Delicate (Sublime Series Book 1)

by Michelle Everett

  His grin slid back into a wide smile that lit up his eyes. He turned quickly and jogged back to his truck. Oh, look at that ass. He climbed in and I heard the engine roar as he backed out of his parking space. He paused to give me a quick wave and another flash of his brilliant smile before he drove away.

  I stood with my back against the door of my Jeep as I watched him drive off. I hadn’t recovered from the dizzying feeling of being pressed against his body. Those eyes. That smile. That scent. Holy crap. What the heck was that?

  Chapter Two

  Tobias

  It took me the whole drive back to my dad’s house to come down from the high of seeing Amber. Hannah was my very best friend, but I had fantasized about her older sister since I was old enough to fantasize about anyone. There was something about Amber that ruined me when it came to other relationships. She was kind. She was gentle. She was funny. She was easy to be around and easy to talk to. She always made me feel good about myself. No other girl I had ever been with even came close to her. I had only had one relationship during college that would have been classified as “serious” and it only lasted nine months. Cassie. Fucking Cassie.

  Cassie ended up being batshit crazy, verbally attacking any girl that she perceived as interested in me and even took to some stalking. It was screwed up. After her I swore off dating for the immediate future to focus on my grades. The girls at school were too needy. Too desperate. Too inexperienced. It was the memory of Amber that made me satisfy myself time after time. Those curvy hips. Those breasts that are the perfect size for my large hands. Stop it Tobe! That’s insane. It’s Hannah’s sister. It’s never going to happen.

  But I knew myself. As many times as I’d tried to ignore the recurring fantasy, I just couldn't shake it. Seeing Amber just now made it even more difficult. The way her cheeks blushed when she looked me over. Her eyes locked on the front of my shorts. Maybe it wasn't completely crazy to think that she might feel the same way.

  I mean, not to brag but I’ve really filled out since high school. I wasn't the scrawny, nerdy and nervous kid I was back then. I hit a huge growth spurt in the spring of my freshman year and spent the rest of my college years filling out at the gym. I wasn’t naive to the fact that the girls at school liked what they saw. I had my fair share of dates that ended pretty hot and heavy. I used the time to really learn about what women like. I enjoyed knowing what made them tick. The moves that made them cry out multiple times in a night but I was always left with a feeling of discontent. Nothing seemed to fill the void in my heart.

  I had gotten pretty confident in my dealings with the opposite sex, but like I said, none of those girls could hold a candle to what I imagined it would be like to be with Amber. Maybe I wasn't thinking straight or maybe it was the abundance of testosterone in my twenty two year old body but I needed to find a way to make this happen. I decided right then and there that I was going to run the risk and tell her how I felt.

  Once I got home from the car wash I was true to my word and gave Hannah a call. We had always had regular coffee dates when we were in high school and tried to keep up the tradition going whenever we were home on break. She was the one person I could tell anything to. She always listened, never judged, and only gave me advice when I asked for it.

  When we were fifteen, our lives were especially hard. My parents split up, my mom moved out and I was a wreck. On top of that, Hannah’s parents had been killed by a drunk driver. Hannah was right there when I needed her most and of course I was right there for her. We had a bond that was as close as you could be without actually being siblings.

  I pulled off my t-shirt, kicked off my shoes and stretched out on my bed to enjoy the air conditioning. Ugh. I hate how damn hot it is here in the summer. I picked up my phone and dialed Hannah’s number from memory.

  “Hello?” Hannah answered her phone sounding out of breath.

  “Hannah, what the hell are you doing? You sound like you just ran up a flight of stairs.”

  “Hey Tobe. I’m packing up my apartment. There’s way more shit here than I thought!” she laughed. She had such a great laugh. Infectious and put everyone around her at ease no matter the situation.

  “Yeah, I ran into your sister earlier today and she said you were moving back home. Got any plans for when you get here?” I hadn’t seen my best friend since winter break. I was really looking forward to seeing her again, hearing about all of her adventures, and catching her up on my life, too.

  “Not really,” she answered, “I’ll be home Tuesday. Amber’s taking the day off to help me move all my crap back. It’ll probably take all freaking day with just the two of us. I swear. Where did I get all this junk!?” Hannah was obviously overwhelmed with the amount of stuff to do.

  “That’s because you’re a pack rat,” I teased. “I bet you even still have that seashell necklace that Tommy Henson gave you in ninth grade,” I laughed. Tommy Henson was a total dweeb in high school and he had been madly in love with Hannah.

  “Har. Har. Har. Very funny,” she replied dryly. “And not to prove you right or anything but yes, I do still have that necklace. It’s pretty.”

  “It’s time someone finally told you the truth, Han. It’s hideous.” I did my best to sound serious.

  “Shut up, Tobie. It was a really sweet gesture. Not that you’d know anything about that,” she poked.

  “Oooo! Ouch! Gettin’ me right in the feels,” I pretended to be hurt by her jab.

  “Pft. Anyway….” I could hear her eyes rolling through the phone. “When did you get home?”

  “A few days ago. Staying with my dad and Susan for a while until I find my own place. We need to get together. Got any time after you get settled?”

  “I’d love to. How about Wednesday?”

  But then I had a thought. A mischievous thought. What if….

  “Hey, how about I help you move your stuff back home? If it’s just you and Amber I’m sure you could use a big strong man with huge muscles to haul all of your shit around,” I offered arrogantly.

  Hannah laughed at my pompous comment. “You’re such an ass. But seriously, that would be amazing, Tobe. Thank you so much. How about you meet us at the house to help unload? I’ve got a few of the guys in the complex here that have offered to help load the trailer so we should be good here.”

  Of course she did. Hannah was always a beautiful girl with an easy going personality. It didn’t surprise me at all that she had guys offering to do manual labor for her.

  “You got it. Just text me when you’re leaving your apartment and I’ll plan to meet you there, cool?”

  “Sounds great. I gotta run now, though. Boxes are calling!”

  “Oh, alright. Bye, Hannah-banana.”

  “Bye, Big Strong Muscle Man,” she laughed, “See you Tuesday!”

  I heard her hang up and I tossed my phone to the side. A smile formed on my face. I was really lucky to have her as a friend. I bet a million guys have dreamed of being close to her and I was honored to be the king of her friend-zone. I’d cut any guy who ever tried to hurt her.

  I stared at my ceiling when I realized that I had just effortlessly arranged to see Amber again. It really shouldn’t have surprised me though, given that I had spent the majority of my free time at their house growing up. How many movie nights had we spent on their couch? How many hot afternoons had I spent in their swimming pool? How many dinners had I eaten there? It had been like a second home to me. Arranging to see Amber under the guise of helping Hannah move home wasn’t much of a ruse at all. It was something I would have done regardless of how I felt about her sister. But in this scenario, not only would I be helping my best friend, but I’d also be able to strut like a fucking peacock around Amber. It was a win-win.

  I reached into my night stand and pulled out the picture I’ve had since tenth grade. It was a picture of Hannah and me that her dad had taken just before he passed away. Amber was in the background, sunbathing by the pool in their backyard. Before I knew it I was
rock hard and resisting the urge to pull long slow strokes up and down the length of my swollen cock. My eyes did as they always had. I focused directly on her long tanned legs, one knee bent and raised slightly, the other leg stretched out long.

  Her stomach was exposed from her modest bikini. Nothing like some of the trashy girls who were looking for attention. That was never Amber. She was refined. Elegant. And fucking hot. Her breasts were tastefully covered in the photo but that had never stopped me from imagining how perfect those tits would feel in my hands. Or around my cock. Or in my mouth.

  I groaned and tossed the picture to the side and rubbed my palms into my eyes. I thought about being face to face with Amber earlier today. My member throbbed with urgency as I recalled her surprise when she realized who I was. I remembered how hungry her eyes had become when she was looking me up and down only to lock her eyes on the front of my shorts, the feeling of her hands sliding down my shoulders onto my biceps.

  My thoughts drifted off to the fantasy I’d always hoped for. Sliding my thick cock slowly in and out of her hot wet pussy over and over again. Hearing her moan and purr in my ear as I brought her to her peak.

  “Damn it!” I slammed my fists down into the mattress. Frustrated, I sat on the edge of my bed and ran my hands through my shaggy hair. I can’t do this anymore!

  Chapter Three

  Amber

  Tuesday morning, I woke up to sunshine pouring through my windows. I had taken the day off work and it could not be a more perfect morning to bring Hannah home. I got dressed quickly - running shorts and a t-shirt - and made myself some coffee. I took a moment to sit on the back deck, enjoying my coffee while Russell, my pug, went out to do his business. I could feel it in my bones that it was going to be a great day.

  After a light breakfast I sent Hannah a quick text:

  ME: On my way! ETA 45 mins

  I jumped into Stella and made my way to Hannah’s school. I’m pretty sure I was smiling the entire drive. I really couldn’t wait to have her back home. She had really grown into a wonderful person. We had become pretty close despite our age difference after our parents died. I think that was the only silver lining to such a horrible time in our lives.

  When I got to Hannah’s apartment, she was already outside, ready to greet me with a big grin on her face. She came running towards me the second I parked.

  “Hey, Amber! Thank you so much for coming to help me. I tried to get as much as I could packed before you came, but there's still so much to do. I have no idea how I ended up with all this stuff.”

  Laughing, I replied, “That's because you never throw anything away! You've been living here for four years. I can only imagine how much shit you’ve managed to hoard.”

  Hannah rolled her eyes and groaned, “I know... I know...”

  We spent the whole morning packing up the last of her odds and ends, and chatting about her final semester and her prospective job offers. Thankfully, she had arranged for some of the guys that lived in her complex to help load the trailer that she had rented. Thank goodness for that, because there were more boxes than I could count, plus some furniture that I doubt we would have been able to maneuver on our own. We finished loading the last of her things right around lunch time. We hooked up the trailer to my Jeep and decided to grab some fast food the way back home.

  Hannah was as chatty as usual during the drive home. She told me all about some of the job interviews she had coming up, the friends she was going to miss not living near, and had me nearly crying from laughing at stories about guys trying to pick her and her friends up at bars.

  Half way home it dawned on me. “Good grief, Hannah! I just realized that we’re going to have to unload all this stuff on our own!”

  “Oh! I forgot to tell you! Tobie called me the other day and offered to help once we got home. He’s going to meet us at the house. I just need to text him.”

  Oh. Heavens. Tobie. I had been trying to forget the whole ‘car wash’ incident from a few days ago but I just couldn’t seem to shake it. The encounter continued to play on repeat in my mind. Maybe it was all in my imagination. Surely a twenty-two year old wasn’t flirting with me. Especially not Tobie. But oh, he has grown up… his strong hands lightly grazing my arms…. his scent… those eyes…

  “Uh, hello? Earth to Amber! Where’d you go?” Hannah was waving her hands at me trying to get my attention.

  “Oh, gosh, sorry! I was thinking about, uh... something. Sorry. What were you saying?”

  “Sheesh. I was asking if it was ok for him to stay for dinner. I figured that was the nice thing to do since he had so arrogantly offered his ‘big huge muscles’ - his words, not mine - to help us.” Hannah continued on.

  Tobie’s big huge muscles…. over for dinner… yes… oh, good grief Amber, knock it off!

  “I mean, uh, yeah… of course he can. Tobie is always welcome.”

  “Great, thanks!” Hannah was busy typing away on her phone so I crawled back into my head for the moment. There’s no possible way, I tried to convince myself. There’s no way he was coming onto me. It was all in my head.

  Tobias

  What the hell am I doing!? I asked myself. I had literally been standing in front of my dresser for thirty minutes trying to figure out what to wear. You’re helping unload a trailer. How hard can it be to find some damn clothes to wear? This was so stupid.

  I finally settled on a pair of athletic shorts and a plain white t-shirt. Simple. It was practical for the job at hand, but also showed off my chest and arms well. Plus, getting sweaty in a white t-shirt can only help my cause. Right?

  Standing in front of the mirror, I reached for a baseball hat. Ugh, no. I switched it out for a bandana. What the hell. I look ridiculous. Rolling my eyes at myself I finally decided to go without anything on my head. I couldn’t look stupid with just my hair.

  If I’m being honest with myself, I was nervous wreck. I was pacing my room like I’d never been around a girl before. I knew what I wanted: The opportunity to prove myself to Amber and worship her with the attention she deserves. But over the last few days I’d had a chance to flip flop between the pros and cons of this whole endeavor.

  What if I fail? What if I misread Amber’s signs? What if she flips out and tells Hannah? What if I succeed? What if Hannah finds out? There seemed to be a likely end result for both outcomes, but damn it, I couldn’t go on any longer like this. I couldn’t keep wondering about what could have been with Amber. There’s only one thing that I had to be sure of: Hannah couldn’t find out.

  Her text came through in the nick of time. I was starting to really freak out and either bail on the whole offer to help or change my clothes for the third time.

  HANNAH: On our way home. Meet us in 20 mins?

  ME: You got it. See ya soon.

  Checking my reflection one last time, I took a deep breath, grabbed my phone and keys and drove into what could be the greatest decision or the biggest mistake of my life.

  Amber

  When we pulled up to the house, Tobie was already there and sitting on the tailgate of his truck. He was casually leaning back propped up by those muscular arms, swinging his legs back and forth. That huge smile spread across his face when he saw us. As soon as I parked my Jeep, he jumped down.

  Hannah bolted out of the passenger side and did her best impression of Meg Ryan screaming when she greets Goose at the airport in Top Gun. It was their little inside joke and it always made me smile. Hannah ran straight into Tobie’s outstretched arms and he lifted her off the ground with ease, swinging her around in a circle. Planting a kiss on her forehead, he welcomed her home.

  “Hannah-banana, I've missed you!”

  Hannah gushed, “Tobie Magoo! It's so good to see you!”

  All I could do was smile at them together. Their friendship is something a very few people get to experience in their lifetime. Through thick and thin, they've always been there for each other.

  “Uh, excuse me!” I called to them, “Are we gon
na unpack this trailer or are you two just going to keep reenacting terrible movie scenes?”

  Tobie grinned at me and set Hannah down. He strutted over to me, wrapped his arms around me and picked me up the same way he did to Hannah. I squealed as he spun me around, too.

  “Oh, Amber,” he said jokingly as he set me back down, “sounds like someone is jealous of our amazing acting skills.”

  Face to face with him again I was rendered speechless. There were those beautiful brown eyes again. That smile. That dimple. Those strong arms holding onto me again. Hannah unknowingly broke the tension that I’m certain was only apparent to me.

  “Alright, let's get this sucker emptied!” With that, Hannah pulled open the back of the trailer. Tobie’s jaw dropped when he saw inside.

  “Holy shit, Han! Your weren't kidding when you said you had a lot of junk!”

  Hannah laughed. Tobie leaned his head sideways towards mine. Still looking at the trailer but speaking only to me he whispered, “How about we take half the boxes and just light them on fire when she isn't looking?” Then he turned to look me directly in the eye and winked. A thousand butterflies launched inside my stomach. Does he know what he's doing to me?

  Despite the heat and humidity, the rest of the afternoon went by smoothly. Having Tobie around was a tremendous help, especially when it came to getting the larger furniture into the house. I was pleasantly surprised to find that he had really grown up to be a wonderful man. He was polite, cheerful, and very easy to be around. Listening to his and Hannah's constant bantering was as entertaining as it was endearing. Watching him work was like watching a well oiled machine. He never seemed to tire. I stood in the back of the trailer pushing boxes out towards the front so it would be easier for Hannah and Tobie to grab them.

  “Thanks, Amb.” Hannah said as she grabbed a box I had pushed closer to her. “I think we’ll be done soon. Should I call for pizza or something?”