Tame: Carter Kids #3 (3 page)

My breath caught in my throat when Noah's fingers stroked a spot inside of my pussy that caused my whole body to shudder.

"I can't change the past, Noah," I cried out, fighting to make sense of my words as my body reveled in ecstasy. "So we can either move forward from here…mmm…or we can argue…ah…but we cannot be apart. I won't do it. Never again."

"Did he make you feel like this?" Pinching my clit between his fingers, he pressed his fingers deeper into me, adding pressure to my clit, making me cry out loudly. "Did he make you come?"

“…Liam was safe; he couldn’t hurt me because I didn’t have any room left inside of me to store the pain. You say you want me, Noah, but I didn’t know that back then…so I tried to move on from you. I tried to force myself into believing Liam was what was right for me –”

“He’s not what’s right for you, Teagan,” Noah hissed. His eyes never left mine as he took a step back and said, “he’s what’s safe for you. I’m what’s right for you. Me…”

I could never have another man inside my body.

Never again.

Shaking the image of Liam's face out of my mind, I cried out, "No," as I thrashed against Noah's touch, feeling the burning sensation building up inside of me, desperate to reach it.

I was panting, groaning and pretty much thrashing like a demented lunatic, craving release as the limousine ate up the miles and his fingers fucked me into submission. 

"I don't trust easily and I don't love," he grunted. "Never have." His fingers fucked me to the rhythm of our relationship; hard, fast, and merciless. "But I did both of those with you."

"I know." My breathless pants and moans of encouragement only pushed him on as he set alight every nerve ending in my body. "Oh god, I know…"

Urging him harder, deeper…

A thousand thoughts flushed through my mind in that moment, every one of him, but I let sensation guide me. 

More… harder…

"I was always coming back for you." Noah's words – his beautiful, harsh words – were like music to my ears and I covered his hand with mine, squeezing my thighs together just as my orgasm rushed through me.

Sighing, he slid his hand out of me and whispered, "I'm not blaming you for everything, Thorn, I'm just trying to explain how I feel. I need to believe you're not going to walk away from me again. Just give me some time."

There were only so many ways I could tell him – show him that I was here to stay.

I needed him to believe me. My big, bruised, and beautifully broken man.

"I can do that," I whispered. "Give you time, that is."

Loving Noah Messina wasn't a choice for me.

It was something that had been instilled inside in my heart without my brain's permission. I couldn't stop it. I couldn't change it. All I could do was roll with the punches and pray I made it out in one piece.

Either way, there wasn't another person on this planet I would rather break my own heart loving.

I was shuffled into the fanciest looking board room on this side of the hemisphere with Noah right behind me.

Nine pairs of eyes immediately flew to my face and I flamed in embarrassment.

"I…uh…I can wait outside," I started to say, but Noah quickly shut me down.

"This is Teagan," he announced to the room full of suits. "My girlfriend. Get used to seeing her around the place because she goes where I go."

His girlfriend!

A few members of the board cleared their throats, others looked dispassionately in my direction, but no one argued with Noah, and to be fair, I didn't blame them.

Noah wasn't an easy man to challenge. In any aspect of life. 

With that, Noah pulled out a chair at the huge oak table and gestured for me to sit.

I practically fell into the chair, feeling totally out of my element.

Taking the seat beside me, Noah leaned forward and rested his elbows on the expensive table in front of us. Meanwhile, I shriveled up in my chair, praying for this to end quickly.

Through hooded eyes, I watched as Noah flicked through the neat pile of paperwork in front of him. Tension was emanating from him as he stared hard at each sheet.

Letting out a low growl, he ran a hand through his hair before rolling his shirt sleeves back up to his elbows and refocusing on the paperwork.

"My name is Judith Rembrandt, head of the disciplinary board. Shall we commence, Mr. Messina?" a low sized, middle-aged woman asked in a snotty tone.

Judith had her greying brown hair pulled back in a severe bun and she kind of reminded me of one of our old school teachers in the convents back home.

I bet she was a crack the whip kind of women.

"Where's Nick?" was all Noah replied.

Nick Leversteen was the owner and CEO of the MFA. I was more than surprised not to see him here.

Obviously, Noah was, too.

"Unfortunately, Mr. Leversteen was unavailable this morning," the old shrew replied. "Shall we proceed?"

"Go for it." Leaning back in his chair, Noah shoved the paperwork away from him, not far, but enough to let everyone in the room know he wasn't happy.

With a nod of her head, Judith wasted no time in chastising Noah.

"Your actions in Ireland were completely unacceptable, Mr. Messina, not to mention illegal. Do I need to remind you that you are a representative of our brand, and when you behave badly, it reflects badly on the MFA?"

Nodding stiffly, Noah drummed his fingers against the desk, but he didn't respond. I was really proud of his self-restraint in that moment because I wanted to cut the bitch for talking to him like that.

My fingernails were making tiny, burrowing holes in the leather armrests. Maybe I was growing, too, because I was managing to stay in my seat.

Maybe Noah was a good influence on me after all…

"Your previous convictions, not to mention your recreational pursuits," Judith added, her eyes flickering to me and she cleared her throat, "have a direct effect on our brand's name."

"Recreational pursuits?" I whispered under my breath. Turning to Noah, I raised a brow in question and he shook his head, looking just as puzzled as I was.

"The sex tape, Noah," another voice said from behind us. A millisecond later, the sound of a door closing firmly filled my ears.

Swinging around to see who had walked in, my mouth fell open when Tommy Moyet, Noah's best friend from high school, entered my peripheral vision.

"Apologies for my late arrival." Tommy walked over to the table and took a seat on Noah's right, never once glancing in my direction.

I didn't miss the cool way Tommy ignored my presence, but I also didn't miss the warmth and relief in Noah's eyes when Tommy entered the room. In fact, Noah visibly sagged in his chair.

"Traffic was hectic," Tommy continued to say with a dismissive flick of his wrist.

Shrugging off his crisp, grey suit jacket, Tommy discreetly fist-bumped Noah under the table before turning his attention back to the board.

Taking Noah's file of paperwork, Tommy flicked through each page, looking mildly amused, before taking the board to town. "Ms. Rembrandt, do I need to remind you that Noah's previous convictions and private affairs have nothing to do with this meeting?"

Judith's face reddened, but she quickly recovered. "A black mark on your client is a black mark on our company."

"And yet your CEO was more than aware of my client's black marks when he signed him to the company less than two weeks after his release," Tommy shot back calmly. "In fact, he's made a pretty penny selling my client's life story to the media."

Uh-oh. Tommy hit a nerve with that comment.

Judith's face turned an unflattering shade of purple "Be that as it may, Mr. Messina should conduct himself in a professional manner at all times…"

"Did you watch the tape?" Tommy countered lazily.

I sat forward, completely emerged in watching this old lady take a verbal ass kicking.

"What video?" I whispered, nudging Noah. Deep down, I had a feeling I already knew, but I needed the confirmation from him.

"Thorn." The look Noah gave me was one of fierce regret and I knew. I fucking knew.

"The elevator," I said, deadpan. The CCTV footage of Noah taking my virginity in the elevator of Kyle Carter's hotel. "You and me?"

Noah nodded slowly.

Groaning, I dropped my head in my hands and bit back the urge to howl.

Reese fucking Tanner…

Glancing around the room at her colleagues, Judith turned back to Tommy and nodded.

"I speak for all of us here when I say that yes, we all watched the tape. We needed to see what sort of damage control was in order," she explained, red-faced. "It's our job!"

"Then you're all guilty of watching an unsolicited video of minors," Tommy shot back with a smirk. "Tut-tut, Mrs. Rembrandt."

Noah barked out a laugh and Judith cut him a look that said 'shut your damn mouth'.

"We…we…it…"

"You intentionally downloaded and watched illegally captured footage of a seventeen-year-old girl." Judith paled and Tommy grinned in victory. "Teagan," he said, addressing me for the first time.

"Yep?" I asked, mortified.

"These fine people have all freely admitted to watching unsolicited footage of you as a minor. Footage that was leaked without your consent or knowledge. What would you like to do?"

"I…" Oh shit, I wasn't prepared for this.

What did I want to do?

I wanted to go back in time and cut Reese Tanner a second asshole, but the past was unchangeable. The future however…

"I want Noah cleared of all responsibility regarding the fight in Cork," I announced. "Shut that shit down, close your case on my boyfriend, and I'll forget about what a bunch of perverts you all are." 

"That's my girl," Noah chuckled. Shoving his seat back, he caught hold of my hand and half dragged me out of my seat. "See ya."

"Now wait just a damn minute," Judith spluttered, furious. "We're not done here, Mr. Messina."

"Talk to my manager," Noah shot back, grinning. "We're out."

"Noah. Get back here. I need to speak to you!"

Tommy's voice came from behind me and reluctantly, I came to a halt in the middle of the empty corridor.

"Not now, T," I warned him, clenching my jaw.

This wasn't the time or the place for the conversation I knew Tommy wanted to speak to me about. Teagan, who was alongside me, looked up in confusion.

"What's wrong?" she asked, eyeing Tommy who was approaching us with a thunderous expression on his face.

"Nothing," I lied, reassuring her.

"Nothing?" Tommy snarled when he reached us. "Are you fucking with me?" Running a hand through his prematurely greying hair, Tommy laughed humorlessly. "One hour and you're jumping through hoops…"

"Not here," I snapped, inclining my head towards Teagan.

Clearly Tommy either didn't get my drift or didn't care because he continued to rant in my face like a fucking mad man.

"This isn't a game, Noah," Tommy sneered. "Picking fights outside bars? Walking out of the meeting like that?" Tommy shook his head in disgust. "This is your career, man, and when your ass is on the line, all of our asses are on the line."

"What the fuck did you expect me to do?" I snarled, losing my cool. "Let them rough her up?" I took a step towards him. "No one puts their hands on her!" My fists clenched. "Fucking no one."

"I'll tell you what I didn't expect," Tommy shot back. "I didn't expect you to be so stupid…"

And then she was there, by my side, defending me like a lioness. 

"Don't you dare call him stupid," Teagan hissed. Stepping around me, she walked straight up to Tommy and pressed her finger against his chest. "Talk to him like that one more time and I'll fry your balls and feed them to you through a tube."

She was protecting me.

This tiny little woman, full of spunk and sass and heart. I'd never had that before. A teammate. An equal. Teagan made me feel like I was worth a helluva lot more than I actually was.

Jesus Christ…I think I fell in love with her all over again in that moment.

Holding my hand up to Tommy in warning, I took Teagan by the arm and half dragged her down the corridor and out of harm's way.

We rounded a corner and I sagged in relief when I spotted Lucky lounging on a bench in the foyer of the building.

"Go wait with Lucky," I told her. Releasing her hand, I nudged her over to my friend. "I won't be long."

Lucky, who had noticed us approaching, was already walking towards us.

"Blondie," he said with a grin. "Come take a walk with me."

His eyes flickered to mine and in that brief moment, I found a huge amount of relief.

With that fleeting glance, he reassured me that he had my back. I could trust him with Teagan.

Lucky wouldn't let me down.

"Noah, if you're in trouble because of me, I want to know about it," Teagan shot back heatedly. "If Tommy Moyet has a problem with me being here…"

"He doesn't," I interrupted. "It's just business, Thorn. My career. Nothing to do with you."

Teagan dropped her hands to her hips and puffed out a sharp breath. "I'm not dumb, Noah." She stared hard up at me, silently demanding an explanation.

I didn't give her one.

I didn't trust myself to speak.

Turning my back on her, I stalked back to where I'd left Tommy.

"I don't like this, Noah," Tommy said unapologetically when I reached him.

Turning his back to me, he shoved his hands in his pockets and looked out the floor length window. "I think she's a menace, a liability, and completely unworthy of you."

I stepped back, putting a few feet between us. It was either move or hit him, and as pissed as I was at Tommy, I didn't want to hurt him.

"I need you to
not
talk about her like that," I warned him, grasping at the last thread of my patience. "Ever again."

"It's how I feel, man," Tommy shot back indignantly, swinging around to face me. "That woman is about the worst fucking thing on this planet for you. She's going to take you down, Noah. One way or another." I opened my mouth to speak, but Tommy continued. "Your rental was trashed. You are being threatened. Hell, we are all being threatened, and you are dangling Teagan in front of JD like a bleeding lamb to a great white…"

"Careful, T." Running a hand through my hair, I pulled hard on the ends, urging myself to calm the hell down. "One more word against her and I'm going to lose my shit."

"You haven't thought this through," he said accusingly. "Bringing her over here?" He threw his hands up in the air. "Taking her on tour with us?"

"I've spent the last seven years thinking about nothing else," I snarled, chest heaving.

"And if she leaves you again?" he roared. "What are you going to do then? We both know she's a flight risk."

"She won't do that to me."

"And what if the guy she's been seeing comes looking for her?" Tommy spat. "What if her uncle calls her home? Have you thought about that? Have you thought about how crazy this is?"

Tommy ran a hand through his hair and groaned.

"You don't know her, Noah. She's a girl from high school who screwed you over real bad. She's a liability to us. We're your team. I was there when the shit hit the fan back in high school," he snapped. "I watched her ruin you. Repeatedly. I know what she represents to you."

"Do you want to keep your job?" I snarled, clenching my knuckles so tight that I felt them crack. "Because one more word about her and you're fired."

"Do you want to keep yours?" he shot back angrily. "Because keep fucking around with her and you'll be out of one."

"Obviously not," I snarled. "You're fired." 

"Are you serious?" Hurt was splayed all over Tommy's face. "Noah, we've been friends for ten years," he added in a pained voice. "You're putting some woman over our friendship?"

"Not some woman." Releasing my fists, I wiped my palms against my thighs. "
My
woman. And one hundred percent."

"Noah," Tommy protested, but I was done being patient.

Turning my back, I walked away from his sorry ass before I did something I would no doubt regret.

"You have training in an hour," he called out, finally getting my message. "Quincy and Beau are waiting for you at the gym on fifth – Noah! Are you hearing me?"

"Fuck your training," I seethed as I continued walking. "Fuck the disciplinary board. In fact, fuck you all."

"And your fight next weekend?" Tommy shouted angrily.

Heavy footprints came from behind me.

Seconds later Tommy's hand was on my shoulder. Swinging me around, he looked straight into my eyes. "Fuck that, too?"

"I'll be there on fight night – like always," I shot back, furious, roughly shaking his hand from my shoulder. "And I'll win – like always…"

"Noah, you need to train –"

"No." I held my hands up between us and took a step back. If Tommy was smart he would back the fuck up from me. "I need people to stop telling me what the fuck to do."

"So what?" he demanded. "You're not going to train anymore?"

"I'm taking two weeks off," I replied. "I'll be at the fight, but I need some time with her."

"This is
exactly
what I was afraid of," I heard him mutter under his breath.

"Seven years, Tommy!" I roared. Inhaling a deep calming breath, I forced myself to calm down before adding, "She comes first. She will
alway
s come first."

Tommy was silent for a long moment.

"I'm sorry, okay?" He held out his hand to me. "I'm just worried to death, man. The whole JD thing has me all fucked up and now she's here…" He swallowed deeply. "It just feels like everything is coming full circle again – and not in a good way."

My former stepbrother's face infiltrated my mind and just like that, my bad mood turned murderous.

Knowing that he had been watching Teagan all this time made my blood run cold.

He found her.

In one of the quietest places on this planet, that rat bastard found her. Worse, he'd intruded in her life, touched her private things, been in her apartment.

My hands balled into fists on their own accord.

Rage seeped through my body.

I was under no illusions that I was in the middle of a war.

I also knew it was a war I had to win.

Because Teagan needed me.

All of me.

Intact and alive with blood in my veins and air in my lungs.

I had sold my soul to the devil and it just so happened that my personal devil came with an Irish accent and blonde hair.

"He's here, you know," Tommy whispered. "In Vegas. Lewis spotted him yesterday. Walking down fifth like he didn't have a care in the world."

"Don't tell her," I squeezed out. This was exactly why taking Teagan on the road with me was my only option. I'd followed my heart and now my heart was in immediate fucking danger. "Whatever else happens, make damn sure Teagan doesn't know he's here."

"I'm more worried about you, Noah," Tommy countered heatedly. "You're my best friend. If anything happens…"

"Nothing is going to happen to anyone," I said, making a promise I wasn't sure I could keep. "It's a fucking scare tactic. JD's trying to psyche us out." Sighing, I added, "Let him follow us. At least we'll know where to find him."

"What are you going to do?"

I'm going to take his life, that's what I'm going to do. "The less you know the safer."