“Yeah, they went out years ago, I guess.” The annoyance he’d felt had manifested. He was now officially pissed. “He has the pictures on his desk?”

What a f**king joke. They hadn’t gone out in over a year and his pathetic ass still had the pictures of them up?

“Nah, they were on a bookshelf behind his desk. Only reason I got up to get a closer look was because he left the room for a sec. So no shit? She really went out with his ass? You know the more I’m around her the younger she seems, so seeing her in that picture with him was creepy as shit.”

“That’s ‘cause it is.” Noah wished he could add, And that’s why she f**king dumped his ass, but he couldn’t.

That was the worst thing about her having dated such an ass**le. Not only had she actually been attracted to him and dated him for several years, splitting with him hadn’t been her choice. It’d been his. And now he was sniffing around again and he was still displaying pictures of the two of them?

This didn’t sit well with Noah. He may’ve agreed to the no violence rule with Roni but he’d made it clear he wasn’t promising anything. All the shit this bastard had put him through in high school was water under the bridge now. In hindsight, Noah probably deserved some of it, but this changed everything. He’d gotten Roni to admit one thing. She wanted nothing to do with Kratz now.

If the f**ker even thought about weaseling his way back into her life now he’d have to go through Noah. And Noah could think of no better way to unleash all the tension he’d been building these last few weeks around Roni than beating the shit out of someone who would try to come between them.

CHAPTER 24

The next morning Veronica made it a point to be up earlier than the norm. Noah was usually up before her even now that she’d gone back to work because of his early morning runs. But today Veronica wanted to spend as little time with him as possible before she left.

She was just filling her commuter mug with coffee when he walked in the back door. He wore the usual dark grey hooded sweatshirt he wore every morning. He stopped quick at the sight of her, taking his earpiece out of his ear and pulled his hood back. “Hey.” His smile was so sincere her insides warmed. “You’re up. How you feeling?”

She returned the smile, attempting to do what she’d decided after a long night of soul-searching and arguing with that little voice of reason who so often won, but hadn’t been winning lately. Noah was one of the best things that had happened to her. Her mother often spoke of people being brought into your life for a reason. He’d been there when she needed him most but she’d confused things. The feelings she finally admitted to having for Noah had allowed her to ignore the impracticality of it all. Just because Noah said he loved her, didn’t mean things would automatically work. Even though she got the distinct feeling that Noah thought it did.

Veronica knew now better than ever that relationships were a struggle. Noah hadn’t the faintest idea and she shouldn’t expect him to. As far as she knew he’d never even been in a serious relationship and for his age that was normal. Like her, he had other things he was obviously working on first.

She wasn’t even mad anymore that he’d had Rita’s body wrapped around him the day after he’d professed to love her. How long did she really think he’d wait around for her to make her grown up decision? This young guy with the sex drive of a stallion—she’d been witness to it every single time she’d tortured him with her goodnight kisses—it was a living thing. She almost felt guilty now for having put him through what she had and then feeling upset because he was unable to repress it when someone else offered herself up to him so easily.

She was madder at herself for yet again not doing what she said she was going to work on. She kept talking about needing to get a life—feel independent—and yet she’d made little to no effort to do something about it. Instead once again there she lay last night feeling completely lost and alone because even after going back to work all she’d done so far is look forward to her workouts with Noah and spending every free moment she had with him.

So the decision she’d come to? Slow things the hell down with Noah, beginning with the goodnight kisses—and get her life back damn it. Starting today.

As quickly as she could, she filled Noah in on how she was feeling much better and how but not why she had to be at work earlier for the next few days but that she’d be at the gym at the same time as always. Just as she walked by him to get to the back door, he took her hand in his. “I missed you last night. I know you weren’t feeling well and I understand why you went to bed early, but I wanted you to know anyway.”

Even though he’d just gotten back from his run and his sweatshirt and hair were wet with perspiration, he smelled fresh. Like the early morning residue of last night’s rain showers, but also like Noah. That masculine scent that she could only describe as what she now knew was the enchanting scent of his hot skin with a hint of the deodorant that he kept in the bathroom. The deodorant she’d actually inhaled a few times, loving how it reminded her so much of him.

Unable to do what she knew she should and say something completely safe and neutral she simply told him the truth. “I missed you, too.”

But she broke free from his hand and continued walking out the door. If she stood there for even another second she knew what would happen next. He’d try to kiss her and she’d let him. Even with all her careful strategizing, her plan already felt doomed and day one hadn’t even started. “I’ll see you tonight,” she said quickly as she walked out the door.