As soon as Gary left, Nora tried to focus on completing her patient files so she could go home. He was her last patient at the end of a very busy week, but it was Friday and she was going out with Gage that night. She could think of nothing better than to unwind with him. He was so easy to be around.
Ever since her date with Leo earlier in the week she had wondered whether she still wanted to date Gage, but his texts were irresistible, so sweet and thoughtful. He was so direct and honest with his feelings that she couldn’t help but be drawn to him. She needed to know more.
His message that morning promised a relaxing date where they could just chill with each other. He was picking her up at her place at 6:30 and told her not to dress up. That sounded perfect to her.
Traffic was hell as usual, but she managed to get home with just enough time to freshen up. She threw on a pair of jeans and a bright yellow t-shirt with a smiley face moments before he rang her buzzer. She invited him up and quickly finished applying her mascara and lipstick before he knocked on her door.
She opened the door to find him holding a bouquet of gerbera daisies, in many cheerful colors. She couldn’t help but smile at the sweet gesture.
“They’re lovely, Gage. These are my favorite flower!” she gushed, accepting his gift gratefully.
“A lucky guess,” he admitted, following her in, “but I’m glad you like them.”
He looked yummy dressed in black jeans and a white t-shirt that showed off his strong arms. She caught him checking her out too, and they both chuckled when they realized what was happening.
“Come here,” he urged, reaching out for her hand and pulling her towards him. It was a damn sexy gesture and she almost swooned as he pulled her in for a kiss. It was just as tender and beautiful as the first kiss they had shared, but it was short and sweet and left her wanting more.
“I’m happy you were free tonight. I’ve been thinking about you all week,” he said, kissing her on the forehead before releasing his embrace.
“You’ve been on my mind too. I’m glad we’re doing this,” she agreed, walking toward the kitchen. He followed her, then helped her get a vase down off the top shelf. He filled it with water while she unwrapped the flowers.
“So where are we going?” she asked, arranging each daisy in the vase, one by one, taking great care to ensure they were perfect.
“I thought we could go to The Night Market at Santa Anita Park? Some of the guys were talking about it. Have you ever been?” he asked, stepping out of her way so she could get by him with the flowers. He followed her into the dining room.
“I went a few years back, it is a pretty cool place,” she explained, setting the flowers on the table.
The Night Market was a food festival that had hundreds of vendors that sold everything from good eats, to arts and crafts, and offered tons of live entertainment. It was a huge family affair that appealed to all ages.
“I’d love to go again!”
He seemed pleased with her response and smiled brightly at her.
“Good, I was thinking we could grab dinner there! Almost ready to go?”
“Yep, just let me just grab something warm to wear. It might get chilly later,” she said, walking to the front closet. She chose a sweater and closed the closet door behind her. “Ready.”
Gage opened the front door and waited for her to walk ahead of him. Then took her keys from her hand and locked the door behind them, like a true gentleman. She liked that he was chivalrous. Even though she prided herself on being a feminist, she appreciated him taking care of her. It made her feel special. He handed her keys to her and she tucked them back into her purse, before slipping her hand into his. He smiled at her warmly, and gave her hand a gentle squeeze as they walked toward the elevator.
* * *
She couldn’t have asked for a better date. She and Gage had a great time together, tasting exotic foods, listening to local country bands, two-stepping clumsily under the stars, and chowing down on way too much sugar. Gage was a terrible dancer, but she didn’t mind. At least he gave it his best shot and that was good enough for her. They got along so well, she couldn’t recall the last time she had laughed so much. It was almost the perfect date. He made her feel like a teenager again—happy, young, and carefree.
It was late in the evening and the market was winding down. There weren’t many families left in the park, mostly just a few stragglers like themselves. Neither of them seemed to want the evening to end. They sat on top of a picnic table, side by side, eating sticky candy apples, talking about anything and everything.
“This was fun,” Nora admitted, licking her fingers. “I’ve had such a good time.”
“Me too. It’s been a stressful week. I just wanted to do something relaxing where we could be outside. This place is cool,” he agreed, wiping candy off Nora’s chin. It was so sticky he just made it worse. Nora grimaced playfully at him and chuckled, thinking she must have looked a mess, but not caring a bit.
Gage gave her naughty grin and kissed her chin, licking the sticky sweetness off her, prompting Nora to giggle again.
“You taste as sweet as you look,” he teased, wiping the wetness away with his thumb.
“I bet you say that to all the girls,” she said playfully.
“Not all of them,” Gage assured, feigning innocence.
Nora punched him playfully in the arm, seconds before Gage stole another kiss, this one on her lips, slow and sensual.
“Mmmmm,” Nora moaned, enjoying the sweet taste of his tongue. “You taste pretty sweet yourself,” she whispered, shivering involuntarily.
“Are you cold?” he asked, putting his arm around her protectively.
Nora nodded. “A little, but part of me wishes we could hang out here all night.”
“I know what you mean,” he agreed, pulling her closer. It felt good being in his arms, safe. “but I think they are closing soon. Looks like the vendors are packing up.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” she begrudged, tossing the rest of her candy apple into the bin.
Gage took one last bite of his and tossed his core too, but missed the trash can entirely.
“How did you miss that?” she teased, tickling his ribs.
Gage grinned at her and shrugged, not caring in the least.
“I play hockey not basketball. Besides, I’m better with my right hand.”
“Hmmm, is that so?” she flirted, catching his eyes playfully.
He raised his brows as if to say ‘you’ll see’. Nora laughed and hopped off the picnic table, retrieving the apple core and tossing it into the can.
“Ready to go, then?”
“Thanks, yes I’m ready,” he agreed, climbing down and taking her hand.
They walked back to his car slowly in a comfortable silence, neither of them feeling the need to speak.
Nora appreciated how affectionate he was. He was an old-fashioned guy, no doubt about it, and based on their conversation he was very traditional too. He grew up in Southern California and came from a large family, with five other siblings. His parents were happily married for forty years! Gage valued family above all else. Both of his parents had worked outside the home, and shared the responsibility of raising the kids and keeping the house. Nora thought his parents sounded like great role models.
“What does your week look like?” Nora asked as they made their way through the parking lot, finally breaking the silence.
“Home game tomorrow and Monday, then on the road again for a few,” he explained, opening the car door for her.
She sat down and waited for him to come around and slide into the driver’s seat before asking her next question.
“You guys are doing well. What do you think your playoff chances are?” she asked curiously, wondering how challenging it would be to spend quality time with him.
One of the best traits about Gage was that he took advantage of his time with her and really made an effort to get to know her. He was an open book himself, too. They had onl
y been out twice and she felt like they had known one another for decades. She couldn’t really say that about Leo, who she had yet to break down walls with. Leo kept things pretty light. And tight.
On the other hand, she had a feeling that her physical relationship with Gage was going to take a little more time to develop than it had with Leo. He seemed much more reserved on that front. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, she didn’t mind the pace he was going, but if they didn’t have time to spend together, she was curious how things would progress for them.
“I think we might have a shot. This is probably my last chance to win the cup, so it would be cool to make a run at it,” he shared, turning on the ignition and backing the car out of the empty lot.
“You think you’ll be retiring this year?” Nora asked diplomatically.
She had heard talk that his contract was up, but she wasn’t sure if retirement was on the table for him, or if he planned to seek out another franchise. He glanced over at her and shrugged, a weak smile on his lips.
“I think this is it. I’m tired, Nora. It’s time for something else. I need a life outside of hockey, you know?”
She nodded. She did know. She felt that way a few years ago when she was coming to the end of her schooling. It felt like she had no life but study, study, study.
“Well then, I hope that you get a chance, Gage. Your goaltending has been on point, and the boys are playing some good puck this season. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you,” she offered supportively, but she understood that play-off hockey meant less time with him, and that would be tough given the circumstances she found herself in.
He seemed to have read her mind and reached out to take her hand.
“I guess the timing is not so great with us?” he offered, obviously contemplating the same thing that she was.
She turned her head and offered him a thoughtful smile.
“It is what it is, though right? I’m not in a rush, Gage,” she insisted, trying to find the right words.
She needed the time to get to know both of these men, and to process her feelings about them, so maybe the timing was just right. If things were to move too quickly, maybe she wouldn’t have the luxury of figuring it all out, and she could quite possibly make a mistake.
“That’s good to hear. I really like you Nora, and I don’t want to fuck this up, but until the end of the season, I don’t have a lot of control over my schedule, or my life. It’s been a problem in the past and I guess I’m just worried it could be a problem now,” he admitted honestly, more straight-forward than insecure.
“I really like you too, and I’m happy to keep things casual between us, Gage, at least until the season is over. We’ll see each other when we can, and make the best of it. Once the season is over, we can see where things go,” she promised, squeezing his hand for reassurance.
He smiled and brought her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles softly.
But she wasn’t done. She needed to be honest with him about Leo and she wasn’t sure how he would receive it. The truth was, he could be completely uncomfortable with her dating someone else, and possibly walk away from her, but she had to be transparent with him. He deserved nothing less.
“I need to be honest with you about something,” she continued, taking a deep breath.
Gage quickly glanced her way, a look of uncertainty on his handsome face.
“I’m really, really enjoying spending time with you, and I do like where things are going between us, but you need to know I am dating other people.”
She waited a moment or two for him to speak, but he didn’t say a word, as though he was quietly contemplating her confession.
“I’m not opposed to an exclusive relationship, don’t get me wrong. To be honest, I would like my next relationship to be my last, but I need to be sure that I do things right this time. And of course you should feel free to date too,” she babbled nervously. “I’m rambling,” she stammered, suddenly feeling very vulnerable.
She quietly looked out the window, wishing she had been more eloquent. She heard Gage sigh thoughtfully, but didn’t look at him.
He spoke her name, trying to get her to look his way. She obliged, meeting his eyes before he turned them back to the road.
“It’s okay, I get it. I wouldn’t expect you to stop dating. I’m obviously in no position to ask you to not see other people, nor would I,” he explained kindly. “I’m happy to get together whenever we can and continue to get to know each other. If things get more serious between us, then we can talk about what that means, right? Hell, until the season is over, I can’t offer you much of anything, so why should you sit around?”
Nora looked at him trying to gauge his feelings. He certainly seemed sincere and not at all upset. He glanced her way and grinned, as if to reassure her.
“Come on, I appreciate your honesty,” he said, patting her hand. “You’re amazing, Nora. All I ask is that if anything changes, you let me know right away, okay? I don’t want to be that chump that thinks he has a chance if there is no chance in hell,” he said lightly, although there was an edge of truth to his humor.
“Of course, and I hope you would do the same for me,” she agreed, letting out the breath she had been holding.
He threw her a quick wink and suddenly she had the urge to kiss him. He caressed her hand, then gave it a long squeeze. She looked up at him and smiled, and in that exact second, felt her heart make space for him.
It was late when they got back to her place and even though she insisted that she could walk herself up, Gage wouldn’t consider it, in spite of an early morning practice. As soon as the door closed behind them, he clasped her face in both his hands and pulled her in for a kiss, softly parting her lips with his tongue. She ran her hand up his chest, feeling the warmth of his body and the rhythmic beating of his heart under her touch. There was something comforting about it, a familiarity she couldn’t explain. Heat radiated through her womb, weakening her knees.
“This was the best night,” he whispered, when he finally pulled himself away.
She missed his lips the second they were gone.
“Me too. Do you want to stay? Maybe have some tea?” she asked, hopeful for more of his kisses.
He moaned softly, his face inches away from hers.
“Oh god, I wish I could,” he growled, kissing one cheek, and then the other, “but I need to get some sleep. Next time?”
“You promise?” she purred, kissing him back, and wishing he wouldn’t go.
He chuckled softly, as though thrilled with her response.
“Promise,” he said, between kisses. “Next week. I’m home Thursday.”
“Come for dinner,” she demanded playfully, nibbling on his neck. She could feel his erection swelling and it excited her.
“You’re killing me, Nora,” he groaned, his hands sliding down her back. He pulled her into a tighter embrace, rubbing his cock against her. “Yes, dinner,” he said, in barely a whisper.
“I can’t wait,” she replied breathlessly.
She was pretty sure he could make her cum just with his kisses. It had been years since she’d had a good old make out session, just long, lingering kisses without the expectation of anything else. There was something really hot about that.
“I’ll text you,” he assured, peeling himself away.
He opened the door then turned back for one more kiss before leaving. She closed the door and leaned back into it, flushed, flustered and horny. She stayed that way for a few minutes, waiting to catch her breath. In the spirit of practicing mindfulness, she tried to pin point exactly how she felt in that moment, as a plethora of emotion swirled through her head.
It was joy.
CHAPTER 14
NORA
“I can’t believe you haven’t fucked him yet,” Dana mused, folding a clean towel from the basket in front of her. “Do you think it’s going to happen tonight?”
Nora looked up from the sheet she was folding and shrugged casu
ally at her sister.
“I hope so. He’s coming here after practice. I’m cooking a romantic dinner for us,” Nora explained wistfully, contemplating what she hoped would be a sexy night, and that finally she and Gage would make love.
They had been dating over a month now, but hadn’t sealed the deal yet. It wasn’t that they weren’t into each other, just the opposite. She adored everything about him. The problem was, they could only see one another occasionally, and had been out only a handful of times over that month. Every date had been wonderful, he had even introduced her to some of his friends, proudly showing her off. He was romantic, attentive and considerate, just not in any hurry to fuck her. They shared intimate conversations, sweet caresses, and long, deep wet kisses that left her hot and bothered, confused and wanting. As much as she loved the romance and intimacy, and the deep bond they were developing, she was ready for him to turn up the heat. She needed to know if he had an adventurous side, and the anticipation was torture.
Leo on the other hand was the polar opposite. He had yet to introduce her to anyone in his life and even avoided an invite to meet her sister, taking a shift at work at the last minute. That didn’t bother Nora really, she was certain that these things would come in time, but she would be lying if she said she wasn’t curious about that. Her relationship with Leo was all passion and spice. He was bold and playful, and was able to tease something out of Nora she never knew existed. She felt like a goddess when she was with him, an insatiable sex siren! His confidence was a huge turn on for Nora and he made her feel like she could be as daring and open minded as she wanted, in fact, he encouraged it. Leo was a high achiever in bed and their sex life was an A+, but something was missing. Intimacy.
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