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Uh, nope. Clearly, he was not.
One of his hands had clenched around her right shoulder, and he held her trapped between his body and the cold panes of the window.
“You wanted me to save you.”
Noelle shook her head. “I think you’re confused.”
“She told me! You’ve wanted me from the beginning!” With his free hand, he yanked off the ski mask. His usual, perfectly-styled hair shot up in a dozen directions. He dropped the ski mask to the floor. “You want me.” Certainty. “We’re leaving. We’re going to be together.”
Her heart thundered in her chest. “I’m with Brady. He’s right outside. You need to get out of here before he comes in and finds you.”You need to get the hell out of here now.
“Brady is nothing! She told me—told me that he’d rejected you years ago.” A smile curled his lips. “I won’t do that. I won’t ever turn you down. Don’t you see? I’ve done all of this for you.”
“You’ve been terrifying me…as a courtship?” Just so she was clear.
“You wanted a hero. You wanted someone to save you. Here I am.”
“Heroes don’t usually wear ski masks and break into someone’s cabin.”
His brow furrowed. “I wanted to get close to you. Youwantedme close, too. I know the signs.”
Again, she shook her head. “Whatever you think is happening—it isn’t. I’m involved with Brady.” A Brady who could come rushing in at any moment, please.Any. Moment.
“No. He rejected you! She told me that he walked away from you years ago. When you introduced us in your office, I acted like I didn’t know who he was. But I did.” Rowen’s jaw hardened. “Brady is your past. I am your future.”
Hard no.
“You want me, Noelle. You want someone who will sweep in and save you. So I set the scene for you. I did everything. And you were supposed to turn tome.You’re not supposed to be in this fucking cabin with him!”
“H-how did you even find the cabin?”
He flashed his warm smile. The smile that reassured so many clients. “I have access to public records. You know that. It’s our business to know who owns certain properties.” The smile slipped. “When you didn’t go home, I just checked to see what else that bastard owned. Easy enough to get the address and drive here.”
“And you…you came to slash his tires—”
“Because I’m fuckingpissed!”His fingers tightened on her shoulders with bruising force.
A gasp tore from her.
“You weren’t supposed to get close to him. How many times do I have to say it? He rejected you. He turned away from you. Addison told me how you needed to be pushed to see me. That I had to get you scared so you’d need me, and I did, and now we’ll be together, and we can ditch that bastard. He doesn’t ever need to be around you again because you have me.”
Addison.Her stomach knotted. “I think you’ve been misled.”I think you are dangerous and unstable, and you need help.“Let me go and we can talk about this situation—”
“What she means…” Brady growled from behind Rowen, “is take your fucking hands off her now before I beat the hell out of you.”
Rowen sucked in a sharp breath. But he didn’t let her go. He also didn’t turn to face Brady. Instead, Rowen gave her his reassuring smile again. The smile was extra scary when paired with the rage that glinted in his eyes. “It’s okay,” he said to Noelle softly. “You can tell him the truth. Tell him that you want me. That I’m the one you need.”
“You’re the one who has been terrorizing her,” Brady said. His growling voice was closer because he was closing in. “You’re the one who scared her.”
“I had to make her see me. Addison said…Noelle was too tied up on the past. I had to shake her free. Had to make her feel alive again. She’d want me—shedoeswant me—and I’ll save her, and everything will be perfect.”
“You aren’t saving me,” Noelle told him as she lifted her chin. Her hand also rose to curl around the hand that gripped her shoulder. She’d broken the pinky finger on that hand before. She’d go for it again.
“Brady doesn’t want you,” Rowen said as he leaned in even closer to her, bringing his face right in front of Noelle’s. “I do.I want you, and we will be great together.”
“No, asshole, you won’t,” Brady blasted. Even as Noelle grabbed for Rowen’s hand—intending to twist or break as many fingers as she could—Brady jerked her attacker back. He threw Rowen toward the couch. “You are going to stay the hell away from her.” Brady’s gaze swept over her. “Baby, you okay?”
A quick nod.
