Marked. Part II: Becoming Noah Baxter (8 page)

My arms circle his neck to the point that I can practically clasp my hands together in the front. His arms do the same, crushing me so hard to him that the air almost gets knocked out of me. Somewhere during all this our tongues have laced together, working their magic. Eventually we have to stop or we'll pass out from lack of oxygen, but neither of us does. Air seems unimportant right now; kissing is way more vital.

I'm surprised when I'm the first to break away. Both our chests are hitting the other from our over excited breathing. I begin kissing every square inch of his face, his scruff like sandpaper on my chin and lips; I love it just as much now as I did the first time I felt it.

I didn't even know we had been moving until my back is slammed down on one of Ben's couches with Jay crashing down on me. His calloused hands feel the skin under my shirt and an “ah” escapes my lips. I had forgotten the pleasurable tingles his touch brings me. Another one slips out when he sucks and bites along my neck. His mouth and tongue move along my jaw, his hands going from light strokes to kneading into my flesh as they re-familiarize themselves with my body. My nails are digging into his shoulders, fighting the overpowering urge to rip his clothes off. His mouth's sucking hard on the skin under my ear, no doubt leaving a mark. I wonder if he's purposely doing that, marking what's his? Does he even view me as his anymore? I hate the uncertainty I always seem to have with our relationship. I need to get over my insecurities.

There is a rapping noise from the main door, but Jay doesn't stop his mouth from finding mine.

The door handle clicks and a male clears their throat, “Sir?”

“
Fuck off!” Jay growls into my mouth.

A hiccup of a giggle escapes from my mouth and he smiles along my lips.

“Main level security has some question about the memo you sent out.”

“
Of course they fucking do,” Jay mumbles. He pushes himself up and off the couch, swiping his head, eyes grazing my entire body before giving his attention to the man at the door. “I'll be out in a second.”

The door clicks shut and Jay scrubs his facial scars, scrunching his eyes closed, causing his forehead to wrinkle. He grumbles words that sound like “eight fucking weeks,” but I'm not certain that's what I heard. He drops his other hand to his hip and peers down at me, “I'll be right back. Vault should have his computer on, so you can use the Internet or whatever if you get bored.”

He admires my body again before making his way to the door. I sit up and view his broad back and lick my lips at the muscles that bulge out of his shirt.

He pauses to speak to me, never looking back as he does, “Be prepared to tell me why the fuck you're here and not at home.”

The door slams shut behind him. Did he seriously just have the audacity to slam a door at me?! It's been eight weeks since we've seen each other and he acts like I'm a nuisance from the moment he sees me.

My fingers trail along my swollen lips. I smile behind them. Well, maybe not the whole time. The middle part of our reunion, I can say with certainty, I wasn't inconveniencing him; I'm pretty sure he liked that part.

I fall back onto the couch, my smile hurting my cheeks. I was just in Jay's very alive arms. I hug myself in happiness. He has some explaining to do to, like why the hell he gave me three million dollars, but what I really hope is that we can finish what we started. Eight weeks is a long time to go without those lips.

Chapter 14

4:09pm

Dear God, I'm bored. I guess telling someone you'll be right back doesn't mean the same to Jay as it does to everyone else. Then again, I can't really be all that surprised. Jay has his own way that usually contradicts the average person.

I browsed the Internet for awhile and almost checked my email, but I wasn't sure if it could be traced. It seems silly to be paranoid about it, but Jay's already pissed at me and I don't need to add more gasoline to the fire. I drank some of Ben's whiskey from his crystal decanter and came very close to knocking on his office door, but he has that office for a reason and one of them might be for privacy.

I spent a fair amount of time watching the wall of security screens. I had pulled up Vault's desk chair that felt like I had my own personal ass cloud. I keep wondering if I can get away with stealing it. I watched the screens show the happenings of the building from the main lobby, the offices on various floors, and this level. It wasn't as exciting as I thought it was going to be, just people going about their banking business. Vault's level is oddly very boring. The waiting area that houses his two assistants has had zero action, and the two girls hardly glance away from their computer monitors, busy at work. I don't look at the screen that displays this room; it's too weird seeing myself sitting alone in this big room.

I want to check the two doors on the left wall to see if one of them is a bathroom, but I'm afraid I'll get caught and they'll think I'm snooping.

I decide to go out the main door and see if one of Ben's assistants can tell me. I poke my head out the door, so I can technically say I never left.

Wait a second. I'm not a child. Jay can't scold me for stepping outside to ask about a bathroom.

Well, okay, he
can
, and he probably
will
, but I'm an adult (something I continually feel the need to remind myself).

I slide my foot hesitantly out the door, testing the water before I decide if I want to dive right into the pool.

I'm being ridiculous, just step all the way out.

As I do I can't help but feel like a teenager sneaking out of her bedroom window.

The girl who's desk is on the right side of me is concentrating on entering information from the paper next to her, unaware that I've entered. The other desk is vacant.

I clear my throat. “Uh, hi,” I lamely mumble. I hate how this whole situation makes me feel like a kid needing to ask an adult for permission.

She scrunches up her nose and pushes up her glasses with her index finger as she looks up to examine me.

Her eyes get wide and she jumps up, knocking over some paper and pens, hitting her knee on the desk, and grimacing in pain.

“Miss Evans, what can I do for you?” She nervously squeaks, pushing up her glasses again with her index finger before sweeping away the stray auburn strands that have fallen over her face from her loose ponytail.

“
I just wanted to know where a bathroom is?”

Her skin turns bright red, “I'm so sorry. Please, let me show you.” She awkwardly scurries around her desk. There's something about her you can't help but smile at. She's so awkward it's cute.

“No need to show me, just point the way.”

She points a finger to the door on the left side of the empty desk, “It's the last door on the right before the hall turns. Directly across from it is the door to Mr. Cole's office. Don't confuse the two,” she warns, then taps her index finger to her lips, “Never mind, Miss Evans. I'm sorry, I forgot you have Portkey access.”

What the hell is that? I'll have to ask after I finish in the bathroom. I rush out a thanks and hurry towards the bathroom, closing the hall door behind me. There's only one door on the left wall, which means that whole side is Ben's. Now I'm even more curious. I have to see it before I go. 

All the doors I pass on my right are closed. One of the doors flies open and almost smacks me. The guard Jay stole the gun from is standing there, the man Jay has told me he calls Asswipe. 

Asswipe eyes me, a sneer shaping part of his lips, “Miss Evans, if you're looking for Lincoln he's with his girlfriend right now.”

“
Well good for him. I was headed for the bathroom,” I'm detached, successfully coming across as uncaring despite the mental punch to my gut I just took.

I brush past him, heart revving into full gear, battling with myself to not ask him what he meant by that, but I don't think I could handle it if he gave me an answer I didn't like.

I close the bathroom door behind me and lean against it.

Has Jay been dating another woman? Please no, please don't let him have found someone else while we were separated.

Is that why he was so cold to me in the beginning and end of our encounter? Despite my jealousy radar beeping, I have a hard time believing it.

I become aware of my fingers twisting Jay's ring around my middle finger. I stare at it and remember what it meant for Jay to give me something like this. I remember how he told me he loved me and saying something like that didn't come easy to him; it's huge that he expressed that to me. I remember the phone calls and the words he spoke, expressing how much I mattered to him.

Trust me.

His words ring clear in my ears. How many times did he tell that to me? More than a handful.

He's right, I need to trust him and would want him to do the same for me. Getting jealous and insecure without hearing the full story will only cause arguing, heartache, and unnecessary pain.

Trust: it's a bitch of a word. 

I do what I came in here for and hurry back out, hoping to not encounter anyone else.

Ben's assistant is busy at work when I reenter the waiting area. I don't want to go back inside that office where I'm alone, so I decide to engage her in conversation,
“Thanks for the help.”

She jumps and pushes her glasses up. She gives me what I think is supposed to be a friendly smile, but it's more of a twitchy grimace. “Of course, Miss Evans. Can I get you something to drink?”

“No, thank you. I had some of Ben's whiskey.”

A gasp starts in her chest and her eyes get wide. I can't tell if it's because I called him Ben or I helped myself to his whiskey. 

“And please, call me Lily,” I extend my hand out to her.

She rubs her hand on her thigh before offering it to me. Her hand sits loosely in mine, shy and unsure of herself, “Harriet.”

I smile warmly at her and notice she relaxes, giving me a half-smile that's more genuine than the first, “It's nice to meet you, Harriet.”

“
Hattie,” she shrugs, shifting in her seat and pushing up her glasses like I'm making her nervous, “Everyone calls me Hattie.”

“
So, Hattie, how long have you worked for Ben?”

She blushes and looks down at her hands resting on her lap, “About eleven months.”

“Is he a cool boss? He seems like he could go either way.”

“
Um...” her eyes dart around the room and she runs her top lip under her teeth, slowly dragging it along.

I shake my head, feeling like an idiot, “I'm sorry, that's a really stupid question when you're at work in a room full of cameras.”

Hattie looks relieved that I understand.

The door from the hall opens and we both jerk our heads around to see who's entering. A beautiful platinum blond in a tight black business suit appears, sashaying over to her desk.

“Hey, Hattie, did you finish entering in–” she stops when she's behind her desk and notices me. She plasters on a welcoming smile, “So sorry, Ms. Evans. I didn't see you there. Was I interrupting something?”

What's with all the ass-kissing I'm receiving?

“Not at all. I was bored so I thought I would introduce myself.”

“
Can I get you anything to drink?”

“
No, thanks. Hattie already offered.”

She nods her head in approval, “Good. Please let us know if we can assist you in any way.”

“What did you mean earlier when you said I have Portkey access?” I remember to ask.

Hattie's nose bunches up, “That's the term we use for people who are free to come and go from this level as they please.”

I poke myself in the chest and lift my brows, “
I
have that?”

She scrunches her face in confusion, “Well, yeah?”

“Are you a relative of Mr. Cole's?” The other one asks.

“
No, just a friend.”

She leans forward in her desk, smirking, “Oh, really? I just assumed you were family because the only people with that level of clearance are his personal guards and his parents. Oh, and his siblings.”

I shrug, not understanding either.

“
This is completely unprofessional, but are the two of you dating?”

The door next to her desk opens and once again all heads in the room jerk to see who it is.

Ben strolls in with papers in one hand and a crystal tumbler of amber liquor in the other. He plops the stack on top of her desk, “I need this done before you leave today.”

She nods and gets straight to work.

Ben faces Hattie's desk and the stern, serious face he entered with vanishes when he sees me.

“
Lily, you're still here,” his face breaks out in a dimple-showing grin that would make any woman's heart skip a beat. “I was about to order something to eat. Do you have time to join me before you leave?”

Oh god, am I expected to be on a plane ride home already?

“Sounds great,” I manage to say. I need some questions answered and I'm hoping Ben's the man to answer them.

“
Good. Hattie?”

She jumps, pushes up her glasses, and faces Ben, avoiding actually looking at him, instead focusing on the edge of his shoulder, “Yes, sir?” Her voice timid and shy.

“Order my usual and show Ms. Evans the menu so she can choose what she would like.” He's so curt with them, not at all like the Ben I know. I guess there's nothing like almost getting blown up and shot down with numerous rifles to really bond you to a person.

Hattie nods and pulls out a binder full of menus.

“Come join me for a drink when you figure out what you want.”

“
Okay, thanks Ben.”

He gives me another knee-buckling smile and heads to his office.

Hattie hands me the menu, her eyes glued to the back of Ben, cheeks getting rosier the longer she stares.

I glance over the extensive menu,
“What's good here?”

“
I'm not sure. I've never eaten there, but Mr. Cole always gets the salmon.”

“
Hattie?” Ben pauses, holding the door open, “Order something for you and Jessica too.”

Hattie turns twenty different shades of red. “O-o-kkay,” she stutters. “Thank you.”

He winks at her and I'm pretty sure if her hands weren't resting on the desk she would have dissolved to the floor.

I think little Miss Hattie has a crush. Can't blame her. Ben has that way about him that probably gets all women lusting after him. I know I would be if I wasn't so insanely in love with Jay.

The door closes and Hattie exhales like she's been holding her breath this whole time. She swoons back into her chair, almost missing it and falling on her ass.

I hold in a giggle.

Jessica joins us, peering at the menu in my hands. I hand it over to her and she gives me a smile of thanks, “He
never
offers us lunch, you should stop by more often. How long did you say you two have been dating?”

“
We aren't.”

Jessica cocks her head to the side, “And you're not family?”

“Nope.” I kind of like how confused I'm making them with who the hell I am. Nobody would ever say Lily Evans is a woman of mystery and intrigue. Ever.

I can tell they're both waiting for me to expand, but I don't. I'm certain this is the only time this will ever happen to me. It's silly, but it's kind of fun. “It was nice meeting you both.” I smile before heading back to Ben's office. As I open the door I say over my shoulder, “I'll have whatever Ben is having.” With that, I enter what I've decided to call Vault's office.

Ben's sitting in the same spot as the first time I met him, drinking from his tumbler. I get the impression it never leaves his right hand. He's looking over a paper with the other.

When he hears me approach he sets the paper down next to him and gestures to the couch opposite him, my drink sitting on the coffee table. “I used the same glass from earlier. Hope thats okay,” he smirks and I blush.

I take the drink and sit, “You don't mind, do you?”

“
That you helped yourself to my thirty-eight-year-old scotch?”

I can't tell if he's teasing me or not.