Chapter 10 Nora #2
I know I can’t avoid Brett forever. I’ve barely had time to process what happened, let alone figure out what I want to say to him, even if it is just about getting my stuff back.
But there’s also a part of me that still hopes maybe, just maybe…he’ll realize the mistake he’s made, and he’ll come back. To me.
But I can’t think about such things right now. I can’t let myself wander down that road.
One thing at a time, Nora.
I browse through the racks of La Femme and settle on a few shirts and sweaters as well as a couple pairs of jeans when I hear my name and stop.
“Nora?”
I turn, surprised to see a familiar face standing before me. Tall, dark, and handsome with those familiar green eyes, my stomach does a little flip.
“Flash.” I swallow. “I mean…Freddie.”
He smirks, and I’m immediately taken back to earlier today, how he offered me a ride first, offered me breakfast…and of course, my memory of last night resurfaces too.
Of his stern command. Those two little words that made my insides turn to molten lava.
Good girl.
I try to push away the thought, the memory of those words and how they made me feel, because I don’t need to ruin another pair of underwear. Maybe I should grab a few pairs of those too, while I’m here. Just in case.
“What uh…what are you doing here?”
Suddenly I feel self-conscious in my jeans and T-shirt, though I know there’s no reason to feel self-conscious in front of Freddie.
Freddie holds up his phone. “Mom duty,” he says with a faint smile. “Was uh…helping Mom out while my dad’s out of town. So naturally I get to play errand boy today before practice.”
“Oh,” I say, licking my lips. He slides his phone into his back pocket, his gaze still holding mine, and I realize he’s waiting for me to answer him.
“My one fifteen bailed, so I thought maybe a little trip to the boutique and the café would perk me up. Given…certain circumstances, you know.” I tuck some hair behind my ear. “I mean, I didn’t exactly grab a bag when I ran out of the house…”
Freddie purses his lips. “I see.” He nods to the clothes in my hands. “You uh…just about done or…”
“Oh! Yeah, I was uh…just headed for the register,” I say.
I’m not entirely sure I am done, but I also know my time isn’t infinite.
I do need to head to the café and get a drink.
I’m tired and though my headache has settled, I still feel like I could use a little pick-me-up.
Caffeine doesn’t fix everything, but it definitely helps when I feel like shit.
And right now, I definitely feel like shit in more ways than one.
“Let’s go, then,” he says, motioning for me to walk ahead of him. I feel my cheeks pinken as I do, acutely aware of his gaze on me.
“Um…thanks again for letting me crash at your place last night,” I say, if only because I feel like this morning I wasn’t very polite or friendly due to my hangover and surprise wake-up.
“You don’t have to thank me,” Freddie says, his voice warm and smooth like hot fudge.
I stop by the underwear counter and carefully grab a few pairs off the top, quickly.
I already feel self-conscious as it is, and I don’t need Freddie to see what kind of underwear I’m buying.
I also grab a couple of the bralettes next to them, because why the hell not.
At least I’ll match even if no one is going to be looking at me but my brother’s cat right now.
Though for some reason, the thought of Freddie knowing what kind of underwear and bras I wear makes my thighs warm and my damn pussy twitch.
What the hell is wrong with me today?
I continue toward the register, trying to push the weird thoughts away.
Freddie motions for me to put my things on the counter. “Go ahead,” he says. “Ladies first.”
A strange feeling washes over me. I’m not even sure how to describe it, but I feel compelled to do as he asks, even though it makes no sense.
So I set down my two pairs of jeans, three shirts, two sweaters, and six pairs of underwear along with my sneakers and a cute pair of collapsible flats, and the woman starts to ring them up.
“I also need a pickup for Daniella Sterling,” Freddie says, his voice smooth and bold.
The cashier behind the counter nods as she rings me up. “That’ll be two hundred and twelve dollars and eighty-six cents,” she says, and my eyes practically bulge out of my head. Shit, maybe I shouldn’t have added the shoes.
“You can leave the shoes,” I say, reaching for my wallet, but Freddie stops me.
“Absolutely not. Get the shoes.” I look at him as he holds my gaze sternly. “I got this.”
“What? No, Freddie, that—”
“Not negotiable, Nora,” he says, that familiar stern tone hitting me and making my entire body stiffen. He looks at the cashier and in that deep, commanding voice says, “Keep the shoes.”
I look up at him, noting the fiery look in his eye. I know just from that one look that he’s serious, and something about that makes my insides twist and my heart skip a beat.
“But—”
Freddie carefully slides out his credit card, his piercing gaze holding mine. “No buts, princess,” he says as he hands the card to the cashier. She takes it as her associate starts to package the clothes into a bag, before setting another bag—closed with ribbon—next to mine.
Of course, his mother’s order. The errand she sent him on…
The cashier gives him back his card and hands me the bags, but before I can grab the bags, Freddie does so, nodding for me to lead the way out of the store. I don’t hesitate to do so, but the whole time I get the feeling he’s once again staring at my ass, even though I can’t prove it.
When we get outside, he hands me my bag, and I take it from him, our fingers brushing one another in the exchange. A jolt of energy sparks through me, lighting up my insides, kicking my pulse up.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I say, feeling strangely on the spot. Vulnerable. On display.
“I don’t do anything I don’t want to do, Nora,” he says carefully. “Surely, you know that.”
I do know that. Freddie is if anything a force of nature. On the ice and off of it. Most of his family—including Brett—would say he’s demanding and has high expectations despite his gentlemanly demeanor.
Ever since last night, I feel like I’m cracking beneath the surface of Freddie Sterling. I feel like I’m starting to discover a part of him that others don’t get to see, and I’m not sure how I feel about that.
Or the fact a part of me wants to keep discovering those unknown bits and pieces of Freddie Flash Sterling.
“I know, I just—” I have to fight the urge to look at him.
“Can I interest you in some lunch? A coffee?” He cocks his head in the direction of the café. “Since you were in such a hurry this morning, you didn’t get the Flash Sterling culinary experience.” His lips pull into a soft smirk.
“Actually, I was planning on grabbing a coffee before I headed back…” I twist my lips.
He smirks. “You want to thank me?” he says, his voice dark and sexy as he nods to the bag in my hand.
I shouldn’t think such things about the man, but I can’t help it.
Freddie Sterling is gorgeous. All the Sterling brothers are, including Brett, but there’s something timeless and classic about Freddie that just scratches a part of me that is so unknown yet so intrigued I can’t help but feel heat flooding my damn pussy.
I can think of plenty of ways to thank you.
My cheeks heat as the thought lands, and I try to shove it away before he chuckles.
“Uh…”
“Let me buy you lunch and coffee, and then we’ll be even, princess.”
“That’s hardly even, Freddie. Considering you just bought me all of this”—I raise my shopping bag—“which you really didn’t have to do.”
Freddie nods for me to follow him. He doesn’t argue or rebuke me, just says, “Come.”
Like I’m a damn dog and not a person, but I can’t help but listen. It’s like an itch I never knew needed scratching until now.
I want to do as he says.
So I do.
I follow him as he opens the door for me, and I walk through, bumping into him.
“Good girl,” he says, his voice dark. I nearly stumble from the tone, the warmth of his proximity, and my insides flare with heat.
What the hell is wrong with me?
When I get inside, I head for the counter and Freddie is behind me within seconds. I can feel the heat radiating from his body, and it makes my entire body feel like a heated live wire.
“Get whatever you want,” he says, his voice low and deep. I have to strain to listen a bit because it’s almost a whisper.
And then I realize how close he is. I turn to look at him, his face barely inches from mine, and the way he’s looking at me makes more than just my heart skip a beat. I’m acutely aware of the moisture blossoming between my legs.
“And don’t even think about arguing with me, princess.”
I bite my lip, because the desire to push back and be sarcastic is strong.
“Nora…” His voice is even. Smooth. “You understand?”
“Yes, sir,” I say, feeling flush from my head to my toes. I know my cheeks must be tinged scarlet right about now, and that makes me feel almost as mortified as I felt waking up with Rush by my side on the couch.
Almost.
The woman ahead of us moves down the counter, and Freddie nods for me to step forward, so I do. I order myself a warm caramel latte, and Freddie orders a large regular coffee, black.
When we get our coffees, Freddie leads us to a private booth in the corner, and we both sit down. I sip my coffee, but he doesn’t. Instead, he sets it down, leans back in his seat, and watches me.
It should be weird, since it’s not like Freddie and I hang out on a regular basis. In fact, I think this is the most Freddie’s ever socialized with me, period.
Not that he goes out of his way to avoid me or anything; he’s not quite as skittish or quiet as Tommy, but I sometimes get the feeling that Freddie is just more deliberate about how he interacts with people.