Part Four:

Bo watches them as they leave the country club. Sam had come back a few minutes later and he had been able to stop him from walking back out onto the terrace and causing more trouble for Nora. Barbs were thrown, insults were hurled, and threats were issued. He warned Sam to stay away from her, and from Matthew, if all he wanted to do was hurt them.

He wasn’t going to allow Sam to hurt her anymore. He had already imploded her life, their lives, more than once, and if she had finally found some happiness, as her friend Bo was going to do every thing in his power to make sure she stayed happy.

He had kissed her cheek that night, telling her once again not to worry, that she had them all on her side, and that there was no way Sam would hurt her or take Matthew from her. He could still feel the warmth of her arms around him when she hugged him. Their eyes had locked for a moment as they broke their embrace and he just nodded and smiled. She was always going to be a part of him he realized that night, no matter what happened in their lives, she was a part of him; and that thought gave him comfort and broke his heart all at the same time.

~*~

Max takes the key from her hand and slips it into the lock. He opens the door and steps to the side. She walks past him and turns around and takes the key from him. She drops her purse on the bench beside the door and drapes her jacket over the arm. She wraps her arms tightly around her and walks slowly down the stairs and into the living room.

Max follows her into the living room and turns on the light beside the couch. She turns around and looks at him and smiles a small smile. He walks over to her and rests his hands on her shoulders, “Sam is not going to take Matthew from you, Nora, not while I’m breathing.”

Nora reaches out and places her hand on his cheek, “You’ve been such a good friend, Max. I don’t know how I would’ve been able to make it through the stuff with Colin and then Troy without you.”

“You didn’t really need me; you had Bo and Hank by your side.”

Nora sighs and Max can see the pain flash across her eyes at the mention of Bo. Nora nods, “Yeah, and they were and are wonderful but…”

“It still hurts, doesn’t it?” He says with a tilt of his head and a sad smile.

She looks at him and nods her head slowly, “Yeah, but we’re over. It’s in the past and what’s done is done. He’ll always be a part of me and what we shared will always be something I treasure, but that’s all it can ever be. It just hurts to look at him and know…” she waves him off, “It just hurts that’s all.” She says with a sigh.

Max takes her hand and leads her over to the couch. He gently strokes the top of her hand with his finger. He runs his finger over the ring on her finger. She looks up at him and back down at their hands, “I wish I could make it all go away, Nora. I know what it’s like to lose that someone, that someone who is inside of you and who makes you feel complete. I don’t know where any of this is leading, I mean neither of us can even remember our wedding but I just want you to know that no matter what happens, I’m there for you, always.”

She intertwines her hand with his and runs her finger over his ring, “I don’t have the answers either, Max, but for now we’re husband and wife and for the first time in almost four years, I feel like I just might make it, that I just might be able to find a way to be happy.”

Max leans in, their lips hovering just inches from each others as they look into each other’s eyes. Nora moves in, pressing her lips onto his. He deepens their kiss, pulling her up off the couch. He reaches behind her and sweeps her into his arms, carrying her up to her bedroom.

~*~

Bo walks back into the living room and sees her standing there in her nightgown, holding her hand out to him. He stares at her for a moment but all he can see is the look on Nora’s face and the pain she was so obviously in earlier that night at the country club.

He forces a smile and walks over to her, shaking the images from his mind. He leads her over to the couch, sitting down with her and pulling her close. She lays her head on his shoulder and he places a kiss on the top of her head. He had chosen this woman sitting on the couch beside him and he loved the life that they had begun to build. Every thing else, all these other feelings he felt coursing through him were just left over what could’ve beens… weren’t they?

He stands up and holds out his hand, pulling her off the couch and leading her to their room down the hall.

~*~

Max pushes her bedroom door open with his shoulder and sets her down in front of her bed. He brings his hands up to her hair, pulling it out of the clip that is holding it up. He runs his hands through it as it falls, brushing against her shoulder. He rests his hand against the side of her face and pulls her into a kiss.

She responds to his kiss, deepening it as their tongues begin to caress the others. He reaches behind her, lowering the zipper on her skirt, allowing it to fall to her feet. He turns her towards the bed, backing her up until her legs brush against it. He slowly lowers her onto the bed, bringing himself to lie down beside her. Their tongues continue their passionate duel, her hands slipping around his neck, her fingers running through his hair.

He brings his hand down, running his fingers along the outside of her arm before slowly lowering his hand over her breast. She moans against him, his fingers quickly bringing her nipples to a hardened peak. He slides his hand up, beginning to unbutton her shirt as their kiss continues. He unbuttons the last button, peeling the silk from her skin. He runs his mouth up her stomach and over the swell of her breast, causing her to arch under him.

She reaches between them, running her hands under his shirt and over his hard chest. He breaks his contact with her breasts as he helps her remove his shirt dropping it to the floor behind them. He looks at her for a moment, her chest rising and falling rapidly as her breathing comes in quick bursts. He can see the want in her eyes along with the pain she was trying to forget. He crashes his lips back down onto hers, hoping to give her the escape she was seeking.

He unhooks the clasp of her bra, peeling the satin material from her body. He slowly slips the straps from her arms, removing both her bra and her shirt completely. He brings his lips back down onto her neck, kissing and caressing it with his tongue before moving lower, taking her breast in his mouth. He slips his fingers inside the waistband of her panties slowly lowering them down her hips. He runs his hands up and down the outside of her legs and then her arms, before intertwining with hers.

His mouth leaves her breast, his tongue caressing the skin between her breasts as his mouth travels down her stomach. He lets go of her hands, bringing them along her hips, pausing there as she opens her legs to him. She can feel his warm breath brushing against her causing her to release a deep moan.

He kisses the inside of her thigh, caressing the skin just behind her knee before kissing back up the way he had just gone. She grips the sheets at her side, balling her hands into a fist as his tongue slips between her moist folds. His tongue caresses, his mouth sucks, bringing her closer and closer to the edge. He soon feels her tighten around him, her bittersweet juices coating his tongue as she gives into her release.

He removes his mouth from hers, kissing back up her hip, her stomach, caressing the skin around her breast, before crashing his lips back down onto hers. His tongue enters her mouth and she can taste herself on him. She brings her hands between him, rolling him onto his back. She straddles his legs, reaching out to remove his belt from his pants. She slides the belt through the loops in one swift motion and drops it to the floor beside them. She unfastens the button, slowly lowering the zipper.

She reaches up, running her hands down his chest and back to the waistband of his pants, hooking her fingers on the sides. He raises his hips as she slowly lowers them, finally adding them to the growing pile of clothes on the floor. She runs her fingers along the waistband of his boxers. She slowly lowers them over his hips, revealing him to her. She takes him in her hand, slowly running it up and down his hardened shaft. She could see what she was doing to him, how she was driving him insane with each touch.

Her hand is soon replaced with her mouth, her tongue running up and down his shaft as her mouth caresses him. He reaches between them, taking her breasts in his hand as she continues to pleasure him. He was reaching the point of no return and before he gives in he rolls her onto her back, slowly slipping inside of her.

Her legs wrap around his hips, pulling him deeper within her. Their bodies move together, neither one missing a beat, despite the newness of their love making. A single tear escapes from her eye as they give into their release. He looks into her eyes, leaning down to kiss the tear from her cheek. He lays his hand on the side of her face, “Its okay, Nora. It’s okay.”

She kisses him once more and rolls onto her side laying her head on his chest. He holds her tight, and soon she can hear the slow rhythm of his breathing as he falls asleep.

~*~

Across town he sits up in bed, looking down at her as she slept. They had just spent the night in each other’s arms but there was someone else who kept invading his mind. He stood up and grabbed his boxers quietly slipping them on before walking out of their bedroom.

He walks through the darkened living room and opens the terrace doors. He slips a t-shirt on to shield him from the still cool spring air that blows off the river. He stares out into the star filled sky and watches as a fallen star streaks across the sky.

~*~

At the same time she stands at her window, the moonlight casting a glow on her body as she stands there holding the sheet tight around her. She turns and looks at him as he sleeps. They had just spent the night in each other’s arms, making love for the first time that they can remember as husband and wife, but another kept invading her mind. She turns back around and stares out into the star filled sky and watches as a fallen star streaks across the sky.

Max wakes up and rises up on his elbow. He stares at her across the room as she stares silently out the window, the slow shake of her shoulders betraying her, letting him know she was crying. He knew why and it was okay, for the promises they had made to each other were made out of pain, for both of them, the pain that comes from two broken hearts, not out of love for one another. But there was one thing he knew for sure, he was going to be whatever it was she needed him to be, a lover, a friend, a husband, and he knew he’d let her go, if ever she needed him to.

TBC…