What He Needs (What He Wants, Book Four) (An Alpha Billionaire Romance) Read Online Free PDF

interests in
mind, that I would never hurt you.   And part of that is me doing things to make you happy.”
    “I’m happy.   I mean , I’ve been happy being with
you.   But I want… I want to get to
know you,” I said.   “I feel so close
to you when we’re… when we’re doing that kind of sex stuff, and I want to keep
doing it, but I want to know you better, too.”
    He nodded, his grip on my hip
tightening.   “It’s extremely
difficult for me.”
    “And it’s extremely difficult for me to
trust you enough to let you do the things you’ve been doing to me.”
    I saw a flicker of displeasure cross his
face, and I could tell he didn’t like me saying I didn’t trust him.   I remembered how he made me say I trust
him while he was fucking me, how it excited him.
    “Why is it so hard for you?” I asked
gently.
    He took a deep breath and his jaw
clenched.   “Everyone I’ve ever let
in has left.”
    The statement was so simple, so clear,
that for a moment, I wasn’t sure what to say back.  
    “Nora?” I asked finally.
    He flinched at her name, and his face set
again, and I was afraid his walls were going to come back up.   But then he nodded.   “Nora.   My father.   My
mother.   My brother.”  
    “Oh.” I wanted to ask him if his family
was dead, like Nora, or if it was something else.   But I could tell from the pain in his voice that it was
extremely hard for him to talk about this, and I didn’t want to push him too
hard.
    “Are you close with your family,
Charlotte?” he asked me.
    I thought about it.   “I’m close with my sister,” I said finally.   “My mother and I have a complicated
relationship.”
    “And your father?”
    “He died when I was sixteen.”
    “I’m sorry.”
    “It’s not your fault.”   It was the standard response I gave
whenever anyone said they were sorry about my dad.   It had never made sense to me, people saying they were
sorry.   How could they be so sorry
when they never even knew him?
    “Charlotte,” Noah said, running his hand
up my side.   “I’m sorry about your
father.”
    I just nodded, not trusting myself to
speak.   I sent a silent prayer that
Noah wouldn’t ask me how my father died, that I wouldn’t have to relive those
horrible moments, even just in memory.
    “And your mother? What does that mean,
you have a complicated relationship?”
    “It means that it’s complicated.   I love her, but I’m not sure I like
her.”
    This made Noah smile.   “Why don’t you like her?”
    “She’s made some life choices that I
don’t agree with.   And she expects
me to just accept her for them, and yet when I make choices she doesn’t
agree with, she has no problem telling me that I’m ruining my life.   Plus she remarried after my dad died,
and I don’t care much for my stepfather.”
    “Why? Did he hurt you?” Noah demanded.
    “What?   No.   He’s just sort of … an asshole.   I’m supposed to be going to his birthday party tomorrow
night.   It wasn’t a good night for
anyone, but he insisted on it because it had to be on his actual
birthday.”   I shook my head,
realizing what a baby I sounded like.   “Anyway.”
    I reached out and touched Noah’s chest,
letting my fingers linger on his pecs, his shoulders, his abs.   Now that we weren’t caught up
in a frenzy of lust, I had time to feel him, really feel him, and appreciate
how firm and fit his body was.
    “I’d like to go with you,” Noah said, his
voice serious and quiet.
    My hands stopped at his biceps.   “To the party?”
    “Yes.   If it’s all right.”
    “Sure,” I said, trying to sound
nonchalant.   “That would be
nice.”  
    He nodded, like it was all settled.  
    I settled back into the crook of his arm,
and he pulled me against him and kissed me on the forehead.  
    “What time is it?” I murmured.
    He rolled over and looked at the
clock.   “It’s almost two.”
    “Crap,” I said.   “I have a meeting with