Thorn: Carter Kids #2 (39 page)

“I know you are,” he replied and I hoped he was hearing my apology – the depth of my remorse. The sadness I felt for where his life had taken him overwhelmed me. He’d been in prison, his mom had died and he’d been all alone for the majority of his life.

“My turn to investigate,” he interrupted, obviously not wanting to talk about it.

Rolling me onto my back, Noah rested on his side above me and trailed his fingers over my naked skin. “So soft,” he whispered, nudging my belly with his nose. His breath against my skin caused the tingling between my legs to intensify. His eyes darkened when he moved his hand to rest between the apex of my thighs. “What about here?” he whispered, trailing his thumb between my wet folds, circling my clit slowly, watching me like a hawk to gage my reaction. “Do you still like it when I touch you here, Thorn?”

“Yes,” I whispered, my breath hitching in my throat as I writhed under his touch. I wasn’t blessed in the breast department, but when Noah’s mouth closed over one, taking my pebbled nipple into his mouth and grunting in appreciation, I forgot all about my insecurities. The feelings he provoked in me were like nothing I’d ever experienced before. It was as if his body had been created for the sole purpose of pleasuring mine. We fit together that perfectly. I wanted to lick him. I knew that sounded crazy and fucked up but it was the truth. I wanted to hold his head to my chest and cradle him there, care for him. Nurture him. And then lay on my back and let him do everything I had never allowed another man to do to me.

I wanted to be the one to nurse his wounds, and rub him down after each fight. I wanted to be the woman he had on his arm. I wanted him to want me like I wanted him. It was a deep, carnal want.

He was a real man. Unlike anyone else I’d ever met and I wanted him to possess me, body and soul. I wanted to tie him up in so many knots he would never leave. I loved him that much.

“See the way your body responds to mine,” he whispered, kissing each of my breasts. “It’s because you’re my mate,” he added in an almost desperate tone. Shifting so that he was resting above me, Noah pushed my thighs apart and nestled between them. “Your body wants my body, and my heart wants yours,” he rasped before filling me in one deep thrust. “We fit together.”

Stroking his cheek with my hand, I forced him to look at me as I pressed myself against him, letting him have me, exposing my soul to the man who owned it.

“What are your plans?” he groaned, burying his face in my neck as he plunged inside of me.

“For when?” I gasped, tightening my legs around his hips, as my back arched upwards. “Tomorrow?”

He shook his head. “No, Thorn.” I felt him smile against my skin. “For the rest of your life.”

I didn’t answer him.

I couldn’t.

The sensations rushing through me made it impossible to form a coherent sentence.

So I answered him with kisses, I told him I loved him with my touch, and I promised to never leave him with my tears.

Afterwards, neither of us spoke a word – there was nothing left to say.

We just lay together in the dark room, unmoving, still joined.

I was lost to Noah and I knew I was never going to find my way out. Consuming love and infallible obsession. There was no way out of this for me. I was bound to him. I always had been. I always would be. I didn’t believe in soul mates but if I did, I just knew he was mine. We were a broken mess. We fought. We argued. We all but killed each other. But we couldn’t live without one another and that was what mattered. Noah Messina consumed my every waking thought. He made me feel like I was born for the sole purpose of being his mate. His woman. The other half of his wounded soul. Both of us were screwed up beyond repair. But it didn’t matter. I would follow him. And I would earn his trust back if it was the last thing I did.

Three days was all it took. Three days to have my world turned upside down. Three days to find out everything I had ever believed was a lie. Three days to make me lose my inhibitions and fall.

Finally, as the seconds turned into minutes and his breathing turned deep and even, exhaustion claimed me, and I fell asleep tangled up in Noah Messina.

WHEN I WOKE UP IT WAS STILL DARK
outside and Teagan was still in my bed, wrapped around me like ivy. I stretched out my stiff limbs and she grumbled in her sleep, protesting at being disturbed, before snuggling back into my side.

Contemplating leaving this bed in the morning was a fucking painful thought. Here in this bed, our own personal bubble protected us. I was naked, she was naked, and there were no barriers between us. No walls of insecurity and hurt and no fucking danger. When I left this bed that would all change. Reality would seep in and fuck with my happiness.

Craning my neck so I could look at her, my heart accelerated in my chest at the sight of her head resting on my chest. The moonlight shining in from the window cast light upon us, illuminating her face in a soft glow.

“I love you, you little fruitcake,” I whispered, stroking her cheek with my thumb. “But you don’t make it easy.”

“I heard that,” she grumbled, peeking out at me with one hazel eye.

Rolling her onto her back, I held myself above her, resting my full weight on my elbows. “You were supposed to,” I teased, unable to resist pressing a kiss to her cute little button nose.

Nudging her legs with my knee, I growled in approval when she let her thighs fall open, looking like a disheveled angel.

“I want you to be my biggest fan,” I told her, pinning her arms above her head. Lowering my face to hers, I pulled her swollen bottom lip into my mouth and sucked. “I want to hear you screaming my goddamn name when you watch me fight, and I want to see pride on your face when I win. Because I
will
win, Thorn. Every single time. I’ll win for you.” I wanted her to stay with me for me. Not the fame or the money or the fucking power. But for me. Just me. Broken and screwed up as I was. I wanted to be enough for just once in my life.

“I’ve always been your biggest fan.” Shoving against my chest, I let Thorn push me onto my back and watched through hooded eyes as she climbed on top of me. “And that has nothing to do with your career.”

Fisting my dick in her small hand, Thorn raised herself above me and rubbed herself against me. “But why does it matter so much to you?” she whispered, staring down at me.

“Because I want your admiration,” I hissed. Grabbing her hips, I rammed her down on my dick. “I want your devoted acceptance.” She was so wet that I slid all the way into her tight little pussy. “And I want your fucking love.”

“You have it,” she cried out as she bounced up on down on my dick. Her pussy around me was fucking heaven. She slammed down hard, and I growled in approval.

Fuck me, I didn’t remember this version of Teagan. I wasn’t complaining though. She could play with me all damn night.

“Oh god, Noah, you have all of me,” she screamed.

“You sure about that?” I hissed, thrusting upwards when she came down hard. “Fucking own me, Thorn.”

She upped her pace, riding me harder and faster, pinning me to the mattress with her hips.

Reaching up, I took her perky breasts in my hands, twisting and pinching her nipples until she pulsed around my dick, squeezing me so tight that I shot off like a cannon inside her, filling her with my seed, and fucking loving her when she snuggled down on my chest, leaving our bodies joined.

THE NEXT TIME I WOKE
it was to the sun streaming in the window and a loud hammering noise coming from the other room.

Wanting to stay here with Thorn, but knowing I had to face the music, I slid out from underneath her and covered her naked body with the sheet that was rumpled up at the foot of the bed.

Reaching down, I grabbed my pants off the floor before creeping out of the room, stepping over the broken glass and furniture that was evidence of my loss of control last night.

Closing the door out behind me, I slipped on my pants before walking over to the door and pulling it inwards.

“You stupid son of a bitch.” Those were the first words Quincy said when he stormed into the suite looking like death warmed up, followed quickly by, “Do you have any idea of how much trouble your stunt at the bar last night has cost you?”

Lucky strolled in after him with his Ray Ban’s on, a paper tray balancing four disposable cups in one hand and a plastic bag swinging from the other.

“Hello to you too,” I muttered, swinging the door shut behind them. “And if you don’t mind, keep your goddamn voices down,” I added, folding my arms across my chest. “Thorn’s still sleeping.”

“Thorn?” Quincy’s face turned a darker shade of purple. “You smoke a special sort of cigarette, Messina?”

Strolling over to the couch, Lucky sank down on the couch. “It’s what he calls his woman,” he chuckled, removing goodies from his plastic bag and tucking into a sugar glazed donut. “As in,
thorn in his side
,” he added, licking the icing off his fingers.

“So that explains the tramp stamp,” Quincy grumbled thoughtfully, scratching his baldhead as his gaze drifted to the tattoo on my side.

Walking over to the couch, I sank down beside Lucky, shaking my head when he offered me a donut. I didn’t eat that processed sugar-filled crap and Lucky knew it. “How much did it cost me?”

“Thirty grand,” Lucky piped up. “Ten a man.”

“That fuck deserves a lot worse than he got – and I barely touched the other two,” I shot back, irritated that those bastards were walking around with my goddamn money. Teagan’s bruised face flashed through my mind and the only regret I had was not putting them out of commission – permanently.