She hadn’t slept long after that, but she slept well, wrapped in Leo’s arms. They woke when the alarm chimed on his smartphone. He squeezed her breast and gave her a kiss to the top of her head... then headed to the kitchen with the promise to return with coffee.
Nora stretched again, a smile on her face from the memory of an awesome night, and waited for Leo to return. There was so much she wanted to talk to him about in the short time they had before work.
CHAPTER 12
LEO
It was no surprise to Leo that Nora’s kitchen was clean and organized. He had very little trouble finding everything quickly and easily to make a pot of coffee. He sleepily leaned himself against the counter, wishing he had a few more hours to lay around in bed with her. While he had the morning off, she told him she had to be out the door by 7:30 if she was going to make it to work on time.
Typically, he didn’t like to spend the night with a woman after sex. It just left the wrong impression. In his experience, women usually read too much into it. He stayed overnight with Nora for two reasons.First, she was not like most of the women he dated. She was intelligent, mature and interesting. He liked that she was witty and not overly sensitive, so he could tease her without her taking it personally. Corrine had been that way too. The truth was that she held his interest beyond the sexual chemistry they obviously shared. She made him feel like he needed to step up his game, to make sure she knew he was not just fucking around.
The second reason he stayed? He had been so worked up the first time they had sex it had ended almost before it started. He didn’t want to leave her with the notion that he was a two-minute man. That would just be fucking embarrassing. So, by all accounts, he crashed overnight to make sure he left her with a good impression.
He really liked Nora. She challenged him and if he was being honest, he was pushing himself out of his comfort zone because of his attraction to her. Whether that was good or bad was still undecided. Last night was fantastic, but he was concerned his feelings for her were developing too rapidly. He wasn’t sure he was ready for that. He knew he needed to be clear with her about his feelings, because a woman like Nora would settle for nothing less. He just wasn’t sure how to tell her without spooking her or pushing her away. He still wanted to hang out with her, but he wanted to keep things casual until he knew for sure that his feelings for her were genuine.
Leo grabbed two mugs out of the cupboard and poured coffee into both of them. He remembered that Nora took hers with a little milk and sugar and prepared it the way she liked before making his way back to the bedroom. Nora was sitting up in bed in her bathrobe. He smiled, once again recalling the night of their first meeting, noting how damn lucky it was that he had been in the right place at the right time. A few minutes before or after and he may never have met her. Maybe it was fate, he wondered casually.
He handed her a mug and sat down beside her, giving her a quick peck on her pretty, full lips. It was remarkable that she looked just as beautiful in the morning, with not a stitch of make-up, as she had all dolled up the night before. He liked that she looked mussed up and satisfied, and even better that he was the lucky bastard that had made her look that way.
“Thank you for this.
” Nora held her mug up in a ‘cheers’ motion before taking a careful sip of the hot beverage.
“My pleasure,” Leo assured, offering her a quick wink.
“All of it.”
Nora smirked playfully, shaking her head at him, as if to bring his ego down a notch.
“That was quite a night. I know I enjoyed myself a lot. I’m happy you decided to sleepover. It was nice waking up beside you. And serving me coffee in bed? I could get used to this,” she teased, holding her hand out to him. Leo looked at it for a few seconds too long before taking it in his own. He wondered what she was thinking about, if she had read too much into him staying all night.
“Well, what can I say, I like serving you,” he growled, raising her hand to his lips. He kissed and nibbled her fingers seductively, his eyes suggesting he wanted to taste more.
“Did you have a good night?” she asked guardedly.
Leo had enough experience with ‘post-sex’ conversations that he knew what Nora was looking for. She wanted validation that he was still interested, that his expectations had been met, and that it wasn’t just casual sex. She wanted to know if they were on the same page. This was usually the part when Leo would ‘buddy’ them up, keep it light, talk about how much ‘fun’ they’d had. He was good at smoothing things over so that they both parted ways happy, with their egos in check. Hell, most of the time they came back for round two or three, despite the fact that there was no promise of anything more than friends with benefits.
But he didn’t want to have that conversation with Nora. The problem was, he wasn’t exactly sure what he did want.
“I had a great time. I did,” he offered carefully, pausing to process his thoughts.
Nora just looked at him warmly, waiting patiently for him to speak. She wasn’t going to make this easy for him either, which was one of the things he dug about her.
“Can I be honest with you?” he finally asked, setting his mug down on the bedside table.
Nodding, she said, “I would hope for nothing less,” her eyes suggesting she was more curious than wary.
“I really like you, Nora,” he began, trying to find the right words so he wouldn’t sound like a complete asshole. “I’ve never been much for monogamy, I’ve been playing the field for a long time now. I’m not sure I would be any good at it.”
He met her eyes for a moment or two, trying to gauge her reaction. She didn’t look hurt, or shocked, or even surprised, but instead she looked rather patient. This encouraged him to continue.
“I’m not sure how you are feeling about this,” he said, gesturing between them, “but I’m feeling really good about it. I want to see where things go between us, but the truth is, I have a hard time committing to one woman. I’m not saying that I don’t want to, but that I’m not sure I know how. I guess I’m just asking for a little time to see how things develop. I don’t want to rush things.”
“Leo,” Nora whispered, gently squeezing his hand, “it’s ok. I’m not asking for a commitment. We’ve only been out a few times, and granted they were awesome as dates go, but I don’t want to jump into anything too quickly either. I want us to get to know each other better, and see if our chemistry extends beyond the bedroom. There’s still so much to learn about each other.”
Leo nodded at her, surprised but grateful that she seemed to understand. Maybe she would make it easy. She had a maturity about her that seemed to go well beyond her years…, what some people referred to as an old soul.
“Then we agree. Let’s hang out some more, maybe go dancing again?” he grinned, leaning in for a kiss. She put her mug down and took his face in both hands, they were still warm from holding the coffee cup. It felt comforting. She kissed him sweetly, lingering just inches from his mouth as she stared into his eyes.
“Thanks for being honest with me,” she whispered.
“Of course,” Leo replied, drawn in by her gaze. She was bewitching him, he thought humorously. She released his face and he slowly straightened himself back up, but not without wondering whether or not they had time to fuck again.
“I wanted to bring this up with you myself. I’d love to spend more time with you Leo, for sure. I really like you too, we have so much fun together. But while we are keeping things casual, I think we could also see other people, at least until we agree that we would like to take things to the next level, if that ever happens. What are your thoughts about that?” she asked cautiously, picking up her mug and taking another sip of coffee.
It seemed sensible to Leo, especially since he seemed to be the one that needed an escape hatch, but for a brief moment he felt jealous at the thought of Nora dating anyone else. He knew it was stupid to think that it was okay for him to play the field and not her, but in a pe
rfect world that was exactly how he wanted it.
He nodded and chuckled awkwardly, inwardly chastising himself for being a sexist jerk.
“Makes sense to me,” he agreed quietly, reading her face for more clues. Was she really okay with this or was she just telling him what she thought he wanted to hear? Nora reached out and gave him a hug, then kissed him on the cheek, as if to reassure him.
“Good. I’m glad we talked about this. I was wondering when we would finally talk about something a little more personal and intimate,” she purred, kissing him sensually, the heat from the coffee lingering on her lips.
As inappropriate as it was, in that moment of honesty between them, he couldn’t help but think about how her warm mouth would feel swallowing his cock. Not a gentlemanly notion at all, yet he found himself aroused all the same. He wondered if he could shift the conversation to oral sex without looking like a complete jackass.
“I think I’m going to jump in the shower,” she told him, gently prying herself away. He pulled her back and whispered in her ear, asking if he could join her. She nodded her consent, her eyes glistening with desire, as he helped her off the bed and led her to the bathroom.
When he turned around, he found that she’d already slipped out her robe somewhere along the way. He grinned at her and pulled her in for another kiss, but this one demonstrated his hunger. His cock, having been semi-ready for action already, was now fully erect, pressing against his slacks. Nora reached down, and unfastened his button and zipper, quite skillfully considering she only used one hand. His slacks dropped to the floor leaving them both naked, and on equal terms. She stroked his cock while he kissed her, using the tips of her fingers to collect the pre-cum so that her hand could glide gently up and down his shaft. She slid her other hand down his back and over his hip so she could play with his balls while she rubbed him off.
She so skillfully hand fucked him that he almost lost his footing and had to slap his hand up against the wall beside her head so he wouldn’t lose his balance. Nora giggled playfully as though she thoroughly enjoyed torturing him. With his free hand he wrapped his fingers behind her head, entwining them into her dark locks and pulled her in for yet another kiss. He crushed his mouth against hers, drawing a helpless moan from her, then parted her lips so his tongue could play with hers. She kissed him back with equal fervency, stroking his cock even faster.
As they parted, he looked at her with a devilish grin, and with his fingers still laced in her hair, guided her to kneel in front of him. She gladly submitted, taking him into her mouth. She greedily licked and sucked his cock, taking long deep pulls on the shaft, using her tongue playfully on the tip. The pleasure was almost maddening, his moans deep and guttural. He continued to hold himself steady against the wall while his free hand guided her with the task. There was something about a woman on her knees trying to swallow his cock that made a man feel like a god. Leo was no exception. He wanted to explode and cum down her pretty throat, filling her belly with his seed. As though sensing his desperate need, she grabbed his ass in both of her hands and guided him deeper into her mouth, her moans vibrating deliciously around his cock.
“Fuck, Nora, don’t stop,” he commanded, even though he sensed she had no intention of it. He wanted her cock seduction to go on forever, but as soon as she started to lick and suck his balls, he knew he was done for. When she took his cock into her mouth once more, he eagerly grabbed her head with both unsteady hands and started fucking her mouth, as quickly and deeply as he dared without gagging her. She knew what he wanted and took control, expertly bringing him to an explosive orgasm, impressively swallowing every last drop of his jizz. She looked up at him with her seductive green eyes, slowly peeling her mouth off his cock, then wiped her lips with the back of her hand. It had to be the sexiest thing he had ever seen a woman do in the entire 36 years of his life. In fact, the blow job was probably the best he’d ever had.
“Well-well, Doc, you are full of surprises,” he teased breathlessly, helping her back to her feet. He pulled her into an embrace, and held her for a moment while he recovered.
“I wanted to do that all night,” she confessed, her whisper hot in his ear. He felt the familiar tightness of arousal sting his exhausted balls and he chuckled, kissing the crown of her head. He was nowhere near ready to fuck her again, in spite of what his body suggested.
“That was... wow,” he sputtered, struggling for the right thing to say. It was a rare thing for him to be rendered speechless. Nora slapped his ass and laughed, as she squirmed out of his embrace.
“Come on, let’s get in the shower. Sadly, I need to be an adult now. Work is calling,” she urged, leaning her curvy body over the tub. She turned on the shower before looking back at him, her head gesturing for him to follow her in. He was more than happy to oblige. The least he could do was wash her back.
CHAPTER 13
NORA
“So, I’ve been practicing the first module in my DBT therapy Dr. Dupree, but can you just remind me what mindfulness is supposed to help me with?” Nora’s patient asked cynically, “Because it doesn’t seem to be making a bit of difference.”
Nora smiled at him patiently. “I don’t mind going over this with you again, Gary, but remember last week when we talked about the importance of staying patient through this process?” she reminded him kindly, “I know you want things to improve immediately, but mindfulness really takes practice.”
Gary shrugged his shoulders, sighing deeply. “Right, I know. It’s just that I get so frustrated with myself and these anger issues. I get pissed off at the stupidest things, I mean I really fucking lose it, and then afterwards I feel so much shame about it. You don’t understand how badly I want to fix this,” he croaked, his voice cracking with emotion.
“I know, Gary. I understand it’s challenging, but you’re doing everything right. If you get too far ahead of yourself, or skip certain steps, you run the risk of not developing these important skills. It really is vital to take this thing step by step,” Nora assured, nodding at him kindly. Gary nodded back, just as Nora knew he would.
“Okay, so let’s go over this again. Mindfulness is the practice of observing your emotions and environment, describing your feelings and experiences, and fully participating in the moment. By learning and incorporating mindfulness skills, you’ll become more aware of your feelings, thoughts, impulses, and behaviors. This awareness will empower you to better regulate your emotions and choose more appropriate actions,” she explained calmly, guiding her client with poise and patience. He looked at her intently, absorbing everything she said.
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.
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