“Not really. Just a guy I’ve been seeing casually,” she said and pushed her cell phone back into her jeans. Theo nodded his head, narrowing his green eyes on her and she felt naked under his gaze again.
“Doesn’t sound like he deserves you,” he said and Nora opened her mouth to speak. At that moment, she didn’t feel like she deserved anybody or anything. Least of all, Theo. She was feeling small and humiliated and very close to just breaking into tears. “Sorry, I have to run. I have a meeting to get to,” he added quickly and walking past her, Nora watched as he unlocked the doors of his Audi and got into the driver’s seat. Without another look at her, he had driven off.
Chapter 12
Nora was in the kitchen that evening, cooking her dad’s favorite meat loaf with mash dinner. She heard the doorbell ring and then her father’s voice booming from the living room.
“Stay for dinner. Let me go check with Nora,” she heard him say and even though she hadn’t heard Theo’s voice, she could feel her heart racing. Her dad came into the kitchen.
“Honey, Theo’s here. He came to drop off a book he’d borrowed and I’ve asked him to stay for dinner. Do we have enough?” he said. Nora turned to him and then saw Theo at the kitchen door behind her father. He was staring at her, expressionless again.
“Of course. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes,” she said and turned back to making the sticky sauce she usually lathered on the meatloaf.
“Great! Let me go pour us some drinks,” her dad led Theo out of the kitchen, while Nora set up the table. She was a little ashamed knowing that he had heard her conversation with Jack that morning. Also, she had expected him to keep his distance from her. Having him in their house, in such a personal setting again was a jolt to her system.
When the table was set, she wiped her hands on the apron at her waist and walked to the living room. Her father and Theo were sitting on the couch, thumbing through the pages of the business book they were discussing. Her father was drinking alone and neither of them noticed when she had walked to the door.
She watched Theo for a few moments, drinking him in. The width of his shoulders, his large hands as he gripped the book. Those same fingers had been inside her, that mouth which was stretched in a smile now was lapping at her pussy just twenty-four hours ago. Nora felt Goosebumps erupt on her arms and she cleared her throat.
“Dinner’s ready,” she said and turned and walked back into the kitchen.
Her father and Theo entered together, still talking. They sat around the table, with her dad sitting at the head and Nora across from Theo. He had very seldom met her eyes, and when he did, he was quick to look away. It was very evident to her, that he was guilty about what had happened; but he had never seemed like the kind of man who apologized easily.
They made small talk as they ate. It was mostly Nora talking to her father directly and Theo doing the same. She kept her eyes glued to the plate, not hungry anymore and pushed the food around with her fork.
Theo had his tie loosened at his neck now and his made-to-measure shirt had its sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He looked handsome, with the stubble, the green intelligent eyes, the square jaw…he was Nora’s ideal man and now she had lost her chance with him.
Dinner was done with, and they remained seated around the table. Her father had been drinking heavily the whole night and Nora noticed that he had begun to slur his words happily and his eyes had begun to droop.
“Dad, do you think we should call it a night?” Nora asked, and stood up from her chair to clear the dishes away.
“I should head home anyway,” Theo said, but Andy stopped him.
“Stay for a bit, Theo. Let’s have a game of poker,” he said.
“Don’t think you can play right now, Andy. You need to go to bed,” Theo said, standing up. Nora glanced at him and saw him smiling at his friend.
“Of course I can play!” her father tried standing up, unsteadily to his feet and Nora and Theo both rushed to him and caught him by his elbows.
“Steady, Andy,” Theo said, scolding him humorously.
“I’ll take you to bed, dad,” Nora said.
“I’ll take him,” Theo said and their eyes met again. Nora released her grip on her father’s arms and Theo hugged him to himself, and then throwing Andy’s arm around his shoulder, he started dragging him swiftly out of the kitchen.
Nora watched them leave and wondered how often Theo did this for her father. How much she had missed while she stayed away from home. As she cleared the plates and loaded the dishwasher, she heard Theo and her father upstairs in his room. She could hear Theo’s deep calm voice and her father’s slurring as he was being helped into bed and a soft smile grazed her lips. She couldn’t think of one friend who was as close to her as her father and Theo were. And had been for all these years. As much as she tried not to think about it, they shared a special kind of friendship that she had never experienced herself. No wonder he was so guilty about what had happened between them.
Then she heard the bedroom door shut, and Theo’s heavy footsteps on the stairs. With her back straightened and turned to the door, she washed her hands and packed the leftovers away for the fridge.
“He’s asleep,” she heard his voice and turned her head sideways to acknowledge that she had heard. She was expecting him to leave right away, but instead she could still sense his presence in the room. Then he was walking towards her.
“Do you need help with that?” he asked and Nora crinkled the aluminum foil on the dish and walked over with it to the fridge.
“It’s all done, thank you,” she said and when she turned, she saw that he was watching her closely. Nora stared back at him, her throat drying because she could feel a surge of emotions rising in her again. Ever since she was a teenager, she had wanted this man and she had finally come so close to having him and now it was ruined.
“Do you want a beer?” she squeaked, surprised by what she had just said. Theo’s shoulders rose softly with every breath he was taking. He looked at her in silence for a few more moments.
“Sure,” he replied and Nora smiled.
Chapter 13
“I remember your mom very well,” Theo said. They were sitting at the dining table again, across from each other. The lights were dimmed in the room and Nora stared at Theo’s strong jaws as he spoke. She wanted to tell him how happy she would feel if he took her into his arms just then.
“She was a good beautiful woman. She was around my age, a few years younger than Andy and she died too young,” he continued and took a sip of his beer. Nora licked her lips and looked away from him. Her father rarely ever spoke about her, and all she had of her mother were the old photographs.
“And your dad was a young father, clueless and grieving over the loss of the love of his life. I tried to help out to the best of my abilities in those years when you were little and Andy didn’t know what he was doing,” Theo said and they looked at each other again. They would have heard a pin drop in the room, there was complete silence.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better father,” Nora said and looked down at the bottle in her hands. She didn’t want to talk about her parents with Theo. She wanted to keep those topics separate from this man she was still lusting after. He had known her when she was little, when she didn’t even remember his presence in her life.
“Yeah, he was great with you,” Theo said, searching her eyes.
“Did you want children?” Nora asked, already knowing the answer because her father had told her. But she was desperate to change the topic. Theo clenched his jaw and gulped.
“For a while, yes. Around the time I met Violet. Before that, the thought never crossed my mind,” he said and Nora took in a deep breath, the scent of his cologne surrounded her and she felt giddy with desire for him.
“You would have made a great father, too,” she said, slightly shy of what she was saying but Theo encouraged her with a smile.
“I don’t know about that but what I do know
is that Violet would have made a terrible mother,” he said with a small laugh escaping his lips as he took another sip of his beer.
“It doesn’t sound like a happy marriage to me,” Nora said, unable to keep her thoughts to herself any longer. Theo threw her an angry look and she immediately regretted saying it.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that,” she added quickly and he shook his head.
“No, it’s all right. You haven’t offended me. It’s just that I don’t like talking about her and me. I know how bad the marriage is. I’ve seen Andy and your mom together. I know what a good marriage looks like,” Theo said and Nora gulped, placing the bottle of beer in front of her on the table. She didn’t want to actually say the words. She didn’t want to actually tell him to leave his wife, because it wasn’t her place to dish out relationship advice. And neither did it mean that if he left his wife he would definitely be with her.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ve made my peace with my choices. What you should do is dump that boyfriend of yours,” Theo said and Nora’s cheeks colored. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t help overhearing,” he added.
“Yeah, he’s not exactly my boyfriend. In his own words, we go on casual dates and fuck,” she said, the words lumping up in her throat because she was aware of how pathetic she must have sounded to him.
“Well, as long as you are aware of what you’re doing…and don’t let yourself get hurt,” he said and their eyes met again.
“I have no feelings for Jack,” she said and Theo’s green eyes grew darker as he stared at her.
“Then you are in the same position as me,” he said and Nora nodded. “The only difference is that you’re not married to him, which means that it would be easier for you to leave,” he added and she looked away from him. How was she supposed to explain to him that she needed to be with someone constantly, just to numb the desire she felt towards Theo. That if she broke up with Jack, she would be heartbroken over thoughts about Theo.
“Because if that guy ever hurts you, Nora…” she watched as Theo fisted his hands and his jaws clenched. She had never seen this side of him before and it surprised her. She had never guessed that he felt this protectively about her.
“I can take care of myself,” Nora said to him and Theo’s eyes burned into her face.
“I know you can, but if he does…” he was speaking through gritted teeth and Nora reached for his fisted hands. She placed her own small hands on his and felt the sting of his warm skin. They were looking at each other, and she gulped, focusing on his lips and how harshly he was breathing.
“I knew you as a kid, Nora,” he said and pulled his hands away from her. She settled back in her chair, trying to suppress the wave of rejection that was rising up in her.
“And I am an adult now,” she said and Theo shook his head.
“I don’t want to apologize for what happened last night, because I did what I wanted. I’ll be lying if I said that I didn’t know what I was doing,” he said, in a voice that was deep and harsh. He suddenly sounded very angry and Nora gulped again.
“But it was wrong. Your dad trusts me, and I can’t betray him like this. What happened was a one-time thing and I’m sorry it did,” he said and Nora felt a cry rise up her throat.
“It happened because I wanted it to happen too. My dad has nothing to do with what two adults do,” Nora cried and Theo clenched his jaw and ran a hand through his thick hair. She noticed the silver on his sideburns again.
“If you’d always lived here, Nora, things would be different. You were just another kid seven years ago and now, suddenly I don’t recognize you anymore. You’re a beautiful successful young woman and I can’t help but want you,” he said and Nora shifted in her seat, desire surging up in her body again. She couldn’t believe that she was actually hearing him say those words. Words she had waited so long to here.
“Things wouldn’t have been any different for me if I stayed here, Theo. I wanted you since I was sixteen. When you didn’t even look at me. When you dated other women and eventually found someone to marry. I wanted all this since then,” she said and Theo arched his eyebrows in surprise. She couldn’t believe he had no clue. He shook his head and stared at her from under his heavy eyelids.
“You don’t know what you’re saying, Nora,” he said and his gaze dropped to her breasts. She thrilled under his gaze. She wanted him to watch her, to look at her breasts. She wanted him to ask her to undress herself.
“I know exactly what I’m saying. I’ve never forgotten my crush on you. I couldn’t wait to grow up and become an adult so that I could live my fantasies,” she said and Theo banged his bottle on the table.
“Fuck, Nora! We shouldn’t be talking like this. Your father is sleeping upstairs!” he spoke through gritted teeth, in a hushed low voice. Nora had started breathing hard. She had never spoken so brazenly to someone before, but this was the man of her dreams. What was the point of holding back?
“Exactly. He’s sleeping,” she said and his gaze dropped to her heaving breasts again.
“I wanted you so badly, Nora. Since I saw you that night at Andy’s birthday. I had to go home and take a cold shower because I knew it was wrong to think about you like that,” he said, and leaned over the table towards her. Nora leaned forward as well, matching his hushed husky voice with hers.
“I’ve been having cold showers since I turned sixteen,” she said, parting her lips seductively at him. Theo snapped his head away from her, like he was forcing himself to look away.
“I helped myself to thoughts of you that night, after I came over to apologize. And then after the party last night. I pictured you naked. Bouncing on top of me. I imagined what your breasts would look like,” he said and Nora squeezed her legs together. She could feel the wetness growing there between her thighs. He was trying to be honest and had no idea what he was doing to her. He hadn’t even touched her yet. She wanted to tell him she’d done the same, but he was looking threateningly at her. Like he didn’t want her to say another word.
“This has to stop. You need to go back to New York,” he said and Nora shook her head.
“I’ll leave when I want to leave,” she said and Theo stood up with a jerk. The chair he was sitting on toppled over and crashed to the floor. He walked around the table and stood over her, his shoulders heaving. She could see the rising erection in his pants and she wanted to reach out and stroke him. Finally feel his cock in her hands.
“You need to leave now, Nora. I won’t do this to Andy!” he spoke through gritted teeth again and Nora leaned herself against the back of her chair, thrusting her breasts outwards towards him. She saw as he looked at her breasts, his eyes sparkling with desire. His arousal was unmistakable. She knew she wasn’t imagining it anymore.
“Nora, stop!” he said and stepped towards her. She parted her lips and licked them seductively and then lifted a hand to her left breast, stroking it gently. He was watching her every movement with wide steely eyes. She knew her nipples were pebbled through the thin material of her cotton t-shirt. She knew he could see them and she saw his cock grow bigger in his pants.
“Touch me, Theo,” she heard her voice quiver as she spoke. He was standing over her, glaring down at her with fire burning in his eyes. He had his hands clenched in fists, his nostrils flaring and he looked nearly dangerous, threatening, but Nora had never wanted anyone more than she wanted him in that moment.
“Aarrrgh!” they both heard the sound of her father’s voice at the same time. Nora gazed up at the ceiling and another painful yelp erupted.
“Dad!” she shrieked and Theo was out the kitchen door before she had even jumped off the chair. She ran upstairs, fast at his heels and they burst into her father’s dark bedroom.
He was bent over on the bed, clutching his chest and making ragged hollow breathing sounds.
“Daddy!” Nora was screaming, while Theo thrust his cell phone into her hand.
“Call an ambulance. Andy, lie down. I’ll have to perfo
rm CPR on you. You’re having a heart attack,” Theo said, grabbing her father by the shoulders and gently pushing him down into the bed.
Nora’s fingers shook as she dialed 911. She couldn’t hear her own voice as she spoke into the phone. Her eyes were riveted to where Theo was hunched over her father, performing CPR expertly on him. The phone fell from her hand after she had given their address to the 911 operator.
She clasped a hand on her mouth, watching in horror as her father seemed to choke.
“Nora, get him an aspirin. Find an aspirin now, Nora!” Theo was screaming at her, while she stood frozen to the spot. Her body immobilized by panic.
“Nora!” Theo was shaking her by the shoulders now, while she stared at her father. “You need to find aspirin, now. Andy’s going to be all right,” she faintly heard him say.
Chapter 14
Nora was sitting on the cold metal bench of the hospital waiting room, digging her fingernails into her fisted palms. She had practically said nothing since they brought her father in an ambulance to the hospital. Theo had done all the talking and the running around. He had paid very little regard to her father’s insurance and taken care of the expenses himself. Besides, he had connections in the medical profession through his work that were coming in handy.
She felt frozen, incapable of moving after the screaming and crying she had done in the ambulance and till they took her dad into intensive care. After that she had fallen completely silent. Everything was passing by in a haze and she wasn’t even sure how long she’d been sitting there on the bench. She was dazed, it was like a film reel was playing in her head. She was reliving all her childhood and teenage years spent with her father. He had given her everything he could, and allowed her every freedom and not once had Nora experienced the lack of two parents in her life.
She couldn’t imagine a world without her father in it, and now she blamed herself for what she and Theo were doing just seconds before her dad had his heart attack upstairs. This was a new kind of guilt; one she had never experienced before.
Unwrapped by The Billionaire Page 5