He lets me go, kisses my neck one last time, and then goes back to cutting the fruit. I won’t last long without his touch. His words are a balm, and I let out a sigh of relief.
“That helps too,” I admit, a small smile playing on my lips.
“It helps a lot. I’ll make sure Noah stays in jail for a long time.” He cuts the fruit a bit more aggressively as he says this.
“You think you can fix everything, huh?” I tease, though I genuinely appreciate his determination.
“For you? I’ll do anything. I wish I could turn back time, Nora. I hate that this had to happen to you. I should’ve dealt with him harder the first time. I should’ve been there yesterday to beat the crap out of that bastard, and I should’ve…”
I silence him by placing my hand on his.
“Stop, Andreas.”
This time, I stand and walk around the counter, unable to stay away from him any longer. I gently take the knife from his hands and set it on the cutting board. Placing my hands on his bare chest, I look up at him, heart pounding as I summon the courage to say what I’ve been holding back.
“I’m in love with you, Andreas,” I say softly. I’m not surprised when he looks at me completely shocked. He doesn’t say a word, so I go on, afraid I’ll lose my nerve if I stop now. “We’ve had a great time together, but I want more. I know you don’t want that, so I really tried to hold back, but you kept pushing, and now… now I’m in love with you,” I confess.
“That’s impossible.” His voice is sharp, almost panicked. “After what happened—” He breaks off, running a hand through his hair. “That bastard put his hands on you. I’ll never forgive myself for that!”
I take a step back, startled by his outburst. “You couldn’t have stopped him! This has nothing to do with us,” I counter, my voice rising to match his.
“It has everything to do with us!”
He turns away, bracing himself against the counter, his head dropping between his arms as he exhales heavily.
“How?” I demand, taking a cautious step closer. “Explain it to me, Andreas. How?”
He doesn’t answer. For a moment, I think I’ve pushed him too far.
“I don’t deserve you, Nora,” he finally says, his voice calm but weighted with conviction.
He stands up straight and the sincerity in his eyes makes my chest ache.
“You do deserve me, you’ve already proven that. Give us a fair chance, Andreas,” I plead. Silence stretches between us as he battles with himself. I understand he’s struggling to let happiness back into his life, but he needs to move forward. “It’s not a crime to be happy,” I continue. I take a step closer and place my hand on his cheek, forcing him to meet my gaze. “I know what we can be together. I want all of you, and I’ll give you all of me. Doesn’t that sound better than what we have now?” He places his hand on mine and guides it to his mouth. He kisses the palm of my hand and closes his eyes. I feel the pain raging inside him. “If you don’t feel the same way about me, I understand,” I say. I swallow. I’d considered this possibility. I probably should’ve expected this, but I’m a dreamer at heart. “You never promised me more, quite the opposite, so I won’t hold it against you. But then this ends here today. You can’t expect me to keep this up.” My voice breaks.
Tears threaten to spill, and I close my eyes, trying to steady myself. My heart is in his hands, and it feels unbearably fragile.
“I don’t want to lose you,” he says softly, “but I can’t promise I’ll be good at this.” My eyes snap open, hope surging through me. Does this mean what I think it means? “I’ve never officially had a girlfriend.” I think of all the photos of him with hot models on the red carpet. Not a single one? I see uncertainty in his eyes, even shame.
“Never?” I ask quietly, as we look into each other’s eyes again.
“Unless you count Jenny from second grade or Rosalie from middle school.” He laughs again. “I mean it, Nora, I don’t know how to do the whole girlfriend-boyfriend thing, but I do know I don’t want to lose you.”
I think I’m officially his girlfriend now, and that means I officially couldn’t be happier. I’m grinning from ear to ear. I’ve wanted to hear this since the moment I met him.
“It’s about damn time, Andreas!” I say excitedly and relieved.
I’m glad I had the guts and courage to be so open with him. The result is that Andreas is completely mine, and I’m completely his. I wrap my arms around him and kiss him full on the mouth. He grabs my butt and lifts me into the air. I let out a muffled cry and instinctively wrap my legs around his waist. Our kiss deepens into an intense devouring, and once again I can’t believe this cathedral of a man is all mine. The thought that I can claim this incredible body every day as his girlfriend makes me melt completely. I’m deliriously happy and utterly turned on. He carries me to the table, laying me down gently before pausing to take in the sight of me. He looks at me with a possessive gaze and pulls off my pajama shorts, leaving me naked and open for him on the table. In contrast to my hot and aroused skin, the table feels terribly cold against my backside. I squeal. A shiver runs through me, but any initial discomfort fades quickly as his touch is fire against my skin, igniting every nerve. He reaches for my T-shirt, and I lift my arms instinctively, ready to let him strip me bare.
But then, he suddenly freezes. His expression shifts to one of alarm, and he takes a small step back. I sit up, my heart pounding, silently praying he isn’t having second thoughts about what we just shared.
“What’s wrong, Andreas?” I take his arms and look at him, but he seems far away.
“Nora, I’m sorry, I completely lost control, I’m so rough when just yesterday you…”
I’m annoyed that he’s bringing up the memory of yesterday right now, just when I had forgotten everything, but I’m relieved it isn’t doubts about this new concept of “us” that are troubling him
“Andreas, if you don’t touch me right now, I can’t be held responsible for the consequences. I need you, I need you to make me forget. Make me forget, please.” I pull him closer. “I’m not fragile, and you can’t hurt me,” I reassure him.
