Crossing lines (Noah and Aiden) novel Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Noah

“Noah.”

Hearing my name whispered so softly, yet with such gravity, made my chest constrict painfully. I lifted my gaze to meet his. He wasn’t even trying to mask the weight in his eyes—there was exhaustion there, but not the kind that comes from sleepless nights or physical strain. No, this was deeper, something emotional and mental, like he’d been carrying an unbearable burden for far too long.

“I crossed a line tonight,” he admitted quietly. “I punished you out of anger. That’s not who I am, and it’s not something you should ever accept. You deserve so much better than that.”

I swallowed hard, forcing a calm tone. “You had every right to punish me,” I said, my voice tight, my throat burning with the effort. “I knew exactly what I was doing. I pushed you. I cursed at you. I wanted you to lose your temper.”

He didn’t argue or defend himself. Instead, he just looked at me—his eyes filled with a longing to reach out, but his body held back, restrained by some invisible barrier.

“Still,” he murmured, “I betrayed your trust. And that’s not something I can just overlook.”

His explanation, his heartfelt reasons, all swirled around me, but none of it truly sank in. All I could hear was the silent message beneath his words.

He’s leaving me.

He never had to say it aloud. The meaning echoed loudly, final and unyielding.

I’m walking away from you.

This is done.

You’re not safe with me… or maybe, more honestly, you’re not the safe choice for me.

My heart thudded violently against my ribs. I shook my head, but it wasn’t a refusal—it was pure, desperate denial.

“No…” I whispered, unable to stop the word from escaping.

A sharp ache settled in my chest. My entire body felt locked, struggling to draw in a full breath. The thought of him turning away now—after everything we’d been through—felt like being torn open from the inside out. The worst part? I couldn’t even understand why it hurt so deeply. I only knew I couldn’t let him walk away.

“You can’t make this decision for me,” I said, my voice raw and unsteady. “This—this is something I get to decide too.”

His jaw tightened. “Noah, this has been really hard on you. Maybe our timing was all wrong. The pressure from the team, your new life… and this. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“Fuck that!” I snapped, my voice breaking as I stepped closer, heart pounding fiercely. “You can’t just drag me into this, show me what you have to offer, make me crave it more than anything, make me think I’m losing my mind wanting it, and then leave me out in the cold. I need this. I need you.”

He let out a pained breath. “Noah, I’m not what you need right now.”

“Maybe not,” I admitted, voice trembling. “But I don’t even know what I need. You promised you’d tell me. So tell me! Tell me what I need!”

My voice cracked, and my chest felt like it was about to cave inward. My fists clenched tightly at my sides.

“Because I know what I want. And I don’t understand it. It terrifies me to my core. But I want it anyway. And I’m done pretending I don’t.”

He stared at me as if I’d just ripped his heart open. Then, like a storm finally breaking after days of tension, he closed the space between us.

His hands grabbed me, spinning me around and pressing me firmly—but not harshly—against the wall. The touch was possessive, heated, undeniable.

I gasped, his mouth moving to my ear.

He was power made flesh, barely holding himself together—and all of it, every bit, was for me.

He kissed me again, rougher this time, lips brushing mine before trailing down to my jaw, then the curve of my neck. I groaned as his mouth moved lower, biting and kissing his way down my throat, making me tremble with every touch.

Without a word, he nudged me backward, guiding us toward the bedroom. His hand never left my skin, his kisses never faltered. Each step was a promise; each breath, a warning.

By the bed, I sank to my knees.

I let my hands glide reverently down his torso, then leaned in to kiss the sharp cut of his V-line. Just a whisper of my lips—a tease. Then another, and another, moving lower, but never where I longed most.

I looked up at him through my lashes, deliberately licking my lips.

His control snapped.

With a curse muttered under his breath, he grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked me up hard, forcing my mouth back to his.

“You’re insane,” he growled against my lips. “Do you even realize what you do to me?”

I moaned into him, arms wrapping around his bare chest, melting into his hunger, the ache between us tightening like a coil.

Then his hands were on my chest again, pushing, guiding, until I hit the bed and collapsed, breathless.

And Aiden…

Aiden climbed over me like he was about to ruin me completely.