Page 7 of A Memory in the Flame

Oh, right.That’swhy I’d called him. “My not-so-loving not-so-father paid me a visit tonight.”

Noah’s gaze flits over my face. Then, moving more quickly than my inebriated eyes can follow, he grabs hold of my hips and lowers me back to the ground. Once he’s certain I won’t topple over, Noah drops his hands and glances at my footwear. “I’ll order a ride. I don’t trust you to walk a block, let alone back to your hotel. Those shoes are ridiculous, by the way. You’re going to break your fucking neck.”

“I like them,” I shoot back. A complete lie—they’re killing my feet. I would love nothing more than to take them off and set them on fire, but now that Noah’s gone and commented on them, I can’t do that. I refuse to let him be right.

“Right,” he drags out the word, clearly not buying it. Whatever. Noah pulls his phone out and taps the screen. “Car will be here in a couple of minutes.”

“How does it feel to be the fun police? Is that part of your official job description as a bounty hunter?” I demand. It doesn’t make sense, but I can’t stop my mouth from making noise.

His eyes flash with impatience. “You know, we really don’t need to talk. We can just wait quietly.”

“You know,” I say mockingly, “I really don’t need you here.”

“You called me,” Noah points out.

“A lapse of judgment on my part,” I volley back. “Clearly.”

The vampire leans against the brick exterior of a long-closed florist shop. “I’m not about to leave you alone on the street.”

“I’m not in danger, Noah. I can protect myself.”

A muscle ticks along his jaw. “You’re aLavender, you little fool. You’re always in danger now.”

“Are you threatening me?” I try to snap, but suddenly the world is tilting and it takes all my concentration to remain upright. Before Noah can answer, a black SUV pulls up to the curb. He opens the back door and nods at me to get in. Without a word, I slide into the backseat, and the nausea starts to ebb. I can’t stop a sigh of relief.Stupid heels.Never again.

Once Noah’s in the car, the driver pulls back onto the street. I stare out the window, grimacing at the way my stomach churns. Okay, Imayhave indulged in one too many cocktails. But I can’t focus on that now. No, right now, I need to concentrate on not vomiting all over the backseat.

I spend the car ride chantingdon’t pukein my head. The second the driver stops at Alexander’s, I bolt from the car and lose half the contents of my stomach to the shrubbery.

Noah is there a second later, holding my hair back so I don’t get vomit in my curls. Bile still burns in my throat as I groan, “Thanks.”

His hand is at the small of my back. “Are you going to make it to your room?”

“Yeah.” My head is swimming, but I straighten anyway. Less than three seconds later, my knees buckle. Noah catches me around my waist and holds me upright. My voice is breathy as I say, “Okay, maybe not.”

“I’ve got you,” he says.

“I think I’m fine now. You can let me go.”

His chuckle fills my ear. “If I let go, baby vampire, you’ll end up on your ass and you know it.”

I narrow my eyes at him, but there’s no sense in arguing—the bastard is right. With a heavy sigh, I lean into Noah and allow him to guide me inside, then toward the bank of elevators attached to the lobby. Once we’re climbing toward the sky, I have to close my eyes. Nausea rolls through me again and I clench my jaw.

“Breathe, Charlotte. I don’t need you puking on me. This is cashmere.”

Keeping my eyes shut, I inhale slowly through my nose, and my senses are immediately overwhelmed with…Noah. The faint scent of leather from the jacket I’m pressed against and an expensive, crisp-smelling cologne.

“You smell good,” I mumble. Noah’s chest rumbles with laughter, and my cheeks get hot.Son of a bitch. Did I say that out loud?

I keep my mouth shut until we get to my suite. With Noah’s help, I manage to get the keycard out and open the door just as another wave of nausea crashes through me. I sprint to the bathroom and slip on the tile floor, thanks to these stupid heels. My knees take the brunt of the fall, but the pain barely registers as I lean over and vomit into the toilet.

“Fucking hell, Charlotte,” Noah mutters from behind me, holding my hair back again. I stiffen for a moment when he starts rubbing my back, but the motion is comforting, and so unlike anything I would expect from the vampire.

“You don’t have to be here,” I manage as I’m heaving what has to be the last of my stomach contents into the porcelain bowl.

“What kind of vampire would I be if I left you like this?”

I flush the toilet. “It’s my own fault.”

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