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not
to come round here anymore.”
    “I can’t just leave like this.”
    “Yes. You can. Tell Noelle I said thank you, but
I think it would be best for both of us if you give me more space. I’m not
ready to deal with you, yet.”
    Brad wanted to argue with him. He held his
tongue because he couldn’t find the right words to even try to defend himself.
The fact that Ben had finally decided to allow him the time to talk even though
it was to tell him he wasn’t ready, was success in itself.
    Ben showed him out of the back exit of the club,
and Brad watched him walk away this time, his anger cutting into him. He’d been
the cause of Ben’s pain. He hated himself for the problems he’d caused.
    Turning away from the vision of his ass moving
away from him, he went along the street until he entered the nearest bar. He
sat on a stool and looked at the lines of liquor bottles available to drown
himself in.
    The bar man asked him what he wanted to drink.
    “Scotch over ice.”
    Minutes later, the drink was placed on the bar.
Brad stared at it. His world was once controlled by the small amount of liquid
at the bottom of the glass. He lifted the glass and scented the whiskey. His
stomach turned over even as his mouth watered for a drop.
    Heart racing, he placed the drink back down. He
thought of Noelle and the effort she’d put in to getting him on the straight
and narrow. Then he thought of Ben. During his years of drinking, he’d caused
him so much pain because of the drink. It would be so easy to forget the world
and drown himself in drink and drugs, but then everyone would have been right
about him. Noelle would have no one, and he would spend the remainder of his
life wondering what would have happened if he was stronger.
    Standing up from the bar, he paid the bill for
the glass of scotch and left. Drinking was not an option. He walked the small
distance to his apartment. When he entered he knew Noelle would be out with his
brother. He hoped he’d done the right thing.
     
     

Chapter Six
     
    Noelle sat in the hotel room, her palms sweating
and her heart beating rapidly. She had made a mistake. There was no way she
could phone an escort with the idea of spending time together. Shaking her
head, she fumbled round the room, grabbing her purse and sweater. The mistake had
been all hers. She went for the door, opened it and collided with a hard male
chest.
    His arms came round her, stopping her from
falling flat on her face.
    Her hair covered the scar on the right side of
her face as she looked up the long length of body to find the most amazing dark
brown eyes staring back at her.
    “Where are you running out so fast?” the mystery
man asked.
    “I’ve got to go.”
    “What are you doing in this hotel room?”  
    “I reserved this hotel room.”
    He hadn’t removed his hands, his thumbs rubbing
circles where they lay. She felt the heat pool inside her body from the
smallest of contacts.
    Get over
yourself. He’s a hot man who wouldn’t want anything to do with you.
    “Then you must be Elle.”
    “Noelle,” she said, correcting him. He placed a finger
under her chin and tilted her head back. He stared into her eyes stopping her
from breathing from his intense scrutiny.
    “I want to call you Elle.”
    Her hair had fallen away from the scarred part
of her face. She pulled out of his hold and back into the room. Her heart
pounded from the contact of a man while she panicked in case he ran out
screaming. She felt like a monster with the way her face was.
    “Don’t hide from me,” he said. She watched as he
closed the door turning the lock. The sound echoed around the room making her
shiver.
    She was alone in a hotel room with a man she
didn’t know.
    Bad move.
Bad fucking move. Next time, Noelle, think of what you’re doing.
    “I promise I won’t hurt you,” he said. She
noticed he didn’t move away from the door. They stared at each other. Her hair
had fallen back to cover one side of her face. “You