Page 50 of The Equation of Us
But she doesn’t. Instead, she redoubles her efforts, her hand joining her mouth, working in tandem. The dual sensation pushes me right to the brink.
“Nora, I’m going to—”
She hums in acknowledgment but doesn’t stop. The vibration is the final push I need. Release hits me with unexpected intensity, my body tensing as pleasure washes through me in waves. Through it all, she stays with me, maintaining eye contact in a way that feels almost unbearably intimate.
When it’s over, she moves up to lie beside me, a satisfied smile playing at her lips. I pull her against me, needing her close while my heart rate gradually slows.
“Was that okay?” she asks after a moment, a hint of vulnerability in her voice.
I laugh softly, the sound still slightly breathless. “More than okay.”
She props herself up on one elbow, studying my face. “You look different.”
“Different how?”
“Less guarded.” Her fingers trace the line of my jaw. “I like it.”
The observation makes something twist in my chest. She’s right—I feel less guarded with her than I have with anyone in a long time. Maybe ever. The realization should frighten me, but in this moment, with her warm body pressed against mine and her perceptive eyes seeing right through me, it feels right.
“I didn’t expect to tell you all that,” I admit. “About why I wanted this with you.”
“Why did you?”
I consider the question, trying to understand it myself. “Because you asked. And because… I think I wanted you to know.”
She smiles, a small, genuine expression that transforms her face. “I’m glad you told me.”
We lapse into comfortable silence, her head resting on my chest, my hand drawing lazy patterns on her bare back. The quiet intimacy of the moment feels new, different from the intense physical connection we usually share.
She stirs against me, glancing at the clock on my nightstand. “I should get going soon.”
“It’s late,” I say, my arm tightening slightly around her. “You could stay.”
She looks up at me, surprise evident in her expression. “I thought we said no sleepovers.”
“We did.” I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
She’s quiet for a moment, and I can practically see her mind working, weighing options, considering implications. Finally, she says, “I should stick to the rules. At least for now.”
“Just rest for a bit then,” I suggest, not quite ready to let her go. “I’ll wake you in ten minutes.”
Something softens in her expression. “Okay. Ten minutes.”
As her breathing begins to even out, exhaustion clearly catching up with her, I find myself staring at the ceiling, thinkingabout how quickly this has evolved from a controlled physical arrangement into something that’s already…more.
I should be worried about the direction this is taking. About the boundaries we’re already crossing, the rules we’re breaking. About how much more I want from her than I initially admitted, even to myself.
But with Nora falling asleep against me, her body fitted perfectly to mine, all I can feel is a strange, unexpected sense of peace.
Whatever this is becoming, it feels too right to stop now.
Even if it breaks every rule we made.
Chapter Eighteen
Rule Breakers
Nora
