Bliss Series Boxed Set: The Whole Damn Harem (113 page)

“It’s a lot, I know.”

I point to the house and just stare at him. “
That
is not a house. That is a freaking mansion of epic proportions.”

He chuckles and grabs my hand, tugging me over until I’m almost sitting on his lap. “It’s just a house, sweetheart.”

“
Your
house is just a house.”

“This is just a little bigger. My father worked hard all his life and made sure his family had everything we could ever want.” He shrugs, but there’s pride in his voice that I find very endearing.

“You work hard, too.”

“He taught me well.”

“I love you, Noah Taylor.” I kiss his lips hard and fast before pulling away just as quick, knowing full well that most of our kisses have the potential to escalate from innocent to energetic in a matter of minutes.

“Love you too, Zoe Roberts,” he says in a low, husky voice that just does things to a girl. Things I can’t think about for at least a few more hours.
Then it’s on like Donkey Kong.

There’s a knock at the window, and we both turn to see Matt, grinning like a loon at us. He reaches for my door and holds it open for me.

“There are bedrooms upstairs, you know. No need to give the guests a show. Not complaining though.”

That sounds exactly like something Mia would say.

“Smartass,” Noah mutters as he lets me go and I grab Matt’s outstretched hand, stepping out of the car as gracefully as possible in my blue peplum cocktail dress. Thankfully I’d had the foresight to ask about the dress code for this function in advance, sneaking out a few days ago in my lunch break to lay damage to my credit card in honor of meeting the boyfriend’s parents for the first time.

“God, I’m going to be sick,” I moan as I run my hands down and straighten my dress. I feel Noah’s heat at my back, his breath fanning over my neck just as his hands frame my hips, and he places a gentle kiss on my shoulder.

“They’re going to love you because I do.”
And the award for Most Likely To Get Laid Tonight goes to . . .

The tension leaves my body, and I know Noah feels it because he kisses me one more time before moving to my side and running his arm around the small of my back. “Lead the way, little bro.”

We make our way up the steps, and I gasp when I see a female version of Noah standing at the front door just beaming at me.

“Zoe! I’ve been waiting to be introduced to the woman who has charmed my Noah. So glad to meet you,” she says, pulling me into her arms and squeezing me tight.

“Hi,” I squeak in response.

“Mom, let her go before you squeeze her to death.”

“Sorry, sorry. I’m Meredith, by the way,” she says, holding my arms and looking me over. “You’re gorgeous.”

“Ah thanks,” I murmur, not knowing what to say.

“Hi son.” She releases me and gives Noah a kiss on the cheek.

“Harry, come see Zoe.” She turns around, and then I see Noah’s very tall, very handsome father walking toward us.

“Hi Zoe. Nice to meet you.” He takes a step forward and kisses my cheek, then holds his hand out to Noah. “Good to see you out of scrubs, Son.”

“Don’t get much of a chance.”

“Still good to see you. Come out back. Almost everyone’s here already.”

“Well that was alright,” I whisper to Noah.

“Told you.” He kisses my shoulder again—sheesh anyone would think he likes my dress—and leads me through the mansion to the backyard.

A few hours later, we‘re sitting at a table flanking the pool when I see her.

I’m sitting in Noah’s lap—his choice, not particularly mine in front of his parents and their friends—and we’re talking shit with Matt, who has me laughing non-stop with tales of his busy love-life. If I‘d thought Noah was a player, he has nothing on his brother’s antics. I almost pity the city’s single women with Matt on the loose.

“You should come over one night. The three of us could watch a movie and get takeout or something,” I say to Matt as I take another sip of my martini—no olives, because that’s just gross.

He smirks at me, that signature Taylor smirk that I’ve grown to love and pre-empt from his brother. “In my world, when a woman says ‘come over for a movie’ it’s code for ‘come over and fuck me in the light of the TV’ and I’m not a fan of multi-dude threesomes. You and your sister though . . .”

“God, I can’t wait till you meet a woman who knocks you on your ass,” Noah mutters, putting his arm out and shoving his brother’s shoulder. He then wraps it back around my waist and turns me, pulling me into his side.

“No chance of that happening, brother. The ladies of Chicago would go into mourning if I got tied down.”

“They wouldn’t miss that ego, though.”

“You’re just jealous.”

“Oh fuck no. I wouldn’t give this up for the world,” he adds with a squeeze of his hand around me.
Heart stops, panties melt.

The spawn of Satan makes her presence known when she walks up to Noah’s parents and to my horror, hugs his mom and kisses his dad on the cheek. They both beam at her, obviously not having an issue with her being there and more than welcoming her presence.

“Noah . . .” I say.

“Yeah,” he says, not looking in the same direction as I am. He’s oblivious to Nikki’s arrival.

“You didn’t tell me she was coming.” I say under my breath.

“What do you mean?” He looks at me then looks in the direction of his parents.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” He moves to push me off his lap but I push him back down, earning an ‘oof’ and a grimace from him as my ass hits his crotch—hard.

“Sorry,” I say with a giggle.

“You’ll be sorry later when it won’t work.”

“It always works,” I retort quickly.

“That’s beside the point.” His expression turns to one of concern, not for his crushed junk, but for me. “Do you want me to get her to leave?”

“You can’t do that! She’ll think I’m jealous.”

“You’ve got nothing to be jealous of. You’re the one in my lap; you’re the one I want to be with.”

“I’m not jealous,” I say under my breath, getting worked up at his assertion that I’m threatened by her. “But don’t you think it’s weird she’s here?”

He sighs, his arm tightening around my waist. “Mom must’ve invited her. Our parents are friends unfortunately.”

I square my shoulders, showing my bravado in the face of the bitch who treated Noah so badly it led to his life-changing decision which eventually led him to me. “I can be civil if she can.”

“I don’t think she has it in her,” he mutters, sounding annoyed.

“Well, I’ll be polite if she talks to us.”

“You’re a bigger person than I would be.”

“But if she tries anything, I can’t make any promises,” I warn, watching as she walks over to the bar and turns her saccharine sweet smile toward the barman.

“Fuck knows what I ever saw in her . . .” he says forlorn.

“We all know what you saw in her, and it had nothing to do with her
nice
personality,” Matt says.

That breaks the mood, thank God. Soon our attention is back to the party with amazing food, an open bar with great cocktails—because while wearing a cocktail dress one must drink cocktails, of course—and snuggled in the arms of the man I love. The night couldn’t get better.

Oh, but it does.

A little while later, I excuse myself from talking to a lovely couple who were telling us all about their retirement plans to buy a bed and breakfast.

“I need the bathroom.”

“I’ll come with you,” Noah says, lacing his fingers with mine and leading me through the back door of his parents’ house.

“You don’t have to wait, you know.”

“I want to. Besides, if I stay here, you can’t get into any trouble.” He raises an eyebrow to give me a knowing look.

“Oh I’m sure!” I snark, shutting the bathroom door but not missing his amused chuckle. Damn that man. Even when he’s laughing at me, he still makes me smile.

I do my business and freshen up, stepping out of the bathroom into the empty hall with Noah nowhere to be found.

Hearing voices from the end of the corridor, I follow the sound, because there’s something in my gut telling me that I should.

“Come on, baby. I miss you. I miss your cock inside of me.”

I walk through the doorway to find Nikki leaning into Noah, his hands gripping her arms and her lips just an inch away from his face as she goes in for a kiss.

Oh, it’s
on
!

“It’s a pity he likes putting his cock in me then, isn’t it?” I remark. Noah’s eyes go as wide as saucers as he pushes Nikki back and steps toward me.

“Sweetheart, it’s not what you think.”

“Oh, it’s exactly what I think, but you’re not the problem.
She
is.” I glare at the blond bitch who is now facing me, a fake knowing smile gracing her overdone red painted lips.

“Don’t worry, I know what Noah wants and I definitely know what he needs,” she purrs, and I see red. I storm over to her and punch her right in the mouth, shocking myself almost as much as her.

“Whore!” she shrieks, her lip bleeding as she comes at me, but thankfully Noah steps in front of me. I shake my hand, which is now hurting like a bitch.

“Nikki, I ended it. Sorry if you don’t want to hear this, but it was the best fucking thing I have ever done. I meant everything I said to you. You’re not going to get very far in life if you keep looking for a sugar daddy to pay your way. “

I can’t resist peeking around Noah to catch a glimpse of Nikki’s shell-shocked face, her mouth wide open as my man puts her in his place.

“If I hadn’t ended it, I wouldn’t have Zoe, and she is more of a woman than you’ll ever be. Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to watch the fireworks and enjoy the rest of our night. If I were you, I’d make a quiet exit while you still can.”

As much as I want to have another go at her, Noah must be a mind reader because he doesn’t give me the opportunity. Grabbing my hand, he pulls me back down the hallway and shuffles me into the bathroom, slamming the door closed behind us before locking it and pushing me back against it.

“What is it about you and me and walls?” I ask, bemused.

“Fuck I love you,” he spits out before he kisses me, his hands going underneath my ass and pulling me up so my legs have to circle his hips.

Seems I didn’t have to wait till later for him to jump me. Winning!

“Psycho”

Noah

I look at my watch again, wondering where the hell Zoe is. We’d arranged to meet in the cafeteria for lunch, since we haven’t seen each other since yesterday due to me working a longer shift and studying for my boards.

Pulling out my phone, I shoot her a text.

Noah:
Hey, I’m here. Where are you?

After waiting another five minutes with no reply, I text her again.

Noah:
Still waiting. Did you get caught up? I can bring lunch to you.

Still no reply, and with my lunch break likely to end with a call to the ER at any time, I decide to go down to radiology and see if I can find her.

Watching my phone, I walk out of the elevator and almost knock Greta over.

“Hey, have you seen Zoe?” I ask.

“A friend of hers popped by, and they were in the MRI suite the last time I saw her. Just head on down, go to the end and turn right.” She points down the corridor.

“Thanks, Greta. She’s late for lunch.”

“Well you better go find her and tell her off. And also tell her to take her time coming back; we’re quiet at the moment.”

“You’re a goddess, Greta. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” I lean down and kiss her cheek, which makes her blush.
Wonders will never cease.

She shoos me away and presses the elevator button as I walk off.

I walk to the end of the hall as instructed and turn right, hearing a guy ranting about something I can’t quite make out. I walk into the MRI suite and into the booth, expecting to find Zoe. But it’s empty. Then the muffled voice becomes clearer.

“You just wouldn’t listen to me. You don’t understand how much I need you.”

I look through the glass into the screening room and my blood goes ice cold at the sight of Zoe being held up against the wall by a visibly angry man with tattoos down his arms. His fingers are gripping her bare arms tightly, biting into her skin as he shakes her violently.

“What are you doing, Justin?” she asks.

Oh fuck, the ex. The apparently
harmless
ex.

Storming out of the booth, I try to open the door to get to her but it’s locked from the inside and just won’t budge. My heart thumps against my chest as I hear him continue to berate her.

“You won’t respond to me, so I had to come to you,” he barks.

Desperate to get in there, I ram the door with my shoulder, barging through the doorway to save her.

“You’re coming home with me. You’ve made your point. You got my attention.” He turns his head and looks right at me when the door slams against the wall

“Justin, no. You need to m . . . move. Step back . . .” Zoe begs, her eyes wide with terror.

“Oh no, baby.” He says with a snide grin, looking me straight in the eyes as he continues, “I’ve finally got you cornered, and you’re going to hear me out.”

“No, she’s fucking not!” I yell as I rush forward and jerk him sideways away from her, knocking him off balance and sending him crashing to the floor.

“Are you okay?” I ask her, scared out of my mind but trying to make sure the dickwad doesn’t come at her again. She’s shaking now and wraps her arms around her chest, looking toward her ex with fear in her eyes.

“Who the fuck are you?” Justin asks, getting to his feet again with a menacing feral look in his eyes.

“Her boyfriend. You need to get a fucking life and leave her alone, once and for all.”