Page 19 of The Billionaire's Secret Kiss

“And what about Noah?” Tate asked, pulling the car back into the street. “What are you going to do about him?”

“I don’t know.” I wasn’t worried about being in the middle of Phillip and Noah. Their situation didn’t have anything to do with me. Iwasworried about Phillip spying on Noah. Noah could take care of himself, but Phillip’s fixation was unsettling.

We pulled up in front of Vance's building to see Noah leaning against the door.

Shit.

"Is that him?" Emily asked, her eyes wide. When I nodded, she said, “Damn, Ella, he's hot."

"I know," I said mournfully.

Though to be honest, when I looked at Noah, I didn't see what everyone else saw. I didn't see the hot young tech billionaire. I didn’t see the notorious player. I just saw Noah.

Noah at nineteen with a bad haircut, still gangly, his dark eyes bright with intelligence and humor.

Noah at twenty-one, finally grown into his frame, his hair in a shaggy cut that made me swoon when the dark strands fell into his eyes.

Noah, naked beneath me in bed, his eyes wide with wonder and lust as I rode him.

I blinked hard and looked away.

"Do you want me to get rid of him?" Tate asked.

I shook my head. "I'm fine. You can just let me out here. I'll get my car tomorrow."

"I should at least have a word with him," Tate said, his voice hard as he pulled the car to a stop at the curb. "I don't like him just showing up here."

"It's okay, Tate," I promised. "Noah isn't dangerous."

"He is if he upsets you," Tate argued.

I leaned forward to squeeze his shoulder and said, "You're a good friend, Tate Winters. I'll be fine. I don't think he's going to leave me alone until I give him a chance to talk."

"I'll call you tomorrow," Emily said as I got out. I gave her a wave, grabbed my purse, and stepped out onto the curb to face Noah.

"What are you doing here? Are you stalking me now?" I asked, sounding more irritated than I felt.

I was annoyed, but I was more confused. I just wanted Noah to go away. If he kept coming around like this, I wasn't going to be able to keep my distance.

"I don't know," Noah admitted. "I definitely don't want to be creepy stalker guy, Ella. But I haven't seen you for two years. Now, you're only a few blocks away, and I couldn't just sit in my hotel room and wait until tomorrow."

"I don't know what you want from me," I said.

"I want you to give me a chance."

"I'm not agreeing to anything," I said, unlocking the door to let us in. "But you can come in for a little while. We'll have a cup of tea. Then you're leaving."

"That sounds great," Noah said, following me inside.

As we rode up the freight elevator, I tried to think of what I should say. What was theretosay? He wanted to try again. I wasn't sure that was a good idea.

Understatement.

I was very sure that wasn't a good idea. Noah had shattered my heart the first time we’d broken up. I couldn't handle that again. Or maybe I could handle it, but I didn't want to.

I dropped my purse and keys by the door and went straight to the kitchen to make tea. Dinner had helped, but my head throbbed from the schnapps and then the wine. I wasn't drunk, but I wasn’t entirely sober, either. I made tea automatically, choosing what I knew was Noah’s favorite, oolong, and my own preferred Earl Grey.

I handed Noah the mug of tea, shoving it into his hand roughly enough that hot water splashed on his skin. He hissed in pain but took the mug. I snatched it back and set it on the counter, quickly wetting a rag with cold water and pressing it to his hand.