I know it's only one chapter a day. But November is a terrible month for me. I will not go into detail. I always write a lot to make up for it. If you don't like it please add my book to your library and read later. Thanks for your understanding. Love Billie
April danced with her friends, moving along with the beat as she let the rhythm carry her, lost in the moment. The neon lights of the nightclub flickered around her, picking up the bright colors on the dance floor. She felt great. She had finished university with honors.The few drinks she allowed herself had helped her relax enough that she could temporarily put aside her worries about her father for tonight. She would resume worrying about him tomorrow. He was normally the first thing she thought of every morning. Glad she hadn’t received a phone call from the hospital during the night.Her alcohol induced confidence radiating from every movement. Poppy, Sophie, and Trent danced nearby, their laughter lost because of the volume of the music. Poppy made sure she kept her back to the VIP area the entire time and her laugh was a little forced, but April was the only one that noticed. Her friend hadn’t wanted to leave, even when April offered to cover for her. Shrugging if Poppy felt she
‘Chemistry is you touching my arm and it setting fire to my mind.’ Quote by Nayyirah Waheed.Noah watched while security pulled the piece of shit off the floor and none to gently dragging the guy to the exit. He wondered how he was going to get her alone? He watched her for a second. “Ryan, Max, I’ll meet you back in the VIP area soon. I just need to get May…. was it?”April nodded, keeping her back to Ryan. Because she knew him. Noah hadn’t realized who she was. Why should he? She just couldn’t take the chance of Ryan seeing her as well. That just upped the chance of getting recognized.“.. some ice for her knee.”It was then that April realized she was still rubbing her bruised knee. Pulling her hand away. She was about to say she was fine when he turned to her friends.“Are you May’s friends?” he said to Sophie and Trent. At their nods. “Sorry about tonight. Your drinks are on me for the unpleasantness.” Before anyone had a chance to say anything, he put an arm around April’s waist
“Perfect,” Noah said, grabbing her hand. “Let’s go.”Noah then put his arm securely around April’s waist as he guiding her around to the front door of the hotel. Their bodies pressed close together as they crossed the foyer of the hotel.The woman at the reception desk lifted her head and turned towards them when she heard April’s heels clicking on the tile flooring. A bright smile appeared on her face as she saw Noah. However, her smile faded slightly as her eyes moved to April, and she gave her a quick once-over. She had a disapproving look on her face.Noah’s hand slid down her back, his touch sent shivers up her spine. He watched her, not the woman behind the counter.God, she hoped the woman didn’t think she was a prostitute. Looking down at how she was dressed. No, her dress wasn’t cheap or tasteless. It was well made. So maybe the woman thought she was an escort. That wasn’t any better.April thought about it for a second. Did she really care? It wasn’t like she was ever going t
Noah’s lips crashed down on hers. April could taste herself on his lips, her senses exploding with excitement. His hands roamed her body, exploring every curve, every inch of skin. She gasped into his mouth, her hands clutching at his bare shoulders.“God, you’re incredible,” Noah murmured against her lips. “Touch me.”April blinked. Did he mean down there? She could feel his cock pressing against her thigh. Did he want her to do to him what he had just done to her? April’s mind went blank for a moment. She didn’t know if she could. She might give herself away, but if she told him she didn’t know how to give head, then that would lead to questions she didn’t want to answer.“Fuck,” Noah whispered, his eyes dark and gruff with desire. “You’re perfect.”April whimpered as his hands returned to her breasts, squeezing and kneading the soft flesh. She could feel his erection straining against his boxers, a reminder of the raw need driving them both.“Please,” she begged, as his fingers pinc
Noah let out a groan as he carefully disentangled himself from May’s exhausted form, savoring the sound of her surprised gasp as they separated.Fuck! What the hell had just happened? This night hadn’t meant anymore to him other than a means to get his rocks off. Noah moved off the bed to sit on the side, trying to catch his breath and so he could think.This time he had really muffed up. He would normally have the ‘Talk.’ with his sexual partners. Telling them he wasn’t interested in a girlfriend or, god forbid, a wife. He already had a fucking wife he didn’t want. He didn’t need a woman angling to be the second Mrs Crawford when he hadn’t got rid of the first one, yet. But he told no one about April.Some stupid gossip rag had told everyone years ago he had divorced her. So what? Noah shrugged. He didn’t care; he didn’t even see himself as married. Noah knew William Harrington was in the hospital. The last report he had received it didn’t look like William would be leaving the hospit
April woke to the sound of the shower running. The rhythmic patter of water came from the direction of the bathroom. She had used to clean up last night.The events of the night before replayed in her mind like a vivid dream. Noah’s hands exploring her body, his lips devouring hers, the way he had taken her not once, but twice more after their initial coupling. Her cheeks flushed as she remembered the intensity of each encounter, the raw passion that had consumed them both. He had used a condom the other times as well, with no issue. Both of them did not want to risk it.She shifted on the bed, her limbs heavy with satisfaction. She was stiff, but in a good way. Wow, last night. When she had thought Noah wanted her to leave, it had just been the beginning, not the end. Who knew men liked it more than once a night? Her friends didn’t talk about sex. They all had a past, some best forgotten.Thinking about the sex didn’t stop the gnawing anxiety twisting in her chest. She had been lucky,
As the lift doors opened to the lobby. April put her hand over the door’s edge to make sure it didn’t close just yet. Putting her head out, she scanned the lobby, making sure Noah hadn’t somehow got down here first. Not that she thought he would have. She had just been an easy lay for him. Her cheeks heated as she thought about how easy she had been.April didn’t see Noah, so she stepped out of the lift and raced across the lobby of the hotel, not looking at anyone. Relieved there weren’t too many people about at this early hour. It was a total walk of shame.April didn’t want to make eye contact with anyone. She knew she didn’t have anything to feel ashamed about. She had just had sex with her husband. The problem was, he didn’t know she was his wife.It was a relief as she pushed through the front, not giving the door man time to do it for her.“Taxi, Miss?” He called after her as she rushed down the steps.April didn’t look back. Keeping her head down, she called over her shoulder.
Noah left the meeting with the manager at Twister. Dan had promised Noah that the drinks menu would have something for everyone, with affordable options for students and higher priced drinks and wines for the more affluent clientele.Noah had warned his manager he would be keeping an eye on it. His team would be doing spot checks. Having profit share setup with staff sometimes can be a good thing or a bad thing it depended on the person. All his team were profit share. If the company did well, they all got bonuses. But Dan had taken it too far.Noah had a manager last year, that had kept staff levels so low that the hotel team had been exhausted. If someone hated their job, it didn’t matter how much you paid them, they wouldn’t stay. Happy staff was the key.Pay them well and keep them happy. Noah now had a staff satisfaction officer that was responsible for maintaining the engagement levels of his staff. If staff turnover was high, it added another level of cost. Training new staff wa
The smell of espresso and fresh toasted bread filled the kitchen the next morning. There had been no time for more because they had overslept. April grinned at the reason they had overslept. Noah had been… hungry for her during the night.April sat barefoot at the breakfast bar, wearing Noah’s crisp button-down shirt. She sipped her coffee while scrolling through her emails to check for any urgent tasks that needed attention that morning. Although she had showered and washed her hair, she had not yet put on her work clothes. She had always fantasized about wearing one of his business shirts as a nightie or robe.Noah stood at the stove, shirtless and smug, flipping pancakes like a man who had absolutely no shame in how good he looked, half-naked in a domestic setting.She didn’t trust it.“What?” he asked, catching her watching him with narrowed eyes.“You’re being weird.” He was a jackass. She just needed to figure out if he was her jackass.“I’m making pancakes.”“Exactly. You made
April lay tangled in the sheets, her breathing still uneven, skin slick with sweat, body thrumming from the high he’d dragged out of her. Noah was beside her, propped on one elbow, watching her like he was trying to memorize her face.She hated how much she liked that look.Silence stretched between them… not uncomfortable, but full. Heavy. They’d never had the post-sex autopsy before. In some ways, April was glad. She hadn’t wanted to rake over the past. But she also knew they needed to. It hung over them like a storm cloud, waiting to burst. She just wondered which of them would break the silence first.“Why are you looking at me like that?” she murmured, eyes on the ceiling.“Like what?” His voice was low, threaded with something she didn’t trust herself to name.“Like you’re seeing me for the first time.”“I feel like I am,” he said. “Or maybe… maybe I just wasn’t allowed to see you properly before.”April turned her head toward him, her expression unreadable. “You saw enough back
“Sometimes, you don’t realize you’ve found home until your body stops wanting to leave.” By Unknown.April barely had time to breathe after Noah’s kiss before he was pulling her tighter against him, lifting her onto the counter like she weighed nothing. Her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist, and he slid his hands down to grip her thighs, his mouth still devouring hers like he couldn’t get enough.His body was warm, solid, and everywhere. His lips trailed from her mouth down her throat, biting lightly at the base before soothing it with his tongue. April gasped, arching into him.He pulled back just enough to meet her eyes. “Tell me to stop. Because I will if needed.”She couldn’t. Wouldn’t ask him to stop.Her silence was permission.With a low, satisfied growl, Noah pulled her long sleeve dress over her head, baring her to him without ceremony. His eyes darkened as he took her in. “You’re so fucking beautiful, April.”Before she could come up with a comeback, his mouth was
“Sometimes, home isn’t a place. It’s a person you’re still pretending not to need.” By Unknown.April unlocked her front door and stepped into the familiar sanctuary of her home. The familiar scent of it hit her immediately, grounding her. Her space.Except… now it wasn’t just hers.That was about to change. Noah Crawford would be living here for three months. Was she truly ready for that?She set her bag down and glanced around the spacious living room. Everything was as it should be, minimalist, elegant, quiet. Her housekeeper had been in that morning. Not a single cushion was out of place. It looked like a spread from a home magazine.And still, April felt jittery. Anticipation thrummed beneath her skin like an itch she couldn’t scratch.Noah would be here any moment.The thought was both unnerving… and thrilling. She hated that part. Hated that her stomach fluttered at the idea of him in her kitchen, in her hallway, in her bed.No. Not yet. She wasn’t going to think of that. She di
“Sometimes, the only person you can trust with your demons is the one who’s danced with them before.” By Unknown.April didn’t move for a long time after the door closed behind Gail.She just sat there, staring at the city skyline like it might offer answers she didn’t have. The weight on her chest was different now. Less grief, more fury.She wanted to scream. Or cry. Or throw something.Instead, she reached for her mobile phone.There were maybe five people in her life who she trusted without question. None of them had the resources or connections she needed right now. And the one person who did?She hated that it was him.Still, her fingers moved before her brain could stop them. The line rang twice.“Look who finally remembered my number,” Noah’s voice came through, low and amused.April immediately rolled her eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself. This isn’t a booty call.” Remembering his hands on her this morning outside her place.“Shame. I was hoping you were calling for another... per
“One of the biggest lies ever told is that blood makes you family. Blood makes you related. Loyalty, love, and trust make you family.” By Unknown.When Neil had first said someone was waiting in her office, April had half-assumed it was Noah. A last-minute booty call, maybe. The man had a habit of showing up without notice and lighting her world on fire, only to leave her hot and bothered after like this morning.But it wasn’t Noah. It was her mother.She stared at Neil, unmoving. Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it was trying to claw its way out of her chest. “I’m sorry… what?” She needed him to repeat it, just in case the universe was pulling a sick joke.Neil didn’t flinch. “She’s waiting in your office.”April blinked. “You’re sure? My mother?”“She said her name’s Gail Harrington.” His expression was concerned, maybe even a little sympathetic, though there was something close to apology in the way he said it. “I can have her removed, if you’d prefer.”“No,” April muttered. “
“Some people can’t take a hint. Others turn the hint into a weapon.” By Unknown.Noah stepped into the lobby of Crawford HQ and immediately regretted not taking the service entrance.There she was… Kayla.Fuck.Perched behind the front desk like she owned the damn building, she flashed him that same too-sweet smile she always wore when she thought he might finally cave.Her blouse was tighter today, her hair styled just a little more than usual. It didn’t take a genius to figure out she was trying again. Maybe he could get HR to fire her for sexual harassment.“Noah,” she said brightly, as if they hadn’t already had this conversation before.“Morning.” He didn’t break stride, heading straight for the elevator bay.“I didn’t see you come in yesterday,” she called after him, standing now, like she might follow.Wow, no kidding. He wasn’t always in the office, sometimes he worked remotely. “That’s because I wasn’t here,” he replied, pressing the elevator button. He didn’t turn around.The
“Sometimes the biggest step toward a future is simply choosing where to begin.” By Unknown.The smell of fresh coffee drifting in from the next room stirred April. She sat up fast… shit, what time was it? She needed to get to the office. Throwing off the covers, she was halfway to the door where the coffee smell was coming from, before remembering she still needed a shower.Yes, he had used a condom this morning... but last night? Not so much. Bareback sex was pretty messy. Hot, but still messy.She grabbed her phone on the way to the bathroom. 7:27 a.m. Thank God.She moved fast, taking the quickest shower known to mankind, still managing to wash her hair. There was a hairbrush and a new toothbrush sitting on the vanity. Of course there was. Noah had thought of everything.She wasn’t about to throw on yesterday’s clothes just yet, though. Instead, she slipped into Noah’s robe. It drowned her and washed her underwear out in the sink. She’d wear her dress home, but the wet underwear? Ab
“Love is war. You have to be willing to fight for it… or surrender completely.” By Unknown.April’s eyes narrowed, her body tense beneath the sheet she had wrapped tightly around herself. “What condition?”His jaw flexed, like he was bracing for her reaction. “Give our marriage a three-month trial.”April blinked, sure she’d misheard him. “Excuse me?” He couldn’t be serious.“You heard me.” He sat up fully, the sheet falling to his waist, revealing far too much golden skin and muscle for April’s brain to compute properly. “Three months. We live as husband and wife. No lawyers, no threats, no running. We talk and work on our marriage.”April stared at him, stunned into silence. Then she laughed a sharp, bitter, and humorless laugh. “You’re insane.”“Maybe.” He didn’t flinch. “But I’m serious. Three months. If at the end of it you still want out, I’ll sign the papers. No argument. I’ll make it quick and painless.”She gaped at him. “You’re blackmailing me into staying married to you?