KNOT: A Wake Family Novel (38 page)

Tomorrow?

“No. Tonight.” Suddenly the thought of her going out with someone besides me—anyone—started to unnerve me. I didn’t want to worry her though, so I added, “To let me know how it goes.”

She chuckled, the quiet one I liked best. “Okay, bossy.”

“Please?”

“Okay, I will.” I heard a car door shut. “Listen, I’m at a bakery we’re using for a bat mitzvah, but first, I want you to know something.” Her voice was hushed, and I quickly covered my other ear to not miss what she was about to say. “I’m not going to do anything with anyone if you’re not there. I don’t know if that’s what committed people say to each other, but I want you to know that. Fidelity is important to you, and you’re important to me. So I’ll never sneak around or lie to you. Simone and I are just going to dinner, then we might have a few drinks and catch up. I know you, you’re probably thinking we’re going back to her hotel to do God only knows what. Stop thinking it. It’s not happening.”

Relief. She understood. That was what compromise felt like. I prayed I could hold up my end of the deal.

When I got home, I worked out, then ate. When I was cleaning up the kitchen my phone when off.

NORA: I’m coming into the building. May I have a goodnight kiss?

ME: I might have one of those lying around.

I looked at the time and it wasn’t even eight thirty. I was dying to know how it went.

ME: Meet you at my door.

I watched her through the peephole as she walked down the hall. She wore a bantam grin, and that pleased me.
She
pleased me. As messed up, and against everything in my person as this whole idea was, it made her happy.
I
made her happy.

I didn’t need much more than that to confirm I was doing the right thing.

“I know you’re watching me.” She said quietly at the door. “Let me in, Jekyll.”

I opened it and leaned against the door frame preventing her from coming in. That earned me a challenging look before she stood back on her heels.

I puckered my lips—a toll—and didn’t say a word.

She leaned in, and I could taste the red wine she’d had. Warm and sweet, she kissed me.

“May I come in?” Her thick black lashes batted.

“Kiss me again.”

She huffed, laughed and leaned in for another. This time, I let my hand wander up her neck, and I deepened the kiss. She stepped closer and wrapped her arms around me.

I’d been in my apartment all night, but now I was home.

“Any big plans this weekend?” Justin asked when I was on my way out of the office on Friday.

Yeah, a threesome.

“No, I think we’re going to take it easy before the holiday.”

And even though I didn’t think he would have balked much about it, I didn’t feel like telling him. I was thankful the one night at the lake when things turned a little more—how should I say—adventurous, he and his wife had been nowhere around.

That would have been too weird for me. We were colleagues. Whatever he did in his spare time was not my business. Still, he and his wife had invited us out to dinner a few times. I was glad when Nora never seemed too interested in going. It took the weight off my shoulders.

Everything was still new. We were tiptoeing up to boundaries and finding what our common ground was.

For me, the next night was going to be a walk into new territory. Something about how Nora said she wasn’t really bi, although I’m sure many would beg to differ, had given me respite.

I wasn’t competing with this other person. It felt more like an adventure, even if I was nervous as hell despite the levels of Valium coursing through me those days.

I thought I was handling things the best I could.

Nora seemed happier than she had. In fact, after I agreed to invite someone to bed with us, she didn’t press it or get into much of a hurry. Hell, it was usually me who brought it up. I didn’t want to be blindsided and needed to prepare myself.

When she finally found someone, I was ready to get it going. I’d remained cool about it, but the thoughts of
what-if
-this and
what-happens
-then crept into my mind.

I was ready to just do it. Find out.

I couldn’t dispute how she glowed when she came to my apartment after they’d met for dinner. She even seemed more relaxed.

In some ways, I hoped it was because she was excited to experience it with me, and not that she was merely happy to have an extra warm body to give her things I alone couldn’t.

I loved her and bit my tongue every time she came while underneath me with that look in her eye. I believed she loved me too, but wasn’t ready to admit it.

She’d told me once that she
more
than loved me and that was great, but I wanted the real declaration. I didn’t know if that would ever happen, so I held my peace.

Nora gave me more than she knew. Regardless of what she called it, she was committed to me. That was absolute. No question. She’d promised she wasn’t looking for anything with anyone else. I trusted this was also true.

Funny, for a man like me, and for the time being, it was all I needed. Although, I wasn’t sure how long it would be until I wanted more.

“Okay, well, have a good weekend. Short week next week. Are you going to Washington to see your family?” he asked as he tapped on the door frame of my office. It was past five, but Nora was at a big event for the hotel, so I wasn’t in any rush.

“Yeah, I fly out on Wednesday morning.”

“Well, see you Monday, Reggie,” he added and left.

I had enough work to keep me busy throughout the evening. Then, I planned on hitting the gym. Lately, most of my cardio included an orgasm at the end. I’d have to settle for a good long run that night. Nora mentioned she’d be late because she felt guilty for leaving, so she was staying to help clean up.

I wondered how long she’d keep that job. Some days she seemed to really love it, others it seemed like a huge pain in her ass.

Still, she rarely complained.

As I went through my evening, and my daily dose of calm wore thin, my biggest hurdle screamed in my ears. She was leaving. Halfway across the globe. For months maybe. There weren’t enough pharmaceuticals to distract me from it.

My days with her—at least for now—were numbered.

I kept telling myself to not focus on that, but to concentrate on making her want to come back. Although, I knew—like many other things—that was well out of my hands.

I ran five miles, then showered alone.

I needed to get used to it. Used to her not being there again. What had I ever done to keep myself busy without her? Had I really worked that much?

We hadn’t discussed, or labeled our relationship. I’d need that cleared up before she ever got on a plane. It would be a cruel hell wondering the whole time she was there otherwise.

In short, I wasn’t looking forward to December.

“Good morning,” I heard through my dreams. It was her voice, and not all that uncommon. She visited me in one form or another most nights. I fought against reality wanting to stay there with her a few more minutes.

It was so real. I could taste her. Smell her in the air as it filtered through my lungs. Feel her magnetism as I lay in my bed, eyes closed.

“Someone is tired,” I heard her croon, then my lucid dream drifted away like thin foam on the sea.

I took a deep breath and stretched, then pulled her down and held her to me.

“So you
do
know how to use a key,” I said, sounding like I’d swallowed gravel, hoarse and gruff.

I felt her chuckle but didn’t hear it. She felt perfect in my arms. I wanted to lay there forever.

“Oh, I knocked first, but it’s early.” She said and shoved an arm under my pillow so she could get closer. I fucking loved when she did that.

“If it’s early, then why are you up? Didn’t you get back late?” My eyes started to blink open as all my senses went from snooze to Nora.

“I don’t know,” she said and kissed the knot in the center of my throat. “Maybe I missed you.”

I lay there unmoving, as she slid her mouth over my neck. Her hand coming between us.

“You should have come when you got off work.”

She stroked me and said, her voice seductive and sweet. “I guess I’ll have to come now instead. It would be a shame to waste this beautifully hard cock. But if you’re too tired…”

I moaned, and my hips pressed firmer into her hand as she ran it up and down my erection.

She might be leaving soon, but she was there now.

She missed you. She said she fucking missed you.

Quickly I rolled over on top of her, and she yipped from the sudden jostling.

“Oh, I’m awake now, baby. You can’t wake a bear and not expect to get eaten.”

Then, I attacked her neck as she screamed, “Wait. Stop!”

I wasn’t sure if she was playing my game or if she really wanted me to quit. My brain was ever waiting to hear that word from her cherry lips.

I lifted my head to investigate. Quirking an eyebrow to gauge her protest.

“You can’t do this; not like this,” she pleaded, with just enough damsel in her voice that I wasn’t convinced she was offended at all.

So I lunged at her left breast, and she cried out again.

“Please, no.” She pushed feebly at my shoulders. “We can’t wrinkle my dress.”

Then, she gave me an
I’m serious
look.

I rolled to one side and let her up.

A test.

She less than gracefully hopped out of my bed, the sheet nearly tripping her when it caught her around the foot.

Oh, that foot.

Then, she threw off the sweater dress she wore, pulled her panties down her leg like her ass was on fire, and tore off her bra.

She made good use of her time, then hopped back onto the bed and crawled beneath me.

“All right, now make me your breakfast, bear.”

“Are you sure about that? I’m hungry.”

I gave her a second chance to make her case, but I didn’t see where any defense saved her. I was ravenous for her—nothing new—and she’d told me she missed me and wanted me to have her for breakfast.

I wanted her to come so hard it put her wildest fantasies to shame. I wanted to mark her memory of
that
morning, the one when she’d said she’d missed me, which I interpreted as so much more.

I’d make her scream and beg, for mercy or more, like she’d handed herself over to me. And, really, with those few precious words hadn’t she?

How could I not make this girl happy? How could I not do everything in my power to guarantee that she got everything and surpass her desires?

When she waited for me to walk slowly into uncharted territories with her, wasn’t that the same as handing me her pleasure? For my inspection. For my education. For my willingness to want to please her.

Yes, she’d waited. And I’d give it to her.

I’d give her everything, I’d decided as she howled out my name. My tongue drew religion, swears, and my name alike from her mouth, as she cried out in beautiful agony.

I made my way up her body, my fingers taking over where my lips abandoned. Two of them curled inside her, the heel of my palm rubbed her clit around and around.

She clung to the back of my neck, her eyes meeting mine on their own—something she didn’t often do unless I asked her to. She looked straight into me as she gasped for air and shuddered against me.

As she drifted back down from her climax, I gently ran my fingers over her hot skin. Her breathing eventually slowed, and she held my face in her hands as she kissed me.

I wasn’t done with her. Would I ever be?

I leaned back, and she followed, straddling me and wrapping her long legs around my back. With her arms around my neck she sat herself down on my cock, and that’s how we started the day. I hoped that was the way we would end it, too.

Together
.