hand to press against the bare skin just over my a.s.s.

He moved incredibly. He was all ripples and rock hard groves as his muscles bunched and strained underneath the fabric of his black shirt.

I was breathless with l.u.s.t and panting as I tried to keep up with him. He led me, and even more surprisingly, I let him. He was f.u.c.king me with his eyes, and claiming me with his expression. His predator smile told me it was going to be rough, hard and all night long. I couldn't freaking wait.

He was just so big and huge, and handsome and full of life.

Every woman in the club was drawn to him and it had absolutely nothing to do with his celebrity status and everything to do with his raw animal magnetism. He was alpha male perfection.

Dipping his face he pressed a fast kiss to my lips, pulling back quickly and then turning me around so that my back was against his chest. Sprawling his hand across my lower belly, he thrust against my a.s.s, pulling me closer with every grind, hitting every f.u.c.king spot.

Noah moved to the beat, grinding, pressing, touching, moving in perfect sync with the sound playing from the speakers. I was lost to him.

"Hmm." Raising my hand above my head, I cupped his neck and rested against his strong chest, letting him have me. His hands on my body, owning me, taking control of me was undeniably welcome. I wanted to give myself up to him again. All my power. All my trust.

"We're going to bring it right back, now folks," the DJ called out over the microphone as the song came to an end. "Here's a little number from a few years back."

The lights darkened and everything slowed down.

Pulling me closer, Noah rested his cheek against my head as he moved us slowly. My hand looked so little, felt so incredibly fragile against his as the lyrics of the Wyclef Jon's 911 rang through my ears, setting alight a fire in my heart I knew I could never douse.

With one hand wrapped around mine, and the other pressed firmly against my lower back. Noah looked down at me, immersing me in the brown hue of his eyes as the music drowned out my racing heart that hammered against my ribcage.

"I got your gift," I told him. "I have to say, I wouldn't have put you down as a flowers man, but I loved it."

Noah looked down at my face and frowned. "What gift?"

"The red rose with the thorn?" I smiled like an idiot. "It was sweet."

"I don't know anything about it, Thorn," he replied, shaking his head. "I didn't send you any flowers."

"Oh, and I suppose you don't know anything about the card either?" I teased. "What the h.e.l.l was up with that anyway?"

"What card?"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh Noah, come on. Stop pretending "

"What card?" he asked, his voice rising.

"The one in the box," I heard myself whisper.

"What did it say, Teagan?" he demanded, stopping mid-dance. His gaze darkened, actually, he looked kind of murderous. "Tell me."

"I'm coming," I told him, feeling uncertain and afraid.

Noah's body tensed and he let out a string of curse words, but I didn't have a chance to dwell on it because the sound of gla.s.s smashing nearby startled me.

I swung around to see what the h.e.l.l was going on. My heart sank when my eyes landed on Liam who was having a full-blown meltdown, kicking over tables as he stalked towards me with a face like thunder.

"Just keep walking, Liam," I told him when he reached us. "Please."

"It's bad enough you're all over the papers with him," he slurred, glaring at me. "But you have to rub it in my face now too?"

"Am I missing something here?" Noah asked in a heated tone.

"No," I replied, eyes locked on Liam, willing him to f.u.c.k off. "Absolutely nothing. So just leave me alone, Liam."

"Oh I'm nothing now?" Shaking his head, Liam pointed his finger in my face and roared, "you're a heartless b.i.t.c.h. A f.u.c.king wh.o.r.e!"

Oh G.o.d, now you've done it, I thought to myself seconds before Noah shoved his hand away.

"Say that again, a.s.shole," Noah snarled, as he stood chest to chest with Liam. "I f.u.c.king dare you."

"Noah, don't," I screamed, diving between them. Placing my hands on his face, I forced him to look at me. "Hey," I coaxed, desperate to calm him and stop him from doing something he could get into trouble for. "Don't do this." Even with the skysc.r.a.per heels I had on, Noah still towered over me by a good five inches.

"He doesn't get to talk to you like that," Noah snarled, clearly livid, as he inhaled short, fast breaths. "No G.o.dd.a.m.n way, Thorn."

"I know," I coaxed, stroking his face. I kept my body between both men as I turned around. "You need to go, Liam," I warned him. "You need to walk away right now!"

"So you don't want a relationship with me, but you're prepared to be this guy's next f.u.c.k?" he demanded, furious. "What the h.e.l.l, Teagan?

"You have no idea what you're talking about," I shot back, trembling. I never wanted to hurt Liam, but this needed to stop. He was acting like I had been unfaithful to him when in fact the only person my heart felt like I had been unfaithful to was Noah. "So drop it."

"Have you f.u.c.ked her?" Liam demanded, goading an already worked up Noah.

"Liam," I hissed, mortified. "Shut up."

Clamping his hands on my hips, Noah dragged me backwards and into his embrace. "I've had her in ways you couldn't begin to imagine," Noah shot back, furious.

"Oh this is perfect." Shaking his head in disgust, Liam let out a harsh laugh. "You don't even know him, Teagan!"

"He's Noah, you a.s.shole," I screamed, losing all tact and what was left of my patience. "He's Noah," I repeated, voice breaking with emotion.

"Yeah, the great Noah Messina," Liam sneered, and then his eyes widened in realization. "Wait a f.u.c.king minute," he hissed, looking at Noah and then shaking his head. "Noah as in your ex?" Liam gaped at me. "The ex?"

"The ex, the current and the f.u.c.king future, a.s.shole," Noah snarled, pushing against my back.

Sniffling, I nodded my head. "And I love him," I added, throwing it out there. Everything had gone to h.e.l.l anyway. I couldn't see the point in denying my feelings anymore. With drunk, pointless tears streaming down my cheeks, I let out a quivering sigh. "I'm in love with him."

Noah's hands tightened on my waist. "You do?" he whispered.

Nodding, I wiped my cheeks with the back of my hand and exhaled a sharp breath. "I never stopped."

Turning me in his arms, Noah's attention was focused solely on me. "Say it, Thorn," he said in a tone thick with emotion as he pulled me flush against him. "I need to hear you say it, baby."

"I know you do," I whispered, clutching his arms. "And I'm sorry for making you wait seven years to hear it "

"Don't worry, Messina. I took real good care of her while you were gone," Liam interrupted from behind me, taunting Noah and destroying the moment. "I had a real good time keeping your bed warm!"

The snarl that tore from Noah's throat was truly terrifying. Shoving me aside, Noah lunged for Liam.

"Steady up, buddy," Lucky who had arrived back just in the nick of time, warned him. Blocking his path to Liam, Lucky put his hands on Noah's shoulders and shoved him back. "He's not worth ruining your career over."

I stood, paralyzed with shock and fear, as Lucky wrestled Noah back to the booth.