CHAPTER TWO
Approaching her, Noah knelt down, and took her hand. It felt warm now, not like the ice cold of white death he felt the night before. He took a deep breath and let it out. “How are you feeling?”
Her wide eyes dropped to his hand holding hers. Then back up at his face. “L-like a train hit me?”
“Well, almost.” He chuckled.
Her brow furrowed. “Do I know you?”
“No. I would have remembered that.”
“I-I…” She suddenly looked afraid.
He told himself to not push. Poor woman had been through a terrible scare. “Are you thirsty?”
Her eyes moved over the room, pausing here and there, as she gave no indication that she heard him. “Where am I?”
He stood. “On the mountain.” Turning to the bar fridge, he got her some orange juice, then came back. He held it out to her. “You probably need this for the sugar and potassium.”
She stared at the bottle. Then up at his face. “W-what mountain?”
“Here.” He moved it closer not answering her question. He needed her viable before he questioned her.
Grabbing it, she stared at the lid.
“Never been opened, see the seal,” he explained. Then he paused. Why would she think I tampered with it?
Unscrewing the cap, she took a huge gulp. She kept chugging.
He grabbed the bottle. “Easy.”
She stopped and stared at him as she swiped at her mouth. “You are so…beautiful.” Her words held a gasping sound.
Noah froze. He’d been called many things in his life. Sexy. A bastard. An asshole. A killer. But never beautiful. He tilted his head back and laughed.
It seemed to startle her as she reared back on the couch.
He slowed his laughter and eyed her. “I could say the same for you, but I think I would up it to exquisite.” It would be true and apt. With her dark chestnut curls. Her heart shaped face, full lips, and bright blue eyes. And that body. Full breasts, creamy skin, curvy hips and an ass that—his thoughts halted.
Her cheeks flamed as she swallowed heavily. “I-I didn’t mean for that to be said out loud—I…” Her voice trailed away as she gazed down at herself. “OH!” she exclaimed when she saw she was only in her bra and panties. Her head rose up, as she looked perplexed. “Okay, so I got drunk, right?”
Noah sat back on his heels and watched her. This was an interesting development and he wanted to hear more of this notion. He nodded.
Her eyes rounded. “So—so I-I slept with you already?”
Noah thought back to the part where he’d held her all night, so he nodded again.
She gasped. “I-I don’t remember it.” She looked so upset.
He placed his hand on hers feeling a moment of guilt at leading her astray. He suddenly recognized it as cruel. In his work, he’d often been just that…cruel. Whatever it took to get the prize. End the mission—win at all costs.
She looked angry now.
He removed his comforting hand as he waited for her to accuse him of all kinds of things. He’d gotten her drunk, took advantage and—
“Dammit, it!” Her sweet face took on a disgusted expression. “Something like that with someone that looks like you do and I don’t get to remember it?”
Noah now felt surprised as he stared at her, then again, he laughed. That was SO not what he’d expected. No one ever surprised him, not in a very long time, and this was a sobering realization. “So what do you remember?” he asked in a serious tone.
Opening her mouth to reply, she then looked stricken and closed her mouth.
Noah studied her. Either she didn’t want him to know the truth or—
She hopped up off the couch looking truly panicked as she gazed all around.
“Whoa now.” He stood up to face her as he placed his hands out to show her he didn’t mean her any harm.
“I don’t remember anything,” she whispered as her gaze finally rose to his. Her body swayed a little.
He lowered his hands. Gazing into her eyes, he studied her. She didn’t. He knew when someone was lying. She truly didn’t. “Do you know your name?”
She seemed to sway on her feet now. “M-my name…” Her eyes rolled up in her head as she fell forward.
He leapt and caught her before she could face plant. Hefting her up, her head rolled back. He checked for her pulse at her jugular. It was beating fiercely. Pausing, he stared at her soft, creamy neck. He steadied himself and lowered her to the couch again.
She had entirely passed out. Completely gone. In a dead faint. One minute she was lively and flirtatious then the next? He let out a breath and gathered the blankets over her. Maybe she would wake up and feel… he paused. Maybe she would remember? He worried about that lump. He felt around through her silky hair at the back of her head. It was still pretty huge.
The fainting bothered him. He sighed. Concussions. Now, he had a real problem on his hands. If she were cognizant and aware with her memory intact, he could have gotten to the truth. He had his ways. But this…
She stirred a bit.
Gazing down at her, he waited.
Those baby blues popped open again. She stared at him for a long moment. Then raised her hand to his face, rubbing his jawline.
Noah remained still, though he wanted to grab her up and kiss the hell out of her. He shook himself. Dumb move. Dumb. Kissing her when she could have been tracking him to kill him for…
A tear slipped from her eye and rolled down her cheek. “Do I know you?”
He let out a disgusted sigh. They had just come a full, complete circle. “Why do you keep asking that?”
“Because you look familiar, but…not?”
Noah tamped down his frustration. This whole thing might be harder and take longer than he’d previously thought. “Why don’t I feed you some soup and then after you rest, we can discuss…things.”
She blinked her eyes as she swiped the tear away. “Why do you seem so…”
He waited. So…? So what?
Then she nodded. “I am hungry.”
At least she was following current questions now. He chuckled as he stood up. “Ok, I will be back in a few minutes. What kind of soup do you like?”
Her gaze took its time traveling from his calves, up to his waist then from there to his wide chest, her eyes stopping at his face. Those blue orbs were wide again. “Wow, you are so tall.”
He fought the smile tugging at his lips. “Yes, been that way for a while. So what kind of soup?”
Her eyes remained on his face. “Soup?”
Noah knew he needed to be gentle for once. Not lose his focus or let frustration lead his actions. Careful. After all, she couldn’t help the state she was in. So he spoke slowly as if she were a small child, “What… kind of soup… do you like?”
She worried her lip with her teeth as she concentrated.
He decided to help her a little. “I have tomato, chicken noodle, chicken rice, navy bean, potato, cream of—”
Her eyes grew big again. “Do you own a restaurant or do you just collect a variety of soups for kicks?”
He stared at her. Then again, he chuckled. She said the damndest things, taking him off guard. He wasn’t at all used to this. “I store and collect a lot of things up here. I have to.”
“Up here?” she asked. “What does that mean?”
Noah felt exasperated as he swooped down and scooped her up. Maybe if he showed her, it would help her lack of memory. After all, he’d watched her trekking up this very mountain.
Gasping, she clasped her arms around his neck.
He swung around and marched across the room with her in his arms to stand in front of a large window. “Curtains,” he spoke aloud to his tech system in the cabin.
The huge drapes made a whirring sound as they eased apart until the scenery outside could be viewed.
He knew this view so well, as he’d looked at it daily for three months now.
Her eyes widened as she stared.
They were for real up on a mountain and this spot at the huge picture window showed the downslope, all the way down. Even then, you couldn’t see the bottom into the forest it was simply too far. Snow covered it all, glistening under a winter sun.
“Oh, my god,” she whispered in shock. “What am I doing up here?” She turned her stunned gaze up to his face. “You brought me all the way up here just to fuck me?”
Again, Noah wasn’t at all prepared for this question either. He wanted to laugh, as her thoughts were so off course from what he believed she would say. He stared at her. “Yeah, I did,” he whispered back. He would’ve too, had he met her in the civilized world, he might have done just that. If he’d ever met a woman possibly worth it, she would be perfect for him as far as looks were concerned. He wondered for a second if she would pass his quiz. He again, had to take a hold of his thoughts. She doesn’t even know who she is! Let alone what answers he sought. Fucking thinking with your dick.
Blinking her eyes, she replied, “Well, I hope I was worth it. Cause damn, talk about impressing a girl just to get laid.”
Okay, so now, he laughed outright and hard enough for tears to spring from his eyes.
With sigh, she laid her head on his shoulder.
His laughter slowed, as he sort of liked this feeling. A woman comforted by him. Strange, he never cared about this kind of response in a woman before. “So, I’ll just pick a soup for you then.”
She gave no reply.
Noah peered down at her and saw she was out again. He felt a ripple of some feeling. Like he was scared or—no, not fear, he never allowed fear. But the way she couldn’t seem to stay awake for any length of time worried him.
He swung her around and again laid her on the couch, covering that delectable body she believed he’d already partaken of. He let out a sigh.
If this didn’t improve, he would fly her out and break his cover.
His head rose up. You will? For a complete stranger that brought trouble to your mountain? He shook his head at the selfish thoughts…an attitude he never questioned before as survival usually depended on this very thing. Self-sustainment.
Noah was just getting an inkling that this woman meant a change for his life…he just didn’t know what that might be. She might ruin it. End him. Or she might be something more. Set him straight again.
Pushing the inane and yes, preposterous thoughts away, he headed to the kitchen to fix her some soup in case she woke up soon.