Chapter 15
Chapter 15
But I hadn’t wanted her to feel uncomfortable, out of place. All I’d wanted to do was pleasure her. To focus on her. And that’s exactly what I did.
And spending all day with her today—going over work stuff, at that—has been so … easy. Like breathing. I find myself laughing over the stupidest things. Things that don’t matter. Things that are just silly.
I see Nora glancing at the time on her phone. It’s definitely past 5 at this point.
“We should probably call it a day,” she says, glancing up at me.
“Come to my place,” I say without thinking. I don’t know what’s come over me, but I’m desperate to see more of her, to spend as much time with her as possible. I’ve never felt this way about a woman before. Not like this. “We can have dinner and wine.”
Her eyes widen in surprise, but then she smiles, to my relief. “I suppose I could be convinced,” she says coyly.
I chuckle. “Oh, I’ll convince you.”
Delighted surprise flashes across her face before she stands, gathering her coat and purse. “Okay, Casanova,” she says with a laugh. “Lead the way.”
I insist upon a driving, and her slight protests are met with, “I’ll call you an Uber home and another one to work in the morning.”
“You own stock in that company or something?” she asks with a smirk, settling into the passenger seat of my Porsche. I chuckle.
I pull into the garage, park the car, and we head toward the main doors. When we enter the lobby, I can see Nora’s eyes go wide.
We ride up the elevator, and after I punch in a keycode, we step into a lavishly decorated lobby. My unit is to the right, so I open the door and step inside, holding the door for Nora.
Her mouth drops open when she takes in the sight of my apartment. I’ll admit it—it’s pretty nice. Floor-to-ceiling windows cover the entire living area, showing off a beautiful view of downtown Seattle. I can even see the Space Needle from here.
I had an interior designer put together my furniture and décor, so it definitely feels homey and aesthetically pleasing, although I never could have come up with it on my own.
Nora quickly shuts her mouth, turning to me and smiling softly. “This is place is … very nice,” she says.
I laugh. “You can say it. It’s a little over the top, I know.”
She laughs too. “I’m just surprised. I suppose I shouldn’t be, though. You are, after all, Julian Mercer.”
I purse my lips. “That’s me.”
I’d ordered takeout before we left the foundation, but the restaurant I’d ordered from is notorious for being busy. It probably won’t be ready for a little while.
“Wine?” I offer, striding to the kitchen and pulling two wine glasses from a cabinet.
“Yes, thank you,” Nora says.
“Red or white?” I ask.
She purses her lips in thought. “White,” she decides.
I pour two glasses and lead the way into the living room, settling in on the couch. Nora takes a seat beside me, and I hand her a glass.
She takes a sip. I find myself unable to stop glancing at her. At the way her hair frames her face, the way her nose crinkles when she smiles.
“Your art,” I finally ask. “Were you always a painter?”
She twirls the wine gently in her glass. “Pretty much. I played with colored pencils as a kid, and as soon as my parents trusted me with paints, I’d spend pretty much every afternoon doing just that.”
I nod. “Well, it shows.”
She shoots me a shy look and then shrugs. “It’s just for fun.”
It’s my turn to shoot her a look. “It doesn’t have to be just for fun,” I press. “You’re good enough to be an actual artist. To get paid for it. Recognized.”
She shakes her head. “No. But that’s okay, really. I’m happy just doing it.”
I want to press her on it, make her realize how good her stuff really is, but I drop it for the moment.
“How about your mom?” Nora asks. “I know the foundation was named after her and that she enjoyed the arts. Was she an artist too?”
The memory of Mom settles over me. While it used to make me sad, it’s simply bittersweet now. I nod. “She painted too. Well, she did just about everything.” I laugh. “Painting, sculpting, knitting—if it was artistic, she did it.”
Nora smiles.
I stare down at my wine. “She’d be happy to know the foundation is doing good.”
Nora’s expression softens. “So you do think it’s doing good? You believe that? After all your research through our expenses and files?” She chuckles softly, but I can tell it’s a genuine inquiry.
“I do,” I admit honestly. “The testimonies from college kids we’ve given scholarships to. The community it’s created for kids and families.”
Nora smirks. “You said you only cared about the financial records.”
I roll my eyes. “I do care about the financial records. Doesn’t mean I didn’t look through the file you emailed me labeled Student Success Stories.”
Nora laughs, setting her drink down on the coffee table. “I suppose that was a bit heavy handed.”
I shrug. “It got the job done.”
“And what about you?” Nora asks. “Any artistic tendencies get transferred to you?”
I snort. “Not an iota. I’m all math and business. I suppose that’s part of why Mercer Dynamics got to where it is.”
Nora cocks her head. “You’re probably right.” She tucks her knees up under her, leaning over and snuggling against me. Butterflies clamor in my stomach, and I reach my arm around her, tucking her closer to me.
I gaze down at the top of her head, reaching up to gently run my fingers through her golden hair. We stay like that for a few moments, Nora leaning against me while I play with her hair.
After a while, she angles her head up to meet my gaze, and I see something in her eyes. Something I can’t quite identify. Nerves? Excitement? Both?
“You know,” she says softly. “You didn’t let me return the favor last night.”
I’m momentarily puzzled until the realization settles over me. What we’d done last night. Or really, what I’d done. I smile. “I didn’t want you to feel pressured,” I admit. And I still don’t.
“That’s it?” she presses.
I raise an eyebrow at her. “You don’t think I wouldn’t have liked it, do you?” I laugh.
She giggles, and just then I notice her hand moving along my thigh. “So you would like it?” she asks, somewhat hesitantly.
Hyperaware of her hand inching closer and closer to my crotch, my breath hitches in my throat. I meet her gaze. “Only if you want to,” I say, trying to keep my voice firm. “And I mean it—only if you want to.”
“I do want to,” she breathes.
My cock pulses at her response. Fuck. The idea of her mouth wrapped around my cock sends hot waves of arousal through me. It’s doing things that no other fantasy ever has. “Have you ever …?”
But she allays those fears with a shake of her head. “I want to, Julian. Believe me.” With that, she slides off the couch, positioning herself between my knees.
I unbuckle my belt and unzip my pants, freeing my cock. It’s already partially hard, and Nora stares at it for a moment, taking it in. She seems nervous, self-conscious. She looks up to meet my gaze before reaching out to grasp the base of my cock in her small hand and guiding her mouth to it.
Starting at the base of my cock, just above my balls, she takes a long, slow lick all the way to the tip.
I sigh, my cock hardening even more.
She licks her way to the base and then to the tip again. And then, her eyes still glued to mine, she opens her mouth and slides my cock inside.
“Fuck,” I breathe, reaching out to grasp the couch cushion beside me.
Nora slowly starts sliding her mouth along my cock, in and out, in and out, her tongue twirling the tip. A deep groan escapes me. She’d claimed to have never done this before, but for a girl so experienced, she sure as fuck knows what to do.
She picks up speed a bit, and my cock twitches, pleasure coursing through me. Moaning softly, I take in the sight of her—Nora on her knees between my legs, her lips stretched around my thick cock as she takes it deep into her throat.
What a good girl.
I throw my head back, closing my eyes. “Oh god, Nora, yes,” I groan.
She moans softly in response, her sounds muffled.
I can feel my climax building. I open my eyes, wanting to see Nora—to take in the sight of her. I reach down to gently grasp a fistful of her hair in my hand.
“That’s a good girl,” I praise, my face contorting in ecstasy. She moans around my cock, picking up speed, saliva dripping down her chin.
A deep moan escapes me as my climax hits, my liquid spilling out of me. Nora sputters in surprise, my cum spraying across her chin and down the front of her.
I sit up in shock, taking in the sight of her. Fuck. I should have warned her. She’d said she’d never done this. Most girls I’ve been with just swallow it. Or, if they want to be cummed on, they ask for it. I don’t usually do it by surprise.
“I—I’m sorry,” Nora says quickly. “I wasn’t really expecting …” And suddenly she bursts into laughter.
The shock slowly evaporating, I laugh too.
“I don’t know what I was expecting,” she says, her laughter growing more contagious. Her giggles fill the room, causing me to join in with her.
Still laughing, I lean down to take her face in both of my hands, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll get you a t-shirt,” I say.