Chapter 16 Nora
NORA
After Colson and I cleaned up, using a few Kleenexes from my purse, I realized the truck we’d snuck into was kind of perfect. It wasn’t too big, but big enough that I felt secure inside of it, and it wasn’t so tall that I couldn’t get in easily without help.
So, once we exited, I planned to track Cooper down and tell him I had finally found the one.
But we quickly realized that Cooper was waiting a few cars down from where we were.
The snow had stopped falling, but the black asphalt was wet, and he stood wearing nice slacks, a blue button-down and a brown coat…
his slick shoes were not enough to keep up with the temperatures outside, so why the hell was he just standing there?
Approaching him, I tried to pretend like nothing happened, but Cooper glared at us both with his bony elbows sticking out as they banded over his chest.
“Hey, Cooper,” I said, tucking a few loose strands of hair behind my ear.
His eyes narrowed as he tracked the movement.
“You guys realize cars aren’t soundproof, right? And I was two seconds from calling the police…”
Guilt hit hard, forcing a flurry of red to smother my face. I was not about to admit to having sex in a vehicle that I didn’t own.
“I have no idea what you’re talki—” I started, but Colson put his hand to my back and stepped forward.
“We were under the impression we were allowed to test drive the cars,” Colson said with a completely straight face. “Or are you just mad that you weren’t there with us as we took it for a spin?”
Cooper’s scowl worsened as the tops of his cheeks and ears turned a harsh red.
“Our mistake.”
Seeing the effect he had on Cooper, Colson smirked and continued, “Now, after testing the back seat, she would like to buy it.”
I perked up, loving that he was here and handling Cooper cockface for me. And it wasn’t like anyone had caught us, or had seen us, and unless he was right next to the car, there’s no way he actually heard us. Besides, he was getting a sale out of it, so at least this wasn’t a total waste.
Going through the motions, Cooper remained irritable but seemed to do everything by the book, including trying to match the price I requested. By the end of an incredibly long yet satisfying morning, I drove a new-to-me truck.
It had seat warmers, a heated steering wheel, and a self-start button. I didn’t hate that it also had a great memory already inside of it. I’d never forget the way Colson’s head dipped between my thighs with that hungry expression, or the way his tongue darted out and swiped through my folds.
I shook my head, knowing I had to stop tying myself emotionally to Colson.
This no strings attached plan had a billion invisible strings that I had pulled around my heart, while attempting to loop his in too.
I didn’t do it consciously but every time I pulled away, it was as though he pulled on a string, forcing me closer.
It wasn’t healthy, and the more space we created between one another, the better.
Since I had traded in my previous car, I pulled directly into my driveaway and parked. Colson unbuckled next to me and twisted his body in my direction.
“Where to now?”
I loved having him in the car with me…or truck, that was going to take some getting used to. But him in my space, in front of my house, it was another looped string around my heart.
Which meant I had to pull away before I got hurt.
“I have to change, and then I have a meeting.”
Colson gave me one of his megawatt smiles, the one that I knew if I googled him, I’d find on some eligible rich bachelor website. I had no idea why the man was here in Macon, but his face belonged in Hollywood.
“I have a meeting too, but maybe we can catch up later?”
“Yeah, I don’t know my plans yet, but I’ll see you later.” I exited the truck and started toward my door when he followed and suddenly tugged my hand.
Turning on my toes, I barely had a chance to see what had replaced the usual hunger he had when looking at me. I wouldn’t acknowledge the adoration that I caught when he stepped into my space.
I couldn’t.
His lips landed on mine, gentle and slow until I was opening for him. His large arms came around me, hugging me until I heard his whisper, “I can feel you pulling away again.”
I wasn’t sure what to do with that because we’d agreed, no strings.
Yet, he kept saying I was the one pulling away as if it were a bad thing. Like he was just standing there with a rope, ready to tie this shit together, but he’d agreed.
If he wanted more with me, he would have said it.
Turning my face so that my lips landed against his neck, I squeezed him back and then stepped away.
“I have to go. I’ll talk to you later.”
He stayed rooted in place, and when I gave him one last glance before closing my door, I saw the sad way his eyes dipped and mouth turned down…it did something to my chest. Making it sloshy and unstable. Unpredictable. He couldn’t look at me like he cared if I pulled away.
It was precisely why this entire arrangement had to come to an end.
Bustling into the community center in a pencil skirt, thermal lined tights, and high-heeled boots, I appeared as an entirely different person.
Gone was the frumpy jacket, snow boots, and frizzy hair. I was in business mode, something most people didn’t get to witness often, but when I signed contracts or talked to the people who had to execute my vision, I showed up in armor.
“Oh my God, Nora! That lip color is divine on you,” Rae called from her spot on the floor where she was measuring something.
“What are you doing?”
I was suspicious because all the plans had been finalized with nothing to modify until we talked to the contractor.
Rae blushed, letting the tape slide back into place. “I just wondered if we were too generous on the kitchen.”
Shaking my head and clicking my heels toward her, I grabbed her pencil and measuring tape. “The plans are perfect, leave it alone.”
“Fine. Fine.”
Tossing them into the bag, I ignored how cold my toes were growing and tried to gauge the rest of the space, ensuring nothing else had been changed.
“Where were you today?” Rae asked, shuffling papers as she came up next to me.
I explained my new truck and how Colson had helped me pick it out. I left out that he made me orgasm in the back seat.
“Ooh yay, now you can come visit me more often without worrying about the roads. I hate that you haven’t been up as much.”
“I feel like if we increase how often I sleep over, Davis might get annoyed.” I snort laughed because I was up at her house at least three times a week as it was. Usually sleeping over at least once during that week.
She waved me off. “He loves you.”
I shivered in my jacket and thermal tights, even with the shelter of walls in place, the temperature was below twenty degrees inside.
“He may love me, but he’s still going through some stuff…” I hated the sad expression that had claimed my best friend’s face. Davis had just learned some terrible news about his family and was working through it.
Right as I was about to ask how he was doing with everything, an entire group of men shuffled in through the temporary front door.
Wearing those thick-soled boots like Colson, and warm flannels, the contractors filed in, one by one, around the empty space, while Rae and I waited next to one another.
I recognized a few guys from my dad’s crew, which meant that this bid likely had gone to him.
It made sense, considering he’d gutted the place, but I didn’t think he’d want to take on another project this close to leaving.
I kept watching for my father’s head to tower above the others like it usually did, but once the crew assembled, it was Tyler, the lead foreman, who talked with Rae about specifics.
I tried to focus on what they were talking about, but I was having a hard time. Why was my dad’s company taking on a project this big? I considered whether plans may have changed for him and my mom, but I hadn’t spoken to them since that day when things blew up.
Dammit, they hadn’t even left yet, and we were already drifting apart.
“So, can you sign off on all this, then?” I tuned in, hearing Rae ask Tyler.
With a mop of messy brown hair, shoved under a ball cap, he looked like he was about eighteen or so, not nearly as experienced as I would have liked the lead person on this job to be.
“No, I’ll leave that up to the boss.”
I was about to step up and ask him where my dad was when the front door opened again with a cold gust of air, and a shiver ran down my arms. That’s when a familiar pair of blue eyes landed on me, creating a fluttering sensation ripple behind my belly button.
“Colson.” Rae greeted the man who now stood next to me.
He addressed my best friend, but his pinky touched the inside of my palm, making my heart jump in my throat.
I almost stepped away to break the contact, but then he stepped closer… it was a small adjustment no one would notice, but I felt it everywhere.
Then again, I had gotten so used to hiding in the shadows and watching Colson from afar. I always felt his presence, even when he wasn’t watching me, or near me. It was as though he’d always been there, in my periphery… waiting for some proverbial green light to touch me.
“Nora.”
His eyes undressed me as he moved from my toes, slowly up my tight, black skirt, to the white capped sleeve shirt I had tucked into it, and then to my hair that was mostly tamed with loose curls.
Feeling the weight of his gaze, I shifted on my feet. His stare left a blazing trail of heat everywhere but my toes. Those were solid blocks of ice, and incredibly uncomfortable in my cute high-heeled boots.
Finally turning his attention back to my best friend, he explained.
“I’ll be leading things for the project, Rae. I just need to get the budget nailed down and walk through the space.”