Tobias leans closer, his lips brushing against my cheeks lightly. I suck in a deep breath, my heart hammering against my chest. His light touch sends shivers through me, shivers that make my whole body tremble.
"If you want me to stop Sugar, tell me now." He whispers. My eyelids flutter closed and I don't say a single word, the attraction between us increasing with every second. My brain clouds with passion as he brushes his lips across my cheek to my bottom lip.
"Or, tell me now. . . " he murmurs, his voice husky and low. His scent wraps around me, pulling me closer towards him. He rolls my bottom lip into his mouth and I gasp, shivers pulsing through my entire body. I reach up, gripping onto his shirt as I pull him down, pull him closer.
"Are you sure you want this?" Tobias murmurs, warm breath hitting my cheeks. I nod my head, unable to form words to response. Finally he kisses me slowly, soft lips moving against mine. I don't want him to be a gentlemen, not after all this time. I knot one fist in his shirt and the other in his dark hair, pulling him towards me.
Tobias let out a low groan before slamming his lips against mine, giving me the craze-filled kiss I'm after. My heart rate begins increasing further until I can hear it pounding in my ears. I moan inside his mouth, our tongues exploring one another after weeks of anticipating this moment. As he kisses me, his body slowly moves over mine, pushing me to the floor. I can feel his hands working on his jacket, sliding it off his body and throwing it to the side.
"Tobias," I breathe out, my chest rising and falling. His body hovers over mine, dark eyes hooded over with passion.
"Do you know how many times I've dreamed of you in this exact position?" He whispers against my lips, pressing tender kisses against my jaw. I arch my back into him, his words causing my eyes to flutter closed once again. I feel him settling himself between my legs and my eyes snap open —
"Wait!"
He freezes on top of me, his heavy breathing fanning across my bare skin.
"What is it?" He says calmly, his voice strained. I re-adjust myself and feel exactly how much he's turned on. Damn.
"I-I don't want to have sex." I mumble, a deep blush crawling up my neck and onto my cheeks. Tobias slowly climbed off me, sitting in front of me instead. I lean up, propping myself up on my elbows as I look at him apologetically. Surprisingly, his features don't look annoyed or angry.
"I wasn't planning on sleeping with you here Trish." He says quietly, his hair messy from where my hands raked through it seconds ago. The blush on my cheeks deepens and I open my mouth to respond but he stops me —
"I only wanted to kiss you but I got a little carried away." He mumbles, readjusting himself on the floor. I bite down on my lower lip, attempting to stop myself from giggling.
"You want to laugh, don't you?" Tobias asks, his lips twitching up into a grin. I nod my head, my hair bouncing around my shoulders before I let out my laugh at his expense. He glares at me teasingly before joining me.
"I'm sorry, I can't help it." I giggle, pushing my straight locks backwards. Tobias leans back, his eyes focusing on me intently. My laughter slowly dies down and I begin to squirm underneath his stare. I'm usually confident and outspoken but something about Tobias makes me blush like never before. He reaches forward and takes hold of my hand, surprising me. I look down at it, the way his fingers are gently caressing the top of my knuckles.
His hand is so large compared to my small one.
"You're not going to ask me to marry you, right?" I joke and he laughs, the sound of it low and a gentle rumble.
"Would you say yes or run for the hills?" He grins at me, lips tugging upwards into a smile. I watch as his eyes lighten considerably, a sparkle flashing through them. It takes me a while to reply because I feel taken aback by his sheer beauty.
"Depends on what you can offer me." I tease him, my tone light. He raises one brow at me, the joy in his face never disappearing.
"A lifetime of this handsome face and body." He smirks, winking in my direction. It surprises me at how confident his words are, he always appears so laid back and chilled. I ignore the flutter in my stomach —
"Hmm . . . It's not a deal just yet."
Tobias chuckles quietly again, his thumb continuing to stroke my skin. I like how it feels, warm and soft.
"I'll throw in a nice house, couple of kids and possibly a dog or two?" Tobias bargains with me. He slowly pulls on my wrist to bring me towards him and I feel myself slide against the floor, growing closer and closer. The entire time I don't break eye contact with him, unable to wipe the smile from my face.
"Make it three dogs and we've got a deal," I whisper, my eyes falling to his lips. He drops his own eyes to my lips and I lick them, earning a soft sigh from Tobias. He inches closer, leaning his head down until he's hovering directly above my lips.
"I guess we're getting married because it's a deal," he whispers, pressing his lips softly against mine. I don't respond because at this point, I can barely breathe. My heart hammers inside my chest and I'm pretty sure Tobias can hear it too. I cling onto him tightly, both of us melting against one another.
I just sealed a deal with Mystery Man himself.
*****
I'm drifting in and out of sleep on Tobias' couch, a thick blanket draped over me. The room is almost dark, dimly lit with a lamp in the corner. On the other couch, I can hear Tobias' soft breathing as he sleeps and I wonder what it is he's dreaming about. The alcohol in my system has almost completely wore off and I can't seem to wipe the smile from my face.
My phone buzzes beside me and I turn, lifting it up to view the screen. I wince as the bright lights hurt my vision before reading the text that's flashing continuously.
It's from Mum.
Trish, where are you? Oh god, honey, you need to come home!
Before I have a chance to respond, she starts calling me and I sit up straighter, fear now filling me. The clock read five am and I quickly slide my finger across the screen, answering the call.
"Hello?" I speak in a hushed tone, aware of a sleeping Tobias in the same room as me. On the other end, Mum's panicked voice responds.
"Trisha! Where are you? Something terrible has happened — "
I cut her off, jumping off the couch and standing up straight.
"Mum, calm down! What's happened? Are you and Leroy okay? Is Dad there?" I ask her, the sounds of sirens in the background. My heart falls to the pit of my stomach and I reach for my shoes, pulling them on.
"It's Leroy, oh, my poor baby." Mum cries on the other end, her voice hysterical. I begin to shake profusely, the phone threatening to fall from my hand. I picture Leroy's sweet face and my own contorts in pain —
"What's wrong with Leroy?" I whisper, my words laced with fear. Mum sobs on the other end, sucking in a deep breath before replying . . .
"Oh god! The h-house went up in flames, Leroy was inside."
I drop the hold on my phone and it clatters to the ground, waking Tobias. Everything around me blurs and I fall to my knees, shaking with fright.
"Leroy," I whisper repeatedly, fear completing invading my entire body.