I cannot get enough of Nora.

If I thought tasting the forbidden fruit was bad, I was mistaken. Eating the whole damn thing awakened an insatiable hunger inside of me. Lucky for me, it did the same to Nora. She has so much to learn and I’m an eager teacher.

Things feel right when we’re together. My life was more than just manageable; I was starting to be happy—really happy—again. Being with Nora eased the pain of my past, and made it possible to get through tough times, like Christmas. We spent every possible moment together, sneaking off whenever we could to have sex. My math grade was slipping, and it didn’t take much convincing to get my parents and the Kellers to agree it would make sense for Nora to tutor me. Every Tuesday and Thursday, we get together and ‘study’ for an hour and a half. A majority of the time is spent naked tangled up together, but Nora does make sure we go over the lessons.

My phone buzzes, and I pause the video game I’m playing to see who’s texting me. One condition of Nora having her phone is letting Stephanie or Doug go through it anytime they want. We’re careful with what we say, never putting anything in writing that proves we crossed the line. We text throughout the day, using our own little code.

Alex texted me the moment school was canceled this morning asking if I wanted to meet him and some buddies to ride snowmobiles along the mountains. He’s texting me now to say they’re done snowmobiling because Talon sank his in four feet of water when he tried to ride across a retaining pond fast enough to ‘beat cracking the ice.’ Part of me wishes I was there to see that. I haven’t wanted to hang out with my friends in a long fucking time.

A picture of Talon’s sled comes through next, and I laugh. Talon is such an idiot sometimes. It’s funny to sit back and watch the stupid shit he pulls. I set my phone down only to pick it up again. A bunch of people from school are getting together at Talon’s house. His older brother is home and bought booze. Alex says I should go and bring Nora.

Now I really do want to go. We’d be able to get alone time in for sure, but there’s no way the Kellers would go for it. They give Nora a decent amount of freedom but are strict on where she goes and who she’s with. She’s allowed to come here—to hang out with Veronica of course—because my dad’s the sheriff, Stephanie has known my mom for years, and because we’re right next door.

Though even if she somehow got Stephanie and Doug to give her their blessing and take off, Nora wouldn’t want to. I know how she feels about being around anyone underage who’s drinking.

Charlie barks when the doorbell rings, and I go back to playing my game. A minute later, someone opens my door. It’s almost like I can feel her before I can see her, and I jump off my bed and rush across the room. I take Nora in my arms, stealing a glance down the hall to make sure the coast is clear.

Then we kiss.

“What are you doing here?” I take her wrists in my hand and bring them over her head. “Not that I’m not happy to see you.” I bite at the flesh on her neck.

“It’s Tuesday. We always go over math on Tuesdays.”

“It’s a snow day. We don’t have school.”

“We always study on Tuesdays, and the roads are clear now. We totally could have gone to school with a two-hour delay.”

I honestly can’t tell if she’s being serious or not. If she is, studying can wait. If she isn’t…I smirk and grab her ass, lifting her up and throwing her down on my bed.

“Jack!” She laughs and pretends to fight me off. “We really do need to study.”

“Oh, I’m studying all right.”

Nora moans as I kiss her neck, and she folds her legs around me. I get lost in her fast and don’t hear Mom coming up the stairs until it’s too late. I see her shadow out of the corner of my eye and roll off Nora, falling to the floor. Nora sits up, smoothing out her hair. I grab the first school book I can grab and flip it open.

Mom’s carrying a laundry basket filled with folded clothes and makes a bee-line for Veronica’s room. You can see right into my room when you come off the landing. There’s no way she didn’t see us.

“The book is upside down,” Nora whispers.

I nod and turn it over, silently waiting for the judge and jury to come in. It takes Mom a minute, and when she does, the laundry basket is empty. Maybe she really was headed to Veronica’s room in the first place and didn’t see us. Veronica woke up with a high fever, distracting Mom. Ever since she was a baby, Veronica’s fever would go from bad to worse in what seemed like seconds flat. Mom’s been taking her temperature every half-hour.

“Ew, Jack, it stinks in here,” Mom says as soon as she steps into my room. Her eyes go to the pile of laundry on my floor beside my bed. “That could be why.”

I shrug. “I don’t think it’s that bad.”

Mom sets the laundry basket down. “Load it up, bring it down, and I’ll wash it for you. And why don’t you kids come downstairs while you study? Don’t subject Nora to your room until you clean it.”

“I'll clean it later,” I grumble.

“And get your bathroom too.” Mom picks up a dirty plate and two empty Coke cans from my dresser. “Do you even know the last time it was cleaned?”

“Not that long ago,” I answer, though it’s a complete lie. I have no fucking clue.

“I stopped cleaning that years ago,” Mom tells Nora. “You know how teenage boys are. The things they do in there…cleaning the toilet gave me nightmares.”

Did she just—no, no way—really? “Seriously, Mom?”

Mom smiles and starts to walk out of the room. “Come downstairs. I’ll make you a snack.”

Nora turns to me once she’s gone. “Did she just tell me she doesn’t clean your bathroom because you jerk off into the toilet?” My lack of response makes Nora burst out laughing. “I am so glad I’m a female and can get off wherever I want.”

“You…”

“Yes. I do have needs.”

I groan. “I’m thinking about it now. Fuck. We better go downstairs.”

“Do you need to use the bathroom first?” She runs her hand through her hair and makes a kissy-face. “Take a picture for the spank bank.”

“Hilarious.”

She wrinkles her nose. “I know. I’m killing you with my jokes.”

“Don’t give up your dream of being an engineer to pursue stand-up comedy.”

Nora cringes. “I already sent Mrs. Freeman an email telling her I’ve made a drastic change in my career choice.”

I go to the bed and extend my hand to bring Nora to her feet. She takes it and pulls me down onto the bed. I fall on top of her, of course, settling between her legs.

“You have no idea how much I want you right now, Jack Harrington.” Her fingers curl into my back. “It’s been four days since I’ve felt your cock inside me and I miss it.”

“Do you like torturing me?”

She bucks her hips and softly moans. “Yes. I know you’ll take out your frustrations on me later.”

“You are so fucking hot.” I roll over, bringing her with me. “If we don’t go downstairs now, I won’t be able to resist you much longer.”

Nora gives me a devilish smile. “Who says I want you to?”

“In that case, I must give you what you want.” I flip her back over and pin her hands above her head, pressing them down into the mattress. She squirms beneath me and moans when I kiss her.

“Jack!” Mom calls from downstairs. “Do you want Pizza Rolls or taquitos?”

“Shit,” I mumble, pulling myself away from Nora. “Both,” I call back to Mom.

“We really need to go downstairs now, don’t we?” Nora plays with the hem of my shirt.

“Yeah.”

Her hands drop, feeling my erection. “You can’t go down like this.” She moves to the floor, kneeling between my legs. She tugs at the waist of the athletic pants I’m wearing, and I help her pull them down just enough to get to the goods. My door is open. My mom is downstairs. Veronica is in the next room.

Everything that says we shouldn’t, makes me want to do it more.

My pulse quickens watching Nora spread my legs and move in. Her delicate fingers wrap around my cock, and I melt into her touch.

“We can be fast, right?” She puts her other hand on my waist and looks up at me.

“Yeah,” I pant. I’m so wound up it won’t take long. She takes me in her mouth and my eyes fall shut as the pleasure goes through me. I run my hand through her ponytail, wrapping it around my hand as I steal glances down at her. She moves faster and knows exactly what to do to push me over the edge. She cups my balls and swirls her tongue around the tip of my cock.

I squeeze my hand into a fist as I come, pulling her hair harder than I meant to. Nora swallows and wipes her mouth, rocking back onto the balls of her feet. I yank my pants up and fall back on the bed.

“Better?” She moves next to me. My heart is still beating fast and the pleasure from the orgasm is still tingling through me.

“Much.”

“Good. I look forward to you returning the favor later.”

“I love you, Nora.”

“I love you, too.”

We wait another minute or two and then go downstairs. Turns out, Nora was serious about studying. She drills me, writes out a practice test, and then badgers me about applying to something more than the community college here in town. She doesn’t want to accept that I have no big aspirations like she does. Not anymore, at least. I used to want to be a doctor. Then I realized how much work went into it, and how my grades weren’t good enough to get into med school and I gave that up. My next choice was football but getting shot and missing a season foiled my plans. Dad decided for me that law enforcement was the way to go. I showed promise to make a great cop, he reminded me all the time. I acted bravely and did the right thing. I saved lives. I did all the things police officers do.

Only, I didn’t want to do it. I didn’t want to pull the trigger, and I sure as hell don’t want to put myself in the position of being the one who has to do it. I don’t want to be responsible for the safety of others when I can hardly take care of myself. I don’t want to get called to scenes of carnage. To be the one who has to question a terrified sixteen-year-old boy minutes after he woke from surgery. And I don’t want to be the one who tells him his best friend is dead, thanks to him, and it’s for the best.

I’m thankful for everything law enforcement does for us. What they did for me after the shooting. My dad used his position to keep records safe and was able to keep me out of the media as much as possible. I’m fucking grateful. But I still don’t want to be a cop.

Almost dying makes you realize how easily you take your life for granted. I never worried about college or what I’d do after I graduate, thinking I had time to figure it all out. I know now the more time you think you have to figure your shit out, the more complicated it actually gets.

Though now I am thinking about it again. Before, it seemed impossible to plan for the future when I was dubious about getting through the day. I’m still not sure what I’ll do, but I know my future includes Nora, and she’s all I need to keep going.

Veronica comes into the kitchen, hunched over and squinting from the light.

“Oh, honey!” Mom exclaims and goes to her. “What are you doing out of bed?”

“I need Tylenol. My head is killing me. And my ears hurt. Oh, hey, Nora.”

“Hey. I hope you feel better.” Nora closes the math book, thank God.

Mom presses her hand to Veronica’s forehead. “You just took Tylenol an hour ago. I can’t give you more.” She grabs the thermometer and frowns when she sees the temp. “Your fever is going up. I think you need to go to the doctor.”

Veronica sits at the table across from me, and I debate on telling her to go into a different room or not. I don’t want to get sick. Mom calls the doctor and isn’t able to get Veronica an appointment.

“Come on, kiddo. I’m taking you to urgent care.”

“Now?” Veronica picks her head up off the table. “I don’t have makeup on.”

Nora, Mom, and I collectively stare at Veronica for a second in disbelief. Mom gets her coat and holds it out.

“You have a fever of one-oh-three and a migraine. I’m guessing it’s a bad ear infection again. Now is not the time to worry about makeup. Get in the car now or I’ll make Jack carry you out.”

I raise an eyebrow. “I will?” Nora kicks me under the table. “I mean, I will. You need medical attention, sis.”

“Fine,” Veronica huffs.

Mom kisses the top of my head on her way out. “I’m proud of you, Jackie. It’s probably best you see Nora home.”

“She totally saw us,” Nora says once the door closes. “Are you going to see me home now?”

I flash her a grin. “Not until after I return the favor.”

* * *

“Does it lose its appeal?” Nora’s standing by the window, wearing only her panties and my T-shirt.

“Does what lose its appeal?” I admire her ass, feeling turned on all over again. What I’m looking at never will.

“The snow. It’s still magical to me. I never realized how sparkly snow can be.” She turns away from the window, and my eyes go right to her erect nipples, visible through the white fabric of my shirt. Yep, I’m ready for round two.

“You know how much I love glitter,” I say and Nora laughs.

“So, you’re used to it?”

“I guess. We don’t get this much snow that often. I don’t remember the last time we had a snow day this late in January—or ever—to be honest. It’s been a weird winter. But no, I don’t think it loses its appeal.”

“Good.” She looks back out at the snow for another minute then lays in bed next to me. “I do miss the sun. Being bundled up all the time is kind of annoying.”

“I like it better when you’re not bundled up too. I miss seeing you in all those short dresses. It was hard enough keeping my hands to myself then. Now I don’t have to.” I snake my arms around her.

“Are you tired? I can rub your back until you fall asleep.”

“No, but I’ll take you up on the offer to have my back rubbed.” I pull the blankets up around us, and the familiar sound of the garage doors opening echoes through my walls. Part of my room is above the garage and being able to hear the big doors open and close is a blessing at times.

Like now.

“Shit.” I sit up and throw the covers back.

“What?”

I turn to Nora. “Someone’s home.”