Her Baby Donor: He's doing her the old-fashioned way. by Chance Carter (42)

Fire & Ice

CHANCE CARTER

CHAPTER 1

NORA

Nora tried to keep her expression neutral, not wanting to appear shocked by the outrageous exploits that her patient was determined to describe, apparently in even more detail.

“Both men were completely focused on me, but in very different ways. The whole experience was mind-blowing. I must have orgasmed a hundred fucking times. Between the two of them, not an inch of my body was left unexplored. They touched me, kissed me, bit, nibbled, and caressed me from top to bottom. They filled every hole. I was covered in their sweat, saliva and cum,” Sue whispered provocatively, trying to test Nora’s comfort level, as she carefully gauged her reaction.

“It was fucking hot! Definitely a fantasy come true, but I know what you are going to say, Dr. Dupree. You think that sex for me is some sort of compulsion, that I need my partners to somehow validate me, right? That I’m compensating for something.”

Nora’s patient leaned forward and brushed her long blond bangs aside, grinning broadly and waiting for her response. Unfazed, Nora leaned forward slightly, and tilted her head.

“Why do you think that I’m going to say that, Sue?” Nora questioned gently.

“Because women like you always think that women like me must have some sort of clinical issue. It helps people to make sense of me somehow. Like, I must have some sort of deviant social disorder, right? Just because I like to fuck a lot?” Sue goaded, her tone playful, yet defensive.

Nora sat back and smiled warmly.

“I can’t speak for other women, but at the moment I’m just listening and processing. I’m not here to judge you, Sue. I am here because you asked me to help you figure it all out.”

Sue regarded Nora carefully.

“So you think it’s okay then? The fact that I like sex?” Sue challenged.

This was only their second appointment together and Nora was still getting to know her patient. Sue had come to Nora out of concern that her preoccupation with sex was interfering with her life. She was also consistently engaging in dangerous behaviors that could compromise her health and well-being. In spite of reaching out for help, it wasn’t uncommon for people to push back, especially when addiction was part of the equation.

“Sex is very enjoyable by design. We’re supposed to like it,” Nora offered evenly, “In fa—“

“So why does everyone think I have a problem then?” Sue spat, interrupting Nora, and throwing her arms up for emphasis.

“Do people think you have a problem?” Nora asked, lowering her voice slightly—a technique she frequently used when her patients became agitated.

“No shit, Sherlock! I get judged all the time. My friends and family won’t even speak to me anymore. It’s fucking bullshit, and none of their damn business anyway!”

Sue’s frustration was obvious.

“Why do you think your friends and family no longer speak to you?” Nora pressed cautiously.

“Let’s see. Because they’re losers and fucking jealous? They have boring, bland, monogamous sex lives and their lazy-ass partners don’t make any effort for them or even care if they cum or not? They hate that they settled? That they’re no longer desired? How the fuck should I know?” Sue snorted, rolling her eyes.

“Is that true?” Nora urged, “Are they jealous?”

“What else could it be?” Sue stammered, throwing herself back in the chair.

“Well, what else could it be, do you think?” Nora pushed gently, taking a sip of her tea.

Sue looked at her blankly, offering no response, some of her bravado fading. Nora waited patiently.

“I’m not sure,” Sue finally replied, after a long pause.

“Have you ever asked them?” Nora queried, gently guiding her patient down a healing path.

“Specifically?”

“Um-hm,” Nora nodded. Sue inhaled thoughtfully, shaking her head.

“Do you want to know?” Nora asked, smiling softly.

Sue responded with a dismissive shrug.

“Hear me out here. What if the reasons you suggested aren’t really the reasons at all? What if it is something different, like they are worried about you? Maybe their value system is different than yours and they aren’t sure how to process it? Maybe they’re uncomfortable with your choices and don’t know how to tell you? Ultimately, these are just assumptions, just like yours. Neither right nor wrong, just assumptions.”

Nora paused for effect, waiting for a signal from Sue, who slowly inclined her head.

“Does it bother you that the people in your circle have distanced themselves?” Nora asked gently.

Sue nodded, but said nothing.

“Is there anything else in your life that has changed that could be a direct result of your choices?” Nora continued.

Sue grinned mischievously.

“You mean aside from the mind blowing sex?”

“Yes. Aside from that… are there things you regret or feel are a loss?” Nora clarified, smiling, but unwilling to let Sue joke her way out of it.

“I lost my boyfriend of six years. He was good to me and I— I cheated on him, several times. I knew the whole time it was a horrible thing to do to him. At the time I had all kinds of ways to justify it, but I really do regret hurting him,” Sue admitted, offering Nora a glimpse of her vulnerability.

Nora nodded slowly, urging her to continue. Sue sighed deeply then offered a slight smile, as she finally put down her guard. This was the cue Nora had been waiting for.

* * *

Nora sat in the L.A. traffic, waiting to make her way home to Pasadena through the usual gridlock. She put her car in park, knowing from past experience that realistically, it could be several minutes before the traffic started moving again. Not one to be impatient, she decided to make the best of it and leaned back, settling comfortably in the leather seat. She inhaled deeply, her mind drifting back over her day. Nora reflected on her time spent with Sue. Specifically recalling the description of the threesome she’d participated in. The girl had been so expressive and detailed, and while Nora had been able to keep it in a professional context at the time, she couldn’t help but be intrigued by the story.

Nora had completed her Doctorate in Psychology well over a year ago and was always a consummate professional. She knew how to separate professional observations from her personal opinions. She very intentionally maintained clear and appropriate boundaries and easily kept her business and personal affairs separate. It helped that she didn’t actually have much of a personal life, but that was beside the point. She knew it was perfectly acceptable, even normal, to have a healthy imagination and to fantasize about sex, and Sue’s story that day had awakened her own desires.

It had been a very long time since Nora had been with a man, maybe too long. She had thrown herself first into her studies, and then into building her career, perhaps purposely avoiding the dating thing. Men were a distraction, and after the whole Devon fiasco, she had learned her lesson.

Admittedly, she had turned her attention to her education and then her work—to avoid dealing with her anger and grief. It was an effective strategy, and she’d been able to complete her doctorate in record time. Unfortunately, it did nothing for her social life, and at 29 she was well on her way to becoming a reluctant spinster.

Nora chuckled at the word ‘spinster.’ Who the hell even used that word anymore, she thought scornfully, gently chiding herself. Christ, when was the last time she felt desired? She couldn’t even remember. When had she allowed herself to be playful and sexy? Had she ever?

She and Devon had been so young, and honestly, neither of them ever had much confidence in the bedroom, even after years of intimacy. People had such romantic notions of marrying their high school sweetheart, but in reality it was difficult to expand and evolve in a relationship like that, because you fell in love when you were no more than children. At least it had been that way for them, and neither of them had ever grown beyond their shyness around each other. Actually, it had proved disastrous for their relationship, and their marriage had ended before it ever really began.

Nora had remained single ever since. She’d been on a few dates here and there, but it wasn’t that easy to meet men in her scholarly circle. The guys she had dated were smart, decent and successful, but there just hadn’t been any sparks… not a one. Maybe it was a hopelessly romantic notion, but she wanted to be swept off her feet.

A blaring horn forced Nora out of her daydream. She looked up to see that the traffic had moved forward 15 feet while she’d had her head in the clouds. She offered a short wave to the car behind her as she crept up the minimal distance, shaking her head in annoyance.

“Happy?” She said out loud to no one in particular.

She looked into her rearview mirror to have another look. Yup, he was definitely grumpy. She caught her reflection before looking away. In spite of appearing temporarily frazzled, she was not an unattractive woman. She had never considered herself good looking, although she had been told on more than one occasion that she was a natural beauty. She didn’t fuss over her appearance and never wore much make-up. She always wore her long, dark hair in a pony-tail, rarely letting it loose or styling it, finding anything else too much of a bother.

Nora was a self-proclaimed ‘Plain Jane,’ generally low maintenance, except when it came to her wardrobe. She had an appreciation for nice clothes and didn’t mind spending her money on pretty things, even though she didn’t have much cause to wear them. She also had a shoe fetish that was not altogether healthy—she liked sexy shoes. But screw it, she could afford them. She just needed more reasons to take her things out of the closet and actually wear them. Now that she was through with school and her career was well-established, she had the time to date, just not a very large pool of potential choices. She didn’t have a large circle of friends, and her contacts were all professional.

It wasn’t easy for her to meet men and the thought of online dating didn’t appeal to her in the least. She had actually looked through a dating site once, casually scrolling through pages of profiles seeking promising matches, as though it was a cyber catalogue—the Sears Wish Book for lonely singles. She found herself quickly dissecting their attributes, analyzing their creativity and potential, then clicking through their images one by one, trying to picture them fitting into her life, or her slipping into theirs. It all seemed so impersonal and sterile, it made her feel completely disassociated and not particularly interested.

It wasn’t just about appearance was it? Attraction was a fickle thing. Sometimes it was a sexy chuckle that would turn a woman’s head, or a deep sultry voice, a crooked smile, a gleam in his eyes. Sometimes it was as simple as a gentle touch to the small of her back as she passed through the door ahead of him... these things didn’t show up in a one dimensional image on a website. How could she be sure that she didn’t dismiss someone that could have been her perfect match, her soul mate, only because his grainy photo failed to catch her eye?

Was it impossible to meet someone the old fashioned way?

Nora slowly eased her car forward as the traffic began to open up. She didn’t have a long commute, but she almost always hit rush hour traffic, and in LA, rush hour was pretty much every hour. Once she got moving, she was able to pull into the parking lot of her apartment complex in no time.

After a quick bite to eat, Nora worked for a couple hours catching up on some reading she’d been behind on. Rewarding herself, she moved to a comfy chair and picked up a novel for some lighter reading, determined to prove she was not a workaholic with no life, but a busy professional who enjoyed literature.

Finally, she was ready for bed. Clinical psychology articles and then the mystery best seller she was halfway through had kept her mind occupied, but once she was in bed, fantasies slowly edged their way back in, teasing her need, and painfully reminding her that there was a large empty space beside her in the big bed. She had been sleeping alone for a long time now and quite frankly, it was starting to suck.

Nora had always been pretty discerning when it came to sexual activity. It wasn’t that she was a prude at all, she had a very healthy imagination. In her fantasies, she was always adventurous and playful, even a little dirty and unconventional, but she had been raised by Catholic parents who drilled it into her head from a very young age that unmarried women shouldn’t have sex. It was one of the reasons she had married so young, and that had turned out to be a holy disaster. As an adult, she was no longer religious, but for some reason she still felt uncomfortable with casual sex. She was still a little timid and found it difficult to initiate sex, even when she was horny as hell.

You can take the girl out of the Catholic Church but it was much harder to take the Catholic Church out of the girl, Nora mused. The truth was, she was attracted to confident men, and often fantasized about being with a strong man who would take charge in the bedroom, maybe even dominate her a little and bring her out of her shell; someone who would coax out her naughty side. But the men in her circle tended to be quite reserved, at least the ones she had dated, and they sorely lacked confidence.

Appearing to be reserved herself, was it at all surprising that she attracted a similar type of man? And even then, those dates had been few and far between.

She hadn’t even found one man to ravish her, now here was her patient Sue, enjoying two at one time! She wondered what it would be like to be with two men at the same time. It sounded downright delicious, if she were being honest. She pictured herself leaning back into the arms of one man, his hands caressing her breasts, his mouth nibbling the flesh of her neck, while another man spread open her legs and lapped at her pussy. The thought of it made her warm with desire, and caused her to squirm under her sheets. She needed release.

Reaching into her bedside table, Nora pulled out her vibrator, a delicate little purple wand with a powerful hum. She turned it on and rubbed it gently over her panties, putting exquisite pressure against her clit. She felt her body respond, her warm wetness quickly icing her silky underwear. She moaned softly as she imagined her men playing with her, kissing her body from head to toe, taking turns fingering her, sucking her tender nipples, teasing their tongues over her sensitive flesh.

Her body arched with pleasure, wanting more stimulation. She slipped her panties down her long legs, kicking them aside, then allowing the toy to tease her moist lips, gently sliding it between her folds and slowing moving it back and forth. She imagined it was her lover’s tongue, greedily lapping her juices and felt her desire surging in waves, her excitement building. She slowly slipped the shaft into her opening, barely at first, then gradually inserting it deeper and deeper while she used her fingers to stimulate her clit. She imagined that one of her lovers was fucking her, while the other was beside her, pressing his hard cock against her, whispering naughty, enticing words in her ear. She adored dirty talk, and imagining what he might say.

It didn’t take long for her excitement to peak, and she felt her orgasm surging in her center. She held the toy against her clit and rode the wave as it rolled through her body, deliciously making her toes curl. She cried out as her body trembled with pleasure, drawing it out as long as she could. When her orgasm finally released her, she let out a deep, satisfied moan as she held on to her fantasy for just a moment longer. Turning off her vibrator she set it on the bedside table before curling up into her pillow. The warm afterglow of her pleasure was better than any sleeping pill, and quickly coaxed her into a deep and satisfied sleep.

* * *

Nora woke in a panic, disoriented and confused. She sat up, her heart beating wildly in her chest, trying to place the noise that had jolted her out of a deep sleep. It was an alarm, but one she had not heard before. It took her another second or two to realize it must be the fire alarm for the building. She scrambled out of bed and fumbled towards the bedroom door, grabbing her bathrobe off the hook as she went by. She hastily slipped on her robe and made her way to the front door of her apartment, listening carefully before opening the door. She could hear voices and people walking out in the hallway, and quickly made the decision to investigate further.

Opening the door, she stepped into the hallway, and immediately had the sensation of being hit by a Mack truck. Her feet left the ground, and seconds later she was flat on her back on the floor. As she lay on the ground trying to catch her breath, she could see nothing but the ceiling lights above her. What the hell just happened, she thought wearily.

“Shit, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to knock you down.”

She tried to place the strong male voice that addressed her.

“Are you ok?”

It took her another second to locate him above her. He knelt down beside her and offered her his hand.

“Are you hurt?” he asked, his eyes showing concern.

Nora regarded him a little more closely, still a little dazed and trying to sort out what happened. He was dressed in a yellow coat, a uniform perhaps? His helmet was also yellow with a PFD insignia on it. A firefighter? The alarm. Nora suddenly remembered why she’d been in such a hurry. She must have stepped out of her door just as he was rushing past, causing a collision.

“Is the building on fire?” she asked, not recognizing the sound of her own voice. She must have been hit pretty hard. He shook his head and smiled.

“No ma’am, you’re not in any danger. At least you weren’t until I plowed into you. There was a small fire in the utility room, but it’s already been contained. We’re just checking out every floor, part of our standard investigation, making sure there are no other problems,” he offered gently.

Nora looked up at him and sat up, noticing that he quickly averted his eyes. He suddenly seemed modestly embarrassed. She looked down and realized that her robe had shifted in the fall, completely exposing her naked body underneath.

“Damn,” she blurted out, quickly pulling the robe closed, “I’m so sorry, you didn’t need to see all that.”

“No need to be embarrassed. Let me help you up,” he chuckled softly. He took her hand in one of his and slipped the other around her shoulder. He easily lifted her off the ground, then placed his hands gently on her shoulders. His touch was solid and confident and Nora involuntarily reacted to it.

“Are you ok?” he asked, his warm brown eyes regarding her intently.

Nora nodded and smiled weakly, a blush rising in her cheeks. He was drop dead gorgeous, as far as she could tell, which only served to make her feel more awkward.

“Ma’am?” he asked again.

“It’s Nora,” she blurted out awkwardly. “I’m ok. Just uh humiliated. I’ll be going back inside now. You’re sure the building isn’t on fire? It seems awfully hot in here.”

He dropped his hands from her shoulders and chuckled again. Nora was certain he knew the effect he was having on her, and may have been enjoying it.

“I’m pretty sure,” he offered with a grin, just as the alarm was finally turned off. For a moment the silence was deafening.

“Sorry for knocking you down, and I hope you’re okay. Go on inside, Ma— Nora. We have everything under control,” he offered kindly, opening her door for her. “Have a good night.”

Nora nodded and slipped back inside, closing the door behind her. She leaned against it and sighed deeply, adrenaline still coursing through her body. What a strange turn the night had taken, Nora thought. And more importantly, who the hell was that?

CHAPTER 2

LEO

“Good morning, sir. This is Lieutenant Leo Moretti with the Pasadena Fire Department, Station 31. How are you doing this morning?”

Leo spoke professionally into his cell phone, in spite of the fact that he was pacing through the kitchen in his boxer shorts, his disheveled dark hair indicating a night of restless sleep.

“I’m fine. Still a little rattled from last night, but no one got hurt and that is all that matters. Is there a problem, Lieutenant?” the man on the other end asked apprehensively.

Leo ran his fingers over his stubbly chin, nervous that his request would not be well received. It was unorthodox to be sure, and the building security officer had every right to tell him to fuck off. He might very well do it, too, and report him to boot. Leo had never done anything like this before, but he’d also never had such an intense physical reaction to a woman before.

From the second they collided until she slipped back into her apartment and closed the door behind her he had been smitten with her, drawn to her in an inexplicable way. He had tossed and turned as he thought about her most of the night too, especially the delicious moment when her robe slipped open—exposing her curvy body underneath. She had looked both vulnerable and feisty all at once, and that was an enticing combination. Very sexy.

He cleared his throat, hoping his voice wouldn’t crack, revealing his eagerness.

“No sir. No problem at all. I’m following up with a situation that occurred last night with one of your tenants. Her name is Nora. She lives on the fourth floor. Unit 402,” Leo explained, quickly finding his confidence again.

“Dr. Dupree? Is everything okay with her? I understood that there were no injuries,” the man stammered, revealing his concern.

“Oh-no, everything is fine. We knocked into each other in the hallway last night as I was conducting my search,” Leo quickly reassured him, “and as you can imagine, she hit the floor pretty hard. I just wanted to check in with her and make sure she is okay. Would you have her phone number handy?”

The silence on the end of the line was obvious. Mr. Security was not comfortable with the request, and to prove it, he let out a long sigh. Leo held his tongue, waiting him out. He didn’t want to say anything that might alter the outcome, at least for the moment.

“Hmmm. I’m not sure I can give you that information Lieutenant,” he hesitated. “That would violate Dr. Dupree’s privacy. Perhaps you can leave me your number and I can share that with her, and let her know that you were concerned about her well-being.”

Leo let out his breath, frustrated but not surprised. He would just have to find another way to reach out to her. No problem. He was resourceful.

“I understand. I’m sure she is fine—it’s not a big deal. If you see her, just let her know I was checking on her. Thank you, sir,” Leo offered cordially, in spite of his annoyance. “Have a great day.”

He hung up the phone without waiting for a response. Patience wasn’t Leo’s strong suit. He was used to getting what he wanted, when he wanted it. People rarely said no to him, so he wasn’t that good at hearing it. Part of it was the uniform, but mostly it was because he was just very persuasive. Admittedly, his swarthy good looks didn’t hurt him any. He was a striking guy, he knew that. Even at 36, he still turned heads. He was pure-bred Italian and well over six feet tall; as healthy as he was fit. He had to be to do his job. He could out-run, out-press, and out-lift any of the young guys on his crew, even the ones who were a decade younger. He was proud of that. He worked hard at everything he did, which is why people respected him, and why his crew trusted him.

“Figures… but it was worth a try,” Leo muttered under his breath. He opened the browser on his phone and Googled Dr. Nora Dupree. “Well, at least he let your last name slip, Nora-girl, so you should be pretty easy to find.”

Sure enough, a ton of information about her sprung up within seconds. She was a busy lady, Leo thought. He sat down at the counter and scrolled through his phone, opening the occasional page to learn a little more about her. She was a Doctor of Psychology and worked at a family health clinic downtown. She also had a boat load of published articles in several Psych journals.

“Hmmm, beautiful and smart,” Leo grinned, and quickly jotted down the phone number of her office before continuing. He tried to creep her on Twitter and Facebook but she didn’t seem to have any social media presence at all. He found that to be a little strange, but it wasn’t a deal breaker. She was clearly an academic type, probably even a little introverted. That was cool. He liked women with a little mystery.

Satisfied with his search, he dialed her office number. After navigating their annoying phone system he finally found her extension and was diverted to Nora’s voicemail.

“Thank you for your call. You have reached the voice mail for Dr. Nora Dupree. I am in the office today, but I’m busy with clients. Please leave your name and a number where you can be reached. I will return calls between 4:00 and 5:00 pm. If this is an emergency, please call 911. I look forward to speaking with you.”

Beep.

Mesmerized by the tone of her voice, Leo found himself tripping over his tongue. She sounded like a very sexy librarian.

“Uh, yeah, hello. This is Leo Moretti. I’m the not so heroic firefighter who knocked you down last night. Anyway, I hope you don’t mind me calling. I just wanted to see if you were okay, and I was also hoping you would let me make it up to you. Would you consider letting me buy you a cup of coffee? Or maybe dinner if you would prefer? You can text me at 626-555-3473. I hope to hear from you,” he said, finishing the message with a little more confidence than he started with, and hung up the phone smiling.

He was pretty sure she would text. Women rarely turned him down.

He looked at the clock on the stove. Usually he slept in on his off days, but since he was already up, he decided to go for a run and then hit the gym for a long work out. He grabbed his phone off the counter and went back to his room to get dressed.

Leo walked into the gym with his bag swung over his shoulder. If he walked in like he owned the place, it was because it was like a second home to him. He sauntered up to the front desk to check in.

“Hey Moretti, you’re here early.”

Leo looked up from under his long lashes and smiled at the pretty blonde behind the counter.

“I guess so, but lucky me I got to feast my eyes on you, Jones,” he flirted, leaning on the counter.

She shook her head and grinned at him. He could tell she enjoyed the flirtation, but they both knew she was not permitted to fraternize with members beyond professional banter, and that was unfortunate because Kelly Jones was fucking hot. She was younger than most of the women he typically dated, probably a twelve or fifteen year age difference, but if he had the chance he would take a shot at her. He’d always wanted to.

“Yeah, I am actually leaving in 15 minutes. I’ve been here since 4:00 am,” she offered, leaning in towards him. She smelled like mango and cinnamon, causing Leo to wonder if she tasted just as sweet. Apparently his cock wondered, too.

“Come work out with me. I’m doing chest work. You can lean over and spot me,” he winked, gently stroking her finger tips with his own. She sighed softly and casually pulled her hand away, her eyes glued to his. He could tell she was into him.

“You’d like that wouldn’t you,” she teased. “You want to get all wet... I mean sweaty with me?”

He pondered her question for a moment, his wicked smile revealing the hot fantasy flickering through his mind. She chuckled softly as though she knew exactly what was on his horny mind.

“Anytime, Jones. Anytime.”

Kelly gave him a playful shove and stepped back from the counter as Leo shot her a cheeky grin.

“Jesus, Moretti, you’re going to get me fired,” she chirped, her eyes glowing with curiosity.

“But it would be so worth it,” he offered with a wink as he walked away.

He felt her eyes burning into his back and raised his hand for a quick wave without turning around, certain her eyes were following him right into the changing room.

CHAPTER 3

NORA

Nora grabbed a pen and replayed Leo’s message for the third time, finally jotting his phone number down on her scratch pad. She couldn’t help but smile at the unexpected surprise. She didn’t get asked out very often, and never by men like Leo. She felt a blush rise to her cheeks as she recalled the night before.

Well, he must have liked what he saw, she mused to herself, shaking off her embarrassment. She picked up her phone to text him, and entered his number. She hesitated for a moment, her thumbs lingering over the keyboard.

Was he truly interested or was he just being a nice guy? As smart as Nora was, she wished that she was wiser when it came to the opposite sex and dating. Most of the time she felt out of her element around men.

She thought for a moment or two longer, considering a witty and sexy message, but finally decided to play it safe.

Hi Leo. It’s Nora. No ill effects from the tumble, so no worries. It would be great to meet again under less stressful circumstances. Either coffee or dinner works for me. What would you prefer? Let me know where and when and I’ll check my schedule.

Nora read her text over a few times, satisfied that it sounded okay. It was safe and neutral but not stuffy, and definitely put the ball back in his court. She smiled softly to herself and pushed ‘send’ before she lost her nerve. She wondered how long it would be before he replied. Should she wait? Carry on with her work? Return some phone calls? God, why was she so bad at this, she thought, gently chiding herself.

She placed her cell face down on her desk, certain that work was a better option than sitting there waiting like a schoolgirl. It could be hours before he texted back.

Nora was surprised when her phone chirped only a few minutes later. She picked it up and clicked on the message icon. It was from Leo. She felt an involuntary flutter under her ribs and took a deep breath.

Thanks for getting back to me, Beautiful. Glad you’re okay. Would prefer dinner, but will settle for coffee. I’m not working tomorrow night, unless you already have something planned?

She inhaled slowly and stared thoughtfully at his message. He called her Beautiful. Based on that, she felt pretty safe assuming he was interested. Although tomorrow was Friday, Nora was certain she had nothing planned, but she appreciated the sentiment, nevertheless. True, her social life was pretty non-existent, but she sure as heck didn’t want to let Leo in on that. She sat back in her chair, biting her bottom lip nervously. How long should she wait to reply? What was just the right amount of delay to convey that I’m interested, but not desperate?

She decided to return a few more business calls before responding back. It wouldn’t hurt him to wait a bit. People had become so accustomed to the instant gratification, it was no surprise that so many of her clients suffered from social anxiety. It was a tough world to navigate these days, especially if you lacked the skills or desire to keep up in a world driven by fast moving technology, quick and impersonal communication, and social media. All the worse if you were shy and introverted, or just appreciated privacy. Those folks often found themselves lost or left behind altogether. She was sadly aware that she ran the risk of finding herself in that group.

After Nora finished the conversation with her patient, she set the receiver in the cradle. Convinced that she had allowed enough time to pass, she picked up her cell again and typed Leo a message.

Dinner would be great and my schedule just opened up, so tomorrow works. Do you want to pick me up at my place?

Thankfully, Leo replied right away. The contrast of their texting style was not lost on Nora. Clearly Leo had more experience, and/or confidence, than she did. Probably both.

Would you mind meeting me, instead? I’ll make reservations at Arroyo’s for 7:30. Please tell me a steak house is not a problem. You’re not a tree hugging, hemp wearing, plant eating hippie, are you?

Nora laughed and quickly replied.

No problem. I’ll just wear my peasant skirt with Birkenstocks and order a tofu burger.

She sent the message before she could change her mind. She had an odd sense of humor, quite dry actually. It wasn’t uncommon for her jokes to go right over people’s heads, or for her to have to explain that she was kidding. She wondered if she would have to constantly explain herself to Leo.

I’ll wear a beret, and then maybe we can hit up a poetry slam after dinner, came the message back from Leo.

Nora grinned, grateful he was playing along, then found herself giggling as she pictured her burly fireman in a beret.

A poetry slam sounds groovy. ;) I will meet you at Arroyo at 7:30. Thanks for the invite.

Nora sent her text off to Leo, then grabbed her purse from the bottom drawer of her desk. Before she could throw her phone into her bag, it chirped again.

Looking forward to seeing you, Birks and all.

Nora smiled nervously to herself and stood up, tucking the chair under her desk. No doubt she would be nervous as hell tomorrow. A hot firefighter was interested in her! She wondered if they would have much in common, or what they would talk about. It was obvious she was physically attracted to him, but she wondered if they would have any shared interests. What exactly had prompted him to ask her out?

She shook her head tersely, cross with herself for being so serious. For once in her life, she wondered, why couldn’t she just set aside her systematic way of thinking and just enjoy the moment? Why did it have to be anything beyond a fun night out? Two people attracted to each other and just having a good time? She was determined to approach things differently this time. She could go with the flow and set all expectation aside, couldn’t she? She would just be playful and spontaneous and see where things went. She didn’t have to always be in control, did she?

Dropping her phone into her purse, she quickly left the office, happier than she had been in a very long time.

CHAPTER 4

LEO

The hostess sat Leo at a quiet table for two in the back of the restaurant. She lit the small candle on the table and then set the menus down.

“Can I bring you a drink while you’re waiting for your guest?” she asked with a smile.

Leo looked up at her and grinned. She was a pretty little thing, but far too young to be flirting with.

“Sure sweetheart. You can bring me a California red. Merlot.”

“The bottle?” she asked provocatively, raising her perfect brows.

Leo laughed good-naturedly.

“Absolutely. I like the way you think,” he winked, sitting back in his chair.

In spite of his best efforts, he couldn’t help but flirt, it was just his way. She didn’t seem to mind, anyway. At least if her giggle was any indication.

“I’ll be right back,” she offered, a blush rising to her cheeks.

“I’ll be waiting,” Leo purred, sending her on her way with another giggle.

After their exchange outside her apartment, and the texting to set this up, he was really looking forward to his date with Nora. She intrigued him—for reasons he didn’t yet understand. Well, except one. But really, she was different than the girls he typically flirted with. He had dated a lot of women since Corrine, but never a doctor. Let’s just say the women he typically socialized with could not be considered scholarly. At first glance, Nora didn’t look like the women he was normally attracted to either. She was pretty, and had a smoking body, based on the quick peek he stole before she could cover herself, but she was more than the girl next door. If he had a ‘type’ based on his track record, it would probably be curvy blonds.

When he was a kid, his family shared a house with his grandparents. He would hang out with his Nona and watch classic movies with her. She loved the old movie stars, like Spencer Tracy, Gary Cooper, and Gregory Peck. Her personal favorite was James Stewart, someone she referred to as a ‘true gentleman.’ Every time they watched a movie with Jimmy, she would say, “Look how handsome he is, Leo,” followed by, “Essere ancora il mio cuore,” which translated meant, “Be still my heart.”

His Nona had expressed to Leo that the men of today didn’t know how to be gentlemen, and that he should strive to be like a Jimmy Stewart. This would make Leo laugh. He didn’t want to be like Jimmy. He was more into the tough guys, like Marlon Brando, Steve McQueen, or James Dean. Now they were bad ass.

Of course these old flicks had their share of beautiful Hollywood starlets, too. That was probably where he’d developed his taste for curvy women. Back in the forties and fifties, women were more voluptuous. Women like Jane Mansfield, Rita Hayworth, Brigitte Bardot, and of course his personal favorite, Marilyn Monroe.

When he was thirteen, his grandfather slipped him a copy of the very first Playboy magazine ever published, featuring the beautiful Marilyn. Come to think of it, he probably didn’t know how valuable it was at the time, or he wouldn’t have offered it to a teenage boy with sticky fingers. His friends might have thought it was weird that a kid in the 90’s had his fantasies fueled by nude pictures of a young Marilyn nearly 40 years earlier, but he couldn’t help it. She was damn fine. Sexy, provocative and vulnerable, she set the bar for him from that moment on. He still had that magazine in a safety deposit box at the bank. Last time he checked it was worth more than $40,000, sticky pages and all.

Leo was pulled away from his memories by the same young hostess setting two wine glasses on the table. He smiled up at her as she held the bottle before him.

“This has a palate of blackberry and plum with a soft vanilla note. It offers a nice finish. Shall I uncork it for you?” she asked with a sly grin.

Leo returned her grin and eased back in his chair.

“You’re referring to the wine, I presume?” he teased, his tone thick with innuendo.

The young woman blushed again and nodded, uncertain how to respond.

“Yes sir, the wine,” she giggled.

“It is a 2010 St. Francis Merlot. Very popular.”

Leo decided to let her off the hook. She was probably no more than twenty-one, and although she appeared flattered by his attention, she was definitely not accustomed to men flirting with her. Despite the fact that it was his nature, he suddenly felt a little creepy.

It hadn’t seemed that long ago that he could get away with dating 20 year olds just as easy as 40 somethings. Now that he was pushing forty, not so much. It wasn’t that he couldn’t still attract young women—he still looked and felt closer to 30 than to 40—but he was starting to recognize that he had less and less in common with them, aside from a mutual enjoyment of casual sex.

He had to admit, the age gap was becoming a problem. A few months ago he took a young woman out and they were talking about music when she asked him if he liked ‘The Weekend.’ Although the question seemed odd, he replied, “Sure, only when he wasn’t working.” The young lady quickly informed him that she was talking about a musician of the same name. Needless to say, after a quick round in the sheets, they didn’t get together for a second date.

“The wine looks great. Please...” he said, gesturing for her to open it.

She uncorked the wine like a pro and poured him a small amount to taste. Leo was no connoisseur when it came to wine, and hated the pretentiousness of the swirling, sniffing and sipping expected of him whenever he ordered a bottle. It all seemed so ridiculous to him, anyway. Wine was wine. Like a true Italian, he never had any complaints. The best wines were the ones that happened to be sitting on the table.

He tossed the whole thing back and nodded, grinning at her impishly. She laughed a little louder than she probably should have and gave him a look that said she understood. Just pour the damn wine. She obliged and then left him alone, promising that once his guest arrived, the waiter would be by to take their order.

He had barely enjoyed a few sips when his eyes landed on Nora being escorted to his table. He pulled his breath in sharply, then released it in a long drawn out sigh. She was gorgeous. Although he knew she was probably joking about the peasant skirt and Birkenstocks, he was relieved to see that she was definitely not a hippy, in spite of being a Psychology geek. Just the opposite in fact.

She was dressed in a tight grey skirt with a mid-thigh slit, a black, short sleeved silk blouse, buttoned just high enough to be classy, but still revealing the perfect amount of cleavage, along with a pair of black, patent leather Louboutin pumps with the signature red soles. Her straight dark hair hung loosely around her face and shoulders, and, aside from the red lipstick, she wore very little makeup. She looked like a young Betty Page, all the right curves, but without the signature bangs.

He smiled broadly and stood up to greet her, opening his arms to invite her in for a hug. She accepted it warmly, then he stepped back and eyed her up and down appreciatively, noting her shyness when he got caught looking. She shrugged softly and looked down at the floor. This was a woman who was not aware of her beauty, he surmised.

“Wow, you look incredible. Somehow I wasn’t expecting a Doctor of Psychology to dress like this. Damn, woman!” Leo teased.

“Please, sit down,” he offered, gesturing toward her chair.

Nora chuckled and sat down in the chair across from him, setting her small purse on the table. As soon as she settled herself, she looked him over closely and smiled.

“So, just how were you expecting a Psych Doc to dress?” she teased gently, picking up the wine glass he had just filled for her.

“To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I have only ever seen you in a bathrobe, you know, and that wasn’t much to go on,” he quipped back.

“Can I make a toast?”

“Of course,” Nora agreed, lowering her glass. She appeared nervous and Leo wanted nothing more than to set her at ease.

“Let’s drink to fate,” he offered, hopefully, “and the fact that it literally knocked us together.”

He raised his glass and waited for her to clink it with her own. She nodded and sipped her wine, her eyes downcast as though she was too shy to meet his gaze.

“I’m happy you agreed to meet me for dinner, Nora. I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I felt so bad for knocking you to the floor. I guess I was just lost in my own world,” he confessed, his eyes willing her to look up.

When she finally did, he rewarded her with a reassuring smile.

“Of course, thanks for asking me out,” she replied, returning his smile.

“The truth is, I am sturdier than I look. I played hockey when I was younger, so I have actually taken a body check or two in my day.”

Leo looked at her skeptically, unable to mask his surprise. He never met a woman who played hockey before, and she didn’t seem like the athletic type. It intrigued him even more.

“Really? Hockey?”

He raised his brows, gesturing for her to explain further. Nora took another sip of wine and set down the glass.

“Yes. My father was a huge fan of the sport, and he didn’t let the fact that he only had two daughters stop him from being a hockey dad. My sister refused to play after the first two years, but I went on. I played for about 8 more years before I finally quit. To be honest, I think I liked the bond it gave me with my Dad more than I enjoyed the sport itself,” she explained, her words quietly trailing off.

Leo nodded, encouraging her to go on.

Nora shrugged her shoulders, and continued, “I was pretty good, too, but unfortunately there aren’t many opportunities for young women to play after a certain age, unless they are really, really outstanding. And truthfully, once I met my high school sweetheart, hockey didn’t hold much appeal anymore. I preferred to spend my free time with him. Dad, however, was not impressed,” she offered, her soft laugh filled with memories.

“With the sweetheart or quitting hockey?” Leo asked lightly, happy to see her warming up to him.

“Both, actually,” Nora chuckled, meeting his eyes.

Although the lighting was dim, he could see that her eyes were a light green. He enjoyed the way the candlelight danced in them, holding his attention.

“I was more of a soccer player. Italians are nuts about soccer and my parents were no exception. In fact, the whole damn family would come to every game. Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, even the little cousins. It was so embarrassing. They took up half the field with all their hooting and hollering.”

Leo smiled, the happy memories filling his heart. He missed those crazy goombahs.

“Sounds awesome,” Nora offered, her warm smile softening her pretty face.

There was no denying that Leo appreciated the female form. He enjoyed the angles and softness of a woman’s curves, but his favorite curve of all was her smile. A woman had to have a good smile or he would quickly lose interest. His favorite thing of all was when a woman would smile, and in that moment, he could suddenly see her soul. Her past, present and future, all in that split second. It would light up her face and reveal every secret she ever had, and the dreams she held close to her heart. Corrine once had a smile like that.

So did Nora.

Leo cleared his throat, feeling inappropriately nostalgic and sentimental. He turned his attention to the menus on the table and handed one to Nora.

“Shall we order?” he asked. “The steaks here are fantastic, but I’ve also had the double cut lamb chops and they are damn good too.”

“I was looking for the vegan options?” Nora offered, her expression deadpan. Leo looked up from his menu, not sure if she was serious or not, but hoping for the latter. She didn’t blink an eye.

“Um, I don’t think they actually cater to vegans... well, except maybe the salads... ” he stammered, looking back down at the menu.

He was a meat eater, through and through. Protein was his life, and none of that vegan, pea protein crap either. No matter how into a woman he was, nothing could ever convert him into a plant eater. Nora chuckled softly, grinning over her menu at him.

“I’m kidding. Gosh, now I feel bad. You look like a man trying to figure out if there’s a way out the back,” Nora teased, picking up her wine glass.

“Another toast... here is to rare meat and the omnivores who love it!”

Leo raised his glass to hers and sighed gratefully, accepting her good natured teasing with good humor. As they drank, their eyes sized one another other up. He appreciated that there were layers to Nora, that aside from being a little shy, she had a cheeky side as well. He was intrigued to know more, and guessed that she would probably be the kind of woman that would reveal herself slowly. The type to pace herself according to her comfort level, offering pieces of the puzzle one at a time with enough tidbits to hold a curious man’s interest and leave him wanting more. She was the kind of woman that commanded attention and patience, weeding out the unimaginative, the lazy, and the players. Men who picked the low hanging fruit.

Men like him, maybe.

“If you recommend the lamb, then that’s what I will order,” Nora said confidently, closing her menu.

“An appetizer?” he offered, hoping she was the type of woman who enjoyed food as much as he did.

Nora nodded.

“Maybe we should share one? To be honest, I had dessert picked out before the entree. I will confess to a bit of a sweet tooth,” she grinned.

“Let me see if I can guess,” Leo said, looking her up and down, and squinting his eyes as though he were trying to read her mind. “Hmmm, you look like a chocolate soufflé kind of gal. Am I right?”

Nora laughed softly, “Am I that transparent? You nailed it.”

Leo felt his mind slip into the gutter, hoping her words were a prediction of things to come. He would love nothing more than for the evening to end with her in his bed.

The waiter came and took their order and they continued to chat, getting to know each other while they waited for their meal to come. They casually talked about their families and careers, even sharing funny stories about when they were young. Just appropriate first date chatter, nothing too serious. He was pleasantly surprised by how easy their connection was, and grateful it didn’t take Nora long to relax. They both seemed to respect each other’s space and Leo really liked that. It wasn’t uncommon for women to ask him personal questions about his past love life, and nothing turned him off faster. He never shared that with anyone, it was far too painful.

The truth was that before their date, Leo had wondered if maybe Nora was above his station. He had dropped out of college after only two years to join the fire department, but Nora had gone as far as you could go in school. He worried that he wouldn’t be able to carry a conversation with her, or that she would quickly lose interest. Or maybe it would happen the other way around.

But as it turned out, she was smart, but he also found her to be very laid back. He could tell that she was just as intrigued by him as he was by her. It was obvious that they were both stepping out of their comfort zones.

After their main course, they waited patiently for their dessert over coffee. The waiter had warned them that a good soufflé couldn’t be rushed.

“You know I dated a chef once,” Leo offered, tentatively.

Nora looked at him over her coffee cup, her eyes regarding him carefully.

“She explained to me that baking the perfect soufflé was like making love to a woman,” he continued, his sultry smile making his words even more enticing.

“Oh yeah?” Nora played along, her tone soft and flirtatious.

“Yep,” he said, taking her free hand into his own, “she taught me that the word soufflé literally means to swell. She said you can’t rush the process, you have to take your time during each step, paying special attention to every detail, adding each ingredient like a carefully placed kiss.”

He paused for effect, reading her expression. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity while her playful smile encouraged him to carry on.

“She insisted that the secret was all in the hands, and to apply just the right amount of pressure and speed while blending the ingredients to the peak of perfection,” he purred, gently massaging her finger tips, enjoying the softness of her hands.

She tilted her head to the side, hanging on to every word. He liked the effect he was having on her.

“Of course, preheating the oven to the perfect temperature is vital to the end result, and she warned me to never, ever skip that step,” he grinned, “and only once the oven is hot enough should you tenderly place the dish inside. It’s through the perfect timing and care of each and every step, enticing the soufflé to swell and rise, but in the end, patience is rewarded with a creamy, warm, flavor explosion that fills your mouth with a sexy little taste of heaven.”

He sat back in his chair, smiling broadly, feeling mighty proud of himself. Nora placed her coffee cup down and cleared her throat, as though her words were stuck there. He was pretty good at reading a woman’s signals, and it was clear to him that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. Her cheeks were pink and flushed, and she couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. He was feeling more confident that she would come home with him.

“Well, wasn’t that clever,” she said, finally finding her voice. She shook her head slowly, making Leo curious about her thoughts.

“Thank you,” he said, bringing her hand to his mouth, tenderly kissing her knuckles. He curled his fingers through hers, and then placed both of their hands back on the table. She didn’t make any move to pull away, a good sign, he thought. He stared at her warmly for a moment or two, grateful that she didn’t look away. Another good sign.

“You are a really hot woman, and you just about took my breath away when you walked in tonight,” he flattered, not surprised by the words flowing off his tongue, but by how true they actually were.

“That’s really sweet of you to say,” she replied, looking down at the table as though she wasn’t sure how to receive his compliment.

“I mean it. Your eyes, and that smile. You’re a knockout, Nora. Why am I sensing that you don’t believe it?” he asked, waiting for her to meet his eyes again. She finally looked at him and he shared a reassuring smile.

“I have spent the better part of my life with my head stuck in text books and psych journals. I am a bit of an introvert, truthfully. I don’t receive many compliments,” she explained quietly, “but thank you. I really do appreciate it.”

“And modesty makes you even sexier,” he admitted, suddenly drawn to her even more.

There was nothing he wanted more in that moment than to be the guy who finally convinced her how desirable she was, and he planned to do just that in his bed later that night.

He was just about to invite her home when the waiter returned to the table with their soufflé and set it between them. Nora’s eyes widened with pure glee, causing Leo to chuckle.

“The dish is still quite warm, so please be careful, but enjoy!” the waiter said, placing two spoons down, then nodded at them before walking away.

“This dessert looks absolutely fuckable,” Nora teased, tapping her spoon against the crusty top of the dessert. Her words amused Leo, but in the best way possible. On top of everything else, she was completely unpredictable and he found himself wholly captivated. He picked up his own spoon.

“I agree, shall we have our way with it?” he teased.

Nora nodded, her laughter filling the space between them.

“It will be a sticky little threesome, but let’s do it,” she agreed with a suggestive wink.

Leo raised his brows and chuckled. There may be way more to Dr. Dupree than meets the eye, he thought. She might just have a wild side.

After the check was paid, he stood up, offering his hand to Nora. “Ready to go?” he asked, pulling her chair out as she stood.

He was acting the perfect gentleman, and thought of how proud his Nona would be, despite the fact that his thoughts were far from noble right now. She grabbed her purse off the table then turned and smiled at him.

“Ready.”

He took her hand in his, and escorted her toward the door. Once they got outside, he turned to look at her. She was looking around and appeared to be searching for her car. Knowing it was now or never, Leo put his arms around her waist and gently pulled her closer to him, encouraging her to meet his gaze. He smiled warmly at her, turning up the charm.

“I don’t want this night to end, Nora. Come home with me,” he stated confidently, certain that the night would end with her clothes on his bedroom floor. It always did.

Nora looked back at him kindly, searching his eyes, then slowly shook her head. For a moment, he wasn’t sure what the gesture meant, until he realized she was declining his invitation. He cocked his head and grinned, unsuccessfully masking his surprise. Did she need more reassurance?

“I had a really great time, Leo, but I’m going to call it a night. The dinner, the conversation, our connection, all of it was amazing. Thank you so much for inviting me,” she offered warmly.

Leo’s surprise quickly gave way to curiosity. Was she really saying no? He opened his mouth to speak, hoping to find the right words to persuade her, but she jumped in before he could.

“I would love to go out again and get to know you even better. You’re a great guy,” she assured, this time more confidently.

She placed her hands gently against his chest in a gesture that indicated their date was over. Leo exhaled slowly, unaware he had been holding his breath. He nodded at her begrudgingly, reluctant to concede to her, but a gentleman nevertheless.

“I would like that. Can I text you next week?” he asked, awkwardly, unaccustomed to not being in the driver’s seat. It felt foreign to him, yet at the same time intriguing.

“Yes, please do,” she nodded, offering him one of those all- encompassing smiles.

He leaned down to kiss her, certain she would at least accept an intimate goodbye. She did not disappoint him there.

CHAPTER 5

NORA

Nora practically floated through her apartment as she got ready for bed, her mind replaying their date over and over, her body tingling with happy hormones. Leo had surprised her. He was just as engaging as he was handsome, and his confidence was sexy as hell. His was the demeanor of a man used to getting what he wanted, when he wanted it, and Nora found that damn near irresistible. She liked that he had no problem complimenting her. He made her feel desirable, and what woman didn’t want to feel that?

The night couldn’t have gone any better, as far as she was concerned. Leo had a way of making her feel safe and at ease, encouraging her to bring out her playful side. There was no question that she was focused and driven, she definitely was. After her marriage had failed so miserably she felt like she had something to prove. Her parents had been so disappointed with her choices, and if she was being honest, she didn’t blame them.

She had been rebellious and even a little reckless in her late teens, frustrated by their stringent rules and unrealistic expectations. She and her twin sister had been sheltered from the typical teenage lifestyle, their 11:00 o’clock curfew ensuring that they would be home well before the parties were in full swing. It was no surprise that both of them had a hard time cultivating friendships and had spent the majority of their time together. She adored her twin, but Nora was restless and grew to resent her parents for holding her back. She wanted to experience the same freedoms that her classmates had, to stay out late and have some fun.

Then she met Devon. He had transferred to her high school in their junior year and became a primary object of attention for many of the girls in the school. Everyone seemed to crush on him, including her. He was a renaissance man, one of those guys that just seemed to be good at everything. It seemed as soon as he arrived at the school he was welcomed into every clique and club. The jocks embraced him without question, but he was just as comfortable with the brainy kids and the drama geeks. He excelled at sports, but his true passion was acting and it was no surprise that he quickly established himself as the leading man in almost every high school production. Even the teachers loved Devon.

They started dating just before the end of the school year, in May. She was seventeen. Nora always had a flair for fashion, even in high school, and was invited to help out with the year-end production of Grease. She was in charge of costume design. It was also her responsibility to make sure that costume changes went smoothly during performances. She loved being a part of the theatre and it was really the only opportunity she had to be social and build friendships. Her parents supported school activities and would give her lots of leeway for them, rarely questioning the time she committed. Theatre gave her the freedom she craved.

Devon played Danny Zuko, of course. Not only did he have the looks, but he had the singing chops for it, too. Nora sat through every rehearsal, watching him perform from backstage and wishing she was his leading lady. She would have loved to have been the girl playing Sandy, but two things held her back. One, she had terrible stage fright, and two, she couldn’t carry a tune if her life depended on it. So, destined to be behind the scenes, she was certain that the chemistry that ‘Danny’ and ‘Sandy’ had on stage must have translated off-stage too. She thought it unlikely that Devon would ever notice her, but he proved her wrong.

After a few months of rehearsal, opening night finally arrived. Both the cast and crew were nervous as hell, but determined to be brilliant. They had only one or two full dress rehearsals prior to opening night, so Nora was feeling especially anxious. She had to get the timing perfect in order for the costume changes to go smoothly, and she wished that she’d had more time to practice. During one of the scene changes, Devon came in for a costume switch and they just happened to be alone. Just as she finished helping him change, he turned to her and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before running out. She wasn’t sure what to make of it but it left her curious, and happy. The next time he came in there were several other actors in the room with them, including the one playing ‘Sandy,’ whose name she couldn’t remember now. Nora watched them playfully interacting and sadly came to the conclusion that his kiss had been nothing more than a spontaneous flirtation prompted by the adrenalin he felt. She watched as he quickly changed costumes, and was completely caught off guard when he threw her a flirtatious wink before heading back out onstage. After months of having no interaction with him at all, why was he suddenly paying attention to her?

The play ended to thunderous applause, and within minutes her dressing room was filled with cast members handing her their costumes. She had to make sure everything was organized and ready for the next performance, and was too absorbed in her task to notice who was coming or going. The room eventually thinned out and she was left alone to sort through the piles of costumes on the floor. She didn’t notice when Devon came in and was surprised to find him crouched on the floor in front of her. She was certain that she must have looked a mess, but he didn’t seem to notice. He asked her if he could drive her home.

From that moment on they were inseparable. It turned out that he had been waiting for just the right opportunity to make his move with her. He liked that she was smart, and so different from the other girls. She made him work to get her attention. Apparently he had been trying to catch her eye for weeks and she had been oblivious. That had always been the way with her, and continued to be a theme in her life.

It had been relatively easy to spend time together while school was in session. Nora just told her parents she was busy with the play and other school activities. It never dawned on them to question her because she never gave them any reason to doubt that she was telling the truth. Her sister knew what was going on, and was a good ally, often covering for her. Unfortunately, once school let out for the summer, it became more challenging to spend time with Devon. She hated lying to them, but they never would have understood. She did her best to cover up their relationship, but it soon became obvious to her parents that there was something going on.

Initially, her father put his foot down, and they fought and fought. He was determined that his daughters wouldn’t date until they were finished with high school. Nora was not deterred. She just became a more creative liar, and they continued to sneak around. As the summer went on they fell more and more in love.

That was the summer she lost her virginity.

Devon had planned the whole thing out, and while she couldn’t describe the event as romantic, it was certainly a good effort for an inexperienced young man. She knew that they had been building up to it. Months of heavy foreplay had made them both hot and bothered, but being the good Catholic girl, Nora had reservations about going all the way. With the summer coming to a close and her senior year just around the corner, she knew the time had come. He wanted to be with her badly and told her so almost every day. She loved him and knew that he was committed to her, so she finally agreed.

He rented a campsite for the weekend, just outside of town, and pitched a tent he borrowed from his friend. He told his parents he was on a summers-end camping trip with his buddies, and she told her parents she was staying overnight at a friend’s house. Devon took care of everything. He cooked them a dinner of hotdogs and beans over the campfire, and opened a bottle of homemade wine he stole from his parent’s wine cellar. After they had cleaned the dishes, he invited her to join him in the tent. He had two sleeping bags zipped together and had covered them with rose petals. It was a sweet gesture that touched Nora’s heart.

His desperate touch made her forget her nervousness, and he could heat her up quickly, mainly because she was so into him. His breath on her neck, those deep, wet kisses that went on for forever, his hands exploring every curve of her body. By the time he was ready to fuck her, she was soaking wet. He had been so hard and anxious that she barely got her panties off before he climbed on top of her and slipped his cock inside. She had anticipated it would hurt, and in some ways it had, but it also satisfied a deep, primal yearning. The pain was like a rite of passage she needed to experience in order to pass through the gate from childhood to adulthood. Her innocence slipped away as the pain prepared her for life as a woman, teaching her to expect a little pain with the pleasure, a little shame with the desire to explore her sexuality, and that it’s the woman that carries the burdens of intimacy.

Devon had been gentle and caring with her and when they made love the next morning, it wasn’t nearly as uncomfortable. She actually enjoyed feeling him so close to her, his hardness deep inside her, their souls entwined together. She loved watching him cum as he pumped his cock into her, his body stiffening, his eyes riveted to hers. She felt, in that moment, like he was possessing her and claiming her as his own. Yes, these were the thoughts of a naive young girl, but she wanted to be his forever. It didn’t matter that he didn’t make her orgasm, the truth was that she had been too insecure to let herself climax anyway, even if he had tried.

Their senior year was not without challenges. Nora had always been a dedicated student, and her high marks typically came easily. However, because her relationship with Devon was so time consuming, she let her grades slip. Her parents were not happy with her, especially during such a vital year. Understandably, they were concerned for her and constantly pressured her to stay focused. They knocked heads on many occasions, but their interference only made Nora dig her heels in further. She was tired of them trying to run her life. Devon was her soul mate and her parents were trying to keep them apart. Nora worried constantly that he would grow tired of the drama they caused and leave her for someone that was a lot less trouble.

Looking back on the situation, she came to realize that it was the combination of the irrational insecurities of a teenage girl, her need to break away from her parents suffocating control, and a deep desire for independence that had created the perfect storm leading to the poor judgement and blunders that followed.

According to her parents, she had done so poorly in that first term that they forbid her to see Devon anymore. In reality, her grades hadn’t slipped that much, but they had high standards and expected their daughters to achieve nothing below the eighties. So they watched her like a hawk, holding her accountable for every moment of her time. She was only permitted to leave home for school and her part-time job, and her father insisted on picking her up after work and bringing her straight home. On the nights when they allowed her to go out, they were adamant she be home by ten. This was all for her own good, they said, justifying their rules. They said they wanted her to focus on school, earning scholarships, and being able to choose any university she wanted.

In retrospect, this was all very reasonable on their part, and looking back, Nora could understand their concern. She was being irrational, distracted by her libido and her obsession to be with Devon all the time. She was young and in love, and very foolish. She hated being smothered, and at the time felt really disrespected. She had always been smart, hard-working, and considerate, and she resented that her parents didn’t trust her. She felt that they were forcing her to choose between them and the love of her life, and no surprise, she chose Devon.

Only one month after they graduated, they ran off to get married. Her sister Dana was the only person who knew of her plans, and she did her best to try to talk Nora out of it. Nora respected her sister, but the truth was, she couldn’t see any other way to resolve the situation. She and Devon loved each other and like most kids their age, thought they had all the answers. They were eighteen and didn’t need parental consent. They applied for a marriage license and three days later went to the city hall of the next town over to tie the knot. They were blissfully happy and fully expected their parents to disown them, but they didn’t care. They would figure it out and prove everyone wrong.

Their parents didn’t disown them. Of course, they weren’t happy, but they eventually accepted the situation and even helped them to set up their first apartment. Nora was determined to show her parents that she could still achieve her goals and be a great wife to Devon. She had been accepted to several prestigious schools but registered at the local university, so she didn’t disrupt their lives. Devon got a job working for an auto parts manufacturer and made enough money to support them both. Because Nora got a full scholarship, the plan was for her to go to school first and get her degree, and then Devon would pursue his education afterward.

That first year things were good. They were just two naive kids playing house. Nora did her best to maintain her grades, all the while trying to be the perfect wife. She kept a tidy house and groceries in the fridge. Devon paid the bills and they had sex almost every night, and for a while that was enough for her. They were honeymooners, still high from the newness of it all, driven by their desire for each other.

Of course, as time went on, reality set in. The monotony of day to day life gradually took its toll. It stopped being fun and the excitement of married life faded. Nora’s life was all about school and in spite of her best efforts, she and Devon started drifting apart. The deeper she immersed herself in her education, the less she had in common with her husband. Devon became restless, and perhaps even resentful.

The worst part of it all was that they couldn’t communicate with each other. Their relationship seemed unable to evolve, like they hit a certain point, and then just locked it in. They had the same problem with their sex life too, neither of them confident enough to ask for what they truly wanted, and too afraid to share their fantasies or explore their desires. Nora desperately wanted to experience the same kind of pleasure Devon did during sex, but she was always worried about hurting his feelings or alienating him if she told him she needed more.

Although they were growing up, their relationship was standing still. There was no blame to be placed, it wasn’t his fault, nor was it hers. It was a problem they shared, but not one they could address together.

Although Devon was never cruel to her, he was often unhappy. They were on such different pages for the most part. Nora knew that they loved each other, but they had no idea how to address or repair the strain in their marriage. Things finally came to a head just before her third year at the university, they were both just twenty one, still kids really. Devon approached her one day and told her he was moving out to California to pursue an acting career. She was welcome to either come or stay behind, but either way he was going. He told her that he felt like his own opportunities were slipping away and that he couldn’t continue to work in a factory anymore. He was losing himself to a life he didn’t want. Nora empathized with him completely. He had done so much for them since they got married, the least she could do was support him.

So they moved out to California and Nora transferred from the University of Michigan to UCLA. It wasn’t easy leaving her family behind, especially her sister, but UCLA was a great school and had an excellent grad program in Psychology, so the transition would be simple. They could pick up and carry on with their lives, easy-peasy, she thought.

They moved to a very run-down apartment near campus, but still close enough for Devon to get where he needed to be. He took a temporary job as a waiter, just to pay the bills, but he also pounded the pavement, endlessly looking for acting opportunities. They barely saw one another and it didn’t take long for them to chip away at their savings. The pressure took its toll on them both, and after only six months in California, they decided to split up. Nora suspected Devon of cheating on her but she never confronted him. There were two possible reasons for that.First, she didn’t have the courage to tell him what she saw that day in front of his restaurant, only a few months after they had arrived in LA. The second reason? She had fallen out of love with him.

So they parted amicably enough, and although they both had regrets, they were also somewhat relieved. They would never have admitted it at the time, but the truth was, they had been too young to get married and they had simply grown apart. Nora came to realize years later that while Devon was a perfect first love, he was never meant to be her last love. They just didn’t have enough in common to sustain an adult relationship. They would have held each other back, no question about it.

After their split, Nora found a place to live near UCLA and spent the next six years with her head deep in her text books. Her parents agreed to help her out financially, and she was determined to make them proud of her after the pain she caused them. She practically doubled the work load of most post-grads and achieved her Doctorate in record time. People gave her tons of praise and accolades, but the truth was, education was her life. Giving up a social life was penance for her, atoning for the mistakes she had made in the past.

But that was then, this was now. With all of that behind her, she was finally ready to step out of her comfort zone, and Leo seemed like the perfect guy to have some fun with.

Nora’s phone chirped, still inside her purse. She retrieved it quickly, assuming it was her sister checking in.

There were two texts from Leo.

You are probably getting ready for bed with no one to tuck you in. Can’t say I didn’t offer ;)

I keep thinking about you. Let me take you out again?

Nora was grateful that he had reached out so quickly, proof that he’d had a good time too, in spite of the fact that she didn’t go back to his place. She had second guessed her decision all the way home, but something told her that she needed to do something different, something to stand out. It was clear that he was used to women falling at his feet and Nora didn’t want to be just another notch on his headboard. She wanted to get to know him, and for him to know her. Despite the fact that she had been aroused as hell at dinner, she wanted more time to build intimacy with him. That was just her way.

Besides, it wouldn’t hurt him to court her a little. She was worth the effort, wasn’t she?

She sat on her bed with her legs crossed, and quickly replied, feeling much more at ease with him.

I could be persuaded. Take me out where?

She grinned when she read his response.

Dancing. I haven’t been in a while but it could be fun. Thursday night, if you don’t mind stepping out on a school night?

It had been many years since Nora had been out dancing. She had taken lessons off and on, mostly in the off season when she wasn’t playing hockey. Her sister Dana was the dancer in the family, and had pursued it passionately. Nora had nowhere near her talent, and was far more comfortable in a pair of skates, but she wasn’t terrible on the dance floor either. It could be fun, she thought, and told him so.

Fun! Where should I meet you?

Leo answered promptly.

I’ll pick you up at your place… at 8. Sleep tight. xo

Nora put her phone down on the bedside table and set her glasses beside it. She inhaled deeply, just taking in the moment. This was really happening, ready or not.

CHAPTER 6

NORA

Dana sat across the desk from Nora, containers of take out between them. They tried to have lunch together once or twice a week, but it was proving more challenging as Nora’s practice grew. It was now only possible if Dana showed up at her office with food.

“So the firefighter... a good date?” Dana pried gently, catching Nora’s eye.

They were still more like best friends than sisters, so Dana’s curiosity wasn’t unexpected.

Nora grinned and took a bite of her Pad Thai, slurping the noodles loudly, taking her time and teasing her sister.

“Come on, stop stalling and spill. I want all the juicy details,” Dana demanded, clapping her hands together.

Nora deliberately chewed her food slowly, watching in amusement, until Dana tossed a chopstick at her, missing Nora by inches.

“Come on, Bitch, I am wearing white,” Nora sneered good-naturedly, only partially annoyed. Had it actually hit her, it would have been all out war.

“Poor baby, now tell me about your damn date, and don’t leave anything out. I mean it,” Dana insisted, rolling her eyes for good measure.

“It was good, really good actually,” Nora shrugged, unaccustomed to talking to her sister about men.

Usually it was the other way around. In fact, up until Dana got married last year, her stories had been spicy. Very spicy.

Dana rarely kept anything to herself, discretion was not her strong suit. People had always assumed that as twins they should be similar, but they were polar opposites. Dana was a free spirit and always had been. She didn’t go to college, she followed her heart instead and pursued dance training. Her parents tried to encourage her to get an education too, but Dana had other ideas. As soon as she found out that Nora and Devon had split up, she moved out to California so they could room together. Within a few months, she was hired as a back-up dancer on a very popular television show and her career catapulted. She was the yin to Nora’s yang, but that was a good thing. Dana encouraged Nora to cut loose, while Nora kept her sister grounded. It all worked out.

“Good. What’s he like? Is he hot?” Dana continued, plugging her for more information.

Nora knew she wouldn’t get away with vague answers when it came to her sister. She might as well lay it all out on the table or she would never get any peace, she thought, mildly amused.

“He’s good looking, Italian through and through. Very passionate, confident and talkative. I enjoyed him,” Nora explained quietly, a smile playing on her lips as the memory of their date floated through her mind.

“What does he look like? Is he on Facebook?” Dana asked, reaching for her phone.

“I don’t know, Dana, you know I don’t do Facebook,” Nora shrugged, taking another bite of noodles.

“Leo... M-o-r-e-t-t-i,” Dana said out loud, typing his name into her browser. “Yup, here he is. He has a lot of friends. Whoa... he is hot. He looks like Jake Gyllenhaal, only buff. I like the beard.”

“Let me see,” Nora urged, holding her hand out. Dana held up the phone so her twin could see his picture, but refused to hand it over.

“Yeah, I guess he does a little, but he doesn’t have that beard anymore,” Nora agreed, smiling at his picture.

“So did you guys flirt? Were there sparks?” Dana prodded, flipping through his images. “You could say that, yes,” Nora answered, now curious about the other pictures.

“Did you want to fuck him?” Dana blurted casually. “Did you fuck him?”

Dana looked up from her cell to see her sister shaking her head with an incredulous look on her face.

“What?” she said impishly, knowing she had pushed Nora’s buttons.

“No, I did not fuck him,” Nora responded calmly, refusing to give her sister the reaction she was hoping for, “but yes, of course I wanted to... you know… mess around.”

Dana laughed at her sister kindly and placed her phone back on the desk.

“No one says ‘mess around’ anymore, Nor. Hook up, hit that, Netflix and chill... all appropriate terms for sex, unless you’re over 80,” she mused, poking fun at her sister.

“Ha ha. Aren’t you just the Slut Whisperer?” Nora retorted playfully, giving her sister the finger.

Dana giggled and popped a shrimp in her mouth.

“When was the last time you got laid, anyway? Like five years ago?” Dana asked, still chewing her food.

Nora cocked her head, considering the question and mentally did the math.

“Hmmmm, not quite 5 years. Remember that brief thing with George Preston? The guy with the pony tail?” Nora offered, not certain she had mentioned that to Dana before.

“Yeah, I do remember him. So boring. You fucked him?” Dana sneered, a look of mock disgust on her face.

“Shut up. It was just a few times and he wasn’t that bad, but he was into some weird stuff,” Nora started to clarify, until Dana interrupted.

“Ooh, what weird stuff? Tell me!”

“I’m not telling you anyth—,” Nora offered flatly.

“Was it kinky? Did he want to be spanked? Wait... wait... golden showers?” Dana blurted, her voice raising with animation.

“Shhh! God, Dana, lower your voice. My coworkers will hear you,” Nora cried, gesturing for her to calm down. “It wasn’t any of those things. He had a few fetishes, that was all. Nothing crazy.”

“Ewwww, did he call you, Mommy?”

“Dana! Stop!” Nora giggled, placing her take out container on the desk and wiping her mouth with her napkin. “You’re grossing me out.”

Dana laughed hysterically, happy to have finally gotten the response she was looking for. She loved unnerving her sister, and Nora knew it. Most of the time she pretended to be shocked just to appease her.

“So, you wanted to fuck him, but you didn’t,” Dana said, calmly, quiet now that she had stopped laughing. She took a sip from her straw, looking at Nora innocently.

“No. We had a great dinner and flirted up a storm. Then, when we left the restaurant he asked me to go home with him and I declined,” Nora explained casually, as if it made perfect sense.

“Why would you do that? He’s sexy as fuck!”

“Because, I didn’t want to ‘hook up’ on the first date. I’m just not comfortable with that. Besides, he asked me out again. And we had a hot goodnight kiss. It was perfect actually,” she said quietly, remembering how soft his mouth was, and the gentle way his tongue teased her lips.

Dana shrugged, setting her plastic cup down in front of her.

“Well then, that’s fine. I am happy you are going out again, but if you want to bang him just go ahead and do it! There is nothing wrong with women being assertive when it comes to sex. In fact, lots of guys prefer it. Just have a good time, woman! You need to blow off some steam and live a little, you’re always wound up a little tight,” Dana scolded lovingly, in the way only a sister could.

“I appreciate what you’re saying, sis, but that just isn’t my way. You are right about one thing, though I do need to blow off some steam,” Nora admitted. “I want to have some fun!”

“Speaking of fun, it’s not the same as fucking a hot man, but Sam’s law office booked the VIP ICE BOX at the Staples Center for the King’s game tonight. They have a spare ticket and he said I could invite you,” Dana explained casually, knowing damn well that Nora would love it.

Surprised by the offer, Nora chirped, “What! Are you serious?”

“Sam knows you’re a hockey nut. To be honest, I think he held the ticket back just for you.”

“He’s such a sweetheart. I’d love to come! What time do I need to be there?” Nora asked, opening her calendar on the computer. “I only have clients until 4:00.”

“Good, there’s a pre-game reception. Starts at 5:30. Bar food, beer and boys, does it get any better?” Dana grinned.

“Not that I can think of,” Nora agreed. “I can probably get there by 5:30. Will that work?”

“Should be fine, that’s exactly when Sam told me to meet him. We’ll meet you at Gate 3,” Dana explained, as she set to work gathering the empty containers and trash. She placed it all a plastic bag, then tied it up and dropped it neatly in a wastebasket. “I do have to run though. I have rehearsal in 20 minutes. See you later?”

Nora nodded and stood up, giving her sister a hug and kissing her on the forehead. Dana made her way to the door and blew her a kiss.

“Thanks for lunch, I’ll buy the next time,” Nora assured, as Dana closed the door behind her.

* * *

Dana’s husband, Sam, worked for a prestigious law firm in downtown L.A. Typically they represented folks in the entertainment industry, but many of their clients were also sports figures. The L.A. Kings was one such organization and had officials, coaches, and even players retaining their services. Several times a year they would book the VIP ICE BOX so the Partners and Junior Partners could take in a game and network with the team. The BOX was made up of 15 seats between the players’ benches. You honestly couldn’t get any closer to the ice unless you had on skates and a jersey. There was no better way to take in a game and Nora was grateful to be invited. She was a huge hockey fan, and although her heart belonged to the Detroit Red Wings, the Kings came in a close second.

Despite the brutal downtown traffic, Nora managed to meet Dana and Sam on time and they made their way through the Staple Center to the reception room, right across from the players’ dressing room. Nora tried to play it cool but excitement oozed from every pore. She knew she had perma-grin, but she just couldn’t wipe it off her face.

After introductions were made, Dana took her arm and escorted Nora to the bar, rescuing her from the boring work chatter between lawyers. There was a table set up nearby filled with catered dishes that smelled incredible. Nora had been expecting hotdogs, hamburgers, pizza and wings, but to her delight, the offerings were far more upscale. There were things like Lobster Thermidor, Filet Mignon, Beef Wellington, Tuna Tartare, Sea Bass in wine sauce, plus a variety of fresh salads and side dishes; a menu to satisfy every palate. The firm had spared no expense and Nora and Dana indulged in a little bit of everything. It was heavenly.

It wasn’t long after they’d finished eating when the sisters noticed a bit of a commotion at the front of the room. The King’s mascot Bailey, the ‘King of the Beasts,’ came in for a photo op. Nora thought it odd that a room full of men seemed excited by a guy in a lion suit—until she realized that he was being escorted by two NHL players!

“Holy shit, Nor, did you see who came in?” Dana squealed, grabbing her arm, as though Nora hadn’t seen them herself.

“Yes. That’s Gage Cooper and Dylan Thomson,” Nora clucked back, barely able to spit out the words. She took a deep breath to steady herself. She knew that ‘fangirling’ was beneath her and did her best to calm down. For Nora, being introduced to NHL players was equivalent to meeting George Clooney or Sting. Maybe even better.

“Defensemen?” Dana asked, knowing nothing about the players on the team.

“Thomson is, Cooper is the goalie,” Nora corrected, looking back towards the men. “He’s the number one goalie in the NHL right now, I think.”

The players were busy signing autographs and shaking hands, bonding with the men. Nora was concerned that being the only two women in the room, they might get over looked. She wished that Sam would call them over, but he seemed quite preoccupied himself. She took a sip of her ice water and looked up, hoping to make eye contact with her brother-in-law, when suddenly she noticed Gage Cooper looking right at her. For some reason it took her by surprise and she gasped, choking on a small piece of ice. Always one to over-react, Dana came to her rescue, smacking her hard between her shoulder blades, causing a dramatic scene. Feeling somewhat humiliated, Nora turned her back to compose herself. She hated that kind of attention, especially in a room full of men.

“Christ, Dana, you just about knocked me over,” Nora gasped, setting her glass on the bar.

“Sorry, I thought you were choking,” Dana snickered, trying to suppress her giggles.

“It’s not funny,” Nora grinned, wiping the tears from her eyes, and hoping her mascara hadn’t smudged. “Do I look okay?”

Dana smirked at her and shrugged her shoulders. “It doesn’t matter now, he’s coming over,” she whispered through a forced smile.

“Who?” Nora asked, staring at her sister wide-eyed.

“The blonde one that looks like Thor. Turn around and smile,” Dana prompted, giving her a nudge.

Nora turned around to find Gage standing behind her, a warm smile on his face. She grinned back at him as he shook her hand firmly. She liked a man that did that. Nothing irritated her more than a man offering her a weak handshake.

“Hi. Gage Cooper. Goaltender,” he announced. He said it in a way that suggested he had introduced himself that way hundreds of times.

“Nora Dupree. Fan,” she teased, hoping he would appreciate the humor.

He chuckled softly, grinning at her. “Nice to meet you. Will you be staying for the game?”

“I wouldn’t miss it. Are you starting in net tonight?” she asked, suddenly trying to remember the name of the actor who played Thor in the Avengers movie. Dana was right… he really did look like Thor.

“No, I’m back-up tonight,” he replied, nodding his head toward Dana. “And you are?” “Dana. We’re sisters,” she said, gesturing toward Nora.

“Nice. Do you guys work for Epstein, Berman and Klein?” he asked, looking back and forth between them.

“Hell no. Nora is a doctor and I’m married to the Berman in that Jewish trio. I’m a dancer, actually,” Dana boasted, with all the confidence in the world.

Nora was always impressed by how self-assured her sister was. She could be herself in any scenario, whether she was talking to a C.E.O., a waiter or a celebrity, she was always perfectly at ease.

“That’s cool. Are you a G.P.?” he asked Nora, a note of curiosity in his voice.

“Actually, no. I got my doctorate in Psychology. I have a practice downtown,” Nora explained, hoping to sound as confident as her twin.

“She’s brilliant,” Dana bragged, patting her sister on the shoulder, “as well as beautiful.”

Gage smiled warmly at Nora, his eyes searching hers. She could feel herself blushing, but forced herself to maintain the eye contact, wishing she could borrow some of her sister’s bravado. She shrugged and returned his smile, as if to say ‘she’s my sister, she has to say that.’

“Well, I won’t disagree with that,” he offered shyly, looking down at her. Nora chuckled inwardly, flustered by his compliment. She wished she had more time to chat with him. He seemed like a really nice guy.

As if on cue, his teammate shouted out to him, “Dude, we have to go.” Gage nodded, then turned back to the women in front of him.

“It was great meeting you. Enjoy the game,” he said, offering his hand again. Dana shook it first, then Nora. She smiled to herself when she realized that he held her hand for just a few seconds longer than he needed to.

“Good luck tonight, Gage,” Nora blurted, a little louder than she should have. “Call me Coop,” he insisted, chuckling as he walked away.

Dana pulled up beside her sister and clutched her arm. “Holy hottie,” she chirped.

“I’d say, and sweet too,” Nora agreed curiously. She watched him say his goodbyes to the others, unable to tear her eyes away until he walked out of the room.

* * *

The Kings played an exciting match with the Calgary Flames and won in overtime. She sat on the edge of her seat the entire time. Their seats were fantastic for catching every play, and the best part was that they were right beside the players. In fact, Coop sat at the end of the bench, only a matter of feet from Nora. She couldn’t help but sneak a peek at him on occasion, he looked so hot in his gear. She tried to make it look as casual as possible, but every now and then he caught her eye and smiled. She had to laugh when a couple of young puck bunnies sitting a few rows back shouted out, ‘Marry me, Coop!’ It was loud enough to turn heads, including poor Gage’s. She could see his teammates ripping on him, but he took it in stride and gave them a little wave.

That was one of the moments when he caught her grinning at him. He just smirked back at her and shrugged his shoulders, a blush rising in his cheeks. She could have sworn her heart skipped a beat. Embarrassed, she quickly looked away, feeling like a star struck teenager instead of the professional woman she pretended to be. Her sister gave her a sharp poke in the ribs as if to say, ‘check him out!’ She playfully shoved her back with a look that said, ‘cut it out, he might see you.’ Dana just laughed at her, unfazed. Sisters—they always kept you humble.

As soon as the players finished congratulating each other, they made their way off the ice. Coop took a short detour and skated right past Nora’s seat, nodding gallantly at her. Her legs instantly turned to liquid, apparently forgetting she was nearly thirty and not fifteen.

All in all, it had been a great night. She got to hang out with her sister, watched an exciting hockey game from awesome seats with VIP treatment, and got to meet an NHL player. One who happened to be a stud.

Suddenly, Leo popped into her mind. In just a few short days she would be seeing him again. She wondered if life could get any better.

CHAPTER 7

LEO

“Come on in, I just need a couple more minutes to get ready,” Nora sputtered as she gestured for Leo to step inside. She seemed flustered as she offered him a quick hug, wearing only the bathrobe she had on the first night they met.

“There was an accident on the 110, so my commute took almost two hours. I already showered, I just need to get dressed. Do you want to pour yourself a glass of wine?” she asked, making her way back to her bedroom.

“I’m not drinking tonight. I just found out I’m on call, covering a buddy who called in sick. Don’t worry about me, just go do what you need to do,” Leo assured, wandering curiously around the apartment. “There’s no hurry, anyway. The DJ doesn’t spin until 9:00.”

Her home seemed cozy and well loved. It was the kind of place that looked lived in and welcoming. It was inviting and made him feel comfortable, and he liked that. The layout was open concept, and obviously designed to look shabby chic, with big comfortable furniture and kitschy artwork. The retro end tables were painted off-white and had a distressed finish, each one adorned with matching Tiffany lamps. The walls were colored a pleasing eggshell blue, and one entire wall was a built in book shelf, stuffed to the brim with different types of literature, textbooks, family photographs in mismatched frames, and funky trinkets that appeared to come from various countries around the world. Her dining room table was an old country door, painted white to match the end tables, with benches on either side in place of chairs. The chairs were turquoise, with a shiny lacquer polish. Her place definitely matched her personality, Leo mused.

He made himself comfortable on the couch and picked up a Time magazine from the coffee table. He had only read through the first few pages when Nora walked back into the room. Leo stood up immediately, hoping she would appreciate the gesture. She rewarded him with a brilliant smile.

“Wow, you look great!” Leo said, quick with the compliment and walking right over to greet her. She wore a sexy black cross-over dress that hugged her curves in all the right places, along with a pair of strappy sandals that buckled around her ankles. He wondered just what was under that dress and hoped he would find out sooner rather than later.

“Well worth the wait, although you looked pretty good in that bathrobe, too,” he teased, flashing her a cheeky grin, happy that he was able to coax a laugh out of her.

“Thank you. You look pretty good yourself,” she flattered, inching herself toward him. “That’s a really great suit. Armani?”

Leo nodded and held his arms open, inviting her into his embrace. She allowed him to give her a proper hug. He inhaled deeply, her scent intoxicated him, imprinting itself in his memory. He kissed the top of her head and she looked up at him, raising her chin in a welcoming gesture. He didn’t waste the moment and swiftly brought his mouth down on hers, sharing a kiss even more passionate than the one they had shared when parting after their first date. She tentatively parted her lips, inviting his tongue into her mouth, a soft moan announcing her approval.

His arousal was no surprise, but if they continued kissing like this much longer, Leo doubted they would make it to the club. He was ready to fuck her right then and there, and his swollen cock was in full agreement. She must have sensed his need because she placed her hands on his chest, gently gesturing for him to stop. She looked up at him, her eyelids heavy with need. He was glad to see that she was as turned on as he was.

“We need to either leave this apartment right now, or you will need to slip back into that bathrobe,” Leo teased, using his fingertips to brush her hair away from her eyes, a gesture that he knew women found hard to resist.

“Mmmmm, tempting,” Nora purred, kissing his chin softly, “but you promised me a dance.”

“That’s true, and have I got some moves to show you,” he grinned, playfully spinning her around.

“On the dance floor or in the bedroom?” Nora baited, tempting his libido.

“Which would you prefer?” Leo flirted slyly, and without skipping a beat, pulled her in for another quick kiss.

“Mmmmm, I haven’t decided yet,” she teased, easing herself out of his embrace. “Let’s see how you do on the dance floor first.”

She winked at him and headed for the door, inviting him to follow with a nod of the head. “Sounds like a challenge, Nora,” Leo chuckled, following her to the door.

“Well, it wouldn’t be as much fun if I just laid down and lifted my skirt, now would it?” she chirped back playfully, her sassiness enticing him.

“I don’t know about that,” Leo jeered, certain she was right.

He didn’t mind chasing his dinner first, working up a bit of an appetite. He would be more than happy to eat her later, he thought mischievously, opening the door for her.

She smirked at him, shaking her head derisively and walked out ahead of him. His eyes landed on the juicy curve of her ass and he moaned softly, closing her door behind them.

* * *

The Grenada Club was the place to be on Thursday nights. They had a fantastic DJ that kept the dance floor moving, mixing it up with cha-cha, bachata, salsa, and merengue tunes. It had been over a year since Leo had been there and he was happy to see it was still hopping. As soon as he heard the Latin music playing, he was reminded of how much he loved to dance. He hoped that even if Nora was not a good dancer, she would at least be open to trying. The last time he brought a date here, she refused to dance at all, in spite of Leo’s coaxing, so they just sat at the bar and listened to the music, watching other people have all the fun. After that disaster he hadn’t returned, not wanting to duplicate the experience. Until today.

Leo escorted Nora to a booth and they sat down. He was happy to see that she was smiling and took it as a great sign. He’d had a good feeling about her from the moment they met, and hoped she would be down for the scene. After the waitress took their drink order Leo slid closer to Nora and took her hand in his. He surveyed the room, admiring the young crowd mixing it up on the dance floor. Especially the women, who dressed in provocative clothing under the multicolored lights, their body parts flashing while their partners shimmied them around the room. Their energy was infectious.

“So, what do you think?” he asked, loud enough to be heard above the beat of the Latin music.

He gestured around the room so she would understand what he was asking. Nora nodded her approval, her eyes glowing with excitement. She looked hot tonight. She had changed her hair from their last date, this time curls framed her pretty face, making her look fresh and youthful. He nodded his approval, and gave her a quick kiss on the mouth. She seemed pleasantly surprised, as though she was unaccustomed to public displays of affection. So she was a little shy, he thought, he kind of dug it. It would be fun coaxing her out of her shell.

“Let’s dance,” he ordered playfully, not giving her a chance to decline.

He slipped out of the booth first and then helped her stand up. She didn’t hesitate at all, smiling as Leo led her out on the floor. He pulled her in close, dancing her into the middle of the crowd, effortlessly avoiding the gyrating, sweaty bodies encircling them. Nora was tentative at first, but soon she was swinging her hips and laughing as Leo embraced, dipped and spun her around to the sultry Latin rhythms. She was a natural dancer and looked damn sexy doing it.

They danced for close to an hour, touching, teasing and connecting with each other, moving in perfect rhythm with each other until their feet begged for a break. Finally, they made their way back to their booth and found their drinks waiting for them, ice melted but untouched. A gin and soda for Nora, and the same for Leo, minus the gin. They sat down and picked up their glasses, toasting each other wordlessly, each of them taking a long sip before setting them down again.

“I haven’t danced in years!” Nora shouted, ensuring Leo would hear her.

“You are actually pretty good! Did you take lessons?” he wondered, pleased to have a partner that could keep up with him, especially someone as sexy as Nora.

“Yes. My sister and I both, although she is much better. She dances professionally. You might have seen her on Dance With Me. She’s in the troupe,” she explained, doing her best to be heard over the noise.

Leo smiled and shook his head. He didn’t watch much reality television, but was impressed nevertheless.

“I haven’t seen it,” he replied loudly in return. “You can really move. What were you trained in?”

Nora looked at him carefully, trying to read his lips and then smiled in understanding.

“Ballroom and Latin, but I stopped lessons once I went to college. I was too busy with everything,” she trailed off, her words getting lost in the din.

“What?” Leo asked, missing her last few words. Nora shook her head, appearing mildly amused by the level of the music.

“Forget it, let’s just dance,” she giggled, shimmying her way out of the booth. “Too noisy to talk!”

Leo let Nora lead him out on to the dance floor again. They arrived just as a cha-cha ended and a sultry rumba began. Perfect, Leo thought, a slow one. He couldn’t have timed it any better.

He pulled her in close, stroking his hands up and down her body—taking advantage of the moment, the music, and the mood. Nora accepted his romantic caresses, moving her body sensually to the rhythms, grinding herself into him with deliberate intent. She appeared lost in the music as well, and just as turned on as he was. In fact, he was so turned on he had to remind himself that they were in a dance hall filled with hot, horny strangers, instead of the privacy of his bedroom.

Nora melted her back against his chest while his hands explored her, his fingertips outlining her body, from the curve of her hip all the way up her torso, finally tracing the inside of her breast. She shuddered under his seduction, his mouth inches from her neck, his breath cooling her damp flesh. His erection pressed against her ass, straining to pleasure her, in spite of the layers of clothing between them.

“God, I want you,” he whispered in her ear. She sighed deeply, and turned around, allowing him to dip her. He brought his mouth gently down on hers before raising her to her feet again. Her green eyes were soft with need, pleading for something more.

“Let’s get out of here, huh?” he suggested hopefully. He pulled her close enough to feel the hardness of his cock, so she would have no doubt what he wanted from her. She smiled knowingly at him and nodded, and with no hesitation, he led her off the dance floor.

As soon as the tab was paid, he escorted her to his car, stopping every now and then to kiss her. He couldn’t believe how into her he was. Yes, he wanted to fuck her, but more than that, he wanted to please her. Curiously, he hadn’t felt that way about a woman in a very long time.

CHAPTER 8

NORA

Nora’s attraction for Leo was undeniable, and their chemistry was off the charts. She had always considered herself a lady, modest to a fault, but when he held her on that dance floor she was ready to drop her panties right then and there. He couldn’t get her home fast enough.

Leo was a fiery, passionate man, no question. She loved how comfortable he was with his body, and how open he was about expressing his needs. It was refreshing, and such a contrast to her modesty. He made her feel safe to explore her own desires. He made her feel beautiful and sexy.

Neither of them spoke much on the drive home, as though words would have broken the spell they were under. Leo’s hand was on her thigh the entire way, kissing her at almost every red light, and it was during one of those hot kisses that his hand slipped over her wet panties to gently massage her clit. Her body responded so intensely she just about went through the roof of the car. Had the light not turned green she would have cum for him, right then and there.

By the time they walked into her apartment, she was ready to be fucked. It was clear to Nora from the get go that Leo was a ladies man, or a player to anyone who wasn’t 80. She had every intention of getting to know him better before sleeping with him, but her body had different ideas and at the moment her libido was fully in charge and willing to sacrifice her principles.

Nora freshened up in the bathroom and found Leo on the couch where she had left him. He held his hand out to her, gesturing for her to come to him. As quickly as she took his hand, he pulled her onto his lap, kissing her passionately. Although his tongue was eager to find hers, his kisses were slow and sensual. She appreciated his control. He laid her back on the couch, still kissing her, and tucked himself in beside her, exploring her body with his free hand. She sighed softly, unable to hide her desire. She wanted him to touch her, to tease her, to make her cum.

He seemed completely tuned in to her needs, sensing exactly what she wanted. He slipped his hand slowly down her body and loosened the ties on her dress revealing her bare skin and lacy lingerie underneath. Leo groaned the moment he saw her, and buried his face in her neck, sucking on her soft sensitive skin. Nora gasped, her body tingling from the intense sensation. His teeth grazed her flesh, hovering in that sweet spot between pleasure and pain, intensifying her yearning for him.

She raised her hips to meet his hand as it curiously made it’s way down her body, and over the curve of her belly. Words were unnecessary, he understood her body language perfectly, slipping the palm of his hand over her mound. Nora moaned deeply, signaling her consent in a way that no man could resist. He intuitively massaged her clit, applying just the right amount of pressure for her body to respond. That wasn’t an easy trick, and she was impressed by his skill. He seemed so connected to her, his eyes watching her intently, waiting for her signals. Just as the first wave of her pleasure surged, he brought his lips down on hers again, deliciously crushing her mouth. Fingers, lips, tongue, mouth, his eagerness was enough to send her over the edge and she came with surprising intensity, quivering under his touch.

“Fuck, that was hot,” he croaked, barely managing to utter the words. She could feel the pressure of his swollen cock against her leg and shuddered in anticipation of what was to come.

“Ya, it was,” Nora agreed, looking deep into his eyes and trying to catch her breath.

He played with her hair affectionately, warmly smiling at her while she recovered. She reached for him and eagerly pulled him back into another kiss, appreciating the gesture. Without missing a beat, Leo rolled on top of her, effortlessly spreading her legs apart. She could feel his hardness against her, the heat of his cock warming her center, exciting her. She grabbed his ass and pulled him closer, pressing him against her even tighter. He groaned his approval, encouraging her to not stop.

She didn’t want to stop. She couldn’t remember ever being so aroused. If he wanted to rip her soaking wet panties off and fuck her right then and there, she was ready for him. He must have sensed her urgency, because he shifted himself to the side and reached down between her legs, slipping the cloth of her underwear to the side, plunging his two fingers deep inside her. She gasped, trying to catch her breath as he fucked her with his hand, gently at first until he realized how close she was to another orgasm. She opened herself to him, her wetness spreading over her thighs.

“Cum for me,” he whispered, his words demanding, dirty and full of need. “Show me how good my fingers feel inside you, Nora. Let it go.”

Nora had never had a man talk to her like that before. It was sexy as hell that he wanted to please her, and it made her feel confident and daring all at once. She could feel herself surging again, and looked up at Leo, wide eyed and full of excitement. He grinned at her devilishly, knowing exactly what she needed. He began stroking her g-spot, milking the little mound, and building the pressure up inside her. At last her body climaxed and she cried out as another orgasm ripped through her womb, sending delicious little jolts of electricity throughout her body. She held on to him tightly until the tension in her muscles released her. She shook uncontrollably beneath him, trying to get her bearings back.

Leo shifted himself so that he could gently ease his fingers out of her. To her surprise and delight he brought them to his mouth and proceeded to lick her cream off of them, slow and deliberate while she watched. He groaned softly, clearly enjoying the taste of her spice. Nora brought her hand to her mouth and giggled quietly, still dazed by pleasure.

“You have to be the sweetest thing I have ever tasted,” he growled, hooking his thumbs into the waistband of her panties. “I think it’s time to take these off so I can try some more.”

He peeled her panties down and easily slipped them over her feet, exposing her to himself for the first time. He crouched down and ran his tongue up the inside of her thigh, stopping to gently suck and nibble her sensitive flesh on the trail to her pussy. She squirmed underneath him, every nerve ending responding to his touch. As much as she loved the attention, she wanted nothing more in that moment than to touch him and offer him the pleasure he just brought her.

“Leo...,” she whispered tentatively, “you’re fucking amazing.”He sat up on his elbows and grinned at her, looking pretty pleased with himself.

“You haven’t seen anything yet,” he teased, raising his eyebrows in jest. Nora laughed and reached down between her legs, grasping his face in her hands.

“Come up here and kiss me,” she urged, gesturing him to come to her. He raised himself and shimmied up her body, stopping half way to kiss the mounds of each breast being pushed up by her bra. Finally he found her lips and offered her a deep, passionate kiss. She could faintly taste herself on his lips.

“Your turn, Leo. Can we switch places?” she pleaded, determined to ask for what she wanted. He grinned down at her and nodded, shifting himself off the sofa so that he was kneeling on the floor beside her.

He helped her sit up and she gave him another kiss, her tongue gently teasing his while her hand slid down his body searching for his cock. She ran her hand down the length of him, impressed by his girth. Anxious to see him, her hands fumbled to unfasten his zipper...

You know that it would be untrue

You know that I would be a liar

If I was to say to you Girl,

we couldn’t get much higher

Come on baby, light my fire

Come on baby, light my fire.

“Is that The Doors?” Nora asked, laughing at the irony of the ringtone, given his profession.

“Fuck. Sorry, my phone... I have to answer that...,” Leo offered apologetically, scrambling for his suit jacket. “I forgot I’m on call.”

Nora let out a deep sigh, partially from disappointment but mainly to bring herself back into the present. She waited for him to finish his call, trying not to eavesdrop, but failing miserably. It was clear from his end of the conversation that it was his dispatcher calling him.

“I’m so sorry, Nora. I’m going to have to go,” he explained, helping her stand up. He pulled her dress back into place so that she could tie it back up. He looked as disappointed as she felt. “They wouldn’t call unless they really needed me.”

“Of course, I understand,” she said, hiding her disappointment. She straightened her dress, doing up the ties, and stepped aside.

“Go save lives.”

Leo smiled and pulled her in for a kiss, keeping it short and sweet.

“I will call you very soon and we can pick up where we left off,” he promised, making his way to the door with Nora following close behind. He slipped his shoes on and turned back to look at her.

She cocked her head and grinned at him. “Just for the record, you have amazing dance skills...”

“Oh ya? And what about my other skills?” he teased, his cheeky grin telling her he already knew the answer.

She shook her head and chuckled, “The jury is still out on that... I am going to need more evidence bef—”

“I’ll give you evidence,” he growled, pulling her in for one last kiss before walking out the door.

She gently closed the door behind him and leaned against it, her heart pounding. Leo had done it again, he’d knocked her right off her feet, for the second time.

* * *

Nora woke up to two text messages, both of which made her wonder where her fairy godmother was hiding. Her life suddenly felt like someone had cast a magic spell and she was in a fairytale. Stuff like this just didn’t happen to her.

The first message was from Leo, and if she had woken up with any second thoughts about her decision to ‘hook up’ with him, they disappeared when she read his words.

Morning sexy. That fire last night was nowhere near as hot as you. Hate that I left you hot and bothered. I’m working all weekend but I am off Monday. Dinner? I’ll pick you up at 6.

Memories of the night before filtered into her thoughts, heating her up all over again, so vividly she could almost feel his lips on her skin.

It’s a date. You definitely left me hot, but not bothered. I just finished where you left off. ;)

She grinned to herself. Nora liked that she could be dirty with Leo and enjoyed teasing him. He definitely brought out her naughty side. As silly as it might have seemed to other people, she was proud of her new found confidence.

The second text message caught her completely off guard. It was from her sister, sharing some most intriguing information. She had to re-read it a few times before it completely sunk in.

Sis! Guess who contacted Sam asking for your cell number? THOR!!!!!

Nora’s mouth dropped open when she finally got the reference. Thor meant Coop. Coop asked for her number? Why would he do that? Did he want to ask her out? He had definitely left an impression on her, but she didn’t think it went both ways. Her thumbs scrambled madly over the keyboard of her phone as she quickly texted her sister back.

What?! Did he give it to him? Did he say what he wanted?

She stared at her phone for a long minute, hoping that either Dana or Leo would respond. Finally, not wanting to be late for work, she tossed her phone on the bed and went to shower and dress. A social life was fun, but she couldn’t let it consume her life. She was always counseling her patients about how to create balance in their lives. She would have to practice the same thing, although she could see how easy it would be to get caught up in the excitement. Men were definitely distracting!

Nora picked up her phone and saw that both of them had replied while she was getting dressed. She read Leo’s message first, anticipating a sexy comeback. He didn’t disappoint.

Ahhhhhh you’re killing me. Fuck. Is it Monday yet? ;)

You’re not kidding, Nora thought, flipping to her sister’s text.

Of course! First he asked me what to do (good husband) and I said GIVE IT TO HIM! WTF! He didn’t say, what he wanted, he just asked for your digits. EEK!

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Nora whispered to herself, “when it rains it pours.”

She tossed her phone in her purse, then grabbed her keys and ran out the door, hoping she’d left enough time to beat the heavy rush hour.

* * *

Nora did her best not to check her messages until lunch. The last thing she wanted was to develop an unhealthy obsession with her phone, but the temptation was killing her. Thankfully, she had a full schedule that morning so she was able to stay focused, but as soon as her last patient left the office, she grabbed a cup of tea, kicked off her shoes and went straight for her cell.

Anything yet?Well?Her sister, checking up on her. She wasn’t sure who was more anxious, her or her twin.

Nora smiled and kept scrolling. There was a message from her Mom who just wanted to say hello. Nora sent her a quick text back, telling her she would call over the weekend. She scrolled down a little further and saw a second message from Dana.

There was nothing from Coop yet.

She took quick a sip of her tea and tried to pretend she wasn’t disappointed. She had been very attracted to him when they met, and now that she knew he had asked for her number, she couldn’t help being curious. Maybe he was looking for a therapist, she wondered, but quickly dismissed the thought. He could have looked up her office number if that was the case. No, asking for her cell number denoted something a little more personal.

The phone rang in her hand making her jump, and causing hot tea to splash onto her wrist.

“Shit,” Nora cursed, setting the mug down on her desk, spontaneously bringing her burned flesh to her mouth to cool it with her tongue. She looked down at the phone and saw that it was an unknown number. Normally she would avoid unknowns because they usually proved to be solicitors or automated messages, but she was curious.

“Nora Dupree,” she answered casually, blowing cool air onto her wrist.

“Hi, Nora. This is Gage Cooper... Coop. We met the other night at the Kings game. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” he said, kindness radiating through his tone.

Nora felt her pulse quicken at the sound of his voice and had to make a concentrated effort to keep her own voice steady.

“Hi, Coop. No, you’re calling at a good time. Actually I’m just between clients,” she replied warmly, hoping she didn’t sound too anxious.

“Perfect. I hope you don’t mind me calling,” he began cautiously, “I just find texting a little impersonal.”

“Of course not,” Nora smiled, appreciating the old fashioned gesture.

“I really enjoyed meeting you the other night,” he offered genuinely. He paused long enough for Nora to realize that he was waiting for her to reply.

“Yes, me too. It was such a pleasant surprise,” she chirped back, encouraging him to continue.

“You seemed really interesting, and well, I know this is short notice, but I was wondering if I could take you out for dinner after work. The team is flying out later tonight for a few road games, so we’ll be away for five days. I’d really like to see you again before I go,” he said, cautiously hopeful.

Nora couldn’t helped but feel flattered, and was pleasantly surprised by how polite he seemed. Yes, it was short notice, but she had nothing planned, at least until Monday.

She thought about Leo for a brief moment, wondering if their relationship had the potential to evolve, and what his opinion of casually dating other people would be. Their relationship had heated up pretty quickly, maybe too quickly, and it suddenly dawned on her that they hadn’t really talked about dating expectations.

“I would really like that Gage. Shall I meet you somewhere?” she asked, finally deciding that she would see how the evening unfolded before worrying about propriety.

“No, no, I’ll pick you up,” he offered humbly, as though surprised she would suggest anything else. “When do you finish work?”

“I’m finished around 5:30 today. My office is just off Jefferson.”

“I know, I looked it up already,” he said quickly, chuckling under his breath.

Nora felt flattered and a little taken aback. She had been in a dating dry spell for a long time, and now she had two men asking her out. Two attractive, charismatic and sexy men at that.

“Okay, that’s great. I’ll meet you in the lobby at 5:30 sharp,” she assured, hoping the hours would move by swiftly. “Thanks for calling.”

“Of course. I’m looking forward to seeing you again. See you soon,” Gage promised. “Bye for now.”

Nora said goodbye and hung up her cell. She stared at it for a moment and then texted her sister.

He just called. Date tonight.

She laughed when Dana’s response came back in seconds.

Netflix and chill. Then tomorrow you can see Thor! haha

Leave it to Dana.

CHAPTER 9

COOP

Coop navigated his Audi through the heavy gridlock, trying to be patient. He had given himself plenty of time to reach Nora’s office, knowing he would be driving smack dab in the middle of rush hour. He turned up the radio, happy to let the music entertain him while he inched through traffic.

Nora was a lovely woman, smart, polished, poised. He had noticed her the second he walked into that reception room a few nights earlier. It was hard not to. She stood by the bar, her long, dark hair hanging loosely around her shoulders, a striking contrast to the white pant suit she was wearing. She was clearly an accomplished woman, different from the female fans he typically met. He had instantly been drawn to her, and after talking with her, even for that short while, he knew he wanted to spend more time with her.

It wasn’t easy for him to meet quality women. In his career he was constantly surrounded by men. His teammates, coaches, the medical and development teams, and managers. In fact, he had surprisingly little contact with women. Even the fans were mostly men, and with the exception of the wives or girlfriends of his teammates, the only females he encountered were the young, playful women—barely more than girls, really—that hung around after games, rotating between players. Puck Bunnies. While some of the boys took great pleasure in these women, the fringe benefits of fame, he was not one of them.

His mother raised him to respect women, which had probably not been an easy task given the heavy influences around him, and growing up an athlete in the thick of a male dominated, chauvinistic culture. He heard the locker room talk on a daily basis and it was less than respectful. Some of the perks of being a jock—especially a hockey jock—were the willing girls and a lack of accountability. There was an unspoken acceptance—boys will be boys and all—and on many occasions he witnessed those boys behaving badly while everyone else seemed to look the other way. Sometimes, it wasn’t just the boys. He had seen a lot of infidelity over the years, in both the amateur and the professional leagues. Being on the road seemed to be a hall pass for many of the men in the club, married or not, and player, coach or manager. Coop didn’t judge them, but it just wasn’t his style. He was a faithful guy and the few times he’d been in a relationship, he always stayed true.

For these reasons and more, being in love with a hockey player wasn’t easy for most women, Living on the road was a hard life, and even harder on the partner waiting at home. He knew his girlfriends over the years had put up with a lot of crap during the season, and the truth was, he hated being the cause of their loneliness. The last thing he wanted was to give them any reason to mistrust him. Unfortunately, most of the time it didn’t matter. There were just too many nights apart and it usually proved to be too much for the women he dated. They either ended up cheating on him, or simply couldn’t hack the life.

In spite of all that, Coop hadn’t given up on love. He was a romantic at heart and had to believe that his soul mate was still out there. Hockey had offered him a good living, but not a good life. Being 36 and still a bachelor was not something he had ever envisioned for himself. There was no shortage of women wanting to hook up with him, but he needed something more. It was like they were offering him take out burgers when what he really craved was a home cooked roast beef dinner with all the trimmings, including a family around the table. He had always imagined that he would be a husband and father by now, which was something he wanted more than anything.

Over the past four or five years he had become more discriminating with his partners and found himself dating less and less. In fact, he had only been with two women in that time period, both of which he had thought he might have a real future with. Unfortunately, they didn’t last. Abigail was a wonderful woman, but married to her job. When they talked about taking their relationship to the next level, she dropped the bomb on him that she didn’t want kids. Ever. He cared about her, but that was a deal breaker for him.

And Kim? Well, she just broke his heart. Things started out strong, they really did. She was a beautiful young actress with a good role in one of the popular daytime soaps. They’d met at a charity golf event, and had hit it off instantly. She said he was the nicest guy she’d ever met. She loved that he had a romantic streak, and that he was so grounded. She told him she was ready for a serious relationship. They were completely crazy about each other, and within just a few months she moved in with him. He knew things were moving quickly, but he was happy for the first time in a very long while. They seemed to have the same aspirations—career, marriage, and family. It was all in the plan. They had shared a lot of passion in the beginning, but soon after hockey season started, her shine began to dim. He was still crazy about her, but she seemed a little lost.

The truth was that his job was extremely demanding for seven or eight months of the year, longer if they made it to the playoffs. During that time he lived and breathed hockey. When he wasn’t playing, he was practicing, and sometimes he was on the road for a week or more at a time. He tried to talk to her every day but their schedules were offset, and oftentimes they could only communicate through texting. It wasn’t ideal, but that was their life. He definitely understood her frustration—because he felt it too—but there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.

Of course when he was in town he tried to dote on her as much as possible, saving all his free time to be with her, but as the season went on, she became less and less invested. Then one night, just as the season was winding down, he was swarmed by paparazzi from TMZ as he was coming out of Madison Square Garden in New York. They wanted to fill him in on some juicy gossip and get his ‘candid’ reaction. Kim had been caught canoodling with her co-star the night before, and there were pictures to prove it. After they shoved them in his face, Coop put his head down and jumped into the bus with his teammates. He was devastated, but went back to the hotel and called her, hoping she would explain that it was all a misunderstanding and they would end up laughing it off, but she didn’t answer. He texted her, asking for her to call him back, but his phone stayed silent all night. When he got home, he found that her closet had been cleared out. She had left him a note. On a post it. Stuck to the fridge.

Sorry Coop, you’re a great guy. I hate myself for this, but it is over. Take care. Kim

In spite of his efforts to connect with her, even if only for a proper goodbye, she refused to see him. That was rough and did some real damage. It took him months to get over her, though it didn’t help that she was constantly turning up in the rag magazines, web sites and entertainment news, making headlines while in the midst of a steamy affair with a young, A-list movie star.

That all happened over a year ago and he had been single ever since, but at least he wasn’t unhappy anymore. The truth he had come to realize was that he had dodged a bullet when Kim walked out. In the time between their break up and now, she had dumped her Hollywood boy-toy, then married—and divorced—a well-known plastic surgeon to the stars. He was doing just fine now, in fact, he was having the best season of his career. His stats had never been better. He was grateful for the career break, enjoyed a life free of constant drama, and hadn’t even considered dating anyone at all, until he met Nora.

He pulled his car into the small parking lot outside of her office building, and turned off the ignition. He was a few minutes early so he flipped through his phone checking his messages. One of the young lads on the team had sent him a text razzing him about his date. He had told one of the guys he was taking a lady out that night and now they all knew. And they say women gossip, he thought to himself. Honestly, sometimes they could be worse than a gaggle of high school girls.

He had to chuckle at the text. Hey old timer, I hear you have a date. Did you stop for Viagra? :D Seriously, good on ya man. It’s about time. See you later.

Smart-ass, Coop thought, grinning to himself. Sadly, he was one of the oldest guys on the team. He had been in the NHL for almost half his life, and now, in what was the last year of his contract, he was considered one of the best goalies in the league. Although it was late in his career, he was enjoying the recognition and accolades, but it was bittersweet. He planned to announce his retirement after the end the season. He would always love the game, but he was ready to move on to something else.

He looked up from his phone to see if Nora was coming. Several people were leaving the building but he didn’t see her yet.

He wasn’t sure what it was that prompted him to call and ask her out, but something told him he needed to. They had only spoken for a few short minutes that night before the game, but he liked that she seemed so self-assured. He also appreciated that she was as smart as she was beautiful. That was a sexy combination. On top of that, she actually loved hockey. He’d watched her watching the game and it was clear she was obviously more than just a fan. She understood the game in intimate detail, something he found particularly hot. Maybe it wouldn’t go anywhere, but he’d seen enough already to make him want to know more.

Finally, he saw her exiting the building, looking long and lean in a summery dress, her long hair blowing in the breeze. She was fine as hell, he thought as he watched her cautiously approach. She cocked her head and looked towards the Audi, as if uncertain it was him. Coop nervously unfastened his seatbelt and quickly popped out of the car, hoping to set her at ease. He walked toward her and was greeted by her warm, inviting smile.

“Hi again,” he offered softly, as soon as he was within ear shot.

He held out his hand to her and regretted it almost at once, chiding himself for being so formal. His thoughts must have been easily read because she quickly reached out with both of hers, changing the formal handshake into a warm greeting.

Nora chuckled softly, as if sensing his apprehension.

“Hi there,” she cooed, shaking his hand gently, “I’m so happy you called.”

He felt himself relax almost instantly. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze before releasing it.

“I’m happy you said yes. You look great by the way,” he added, leading her towards his car.

“So do you. Look at you all dressed up,” she said, giving him a look that showed her approval.

“Well, I am trying to impress,” he teased, opening the car door for her.

“I hate to tell you this, but you could have shown up in jeans and a t-shirt and I would have been just as happy,” she admitted, flashing him a genuine smile before slipping into the passenger seat. “I’m actually pretty easy going.”

“Good to know,” Coop grinned, gently closing the door for her.

He ran around the car and slipped in beside her, trying to be casual while he stole a look at her beautiful long legs. His eyes traveled up her body and landed on her pretty face.

“Ready to go?” he asked, starting the car without averting his eyes.

“Yes, I’m starving, actually. It’s been a long day,” Nora agreed, sitting back and making herself comfortable like she had been in his car a thousand times before. He liked that.

“Good, because I made us a reservation at Broken Spanish. I hope you like Mexican?” Coop asked, easing the car into traffic.

“I love it, but I pretty much enjoy everything,” she replied lightly, with no pretense whatsoever.

“Awesome. This is one of my favorite spots. It’s one of those hidden gems that has managed to stay just barely under the radar. It’s plenty busy, but never feels over-crowded or rushed,” he explained, pulling onto the freeway. He quickly looked her way and smiled, feeling confident that they were going to have a great night.

*

Nora was impressive, no question about it. He felt completely at ease with her. She carried the conversation comfortably, which suited him just fine. Admittedly, he was a bit shy at first, so he was always grateful when he didn’t have to pull simple conversation out of his dates. It was something he always worried about when initially meeting someone.

“So, Gage, tell me what has been your biggest challenge when it comes to relationships?” Nora asked him curiously, taking a bite of the tamales they were sharing. Coop looked up from the plate and met her eyes. He liked that she called him Gage. Not many people did, only family and a few close friends.

“Honestly, my job. It makes it almost impossible to date, at least in my experience. I’m on the road a lot during the season, so it makes it difficult to build a meaningful relationship. I’m not exactly the dream boyfriend,” he explained, shrugging impassively. “As a result I tend to attract younger women who want to party. I guess that was okay when I was a kid, but it is not enough for me anymore.”

“I get that, especially if you are looking for something more long term.” she said casually, gently prodding him for more information. He thought she was adorable.

“Right,” he grinned, taking a swig of beer, “Isn’t that the ultimate goal? Finding your soul mate?”

Nora smiled at him sweetly but said nothing. He wondered what that meant but chose not to push, instead asking her the same question she had asked him.

“Ironically, my job makes dating challenging as well,” Nora admitted, wiping her hands on her napkin before taking a sip of wine.

“Oh, how so?” he asked, encouraging her to continue.

“My theory is that some men are intimidated by the fact that I’m a therapist. I think they worry that I’m psychoanalyzing them, trying to sort out what kind of disorders they may have or whether or not they have mommy issues,” she offered with a smirk. Gage chuckled softly.

“Are you?”

“Well, not intentionally...” she mused playfully.

“Occupational hazard.” he teased, reaching for more food.

“Funny,” she replied lightheartedly, appearing to enjoy their banter. “Actually, outside of my office I find it challenging to read men. I have never been very good at it. That makes dating challenging too, I suppose. To tell you the truth, I haven’t dated much.”

“Why is that?” he asked, surprised by her admission.

“I’ve been pretty focused on my career since finishing my education, and it has been non-stop work trying to build the practice,” she explained, reading his face carefully, as if analyzing his thoughts. He did his best to appear impassive. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable in any way.

“Have you ever been in a serious relationship?” he asked, hoping he wasn’t getting too personal. This wasn’t his typical first date chatter, but he felt so comfortable with her and he got the sense she felt the same way.

“I have,” she confessed, “but it was a long time ago. I was married when I was quite young but it didn’t work out. We were impulsive and crazy in love.”

“How old were you?” he asked, carefully masking his surprise. She shrugged her shoulders and let out a soft sigh.

“I’m sorry, you don’t have to talk about it,” he said, reaching over and grazing the top of her hand. She smiled at the gesture, raising her chin proudly.

“No, no it’s ok. I just realized I haven’t talked about my divorce in a really long time. It seems like another lifetime,” she explained with hushed melancholy. “I was only 18 when we got married.”

Coop raised his eyebrows in disbelief. She was young, still a child really. Nora raised her own brows and calmly nodded at him as if to say ‘it’s true’.

“I know, it’s hard to believe. We were married just under four years and separated shortly after we moved out to California. It just got to the point where we weren’t communicating anymore. I lost trust in him.” Nora looked up at Coop and he smiled, encouraging her to continue.

“You lost trust?” he asked gently. She nodded and looked down again, hesitating before she spoke.

“Yes,” she whispered, “I saw him kissing one of his co-workers. I had gone to surprise him after work one afternoon and I saw him standing in front of the restaurant where he worked. I was waiting to cross the light and noticed him, and then her. He put his arm around her and casually pulled her in for a kiss. The thing is, it wasn’t their first kiss, they were far too comfortable for that. It was the kind of kiss you share with someone you’ve been intimate with for a while, you know?”

“Wow... what did you do?” he asked, suddenly feeling protective of her.

“I turned around and went home… and never breathed a word of what I saw to him or anyone else,” she admitted quietly, shrugging her shoulders, “In fact, you are the first person I’ve ever told.”

She looked at him curiously, taking another sip of wine. Coop gave her another reassuring smile and waited for her to speak again, unsure of how to respond. Although he empathized with her, he was pleased that she felt safe enough to open up to him.

Nora placed her empty wine glass down, just as the waiter came by.

“How is everything? Are you guys still working on this?” he asked, gesturing to their half full plates.

“Actually, I’m stuffed, but I would love some coffee,” Coop answered cheerfully, “Nora?”

“I’m done as well, and yes to the coffee. There’s so much left over. Can we wrap it up?” Nora asked, addressing the waiter.

“Of course,” he replied, lifting the dishes off the table. He cleared almost everything away and left them alone again.

“Can I ask why you never told your ex what you saw?” Coop asked, trying to be as sensitive as he could, and hoping to learn more about her.

“Honestly, I think I knew that things had been over between us for months and maybe I just didn’t feel the need to invest any more energy into it. If I confronted him one of two things would happen. He would either deny it and I would lose total respect and trust for him, or he would admit it and I would still feel the same way. From where I stood the outcome was going to be the same—our marriage was over. I wasn’t good at confrontation, and at the time I wasn’t very good at communicating my feelings. So a few days later, I asked him if he wanted to separate. I knew he was as unhappy as I was. We probably should have parted ways in Michigan. If I knew then what I know now...” she said, her words quietly trailing off.

“There’s so much wisdom in retrospect, isn’t there,” he added, drawing an agreeable nod from Nora.

“Absolutely. Anyway, we parted ways amicably. We didn’t have any assets to fight over and thankfully, we didn’t have children, so it was a pretty simple process. He went his way and I went mine. Last I heard, he took an acting job in Australia in a popular daytime soap opera. As far as I know he’s still there,” she shrugged, appearing completely indifferent about him.

The waiter returned to their table with coffee and take home containers. Coop nodded at him, sending him on his way.

“So what about you? Any serious relationships? Marriages? Deep, dark secrets?” she asked playfully.

“No, no,” he laughed, “Never married, never engaged, no juicy secrets. I’ve had two fairly serious relationships in my life, but I’ve been single for a while now. My last relationship ended over a year ago. That was a tough one.”

“Did she break your heart?” Nora asked. He normally shied away from talking about Kim and the details of their break up, but Nora had been so trusting and forthcoming, she deserved the same from him. Besides, he felt comfortable with her, so while they sipped their coffees, he shared his story with her while she listened quietly.

“I know it was all for the best, and I’m over all that now. I guess the timing just wasn’t right,” he concluded, hoping she didn’t doubt that.

“Maybe, but I think you’re being far too kind. What she did was pretty fucked up, if you ask me,” Nora sassed, waving her hand in front of her dismissively.

Coop chuckled, setting down his coffee.

“Is that your professional opinion, Doc?” he teased, grinning back at her. She smiled broadly and shrugged at him.

“Yes, yes it is,” she offered, in mock seriousness, “in any case, you deserved a hell of a lot better than that.”

He looked at her thoughtfully, appreciating the validation. She was something else. He was impressed with how she had risen above the adversity in her own life and came out of it so balanced. She was down to earth and brilliant at the same time. She was exactly what he’d hoped she would be when he asked her out.

The waiter came over one last time with the bill and Coop paid him right away. He didn’t want the evening to end, but he had to get to the arena to catch the team bus to the airport. Nora must have noticed the reluctance on his face because she reached out and caressed his hand reassuringly.

“I had a great time tonight, Gage. You’re not exactly what I was expecting,” she offered kindly, her eyes searching his. Coop grinned at her curiously.

“What were you expecting?”

“Truthfully? I’m not sure. I grew up around plenty of hockey jocks, and most of them were... hmm, how can I put this diplomatically... players… douche bag players,” she grinned cheekily. “Something told me you might be different, so I’m glad we did this,” she assured. He chuckled, appreciating her honesty.

“You’re right about that. Unfortunately, that seems to be our reputation, and for good reason. I’ve never been like that, even when I was younger,” he assured her, picking her hand up gently in his own. “My mom raised me well, I guess.”

“Remind me to thank her.” Nora quipped, then shook her head gently and chuckled, as though regretting her presumptuousness. He kind of liked it though, and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

“Ready to go?” he asked, reaching for the take home bag. Nora nodded and stood up, waiting for Coop to slip in beside her. He gently placed his hand on the small of her back, escorting her toward the door. She rewarded him with a soft moan, which he took for approval.

There were no uncomfortable silences on the way back to her office. They chatted like they had known one another all their lives, completely at ease together. Nora was like a breath of fresh air, playful, inquisitive, and honest. He couldn’t help but feel hopeful that there might be something good between them that they could build on and he hoped she felt the same way.

“Can we do this again when I get back in town?” Coop asked, as he walked Nora to her car, hand in hand. Nora nodded her head softly, a warm smile playing on her lips.

“Of course,” she agreed, offering his hand a gentle squeeze. They stopped in front of her car. Nora shrugged her shoulders, as if to say ‘this is me’.

“So, we get back to L.A. on Wednesday and then we have a game Thursday night. I’m off next Friday. Dinner?” he asked, holding both of her hands in his. He hoped she wasn’t already busy. He didn’t have a lot of time off, so coordinating his schedule with people had always been a challenge. Nora took a breath and hesitated. She looked like she wanted to tell him something but changed her mind.

“I would like that. Call me when you get a chance and we can confirm the details,” she agreed. She smiled and tipped her chin up in a gesture he understood all too well.

He wanted to kiss her, too. He had been wanting to all night. He tucked his hand behind her head and pulled her into his kiss, touching her lips gently with his own. Her mouth was soft and inviting, and he wanted nothing more than to turn that kiss into something more passionate, but he also didn’t want to rush things like he had in the past. He wanted to take care of her, to do things right this time. He offered her another tender kiss and then pulled himself away. She had a peaceful look on her face, her eyes softly focusing on his, expressing her approval. She let out just a whisper of a moan.

“That was nice,” she offered quietly. “Thank you for everything. It was perfect.”

“Of course. I really enjoyed it, too,” Coop agreed, opening her car door for her. She caressed his arm before tucking herself into the driver’s seat and then accepted the take home bag from him.

“Have a safe trip. And kick ass against Vancouver and Edmonton. I’ll try and catch the games,” she encouraged, starting the engine.

“Piece of cake,” he teased, closing the door behind her. He tapped the top of her car as she easily backed out of the space. She offered him a little wave before pulling away.

Coop shook his head and let out his breath slowly, releasing a happy whistle. If he could have he would have jumped up and clicked his heels together, but the fear of looking foolish held him back. Instead he strolled back to his car, unable to wipe the grin off his face. He was already crushing on Nora, hard.

CHAPTER 10

NORA

“So tell me everything about Thor,” Dana said, flopping herself into Nora’s sofa, a plate of pancakes in her hand. It was a lazy Sunday morning and Nora hadn’t even gotten dressed yet. Nora sat down, carefully balancing her own plate and tea cup to avoid spilling.

“Okay, but can we stop calling him Thor now? It’s unsettling,” Nora chuckled, rolling her eyes at her twin. She set her tea cup down and settled back into the sofa.

“Okay, okay, but you have to admit, he does look like Chris Hemsworth!” Dana gushed, stuffing a giant bite of pancakes in her mouth.

“That’s it! Chris Hemsworth! I can see it a little bit, but can we just refer to him as Gage from now on?” Nora smirked.

“Fine, but it’s not nearly as much fun. So, how did it go?” Dana pushed, waving her fork impatiently.

“It was so good,” Nora blushed, recalling how much she enjoyed being with Gage. “He seems like a really nice guy. You know, thoughtful, sweet, and super easy to be around. And he seems loyal.”

“Sounds like you went out with a golden retriever.” her twin teased, raising her eyebrows. Nora chuckled and shook her head impatiently.

“Well, what do you want me to say? It was a good date. I liked him. A lot,” she admitted, feeling annoyed by the way her sister always seemed to push her out of her comfort zone, but appreciating her bluntness at the same time.

“Were there sparks? Did you have chemistry? Did he kiss you? Does he make you hot? Is he fuckable?” Dana asked, listing off all the pertinent questions on her ‘need to know list.’ Nora laughed and gave her sister a playful shove.

“Stop it,” Nora squealed, “it was just our first date.”

“So? Your first date with the fireman was pretty hot. When you know, you know, right?” Dana blurted, proving that she almost always saw the world in black and white. Nora was just the opposite, and knew the world had many, many shades of grey. That if you were patient enough, and explored deep enough, you would see the things that so many other people missed. This mindset made her exceptional at her job, and it also allowed her to be open minded and inquisitive on so many levels.

“He was different from Leo, self-assured but not as outwardly confident, and definitely not as assertive, but I enjoyed being with him just as much. I felt really comfortable with him,” Nora explained carefully, hoping Dana would understand. “He seemed genuine Dana, like he really wanted to get to know me.”

“Hmmmm,” her sister replied thoughtfully, as though processing Nora’s words, “that does sound nice.”

“He was a gentleman through and through, which you might not expect from a hockey player, but everything about him was respectful. He intrigued me,” she admitted, “and ya, he left me wanting to know more.”

“And the kiss?” Dana pressed, unwilling to let her off the hook. Nora grinned and set her plate down on the table in front of her, playfully stalling in the hopes of annoying her twin just a little.

Dana raised her eyebrows assertively. “Well?”

“It was... alluring. The kind of kiss that promises something exceptional is waiting right around the corner if you are willing to be patient. The kind of kiss that warms your lips and heats you up just enough to pique your curiosity, but not enough to completely liquefy you, you know what I mean?” Nora looked at her sister thoughtfully.

Always the diplomat, Dana blurted, “Cut the flowery shit! Did you want to bang him or not?”

Nora laughed wholeheartedly and pulled her sister closer offering her a quick squeeze and a kiss to the forehead.

“You goofball! Of course I’m curious. I want to see him again and see what develops. He’s adorable!”

“There, was that so hard?” Dana scolded playfully, straightening herself up and putting her own plate on top of Nora’s.

“I guess I’m just struggling a little,” Nora mumbled quietly. Something had been bothering her ever since her date with Gage, and she hoped that Dana could help her work through it, or at least validate her feelings.

“What is it?” Dana asked, suddenly very intrigued. She always seemed interested in Nora’s dilemmas, especially if she could offer advice. Nora picked up her tea, holding the warm mug in her hands, allowing it to comfort her while she grappled with her feelings.

Dana sighed impatiently, prompting Nora to share her thoughts.

“I really like Gage,” she began. Dana shrugged softly and smiled, encouraging her to go on. “But, I’m also into Leo. I mean, really into him. Our second date was off the charts hot.”

Dana opened her eyes widely, curiously looking at her sister as if to say ‘do tell!’

“I took your advice and decided to just let go and have some fun,” Nora admitted, feeling a blush rise in her cheeks.

“No shit! Good for you! How was it?” Dana asked, shifting herself back into the sofa so she could face her sister straight on. Nora smiled softly, allowing the memory to float up, flushing her cheeks even more.

“You have no idea. He’s so confident, Dana, and he makes me feel so fucking sexy. It was the hottest date I’ve ever had. The man has a way of looking at me that makes me want to drop my panties.”

“Nora!” Dana laughed, amused by the confession. Nora grinned naughtily, and shrugged.

“I know! I even surprised myself,” she continued, happy to finally share the experience with her twin. “He took me dancing at this really cool little club on 1st Street.”

“The Grenada Night Club? Yeah, I’ve been there,” Dana interrupted. “Latin dancing, a fun place, loaded with hot people. Of course that was B.M.”

‘B.M.’ was Dana’s way of saying ‘before marriage,’ like it somehow represented a time in her life when she was a completely different person. Although she usually referred to B.M. with a wistful tone, Nora knew that her sister wouldn’t give up A.M. (after marriage) for anything. She was crazy about her man Sam. Nora wanted to have what they shared more than anything. Sam doted on her sister and loved her deeply, and as far as Nora could tell, they had a wonderful partnership. They balanced their work and home life perfectly, each allowing the other to have space to grow and enjoy things independently, while still spending quality time with each other. Of course that would probably change once they had children, but the foundation of their marriage was solid. Nora respected them both so much.

“It was amazing. I haven’t danced in a long time,” Nora continued, pulling her feet up on the sofa and making herself comfortable. “And Leo can dance. We had so much fun. Once we got thoroughly worked up, we went back to my place.”

“Uh-huh?” Dana gushed, hoping to hear more. Nora sighed, chuckling softly to herself, the naughty memories still fresh in her mind. She shook her head slowly and grinned at her sister.

“Let’s just say he has skills. No man has ever made me cum that hard in my entire life. And that was just the foreplay. Fuck, Dana, I was such a slut. You would have been so proud,” Nora teased, taking a sip of her tea.

Dana clapped softly and laughed, as if congratulating her twin. “I am proud of you, you’re right. Did you fuck him?”

“Actually, we didn’t get that far. He got called into work, can you believe it? Horrible timing,” Nora mused.

“Ugh, that sucks,” Dana groaned, “Has he been in touch since?”

“Ya, it was a bit of a letdown, but in another way it was probably for the best. We’re going out again on Monday night,” Nora assured her sister. “He’s sent me a few text messages since our date, and even some this morning. They were pretty spicy.”

“Ooh, let me see,” Dana purred, reaching for Nora’s phone. Nora laughed, snatching her phone off the table before her sister could.

“Oh hell no! You’re not snooping in my messages,” she squealed, hiding the phone behind her back. Only a sister could make you feel fifteen forever, Nora thought affectionately.

“Okay, okay,” Dana giggled, “at least give me the gist. Or read just one. How spicy are they?”

“They make me blush, but it’s so much fun flirting with him. He’s very naughty and seems to be coaxing out my racy side,” she confessed.

“That’s a good thing, Nora! So what’s the problem?” Dana asked eagerly.

Nora bit at her thumbnail nervously and softly sighed, “Like I said, I like both of them and I’m not sure what to do.”

“What do you mean ‘what to do’?” Dana asked. Nora sipped her tea again, trying to figure out how to explain her feelings. She took a moment to formulate her thoughts while Dana smiled at her curiously, waiting for her to speak.

“I haven’t dated anyone for a long time, and never had two men interested in me at the same time before. I have no clue what to do here. Is it ok for me to date them both?” Nora asked, cautiously.

Dana laughed softly, quickly setting Nora at ease. “Of course you can. Both of these relationships are in the early stages. You haven’t committed to either one of them, have you?” she asked gently.

“No, of course not. It’s far too soon for that,” Nora replied, following her sister’s train of thought.

“Right. So there’s nothing wrong with playing the field for a little while, to see how things develop. Just be up front with both of them and let them know that you are keeping things casual for now, and that you’re open to dating other people. As long as you are honest about it I don’t see a problem.” Dana grinned at her confidently, clearly pleased with her advice.

“Well, I do think honesty is the best policy. You don’t think it’s improper, though?” she asked, still hedging over her feelings.

“Fuck no!” Dana snapped, shaking her head emphatically. “Men do this all the time, and most of the time they don’t even tell the women involved. They don’t feel the need to justify themselves, do they? As long as they are not in a committed relationship, they do exactly what they want. I know you are a decent person, Nora, and so do you. You will know when it is time to make a choice, but until then, you have absolutely no reason to feel guilty. This is your time, girl! Have some fun!”

“You’re right,” Nora said, nodding her head in agreement, “I’ll just be up front with both of them. I’m an intuitive woman, right? I can be sensitive to both men.”

“For sure! Just relax, everything will be okay,” Dana assured, “Now, let’s talk about me. I have some news.”

Nora chuckled softly, relieved to have sorted her feelings out and to have all of her doubt put to rest, at least temporarily. She inhaled deeply, and felt the stress leave her body.

“Okay, what is this news of yours?”

“Sam has the opportunity to take a job back east. New York City, no less. The firm is expanding and they are merging with an existing law firm. They want him to be Managing Partner,” Dana offered solemnly. Nora could tell that her sister was feeling ambiguous about the news. She wasn’t crazy about it herself. She couldn’t imagine not having her sibling by her side, and suddenly felt her own tears dangerously close. Thankfully, she was trained to listen without judgement and to be impartial, and she allowed her counseling instincts to kick in.

“It’s a great opportunity for him and I don’t think I would have the heart to refuse him, but it’s going to be awfully hard to leave. I’ve got a life here, my career, friendships, YOU,” Dana protested, her eyes wide with concern. “How will you live without me, Sis?”

Nora smiled at her sister, understanding that it was Dana who needed Nora, more than the other way around. It was Dana who had followed Nora to L.A., and in spite of her tough exterior, it was Dana who had the more sensitive heart, who got hurt the easiest, and who loved more deeply. Dana was the yin to her yang.

“When is this all supposed to be happening?” Nora asked casually, hoping to keep her sister from melting down.

Dana shrugged her shoulders before answering. “I’m not sure. He just told me about it on Friday night. It will take a few months for them to sort out all the legalities for the merger, so I am guessing it will be mid-June or so maybe?”

“And what about Dance With Me?” Nora asked, “Will you be able to break your contract?”

“It’s a year to year agreement, and between you and me I’m heartbroken because I’m pretty sure they were going to promote me from the troupe to Pro, and dancing with a celebrity. That’s huge!” she pouted, her eyes expressing her sadness.

“Wow, this is going to be a challenging time for you and Sam,” Nora offered, reaching out to take her sisters hand. Dana nodded her head solemnly and allowed her sister to comfort her.

“You can say that again. How exactly does it work? How does someone give up everything so their partner can be happy, but not be resentful towards them in the long run?” Dana asked, her eyes pleading for answers. Nora hesitated for a moment before responding.

“That’s a good question, and the only thing I can recommend is to question your own beliefs or thoughts about it. Can you be sure you are giving up everything? Can you know you will be resentful? What if the move opens up new opportunities for you? Better opportunities? What if you choose to look at this as an adventure instead of a loss?” Nora encouraged cautiously, understanding how precarious it was to coach loved ones. Psychology 101. Never counsel family. No matter how many initials she had beside her name, she would always just be Nora- Nora-bo-bora-Banana-fanna-fo-fora. It was damn tough to convince them that you just might know a thing or two, regardless of your degree. If they knew you when you had pigtails and skinned knees, you had zero credibility. Period. They used to joke about it in school. Set your rates, then double them for friends and family.

As if proving Nora’s point, Dana rolled her eyes at her twin, “Easy for you to say, you’re not the one being asked to sacrifice your life. It sucks.”

Nora offered her twin a soothing smile, making a mental note to just be a supportive sister, even if that meant being vulnerable herself. That’s what Dana was looking for.

“That’s true, Sam is asking a lot from you. It’s going to be hard, but I know you can do it. You are a strong woman Dana, and the truth is, with your resume, you can easily get a job in New York, maybe even a better one.” Nora squeezed her sister’s hand, hoping to reassure her, to reassure both of them.

“Maybe,” she mumbled, not meeting Nora’s gaze, “but I’m going to be lonely. You’ll be living 2500 miles away.”

“A five hour flight, and we can FaceTime every day. You won’t be lonely for long, Dana. People adore you! You know it’s true. Don’t fret, it will be okay. Besides, at this point nothing is for sure yet. Let’s just wait and see how things unfold with Sam and then we can worry about the logistics of it all. Okay?” Nora assured, shifting herself so Dana would meet her eyes.

“Okay,” she agreed, finally making eye contact. She looked worried still, Nora observed, but there was also a determined set to her jaw now. Her twin was a go-getter and at the end of the day, she would be just fine. She always came out on top.

“More pancakes?” Nora asked cheerfully, trying to lighten the mood.

“I’m not sure a shrink should be encouraging a client to stuff their feelings down with food,” Dana goaded, a reluctant smile forming on her face.

“First of all I’m not a shrink, second, you’re not my client, and third if we wanted to stuff our feelings down, I would recommend chocolate sundaes over pancakes any day,” Nora retorted playfully, giving her sister suggestive look.

“You are the devil,” Dana laughed, “but I’m in. Are you driving or am I?”

“I am. Your driving sucks. One good thing about New York, everyone takes the subway,” Nora mocked.

“Ha-ha,” Dana laughed, saluting her sister with her middle finger, “bite me.”

CHAPTER 11

NORA

It was still pretty early, probably only 6:00 am or so. Nora gently stretched her naked body under the covers and let out a deep, satisfied moan. She felt wonderful, relaxed and peaceful, and wished she could wake up feeling that fulfilled every day.

She could hear Leo in the kitchen, preparing coffee. She told him she would do it but he insisted, despite the fact that he didn’t know his way around her kitchen. He assured her that if he could put out a five alarm fire and save lives, he could manage to make a pot of coffee. He then gave her bottom a playful smack, pulled on his slacks, and made his way out of her bedroom on a mission. Nora loved how he carried himself with such confidence.

They’d gone out for dinner the night before, their third date. Nora had gone into the evening fully expecting it to be as hot, if not hotter than the date before, and Leo did not disappoint. He took her to a romantic little rooftop restaurant with a gorgeous view of the city. She liked that he pulled his chair close to hers so they could sit intimately side by side, instead of across from each other. Leo was a great story teller, and while they didn’t share anything too deep or personal, he was still engaging and funny. Nora appreciated the quick-witted banter they both seemed to enjoy, and she easily kept up with him. She could be cheeky with Leo because he really seemed to enjoy her teasing. On top of that, they had an undeniable physical chemistry. It was obvious all though dinner that both of them were itching to get their hands on one another. His soft caresses and kisses throughout the evening drove her crazy. She couldn’t ever remember a time in her life that she felt so sexually charged. Leo seemed perfectly pleased with himself and the effect he was having on her, and really enjoyed teasing her as well.

At one point in the evening she had felt particularly daring. Leo had just given her one of his delicious kisses as the waiter had come by to check on them. They had just finished their coffee and were anxious to get home, both of them feeling worked up. Nora let her hand slip over Leo’s lap and slide gently up his thigh until she found the prize she was looking for. The look on Leo’s face was priceless as he tried to stay composed while the waiter was asking if they wanted anything else. She massaged his cock through his slacks as discreetly as she could, enjoying the stiffness of him under her touch. She loved torturing him and had to stifle a giggle when Leo’s voice cracked as he requested the check.

After the waiter left, Leo turned to her and whispered in her ear that she was being a very naughty girl. That probably shouldn’t have turned her on as much as it did, but fucking hell it made her hot! She left him at the table and went to freshen up, and then they hightailed it out of there. There were a few other patrons in front of them sharing the elevator ride, but that didn’t stop Leo from kissing her. She waited for just the right moment and then slipped her damp panties into his pocket. His eyes and his grin, widened when he realized what she’d given him. He put his arm around her waist and pulled her closer, then lifted her dress slowly from behind, exposing her bare backside. The thought of getting caught was both horrifying and exhilarating at the same time. If anyone turned around they would have been busted!

As worried as she was, she didn’t want him to stop. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and the adrenalin coursing through her only served to heighten her desire. He slid his hand between her legs, trailing his fingers up her thigh until he found her dampness. She sucked in her breath hard, making a loud enough noise to draw a playful warning look from Leo. His long reach allowed him to gently brush her clit before he slipped his fingers into her soaking wet hole. God, she could have cum right then and there!

She didn’t even remember the ride home, she had been so worked up, and as soon as they walked into her apartment Leo had her off her feet. He carried her straight into the bedroom, kissing her all the while, until she felt herself dropping back onto her mattress. He grinned at her sheepishly before burying his face between her legs, as if he couldn’t wait even one more second to taste her. His velvety tongue traced her folds tenderly, eagerly lapping up her juices.

Normally, she was too shy to allow a guy to go down on her, but Leo made her feel wild, impulsive and daring. Besides, she didn’t think he would stop even if she’d asked him to, and that alone aroused her even further. It was as though he wanted to swallow her whole. She was so swollen with desire that as soon as he plunged his fingers into her she came for him. He must have approved because she could hear him moaning between her legs.

She would have loved to return the favor and taken him into her mouth, but he was too impatient. As soon as she helped him unzip his pants he slipped them off and eagerly pushed her back onto the bed. When she playfully tried to protest, he just smiled wickedly at her and brought his lips down on her hard, his tongue filling her mouth. She could taste herself on him, but she didn’t care, she craved his kisses. He expertly tore the wrapping off a condom with his teeth, and then quickly rolled it over his erection. He had the look of a man on the brink of madness, and she could only assume it was driven by his own insatiable need. Within seconds he had buried himself into her, his cock filling her completely. She rocked in perfect rhythm with him as he plunged himself in and out, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist.

Without a doubt, they would have other opportunities to fuck each other, but in that moment there was no question of who was in charge. Leo was a man who knew exactly what he wanted, and even more importantly, how to get it. And he could back it all up with his skills. He left her breathless as he desperately fucked her, positioning himself at exactly the right angles for her to feel the full pleasure of his cock. She grabbed his ass just as an orgasm coursed through her, her body rocking and shaking uncontrollably. That must have been more than Leo could take because in that same delicious moment he released his own passion as though he’d been holding onto it by a delicate thread, and on his last deep thrust he spilled his seed.

They held each other for a few minutes, catching their breath and enjoying the afterglow of their pleasure. She smiled up at Leo while he brushed the hair out of her eyes. She liked the feel of his weight on top of her, oddly it made her feel warm and protected. Finally, Leo rolled himself off of her, leaving a chill where his body heat had been. She shivered and pulled the covers up around her while he went to the bathroom to clean up.

As Nora waited for Leo to return, she wondered whether or not he would spend the night. It wasn’t that she needed him to sleep over to validate her or the relationship, but it had been so long since a man had warmed her bed, she welcomed the thought. As soon as he came back, he slipped under the covers and pulled her close. She lay her head against his chest waiting for him to speak, but he just held her in silence. Soon, his breathing slowed to a deep and rhythmic pace, and she knew he had fallen asleep.

She drifted off to sleep herself until a full bladder woke her up. It was close to 2:00 am and Leo was still sleeping beside her, snoring peacefully. She gently slipped out of his embrace, careful not to disturb him, and went into the bathroom to freshen up herself. She washed the makeup off her face and brushed her teeth before returning to bed. Again, she did her best not to wake him, but to her surprise he seized her by the waist and pulled her toward him. His naked body was warm against her own, his soft chest hair tickling the sensitive flesh of her back. He moaned quietly in her ear, and spooned even closer to her. She could feel his erection swelling against her skin, gently flicking and teasing her pussy from behind. Leo reached his hand down and lazily massaged her mound, heating her up all over again. Nora sighed deeply and opened her legs, inviting his cock to tease her, flesh to flesh. She placed her hand over his and applied the pressure she needed, guiding him to the perfect spot.

Leo must have appreciated the gesture because he growled some naughty words in her ear and pulled her ass up towards him. Nora couldn’t help but giggle, loving his response. He kissed the back of her neck, gently grazing her flesh with his teeth. This sent a volt of pleasure straight to her womb and she gratefully moaned her approval. He skillfully kneaded her pussy, slipping the tips of his fingers into her, in and out, in and out, until her climax reached its peak. She grabbed his hand and held it in place, while another orgasm surged through her, spurred on by Leo’s whisper.

“Cum for me, Nora.”

While she took a moment to recover, Leo must have retrieved another condom and placed it over his still hard shaft. He snuggled up beside her and took her from behind, his cock finding her swollen and ready for him. This time he fucked her slowly and tenderly, his free hand trailing up and down her body as far as he could reach. As much as Nora enjoyed the sleepy sex from behind, she wanted to move more freely and enjoy his body. She wiggled herself away, allowing his cock to spill out of her and then rolled over to face him. She kissed him fervently, shifting him on his back, straddling herself over him as she nibbled, sucked and scratched down his neck and chest, stopping to graze his small buds with her teeth. Leo groaned quietly as she reached between her legs and grabbed his cock, positioning it perfectly so she could skewer herself down on him. From this position she could feel the full length and girth of him inside of her as he filled her to the hilt. With her new found confidence, Nora rode him hard until they both came again, pleasured, exhausted and content.

She hadn’t slept long after that, but she slept well, wrapped in Leo’s arms. They woke when the alarm chimed on his smartphone. He squeezed her breast and gave her a kiss to the top of her head... then headed to the kitchen with the promise to return with coffee.

Nora stretched again, a smile on her face from the memory of an awesome night, and waited for Leo to return. There was so much she wanted to talk to him about in the short time they had before work.

CHAPTER 12

LEO

It was no surprise to Leo that Nora’s kitchen was clean and organized. He had very little trouble finding everything quickly and easily to make a pot of coffee. He sleepily leaned himself against the counter, wishing he had a few more hours to lay around in bed with her. While he had the morning off, she told him she had to be out the door by 7:30 if she was going to make it to work on time.

Typically, he didn’t like to spend the night with a woman after sex. It just left the wrong impression. In his experience, women usually read too much into it. He stayed overnight with Nora for two reasons.First, she was not like most of the women he dated. She was intelligent, mature and interesting. He liked that she was witty and not overly sensitive, so he could tease her without her taking it personally. Corrine had been that way too. The truth was that she held his interest beyond the sexual chemistry they obviously shared. She made him feel like he needed to step up his game, to make sure she knew he was not just fucking around.

The second reason he stayed? He had been so worked up the first time they had sex it had ended almost before it started. He didn’t want to leave her with the notion that he was a two-minute man. That would just be fucking embarrassing. So, by all accounts, he crashed overnight to make sure he left her with a good impression.

He really liked Nora. She challenged him and if he was being honest, he was pushing himself out of his comfort zone because of his attraction to her. Whether that was good or bad was still undecided. Last night was fantastic, but he was concerned his feelings for her were developing too rapidly. He wasn’t sure he was ready for that. He knew he needed to be clear with her about his feelings, because a woman like Nora would settle for nothing less. He just wasn’t sure how to tell her without spooking her or pushing her away. He still wanted to hang out with her, but he wanted to keep things casual until he knew for sure that his feelings for her were genuine.

Leo grabbed two mugs out of the cupboard and poured coffee into both of them. He remembered that Nora took hers with a little milk and sugar and prepared it the way she liked before making his way back to the bedroom. Nora was sitting up in bed in her bathrobe. He smiled, once again recalling the night of their first meeting, noting how damn lucky it was that he had been in the right place at the right time. A few minutes before or after and he may never have met her. Maybe it was fate, he wondered casually.

He handed her a mug and sat down beside her, giving her a quick peck on her pretty, full lips. It was remarkable that she looked just as beautiful in the morning, with not a stitch of make-up, as she had all dolled up the night before. He liked that she looked mussed up and satisfied, and even better that he was the lucky bastard that had made her look that way.

“Thank you for this.

” Nora held her mug up in a ‘cheers’ motion before taking a careful sip of the hot beverage.

“My pleasure,” Leo assured, offering her a quick wink.

“All of it.”

Nora smirked playfully, shaking her head at him, as if to bring his ego down a notch.

“That was quite a night. I know I enjoyed myself a lot. I’m happy you decided to sleepover. It was nice waking up beside you. And serving me coffee in bed? I could get used to this,” she teased, holding her hand out to him. Leo looked at it for a few seconds too long before taking it in his own. He wondered what she was thinking about, if she had read too much into him staying all night.

“Well, what can I say, I like serving you,” he growled, raising her hand to his lips. He kissed and nibbled her fingers seductively, his eyes suggesting he wanted to taste more.

“Did you have a good night?” she asked guardedly.

Leo had enough experience with ‘post-sex’ conversations that he knew what Nora was looking for. She wanted validation that he was still interested, that his expectations had been met, and that it wasn’t just casual sex. She wanted to know if they were on the same page. This was usually the part when Leo would ‘buddy’ them up, keep it light, talk about how much ‘fun’ they’d had. He was good at smoothing things over so that they both parted ways happy, with their egos in check. Hell, most of the time they came back for round two or three, despite the fact that there was no promise of anything more than friends with benefits.

But he didn’t want to have that conversation with Nora. The problem was, he wasn’t exactly sure what he did want.

“I had a great time. I did,” he offered carefully, pausing to process his thoughts.

Nora just looked at him warmly, waiting patiently for him to speak. She wasn’t going to make this easy for him either, which was one of the things he dug about her.

“Can I be honest with you?” he finally asked, setting his mug down on the bedside table.

Nodding, she said, “I would hope for nothing less,” her eyes suggesting she was more curious than wary.

“I really like you, Nora,” he began, trying to find the right words so he wouldn’t sound like a complete asshole. “I’ve never been much for monogamy, I’ve been playing the field for a long time now. I’m not sure I would be any good at it.”

He met her eyes for a moment or two, trying to gauge her reaction. She didn’t look hurt, or shocked, or even surprised, but instead she looked rather patient. This encouraged him to continue.

“I’m not sure how you are feeling about this,” he said, gesturing between them, “but I’m feeling really good about it. I want to see where things go between us, but the truth is, I have a hard time committing to one woman. I’m not saying that I don’t want to, but that I’m not sure I know how. I guess I’m just asking for a little time to see how things develop. I don’t want to rush things.”

“Leo,” Nora whispered, gently squeezing his hand, “it’s ok. I’m not asking for a commitment. We’ve only been out a few times, and granted they were awesome as dates go, but I don’t want to jump into anything too quickly either. I want us to get to know each other better, and see if our chemistry extends beyond the bedroom. There’s still so much to learn about each other.”

Leo nodded at her, surprised but grateful that she seemed to understand. Maybe she would make it easy. She had a maturity about her that seemed to go well beyond her years…, what some people referred to as an old soul.

“Then we agree. Let’s hang out some more, maybe go dancing again?” he grinned, leaning in for a kiss. She put her mug down and took his face in both hands, they were still warm from holding the coffee cup. It felt comforting. She kissed him sweetly, lingering just inches from his mouth as she stared into his eyes.

“Thanks for being honest with me,” she whispered.

“Of course,” Leo replied, drawn in by her gaze. She was bewitching him, he thought humorously. She released his face and he slowly straightened himself back up, but not without wondering whether or not they had time to fuck again.

“I wanted to bring this up with you myself. I’d love to spend more time with you Leo, for sure. I really like you too, we have so much fun together. But while we are keeping things casual, I think we could also see other people, at least until we agree that we would like to take things to the next level, if that ever happens. What are your thoughts about that?” she asked cautiously, picking up her mug and taking another sip of coffee.

It seemed sensible to Leo, especially since he seemed to be the one that needed an escape hatch, but for a brief moment he felt jealous at the thought of Nora dating anyone else. He knew it was stupid to think that it was okay for him to play the field and not her, but in a perfect world that was exactly how he wanted it.

He nodded and chuckled awkwardly, inwardly chastising himself for being a sexist jerk.

“Makes sense to me,” he agreed quietly, reading her face for more clues. Was she really okay with this or was she just telling him what she thought he wanted to hear? Nora reached out and gave him a hug, then kissed him on the cheek, as if to reassure him.

“Good. I’m glad we talked about this. I was wondering when we would finally talk about something a little more personal and intimate,” she purred, kissing him sensually, the heat from the coffee lingering on her lips.

As inappropriate as it was, in that moment of honesty between them, he couldn’t help but think about how her warm mouth would feel swallowing his cock. Not a gentlemanly notion at all, yet he found himself aroused all the same. He wondered if he could shift the conversation to oral sex without looking like a complete jackass.

“I think I’m going to jump in the shower,” she told him, gently prying herself away. He pulled her back and whispered in her ear, asking if he could join her. She nodded her consent, her eyes glistening with desire, as he helped her off the bed and led her to the bathroom.

When he turned around, he found that she’d already slipped out her robe somewhere along the way. He grinned at her and pulled her in for another kiss, but this one demonstrated his hunger. His cock, having been semi-ready for action already, was now fully erect, pressing against his slacks. Nora reached down, and unfastened his button and zipper, quite skillfully considering she only used one hand. His slacks dropped to the floor leaving them both naked, and on equal terms. She stroked his cock while he kissed her, using the tips of her fingers to collect the pre-cum so that her hand could glide gently up and down his shaft. She slid her other hand down his back and over his hip so she could play with his balls while she rubbed him off.

She so skillfully hand fucked him that he almost lost his footing and had to slap his hand up against the wall beside her head so he wouldn’t lose his balance. Nora giggled playfully as though she thoroughly enjoyed torturing him. With his free hand he wrapped his fingers behind her head, entwining them into her dark locks and pulled her in for yet another kiss. He crushed his mouth against hers, drawing a helpless moan from her, then parted her lips so his tongue could play with hers. She kissed him back with equal fervency, stroking his cock even faster.

As they parted, he looked at her with a devilish grin, and with his fingers still laced in her hair, guided her to kneel in front of him. She gladly submitted, taking him into her mouth. She greedily licked and sucked his cock, taking long deep pulls on the shaft, using her tongue playfully on the tip. The pleasure was almost maddening, his moans deep and guttural. He continued to hold himself steady against the wall while his free hand guided her with the task. There was something about a woman on her knees trying to swallow his cock that made a man feel like a god. Leo was no exception. He wanted to explode and cum down her pretty throat, filling her belly with his seed. As though sensing his desperate need, she grabbed his ass in both of her hands and guided him deeper into her mouth, her moans vibrating deliciously around his cock.

“Fuck, Nora, don’t stop,” he commanded, even though he sensed she had no intention of it. He wanted her cock seduction to go on forever, but as soon as she started to lick and suck his balls, he knew he was done for. When she took his cock into her mouth once more, he eagerly grabbed her head with both unsteady hands and started fucking her mouth, as quickly and deeply as he dared without gagging her. She knew what he wanted and took control, expertly bringing him to an explosive orgasm, impressively swallowing every last drop of his jizz. She looked up at him with her seductive green eyes, slowly peeling her mouth off his cock, then wiped her lips with the back of her hand. It had to be the sexiest thing he had ever seen a woman do in the entire 36 years of his life. In fact, the blow job was probably the best he’d ever had.

“Well-well, Doc, you are full of surprises,” he teased breathlessly, helping her back to her feet. He pulled her into an embrace, and held her for a moment while he recovered.

“I wanted to do that all night,” she confessed, her whisper hot in his ear. He felt the familiar tightness of arousal sting his exhausted balls and he chuckled, kissing the crown of her head. He was nowhere near ready to fuck her again, in spite of what his body suggested.

“That was... wow,” he sputtered, struggling for the right thing to say. It was a rare thing for him to be rendered speechless. Nora slapped his ass and laughed, as she squirmed out of his embrace.

“Come on, let’s get in the shower. Sadly, I need to be an adult now. Work is calling,” she urged, leaning her curvy body over the tub. She turned on the shower before looking back at him, her head gesturing for him to follow her in. He was more than happy to oblige. The least he could do was wash her back.

CHAPTER 13

NORA

“So, I’ve been practicing the first module in my DBT therapy Dr. Dupree, but can you just remind me what mindfulness is supposed to help me with?” Nora’s patient asked cynically, “Because it doesn’t seem to be making a bit of difference.”

Nora smiled at him patiently. “I don’t mind going over this with you again, Gary, but remember last week when we talked about the importance of staying patient through this process?” she reminded him kindly, “I know you want things to improve immediately, but mindfulness really takes practice.”

Gary shrugged his shoulders, sighing deeply. “Right, I know. It’s just that I get so frustrated with myself and these anger issues. I get pissed off at the stupidest things, I mean I really fucking lose it, and then afterwards I feel so much shame about it. You don’t understand how badly I want to fix this,” he croaked, his voice cracking with emotion.

“I know, Gary. I understand it’s challenging, but you’re doing everything right. If you get too far ahead of yourself, or skip certain steps, you run the risk of not developing these important skills. It really is vital to take this thing step by step,” Nora assured, nodding at him kindly. Gary nodded back, just as Nora knew he would.

“Okay, so let’s go over this again. Mindfulness is the practice of observing your emotions and environment, describing your feelings and experiences, and fully participating in the moment. By learning and incorporating mindfulness skills, you’ll become more aware of your feelings, thoughts, impulses, and behaviors. This awareness will empower you to better regulate your emotions and choose more appropriate actions,” she explained calmly, guiding her client with poise and patience. He looked at her intently, absorbing everything she said.

As soon as Gary left, Nora tried to focus on completing her patient files so she could go home. He was her last patient at the end of a very busy week, but it was Friday and she was going out with Gage that night. She could think of nothing better than to unwind with him. He was so easy to be around.

Ever since her date with Leo earlier in the week she had wondered whether she still wanted to date Gage, but his texts were irresistible, so sweet and thoughtful. He was so direct and honest with his feelings that she couldn’t help but be drawn to him. She needed to know more.

His message that morning promised a relaxing date where they could just chill with each other. He was picking her up at her place at 6:30 and told her not to dress up. That sounded perfect to her.

Traffic was hell as usual, but she managed to get home with just enough time to freshen up. She threw on a pair of jeans and a bright yellow t-shirt with a smiley face moments before he rang her buzzer. She invited him up and quickly finished applying her mascara and lipstick before he knocked on her door.

She opened the door to find him holding a bouquet of gerbera daisies, in many cheerful colors. She couldn’t help but smile at the sweet gesture.

“They’re lovely, Gage. These are my favorite flower!” she gushed, accepting his gift gratefully.

“A lucky guess,” he admitted, following her in, “but I’m glad you like them.”

He looked yummy dressed in black jeans and a white t-shirt that showed off his strong arms. She caught him checking her out too, and they both chuckled when they realized what was happening.

“Come here,” he urged, reaching out for her hand and pulling her towards him. It was a damn sexy gesture and she almost swooned as he pulled her in for a kiss. It was just as tender and beautiful as the first kiss they had shared, but it was short and sweet and left her wanting more.

“I’m happy you were free tonight. I’ve been thinking about you all week,” he said, kissing her on the forehead before releasing his embrace.

“You’ve been on my mind too. I’m glad we’re doing this,” she agreed, walking toward the kitchen. He followed her, then helped her get a vase down off the top shelf. He filled it with water while she unwrapped the flowers.

“So where are we going?” she asked, arranging each daisy in the vase, one by one, taking great care to ensure they were perfect.

“I thought we could go to The Night Market at Santa Anita Park? Some of the guys were talking about it. Have you ever been?” he asked, stepping out of her way so she could get by him with the flowers. He followed her into the dining room.

“I went a few years back, it is a pretty cool place,” she explained, setting the flowers on the table.

The Night Market was a food festival that had hundreds of vendors that sold everything from good eats, to arts and crafts, and offered tons of live entertainment. It was a huge family affair that appealed to all ages.

“I’d love to go again!”

He seemed pleased with her response and smiled brightly at her.

“Good, I was thinking we could grab dinner there! Almost ready to go?”

“Yep, just let me just grab something warm to wear. It might get chilly later,” she said, walking to the front closet. She chose a sweater and closed the closet door behind her. “Ready.”

Gage opened the front door and waited for her to walk ahead of him. Then took her keys from her hand and locked the door behind them, like a true gentleman. She liked that he was chivalrous. Even though she prided herself on being a feminist, she appreciated him taking care of her. It made her feel special. He handed her keys to her and she tucked them back into her purse, before slipping her hand into his. He smiled at her warmly, and gave her hand a gentle squeeze as they walked toward the elevator.

* * *

She couldn’t have asked for a better date. She and Gage had a great time together, tasting exotic foods, listening to local country bands, two-stepping clumsily under the stars, and chowing down on way too much sugar. Gage was a terrible dancer, but she didn’t mind. At least he gave it his best shot and that was good enough for her. They got along so well, she couldn’t recall the last time she had laughed so much. It was almost the perfect date. He made her feel like a teenager again—happy, young, and carefree.

It was late in the evening and the market was winding down. There weren’t many families left in the park, mostly just a few stragglers like themselves. Neither of them seemed to want the evening to end. They sat on top of a picnic table, side by side, eating sticky candy apples, talking about anything and everything.

“This was fun,” Nora admitted, licking her fingers. “I’ve had such a good time.”

“Me too. It’s been a stressful week. I just wanted to do something relaxing where we could be outside. This place is cool,” he agreed, wiping candy off Nora’s chin. It was so sticky he just made it worse. Nora grimaced playfully at him and chuckled, thinking she must have looked a mess, but not caring a bit.

Gage gave her naughty grin and kissed her chin, licking the sticky sweetness off her, prompting Nora to giggle again.

“You taste as sweet as you look,” he teased, wiping the wetness away with his thumb.

“I bet you say that to all the girls,” she said playfully.

“Not all of them,” Gage assured, feigning innocence.

Nora punched him playfully in the arm, seconds before Gage stole another kiss, this one on her lips, slow and sensual.

“Mmmmm,” Nora moaned, enjoying the sweet taste of his tongue. “You taste pretty sweet yourself,” she whispered, shivering involuntarily.

“Are you cold?” he asked, putting his arm around her protectively.

Nora nodded. “A little, but part of me wishes we could hang out here all night.”

“I know what you mean,” he agreed, pulling her closer. It felt good being in his arms, safe. “but I think they are closing soon. Looks like the vendors are packing up.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” she begrudged, tossing the rest of her candy apple into the bin.

Gage took one last bite of his and tossed his core too, but missed the trash can entirely.

“How did you miss that?” she teased, tickling his ribs.

Gage grinned at her and shrugged, not caring in the least.

“I play hockey not basketball. Besides, I’m better with my right hand.”

“Hmmm, is that so?” she flirted, catching his eyes playfully.

He raised his brows as if to say ‘you’ll see’. Nora laughed and hopped off the picnic table, retrieving the apple core and tossing it into the can.

“Ready to go, then?”

“Thanks, yes I’m ready,” he agreed, climbing down and taking her hand.

They walked back to his car slowly in a comfortable silence, neither of them feeling the need to speak.

Nora appreciated how affectionate he was. He was an old-fashioned guy, no doubt about it, and based on their conversation he was very traditional too. He grew up in Southern California and came from a large family, with five other siblings. His parents were happily married for forty years! Gage valued family above all else. Both of his parents had worked outside the home, and shared the responsibility of raising the kids and keeping the house. Nora thought his parents sounded like great role models.

“What does your week look like?” Nora asked as they made their way through the parking lot, finally breaking the silence.

“Home game tomorrow and Monday, then on the road again for a few,” he explained, opening the car door for her.

She sat down and waited for him to come around and slide into the driver’s seat before asking her next question.

“You guys are doing well. What do you think your playoff chances are?” she asked curiously, wondering how challenging it would be to spend quality time with him.

One of the best traits about Gage was that he took advantage of his time with her and really made an effort to get to know her. He was an open book himself, too. They had only been out twice and she felt like they had known one another for decades. She couldn’t really say that about Leo, who she had yet to break down walls with. Leo kept things pretty light. And tight.

On the other hand, she had a feeling that her physical relationship with Gage was going to take a little more time to develop than it had with Leo. He seemed much more reserved on that front. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, she didn’t mind the pace he was going, but if they didn’t have time to spend together, she was curious how things would progress for them.

“I think we might have a shot. This is probably my last chance to win the cup, so it would be cool to make a run at it,” he shared, turning on the ignition and backing the car out of the empty lot.

“You think you’ll be retiring this year?” Nora asked diplomatically.

She had heard talk that his contract was up, but she wasn’t sure if retirement was on the table for him, or if he planned to seek out another franchise. He glanced over at her and shrugged, a weak smile on his lips.

“I think this is it. I’m tired, Nora. It’s time for something else. I need a life outside of hockey, you know?”

She nodded. She did know. She felt that way a few years ago when she was coming to the end of her schooling. It felt like she had no life but study, study, study.

“Well then, I hope that you get a chance, Gage. Your goaltending has been on point, and the boys are playing some good puck this season. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you,” she offered supportively, but she understood that play-off hockey meant less time with him, and that would be tough given the circumstances she found herself in.

He seemed to have read her mind and reached out to take her hand.

“I guess the timing is not so great with us?” he offered, obviously contemplating the same thing that she was.

She turned her head and offered him a thoughtful smile.

“It is what it is, though right? I’m not in a rush, Gage,” she insisted, trying to find the right words.

She needed the time to get to know both of these men, and to process her feelings about them, so maybe the timing was just right. If things were to move too quickly, maybe she wouldn’t have the luxury of figuring it all out, and she could quite possibly make a mistake.

“That’s good to hear. I really like you Nora, and I don’t want to fuck this up, but until the end of the season, I don’t have a lot of control over my schedule, or my life. It’s been a problem in the past and I guess I’m just worried it could be a problem now,” he admitted honestly, more straight-forward than insecure.

“I really like you too, and I’m happy to keep things casual between us, Gage, at least until the season is over. We’ll see each other when we can, and make the best of it. Once the season is over, we can see where things go,” she promised, squeezing his hand for reassurance.

He smiled and brought her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles softly.

But she wasn’t done. She needed to be honest with him about Leo and she wasn’t sure how he would receive it. The truth was, he could be completely uncomfortable with her dating someone else, and possibly walk away from her, but she had to be transparent with him. He deserved nothing less.

“I need to be honest with you about something,” she continued, taking a deep breath.

Gage quickly glanced her way, a look of uncertainty on his handsome face.

“I’m really, really enjoying spending time with you, and I do like where things are going between us, but you need to know I am dating other people.”

She waited a moment or two for him to speak, but he didn’t say a word, as though he was quietly contemplating her confession.

“I’m not opposed to an exclusive relationship, don’t get me wrong. To be honest, I would like my next relationship to be my last, but I need to be sure that I do things right this time. And of course you should feel free to date too,” she babbled nervously. “I’m rambling,” she stammered, suddenly feeling very vulnerable.

She quietly looked out the window, wishing she had been more eloquent. She heard Gage sigh thoughtfully, but didn’t look at him.

He spoke her name, trying to get her to look his way. She obliged, meeting his eyes before he turned them back to the road.

“It’s okay, I get it. I wouldn’t expect you to stop dating. I’m obviously in no position to ask you to not see other people, nor would I,” he explained kindly. “I’m happy to get together whenever we can and continue to get to know each other. If things get more serious between us, then we can talk about what that means, right? Hell, until the season is over, I can’t offer you much of anything, so why should you sit around?”

Nora looked at him trying to gauge his feelings. He certainly seemed sincere and not at all upset. He glanced her way and grinned, as if to reassure her.

“Come on, I appreciate your honesty,” he said, patting her hand. “You’re amazing, Nora. All I ask is that if anything changes, you let me know right away, okay? I don’t want to be that chump that thinks he has a chance if there is no chance in hell,” he said lightly, although there was an edge of truth to his humor.

“Of course, and I hope you would do the same for me,” she agreed, letting out the breath she had been holding.

He threw her a quick wink and suddenly she had the urge to kiss him. He caressed her hand, then gave it a long squeeze. She looked up at him and smiled, and in that exact second, felt her heart make space for him.

It was late when they got back to her place and even though she insisted that she could walk herself up, Gage wouldn’t consider it, in spite of an early morning practice. As soon as the door closed behind them, he clasped her face in both his hands and pulled her in for a kiss, softly parting her lips with his tongue. She ran her hand up his chest, feeling the warmth of his body and the rhythmic beating of his heart under her touch. There was something comforting about it, a familiarity she couldn’t explain. Heat radiated through her womb, weakening her knees.

“This was the best night,” he whispered, when he finally pulled himself away.

She missed his lips the second they were gone.

“Me too. Do you want to stay? Maybe have some tea?” she asked, hopeful for more of his kisses.

He moaned softly, his face inches away from hers.

“Oh god, I wish I could,” he growled, kissing one cheek, and then the other, “but I need to get some sleep. Next time?”

“You promise?” she purred, kissing him back, and wishing he wouldn’t go.

He chuckled softly, as though thrilled with her response.

“Promise,” he said, between kisses. “Next week. I’m home Thursday.”

“Come for dinner,” she demanded playfully, nibbling on his neck. She could feel his erection swelling and it excited her.

“You’re killing me, Nora,” he groaned, his hands sliding down her back. He pulled her into a tighter embrace, rubbing his cock against her. “Yes, dinner,” he said, in barely a whisper.

“I can’t wait,” she replied breathlessly.

She was pretty sure he could make her cum just with his kisses. It had been years since she’d had a good old make out session, just long, lingering kisses without the expectation of anything else. There was something really hot about that.

“I’ll text you,” he assured, peeling himself away.

He opened the door then turned back for one more kiss before leaving. She closed the door and leaned back into it, flushed, flustered and horny. She stayed that way for a few minutes, waiting to catch her breath. In the spirit of practicing mindfulness, she tried to pin point exactly how she felt in that moment, as a plethora of emotion swirled through her head.

It was joy.

CHAPTER 14

NORA

“I can’t believe you haven’t fucked him yet,” Dana mused, folding a clean towel from the basket in front of her. “Do you think it’s going to happen tonight?”

Nora looked up from the sheet she was folding and shrugged casually at her sister.

“I hope so. He’s coming here after practice. I’m cooking a romantic dinner for us,” Nora explained wistfully, contemplating what she hoped would be a sexy night, and that finally she and Gage would make love.

They had been dating over a month now, but hadn’t sealed the deal yet. It wasn’t that they weren’t into each other, just the opposite. She adored everything about him. The problem was, they could only see one another occasionally, and had been out only a handful of times over that month. Every date had been wonderful, he had even introduced her to some of his friends, proudly showing her off. He was romantic, attentive and considerate, just not in any hurry to fuck her. They shared intimate conversations, sweet caresses, and long, deep wet kisses that left her hot and bothered, confused and wanting. As much as she loved the romance and intimacy, and the deep bond they were developing, she was ready for him to turn up the heat. She needed to know if he had an adventurous side, and the anticipation was torture.

Leo on the other hand was the polar opposite. He had yet to introduce her to anyone in his life and even avoided an invite to meet her sister, taking a shift at work at the last minute. That didn’t bother Nora really, she was certain that these things would come in time, but she would be lying if she said she wasn’t curious about that. Her relationship with Leo was all passion and spice. He was bold and playful, and was able to tease something out of Nora she never knew existed. She felt like a goddess when she was with him, an insatiable sex siren! His confidence was a huge turn on for Nora and he made her feel like she could be as daring and open minded as she wanted, in fact, he encouraged it. Leo was a high achiever in bed and their sex life was an A+, but something was missing. Intimacy.

Nora tried searching for it behind all of Leo’s closed doors, gently prying them open, just a crack, attempting to peek inside. He was very good at deflection, distracting her with seduction or humor. Moving targets were so hard to hit. She saw glimpses of vulnerability in him and she was hopeful that over time he would reveal another side of himself, because ultimately she needed more from him if their relationship had any chance to grow. It wasn’t that she hadn’t tried to learn more about him, but she realized very quickly that Leo side-stepped a lot of emotional landmines which made it challenging to see behind the veil.

The truth was that each man fulfilled her needs in his own unique way, and did it quite well. Gage made her feel adored, respected, comfortable, and safe. He spoke to her heart. Leo? He made her feel desired, excited, challenged, and maybe even a little dangerous. He knew how to fire up her libido! Maybe it was shallow, but her job was mentally demanding and she appreciated a good romp to help her unwind, but she needed a deeper connection, too.

Both men had the qualities she needed in a partner. What one was lacking, the other had in abundance. If she had a magic wand and could blend her two lovers together, they would create her ideal man, the man of her dreams. But Nora was a realist, she had to be patient. She knew, given enough time, that they eventually would let their guard down, embrace their vulnerability, and share all of their mysterious facets, even the parts that scared them. She was confident that when that happened, there would be no doubt remaining and she would know what she needed to do, or which man was right for her. In fact, she was counting on it.

Nora folded the last two pillow cases and placed all the clean laundry back in the basket. She looked at her sister and smiled, ready to tentatively bring up a sensitive subject.

“Any word on Sam’s transfer?”

Dana shook her head and sat back into the couch, tucking her legs up under her.

“No. He stopped discussing it with me after I had a meltdown last week. For a lawyer you would think he would be less of a chicken shit, and not avoid confrontation,” she offered, her frustration obvious.

“I’m sure he has mixed feelings, Dana. He lives to make you happy and he knows that a move like this will be hard on you,” Nora soothed. “I’m sure he’s just trying to be sensitive to you.”

“Yeah, yeah. Stop taking his side,” Dana snapped. “Can’t you just let me pout about it for a while?”

Nora frowned and nodded her head slowly. She knew how hard this was for her sister.

“Of course,” Nora agreed, patting her sister on the leg. “Sorry.”

“So, what are you making for dinner tonight?” Dana asked, wisely changing the subject.

“Chicken korma,” Nora offered enthusiastically, “I think he’ll like that. Last time he came for dinner I ended up getting home so late from work we just ordered a pizza. I’m excited to cook for him.”

“Sounds delicious. Then after dinner maybe he’ll eat you for dessert,” Dana teased with a wink.

“Hmmm,” Nora rolled her eyes at her sister and giggled, “Why do you always have to be such a horn dog?”

“I’m just saying what you’re thinking! How about you greet him at the door in your apron?” Dana suggested provocatively.

“Why would I do that?” Nora shrugged, looking at her twin curiously. He knows I’m co—

“Just the apron,” Dana added, staring at her sister wide eyed, as though she thought she might be daft.

Nora chuckled softly, finally catching her drift.

“Oh… actually, that is not a bad idea,” she agreed optimistically, “not bad at all!”

CHAPTER 15

COOP

Sunday afternoon practice seemed to drag on forever. Coop was preoccupied with thoughts of Nora, excited to see her later that day. He’d missed her! It had been more than a week since their last date. They had gone out for dinner and then back to her place. It had been hard not to fuck her, God knows he wanted too, but he was determined to build intimacy with her first, to really get to know each other before jumping in the sack. She was a fascinating woman, more honest and forthcoming than any woman he had ever dated. He didn’t think he would ever tire of their conversations. They could talk about pretty much anything. She was brilliant. He knew he needed to make a move soon. Nora seemed far too polite to initiate sex, so it was going to be up to him. He just wanted the timing to be perfect.

The traffic from the Staple Center to Pasadena was surprisingly light and he found himself pulling into her parking lot a few minutes early. He sent her a courtesy text, letting her know he was there and she quickly replied, inviting him to come right up. She had promised him a home cooked meal and he wondered what she was going to serve. Since he hadn’t eaten since early that morning he was already starving. He could smell rich spices in the hallway just outside her apartment and his stomach growled in anticipation. He knocked on the door and thought he heard her say something, but he wasn’t quite sure what. He went ahead and tried the door and it opened.

When he stepped inside she greeted him with a cheeky smile. It took him a second or two to realize that she was not wearing anything under her frilly apron, but as soon as it was clear, he quickly shut the door, dropping his keys and phone on the table.

“Come here,” he demanded, holding his arms out to her.

She went to him swiftly, falling into his embrace, and kissing him passionately. He wrapped his hands around her bottom and lifted her up so she could wrap her legs around him. His cock got rock hard instantly, as it pressed against her nakedness.

Perfect timing, he thought playfully, holding her up against the wall. She was full of surprises. Her kisses were frenzied and full of need, and served to fuel his own desire.

“Where,” he growled, carrying her down the short hallway, wanting more than anything to free up his hands so he could touch her.

“You decide,” Nora breathed, sinking her teeth into his neck.

The gesture sent a thrill through him.

He wanted to take her right then and there, lay her out over the side of the couch and take her from behind, pounding himself into her with the desperation he felt. He had fantasized about fucking her just about every night since they met, taking her in every way, filling every hole. In his fantasies he was a fucking beast, a bad boy, and she loved it, but this was real life and he was a gentleman. He wanted this to be all about her, to make her feel special, and cared for.

“Bedroom,” he moaned, making his way towards her chambers.

She sighed heavily in his ear, a signal he took for assent. He kicked her door open with his foot, nearly dropping her.

“You can put me down,” she chuckled, loosening her grip around his neck.

“Not a chance,” he growled, adjusting his stance.

He easily carried her over to the bed and laid her down gently, kissing her softly on the lips. He loosened the apron ties around her neck and waist, then peeled it away and tossed it on to the floor, pausing to take in her beauty. She was the epitome of femininity with those voluptuous curves. All woman, soft flesh, curvy breasts, and full hips that framed her pretty, trimmed pussy. She was perfection.

She watched him looking at her, a mischievous smile on her lips as he grinned back at her hungrily, his eyes lit with need.

“One of us is way over dressed,” she teased, tugging on his shirt.

“Well, we’ll have to remedy that,” he agreed, shifting himself off of her.

He quickly undressed, pleased that Nora was watching him. She didn’t seem apprehensive at all, and he hoped that his own nervousness was well hidden. He dropped his clothes on the floor piece by piece then climbed back on the bed beside her, pulling her on top off him. She had no objections, and instead giggled playfully while she straddled one leg on either side of him. His cock twitched uncontrollably against her pussy, as though straining to penetrate her. She brought her parted lips down on his, forcing her tongue into his mouth, her fingers tangled into his hair. She was assertive, desperate, almost greedy with need, and he was digging it! He moaned his approval, grabbing her plump ass cheeks in both hands, and grinding her clit with his cock. The pressure was exquisite.

“Fuck, I want you,” she purred. “You have no idea how much I have wanted this.”

“Me too,” he agreed, kissing her neck, and tasting the salty sweetness of her flesh.

Her perfume intoxicated him and he wanted to taste more of her. He easily flipped her over, switching places with her. He nibbled down her neck stopping to pull one full nipple into his mouth, and then the other, sucking her as tenderly as he could. He swirled her buds with his tongue using every ounce of his self-control not to bite her. God how he wanted to. Instead, he pulled himself away and kissed her between her breasts, trailing his tongue down to her navel. She sucked in her breath violently, raising her hips underneath him, squirming under his touch. He loved her reaction and felt encouraged to do whatever he could to elicit that response again and again. His cock dripped and throbbed between his legs, anticipating the pleasure to come.

He looked up at her for approval before nestling himself between her legs. She smiled at him dreamily, and opened her legs for him, inviting him to feast. He was more than happy to oblige and kissed all around her mound, using his tongue to gently coax open her swollen lips. He licked from her juicy hole all the way up to her clit, seducing a deep, and throaty moan from her. Her cream was both sweet and tangy, like an aged bourbon, but without the bite. He couldn’t get enough. As he traced the folds of her pussy with his tongue, she twitched and moaned her approval, knitting her fingers through his hair. Each time he would land on a pleasurable zone, she pulled him closer, silently teaching him where her hot spots were. He was an eager student, tucking the knowledge in a safe place so he could draw on it whenever needed. He hoped that would be often.

He plunged two long fingers deep inside her, using his thumb to tease her clit. She inhaled sharply.

“Hmmm,” she moaned, raising her hips to his mouth, “don’t stop.”

He wouldn’t dream of it, he thought, as he played with her peach, offering her his mouth once more. He fucked her with his fingers while his tongue lapped at her clit. She cried out again, her thighs tightening around him as she came. He did his best not to break rhythm, wanting her pleasure to last for as long as possible. When she finally loosened her grip, he carefully pulled his fingers out of her, and then crawled up the bed to lay beside her. She gently played with his hair, catching her breath. He kissed her on the forehead, catching her eyes as he pulled away. There was a gleam in them that told him she wasn’t done.

He was still hard as a rock and desperate to fuck her, but he had a problem. He didn’t have a condom. He must have had a look of panic on his face, because Nora reached out and caressed his arm.

“What’s wrong?” she asked gently, offering him a kind look.

“Um... I... well... I came unprepared... I wasn’t thinking,” he sputtered, feeling more than a little embarrassed. For the past few dates he had made sure to throw a few condoms in his pocket, but because he came right from practice, it just never occurred to him. “Fuck!”

“Drawer, right beside you,” she whispered, pointing over his shoulder.

He smiled at her gratefully, relief washing over him, as he opened the drawer to find an unopened box of condoms waiting for him.

“You never know,” she mused, playfully tapping his ass.

He rolled back towards her and kissed her.

“Will you do the honors?” he teased, handing her the condom.

She snatched it from his hands with a cheeky grin.

“It would be my pleasure,” she agreed, ripping open the package, “but just a taste first.”