“That sounds perfect.” I paused for a moment to take a breath. I surveyed the rest of the boxes and wiped the sweat from my face. “Why don't you call and see if they can deliver it in about an hour? I think that'll give us enough time to finish up.” Pizza after a long day of hauling boxes sounded amazing. My stomach definitely agreed.
“What's happening in an hour?” Tobie appeared from around the trailer. He lifted up the bottom of his shirt to wipe the sweat off his face.
“I'm going to order pizza for all of us.” Hannah told him. “You're staying and that's not up for negotiation. Dinner is the least we can do for you for all your help today, right Amb?” But I barely heard her because I was hypnotized by Tobie’s exposed and perfectly chiseled abs.
“Oh! Yes! Of course!” I tried to recover. He must have heard the surprise in my voice because he lowered his hands wrapped in his shirt from his face and looked directly at me. Busted.
Something in his eyes sparked. He lowered his shirt back into place and while never losing eye contact with me, he crossed his arms over his stomach, grabbed the bottom of the t-shirt and slowly peeled it up and over his head. Sweet. Baby. Kittens. My jaw all but dropped to the floor of this dirty, nasty trailer at the sight of not only those glorious abs, but now an equally incredible chest. Does he shave his chest? No, that’s way too perfect. He’s waxed.
The butterflies in my stomach came back in a swarm. My eyes drank in all of him and I couldn’t help but fix my gaze at the muscular ‘V’ pointing into the top of the gym shorts. Shorts that were riding deliciously low on his hips, I might add.
I was able to snap my focus back into reality just as Tobie tucked his shirt into the back of his shorts and grabbed another box. Seeing all those muscles flexing at the same time made my knees weak. I had to steady myself with my arm against the wall of the trailer. Another mischievous smile was aimed at me and he turned to walk away. His back was just as amazing. I wonder how it would feel to drag my hands down him…. No, Amber! No, no, no!
Tobias
I’m not going to lie. I had to give myself a serious pep-talk while I waited for Hannah and Amber to get home. I was being pulled back and forth from being excited to see Hannah again, to feeling like I was about to jump out of my skin at the thought of seeing Amber. Calm down, Tobe. You’ve been around these two women a million times before. This is nothing new, nothing different, nothing weird.
The strangest part was that as soon as they pulled up in front of the house I was immediately at ease. Hearing Hannah let out her best “Meg Ryan scream” as she came running toward me made my heart swell. Some of my favorite memories are from watching Top Gun with her over and over reciting every line along with it. Every piece of anxiety vanished from my mind in her presence.
When Amber called us out on our stupidity, I couldn’t help but feel my confidence go through the roof as I strutted over to her. Taking in her appearance, her relaxed posture with one hand cocked on her hip, I felt invincible. Repeating the process to lift her off the ground made my heart feel a different kind of emotion. It might explode. The sound of her shock made me let out a huge booming laugh. I couldn’t remember why I was so nervous to see this woman. Everything about her made me want to be a better person. I felt alive with her in my arms.
There was nothing particularly eventful about unloading the boxes. It was hot. Really hot. I was sweating bullets. When I reached down to pull my shirt up to wipe my face, I was honestly not planning on using it as a way to flaunt around Amber. It wasn’t until I heard the slight quiver in her voice I was aware of what is happening. I locked eyes with her and reached down to slowly take my shirt off. As I tucked it into the back of my shorts I could see that my strategy was working. Even from ten feet away I could see her eyes dilate and her lips part. She couldn’t seem to take her eyes off of me. Not that I wanted her to.
Chapter Four
Tobias
Hannah and I finished unpacking the last of the boxes and Amber was sweeping out the trailer when the pizza guy drove up. Good thing, too, because I was about to turn into ravenous animal. All this work had really drained me. Hannah went to pay the delivery guy and somehow with her magical charm got him to giggle. That girl, I swear. She’s a mess.
I must have been staring at them because when Amber walked up to stand next to me, she interrupted my thoughts, “How come you two never dated?” she asked, eying Hannah.
“Who? Hannah and me?” I was legitimately confused.
“Yeah. I always wondered why your friendship never went any further than just that.”
“Oh, dang. I don’t know… I’ve never thought of her like that, I guess.”
That was a lie. Truthfully, I did have a crush on Hannah when we were younger. It was around the same time that Tommy Henson gave her that stupid necklace. Looking back, I had misunderstood my feelings of protectiveness for jealousy. When I kissed her on the school bus one afternoon I felt like I was kissing my aunt or something. There was absolutely no physical connection between us. It actually shocked both of us (probably her the most since she wasn’t expecting me to lay one on her), but in the end I was really glad that I had done it despite the epic flop that it was. From then on, Hannah and I were able to build one hell of a friendship that we were both confident was never meant to be anything more.
“Huh,” Amber responded, “interesting.”
I wasn’t exactly sure what she meant by that or why she’d even ask me about Hannah in that context in the first place. I could only hope that she was fishing for information about my romantic life. I figured I might as well just offer it up and see where it goes. What the hell, right?
“And in case you’re wondering - like my dad alway does - I’m not dating anyone else right now either.”
I could tell she wasn’t expecting me to be that direct. Her face went blank, but at the same I could see the gears turning in her head. She has a terrible poker face. Adorable, but terrible.
“I find that surprising,” she finally got her composure back. “You’re a really nice guy. I’m shocked that women aren’t lining up to date you.”
I turned to face her directly. We were only a few feet apart so I reached my hand up and placed my palm lightly on her jawline, letting my thumb graze her cheek. “Let’s just say I’m... picky.”
Her eyebrows raised and her eyes widened. Her cheeks flushed and her mouth opened slightly, then shut tight. I decided to let that sink in for a while and break the tension. I lowered my hand from her face and smiled brightly.
“Let’s get that pizza. I’m starving.”
Amber
“Amber, do you have any beer?” Hannah was digging through my refrigerator.
“Uh… I thought I had a few in there… check the top shelf?” I was trying to keep myself busy by standing in the pantry looking for paper plates. I was still rattled from Tobie’s comment. Picky? What is that supposed to mean!? Like he only wants me? No. That can’t be what he meant … right?
“Nope. I guess you drank them all, you lush!” Hannah teased me. She knows I don’t really drink much. Since she left for college and Aunt Cathy moved back to Texas I felt funny about drinking alone.
Tobie chimed in, “I can run to the package store real fast if you want me to.”
“No, no, no.” Hannah insisted, “You are not allowed to run any errands for me or pay for beer after all your help today. I’ll go.” She grabbed her purse and the keys to my Jeep. “Be back in a few!” she called out to both of us and ran out the door.
Tobie and I were left standing in the kitchen in what can only be classified as one of the most awkward moments of my entire life. He sat down on a bar stool at the island with his forearms leaning on the counter. His handsome face was relaxed, his deep brown eyes focused only on me. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t seem to move or speak. I could only lose myself in his eyes. The tension between us was so thick that Miley Cyrus could have come crashing through the wall on her wrecking ball and neither of us would have noticed.
Tobie was the first to break the silence.
“I think I’m going to take a quick shower if that’s ok with you.” He never took his eyes off mine.
“Sure,” I responded in more of a breath than a word. I cleared my throat. “I’ll grab you some soap and shampoo from my bathroom.”
“That’s ok. I brought my gym bag and have that stuff in there.”
He stood slowly from the bar stool but paused. His eyes dropped from mine only to scan the rest of my body. Normally such a move would have made me feel self-conscious but coming from him, it’s one of the most sensual feelings I’d ever had. It’s as if he was drinking in the sight of me and absorbing every detail of my existence. I could feel the flush of my skin return as my heart beat faster. A small smile formed on his lips. He turned slowly and walked out of the house to gather his things from his car. I leaned back onto the kitchen counter to steady myself and took a deep breath. That was… just… wow.
A few minutes later I heard Hannah’s shower running upstairs. I tried my very best to keep my thoughts innocent, but the idea of Tobie - a now insanely hot man - naked in my house had me all flustered. Images of his muscular body filled my brain. Water running down his chiseled abs. Thick lather being spread all over his broad shoulders… arms… legs… stomach…
I shook my head in an effort to rattle the thoughts of him out through my ears. My efforts were completely futile. There’s no harm in thoughts, right? I just have to keep myself from acting on them. Allowing myself this one simple pleasure I let my fantasy resume… his shaggy hair soaking wet… water beading on his face, trapping in his beautiful eyelashes… toweling himself off… Oh! Towels!
My fantasy was interrupted by the realization that there were no towels in Hannah’s bathroom. I had washed them so they’d be fresh when she got home but forgot to put them away. I scrambled up the stairs to the laundry room. Grabbing the towels from the dryer, I nervously walked toward Hannah’s bathroom where I could hear the shower running.
I paused and gave a light knock on the door. No answer. I tried again, slightly louder this time. Still no answer. I reached down and turned the knob to find that the door was unlocked. I slowly turned the handle and cracked the door open. A blast of shower steam hit my face. My senses were assaulted by the heat and deep, masculine smell of his body wash.
“Tobie?” I called quietly. Still no answer. I’ll just put the towels next to the sink.
I opened the door a little wider to fit the towels through. I looked over to the shower and saw that the curtain wasn’t pulled all the way shut on one end and I could see a small section of his body through the gap. I was completely captivated by the partial glimpses of his naked body. His smooth skin, his strong back and legs. One hell of an ass. Not to be too cliche, but I’m pretty certain you could bounce a quarter off that ass.
His hands were in his hair and his eyes were closed. When he turned around, he leaned his head back to rinse the shampoo and my eyes fell south. My jaw dropped when I noticed that he was half hard. Even at half-mast, this man was impressive. I continued to stare at his cock when it seemed to get even harder… longer… thicker… and then I realized that Tobie wasn’t moving anymore. My eyes returned to his face and I saw that he was looking straight at me. SHIT!
I slammed the door shut and fell against the wall outside the bathroom. I pressed my head back and closed my eyes, clenching my hands into fists at my side. Shit, shit, shit! That seemed to be the extent of my vocabulary at the moment. The image of Tobie’s hard, bare body was now seared into my brain. I heard the water turn off and the curtain pull open.
“Thanks for the towels, Amber,” I heard him call through the bathroom door.
Mortified, I literally ran back down the stairs.
Tobias
I toweled off and got dressed quickly after my shower. Any reservations I had previously about whether or not she was interested in me vanished in the moment I caught her staring. Seeing her eyes locked in on my growing hardness made me want to take her right then and there. I needed to take advantage of this moment and firmly plant the proverbial seed in her mind.
I headed back downstairs to find Amber in the kitchen again. She had buried herself inside the pantry pretending to look for something. I couldn’t help myself. I stopped in the pantry doorway, placing my hands up high on the door frame. Leaning forward, I spoke softly, “I think what you’re looking for was upstairs in the shower.”
She spun around and gasped. Her face was red with embarrassment. Her breathing was shallow and uneven as she choked out, “I’m so sorry, Tobie. I didn’t mean to… I mean… that was wrong of me…”
I stopped her before she could continue. I slid one hand down from the door frame and reached out for her. Wrapping my arm around her waist, I pulled her closer, making sure our bodies didn’t actually touch, no matter how badly I wanted them to. I lowered my face against the crook of her neck, inhaling her natural scent.
“I’m not upset,” I whispered in her ear. I knew she could feel my breath on her sensitive skin by the presence of goosebumps that appear. “You are free to look at me anytime you please.” A low groan escaped my throat as I placed my lips lightly into the sensitive skin under her ear.
The garage door flew open right at that moment and Hannah barged into the kitchen. “I got the beer!’ she sang.
Thank God the pantry door was blocking her view. I felt Amber tense against my arm. I pulled back to look into her eyes. It was not only her face that is blushing now, her entire body was glowing with arousal. I casually stepped out of the pantry to greet Hannah like nothing had ever happened.
“Awesome! Hand one over.” I said to her.
I sat back on my barstool and pried open my bottle. It took a solid ten seconds for Amber to emerge from the pantry holding paper plates. She was looking directly at me, her eyes blinking in rapid fire. I took a long pull from by beer and winked at her at the same time. Her mouth dropped open.
Chapter Five
Amber
I can’t believe that I did that. Who freaking spies on their sister’s best friend in the shower? Cheese on a cracker, Amber. What is wrong with you!? I ran down stairs with no real plan. He’s supposed to stay for dinner. Dinner! How in the world was I supposed to have a normal conversation after seeing Tobie in the shower. No, not just seeing him in the shower. Watching him in the shower. Watching the water run down his Adonis-like body. Watching his beautiful cock grow. Yes, I said beautiful cock. Because it was. It was beautiful. Oh, my heavens. I really needed to distract myself. Maybe he didn’t really see me. Maybe he thought I was only dropping the towels off. Maybe… but highly doubtful.
Ugh. I did the only thing I could think of: Pretend it never happened. I’m going to go back to setting up for dinner like a normal person and wait for Hannah to get home. Yes. That’s what I’ll do. I headed back into the pantry to find the paper plates. Where the hell is she anyway? Shouldn’t she be home already? I stepped out of the pantry to look at the clock. 6:14. Hannah left at 5:55. Shit. She’d only been gone for nineteen minutes. It was going to be at least another ten minutes before she’d be home. I was so screwed. Back into the pantry. Where in the world are the plates! I was totally freaking out. That is, until I heard the sexiest, deep sultry voice directly behind me.
“I think what you’re looking for was upstairs in the shower.”
Oh. Holy. Shit. And now I was completely freaking out. I gasped and spun around to find Tobie with his arms reaching over his head holding onto the door frame. Oh my, those biceps. That chest. That look on his face. I felt the heat of embarrassment all over my body.
“I’m so sorry, Tobie. I didn’t mean to… I mean… that was wrong of me…”
I didn’t even know what to say. How do you apologize for eye fucking someone ten years younger than you? He didn’t give me a chance to explain any further. He slid one hand down from the door frame and wrapped it around my waist. I could feel the heat of his body radiating against my own as he
pulled me closer to him. I was overwhelmed by the smell of his freshly showered skin. My body rejected what my head was screaming. I was aching to feel him pressed against me, but he stopped just short.
He lowered his face into the crook of my neck and whispered that he wasn’t upset. My eyes fell closed and I leaned in to his words as he told me that I could look at his body any time I pleased. The sound of his groan made my knees go weak. The electric sensation of his lips kissing me just beneath my ear set my body on fire. I’m dreaming. This can’t be real. This can’t be hap…
“I got the beer!” Hannah sang as she burst into the house. My stomach slammed itself onto the floor but Tobie didn’t seem to be phased at all. He looked me directly in the eyes, slowly lowered his hold of me and walked away like nothing happened.
I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t even remember why I was in the pantry. I took several deep breaths to calm myself down. I looked just to the right of me and saw the paper plates sitting on the shelf exactly where they should be. Picking them up, I stepped out of the panty looking, I’m sure, like a zombie. Hannah was chattering on about something but she may as well have been speaking in a different language. All I could see was Tobie. Sitting on his barstool. A beer bottle pressed to his full lips, winking at me.
Tobias
Amber’s eyes were drunk off arousal when she emerged from the pantry. It was clear that she hadn’t been properly swept off her feet in a very long time. She needed a drink. Probably two. I set my beer down on the counter and reached for one out of the paper sack Hannah brought home from the store. Hannah was babbling on about some jerk at the package store hitting on her but I was only half listening. My attention was still focused on bringing Amber down from the ledge.
I pried the top off the fresh beer and handed it across the island to her. Her eyes never left mine as she took it from me, allowing her fingers to touch lightly against mine when she did. She brought it to her mouth but all I could think about was how those lips would feel against my own. Her feminine hands resting against my chest. I felt myself start to swell and press against the fabric of my shorts.
Delicate (Sublime Series Book 1) Page 3