Blinded By Love by Reana Malori

Chapter 16

Cade

More than two weeks later and I couldn’t get enough of Norah, of being with her, kissing her at night, sinking inside her body in her bed. We hadn’t yet slept in my room. I had my thoughts on why she wasn’t ready for that and had no choice but to accept it. I wasn’t going to push her if she didn’t feel comfortable. Even though she and I both wanted this, I knew there were things she was still working through when it came to our relationship.

But every night, when she was in my arms, looking up at me with those gorgeous brown eyes, and pulling me close as I repeatedly claimed her body, I knew what we had was real. We were still careful about showing affection around Lilly. Before we took that next step, I wanted to make sure Norah was comfortable with where things were headed for us.

Next Saturday would be our first test. The owners of Overwatch Security invited me to a charity event they were hosting for survivors of domestic violence. It was a well-publicized story that the founder’s wife was a survivor, and one of the other executives of the company had a sister who was killed by her husband. When the invitation came through to me earlier today, there was no doubt in my mind about if I would go.

I would even put on the damn tuxedo that was required since it was a black-tie event. A bonus was that the invite for me and my plus-one. Norah would be by my side, in public, for the first time since we officially became a couple. She’d been hesitant to share our new relationship dynamics with others because she was still concerned with the optics.

Me, I didn’t give a shit about what other people thought. I wasn’t giving her up for anyone, so they could go fuck themselves if they had a problem with the two of us being together. I had been lucky enough to find love twice in my life. Nothing was going to stop me from having the woman I wanted in my arms.

Tonight had been a late night at the office and I wasn’t happy about getting home late. A look at my watch showed that it was past eight, which meant Lilly was already in bed. I opened the door to my home, and I listened for a moment but all I heard was silence. Then I made my way into the living room, I placed my case on the table and slid off my suit jacket. Since I had client meetings all day, I had to dress in this monkey suit, which I really didn’t enjoy. Jeans and a button up shirt were my usual attire when I made it to the office. Pulling my sleeves back, I called out. “Norah? You down here?”

When I made it into the kitchen, I saw a note on the counter waiting for me.

Cade,

Dinner is in the microwave.

Dessert is upstairs.

Norah

Well, damn. Was there really any other choice for me. Dessert had always been my favorite meal of the day.

Placing the note back on the counter, I took out two bottles of water from the refrigerator. Once I made sure the house was locked up, I jogged upstairs to Norah’s bedroom. I didn’t bother knocking because I knew she heard me come inside the house and make my way upstairs.

I popped into Lilly’s room to make sure she was covered with a blanket. I gave her a small kiss on her forehead and exited her room.

Once I made my way into Norah’s room, my eyes were immediately drawn to the bed and the sight in front of me. Closing the door behind me, I placed the water bottles on the dresser and walked over to stand next to the bed.

She looked up at me, a smirk on her lips, and lust in her eyes. “Hey, Cade.”

Norah was propped on the bed, her knees bent, and legs spread wide. I had a clear view of her bare mound. She wore one of my ties… my favorite one. It was the only piece of material covering her body. My dick jumped, filling out and growing in anticipation.

“Norah.”

“Did you eat dinner?”

Removing my tie, I began to undress. I don’t know how long it took, but it felt like only a few seconds before I stood in front of her naked. “I’m about to eat dinner and dessert right now.” Grabbing one leg, I opened it wider before taking my hand and trailing a finger up her slit. Wetness coated my finger. Lifting the digit to my mouth, I sucked her essence off before dipping my hand between her legs again. “Is this for me?”

A shiver went through her body as she closed her eyes. “Yes.”

“Good girl,” I praised her. How I could have lived without her in my life and in my bed was still a mystery to me. “I like it when you’re up here waiting for me.”

Norah lifted one hand and cradled my jaw. Turning my head, I kissed her palm as I continued positioning myself on the bed. Tilting her head, I kissed her softly, sucking her tongue into my mouth. She tasted of sweet bubblegum. She broke the kiss as she continued looking into my eyes.

“I like it when you come home to me at night. I figured you deserved a little surprise for taking such good care of us every day.”

“Damn, baby. That’s what I’m talking about.” Laying between her legs, I prepared to drive my woman crazy.

Two hours later, we were both tired, sweaty, and thirsty.

“I’m glad you liked my surprise,” she said, swirling her fingers in the hair on my chest. “Your chest hair is so soft.”

Thoughts of other conversations about my chest hair filtered into my brain. Not everyone liked a man like me. I was rough around the edges, cursed too much, didn’t mince my words, and didn’t really give a shit about anyone except my family. I would never be that polished business owner that graced the cover of magazines. With me, what you see is what you get.

“I’m glad you like it.” I wouldn’t apologize for who the hell I was. Norah wanted me just the way I was, and she was the only one who mattered.

Norah shifted, wrapped up in the sheet, she looked over at me. “Are you hungry?”

Smirking, I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her back against me. “Baby, I thought you were tired. If you’re ready for round four, all you have to do is ask.”

She laughed, slapping me lightly on the arm. “What? No! I meant are you hungry for food, from the kitchen? You never did eat the meal I had waiting for you.”

“I didn’t need that meal. There was a whole snack upstairs waiting for me.” I loved teasing her, especially about sex. Norah claimed I was insatiable, but I also knew she loved every single minute of my appetite for her. I would never tire of being inside her, so she’d better get used to it.

“Cade… you know what? You can starve.” She plopped back on the bed.

Leaning over to suck at the skin of her neck, I inhaled her unique scent, plus mine mixed in. It was something I would never get tired of. “Actually, I am hungry. Want anything?”

“Ice cream,” she blurted out. “I got some pralines and cream at the store earlier. I was going to save it for tomorrow, but since you’re asking.”

Standing from the bed, I put on a pair of sweats that I left in here for easy access. “Coming right up.” Exiting the room, I made it back to the kitchen. While my food was warming up, I put a few scoops of ice cream in a bowl for the Queen Bee upstairs.

As I stood there waiting, I realized that I was happy again. Not that giddy-childhood crush type of happiness, which isn’t something I’d ever apply to me. But I was happy with Norah, our life, and content to be at home.

After Rebecca died, I’d been restless. All I wanted to do was work, hang out with my daughter, and work more. Now, my focus was on getting home to Norah and Lilly as fast as I could. Staying in the office late no longer held any appeal for me. It was… different… than it had been before. Back when things were normal, before Rebecca got sick, I felt that my work, my business, is what made me worthy of her love. That if I provided a good home for my family, then that made me worthy.

After it all went to shit, I realized that no amount of money could make things better. It didn’t matter how much cash I threw at the situation, my wife was going to die, and there was nothing I could do about it.

As I think about it now, I knew that I never would have made it to this point without Norah being there for me, for Rebecca. Almost a year later, I knew that I’d finally made it to other side. I was ready for whatever was to come.

I’m stronger.

I’m wiser.

I’m better.

When I look back at all I’ve gone through, I can now see that Norah was the one I held on to, the one who kept me going.

Could I have lost it all, lost a future with her, if I hadn’t opened my eyes? If I hadn’t received that letter? I probably would have lost my mind, wallowing in my grief and pain. I guess it’s a good thing I surrounded myself with strong, beautiful women.

When the microwave dinged, I pulled out the plate, grabbed the ice cream, napkins, and utensils, and made my way back upstairs.

As we were lying in bed, I glanced over at Norah. “Thank you.”

Scooping another bite of ice cream into her mouth, she spoke around the icy goodness. “You’re welcome… but for what?”

“For being here for me and for Lilly. For loving my daughter. For returning here when I asked you. Norah, I never would have made it this far without you.”

I saw her eyes shimmer as she swallowed.

“No, baby. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

“I’m not crying. Well, not because I’m sad. These are happy tears.”

Laughing, I used one hand to wipe the wetness that began to trail down her face. “Well, whatever the reason, stop it. When I see tears in your eyes, I want to fuck some shit up.”

My heart felt like it was being squeezed between a vice grip. I didn’t care what the reason was for her tears, I didn’t like it.

“Cade, you can’t tell me to not cry if I’m happy.”

I moved my empty plate to the side. I’d take the dishes downstairs later. “Yes, I can. Haven’t you heard about me? Hell, I’m the famous Cade Donovan.”

“Yeah, more like infamous,” Norah giggled before placing her bowl down and grabbing me around the waist before putting her head on my shoulder.

I grabbed one of her legs and I pulled it tight. “This Saturday, we have a dinner to attend. It’s a charity event being sponsored by Overwatch.”

Her hands were rubbing along my chest hair again, but she paused. “Isn’t that the company you’ve been working with these past few months? The one that brought you those new clients?”

Proud that she remembered, I nodded. “Yes, those are the ones. It’s to benefit and support survivors of domestic violence.”

“What do I have to wear?”

“It’s black tie. Do you already have something to wear, or do we need to buy you a dress?”

She shook her head. “I think I do. But if I don’t, I’m not going to ask you to buy me anything. I already live here rent free. Do you realize how much money I’m saving by being here? Getting out of my apartment lease was one of the best decisions I could have made.”

She thought she was going to slide that smart ass comment in without me noticing. “Norah, if you need a dress, I’m going to buy it for you. Doesn’t matter if you have six-figures in your bank account. Let me do this for you.”

I heard her make some noncommittal sound. This was another way Norah was different, she never wanted to use my money. I had plenty of it and was continuing to make more. I wanted her to lean on me when she needed something; to be in a fully committed relationship. Then understanding dawned. She was still fighting it—fighting us being together as a couple. This needed to change, because this half-in / half-out bullshit wasn’t working for me anymore.