Marked. Part II: Becoming Noah Baxter (11 page)

Chapter 16

Sunday, March 23

3:18pm

“Omigod Jay, you're so hot,” I verbalize into his mouth as I feel his muscles sweep my skin right before screaming out my orgasm.

“
Oh shit, Lily,” Jay gasps, his hips thrusting deep inside, pouring into me. “Damn Lily, just damn.” He falls to my side, keeping half his body wrapped over me, nuzzling behind my ear. “You're turning me into a addict. I can't seem to stop wanting you.”

“
Mm, good,” I sleepily reply. I'm exhausted. Ever since the first shower, we have not stopped having sex. The minute we stop one of us will innocently caress or kiss the other and it starts the frenzy all over again. We are both sore, spent, and tired, but it's not slowing us down. I think it's both from the pain of missing each other and wanting to get the most out of our time together before I leave, which I'm sure is sooner than I care (or want) to admit.

Jay kisses the spot he's nuzzling before lifting himself off the bed.

“Bathroom break,” he informs me over his shoulder as he walks away.

I admire the view, getting tingles and flutters that that beautiful creature is mine.

I am so hopelessly in love with that man I can hardly think straight.

I flip to my stomach and curl into a pillow. My hand slides under the pillow, ready to cozy up and call it a day – for at least a few hours. Soft material hits my fingertips. I tug it out to find one of Jay's gray shirts in my hand.

Must be his sleeping shirt. I go to shove it back under when I catch a whiff of a floral scent. I stop mid-shove and pull it back out to sniff it. It smells like a woman. Not just any woman, it smells like me.

I sit up and lift the shirt when Jay is close to the bed, “What's this?”

Jay swipes his head and I'm pretty sure his skin flushes, “It's nothing.”

He comes over to retrieve it and shove it into a dresser drawer.

“Is that the shirt I wore when I was here last?”

Jay turns crimson on every part of his beautiful, naked flesh.

Jay kept a shirt that smelled like me under his pillow.

Holy shit.

I'm stunned, overwhelmed with how utterly romantic that is, never expecting to have that strong of an affect on someone, never mind a man as masculine as Jay Lincoln.  

He lets out a deep, heavy sigh, “I missed you, baby. At times it was almost unbearable–”
             

My mouth cuts off any further conversation when I leap from my spot to pounce on him.

Fuck sleep, it's overrated.

Chapter 17

Monday, March 24

9:24am

Jay gets out of bed and I get lost in admiring his naked form. I'm even drawn to the scars on his body, knowing how he got them and how they shaped the man he is today, the man I fell in love with. Would we be here in this moment if he hadn't lived through what he had? I doubt it.

Jay cocks his head to the side, “What's the frown for?”

I chew on my lip and stare at his shoulder, not sure if I want to respond, remembering what happened the last time we thought about if things had happened differently.

I decide to answer, not wanting to hold back my thoughts from him, “I was wondering if we would have found each other if you had had a different past.”

I meet his eyes and am surprised to see him contemplating this, lost in thought. His hands are on his hips, eyes clouded over, searching his mind for answers.

Now it's Jay's turn to frown, “I sure would hope so, Lily.” His tone and expression take on a seriousness I haven't seen before, “I can't imagine a life without you in it. You make life worth experiencing, worth living.”

Wow. Good answer.

Jay grins and swipes his head, “I thought so.”

I throw a pillow at him for looking like he purposely said that because he knew that's what I'd want to hear. All he does is laugh.

“
I have to go upstairs for a good part of the day,” he sounds apologetic.

“
This isn't the speech where you send me home, is it?” This will
so
end in an ugly argument. I'm not ready to leave him yet, it's too soon. I even secretly called Naomi last night to explain to Martin I had a stomach flu, hoping to buy me a few more days.

“
No. As fucking stupid as it is, I can't let you leave yet. I just feel bad that you'll be here by yourself.”

“
Can I go with you?” I ask, even though I already know the answer.

“
It's pretty boring.”

“
I don't care.” I want more time with him, but I'm even more curious about the bank and what other surprises it holds.

Jay shrugs, “Sure.”

“Really?” That seemed way too easy.

He chuckles and comes over to peck me on the lips, “Really. Now get dressed, we leave in ten.”

“I need a shower–”

“
Not enough time–”

“–
With you,” I finish, stuffing down the irritation I'm experiencing from his bossiness.

He looks to his watch-less wrist, “You know, I think we have more time than I thought.”

I start to roll my eyes, but don't have time to finish because he has lifted me over his shoulder and is leading us to the bathroom in full strides. I giggle at how eager he seems to get us there.

11:03am

My legs are wrapped around Jay, back pressed against the elevator wall. His face is planted in my neck, sucking and biting, his erection pressing against my center, one hand tweaking and playing with my nipples under my shirt.

I try concentrating, but all I can think about is how I can't let Jay go again. There is no way I can do it a third time, no way in hell. I know I can't stay here, but every time we're separated our bond gets broken. How many times can we afford to have it severed?

“
Remember when you said we were forever and you were never giving me up?” I remind him.

Jay doesn't respond, his mouth preoccupied.

“Be that man, Jay. Be the man who fights for us and will never let anything destroy what we have. Don't doubt the love we share. Know that if there's one thing true and real in your life it's us, it's our love. Please don't let me go again. Fight for me, Jay. I need to know nothing can take you from me, that you would never allow it.”

Jay lifts his head, moving a hand to cup the side of my face, holding it in place to lock his eyes with mine, “
From this moment on you will never question if I'm in this with you. This is me promising you that what we have will never be broken by us or anyone else.” He follows his vow with a kiss that further binds him to me and has my mouth pledging to do the same, our lips and tongues a more suitable contract than anything tangible.

The elevator door pings open, ruining the moment.

Jay growls his irritation, shooting daggers at the door as though it's his sworn enemy, “You still got that money I gave you?”

“
No, I already spent it all,” I sarcastically reply.

He smiles, still glaring at the open doors, “We're running away, finding an island nobody knows exists.”

“Excellent plan. Any idea where one might be?”

“
Not a fucking clue,” he pouts.

I can't stop myself from taking his puffed out bottom lip into my mouth and sucking it in.

Jay's palm slaps the wall of the elevator above my head, thrusting his hips into me, groaning his approval.

I tug it out with my teeth.

“Jesus, Lily,” Jay mumbles, one hand fumbling with the zipper of his fly. “I have to be inside you.”

“
The doors are open,” I remind him, remembering the two guards that are always standing guard in front of the main door to Vault's level.

He lets out a curse, zips his fly back up, pinches a nipple, and twists one last time before placing me on the floor.

We walk hand in hand through the door. I keep expecting him to drop it and distance himself from me but he doesn't, not even when Jessica and Hattie look up from their desks.

Jay gives them a smile that surprises me, “Good morning, ladies.” He chuckles when he sees the look of shock on my face.

Hattie mumbles a morning while she hunches over her screen,

“
Morning, Jay,” Jessica chirps. Taking note of our conjoined hands, she smiles – a genuine one that isn't forced, “Good morning, Ms. Evans.”

I beam for multiple reasons, thinking I might combust with happiness, “Good morning, Jessica.”

“Arianna start yet?” Jay inquires.

“
She's with HR filling out paperwork.”

Jay nods his approval, “Good.”

He leads me to the back through the door by Jessica's desk.

“
Arianna's working here?”

“
Yeah. She has no work experience and can't stand sitting around, so I asked Vault to do this for her. It's simple stuff like helping out Vault's assistants or doing any shit work other levels may have.”

“
That was nice of you.”

He shrugs, uncomfortable with the topic, “
I kind of owe her. Vault's only condition is she doesn't have her own password and therefore must have a guard travel with her to and from levels. Oh, and no computer access.”

“
Why is that?”

Jay gives me a quizzical look, “Lily, she's a con-artist – or was one. He's not about to let her have clearance to
any
kind of data.”

Ah, yes. I keep forgetting that side of her.  

He leads me into the room that the guard from yesterday almost knocked me over with.

It's a security room full of monitors and other fancy looking equipment.

Only one person is inside, a man almost as enormous as Jay. He's wearing a suit like the rest of them always have on, but his jacket and tie are off, the sleeves rolled up, and the first couple of buttons undone. He has a shaved head and a strong jaw line, making him come across as a rough and tough kind of guy (which he probably is).

Jay leads me to the only other seat, sits down, and pulls me onto his lap with his arms wrapping around my center, kissing my shoulder.

The other guy hasn't even acknowledged us.

I nod my head in his direction, wanting Jay to introduce us. He only mouths “Charlie,” a name I'd heard him mention when rescuing Arianna and know he respects him in the weird way Jay does.

I watch the screens and the boring mundane happenings of a bank while I listen to Jay converse with Charlie. It reminds me of what Neanderthals must have sounded like.

“
Anything?” Jay asks, both men observing what's going on.

“
Nah,” Charlie responds..

“
Meeting?”

“
Late.”

Jay frowns at this and gruffly asks why.

Charlie grunts in a way that I assume he's letting Jay know he hasn't a clue.

Jay lets out a dissatisfied snort.

I'm holding back my grin. This is the only man Jay has respect for and I'm beginning to think it's because they both speak caveman.

Charlie points to something on the screen. Jay leans over me to get a better look. His upper lip curls, disapproving of what he sees.

I squint and also lean forward more, trying to see what they do, but it looks like two men having a meeting in someone's office.

Jay lets out a few more grunts, followed by a few from Charlie.

I silently laugh.

Jay grabs my hips and starts bringing us to standing. He places me back down on the chair, “I'll be back. Need to check on something.”

I nod, hoping he doesn't take as long as he did the last time he said that.

“
Keep an eye on her,” Jay requests, as though I need looking after.

Charlie doesn't respond, but Jay doesn't seem bothered by this.

Charlie shuts the door behind him, never once having glanced my way.

I think I've just discovered who Jay would be if he had gone to work for Vault instead of going after his revenge.

“I'm Lily,” I offer, uncomfortable sitting here with someone I've never met before.

“
I know,” Charlie replies, still not looking my way.

He doesn't make me feel unwelcome, but he doesn't exactly make me feel comfortable either. Normally I'd try and strike up a conversation, but I have a strong sense that that wouldn't go over very well with him.

I watch Jay get on the gold elevator and my cheeks redden, wondering how much of our earlier groping Charlie saw. When Jay gets off I try figuring out what screen he's now on.

Charlie points to the screen in front of me, “Watch that one.” He then pushes a series of buttons that has the screen in front of me popping up another security room and Jay walking into it.

“Thank you,” I tell him. That was really sweet.

Of course he doesn't acknowledge I spoke.

“Is there volume?” I wonder, wanting to hear what Jay's saying, or I guess barking at the poor men who are in the room.

“
Yes,” Charlie answers, making no move to turn it on.

I guess that means he doesn't want me listening.

“Has anyone ever told you you talk too much?” I tease, trying to lighten the mood.

A grin threatens to come out the side of his face I can see, “All the time. Just tell me to shut up if it starts getting on your nerves.”

I laugh, “You kind of remind me of Jay.”

Charlie snorts, “Is that supposed to be a compliment?”

I laugh again, “Not sure, but it's definitely not an insult.”

Charlie gets distracted by something, ending our brief conversation, and I continue watching Jay. Charlie changes the screen in front of me every time Jay moves, which again I find really sweet, considering he seems busy with what ever he's doing. Jay has taken a few of the guards to where the two men from before are having a meeting and is talking to them outside the closed door.

There's a light knock on the door but Charlie makes no move to open it.

A second knock has me asking if he wants me to answer it.

“Nah, it's just Hattie.”

“
How do you know that?”

“
She's the only one who knocks.”

The third time I get up to answer it, not sure if this is one of their ways of teasing her, which does not please me.

Charlie holds his hand up to stop me, “I've told her not to knock. I want her to learn to just come in.”

I sit back down, “So you're not messing with her?”

“No. If she's going to survive this bank she needs to toughen up.”

I don't understand his rationale, but then again I don't understand this bank. At least he appears genuine, so I don't say any more.

The door slowly slides open and a timid Hattie pokes her head in, “Sorry to bother you, but I have the papers you requested.”

“
Hattie,” Charlie exhales. “How many times do I need to tell you to just walk in?”

Her face turns bright red as she steps all the way through the door. She hands Charlie the papers, “Next time.”

He grunts like he doesn't believe her. Their hands briefly touch as he takes hold of the papers and a flush creeps up Hattie's neck.