Chapter 12 Nora
NORA
Agroggy headache pulled me from sleep.
Blinking at the smothered light leaking in from the large curtains in the room, I assumed it was early morning, that or it had snowed again.
Where was my phone, anyway?
Reaching my hand out across the bed had me wincing in pain.
My back, that’s right. I wasn’t even home, I was…
“Good, you’re awake.” Colson walked into the bedroom, sounding pleased.
I couldn’t see him from where I lay on my stomach, but I heard him round the bed, and then the curtains were pulled open.
Letting out a hiss, I tried to pull the pillow over my eyes, but Colson stopped me.
“Here, come on, we need to get you up.”
I wasn’t an invalid, I could move, and I certainly didn’t need his help.
Colson came into my line of sight, wearing low jeans that showed the white band of his boxer briefs, and absolutely no shirt. His muscled chest and fifteen thousand abs were on display, completely lickable and so indecent.
Batting away his outstretched hand, I rolled to my back, but I hadn’t realized I was naked.
My breasts pebbled, my nipples beading against the frigid air.
Colson stared, but didn’t move to touch, or help me cover up. Without being able to lift my chest, I couldn’t bend to grab the cover that had slipped off.
“Do you mind getting me the sheet?”
Colson’s hand reappeared in front of my face. “I do mind…we need to get you up.”
“I’m naked…”
Smirking and moving his hand to mine, he helped me.
“I’ve seen you naked, Nora.”
Having no other choice but to move as he pulled and helped me up, my feet hit the floor and within seconds of trying to stand, I was falling into Colson’s chest.
Fuck.
Trying to push off, I gave him a hard glare. “Yeah, but you’re supposed to forget what I look like naked because you were mean to me…” Although there was this strange, foggy sensation that last night he wasn’t mean, in fact, last night he’d been the complete opposite.
“Nora, I could never forget what you look like naked. You have the most fuckable body I have ever seen in my life.”
He helped me to his master bathroom, where the Jacuzzi tub was off to one side, but a shower was on the other. Surrounded by inset stone, the glass door hung from chrome hinges.
“You can’t say I have a fuckable body, Colson, that’s rude. Can’t you quote poetry or something about the bodies you admire? Not mine per se, but one day when you find someone to settle down with?”
Colson pulled on the handle for the shower and turned on the faucet. The warm spray hit the stone floor, and the heat rose, clouding the glass door.
“Who exactly is getting in this shower?” Because it wasn’t me…I didn’t have clothes, or my hair products, or anyone to help me get dressed. I didn’t want Colson to be my nursemaid.
Adjusting the temperature while he grasped my elbow, he turned to smile at me.
“You are.”
Shaking my head, I tried to pull away from him, but it made burning hot pain shoot up along my back.
“I took a bath last night, right? I mean, do I smell bad? I don’t want a shower right now.”
I vaguely recalled him placing me in the tub last night, and saying something while sitting on the ledge, but it was foggy.
“You don’t smell, but I figured it would make you feel better.”
Shaking my head, I tried again to pull away from him, with no success. Observing my expression, he exhaled irritably and reached to turn off the spray.
“Fine, I’ll bring you clothes, and you can dress, then eat.”
Then hopefully go home.
He helped me back to the bed where I perched on the edge, and when he came back in with a pair of his sweats and another hoodie, I nearly cried.
I hated him for what he did to me that night. While I could handle casual hookups with men, and not expect them to want to cuddle after sex, Colson had been sending me too many mixed signals for me not to be hurt by his actions.
“I’m not wearing those.” I eyed the pile distastefully.
They were a different pair entirely from the ones he’d given me the other night, but it didn’t matter.
“Look, where are my clothes from yesterday? I’ll dress and go home, Rae can come over and help me, or my mother.”
A line formed between Colson’s eyebrows. “I called them…”
My stomach flipped upside down as heat infused my face. I hadn’t expected him to have already called them. I mean, of course he did. It wasn’t like he’d signed up for Nora duty two days in a row.
“Oh.” I muttered, unsure what to say to that.
Colson searched my face, which was distracting because he was still shirtless and I could still see the band of his boxers around his waist, that V muscle leading down to his deliciously thick cock was all veiny perfection and, in another world, I’d step forward and lick it.
“Rae can’t get away today because she took off yesterday, but she will try and come by for dinner. And your mom…”
I already knew. I just did…she and my dad were acting weird lately and while I didn’t understand all of it, a piece of me assumed that they were trying to prepare me for what life would be like when they weren’t here.
“Well, if you wouldn’t mind helping me to my house, I can stay there. It’s really not a big deal to be alone.”
“Nora.” Colson sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair. It made the strands all messy and disheveled. “Look, I’m between projects right now. I have the time to help you and the proximity, so can you just let me?”
I knew it seemed like I was trying to be difficult, but I wasn’t. I was merely preserving what was left of my pride, and the few pieces of my heart that he managed to mangle.
“No, you hurt me, Colson. I don’t want to be here with you. I don’t want you to take care of me. I want to go home.”
His blue eyes were stone as he stared.
I stared back just as hard as the silence between us grew.
Suddenly he roared “Fuck,” tossed the pile of sweats out of the way, and paced the room. “Do you think I wanted to kick you out that night? Honestly, with the way I spoke to you, the way I hoarded your presence all fucking night, you think I wanted to do that?”
What was he even talking about? Did he think I was stupid?
“Yes, I do. You basically buttered me up all night, got what you wanted, and then kicked me to the curb.”
His tone tipped into incredulous territory as his hands went up. “Got what I wanted?”
Two long strides brought him closer to me, he was raising his voice but only in passion, not at me, so I didn’t feel afraid. I felt confused more than anything.
But also, if my hammering heart was any indication, I was also feeling exhilarated.
“Nora, what I wanted was to bring you back here, to my bedroom. Throw you on the bed and fuck you. All night. I wanted your face on my sheets, while your ass was in the air and my cock slid in and out of you. I wanted you to straddle me, sliding up and down on my cock as you screamed my name. I wanted”—his voice caught as he looked to the side—“I wanted all night and then I wanted breakfast with you. That is what I fucking wanted, Nora.”
His face had gotten so close, I could smell the aroma of coffee on his breath. It was a good smell, made me want to curl into him like I did when he found me in the snow.
I had so many questions, but words were hard to form, so I just stared.
“I know you hate me. I get it, and I won’t try to kiss you, or touch you inappropriately, but please let me take care of you.”
My heart swooped and my stomach clenched tight.
Why did it sound so good to be here with him, but also feel so perilous for my tattered emotions? He didn’t explain why he’d gone against what he wanted and hurt me the other night. He merely said it wasn’t what he wanted, which, as far as liars went, Colson didn’t seem to be one.
Complicated, annoying, and prideful, but not a liar.
So it begged the question of what in the hell he was talking about. If he didn’t want to kick me out, then why did he?
I had a feeling I wouldn’t be getting an answer anytime soon, so I sagged into the bed and gave him a small nod.
“I’ll stay.”
Heaving a relieved sigh, Colson smiled.
“Let me get you those sweats.”
Colson had set me up in his living room for most of the day, but by dinner, I was ready to be in a bed.
I’d called my doctor and spoke with her about my pain.
She encouraged use of ice, Epsom salt baths, and pain relief pills as needed.
I knew I was mostly up against the clock because the last time my back was hurt like this, it took three days before I could move regularly again.
Rae had checked on me, but I assured her that I was okay at Colson’s, so she went home.
My mother never called.
Colson had surprised me with how gentle he was and considerate.
Which, with the way he cared for the girls, shouldn’t have been a surprise but was.
Anytime I had to go to the bathroom, he’d carefully take my hand and lead me at a snail’s pace to the door.
He’d actually thought I was going to let him in the bathroom with me while I peed. Hilarious.
I informed him that I would literally rather die than have him see me or even hear me relieve myself.
With anything that I pushed back on, he’d shake his head and give up.
I knew as long as I wasn’t trying to leave his house, I could pretty much push back on anything.
Like taking narcotics. I didn’t like being foggy brained, so I chose to rely on Ibuprofen and Tylenol.
I’d taken two baths today, both of which he let me have privacy for while I watched an episode of Vampire Diaries on his laptop. It was sweet.
He’d been sweet all day.
And I didn’t want to take advantage of him, but I was curious how far that kindness might extend.
“Okay, you ready for another bath?” Colson asked, helping me to my feet.
Wincing, I took each step slow and measured.
“Actually, I was wondering…” My nerves got the best of me.
Colson squeezed my hand as he helped me walk, encouraging me to continue.