“The kid isn’t the unfair part although, yeah, it does scare me. The unfair part is that this guy, he’s so good. Like genuinely good—kind and protective and noble...”
Nora spent the next half hour telling S?ren everything she knew about Lance. How he’d been injured serving his country and was medically discharged from the Navy, how he’d endured three surgeries, and had been thanked for his service and his sacrifice by being cut off sexually by his now ex-wife. Nora spared no details of the drama, telling S?ren about the pornography that had lost Lance custody of his daughter. S?ren was a priest, after all. Watching porn was akin to a parking ticket compared to what sorts of crimes he’d heard in the confessional.
“So I’m pissed,” she concluded. “Pissed at Lance for taking the bodyguard job, which means we can’t sleep together again. I’m pissed at the asshole who beat up Natasha. Pissed at the universe for beating up Lance. That’s my job.”
She gave a groan and rolled onto her side next to S?ren.
“I don’t know what to do,” she said, tracing the scratches on his stomach with her fingertips. “I hate feeling like this.”
“Like what?” S?ren covered her hand with his.
“I hate feeling. Period. I just met this guy and I actually care about him? He was really good in bed but no one’s that good.” She laughed but S?ren didn’t. He always seemed to know when her jokes weren’t jokes.
“There is nothing you can do for him,” S?ren said. “Not unless you became a lawyer or a judge and have forgotten to tell me. You say you care about him, then care about him. Be his friend if you can’t be his lover. You can’t give him his daughter back but you can give him your friendship.”
“Like that would do him any good.”
“I treasure our friendship more than anything, even more than these nights when you come back to me. No man in his right mind would spurn your love and loyalty.”
“Not if he knew what was good for him.” She raised her fist and play-punched S?ren in the center of his chest. He caught her hand and kissed the back of it.
“Don’t do that,” she said. “I have to put up with enough stupid chivalry from Lance. He even calls me a lady.” She laughed as if that were the most ridiculous concept she’d ever heard.
“Does that bother you?”
Nora rolled her eyes.
“No. It doesn’t bother me. It just doesn’t make sense.”
“What doesn’t make sense?” S?ren asked, a slight smile at the edge of his lips. “That he called you a lady, or that you liked it?”
Nora narrowed her eyes at him.
“I’d jump you more often if you didn’t make me talk to you afterwards,” she said, hating him for how well he knew her, how easily he could cut through her defenses with simply a question or two.
“Physical pain is only one of myriad forms of sadism,” he said, dragging her into his arms. “You take pain much better than you take interrogation.”
“I’m going to safe out if you don’t stop fucking with my psyche.”
“Is that so?” He pushed her onto her back and covered her with his body.
“Yes, especially since I can think of much more enjoyable parts of me you should be fucking with instead. For example, my c—”
He kissed her before she could finish her suggestions. The kiss was passionate but not desperate, not like before. He kissed her easily, leisurely, as if tonight would be the first of an infinite number of nights together, so why hurry?
“Why aren’t you mad that I have feelings for this other man?” she asked as he moved from her lips to her neck.
“Because you’re here,” he said, holding himself over her. “And I’m here.” He bent and kissed her chest over her heart.
“Why do I feel like Lance and I were supposed to meet? Like it was destiny?”
“Destiny doesn’t always play matchmaker,” S?ren said, caressing her lips, her chin and nose. “Sometimes destiny plays other games with us.”
Nora tried not to think about Lance for the rest of the night. The things S?ren did to her until about two in the morning helped keep anyone but her priest off her mind. Still when she snuck out before dawn, it was with S?ren’s words ringing in her ears.
There’s nothing you can do for him...