The Chase

by Vanessa Fewings

  Vaguely, I remembered Tobias mentioning my mom’s Celtic heritage—though couldn’t remember ever mentioning it to him. I staggered and caught myself on the sink and peered down to look for that offending loose tile. My attention rose to the mirror and my eyes reflected the confusion I was feeling.

  Had my past decimated all chance of trust?

  A knock startled me.

  “Zara.” It was Tobias. “You okay in there?”

  “She’s not in here.” I crouched my shoulders, waiting for him to go away. “It’s somebody else.”

  Music carried from the stage. The woman’s singing sounded dreadful. I hoped I didn’t sing as bad as that. With any luck it was Logan.

  Silence.

  Letting the minutes evaporate, I waited until it felt safe and reluctantly opened the door.

  Peeking out, I saw the way was clear; I slid out and walked down to the end of the hall.

  “Hello there,” Tobias said.

  I spun round and saw him with his arms folded across his chest.

  “Oh hello,” I said. “Fancy seeing you here.”

  He came closer and slid into a smile. “Fancy that.”

  “Well, that’s super fun.” I ran the words through my brain and stuck it in reverse. “Strange?”

  “What is?”

  “You being here and not on a roof.” I peered at him through one eye.

  “Roof?”

  “Which I am so happy about. You don’t even know.”

  “How much have you had?”

  “Of heartbreak?”

  “To drink? What did you have?”

  “Some magical concoction that helps me see clearly.”

  “Are you upset I didn’t invite you?”

  “No, I’m busy at work.”

  “You’re working now?”

  Shit.

  He gave a comforting smile and said, “We’re moving at light speed. We have something special. I don’t want to scare you off.”

  I gave a thin smile.

  “Zara, please.”

  “It’s been a difficult week.” I waved my hand to let him know I didn’t mean him.

  “What happened?”

  “I’ve always loved art. It’s my first love. Before you—” I stared at him aghast. “Did I say that out loud?”

  “Say what?” He grinned.

  All that stuff about murder and stealing was breaking my heart. “The world is screwed up.”

  “You’re worried about St Joan? I know it’s been on your mind a lot.”

  “When that stuff comes out about my painting resurfacing—”

  “St. Joan’s not coming back.”

  His friends were shouting over at him to come back.

  “Come join us,” he said.

  “How do you know? About St. Joan?”

  “A theory.”

  Theory...

  All I could think about was that scared little girl climbing down a tree to get away from that house fire.

  I couldn’t let her name go unsaid, “Do you know the name Sarah Louise Ramirez?”

  His frown deepened, proving I was embarrassing myself.

  Closing my eyes, I cringed when I remembered the police had Icon in custody.

  “I’ve had too much,” I muttered.

  “Want some water?”

  “I should go.”

  “Wait for me, okay?”

  I miss you.

  But I daren’t say it and from his stern expression I’d done enough damage.

  He looked thoughtful. “That night I opened up about my parents...”

  “I shouldn’t have insisted you talk...about Australia and everything.”

  “It was good for me.”

  “You’re not angry?”

  “Why would I be?”

  “We can still be friends?”

  “Friends?” He swallowed hard and it kind of looked like sadness.

  What had just happened there?

  With all this booze swishing around my head it was hard to think.

  “It’s my turn.” He pointed to the stage. “Have to win this.”

  I watched him walk away.

  I’d just proven I was worthy of “clingy girlfriend of the year.” Or, I painfully mused, I’d unwittingly downgraded us to friends?

  Tobias ran up the steps to the stage and within a few seconds he’d chosen his song.

  He looked so damn handsome up there, so confident, the way he gripped the microphone, the way he rolled up his sleeves as he laughed back at his friends. The way his eyes searched me out in the crowd and gave me a sympathetic smile and then threw a big grin over to his table where he got a giddy wave back from Logan.

  I sat down at an empty table and continued to watch him.

  The music blared and Tobias’s vocals were a husky baritone and annoyingly sexy. His table rose to their feet and cheered him on. He seemed to know the words well and turned away from the prompter.

  The addictive bass thumped beneath my shoes. The crowd stomped their feet along with it and waved their arms. Some sang along with him using the audience teleprompter announcing he was singing “Witch Doctor” by De Staat.

  I’d never seen Tobias so playful, so free from all that responsibility he carried.

  Everyone was standing now, their arms raised above their heads as they screamed at his enigmatic performance. His deep voice boomed brilliantly, proving there was another thing I didn’t know about him. He could sing.

  He looked like a sex god, as hot as hell, masterfully riling up the crowd as electricity crackled through. They seemed mesmerized as he danced vibrantly in a circle, showing off that masculine power and his unstoppable exuberance.

  Tobias was an enigma I couldn’t get enough of.

  He had the entire place whipped up in a fever of excitement.

  The song ended and Tobias waved his arm triumphantly, apparently having won the sing off for his table.

  He stepped down from the stage and weaved his way through the crowd, heading fast toward my table like a panther going in for its prey, nothing, not even celebratory pats on his back distracted him.

  He zeroed in on me.

  Tobias came closer and rose over me and I stared up at him, waiting for his goodbye...

  He leaned in, cupped my face with his hands and crushed his lips to mine, snogging me so deliciously I almost fell off my chair. His tongue tangling with mine.

  The crowd roared their approval.

  Tobias pulled back. “Time to go home.”

  I blurted words; a slew of tipsy syllables that made him smile.

  He beamed at me and held his hand out for me. “Let’s get out of here.”

  29

  I peeked from under the sumptuous duvet.

  Blinking awake, my wristwatch pointed to 2:00 a.m. and I cringed that I’d got caught stalking Tobias at a bar after knocking back two shots. My head felt better than I deserved and then I remembered he’d given me two aspirin and made me drink a bottle of water before I’d fallen asleep.

  The greatest revelation was they’d arrested Icon last night. Dragging my fingers through my hair nervously, I wondered if they’d find St. Joan in his stash of stolen property.

  Tobias had brought me back to his suite at The Dorchester, though getting used to all this luxury was going to take some time. He seemed to effortlessly balance his philanthropic pursuits and his comfortable lifestyle.

  He’d provided one of his T-shirts for me to wear and I sniffed the sleeve and swooned at the scent of his heady cologne.

  Snuggled warmly, I waited for him.

  Tobias strolled out of the en suite bathroom wearing only pajama bottoms, which gave me t
he advantage of being able to admire his six-pack as he made his way over to me.

  I couldn’t be apart from him any longer—

  Reaching out for his hand, I pulled him onto the bed, and he fell willingly and brought his legs up. I climbed on top of him and wrapped my thighs astride his and grinned my joy of having captured the most beautiful, the most endearing, the most generous man on the planet.

  “How are you feeling?” He gave a wry smile. “How’s your head?”

  “Fine. You?”

  “Perfect.”

  “I can relax a little.” I pushed myself up. “It’s a secret right now.”

  He tipped my chin up. “Oh?”

  “They’ve arrested Icon.”

  A flicker of interest flashed in his gaze. “Where?”

  “He tried to break into the Tate.”

  Tobias rested his head on the pillow and stared at the ceiling. “Well, that’s good.”

  I laid my head on his chest. “The work you do with those kids is incredible.”

  “It was of course an elaborate ruse. All of it. To get you to fall for me.”

  I tapped his chest playfully. “I’d already fallen for you. No ruse required.”

  He squeezed his eyes shut for a second. “I’m glad you could see the church before it’s torn down.”

  “I want to work for your charity. I realized today how little I’m doing for other people.” I shook my head ruefully.

  “You’re more than enough.” He searched my face as though needing an answer; a flash of vulnerability crossing his face.

  This low tremor of realization that he felt the same way about me caused my breath to catch. Reaching around to the back of his neck I brought his mouth up to mine.

  “We’re more,” he whispered against my mouth. “Aren’t we?”

  “Yes, we’re so much more.”

  He eased my T-shirt up and over my head and pulled it off me and chuckled.

  “What’s funny?”

  “I was about to ask Jade to turn up the air-conditioning. Forgot where I was for a second.”

  “Jade’s installed in your homes?”

  “Homes, cars and offices.”

  “Don’t you ever feel like she’s stalking you?”

  He laughed. “I created her. So, no.”

  I reached around and slipped my hand beneath the band of his pj’s. “Bet she can’t do this.” I stroked the full length of him.

  “Actually—” He arched a brow.

  “That’s so wrong!” I rested my head against his chest and heard his steady heartbeat.

  “No one would ever replace you,” he said. “You’re one of a kind. You’re a Salvador Dali amongst a sea of Rubenses.”

  “And you’re a Pollock amongst a collection of Warhols.”

  He laughed. “I have no idea what we’re talking about.”

  “You’re complicated.”

  He stared up at me and seemed to swallow past his caution. “With you I come unraveled.” He sat up and took my breast in his mouth, sucking my nipple and sending a shock of bliss. “You’re more to me than anyone ever was.”

  My head fell back with the stun of pleasure.

  He wiggled beneath me to pull down his pants and he grasped himself to direct his erection to slide along my cleft, that hard ridge caressing my sensitive clit. I let out a moan as he hardened further. With one firm thrust he slid inside me, sheathing himself completely. He arched his spine and closed his eyes as though he too was overcome with the pleasure.

  With him still inside me he spun my body around and rolled on top of me and I gripped his forearms and wrapped my thighs around his hips.

  His body was all heat, all hard muscle, all furious pounding as he drove into me.

  It was too late to hold back my heart from opening to him, this connection felt as though destiny had always intended this for us.

  Both of us came together in a tirade of thrusts and moans, both of us blinded by this endless climax.

  We fell asleep like that with him inside me and me never wanting to be let go.

  I awoke to see Tobias out of bed and standing back at his tall computer desk typing away.

  This guy was a workaholic.

  A glance at the bedside clock told me it was six thirty.

  He strolled over to the window and pulled back the heavy curtain and peered out.

  He was on the phone and talking in French. I wondered if it was his uncle. I’d been crappy at French in school and had no idea what he was saying. The conversation sounded friendly enough. He looked so cute when he laughed away at what the other person was saying.

  He caught me staring and smiled as he pointed to the food cart.

  My superhero had ordered up room service. The tray conveniently positioned close.

  Bleary eyed, I sipped the healthy-looking shake that tasted of pineapple and coconut, with some spinach thrown in to make it “healthier than thou.”

  I tucked into one of the pancakes, dipping it into a little syrup, and it tasted scrumptious.

  Sipping the freshly brewed coffee, I settled in for my morning Tobias show.

  Tobias at his computer. Tobias taking another call. Tobias coming over to kiss me. Tobias walking around the suite and munching on a slice of buttered toast and finishing off another coffee.

  This I could wake up to every single day, I mused, as I sipped from a bottle of mineral water.

  I slid out of bed and went to the loo.

  When I came back he was sitting on the edge of the bed and he was dressed in gym clothes.

  “That’s impressive,” I said.

  “I thought so. Thought we’d do it.”

  I let out a nervous laugh.

  “Get dressed and we’ll get on with it.” He gestured to the workout clothes laid out on the end of the bed. There was a Nike box beside it.

  I lifted the lid and saw the running shoes. “Hope you’re not suggesting...?”

  “I am.”

  “When?”

  “Now.”

  “You want me to go with you?”

  “Get dressed, Zara. Or you’ll be late for work.”

  “Why?”

  “It’ll clear your head.”

  Anything that involved breaking out in a sweat was not for me. “I think I’m just going to have a lie-in.” I went to climb back in.

  “A lion?” He grabbed my waist and pulled me back.

  “No, a lie-in.”

  “Sometimes I have no idea what the hell you’re saying.” He held me still with his hands firmly around my waist.

  “I don’t think you should kiss me in front of Logan,” I muttered.

  “She knows how I feel about you.”

  “Oh?”

  “She’s knows I’ve fallen hard. She’s happy for me.” He grinned and continued to dress me in those expensive-looking gym clothes.

  Feeling his hands sweep over my body felt divine. “When did you buy these?”

  “Had them sent up from the hotel store.”

  “Remind me to thank them.” I smirked.

  Tobias waited for me to tie my shoelaces.

  We headed out and took the elevator.

  He hugged me into him the entire way down and I broke out in a sweat before we even made it to the gym on the fourth floor.

  The place was as expected from a high-end hotel, chock-full of every kind of exercise equipment a human might like.

  I blew off Tobias’s offer to help me with my workout, instead going it alone on the treadmill. That wall mirror enabled me to ogle Tobias as he went through what looked like his usual routine.

  He’d popped in his earbuds so he could listen to music, and seemed to space out as he went from
lifting weights like a pro and generously flexing his muscles for me to enjoy, using the stair-climber, which conveniently revealed why he had such a lovely bum, and eventually moved on to sprinting fast on the other treadmill. He made my attempt at working out look feeble. Tobias insisted I try the rowing machine.

  Pretending I was into this and there might be some chance I’d ever attempt rowing again in my lifetime, I made my way up this invisible river.

  I climbed off the machine and sat on the floor mat. “Send help.”

  Tobias shoved a paper cup of water at me.

  I drank it thirstily. “Did you get any sleep last night?”

  “Not much.”

  “You’re a workaholic.”

  “I have business stateside and they’re on a different time.”

  “What kind?”

  “We’re rolling out our air keyboard at an LA tech expo. We’re making the final touches to the design, securing a good position on the showroom floor, arranging my presentation time for the convention. That kind of thing.”

  “Can I help?”

  “Yes.”

  I regretted asking. “How?”

  “Get over there and lie down.” He pointed to the corner.

  “What if someone comes in?”

  “We’re not shagging, Zara. Down.”

  He followed me over and settled above me, lying along my body.

  Tobias looked so damn gorgeous above me, all hard muscle and sexy perspiration glistening over his toned golden limbs. He began a grueling set of press-ups above me, each time he came down I raised my head and our lips met in a lingering kiss. A glance at his strong biceps revealed they were taut and bulging and carried him with ease. He paused above me on each descent, his body inches from mine and his smile reaching his eyes.

  His breath minty fresh, his tongue swept over mine in one of the most cherished kisses he’d ever given me.

  He resumed his press-ups, again proving the stamina worthy of this sex god.

  “This isn’t so bad,” I said. “I could do this every morning.” I snuck a peek at his tattooed biceps and ran my fingers over it.

  “I’m trying to concentrate here.” He kissed me again, effortlessly holding the tension in his arms.

  “Sign me up for more sessions!” I laughed at my cheekiness.