SOAR (The Indigo Lounge Series Book 4) (26 page)
Read SOAR (The Indigo Lounge Series Book 4) Online
Authors: Zara Cox
They
ordered food from Pietro’s but picked at it until it went cold. Noah couldn’t
think straight. He alternated between impotent rage and a numb sense of loss.
When Leia suggested an early bedtime, he nodded and walked out of the kitchen.
His
skin ached, as if he’d been flayed from the inside. Undressing, he got into bed
and threw his arm over his eyes.
He
heard Leia walk in and undress. Craving her warmth, he turned toward her, but she
was heading to the bathroom. For several minutes, he lay on his side, listening
to the shower…and the faint sound of sobs.
Frowning,
he rushed into the bathroom. She stood under the spray, her slender shoulders
shaking.
Fear
overtook every other emotion warring inside him. “Leia, baby what’s wrong?”
She
turned and clamped her arms around his waist. “I’m sorry, Noah. So, so sorry.”
Her tears mingled in the spray, her eyes dark pools of sorrow.
“For
God’s sake, what for?”
“This
was your chance to be a father. And that…that bitch took it away from you! I’d
give anything to not have you go through this.”
Noah’s
throat closed up. He kissed her cheeks, her eyes,
her
mouth. Tried to get
himself
under control enough to
speak. “Oh God, Leia. I love you. I love you so much, baby. But don’t cry for
me. I don’t deserve it. I’m the guy who doesn’t know how to mourn a baby he
didn’t know existed until a month ago. A part of me is relieved that the child
will never know a mother like Ashley.” His eyes clouded over. “I’ve been asking
myself what special kind of monster that makes me for the last few hours.”
Her
hand framed his cheek. “Oh Noah, there’s nothing wrong with you. Remember what
you said to me when I blamed my mother for leaving me? What you’re feeling is
human. But…” She shook her head. “I wanted this for you.” Her voice broke.
His
heart splintered, for her and for him, but the healing power of love soon
staunched the pain. “And we will have it.
You and I
.
The way it should be. It may not be naturally, but we have options, baby. Many,
many options.”
Her
anguish started to dissipate. “I’m afraid to hope.”
“Then
have faith instead. Have faith that I love you and will stop at nothing to give
you your heart’s desire.”
She
trembled in his arms. “I can do faith, and I can certainly do the loving you
back thing in spades.”
He
kissed the tip of her nose. “Good. But to make it happen, we need to do things
in the right order, baby.”
Her
eyes returned to the alluring shade of grey, which had captured his heart, body
and mind the moment he saw her. “What order is that?”
“First,
I make love to you, right here, right now. Then I get on my knees and ask you
to marry me. You say yes. Then I make love to you again. Then we get engaged,
have lots and lots of sex between then and whenever we decide to get
married…and when we’re ready, we decide how to have a baby.”
She
tilted her head to one side, her eyes shining. “I really want to find a flaw in
that plan…”
He
smiled. “But?”
“But
I can’t,” she whispered and curled her arms around his neck.
Seven
months later
Leia
opened the front door to the condo to find Noah pacing the living room where
she’d left him two hours before.
He
caught sight of her and changed course, taking her in his arms the moment he
reached her.
“Show
me,” he demanded hoarsely.
“I’m
still really sore, Noah. Can’t you wait till this evening?” She couldn’t resist
a light tease.
He
caught her left hand and meshed it with his. Her enormous square-cut diamond
engagement ring glinted in the sun. “Oh baby, did it hurt a lot? I chose that
place because they’re supposed to be the best. Shit, I knew I should’ve come
with you.”
“Noah!”
He
grimaced. “Sorry. This no cursing rule is
fu
…messing
with my head. Please show me, I promise I’ll be really gentle.”
Fighting
laughter, Leia turned and headed for the bedroom. Dropping her purse on the
bed, she faced him.
“Ready?”
He
nodded.
She
slowly unzipped the blue and white summer dress and dropped it to the floor.
Raising her arm, she angled her body toward him.
He
fell to his knees and read the new words etched into her skin.
From
A Broken Acorn…
…The
King of Oaks And Owner Of My Heart
He
looked up, his eyes glistening. “Darling, it’s beautiful.”
He
gently kissed the words, his mouth trailing his name over and over. She handed
him a bottle of antiseptic. As he gently applied it, she watched beautifully
turbulent emotions wash over his face.
God,
she loved this man…
“So,
the tattoo artist who did this was a woman, right?” he asked with deceptive
nonchalance. Another
kiss
, this time on her hipbone.
He capped the bottle and handed it to her.
Suppressing
a smile, she spoke the word that would sooth her alpha beast. “Yes.” And then
because she couldn’t resist teasing, “But she had these huge tattoos on her
arms of women in various forms of undress. I may be wrong, but I think she’s
into chicks—”
His
growl of warning made her dissolve into giggles.
“If
you think that this unbelievable miracle happening in our lives,” he caressed a
hand reverently over her four-months pregnant belly, “excuses you from
punishment, baby, think again.” He kissed her stomach and Leia felt the tiniest
kick, a fluttering really.
Blinking
back tears, she watched the man of her dreams shower their unborn baby with
love.
When
further exploration had revealed that her damaged tube was only partially
blocked, they’d been cautiously optimistic about natural conception. And with
her pill-taking regimen having bitten the dust amid the turmoil in her life, Noah
had encouraged her to stop taking them altogether.
Leia
had fallen pregnant two months after she’d come off the pill.
Noah’s
happiness at the news had been incomparable and every day she grew more amazed
at the depths of his love and devotion.
She
slid her fingers through his hair and tightened her fist. His low hiss before
his eyes connected with hers was music to her ears.
“I
think the artist was heavily into girls. What are you going to do about it,
Noah?”
Slowly
he rose to his feet, dislodged her grip and pulled both of her hands behind her
back. Stormy blue eyes locked on hers. “You need me to remind who you belong
to. Is that right, baby?”
Breath
fleeing her lungs, she nodded jerkily.
She
took her punishment like a thoroughly loved and adored champ. Two hours later, they
entered the living room to find Paddy in residence, his customary glass in his
hand.
“Fuck.
That’s it, baby. We’re moving,” Noah griped.
He
earned an elbow in his ribs for swearing around the baby. He wondered how much
it’d cost him to throw his PI over the balcony.
“Turn
on the TV,” Paddy said. “Channel Four.”
Noah
grunted. “You help yourself to my booze. Why not
add
watching TV? That way we can adopt you into this family.”
Leia
laughed and found the remote. All laughter ceased as they watched breaking news
of William Bouchard aka Warren Snyder being led away in handcuffs.
“He
was found with an underage girl at the lake house in Maine. She’d been missing
from her family home in Florida for the past six months and she’d been badly…”
His gaze flicked to Leia, “manhandled. I called in a few favors and I’m fairly
certain his trial will be held here. If we can pull the right strings, he could
end up in the same place as Willoughby. I have a few friends on standby to give
them both a reunion party they won’t forget.”
Noah’s
teeth
bared
in a savage grin, and he shook hands with
Paddy. “I’ll foot the bill for the party streamers and any other entertainment
required.”
A
look of brutal understanding passed between the men.
Paddy
left and she stared at Noah.
“What?”
he asked, his voice soft, deep and filled with love again.
“On
the day I complete my tattoo, we finally close the circle. Warren gets arrested.
Ashley is already doing twelve years for stealing the embryos, her part in
burning down my warehouse, and for embezzling from the art gallery in New York,
and my stepfather won’t see the light of day for twenty years, minimum. So…”
she caressed his mouth with the tips of her fingers, “you get one free pass to
get as sappy and swear-y as you want.”
He
caught her fingers in his hand and stared deep into her eyes. “Leia, baby…I
love you. I’ll always protect you and our baby. But I’m glad we don’t have to
look over our shoulders any more. So yeah, life is
Fucking
A right now. Don’t you agree?”
“Yes,
Noah.”
Fucking
A…
THE END
Thank you so much for taking the time to
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FREEFALL
(THE INDIGO
LOUNGE SERIES) #5
BY
ZARA COX
MORE ABOUT
FREEFALL…
Keely Benson:
Nineteen. The
age I threw my life away.
Twenty-Five. The
age I decided to do it a second time.
Twenty-Five
plus one day.
The age Benedict Mason
Sinclair III walked into my life.
Mason Sinclair III:
She was a curse.
A
sex bomb.
A perfect
reminder that
not
having a
heart
was the best choice I ever made.
**********************************
Other Books By
Zara Cox
HIGH
(The Indigo Lounge Series) #1
HIGHER
(The Indigo Lounge Series) #2
First of all to Kate Reed, my
friend, my crit partner and my editor (the perfect trifecta).
You continue to inspire and
blow me away with your friendship and support. I couldn’t have done this
without you!
To my Gorgeous Minxes, and the reason for
at least a dozen smiles each day. I love you guys! I’m so very grateful for
you.
To my readers who, amazingly, keep asking
for more books! I never thought this series would be so well received. Your
support means the world to me. Thank you!
Last but not least, to my husband and
kids (who’re breathing a sigh of relief that THE BOOK is finished!), I love and
adore you for your patience, your care and your unfailing support.
Copyright © 2014 Zara Cox
Edited by Kate Reed
Cover by Angela Oltmann
All rights reserved. No part
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