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Hector had flinched every time Phoenix had slammed her fist into Noelle’s midsection But Noelle hadn’t Noelle had taken it and thrown out taunts

Phoenix, who should have known better, had reacted, all e Noelle to lead her around on a leash Hector had already realized Noelle was sh, but that even he hadn’t foreseen

A clip played through his mind

Phoenix: You really think you’re AIRto solve cases for you?

Noelle: Of course Proof: when I walked into this roo blond agent who only has half a brain

Punch

Phoenix: Do you like your brain sla

Punch

Phoenix: Think your smile will be as beautiful if I pop your front teeth?

Noelle: Oh, Agent … Blond Girl … Person The fact that you’d find me so pretty even without my teeth is sweet, but you’re not my type I like my men with thinner mustaches

Brutal punch

Phoenix: How’s ain I liked it

Really brutal punch

Hector had been so turned on by Noelle’s attitude, his arlowed and he’d had to take care of hi Noelle away had been the stupidest,he’d ever done

After their second near ht at camp, he’d told Mia to take hiood Usually Mia didn’t take ultimatums well, but in this, she’d caved Maybe because she’d sensed his desperation

Once he’d arrived hootten himself under control On his own And he’d remained mellowed out, except for the few tients had flirted with her, and she had flirted back But if she was dating anyone--seriously or otherwise, not counting the iinary Don Carlos--he didn’t know it And he didn’t like that he didn’t know He didn’t like the thought of her with soinary Don Carlos! And he knew the bastard was iinary Noelle’s eyes took on a pearlescent sheen every tiht from the sea when she had mentioned him

Dallas used to flirt with her, but that had stopped a feeeks ago, after they’d all run into each other at a bar after hours As if the pair had seen each other naked, but had argued and parted ways

The thought alone enraged Hector He flattened his hands on his thighs before he did so The answer didn’t er, with more hor females at a distance, and he’d succeeded Until Kira From the worst of the streets herself, she’d wanted, needed, a protector Soht to rape her Someone to make sure she had a place to stay So she’d charmed him and he’d fallen

He’d tried to be careful with her For a while, they’d kept things nice and easy A kiss good night, a kiss hello Then they’d graduated to a little heavy petting His arms hadn’t acted up too badly, and she’d hinted that she wanted to take things further, so he’d decided to go for it

One night, as they made out, he’d stripped her, then stripped himself His first skin-to-skin contact, and oh, had he been excited The heat had intensified, but he hadn’t realized how much Until he’d reached up and cupped her breast His arh her and hit the s She had died instantly, her heart rendered useless

Seeing her like that … he’d never been the sa a relationship work had gone up in flames with her And to be honest, no one had ever teain Until Noelle But …

His fear was sireat, too deeply rooted The fact that he craved her far more intently than he’d ever craved Kira only freaked him out more

If he hurt her, burned her, he would never be able to forgive hi in his power tosnide comments when they ran into each other

Well, ht now

Yesterday, they’d been all about the aard polite As if they’d never kissed Never pressed their bodies together, straining, rubbing, both of them ready to explode

"Be honest," Dallas whispered "Are you i that red dress on your bedroom floor?"

He would not reply Would not voice the words that would underood intentions

"Because I a would not reply Not his agree another , a warning would only s worse for himself

Dallas would expect him to act on his attraction And if he didn’t, well, he’d open the door for Dallas to act on his

"Don’t be mad, but I can’t seem to help myself I want her"

Okay, so the door was already open "Why would I be ravelly, and pissed as hell, drawing stares and a few hushes Better question: hoould he stop hi his friend’s face off?

Noelle had called dibs on Dallas, which meant she was attracted to hi stripped by him, touched by him Tasted by him

If she hadn’t been already

He whispered fiercely, "Have you two … ?"

"No," Dallas answered, and he relaxed

Dallas is your friend Maybe Hector’s only friend Dallas knew about his arms Hector had finally broken down and revealed all While working a case together, Dallas had used a few unexplainable abilities of his own,people with his voice, shit like that

Apparently Dallas was part otherworlder

I wish there were an explanation forBut he’d wanted Dallas to know there were others out there, that he wasn’t alone with his differences, and Hector had never regretted sharing They’d bonded over it, almost like brothers

And you can’t kill your brother, he reminded himself

"And you two haven’t?" Dallas asked