Briana POVPer usual, Noah drowned me with his kisses.He sucked my lower lip like he could not get enough of me.I responded with equal ferocity.Noah pulled me closer to his body. He rubbed his palms up and down my back while he continued to assault my lips with his kisses.I heard a moan and very nearly died in shame when I heard the sound of someone clearing his throat.Noah pulled back his face, but his arms hung loosely on my waist.“The room was just at your back. Why don’t you take it there?” Charles suggested, looking embarrassed.My face grew warm as I glared at my brother.“Woah! Did we miss something?” Flint asked flippantly.He screeched to a stop, staring at Charles, and then at me.“You don’t want to know,” Charles replied before walking along the hallway toward the room he shared with his wife, Jenna.Marcus had this knowing look on his face that added to my growing embarrassment.Then, Rowan passed by.He snagged my attention when he did not continue to his room but
Briana POVWith four faces staring at me expectantly, I could not decide.It made sense. It was practical, but it was sudden.There are things we need to settle yet.The indecision made me falter.I looked at the expectant faces of Noah and the triplets and felt like I wanted the floor to swallow me.“It’s what I wanted, too.” I started.Noah’s smile widened, and the children raised their hands in glee, along with their shouts of hurray.I don’t want to ruin their happiness, but I can’t lead them on. As early as now, I needed to set things straight to avoid misunderstandings in the future.“But not now,” I added, watching as the good spirits of the four people around me slowly sank.The rejoicing went down, and four pairs of eyes shot me a look of disappointment.I felt uneasy that I had to explain.“We still have so many things to settle, Noah. We can’t just move in together without fixing those things.”I wanted to blame him. His question caught me off-guard. We just agreed to take
Noah POVBriana avoided my gaze when I said that. Maybe because she still has yet to believe me. Though it dampened my spirit a little, it made me resolve to prove to her that I was here for the long haul. The drive to the restaurant where Briana was supposed to meet Luke was silent. But that is alright. At least I got my way. At first, Briana rebuffed my effort to drive her to their meeting place. "I have my own car. I can manage." She told me when I opened the passenger door to my car for her."I told you I wanted to be there." There was no brooking my tone. “Are we really going to fight about this?” She asked crossly, but I maintained my cool.“Not if you will let me have my way.” Then, I winked at her.For a moment, Briana looked like she would like to argue with me, but then I saw a ghost of a smile on her face, which she quickly masked by faking a cough.“Okay. Have it your way.”Briana sighed exasperatedly before getting in.I whistled after shutting the door. Briana's co
Noah POVBriana looked stricken when I pulled her to my side so I could protectively wrap an arm around her. “Are you alright?” I asked in concern.I tilted her face up, seeing her eyes growing wide as she took in Luke Bennett’s bloodied face.He lay limply on the floor while the waiter and other customers attended to him.“Briana?” I asked, panicking when she did not respond.I shook her body. It was then that she got back to her senses.“I am fine.” She said with a slight tremor in her voice.I don't know what Luke said earlier, but whatever it is, it undeniably left her shaken.Without waiting for Luke Bennett to recover, I gently guided Briana out of the restaurant and back to our car.“It’s alright. He is not going to hurt you anymore.” I said, referring to Bennett.I drove away quickly and stopped at the nearest convenience store.
BrianaI lifted a hand to pound on his chest when he teased me like that, but Noah caught my hand and very suavely pulled it to his lips to kiss the knuckles warmly.He stared into my eyes, and it brought butterflies to my stomach when he said that.“I am not a man without you.” That brought tears to my eyes.I often thought that part of the reason why he so desperately wanted me back was because of the children. Still, as he gazed into my eyes, I could feel his love overflowing.My old Noah is back. I could feel it through the way he stared at me.So when he brought me to his chest to wrap his arms around me, I returned his embrace.We sat like that for a long time before Noah let me go. Then, his arm reached for the backseat. It looked like he was searching for something, and when his hand reappeared, he was now holding a single-stem rose.“Where did you get that?”My eyes sparkled in delight as I took the rose from him.“I saw an old lady selling in the parking lot. I needed someth
Briana POV“The Bennetts are stirring trouble for the Fords. “ I told Noah after ending the call with Marcus.“You looked worried. Was it because of breaking the marriage-merger agreement?” He asked, grabbing my hand and placing it on his chest.The steady rise of his chest comforted me, allowing me to think.“Yes. The Bennetts are warning the business community against us. They said that as businessmen, we shouldn’t back out on our words.”“Did you sign any contract with the Bennetts?” Noah asked, frowning.“Not yet. Marcus had exploratory talks with Luke before we met and agreed to date.”“It’s alright. Don’t worry too much.” Noah must have sensed how this new development had affected me, so he tried to comfort me, taking me into his arms.I snuggled close to him, and we sat there for a while like that.Then, Noah’s phone started ringing nonstop.He did not want to answer the call at first because he did not want to leave my side, but I persuaded him.“Answer it.”Reluctantly, he let
Noah POVBriana looked like she was geared for battle earlier, but upon hearing my statement, she wilted like a day-old flower.A ghost of a smile laced my lips, knowing how my words affected her.It was not just talk on my part. I can and will do anything to protect her and the children. They are my life now.Briana excused herself. She wanted to go to the bathroom.I showed her and waited outside.“Chris, get all my files on Luke Bennett,” I instructed my assistant when he answered my call.Chris has always been a capable assistant. He manages the fort while I am away. I heard some rustling of papers and knew he was putting away whatever paperwork he held to attend to my orders.“I put it in one file, boss. Where do you want me to send it?”“My email.”“Done, boss,” Chris said before I received a notification on my phone alerting me of a new message.I checked the files and nodded in silence.“Thanks for this, Chris. Also, arrange for a meeting with Luke Bennett within two hours.”
Noah POVWhen we reached Luke Bennett’s office, he pretended not to notice our arrival as he continued reading from the paper he was holding.He was trying to stall us. He was making it appear that we are at his mercy.I cleared my throat to get his attention.When he raised his head, it was to meet my impatient gaze.He did not smile as he acknowledged our presence.“Hunter, come in.” He said, referring to me and ignoring Briana purposely.I knew he was trying to make her uncomfortable, but Briana was holding her fort. I could not be prouder at the way she was holding herself. Proud and beautiful.I stepped inside. Briana followed close behind me.I itched to hold her hand to stake my claim, but that would demean Briana’s power in the eyes of our host.“I did not come here for chitchat,” I told him before throwing the folder Chris handed me to his desk.“What’s this?”Luke Bennett asked as he picked the folder from the table.I waited for his reaction when he opened the file and was