CHAPTER 12

LIFE IS ABOUT CHOICES

Life is all about choices. You make them, regret them, try to change them, but eventually you learn how to live with them. A choice can change your life forever or someone else's, most people don't think about the consequences they can bring, or the hurt they may cause. But at the end of the day, you make the choice that seems most right to you, the one that will affect your life, that one choice that will change your life forever. The choice you don't regret because it was the right one for you.

Nora Grey was all too aware what the consequences of her choice were, how much pain she had caused her sister and friends when she made it all those years ago. Never had a choice had this much affect on her, never had the price been so high. It had cost her the family she had grown up with, even if they weren't much of a 'family'. It cost her her sister in many ways thanks to their parents.

Nora was working as a waitress about to get off when two customers walk in and she groaned, she was ready to go home, but she needed the money to pay rent and follow her dreams to go to college for journalism so she put on her fake smile and apron and approached the table. To her surprise and delight two familiar faces greeted her, two who remembered little Nora and her smile grew and became genuine as Angelo and Gianni sat grinning back at the grown woman who was like their little lost sister. After a huge hug from both of them they quickly set to catching up, they hadn't seen each other in years having lost track after graduation and Patch and Nora's disappearance. Of course they'd heard all the 'juicy gossip' and the tabloid headlines, but they were too good of friends to believe anything that came out of the elder Cipriano, Grey's or Dabria's mouth. Nora filled them in on how her and Patch were doing. How she was saving with Patch's help to go to college even though it felt like they were both only earning pennies not dollars per hour. She filled them in on how Patch had sent her to live with Bella and Shadow while he moved from one dump to a better dump, improving with each move. Angelo and Gianni seemed to exchange some silent words with their eyes and then handed two business cards to Nora with their personal cell phone numbers on the back, they told her to keep one for herself and please give Patch the other and let him know to please call them as soon as possible, they had a proposition for him at Angelo's company and with Patch's extensive schooling he had completed pre-Dabria he would be perfect, not to mention they were his closest friends. They wanted to help him in any way they could, and right now Angelo needed a lead at his advertising company. Nora promised to have Patch call and gave them a hug before telling them good-night.

When Nora finally got home that night she laid back on her bed with a glass of wine and closing her eyes she willed herself to relax. Her mind drifted back to the first night she had stayed with Patch when he finally deemed his place suitable. She smirked softly at the memory, he had always been a little on the over-protective side. She had just gotten out of the shower and had her iPod playing and she was dancing around his raised loft bedroom in her black lace bra and panties with the ruby-red satin ribbon in the center of the each piece. She was shimmying her way over to the dresser that was home to her sleeping clothes (one of Patch's t-shirts from high school she had 'forgotten' to give back and a pair of black Lycra boy shorts). She had just sat them on the dresser to get them on when she was suddenly push back a step, her body leaning backwards on the black lacquer chest of drawers, both wrists were pinned on either side of her body and she was being kissed hungrily first her neck and then her lips. Her mouth opened readily to accept his tongue and with growing passion their bodies pressed tighter to each other as their tongues tangled and played. Even blind-folded she would have known those lips, that scent, his body anytime...Patch.

He didn't show any signs of slowing down, not that she minded in the least bit, she wanted him to continue, no, she needed him to continue. She hadn't been with him since she had surprised him in the shower. She had matched his intensity with a fire of her own, molding her lips to his until she was breathless and gasping for air. Patch didn't stop, he kept his lips to her skin skimming the surface until he reached her neck. His cool breath was leaving goosebumps all over her body. The edge of the dresser was digging uncomfortably into Nora's back so she wriggled and stood on the balls of her feet to lift herself up to balance on top of the chest, but it was too tall for her to reach. Patch released his grip on her wrists, freeing her hands that immediately sought refuge around his neck with fingers combing their way through his wavy locks as he grasped her hips and lifted her on top of the dresser, just as quickly as he placed her there he pulled her roughly back to him. Her legs wrapped around his hips bringing their bodies even closer together than before.

When his tongue flicked and nibbled her earlobe a wave of shivers raced down her body. Her legs began to weaken from holding them up, but his strong embrace kept her pinned firmly to him as he lavished her with soft kisses at each of her sensitive spots. Some of which she had forgotten existed. He could read Nora like a book, he always had, and while Patch knew his way blind around any woman's body, but he was perfectly exquisite with Nora's. Anything any other man might do to her she was adamant Patch could do it better.

He pulled back and his bottomless black eyes blazed into her gray, melting any cold steel they might have held. For what seemed like ages they silently submitted their permission, making an unspoken agreement that we were aware of each others walls, hers guarding the depth and kind of love she held in her heart for him and his protecting his heart from that exact kind of love from anyone and therefore any pain that love might cause. Then his mouth was once again moving up and down her body. Taking a few moments to breathe their chests burning for much needed air, his hands wasted no time in moving to undress her, pulling down the lace straps of her bra then unclasping it with one-handed ease. After sliding her panties off and throwing them to the floor they took time relearning each other topography, kissing and sucking and exploring the bare skin of each others upper body. She pulled back and admired the man in front of her, he had that hard edge sexy look that you didn't bring home to mom without expecting her to change the locks on your house. Dad's kept shot guns next to their doors to keep men like Patch away from their daughters. To them he was a danger, maybe he was, but he was her danger and her addiction.

Patch put his hands on Nora's ass and adjusted her until her hips were poised over his hardness. By instinct her hands gripped the muscles of his developed biceps as her legs rested around his hips. She felt Patch shiver slightly as their bodies touched base and she anxiously waited for him to connect them. It had been so long, too long. Nora heard the condom wrapper rip and watched him slip it on... he knew she was on the pill, but somethings never change, he couldn't risk it, being without one was like leaving his heart unguarded, in Patch's mind he would be safer stepping in front of an out of control bus than being without a condom to protect her, to protect him.

Before joining them he stopped, his cock pressed to her folds and looked deep into her eyes:

"Hi."

"Hi." Nora smiled at him shyly. She knew what he meant even if he couldn't say it, because neither could she.

Painstakingly slow Patch began to lower her hips to embrace him and she relaxed and melted into his touch as he burrowed his manhood into her.

Nora's breath caught in her throat before a long sigh escaped as his hardness filled her; inch by glorious inch he pursued the penetration they both craved. She was at his mercy, there was nothing she wanted more in that moment then to feel him seated fully and deeply inside of her.

After giving Nora time to adjust to his generous size his hands began to move her body in a slow, sensual rocking as his hips followed the same movement like a well choreographed dance. She panted in pleasure, moaning with submission into his ear. Listening intently to his answering groans. The feel of his smooth, muscular body against her toned one increased the storm brewing between them.

Patch increasingly rocked back and forth at a harder and faster pace. She met his every thrust with her own eager anticipation. Rolling her hips and swiveling them against him, she felt the sensations of pleasure wash over her. She allowed him to adjust and manipulate her body at his will. He brought her to the peak of sexual bliss and her head fell back, Nora's eyes squeezed tightly shut and soft primal sounds announced the arrival of her pleasure as she locked on to him with all the strength she could summon. His fingers moved up her back, bringing her lips to his before sliding his tongue along hers as her body writhed against his. He continued to thrust long, deep powerful thrusts, letting her ride out her orgasm as he chased his. She felt him shiver and throb in his own pleasure as her swollen core milked him of everything he had to offer. He continued to thrust until her finished my descent before he carrying her and laying her down on his huge comfy bed in the center of his room.

After laying her gently on her back he collapsed next to her staring at her with tender eyes the color of a moonless night, his index finger softly touched the tip of her chin and trailed down between the crevasse of her breast as she attempted to catch her breath. Gazing into his eyes Nora replayed what had just happened and realized that no matter how many girls he had it was still her that owned him and her he owned. She was the one he cuddled with, that he held at night, she was the one falling asleep safe in his arms and waking to his delicious smile in the morning. Her.

With this kind of sex came a level of intimacy, intimacy that was clear in his eyes and their connection could not be deeper, minus the walls that were necessary to both right now. Patch used sex as a means of coping and being close without truly getting close and though Nora felt that barrier with him she also realized how far he let his walls crumble with only her, that in those few moments their eyes and bodies were connected he exposed his heart and soul. It wasn't just her, but it was only for her, and for now that was enough. For now...

I curled into him, "That was amazing..."

"That was nothing Angel, I have much greater things planned for you and me." He smirked as he started to trace an erotic pattern down the center of my body, making circles and swirls on the way to my womanhood...this man is going to be the death of me, and what a death it will be, I purred...

PATCH'S POV THAT NIGHT:

I loved the way I could make Nora squirm with a single touch. I couldn't believe the lack of self-control I had when it came to her. I can't stay away from her, I keep finding myself drawn to her presence, she has a strange pull on me. This evening was no different, when I saw her dancing as she was getting ready for bed in my bedroom. I wanted to feel her skin brush against mine, I wanted to taste her, to own her if even for a moment, if only to keep her safe, to keep her here with me. I tell myself it's my primal instincts...

We had just been together, but as my fingers traced her inner thigh, Nora closed her eyes in complete submission again to the pleasure she was experiencing. Gently I slid off the bed and positioned myself next to it, facing Nora's lower half. I paused to admire her beauty and inhaled the scent that engulfed the room, evidence of our coupling. My hand continued to slowly brush her inner thigh back and forth, the faint little sighs she was giving was making me achingly hard again. I knew she was enjoying this as much as I was.

My hands slowly worked their way to her womanhood, as I caressed and gently kissed her inner thigh. With her eyes still closed and a peaceful look on her face I knew she was relaxed and ready for her what I wanted to do next. I hadn't gone down on Nora since her prom night. I skimmed my tongue along her skin towards her center, but skipped over it to touch her other thigh, circling but avoiding the area I knew she'd want me most. Nora's breathing deepened with anticipation, it sent a surge of pride through me to have her willing to be vulnerable with me.

Slowly I began to lap, long, luxurious strokes with my tongue up the full length of her. Licking from the bottom of her sensitive spots to the top and she arched with a small gasp into me. Her legs began to close, trying to lock me in the position her body was craving as I flicked her pleasure spot with the tip of my tongue. Soon she was thrusting herself into my mouth so I could drink her down as she gave in and lost herself in the sensations.

I felt every quickening of her heart beat as it pulsed through her, there was no other woman who could ever give me the same satisfaction and fulfillment that Nora did. This beautiful young woman deserved more. I wanted to give her the world, my heart and my soul, but all I would ever be able to truly give her was my body and the love and connection we've always shared. It was love, yes, but not what she deserved, not what she deserved at all. She should have everything, the husband, the kids, the dog and white picket fence, but my heart and soul were long gone, destroyed permanently courtesy of one Dabria. We'd only been intimate once since her prom night, that was the time she had surprised me in my shower at the first somewhat descent place I lived in. I hadn't expected it and I don't expect it now. I want to give her tonight, I hope she'll want to repeat it, this is a first for me. Nora's the only person I've been with more than once, besides my ex-finance. Everyone else is either asked to leave when it is over, or if I'm at their place I will leave immediately, I never stay. If by some miracle I fall asleep before they're gone then it's the first thing done when I open my eyes. I don't do the post-coital, I don't do snuggling on a couch, cuddling in bed or waking up together the next morning. What Nora and I have is vastly different from those who have or will share my bed. She's the only one I can go to sleep snuggled up around and wake entangled with and have a smile on my face.

I feel Nora moving even more and I slip a finger into her, moving it slowly and rhythmically in and out, making sure to rub against her front wall and curl my finger to stroke the spongy tissue of her G-spot. I watch her with the curiosity of a child, her head lulls from side to side before a series of moans wring from her and shivers wrack her body with bliss. Her inner muscles start to squeeze and convulse and I continue to pet her until her body relaxes and she is laying still beneath me, panting.

The heat and her scent radiate between us. I need to taste her, to know that I've had her, to keep a part of her in me, a part no one else has had. There is no sweeter nectar than a beautiful young woman who has just reached their sexual peak, Nora is the sweetest and most addictive thing I have ever tasted. There will never be another lady who tastes as good as she does and there never was before her, not even Dabria.

"Patch?" Nora called out as she entered his loft the next day. It was in the upper class side of the city, in a safe neighborhood. The apartment itself was spacious and decorated in dark furnishings. It was showcase worthy insight and sleep worthy in comfort, the best of both worlds in Nora's opinion. Her favorite piece of furniture in the living room was the couch and loveseat. Not only did she have countless fond memories with Patch on them, like movies and reading together, but the couches were made out some sort of material she had never heard of and when you sat on them it felt like you were being hugged by a cloud. She didn't even want to know how much it cost. Patch could afford nice things like this these days thanks to Angelo and Gianni. He worked hard and his custom made to order furniture was one of the few ways he spoiled himself. The loft had one bedroom and it was big, really big, and the in suite bathroom was easily the size of an average bedroom and housed one of his favorite amenities...a three way glass shower. The bed in his room was custom-built and sat up on a platform built for specifically for it in the center of the room. You stepped up into the room and then up again to the bed. The bed itself was the size of two queen beds put together. Nora carefully avoided why he would want a bed that big. What she didn't know was that it wasn't really because of the reason she feared it was, it had more to do with Patch's need to keep women at a distance, even when intimate. He needed the comfort of knowing there was 'space' between him and whoever was sharing it with him at the time. Nora loved his sheets, black or red silk of the finest quality and a rich black silk comforter that felt like a pillow against your skin, soft and fluffy in perfect contrast of the cool temperature of the silk. There wasn't a lot of furniture, but it had artistic appeal and homey style comfort and the colors, a dark chromatic blend, had Patch's signature style all over it.

Nora knew his place by heart, it was her home away from home and she spent more time here than her place. Half of his wardrobe closet and drawers held her clothing. The house and furniture surfaces were decorated with a large assortment of pictures of them together from childhood to the present. They hung on every wall and sat on the dresser and tables throughout the loft. Nora was still the only constant thing in his life, aside from his job. It had been five years since they moved into the city together.

Nora had just sat down her purse and was walking towards the bedroom when a blonde opened the french doors leading out into the living room. She had that just thoroughly fucked glow and she stopped to write her phone number on a piece of paper before handing it to Nora telling her to have Patch give her a call. Yeah, Nora thought as she laughed quietly to herself, did this blonde actually think that Patch Cipriano would be calling her? No, Patch was very much a fuck n chuck man these days and Nora knew him well enough to know he would have tried to make that very clear to the young blonde before being physical with her so whatever false hope she had for him calling was of her own imagination. Nora just hoped she didn't sit around by the phone waiting for it to ring for too long...

Today Nora was there to take a shower because the water in her building was off for maintenance work and she needed to clean up before her shift at the bar she worked at now. She had also brought pastries-Patch's favorites from his favorite bakery (the man could be very picky for someone who rarely eats).

"Patch." She called him again with no response so she opened the bedroom doors to find him sound asleep with a brunette who was sitting on the edge of his bed shooting daggers with her eyes at Nora who almost laughed out loud at her.

"Who the hell are you? His wife?" The woman demanded.

Nora casually eyed the brunette for a moment having this role down pat. "As a matter of fact I am." She grabbed the ladies clothes and threw them at her then smiled sweetly. "Now, if you don't mind I'd appreciate you getting decent and getting the hell out of my husband's bed!"

The brunette gave a big huff and muttered. "I should have known it was too good to be true, but no I didn't take his word for it thought I could change his mind or he was joking..." She was still mumbling when she slammed the front door on the loft behind her.

Nora poked and prodded Patch telling him it was time to get up and get dressed. He groaned and buried his head under his pillow claiming to have a headache. That didn't surprise her since she could smell the bourbon from where she was so she left and brought him back a large ice-cold glass of orange juice and some Motrin. She had just started to turn around to go shower when his arm reached out and snagged her, pulling her onto the bed against his naked body.

"You know, one of these days we should get wedding bands to see if they even notice or care when I pick them up." Patch teased and Nora laughed.

As much as she hurt inside, she knew this new Patch would never marry or have the family and home he had spent his youth telling her he wanted when he was grown. No, Dabria had robbed him of all those dreams. Even so, here he was paying for her to go to college while trying to save to open his own dream business. She had kept her job, but not for lack of Patch trying to talk her out of it, he wanted to provide everything for her, especially while she was in school, but Nora was stubborn and independent and when it came down to it they'd compromised. She continued to work, but cut back and he continued to pay most, but not all of her bills. When it came to Nora he had a big heart, and a piece of that belonged to their grandma Clista too, but beyond that and his friendship with Angelo and Gianni, and a very casual and distant relationship family bond with Rixon and Vee, he really didn't care much for anyone else. He would help Rixon or Vee out if they ever needed, no questions asked, it just wasn't the same as his love for Nora, it never had been and never would be.

Nora never wanted to take advantage of that and worked hard to be independent and not lean financially on Patch too much, but he had taken over where her parents had left off. Just like he'd always done, they made the mess and Patch cleaned it up. When they had left her parents refused her her trust account, froze all of her money and assets, including her college tuition. Patch was perfectly happy paying for her to get her degree in journalism, he loved how excited it made her and how well she was doing. He was fascinated by her stories of what she was working on and addicted to the way her face would light up while she shared with him or read him the things she had published in the school paper. Her eyes would dance and sparkle and it was in those moments he knew in his heart of hearts he had the best friend he could ever have asked for and anything he could ever do for her would never be enough.

Nora was so full of life and enthusiasm it radiated from her and was contagious. The two of them spent countless hours together sharing their experiences and lives. Patch knew he could tell her what he was thinking and not risk judgment, she'd known him before and she knew him now and her love for him was unconditional. Still, it never crossed his mind to offer her more than what they had, he'd tried the hearts, flowers, love and marriage thing only to have his heart ripped out, no way in hell was he ever risking that again. No, he was now known as the 'most desirable bachelor and famed womanizer' in all the tabloids, papers and magazines... Yes, he was still making his parents proud...they were so proud they continued to call and leave message after message on his voice-mail ranting about the effects HIS reputation might have on them.

The nights he didn't have a girl over Nora was there and they spent their time wearing each other out in a very physical relationship until they collapsed in an exhausted heap together. They had a silent agreement about their 'no strings attached' commitment. When Patch was with Nora making her lose her mind in bed, using his knowledge of every inch of her body to take her to heights other men couldn't, he could pretend that was all there was between them, that he still had his heart and soul under lock and key even if that wasn't exactly true, what he had with Nora was every bit the kind of love and relationship that came with hearts and flowers, his womanizing ways let him and others believe that wasn't true, as for Nora, that intimacy allowed her to feel the closeness and love that she so desperately wanted and needed from Patch, in those moments she could pretend it was just the two of them, really just the two of them, and that she had her happy ever after. Sex wasn't just sex with them like it was with Patch and other women. When him and Nora were together they were entirely focused on reading each others bodies and souls through constant touch and penetrating eye contact. The jolts of electricity, the raging inferno feeling never went away, never faded for either of them, in fact, it was intensifying. That feeling that Patch got of coming 'home' when he entered Nora was never duplicated, and even a condom didn't put space between him and that very real emotion.

Many things in their relationship had stayed unwavering, Nora still had night terrors and when they happened it was Patch who got the call and came. Even with Bella and Shadow in the same house, Patch would drop whoever or what ever he was doing and rush to her side to hold and comfort her. He was still the only one that could, he never questioned or complained about it, for them it was as natural as breathing, it was how things were, how they had been and how they always would be. Nora was as much a part of Patch's loft apartment as his furniture, and she spent almost as much time there as it did.

Nora needed to shower so she scooted out from under his arm and went to take one, she left the door open, it wasn't anything he hadn't seen many times before.

She grabbed her Victoria Secret Amber Romance shampoo from the shelf and walked into the glass shower. The beads of water fell against her skin, warming her cold body, running from her long silky brownish red hair to the swells of her ample breasts. She cupped each globe in her hands, feeling the weight before kneading them gently, flicking her hardening nipples with her thumbs. The sensation made little tingles spiderweb across her skin and her body begged for more. A quiet moan escaped her when she let go of her breast and let her hand slide over her taut stomach to the warm place between her thighs. She tilted her head back once she found that sensitive bundle of nerves and started rubbing circles on it, the wetness between her legs preparing her for more. She traced her entrance with her finger and dipped slowly inside, gently pushing her finger further into her heated core. It only took a few seconds before her walls welcomed the intrusion and adjusted around it, making her moan in pleasure. She started pumping her finger back and forth, then another finger.

"Let me."

Nora jumped as a hard body pushed against her back, his voice was like melted sex and made shivers run down her spine, his hand slid over her breasts down to the place between her legs, pushing her hand out-of-the-way to replace it with his own.

"I thought you had a headache." She said between gasps.

"That's only an excuse for women to not have sex." Patch chuckled.

Nora's head fell back against his strong shoulder once he plunged two fingers into her; her breathing became rapid, her heart drumming in her chest, her body tingling in anticipation. She placed her arm on the back of his neck, pulling on his raven hair while his teeth scraped the skin on her shoulder, his fingers quickening inside of her. Her ash eyes rolled back in her head when he started rubbing her clit, sucking on the pulse point in her neck.

"Fuck, you're wet." Patch growled low.

"We're in the shower."

"Yeah..." He breathed huskily in her ear. "That's exactly what I meant."

"Keep going." She arched against his body, her arm tightening around his neck, her hand cupping his to help him set the pace. "Oh, God."

The world around her exploded while she started pulsing around Patch's fingers, the waves of pleasure making her arch against the hard body behind her, her hand gripping his for support, the other one gripping his thigh to stay upright.

"You're beautiful."

"You probably say that to all the girls."

"Only to the beautiful ones." He chuckled against the skin on her neck, wrapping his arms around her waist. "And you are really beautiful, Angel."

"And you are a pain in the ass." She turned her head over her shoulder and pecked his lips. "But you can be really sweet when you want to."

"I can be a pain in the ass," He pushed his hard member against her ass, smirking devilishly. "If you want me to."

"We already tried that once, remember?" Nora turned around in his embrace, pushing her breasts against his chest. "It was a shitty experience, literally."

"But you've loosened up over the years in that area not in the other, how do you do that? Everyone loosens up, especially going at it like rabbits like we do." He let his hand slide from her shoulders to her ass. "It's time to thank me for that. Well, for the one body part loosening at least."

"You have such a way with words, it still amazes me every day." Nora rolled her eyes.

"It's all part of the job." He winked and gave her a devilish grin.

"Can you drop me off at school?" She caressed his back, making small circles. "Because otherwise I have to go now."

"I wouldn't drop you off," He looked between their bodies, poking her stomach with his erection. "But this one will make me."

"He was always much nicer to me than you." Nora wrapped her hand around him and gently rubbed circles around his tip. "Good morning to you too, how are you doing?"

"Stop talking to my penis."

"He's the only one I can have an actual conversation with because he's the one with the brain."

"Grab a condom for him, will you?"

"You're the only person I know who keeps condoms in his shower." Nora grabbed a condom from the corner and handed it to him. "Not that I've been in that many showers."

"It's because I usually don't shower alone."

"You can say that again." She rolled her eyes at him, looking away. "God knows how many woman have stood on the exact same place as I'm standing now."

"If it's any comfort," Patch ripped the package open with his teeth, spitting the wrapper on the ground. "You're the only one that's stood here more than once."

Nora pushed herself up on tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck, her lips finding their way to his. She knew she was the only constant woman in his life, because she was the only one that knew him his whole life. He didn't let people in, he stopped letting people in five years ago when someone had hurt him so much that his trust in people faded away.

Patch still saw her as a goddess, no matter how many woman he was with, none compared to her beauty or personality, it was always like she was where he belonged. He still got stars behind his eyes and his body coiled tightly, building for that all-consuming release he found he only had with Nora that went on and on like heaven. He told himself it was because they knew each other so well after 20 years, a lot of intimacy in the last five years, there were no secrets between them emotionally or physically, besides the one, and they had learned how to work each others bodies better than their own. That's what he told himself at least, he refused to think or consider it being anything more than that between them. He was completely oblivious and that door was FIRMLY closed and Nora knew that. How was he to know that ever since she was 16 she had been deeply and madly and blindingly in love with him. How was he to know how much learning to dancing salsa had meant to her, had changed her (because truth be told he had reactions to her both emotionally and physically during all of it too, but he thought it was mostly how they fed each other with sexually charged chemistry and innuendos, that was the only type of love or attention he really knew from the ladies, love for his body and what he could do to them with it) and how far She wasn't willing to go with him after that, and the hurt she had endured from the second he had met Dabria right after winning still. She was a masochist when it came to Patch, she just kept coming back and kept on going no matter the pain. Of course people would say that about them, that they were deeply in love, often mistaking them for newlyweds or a young couple deeply in love, but they just laughed and said that's what happens when you've been best friends for as long as we've been. People just assume it must be true love, it was a form of love, but not the marriage and kids love, not in Patch's eyes. He never saw the burning tears or dullness that for a moment would take precedence in Nora's eyes when she heard that. Instead, she turned away quickly so no one, including him, would notice the sting in those words had, avoiding face and eye contact with him in the subtle way she had honed through the years of wearing the practiced mask that even he would have been proud of, sort of, cause he would never have wanted her to hurt that way or have to wear a mask at all where it concerned him.

Patch knew exactly what he wanted and didn't and had been very blunt with Nora even though she already knew and when she agreed he thought, and believed, she felt the exact same thing, wanting the exact same thing. Aside from everyone reminding him that he was robbing her of a husband and kids. He would remind her she could go after those things and have them, even reminded her of Rixon being more than willing to give her all of what he wouldn't, he told Nora not to settle, that she deserved those things, but he didn't want to lose her, not to anyone. That fortress was up so high around Patch's heart. The thought of losing her the way he had her now made him violently ill, even if it was him bringing it up. If questioned about that he would've retorted what would you expect when you're a confirmed bachelor with zero plans of settling down, yet you had the perfect relationship anyone (he thought) could have? Why fix what isn't broken. It was best of both worlds for him, unlimited incomparable sex with his best friend who was so woven in him they were really one person and he didn't have to worry about pressure for more romantically, no need to worry about marriage and commitment or monogamy. It was perfect. For him at least.

When announcement of his engagement came when Nora was eighteen, his parents couldn't have been more proud of him, her parents were helping them plan the wedding, her sister was making a fuss about the bridesmaids and her 'future' marriage to Rixon, and all she could do was watch Patch love another woman wishing it was her instead walking down the isle to him. No, she had to just smile along, pretending to be as happy as she could be her best friend had finally found the love his life whom made him want to settle down after all those women, who made him think of the future, the kids and dog and white picket fences. He never thought twice that when his dreams went out the window...that hers went with them too.

"Wrap your legs around me."

"Pick me up first." She placed her hands on his shoulders, arching her eyebrow. "Or do you want me to really jump you?"

Patch rolled his ebony eyes at her and picked her up from the ground so she could wrap her legs around him. She squealed as her back pressed against the cold black tiles, her skin covered with goose bumps. His face was buried in the crook of her neck, sucking and nibbling on the skin there while she tangled her fingers into his dark hair.

"Why do I always have to be the one against the cold tiles?" Nora gasped.

"Because you're always hot and bothered."

"I thought you liked hot."

His eyes shimmered as he looked back up at her, an amused smile playing on his lips. Nora reached between them and took his aching erection in her hand, placing it against her entrance. A moan escaped her once he started pushing inside of her, letting her walls adjust around him.