Tobie held my hand in his the whole ride to the bowling alley. There was nothing so natural as being near him. Holding his hand. Listening to him chatter on about nothing in particular. When I told him Hannah and I had spent the day binge-watching Hallmark movies, he ripped his hand out of mine and clasped it hard against his chest.
“How dare you!” He gapped, “You watched terrible chick movies all day and didn’t invite me!?”
I started laughing. I had completely forgotten that Tobie was a sucker for chick-flicks. After I promised him that I would invite him over the next time I wanted to watch one, he seemed to settle back down.
“Please tell me there was at least one of them that had a children’s hospital in it.” He conceded.
“As a matter of fact, yes, one of them did!” I reached for the hand still holding his chest. He wrapped his fingers around mine and placed a light kiss against my knuckles then pressed both of our hands against his chest, resting against his heart. His muscles felt just taught as I had remembered.
“Well good. You can’t have a Hallmark movie without a children’s hospital.”
We pulled into the parking lot at the bowling alley just as Sarah and Eric were getting out of their car. When Tobie came over to my side to open my door his eyes were laden with disappointed when he saw that I had unbuckled my seatbelt on my own. I leaned in to kiss his pouty lips.
“I want you to know that I appreciate your chivalry but that I will never expect it.” He smiled against my mouth.
Chapter Nineteen
Tobias
I knew that I would have a great time regardless of what we were doing as long as I was with Amber, but did not anticipate that I would actually have as much fun as I did. Amber’s friend, Sarah, was a really fun girl and her husband Eric was equally as cool. He and I spent the evening teasing the girls, laughing at their antics, and discussing sports, beers, and other dude stuff.
Amber was a sight to behold. She was absolutely terrible at bowling but the way she shook her hips in a happy dance each time she knocked down any pins or stuck out her bottom lip in an adorable pout with each gutter ball made it hard for me to keep my hands to myself. I had to keep reminding myself that there were other people here. People she knows. People who will determine whether or not I pass the “friend test”.
“Whatcha thinking about, handsome?” She asked, lowering herself onto my lap in between turns. My arm draped across her legs, pulling her tight against me. I brushed a lock of hair out of her face. Tucked it gently behind her ear.
“I’m thinking of how much fun I’m having. How nice your friends are.” I replied truthfully.
“Oh, yeah?” she smiled.
“And how bad I want to grab your ass when you lean over to get your ball,” I growled in her ear.
“Oh!” she startled, feeling my hardness begin to grow against her backside. “Well, then. Seems like someone is in quite the predicament,” she winked at me and leaned in for a deep, passionate kiss. Her hips shifted against my erection.
Sarah cleared her throat. Amber pulled away from our kiss and smiled. “For Pete’s sake, Amber. Are we bowling or are we playing grab-ass? It’s your turn, bitchacho!”
Amber laughed and stood up, letting her hand drag across my shoulders and down my arm, giving my bicep a little squeeze. She leaned down to whisper in my ear, “I love how so much of you is so… hard.”
I grunted and grabbed a handful of her ass. Amber laughed again and headed over to the ball return. When she leaned over to get hers, she turned her head to look at me. She stuck her ass out and gave it a little wiggle. I reached down to adjust myself straining against my jeans. Her eyes widened and she licked her lips.
Amber
Three hours later we left the bowling alley. I couldn’t remember having so much fun on a date and a very long time. Watching Tobie interact so naturally with my best friend and her husband was like seeing a whole other side of him. The ease at which he was able to laugh and tell jokes with them made my heart happy. When he and Eric began teasing Sarah and me about our bowling skills, or lack thereof, I heard my mother’s voice in my head, You know when someone likes you because they feel comfortable enough to tease you. I couldn't help but think to future times we might all hang out together. When the boys took our shoes to return them, Sarah pulled me off into a corner.
“Girl, I think you may have struck it rich!” She grabbed my hand tightly.
I lit up, “Yeah, I think so, too.”
“I mean, my word, not only is he hotter than hell, but he’s nice, Amber! Like really, truly and honestly a good person!” Her eyes were twinkling in excitement for me. “And the way that he looks at you… swoon!” She fanned at her face in dramatics.
I couldn’t help but giggle with her. “I think I really like him, Sarah. Like, really like him. Every time I’m near him I find more things that I love about him.” I turned my gaze to Tobie who was standing at the shoe return with Eric.
“Love?!”
“Oh, good grief, Sarah. We’re not going there,” I laughed.
Tobie and I walked out to the parking lot hand-in-hand. I felt like I was walking on air. I gave both Sarah and Eric hugs before we headed for Tobie’s truck. He shook hands with Eric, but Sarah pulled him in for a big hug. A hug, I might add, that was a little tighter and a lingered a little longer than I would have liked. I narrowed my eyes at Sarah, who smiled at me. Tobie laughed, knowing exactly what was happening. Eric rolled his eyes. Sarah released the hug and let out a huge sigh.
“Well, at least I know now what all the fuss is about!” she stated loud enough for the world to hear.
“Oh, for craps sake, Sarah. You’re ridiculous!” I exhausted.
Tobie reached back for my hand and led me back to his truck. He opened my door for me, gave an unnecessary boost to my bottom as I raised into the seat and buckled me in.
“Now to get this stunning woman back home so I can properly show her how crazy she makes me,” he winked, pressed a quick but passionate kiss to my lips, and promptly drove us back to his house.
Chapter Twenty
Tobias
I was beginning to think that holding Amber’s hand gave me magical powers to be hyper-aware of the world around me. Suddenly her lightest touch sent inebriating sensations throughout my entire being. I could smell the passing rain, the sweetness of her hair when she turned her head. My eyes could detect every subtle movement of her body, her lips, her eyes. Crappy food and cheap beer provided flavors I’d never noticed before. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears with each press of her body against mine. Amber Kilroy was the most powerful drug and I was an addict desperate for my next fix.
Not wanting to lose the high she was giving me, I held her hand the whole way back to my house while Amber chatted away. She was all excited that she had gotten one strike and relayed to me that she thought things went really well with the double date. I didn't say much, I just smiled and listen to her sweet voice. This is what my life could be.
“Shit.” I whispered under my breath when my house came into view.
“What?... What’s the matter?” Amber concerned.
“Dad and Susan are back.”
“Ah, I see. It appears as though your plans to seduce me have been foiled, good sir,” she teased and gave my hand a small squeeze.
I shifted the truck into park and turned off the engine. Unbuckling my seat belt, I turned to face her. The realization that I wasn’t going to get any alone-time with Amber tonight was more than disappointing. It was a damn tragedy.
“Hmm. Seduce you, huh?” I raised my left hand up to brush the side of her neck, allowing my fingers to slip into her hair. “That seems like something I’d enjoy immensely.”
Amber blinked slowly, licked her lips. Pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. Her eyes locked onto my mouth.
“But how does one seduce a goddess?” I used my thumb to caress the soft skin of her cheek. I leaned forward, pulling her closer to me. My face
dropped into the crook of her neck, allowing my senses to be assaulted by her intoxicating presence. Her breathing became deep and her head fell to the side allowing me full access to her skin. My lips brushed against her collar bone, lingered there for a moment before ascending higher to the sensitive spot just below her ear.
“I’d say you’re off to a pretty good start,” she groaned, shifting closer to me.
My lips continued their pursuit along her jaw to the corner of her mouth. My heart was beating hard and my hands were trembling in effort to remain in control. I could feel the blood rushing like a raging river throughout my entire body, my veins swelled, every nerve ending heightened to the point of explosion. I need more.
Amber
Tobie grunted and pulled away from me so quickly that I gasped. I stared at him dumbfounded as he shoved his door open and slammed it shut. I watched wide-eyed as he stomped around the front of his truck, grabbed my door handle and swung it open with such force I thought he might rip it off the hinges. I was frozen in place by the charge of his actions. He reached quickly across my lap to unfasten my seatbelt and grabbed my hips such complete and utter control and pulled me down from the seat so quickly that I didn’t even have time to react.
My feet hit the concrete at the same time that Tobie pressed my body up against the side of his truck. His fingertips dug into my hips. His eyes burned into mine. Hungry and wild. His chest expanded to its full capacity with each breath. I felt the heat rising in my chest, spreading up to my face, down deep into my core. His eyes darted between mine and my mouth. They fell to my chest, watching my breasts swell and fill my shirt. My hands functioned on their own accord, grabbed onto his hips, around to the small of his back, under his shirt, and felt the strength of his back.
I knew the exact moment that he lost control. I drug my nails against the skin of his back, making his eyes open wide. He threw his head back and groaned. I thought he might actually howl at the moon. His face dove back into my neck, his hands slid up my sides, up to my ribs, under my breasts, pushing them up as his kisses made their way lower. He rapidly changed course, bringing his mouth up to mine. The air was sucked from my lungs and I couldn’t care less. Who needs to oxygen when you have kisses like this to give you life?
My hands slid back over his back, my fingertips memorizing every edge of every muscle.
Down.
Down.
Down.
Over the rough fabric of his jeans, slipping into his back pockets, pulling his hips hard against my body. Pressing the heat of his arousal tight against me causing him to moan and my shoulders to melt.
My hands continued to explore his body. Squeezing the flesh of his toned backside. Sliding back around to his hips, down and across to the front of his thighs. His hands framed my face, his mouth devoured mine. His tongue tasted mine, flicked at my lips, his teeth nibbled. My hands lingered on the fronts of his thighs, my fingers swirled lightly against the fabric stretched tightly across the front of him. He shifted back slightly, allowing me access to what he knew I was craving. My left hand trailed upwards to his belt, my fingers lightly brushed the solid muscular V of his abs. My right centered in on his prize. Cupping the length of him, I groaned at the reminder of just how large he really was.
“Fuuuuuck, Amber.” He growled against my neck as I slid my hand up and down his length through his jeans. He reached down to my hands and grabbed tightly onto my wrists. “If you keep that up we’re going to have a serious problem.”
He pinned both of my hands over my head with one of his and used the other to grab under my ass, pulled my thigh up and wrapped my leg around his body and thrusted into me at a slow pace. His mouth kissed all over my neck, my jaw, my lips.
Ocean waves of passion were crashing all around us. All of the houses, all of the cars, all of the distractions of the world had fallen away like a tower of blocks cascading down. My body was functioning on pure primal instinct, not allowing for any reason, any rational thought to interject. There was a flood of heat flowing through my body so intense that I might actually catch fire. My resolve had reduced itself to a puddle of arousal collecting between my thighs. Stars were flashing in my brain, sparks of intensity firing in rapid succession. I opened my eyes to see the stars poking out from behind the clouds… the sky was flashing… why is the sky flashing?
Oh, God!
“Tobie!’ My body stiffened against his. I dropped my leg from around his body and slammed it down to the ground.
He broke from his trance, his heavy eyes met mine, registered my fear, he brought himself back to the present. He began to laugh. The porch light stopped flashing and a booming voice called from the front door,
“Damn, son! If your gonna be gettin’ all hot ‘n heavy with a lady, you best not be doin’ it out in the front yard! The whole damn neighborhood can see ya!”
I was mortified. My entire dignity slid to the ground into a sticky pile of embarrassment.
don’t cry don't cry don't cry
Tobie lowered my hands from over my head and wrapped his arms around me in compassion, still laughing.
“What the hell is so funny, Tobie!?” I slapped at his shoulder. “I’m so embarrassed!”
“What’s there to be embarrassed about?”
“Are you serious? I’m a thirty two year old woman who just got busted by her boyfriend’s dad for making out in front of the neighbors! How are you not embarrassed by that!?” I was panicking now. “Oh, holy shit, Tobie! Your dad saw us!”
“Amber, trust me. I know all our neighbors… they’re a bunch of old farts. If they’re even still awake, they probably enjoyed watching a little excitement out here.”
“Oh, my God, Tobie! I can’t believe you!” I slapped at his shoulder again.
He laughed at my attempts to inflict any real pain and leaned in to kiss me. “And as for my dad, well… you don’t need to worry about him.”
My eyes reached up to the sky again. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
More kisses, light like little fireflies landing on my cheeks. “He already knows all about us.”
I was trying to process the fact that his dad somehow knew about “us”, whatever “us” was, but Tobie’s lips brushing against my skin was doing terrible things for my cognitive abilities. I couldn’t help give in to him again. Allowing him to resume our previous activities, but with a more appropriate level of control this time.
“Amber?” he questioned into my neck, planting soft kisses all over.
“Hm?”
“Who’s this boyfriend you mentioned?”
“Oh, um… did I say that?”
Tobie placed his hands on either side of my cheeks. His dark brown puppy dog eyes melting into mine. “Yes, ma’am, you did.”
Tobias
I made her go home before I lost all sense of control over my body again. My brain knew not to take things too far, but damn it, I’m a man. And she is a goddess. A beautiful, smart, funny, and drop dead gorgeous goddess. Thank God my dad interrupted us. Amber had no idea the switch she’d flipped by raking her nails down my back. Never before in my life had I been that close to completely losing control. The urge, the need surging through my body to take her was the most intense feeling I had ever felt. Shit balls, this was going to be so much harder than had ever thought.
I watched her tail lights disappear around the corner with my hands shoved into my pockets. I fell back against the side of my truck. The metal was still warm where her body had been pressed against it only moments before. I reached up to drag my hands over my face. Dug my fingers deep into my hair and pulled it from the roots. The realization that I was in way over my head was beginning to creep up my ankles, wind itself around my legs and slither its way into the pit of my stomach. She was way out of my league. But I’ll be damned if I wasn’t going to do everything in my power to make her mine.
To be hers.
Chapter Twenty One
Amber
I adjusted the pile of blouses drape
d over my arm. There were at least a dozen dress pants and skirts hanging next to me. I shifted back and forth, nervously picking at one of the hangers digging into my arm. I had been a distracted mess all day. Helping Hannah find more clothes was a ruse. I was trying to use distraction to keep my mind off my own stupidity. Like a terrible magician, trying to get myself to focus on the distraction while the switch was happening off to the side. What had I been thinking? Boyfriend? Amber, you’re such an idiot!
I hadn’t meant to say it. Truthfully, I hadn’t even thought of him like that before that moment. It just popped out. I rolled my eyes. Shook my head. This was quickly getting out of hand. What had started as harmless flirting, a reckless way to brush up on my dating skills had taken a quick turn to Whatthehellville.
In two week’s time, I had been taken by complete surprise, swept off my feet, been touched and kissed like never before, and now was riding a rollercoaster of emotions. Tick tick tick, up to the top to feel pure bliss only to come crashing down into the spiral of self-doubt.
Current status: Feeling like as horse’s ass for making something out of nothing. An airhead who was setting herself up for a whole heap of hurt. And you know what sucked the most? He hadn’t agreed to it. He didn’t say, “Why yes, Amber. I am your boyfriend and you are my girlfriend.” Nope. He didn’t. He just called me on it. Threw it out there, stripped me of any shred of dignity and then told me I should leave.
The only hope I had to cling to was the exchange of texts he started late last night. I grabbed my phone out of my pocket to read through them again. I needed to keep reminding myself that I hadn’t completely screwed it up. That I hadn’t scared him away.
Delicate (Sublime Series Book 1) Page 12
