Becoming His Read online

  Becoming His

  Twenty-two-year-old Noelle Snow tries not to remember what happened that night of her sophomore year in college, but it’s hard. It has shaped her life ever since. Now, two and a half years later, she is graduated and working in publishing in upstate New York as a copywriter, but she’s stagnant. Bogged down by student loans and emotional baggage, she passed on her dream job in NYC and is feeling rather hopeless, until she meets Will Martin, whose sexiness is only surpassed by his chivalry.

  Noelle’s personal life is about to become hotter than the copy she writes for the sexual studies imprints her company represents. Will has a need to control and protect, and more than anything, he loves Noelle. His taboo form of sexual healing and his financial savvy are exactly what she needs to become independent, but then how will she become his?

  Genre: BDSM, Contemporary

  Length: 63,436 words

  BECOMING HIS

  Angel Marks

  EROTIC ROMANCE

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED: Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device. You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your computer.

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  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  IMPRINT: Erotic Romance

  BECOMING HIS

  Copyright © 2015 by Angel Marks

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-63259-455-6

  First E-book Publication: June 2015

  Cover design by Harris Channing

  All art and logo copyright © 2015 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  Letter to Readers

  Dear Readers,

  If you have purchased this copy of Becoming His by Angel Marks from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

  Regarding E-book Piracy

  This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.

  The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.

  This is Angel Marks’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Angel Marks’s right to earn a living from her work.

  Amanda Hilton, Publisher

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  www.BookStrand.com

  DEDICATION

  N.H.B.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  About the Author

  BECOMING HIS

  ANGEL MARKS

  Copyright © 2015

  Prologue

  “Are you all right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Really?”

  “Umhmm.” Noelle didn’t look at Calvin. She just stared out the window of the retired limo cab they shared back to campus. Her sorority-pledging roommates had asked him to escort her back to their dorm from the Apocalypse, a Greek bar where the majority of people were underage and wasted. She had tried to have a good time. She had tried to smile and be social, but everything was different now.

  She pretend yawned, not daring to look him in the eye. She knew he was curious, but he couldn’t be trusted. If she told him anything, that would be it. It would be out and then others would know. Somehow her parents would be contacted and they’d make her come home. Boston would be over. She’d be back to Podunk, USA, attending the local college, waiting tables, and under her mother’s thumb.

  “It’s just that, Noelle, we like you. You’re a really cool person,” Calvin said. Noelle continued to stare out the window at the darkness, the occasional red lights, and the blurs in a pitch black sky against a heavy layer of dirty snow.

  “I saw you.”

  Her ears perked up.

  “That day in September, you were sitting outside on the terrace by yourself, by the door. You were crying… I was on my way to football practice. A bunch of us went out that door, and you were there on the ground.”

  She controlled her breathing. Deep breaths, stay calm. “I remember.”

  “But then I came back, it was four hours later, Noelle, and you were still there. You hadn’t moved…you looked so sad… Why? What happened?” He waited, expecting the big reveal.

  Oh, fuck. Don’t say anything. She guarded it. He was so fucking naive. Look at him, a privileged gym boy. His father had played in the NFL and he played college ball. Cal was a nice, good-looking kid from a nice family. His parents would have brunch with him on Sundays. His mother would do his laundry. His reality was too far from hers. How many 250 pound football players have ever had a sip of one disgusting drink, blacked out, and woke up in the middle of the night in an unknown place undressed, underwear missing, and no memory of what happened, just a filthy feeling of violation, shame, and physical pain? How could she tell him what happened? What would he be able to do about it, other than cause her more pain by setting into motion what would turn into her withdrawal from the university?

  Apparently, the mystery was killing him because he wouldn’t let it go.

  “I’m fine, Cal, just a little sick is all. Thanks for riding with me.” She got out of the cab, swiped herself back into their co-ed dorm, and walked up five flights of steps to the top floor, where she knocked on Vance’s door. He was the only one who knew, who she had collapsed into and hung onto like a lee
ch ever since, but he wasn’t home—he was pledging and his time was limited. Somehow, Noelle made it back down four flights and into her own dorm room. She crawled into her bed and cried herself to sleep.

  Chapter One

  Two and a half years later

  The warm weather lured Noelle outside for her fifteen minute break. She decided to walk around the block by herself, and was met with propositions. “Hey, girl!” “Hey …baby.” “Lookin’ fine!” “Come on over here.” “What you doin’ girl?” One man sidled up to her, walking beside her as though they were together all the while, putting his face in hers and propositioning her with sexual questions. She forced herself to remember pressure points and worried that if she struck him he would take it as an invitation to touch her. Masking her fear, she managed a very stern “Get away from me!” and fortunately, he dropped back, embarrassed by the other men’s laughter.

  Her heart was in her throat when Will found her in Harness’ break space a few minutes later. He had been working here for the past five months. He insisted on knowing why she was so upset.

  She told him about the men accosting her and a flash of anger crossed his face before he offered to walk with her next time, stating what she had just learned, that the neighborhood wasn’t safe.

  Yes! Relief flooded her, calming the mixture of anger and fear she felt.

  “That would be great, if you don’t mind.” Noelle was unable to hide her enthusiasm. Something about his presence put her at ease.

  “Would you like some water?” She nodded and he poured her a cup and pulled out a metal chair for her from the rickety, old table. She watched him as though she was seeing a lion at the zoo, the oddity of a god washing his own dishes confounded her.

  He turned around and smiled. “Are you going to be okay, Noelle?”

  “Yes, I’m fine now. Thanks, Will.”

  “Good. I’ll meet you in your office tomorrow for break.”

  “Okay.” They smiled at each other and their eyes locked before he stepped out the door. He gave her an easy, confident smile, revealing perfectly straight white teeth, full lips, and a cleft in his chin. Then she glanced up at the clock and saw that she was five minutes late to her office, but her whole world had just changed. The heat she felt for Will Martin carried her to their walk the next day.

  Will’s masculinity oozed all over the copywriters’ office when he came in to escort her for their first walk together. The unnatural silence of her co-workers was replaced with clicks and beeps and the occasional giggle, mainly from Pauly who quickly presented himself.

  “Ooh, Noelle, are you going for a walk?” he asked coyly.

  “Yes, Will offered to go with me, just around the block, Pauly.”

  “Ooh. Well,” he replied dramatically.

  Pauly was Noelle’s favorite work friend at Harness. He was difficult not to love, and she couldn’t resist him as he gave her his puppy dog look, begging her to invite him along, plus, well, Pauly was completely safe, and Will turned her completely upside-down.

  Noelle glanced at Will, happy to see he was nonplussed. “Would you like to come with us?” she asked Pauly as she belted her spring jacket over her arty cardigan and pencil skirt.

  “Oh, no! I couldn’t do that. I’d be a total third wheel!” Pauly exclaimed, but he and Noelle both knew he was merely being dramatic as he clasped his hands together in mock concern.

  She grinned. Her eyes were laughing at his over-the-top performance. “Pauly, come with us. You don’t mind, do you, Will?” Noelle looked up at her escort.

  Will smiled. “No. You’re welcome to come, Pauly.”

  “Oh, well, if you insist!” Pauly gaily grabbed his military inspired jacket and buttoned himself up, and then Will held the office door open for the three of them.

  Pauly’s presence gave Noelle a buffer zone as they walked around the block, with Will in the middle, and Pauly chatting nonstop about Brighton’s nightlife, but then he wanted to know how it compared to Boston’s. Apparently, he was planning a trip to Providence, and wanted to know her insider’s perspective on where he should go and what he should do for his one night in Boston.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, Pauly, I really can’t help you there.”

  “What, what do you mean? You, like, did go to school there for four years, didn’t you?”

  “Yes,” she replied, wishing this wasn’t the topic of conversation with Will there by her side.

  “Well, Noelle, where did you go out?”

  “That’s just it, I didn’t.”

  “What?” Pauly asked seriously, the drama replaced by real shock. Noelle was keenly aware that Will was listening.

  “Well, I went out to the usual underage kid bars my first year, but by the beginning of my sophomore year, I was done.”

  “Hmmm …” Pauly shook his head. “Well, you must have spent your time in the library then, because you are so well-read, Miss Thang.”

  “Ha! Thanks, Pauly.”

  They had rounded the entire block and Noelle hadn’t even noticed her surroundings nor had the chance to talk with Will because Pauly had happily owned the conversation. She found Will opening the door for her into Harness and finally they were alone together, as Pauly rushed away.

  Their eyes met. “Was that better?” Will asked her.

  Noelle found herself lost in his twinkling green eyes. “Yes. Thank you for coming with me, Will.”

  “It was my pleasure. Meet me here tomorrow if you’d like to go again.”

  Noelle smiled, their eyes still acutely trained on each other. “Oh, but Pauly will be very upset.”

  “Pauly will be fine.” Their gaze didn’t break. Will asked, “Are we on?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good.” Will smiled, revealing his dimples and Noelle felt her heart fluttering as she somehow made it back to her cubicle.

  Wednesday morning at 10:15 a.m. Noelle met Will by the warehouse exit. Today she wore a long peasant skirt, fitted top, ballet flats, and a wraparound cardigan for the cool spring weather. She felt Will’s admiring gaze as he greeted her with “Good morning, Noelle,” before he held the door open for her.

  Once outside, he walked with her on the inside of the sidewalk until they came to the street she had been harassed on. Instead of walking down it, he suggested they turn back and stroll up their own street on the other side.

  “All right. Good idea.” She realized they had walked the other street yesterday, but Pauly had distracted her so much she hadn’t even realized it and no one had bothered her with Will by her side.

  “How long have you worked at Harness?” Will asked.

  “Almost a year, I was hired a month after I graduated but I temped as a typist before coming here. It was really a word of mouth thing. A friend knew a friend who knew there was an opening and so I applied. I had no idea Brighton even had a publishing house, but I’m really glad it does—I love working with manuscripts.”

  For some reason she felt like she was talking to an old friend more than a stranger. They were somehow connected.

  “What about you?”

  “What about me?” Will asked.

  “What’s your plan?”

  “To enjoy my life,” he replied dead seriously.

  Noelle looked over at him, curious. He worked in the mailroom of a publishing house, and his plan was to enjoy himself. He was a strong turn from the guys she had known in Boston, all of them working to be masters of the universe in their fields of study and social sphere.

  Will was an anomaly she somehow understood, and then she realized why. She was, too. How many girls give up internships they are offered, that they didn’t even apply for, in New York, to live with their parents in grit town? Just one that she knew, her, and her reason for it was pretty crappy, too.

  “Noelle.” He said her name softly as they walked up the sidewalk.

  “Yes?”

  “I have a couple questions for you.”

  “All right.”

  “Why did you stop
going out your sophomore year in college, and why are you here in Brighton?”

  Just like that. It was like he knew.

  “Why do you ask?” She played dumb.

  “I saw it on your face yesterday. Did something happen in Boston?”

  Noelle didn’t realize her mouth had dropped open, but she was struck dumb, and didn’t answer. When she finally did speak, they were almost back to Harness. “I think we’re just getting to know each other, Will. I’d rather not say.”

  “That’s fine. Do you want to walk again tomorrow?”

  “Yes,” and with that they were back inside.

  Will continued to meet Noelle at the door and escort her about Brighton for their fifteen minute walks, and in this time they became friends. He told her about breaking his hand playing in a family badminton tournament when he was twelve, and breaking his finger playing high school football. One Thursday he told her he wouldn’t be able to walk the next day because he was going to a friend’s funeral Friday morning. The friend had died of a drug overdose. Noelle became upset for him, but also wondered if this was something he was into.

  “No, there was a time when I experimented with some things, but there’s no future in that business.” Will assured her.

  His disclosures led to hers. In the next week, Noelle found herself telling Will about growing up sheltered and religious and rebelling when she went off to Boston, and eventually she told him the truth about why she was in Brighton, that is, she told him in a roundabout way, that left him asking questions and her giving very jilted, quiet answers that led him to piece together exactly why she was not in New York or Boston.