Page 42 of Million Dollar High

“I’m willing to make an exception… for one night only.” Husky and drenched with an emotion he refused to let touch him, the words emerged haltingly.

Something crushed inside of him as he stepped back from the edge of temptation. “No, thanks. The offer to be used andabused sounds fantastic, but I turn fuck toy only if a woman deserves it.”

A muffled sound, like a strangled sob, was quickly smothered. “Fine. Maybe I’ll find someone more accommodating.”

A growl bubbled up his throat. He managed to swallow it down before he could speak. “You do that only if you want me to hunt you both down and break every fucking bone in that unfortunate guy’s body. Then I’ll teach you a lesson you won’t soon forget.”

Again, a laugh that screamed the edge of endurance. “Wow. Macho, Ruthless Noah. Teacher of Lessons. I still have your marks on my ass, you know that?” A hollow giggle.

He gripped the phone tighter. “Jesus, Leia. Are you drunk?”

“Sadly not. I’m stone-cold sober. No, wait, that’s not true. I’m sober, but my brain is spinning at the speed of light, like I’m high or something.”

He frowned. “What the hell does that mean?”

“I don’t know… Noah, I can’t stop playing the video in my mind. It’s making my heart race, but I can’t really feel my fingers… God,” she whispered brokenly, “please, make it stop…”

“You’re still in shock. Dammit, Leia, you shouldn’t be out on your own. I’m going to put you on hold. Don’t you dare hang up, you hear me?” Cursing, he reactivated the app, reached for his office phone and dialed. Issuing instructions, he hung up and paced along the west wall of his office. “A car will be pulling up to you in two minutes. Get in.”

“Is he… is he bringing me to where you are?”

“No. But the driver’s an ex-army medic. You do exactly as he says.”

“Yes, Noah.”

He banged his head against the wall, hoping the pain would stop him from reacting to those two words.

“What happens after that?”

“You wanted to go to Pietro’s? He’ll take you there, then to Palm Beach.”

He hung up before he could do something stupid, like ask her to wait for him. He stared down at the app and judged how long it’d take the Maserati to reach her. Too fucking long. Stalking back to his desk, he woke up the laptop screen and stared into the small box at the bottom right-hand corner. “Any luck?”

Two sets of faces stared back at him. The spectacled one in an MIT sweatshirt had the nerve to roll his eyes. “Damn, you super-rich dudes all want everything like yesterday. Chill, man. Hacking is like seducing a woman. Surely you know that? Come on too strong and she gives you the finger, and you have to go home alone with killer blue balls.” He nudged his friend and they dissolved into high-school cackles.

Noah suppressed a smile and glared at them. “I can’t believe I’m thinking of investing fifteen mil in a company to be fronted by fools. Maybe I need to rethink our business venture?”

The boys sobered. “Jeez, chill. We’ll have something for you soon.”

“Make it sooner.” He exited and reactivated the app tracking Leia. He frowned and managed to resist for all of ten seconds before he redialed her number.

“You’re headed in the wrong direction for Pietro’s.”

A soft hum. “I’m not hungry anymore. Your guy checked me over. He claims I just need rest. I’ll grab something when I get to Warren’s house.”

Razors slashed his gut. “You mean home?”

She hesitated. “It doesn’t feel like home anymore.”

He jackknifed in his chair, his breathing non-existent. “Then fucking do something about it.”

“I will. I intend to… if I get through this nightmare.”

“When.Whenyou get through it,” he insisted through gritted teeth.

She sighed. He heard the sound of soft leather creaking as if she was relaxing against the seat and bedding in for the long ride. At this time on a Friday night, the traffic at her part of town was horrendous. It’d take at least half an hour to get onto the highway leading to Palm Beach. “Are you still there?” she whispered.

Hang up. She’s safe and secure. Hang up now. “Yes.”

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