23. Stryker #2
Her fingers tighten slightly around the mug in her hands. Her breathing changes just enough to notice. She looks between us once before focusing very hard on the tea like it personally offended her.
“We should probably head to bed soon,” she interjects quietly.
Neither of us move.
“You want us to?” I ask calmly.
“No,” she admits finally.
Honest. There she is. The silence afterward stretches longer this time, not awkward, but maybe a little heavy.
Nora sets the mug down carefully before leaning both palms against the counter. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”
I step closer first. “You don’t have to figure everything out tonight.”
“That’s easy for you to say.”
“It’s actually not.”
She looks up at me finally then and I watch the exact second she notices how serious I am. When I wants something, I simply stand there and let the weight of it exist.
Nora swallows once before looking away again.
“This whole thing is insane.”
“Probably,” I agree easily.
She points vaguely between the two of us. “This. Whatever this is.”
I reach out slowly then, brushing my knuckles lightly against her wrist where it rests on the counter. “You scared?”
Nora thinks about that honestly.
“No,” she says eventually. “That’s part of the problem.”
“Nora.” My voice lowers slightly. “Babygirl, we stopped thinking about this casually a long time ago.”
Nora looks at me again slowly and I can almost track every thought crossing her face. Practicality fighting desire. Control fighting comfort. The constant instinct to protect herself battling against how badly she already wants this.
“There’s the overwhelmed look,” I murmur.
“I hate that you can all read me now.”
“Sweetheart, you stopped being mysterious weeks ago.”
“That’s horrifying.”
“It’s adorable.”
She laughs once, quietly, despite herself, before covering her face briefly with one hand. I gently pull her hand back down.
“You don’t gotta decide the next ten years tonight,” I remind quietly. “Just stop fighting what’s already happening.”
There’s a shift there and my fingers brush lightly along her hip beneath the sweater while my other hand settles warm against the back of her neck. Nora exhales slowly at the combined contact before closing her eyes briefly.
“Bedroom?” I ask quietly.
“Yes, please.” Her voice is barely a whisper.
That is all I need to hear. I lead her upstairs, not holding her hand, because that feels too casual right now. Instead I keep my palm resting warm against the small of her back guiding her steps and I feel the tension in her muscles the entire way to her room.
The door clicks shut behind us and I deliberately flip the lock even though the kids are asleep down the hall. Nora flinches slightly at the sound and I watch her throat work as she swallows.
My gaze traces every inch of her. The blonde hair finally losing its war with the clip and falling around her shoulders.
That oversized gray sweater that keeps slipping down one arm, revealing the smooth pale skin there.
Those ridiculously soft-looking gray leggings that hug every curve. Bare feet on the hardwood floor.
She stands in the middle of her bedroom looking uncertain and I let her stand there for a minute while I watch her. I like watching her. I like knowing she’s letting me.
“Stryker,” she says eventually, and my name sounds small in her mouth.
“Yeah, babygirl?”
“I don’t know what to do.”
I take two steps, closing the distance until I’m standing right in front of her. So close she has to tilt her head back slightly to see me. “You don’t have to do anything. Just stand right there and let me look at you for a second.”
She shivers once, full-bodied. “I hate when you stare at me like that.”
“No you don’t.”
Her breathing hitches slightly. “No. I don’t.”
My thumbs trace slow circles against her hips. “You’re so fucking pretty.”
Nora’s cheeks flush. “You’re just saying that.”
“When have you ever known me to say things I don’t mean?” I lean closer, my lips brushing against her ear. “Especially about you.”
Her head tilts slightly, baring her throat and I can’t resist pressing a soft kiss there. Just lips against her pulse point, feeling how fast her heart is beating.
I slide my hands from her hips up her back, dragging the sweater with them until my thumbs brush against the bare skin of her lower back. Nora gasps softly at the contact.
“You’re so sensitive,” I say quietly, impressed.
“Only with you,” she whispers, and honesty like that from her is more potent than any touch.
I pull back just enough to look at her face, at the overwhelmed but wanting expression in her eyes. I use my thumb to tilt her chin up, forcing her to meet my gaze.
“Stay with me,” I command softly.
“Always,” she replies without thinking, and the word hits me harder than I expect.
I smile slightly before lowering my head to kiss her. It starts gentle, just a brush of my lips against hers, but it doesn’t stay that way for long. Nora opens for me immediately, her hands coming up to grip my biceps like she needs the anchor.
I kiss her deeper, one hand sliding into her hair, dislodging the clip completely now so her blonde hair tumbles down around us. I grip it gently, using it to angle her head exactly how I want it.
“You taste so good,” I murmur against her mouth.
“Stryker,” she breathes, and I love how my name sounds on her lips right now.
I walk her backward until her legs hit the bed, then I press down on her shoulders gently, guiding her to sit on the edge of the mattress. I kneel in front of her, between her legs, looking up at her.
“You’re going to let me take care of you tonight,” I say, not as a question but as a statement.
Nora nods, her eyes dark with desire and something more—trust. So much trust it makes my chest ache.
“Good girl.”
I reach for the hem of her sweater and slowly lift it over her head, tossing it aside. Her bra is simple, practical, but it can’t hide how hard her nipples are. I lean forward, pressing open-mouthed kisses along her collarbone, up her throat, behind her ears.
Nora’s breathing grows ragged as I unhook her bra and slide it off, exposing her breasts to my view. I don’t touch them right away, just watch how her chest rises and falls with each breath, how the cool air of the room makes her nipples pebble even tighter.
“Stryker, please,” she whispers, and I love how undone she already is.
I lean in, taking one nipple into my mouth, swirling my tongue around it before sucking gently. Nora arches her back, a soft cry escaping her lips. I give the other breast the same attention, my hands gripping her hips, holding her in place.
“You like that, babygirl?” I ask against her skin.
“God, yes,” she moans.
I continue my exploration, my hands sliding down to grip her thighs through the leggings. I can feel the heat of her even through the fabric. I kiss my way down her stomach, my fingers hooking into the waistband of her leggings and panties together, slowly pulling them down.
Nora lifts her hips to help me, and I take my time, revealing her inch by inch. When she’s completely bare before me, I sit back on my heels and just look.
“You’re perfect,” I say quietly. “Absolutely perfect.”
“Stryker,” she whimpers, covering herself with her hands.
I reach out, gently pulling her hands away. “Don’t hide from me. Never hide from me.”
I lean in, pressing a soft kiss to her inner thigh before I pull away slightly, meeting her eyes.
“Tell me what you want,” I command.
“You,” she breathes. “Please, I need you inside of me.”
I reach down, adjusting myself through my jeans before I stand up. I strip off my shirt, then my pants and boxers, my cock springing free, hard and ready.
Nora’s eyes widen slightly at the sight of me, and I can’t help but smirk. “Like what you see?”
She nods, her tongue darting out to wet her lips.
“Good,” I say, joining her on the bed, positioning myself over her. “Because you’re going to be seeing a lot more of it.”
I lower myself down, covering her body with mine, my forearms braced on either side of her head. I kiss her again, deep and possessive, my tongue exploring her mouth as my cock slides against her wetness, teasing her clit with each pass.
“Please, Stryker,” she begs, her hips bucking up to meet mine.
I reach down between us, positioning myself at her entrance. “Look at me,” I command, waiting until her eyes meet mine before I push inside.
We both groan as I sink into her, inch by inch, until I’m fully sheathed. I stay still for a moment, letting her adjust, loving the feeling of her tight around me.
“Fuck, you feel so good,” I murmur against her lips.
I start moving then, slow and deep, pulling out almost completely before pushing back in. Nora’s hands come up to grip my shoulders, her nails digging into my skin as I set a slow, deliberate pace.
“Faster,” she begs, her hips rising to meet my thrusts.
“Not yet,” I say, my voice firm. “We’re doing this my way tonight.”
I keep the slow, deep rhythm, my hips rolling into hers, my body pressing hers into the mattress. Nora whimpers beneath me, her head thrown back, exposing her throat to me. I lean down, pressing my lips to her pulse point, feeling how rapidly her heart is beating.
“Stryker,” she cries out, her body trembling beneath me.
I know she’s close. I can feel it in the way her muscles are tightening around me, in the desperate sounds she’s making. But I’m not ready to let her go yet.
I reach down between us, my thumb finding her clit, rubbing slow circles around it as I continue to move inside her.
“Stryker, please,” she begs, her body arching up off the bed. “I’m so close.”
“Not yet,” I repeat, my voice harsh with need. “Not until I say so.”
Nora whimpers, but she doesn’t argue. She trusts me. She trusts me to take care of her, to give her what she needs. And god, that trust is the most fucking beautiful thing I’ve ever felt.