Chapter 31

Hannah

Noah pulled me onto the dance floor with perhaps a bit more force than was strictly necessary, his grip firm around my waist as the music swelled around us. His brow was furrowed, jaw set in a tense line as he met my gaze head-on.

“What was that about giving Drake a tour of the pack?” he bit out without preamble, his tone laced with a mixture of exasperation and… something else. Jealousy, maybe? No. Not jealousy. Why would Noah ever actually feel jealousy toward me and not his precious Zoe?

I arched a brow, feigning nonchalance despite the sensation of my heart fluttering in my chest. “Does it matter? It’s not really any of your business anymore, is it?”

Noah’s eyes flashed at my words, but I pressed on before he could retort. “But if you must know, I agreed to show him around the pack’s territory tomorrow. He seemed… interested in learning more before he makes any decisions about the Lunar Festival.”

A muscle ticked in Noah’s chiseled jaw as his grip on me tightened ever so slightly. His fingers dug slightly into my lower back, their warmth pressing through the soft silk of my dress. “And you just couldn't wait to accommodate him, could you?” he asked.

Bristling at his accusatory tone, I opened my mouth with the intent to deliver a scathing retort—but the words caught in my throat as Noah abruptly dipped me low. My heart stuttered as his face hovered just inches from mine, our bodies pressed flush together from thigh to chest.

“Listen to me very carefully, Hannah,” Noah growled in a low, dangerous tone that sent a flush of heat radiating outwards from my belly to my throat. “You need to stay away from Drake while he’s here.”

My breath came out in a ragged pant as the scent of his cologne overwhelmed my senses. Noah’s eyes were blazing, his pupils practically taking up the entirety of each iris as they raked over my parted lips.

For a dizzying moment, it felt like the entire world had narrowed to this—just the two of us, the sound of my blood rushing through my ears, the sensation of his fingers gripping one of my thighs and pulling it against his side.

Then, with a sharp tug, Noah hauled me upright again—putting an abrupt end to the heated tension that had built up between us. As I struggled to catch my breath and collect my scattered wits, I saw the warning flickering behind Noah’s eyes.

So he was jealous. Undeniably, irrevocably jealous—of Drake and the implication that there could be something between us.

The realization struck me like a bolt of lightning, sending a shock through my core—and filling me with an unexpected sense of satisfaction. Squaring my shoulders, I tightened my grip on Noah and offered him a coy smile.

“Is that what you’re worried about, Noah?” I practically purred, arching into his touch as our bodies swayed together. “You didn’t seem to care when you were so busy making eyes at Zoe every chance you got.”

Noah’s jaw ticked again, but I didn’t give him the chance to speak. Boldly, I reached down to guide his hand lower, settling it at the swell of my hips, just above the curve of my backside.

“You know,” I breathed, dipping my chin to look up at him through my lashes, “When we were dancing earlier, Drake couldn’t seem to keep his hands off me right… here.”

As if to emphasize my point, I pressed Noah’s palm down more firmly—letting the words and implication hang heated and potent between us. Noah’s throat bobbed with a harsh swallow, but he made no move to extricate himself from my grasp.

I hated the fact that the look in his eyes made me feel a sense of satisfaction; and that maybe, just maybe, Drake had been right in a sense. I wanted to make Noah jealous, not to keep him with me necessarily, but to make him realize what he was missing by the time we finally got divorced.

I had him wrapped around my little finger now, spellbound and burning with jealousy.

But as quickly as the haze of desire descended, it dissipated again—leaving Noah’s gaze sharp as steel.

“We’ll discuss this later,” he bit out in a tone that left no room for argument. “I still need to talk to you.”

With that, Noah extricated himself from my arms and turned on his heel—stalking off into the crowd without another word or backward glance.

The song hadn’t even ended.

…

Hours later, long after the guests had gone home and the servants had cleared the ballroom, I paced the bathroom connected to my private chambers like a caged lioness.

Every few moments, my fingers would drift to the soft silk robe draped over my nude form, toying with it as I considered… and dismissed the notion of leaving it open.

With a huff, I whirled to face the mirror again—examining my reflection with a critical eye. Loose waves of hair tumbled freely over my shoulders, rich and glossy from the indulgent bath oils I had lathered in my hair. The whole room smelled like lavender and sage, a dizzying, heady combination.

Noah should have been here by now. He had told me he would stop by my chambers before he left for the night, but…

Goddess, why was I anticipating his arrival like a lovesick schoolgirl? I wasn’t in love with him anymore—and hadn’t been for a long time—and it wasn’t even our intimacy night.

Suddenly, a sharp rap against the bedroom door made me start, my gaze swinging to fix on the ornate wood. Noah.

Drawing a steadying breath, I pasted on my most sultry smile—the one that always made Noah’s pupils go wide. Then, with a little extra sway in my hips, I drifted towards the door and pulled it open a crack.

Noah stepped into the room without so much as a ‘hello’, his demeanor all business. I sighed, shutting the door behind him, and turned to find him now standing in the middle of the bedroom.

“I—” he began, but his voice trailed off. His eyes dropped lower, down toward my robe.

I followed his gaze, and instantly felt all of my blood rush to my face. At some point during my rush to open the door, my robe had fallen open after all—revealing one round, milky white breast. They were starting to get just a little bit bigger already, although whether it was from the pregnancy or eating more lately, I couldn’t quite tell.

I held my breath for a moment, watching the rhythmic bob of Noah’s throat as he swallowed hard—forcing his stare upwards to meet mine again, his jaw clenched hard enough to shatter stone.

For a long moment, tense silence stretched between us. Then, finally, I slowly lifted my hand and pulled the robe closed. I made sure to let my finger trail lazily across my hard nipple on the way.

Once I was decent again, Noah ground out in a strained rasp, “We need to talk. About the necklace.”

I quirked a brow at him, my lips curving upwards in a sultry smirk. “I know. You mentioned it earlier. Go on.” I sauntered over to the settee and sat down, leaning back on my palms and crossing my legs. The robe fell open around my thighs.

Noah wet his lips, his gaze flickering tellingly over my parted robe again as he visibly steeled himself. “You were right earlier: there was… an ulterior motive behind my gift. I want something from you.”

My heart stuttered in my chest, my pulse kicking up ever so slightly. He wanted something from me? I couldn’t deny it; being here with him now, in the intimacy of our bedroom where we had spent one night every month making passionate love—if one could even call it lovemaking—part of me did secretly wonder if what he wanted from me was… well, me.

Angling my body further, I let the robe slip even more open. Noah’s eyes raked upwards where the robe nearly exposed my hip bone, but then he quickly snapped his gaze away and turned to face the window instead.

“And what do you want?” I finally asked with a sigh, realizing that the moment was over—and that it had indeed been brief.

Noah cleared his throat, staring out the window for a moment before turning once again to face me. This time, the redness in his face had dissipated and his eyes had taken on that businesslike quality once again.

“I want you to call off the divorce.”