Thorn: Carter Kids #2 (35 page)

Smirking, Sean nodded and followed me onto the dance floor. “Babe, he is out of this world,” he called out over the music, wrapping his arms around my waist and drawing me closer to him as N-Trance’s
Set you Free
blasted through the speakers.

“Less talking, more dancing,” I shouted back as I worked my ass off, grinding, thrusting and jiggling, and basically pulling out my best sexy moves. Wrapping my arm around Sean’s neck I shook my hair out, and swayed against him, all the while looking over his shoulder at Noah’s table.

When I noticed his empty seat my heart accelerated in my chest and my step faltered.

Stepping back from me, Sean grinned and pointed towards the bar before slipping away.

“Where are you going?” I called out moments before two hands clamped down hard on my hips and dragged me backwards into a wall of rock hard muscle.

“Does it make you feel good?” Noah growled in my ear. “Knowing you’re affecting me.”

“Am I?” I breathed, resting my head against his chest, swaying my hips to the music.

“What do you think?” he growled, thrusting his crotch into me. I could feel his arousal digging into my back and it was turning me on like nothing had before. I felt drunk and dazed, and erotically horny, as I moved against him. Noah’s strong hands on my skin were all I could feel – all I ever wanted to feel for the rest of my days on this earth.

Noah Messina had me.

The fucker had all of me and he knew it.

The hypnotic sound of the dance music hummed around us, cocooning us in our slick soaked bubble of lust.

He held me close, with his large bruised hand splayed across my stomach, like he was claiming me, like he was marking his territory.

The song ended and quickly rolled into Jason Derulo’s
Want To Want Me.

Not missing a beat, Noah took my hand and twirled me away before pulling me back towards him again, dropping one large hand to press against the bare skin just over my ass.

He moved incredibly. He was all ripples and rock hard groves as his muscles bunched and strained underneath the fabric of his black shirt.

I was breathless with lust and panting as I tried to keep up with him. He led me, and even more surprisingly, I let him. He was fucking me with his eyes, and claiming me with his expression. His predator smile told me it was going to be rough, hard and all night long. I couldn’t freaking wait.

He was just so big and huge, and handsome and full of life.

Every woman in the club was drawn to him and it had absolutely nothing to do with his celebrity status and everything to do with his raw animal magnetism. He was alpha male perfection.

Dipping his face he pressed a fast kiss to my lips, pulling back quickly and then turning me around so that my back was against his chest. Sprawling his hand across my lower belly, he thrust against my ass, pulling me closer with every grind, hitting every fucking spot.

Noah moved to the beat, grinding, pressing, touching, moving in perfect sync with the sound playing from the speakers. I was lost to him.

“Hmm.” Raising my hand above my head, I cupped his neck and rested against his strong chest, letting him have me. His hands on my body, owning me, taking control of me was undeniably welcome. I wanted to give myself up to him again. All my power. All my trust.

“We’re going to bring it right back, now folks,” the DJ called out over the microphone as the song came to an end. “Here’s a little number from a few years back.”

The lights darkened and everything slowed down.

Pulling me closer, Noah rested his cheek against my head as he moved us slowly. My hand looked so little, felt so incredibly fragile against his as the lyrics of the Wyclef Jon’s
911
rang through my ears, setting alight a fire in my heart I knew I could never douse.

With one hand wrapped around mine, and the other pressed firmly against my lower back. Noah looked down at me, immersing me in the brown hue of his eyes as the music drowned out my racing heart that hammered against my ribcage.

“I got your gift,” I told him. “I have to say, I wouldn’t have put you down as a flowers man, but I loved it.”

Noah looked down at my face and frowned. “What gift?”

“The red rose with the thorn?” I smiled like an idiot. “It was sweet.”

“I don’t know anything about it, Thorn,” he replied, shaking his head. “I didn’t send you any flowers.”

“Oh, and I suppose you don’t know anything about the card either?” I teased. “What the hell was up with that anyway?”

“What card?”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh Noah, come on. Stop pretending –”

“What card?” he asked, his voice rising.

“The one in the box,” I heard myself whisper.

“What did it say, Teagan?” he demanded, stopping mid-dance. His gaze darkened, actually, he looked kind of murderous. “Tell me.”

“I’m coming,” I told him, feeling uncertain and afraid.

Noah’s body tensed and he let out a string of curse words, but I didn’t have a chance to dwell on it because the sound of glass smashing nearby startled me.

I swung around to see what the hell was going on. My heart sank when my eyes landed on Liam who was having a full-blown meltdown, kicking over tables as he stalked towards me with a face like thunder.

“Just keep walking, Liam,” I told him when he reached us. “
Please
.”

“It’s bad enough you’re all over the papers with him,” he slurred, glaring at me. “But you have to rub it in my face now too?”

“Am I missing something here?” Noah asked in a heated tone.

“No,” I replied, eyes locked on Liam, willing him to fuck off. “Absolutely nothing. So just leave me alone, Liam.”

“Oh I’m nothing now?” Shaking his head, Liam pointed his finger in my face and roared, “you’re a heartless bitch. A fucking
whore
!”

Oh god, now you’ve done it,
I thought to myself seconds before Noah shoved his hand away.

“Say that again, asshole,” Noah snarled, as he stood chest to chest with Liam. “I fucking dare you.”

“Noah, don’t,” I screamed, diving between them. Placing my hands on his face, I forced him to look at me. “Hey,” I coaxed, desperate to calm him and stop him from doing something he could get into trouble for. “Don’t do this.” Even with the skyscraper heels I had on, Noah still towered over me by a good five inches.

“He doesn’t get to talk to you like that,” Noah snarled, clearly livid, as he inhaled short, fast breaths. “No goddamn way, Thorn.”

“I know,” I coaxed, stroking his face. I kept my body between both men as I turned around. “You need to go, Liam,” I warned him. “You need to walk away right
now
!”

“So you don’t want a relationship with me, but you’re prepared to be this guy’s next fuck?” he demanded, furious. “What the hell, Teagan?

“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” I shot back, trembling. I never wanted to hurt Liam, but this needed to stop. He was acting like I had been unfaithful to him when in fact the only person my heart felt like I had been unfaithful to was Noah. “So drop it.”

“Have you fucked her?” Liam demanded, goading an already worked up Noah.

“Liam,” I hissed, mortified. “Shut up.”

Clamping his hands on my hips, Noah dragged me backwards and into his embrace. “I’ve had her in ways you couldn’t begin to imagine,” Noah shot back, furious.

“Oh this is perfect.” Shaking his head in disgust, Liam let out a harsh laugh. “You don’t even know him, Teagan!”

“He’s Noah, you asshole,” I screamed, losing all tact and what was left of my patience. “He’s
Noah
,” I repeated, voice breaking with emotion.

“Yeah, the great Noah Messina,” Liam sneered, and then his eyes widened in realization. “Wait a fucking minute,” he hissed, looking at Noah and then shaking his head. “Noah as in your ex?” Liam gaped at me. “The ex?”

“The ex, the current and the fucking future, asshole,” Noah snarled, pushing against my back.

Sniffling, I nodded my head. “And I love him,” I added, throwing it out there. Everything had gone to hell anyway. I couldn’t see the point in denying my feelings anymore. With drunk, pointless tears streaming down my cheeks, I let out a quivering sigh. “I’m in love with
him
.”

Noah’s hands tightened on my waist. “You do?” he whispered.

Nodding, I wiped my cheeks with the back of my hand and exhaled a sharp breath. “I never stopped.”

Turning me in his arms, Noah’s attention was focused solely on me. “Say it, Thorn,” he said in a tone thick with emotion as he pulled me flush against him. “I need to hear you say it, baby.”

“I know you do,” I whispered, clutching his arms. “And I’m sorry for making you wait seven years to hear it –”

“Don’t worry, Messina. I took real good care of her while you were gone,” Liam interrupted from behind me, taunting Noah and destroying the moment. “I had a real good time keeping your bed warm!”

The snarl that tore from Noah’s throat was truly terrifying. Shoving me aside, Noah lunged for Liam.

“Steady up, buddy,” Lucky who had arrived back just in the nick of time, warned him. Blocking his path to Liam, Lucky put his hands on Noah’s shoulders and shoved him back. “He’s not worth ruining your career over.”

I stood, paralyzed with shock and fear, as Lucky wrestled Noah back to the booth.

Swinging around, I searched the club for the rat bastard himself who had aptly skulked off. Spotting him at the bar, I made a beeline for him. When I noticed who Liam was standing next to at the bar my heart sank.

“Ciarán,” I squeezed out through clenched teeth. “I need to talk with Liam in private.”

“Give us a minute,” Liam told Ciarán and, surprisingly, he listened.

“Catch you later man,” he told Liam before smirking at me. “I’ll see you real soon, Ice Queen.”

“Fuck you,” I spat before turning my attention back to Liam. “Why did you do that to me?” I demanded when Ciarán had disappeared out of sight. “We’re supposed to be friends, Liam.”

“I’m not your friend, Teagan,” he sneered. “I’m your stand in.” The smell of alcohol from his breath was so strong it was making me dizzy. “Why did you sleep with me, Teagan?” he demanded. “When you were always planning on going back to
him
?”

“I didn’t plan
any
of this,” I shot back, shaking. “I never meant to hurt you, Liam, but I love
Noah
.” Exhaling heavily, I added, “And I can’t change my feelings no matter how bad it hurts you.”

“What about when he retires?” Liam demanded. “He’s a fighter, Teagan, they tend to burn out fast. And they’re not exactly known for fidelity,” he added cruelly. “I’ve worked my ass off to win you back. To bring you home. I can give you more than him,” he choked out. “I can give you stability.”

“I want
Noah
,” I repeated, flustered.

“The ex con?” he hissed in disgust.

“That’s right,” I spat back. “The
ex con.
You need to stop thinking there’s a future for us.”

“So what, you’re just going to leave me for him?” Liam sounded appalled.

“I was never yours to leave,” I reminded him tersely.

“That’s bullshit, Teagan, and you know it,” he hissed. “We’ve been together for seven damn years.”

“No,” I corrected him, steeling my resolve. “We’ve been
friends
for seven years.” Letting out a sigh of barely contained impatience, I growled, “Look, Liam, we had sex. Once. And it was fair to middling, but there was
never
any passion between us and you know that.”

He shook his head. “You are making the biggest mistake of your life,” he warned me. “This is wrong, Teagan. There’s no future for you in his world.”

“I love him,” I shot back, lip quivering. “Do you get that? I want to be with him.”

“And you think he feels the same?”

“Yes.”

“He doesn’t
love
you,” Liam shot back. “He wants to possess you – because you walked away from him. That’s not reality, Teagan, that’s control. He only wants you because you’re the one that got away. When he’s had his fill, he will walk away from you, and you will be alone.”

“Stop saying that!”

“What are you going to do when he gets bored of you and tosses you to the curb, huh? Come back to me with your tail hanging between your legs?” I heard Liam roar, but I didn’t respond.

I was past the point of burning angry and I needed to remove myself from this environment and fast.

Rushing blindly down the stairwell, I squeezed through the throngs of people in the bar downstairs, pushing and shoving them out of my way in my bid to get to the exit. Breaking through a gap in the crowd, I slipped through the side door of the bar and into the back alley.