16. Nora
Chapter sixteen
Nora
A sense of calm washes over me as we step through the door. As scared as I was just a few minutes ago, the sanctum of my home—of my temporary home, Chase’s home—is enough to settle me down.
I’m safe here. My body knows it.
Unfortunately, now that I am safe, the adrenaline is leaving me, and the fact that for all the bells and whistles I work a desk job is catching up to me. I stagger forward, catching myself with a hand to the wall.
“Are you okay, Nora?” Joseph asks me, his voice filled with concern.
I nod, offering him a shaky smile. “Yeah, I think so.”
“Chase, are you okay?” I ask, my voice filled with concern as I watch him sink down onto the couch. “You should take some painkillers and get checked by a doctor, but go upstairs to get some sleep for starters.” I give him a light smile, inspecting the swelling on his head.
“Nora, it was only a blow.” He returns the smile, his eyes warm with gratitude.
“A heavy one; he hit you with his gun.” I admonish, raising a brow. “Who could he have been?”
“I'm not sure. I hardly saw his face.” Chase replies, looking down. He’s got a frown on his face, and I wish I could help more.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
He nods, his expression pained. “I'll be fine, Nora. I just need some rest and some ice.”
I look around for Javier and he comes out of the kitchen, his eyes widening in shock at the sight of Chase in such a state.
“Chase! What happened to you? You look really beaten up!” Javier exclaims, rushing forward muffling a gasp. If we were in any other situation, I'd find his reaction hilarious.
Chase waves him off weakly, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. “I'm okay, Javier. Just a little worse for wear.”
But Javier is having none of it. “No, no, no, Chase. Let me look at that.” He strides closer, checking the wound. I remember then that Javier has a family, has kids. It makes me curious again about their relationship.
Finding Chase to be okay enough, Javier nods once, satisfied. “I’ll make you some soup.”
Before Chase can protest, Javier disappears into the kitchen, leaving us alone in the living room.
As the sounds of pots and pans clatter in the background, I find myself drawn to Chase, my heart heavy with emotion.
“Will you be staying over, Joseph?”
Joseph stops typing on his phone and looks up.
“If it’s not a problem. I’d like to keep someone guarding Chase, and it's late already. I'm texting Lena to handle some things in my absence. Don't worry.” He replies with a grin flashing his dimples.
“Okay, that's great.” I say, a bit relieved. “Do you know where the guest room is?”
Joseph nods. “I do,” he says, watching me curiously. I almost say something, but then Chase is saying my name.
“Nora, can you help me up?” He stretches out his hand, and I grab it to lead him up the stairs.
We walk slowly to the bedroom. I feel a bit calmer with his hand in mine.
He sits on the bed in deep thought for a moment before looking at me.
“I should take a shower. Can you look through my closet? See if you can find my pajamas or something light to wear.”
“Okay. Do you need anything else?”
“You.” He answers without a second thought.
“What?” I'm unable to hide my shock at his bluntness.
“Stay with me. Don't go downstairs.”
“I won't. Why do you think I would?” I can’t imagine a day I’d be less inclined to be away from him.
“I thought since Joseph's around, you might choose to stay in another room.” He says, voice frustrated. “Who knows about the marriage, who doesn’t… it gets confusing.”
I nod sympathetically. “Joseph’s guest room is far enough away he’s not likely to notice where I’m sleeping.”
Chase nods. “So you won’t leave?”
“No, Chase, I can't leave you alone like this. I can't sleep easy knowing you're in pain if I can help.”
“Really, Nora?” His voice is soft and teasing, but I can see the vulnerable look in his eyes, so I don’t joke back. I move forward and grab his hands.
“Yes. I was so scared back there seeing you leave to confront those men shooting at us. I thought you—” I cut myself off.
A knock comes from the door, followed by Javier's voice.
“Hello, Chase? I brought you some ice and soup to help you recover quickly. Can I come in, sir?”
“Yes, you can.” Chase calls out and Javier comes in with a rather large tray. “Thanks, Javier.”
“I think that's really kind of you, Javier. Thank you.” I collect the tray from him and place it on the table.
“Let me know if you need anything else.” He takes a bow and leaves.
Chase frowns. “I’m not sick. I don’t need soup.”
I raise my brows. “Sit down and eat,” I say firmly.
He looks at me with amusement. “Who are you to boss me around?”
“Your wife,” I say dryly.
His expression softens. He doesn’t eat much, but he does take a few spoonfuls of the soup before he gives up and I decide it’s enough.
“Come on, let me help you to the bathroom.” I gesture to him, but he waves my hand away. He stands on his feet, wincing a little as he makes his way to the bathroom.
“Stubborn,” I mutter under my breath, and he looks back.
“Just like you,” he retorts and heads into the bathroom. I set his pajamas on the bed and start rummaging through his drawers for some pain meds.
“Looking for something?” I whip my head to the back surprised I didn't hear him come out.
“Yes. Pain meds. Do you have any?” I ask him.
“Yes, but I’m not precisely sure where. My sister's coming over tomorrow. I'll ask her to bring some for me. She'll check for any wounds too, but I'm sure she won't find any.”
“Oh, Lauren, right? She’s a doctor?”
“Yes. I'm not okay with her seeing me in this state, but I can't tell her to come some other time. She’ll just get worried.”
“That's nice to hear. Are you going to eat any more of the soup?”
“No.” Chase takes the pajama bottoms and puts them on not bothering to head into the closet. The bed dips with his weight as he lies on it, and he taps the other side. “Are you coming?”
“I need to take a shower, too. Go to bed.”
The events replay multiple times as the water pours over my head. I rub the entire length of my body, trying to wash the memories away. What if Chase had been shot? It looked like that man was going to kill him. What would I have done if I lost him today? He was already giving me a glimmer of hope to find love.
I pour some of his shampoo onto my palm and close my eyes shut, humming a tune as I massage my scalp. As I rinse off the lather and squeeze out the excess water, a silhouette catches my eye when I grab the body wash, causing my hands to freeze in place.
“Chase, I didn’t hear you come in. You’re supposed to be in bed.” The sound of running water and the song I was humming must have drowned out his footsteps.
“I couldn’t wait for you any longer, you were taking too long. You didn’t hear me because you were engrossed in your singing. Perhaps you were practicing in advance for the challenge.” He smirks and takes a few steps forward. I look down and note he’s still in his pajamas. I quickly avert my eyes when he notices me staring, getting ready to blame my blushing on the warm water. He takes a step forward.
“You’re going to get those wet.” I point to his pajamas. “And you’ll get wet again.”
“I don’t mind. Do you?” He asks, and I gulp. “The water’s quite warm. It’ll soothe any aches, so that’s a plus.”
“I’m already wet since I’m in the bathroom. You shouldn’t be getting wet again.” His eyes turn a darker shade of brown filled with desire at my words. “I mean, I’m under the shower already.” He takes another step, closing the gap between us, and turning the knob to a much lighter downpour.
“Now, we both are.” He brushes his finger on my belly, and I giggle.
“That’s ticklish, Chase.” He grabs me by my waist and presses me against the wall, the thin layer of fabric rubbing against my thighs.
“You should take them off at least.” I twirl one leg around him, and he grasps it tightly.
“What?” He trails kisses from my neck placing little bites down to my belly, teasing.
“You know… what… I’m talking about.”
“You can do the honors. I don’t think I have the strength.” Taking that as my cue, I pull the waist of his trousers lower, but he doesn’t raise his head.
“Chase,” I run my hand through his hair prompting him to stand upright but he doesn’t.
“Nora,” he growls against my skin and flips me in the opposite direction. Looking at him over my shoulder, I watch his chest rise and fall as he stares at me in fascination. Images flash through my head of our bodies intertwining sending a thrill through me.
He slowly runs a hand down the length of my spine before settling on the arch of my back. Steam bounces off the walls, the heat only intensifying the pressure building up inside me, which is almost unbearable. He grabs my waist in a dominating grip and pushes fingers into me, slowly, then frantically, before he enters me. Each full thrust into me creates shooting sparks through my body. My walls clench tightly around him so hard that he loses control, quickly letting out strangled sounds. The climax slams into me causing me to cry out, and he follows after, releasing a loud grunt of pleasure.
I wrap my arms around him, needing to hold onto him for support, and feeling limp and exhausted. He grabs the washcloth, pours some body wash onto it and gently wipes between my legs, before moving to the rest of my body.
***
I wrap the towel around me loosely to see Chase staring at me, sipping a glass of water. “I found some pain meds. They're working already.” He shows me the sachet and makes his way to return it to the dresser, but I collect the sachet from him and gently push him back into the bed. “You really need to rest now. Go to bed.” I take a few steps and he tugs on my hand pulling me back to him.
“I know what I need, and I prefer being in bed with you.” My heart races as he wraps his arm around me, his lips lightly grazing my shoulder.
“Chase, Javier might come up again.” I rush out trying to steady my breath. “Or Joseph.”
“They won't bother us.” He takes my lips in a slow and long kiss cutting off my protest. Running my hands through his hair and feeling the damp yet soft texture, I let myself go into his embrace, taking in his musky scent as we break apart.
“You know, we were just in the shower.” I whisper into his ear. He smiles against my flesh, his stubble gently scratching my skin.
“It doesn’t matter.” He shifts back and looks into my eyes. “Nora,” he begins, his voice husky with need. “I was worried for us today. Leaving you behind that shelving unit was the only way to stop them. My heart was with you the entire time.”
“I know.” I run my fingers along his cheekbones down to the small stubble forming on his chin. “But I'm glad we're here.” I whisper into his ear, and I feel him shiver.
I gently push him further into the bed, stripping him of his clothing, feeling his heartbeat quickening under my touch.
He gazes deeply into my eyes and slowly takes the towel off. I bite my lip unable to rein in my desire for this man. He brushes my hair away from my face pulling me close to him. He’s waiting for me to initiate the first move. I trace his v-line, teasing him for a bit, light touches here and there. His arms stay planted by his sides, his eyes watching my every move, waiting patiently. I lift myself up and lower myself on top of him, grinding slowly, while taking my time to explore every inch of him, every curve on his body.
Our eyes lock as we lose ourselves in the depths of passion, the troubles we faced earlier forgotten for now. He holds me in a gentle caress for a while before propping his head on a pillow.
“I think we need to talk,” Chase begins, his voice low but steady. “About where we go from here.”
My heart races, unsure of what he wants me to say. “I didn't think this was going to happen,” I murmur, breaking the silence.
“But we need to figure things out.”
I nod, knowing that this conversation has been inevitable ever since that day at the cabin. “Yeah, you're right. It's time we figure out what we want.”
He takes a deep breath, searching for the right words. “I don't want to rush into anything, but... I can't deny how I feel about you, Nora.”
His confession sends a shiver down my spine, and I meet his gaze with the same intensity. “I feel the same way, Chase. But we can't ignore the reality of our situation right now. We're pretending. How would this even end?”
He reaches out and takes my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “We don't have to know all the answers right now. We can take it one step at a time.”
“We can. I think we should give it a try at least.”
His eyes meet mine. His expression is filled with a mixture of uncertainty and longing. “Me too,” he admits, his voice barely above a whisper. “But now that it's out there, I can't ignore it.”
“Chase, I…” I begin, my voice faltering as I search for the right words.
But before I can finish, he reaches out, taking my hand in his. “Let’s sleep now.”
I breathe out, nodding with a sigh of relief.
As much as I want him, it’s all happening so fast, and the adrenaline of today is making my head spin.
I know how I feel.
I know that I’m falling for him.
Now I just have to be brave enough to let myself fall.
As I start to nod off, all I can think is that if I ever needed someone to teach me how to be brave, it’d be Chase.