Page 62 of Norah

“No, this one is new. The realtor just emailed over the info. It’s in Greenwich Village, and it looks exactly like what we want.”

Looking at the description, it seems great. The apartment has two bedrooms and two baths, which is exactly what we want. It also has a large deck, which Norah would absolutelyloveto have. “It looks amazing. Let’s get the realtor to arrange a showing as soon as possible.”

She looks at me with a smile, but then her brow quickly furrows and she catches her lower lip with her teeth. Worry flashes across her features. “Hmm… this might be too expensive. Maybe we should keep looking for something cheaper.”

I take her hand and give it a reassuring squeeze. “Baby, if this is the place you want, we’ll get it.”I’ll do anything to make her happy.“I told you I have money saved from my years in the military, plus all the bonuses I’ve gotten. This place isn’t too expensive. Email the realtor right now and tell her we want to see the place.”

She still looks a little unsure, so I set the laptop aside and lift Norah onto my lap. She gives out a little squeak of surprise at the sudden movement. I slant my mouth over hers and kiss her hard, not stopping until she’s breathless and gasping. Then I pull away and say with a grin, “Send that email. I’m already thinking of what I’d like to do to you out on that deck.” I’m happy to see her answering smile, and give her another quick kiss before handing back the laptop.

She taps away at the keyboard, then clicks the mouse pad with a flourish. “OK, done. I hope she can get us in today.”

“In the meantime, what would you like to do today? Look at more apartments? Watch some movies?” I know what I’dreallylike to do with Norah, but I haven’t wanted to push while she’s still so fragile.

When we first got to the hotel, all I did was hold her, knowing she wasn’t ready for anything more. Over the last few days, I’ve been more affectionate, but I’m still holding back. Knowing that Norah is still dealing with her trauma, I want to make sure she feels ready for us to be intimate again.

Almost as if she’s reading my mind, Norah closes the laptop with a snap and looks at me. Her eyes are the color of a storm-tossed sea, restless and wanting. She bites her lip again, hesitating before saying, “I’ve been thinking about it all morning. I want tobewith you. My heart and body want it so much, but I’m worried."

"What if we’re in the middle of having sex and I have a flashback or something… It wouldn’t be because of whatwe’redoing, but what if it happens? I miss the closeness, the intimacy, but I’m not sure what to do.”

I hate seeing the uncertainty in her expression. It’s not that I’m upset with Norah, but I hate thereasonshe’s worried. The last thing I want to do is move too fast and end up reversing all the progress we’ve made together so far.

I’m torn, wanting to feel the connection between us, but unsure if it’s too soon. Still thinking, I cup Norah’s cheek with my hand and stroke the soft skin with my thumb.

An idea comes to me, and it seems like it might work for our situation. “What if… you’re in total control? I won’t do anything unless you tell me to. I won’t even touch you without your permission. Any time you want a break, or you need to stop, you do it. Whatever you want to do, at whatever pace, it’s your decision.”

Her teeth still worry her bottom lip as she thinks, and I worry that maybe my idea was terrible after all. After a few moments, her face relaxes into a smile, eyes brightening. “I think that could work.” I watch as her lips twist into a teasing smirk. “Actually… I like the idea a lot.”

Hell yeah. But I want her to be comfortable stopping at any point without worrying about hurting my feelings. So I hold her gaze while I say, “Any time you want to stop, I’m absolutely fine with it. OK? Don’t do anything you aren’t ready for. I’m happy just being near you, and I’ll wait for as long as you need.”

She leans over and kisses me, tasting of peppermint and coffee, soft breaths against my lips. Then she straddles me, mouth moving close to my ear, and says, “I love youso much.”

NORAH

How does he always know the right thing to say?

I’ve been feeling all twisted up with conflicting emotions, wanting closeness with Ethan, but also worried about my reaction. It’s not that I don’t trust him.I do. But it’s been so easy to fall back into the memories, and I don’t want to hurt Ethan by having a flashback in the middle of sex.

As soon as I heard his suggestion, I felt a tremendous sense of relief. Being in control, especially after everything that has happened, makes me feel so much more comfortable.Safe. Not safe fromEthan, I’llalwaysbe safe with him. Safe from the ghosts of my memories and the tricks my mind can play on me.

Honestly, I’m more than a little excited, too. I usually let Ethan take the lead when we’re having sex. Not that he pushes for it to be that way; I’ve just always been more submissive in bed. Ethan is very open with what he wants when we’re intimate, while I’m more reserved. It probably comes from all the years of self-imposed isolation. But since we’ve been together, Ethan has helped me open up, come out of my shell. Maybe the idea of being in control would have freaked me out six months ago, but now I’m intrigued by the idea.

I’m sitting on Ethan’s lap, facing him, which seems like a pretty good start. His green eyes are dark with desire. He doesn’t move a muscle, waiting for me to make the next move. Leaning close to his neck, I nibble all along the collarbone and up towards his ear. The skin here is tan and silken soft against my lips, smelling faintly of the musky body wash he prefers.

I trail kisses across the base of Ethan’s neck, then move up the other side and pause at the pulse thumping rapidly just below the skin. Then I suck at the side of his neck, marking him.But it’s not enough. My instincts are driving me to do more. Without even a thought, my incisors extend, tips glistening with tiny droplets of venom.

I let my fangs graze across Ethan’s skin, and he shivers beneath me. At first I’m worried that he’s disturbed by what I’m doing, so I pull back, trying to read his expression. Ethan’s features are rigid, his jaw clenched tight. But his eyes send an obvious message; the green as dark as a forest at night, filled with unfilled lust and need. Reassured, I return my mouth to his neck, allowing my fangs to press small indents into his skin. Hesitant to break the surface, I pause.

Ethan grits out in a tense voice, “You can do it if you want to.I want it too.” His words give me the permission I need, and I bite down. Ethan moans as my fangs pierce his skin, and I freeze in place. Ever so carefully, I allow the sharp points to withdraw, then press my mouth to cover the small punctures.

The rush of blood that fills my mouth is intoxicating; spicy and hot and tingling with energy. It’s different from the blood I take to nourish myself; his blood fills my body with an intense feeling of arousal. I can feel his excitement grow, and I rub myself on his hardness as I continue to feed. His breath grows quick, and his muscles shake as he tries to remain still.

I don’t want to take too much blood, so I pull away, and capture a few stray drops with a swipe of my tongue. Then I move upwards to capture Ethan’s lips. He groans into my mouth, tongue desperate to meet with mine. The kiss deepens, teeth crashing and tongues twining in a rhythm that matches the motion of our hips as they surge together. The thick hardness pressing at my core has me wet and aching. Ethan’s hands grip the cushions, knuckles white in the effort to stay still.

I’m breathing in small pants, my heart thundering in my chest. Electricity builds as I keep grinding against Ethan’s erection, jutting hard even through the layers of his clothes.Too many clothes, I think desperately.Must get them off. I’m so incredibly turned on, I feel like I’ll burst if I don’t feel Ethan’s hardness inside of me.

Reaching down, I unbutton his pants and try to wrestle them down. It’s awkward how we’re sitting, and I growl in frustration. “You can help with this.” Ethan quickly obliges, lifting himself enough for me to slide the offending pants down. We do the same for his briefs, and I’m rewarded by the sight of his thick shaft waiting for me. I grasp it with my hand and stroke several times, pleased by the sounds of pleasure Ethan makes as I move up and down. I’d keep going, loving this feeling of control, but my body is screamingnow, now, now.

I need this so much, I can’t take the time to fully undress. My body is hungering to be filled. I pull off my pants, then the silk panties, flinging the clothing away in a rush. Then I position myself back over Ethan, kneeling with my legs on either side of his lap.

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