When he stands, he threads his fingers with mine and leads me out to his truck. I don’t even fight with him when he lifts me up inside and buckles my seatbelt. I’m getting used to him doing these kinds of things. In fact, I kind of love how much he takes care of me.
He circles around to the driver’s side and climbs in. “Will you tell me where we are going now?”
Torin chuckles. “You don’t like surprises at all, do you?”
I pout. “No. I hate not knowing what’s going to happen next. It-” I don’t want to admit that it makes me anxious. I don’t have a lot of things that give me anxiety, but not knowing what’s coming is one of them.”
“It what, beautiful?”
“It gives me anxiety. I don’t know why… it’s just one of those weird quirks, I guess.”
He reaches over and puts his hand on my leg. “Do you trust me?”
I don’t even hesitate to tell him I do. For me, that’s a no brainer. I’ve trusted him since he fixed up my scraped knee all those years ago.
“Then trust that I won’t ever do anything that will make you unhappy or give you a reason to be anxious about when it comes to surprises, because baby, I’m going to want to spoil and surprise you often.”
Spoil and surprise me often… the words run through my mind. He’s thinking about a future with me. That right there is enough to turn my anxiousness into excitement. If he’s thinking about making this thing between us more than me temporarily staying with him while the apartments are being repaired, then maybe we are on the same page.
I want to ask him, but I’m not feeling that brave—yet.
“Okay… I trust you, Torin.”
He smiles, and my heart melts a little. I love making him happy. I would push back all of my anxiety to see that happiness any day. The drive to the city is about an hour long. We spend that hour talking about college. He tells me about football and how he sometimes misses it but is glad he passed up a professional career to come home. The look he gives me makes it almost sound like he gave it up to come back for me.
Crazy.
There’s no way in the world he passed up some big-time career to come back to Sugarhill just for me. I can’t erase the look he gave me, though. Another look of his to file away for later… in case this is just temporary. Though, it’s looking more and more like we are a forever kind of thing.
God, I hope we are a forever thing. I send up a little prayer for some divine intervention.
“How did you end up with a bookstore instead of working at the library?” he asks.
“My grandmother. When she passed away, she left me a hefty inheritance and a letter that said to use the money to chase my dreams. I thought long and hard about what I have always wanted, and it was a pretty easy decision.
“Growing up, I always hated that we had to go to the city just to go to a bookstore. The library is great, but owning your own books isn’t the same as borrowing them. So, I opened Sweet Reads. Turns out, it was a good decision because it seems that a lot of folks feel the same way I do about owning instead of borrowing.” I shrug. “It’s a bookworm thing.”
Torin laughs. “I’m so happy you’re able to make your dreams come true. Not everyone gets to do that.”
“I know I’m incredibly blessed.”
We talk all the way until we pull up to one of the nicest restaurants in the city, an Italian place I’ve always wanted to try but never got around to it… because it’s a date type place. I look at him in surprise. “How did you know?”
“I know everything, remember?”
“No, really…”
“Ana told me. I may have asked someone about what kind of date you might enjoy. I want tonight to be perfect.” He pulls me across the console for a quick kiss that turns into devouring. We’re both on edge and starved for more of each other. This time I break us apart.
“Later.” I hardly recognize my own voice. I sound breathless and needy.
“Yeah… later,” Torin agrees, his eyes skating over my heaving chest and hardened nipples. He shakes his head, gets out of the truck, and walks around to my side. Once again, he lifts me out of the truck… I’m starting to think maybe it’s not only his need to take care of me but also his need to always be touching me. With his hand on my lower back, he leads me into the restaurant.
A beautiful hostess leads us to our table. I feel a little spark of jealousy when she keeps checking Torin out, but he seems utterly oblivious because he never takes his eyes off of me. As if the entire restaurant is full of drop-dead gorgeous women, another beauty walks up, introducing herself as our waitress. When I see the wedding ring on her finger, my jealousy abates… Especially when I see Torin’s eyes on me and not her. That does a whole lot for my self-esteem. Not that I have a low self-esteem or anything, but I’m definitely not model thin with their level of beauty. I’m pretty enough, but they are next-level gorgeous.
We order our drinks, and she leaves us to look over the menu. “Do you know what you want?” Torin asks.
I shake my head, looking over the menu. “Everything looks so good… what are you getting?”
“Chicken parmesan. It’s always one of my favorites.”
“Hmm… I think I’m going to go with the chicken alfredo with sautéed mushrooms or the lasagna with cream sauce… both sound amazing.”
The waitress comes and takes our orders, and then we are alone again. For some reason, I feel so shy I’m only giving him stilted responses to his questions. I wonder if these are the first date jitters I’ve heard about. It seems silly to be shy around Torin since we’ve been intimate, but for some reason labeling the whole night as a “date,” I’m feeling less like me and more like a woman hoping a man likes her. Which is dumb because we’ve basically been living together for two and a half weeks now.
“Lani, sweetheart,” he takes my hand in his, “you can relax. It’s just you and me, just like when we are at home.”
Home. Another one of those words that keep getting thrown around that say “forever” not temporary.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me. It’s silly, I know. For some reason, this being an official date makes me way more nervous than I ever imagined. Almost like there’s a certain amount of pressure to impress you.”
Torin laughs. “Love, I’m already impressed with you. More than impressed. Infatuated. Enthralled… in-”
The waitress picks the absolute worst time to bring the check. I swear he was about to say, “in love.” My heart is pounding, hoping that he will finish his sentence, but instead, he finishes paying for our delicious meal and walks me back to his truck.
To say I’m disappointed would be a serious understatement. The little voice in my head tries to convince me to say it first, but it’s too soon—right? I mean, what if I say it and freak him out and send him running. Well, send me running back to the bookstore to sleep until my apartment is finished.
Yeah, I think I’m just going to enjoy these moments with Torin to the fullest for a while longer.
I’m confused as can be when instead of turning back towards home, he turns the opposite way. “Where are we going now?”
“You’ll see,” he says with a wink.
“Another surprise.” I sigh dramatically and throw my head against the headrest but turn to smirk at a worried Torin. “Kidding… I might, maybe have liked the first three surprises. I trust the next one will be great too.”
The wide smile I get in return is enough to have me self-combusting. I gasp when we pull up in front of the best hotel in not only the city but the whole state. It’s beyond glamorous and is another thing on my ‘want to do’ list. “Let me guess, Ana?”
He shakes his head. “Nope Prue.”
“You talked to Prue too?” I can’t hide my shock. “What about Margo?”
He just shrugs. I have no idea what Margo would have said… I hope it’s nothing embarrassing. Though, if one of my friends was going to embarrass me, it would be Prue. That’s definitely more h
er style.
The hotel is even better than I thought. The lobby has white marble, there is a modern chandelier that must’ve cost thousands. There is a recessed seating area with plush black couches and chairs with big white pillows. A glass and silver coffee table sits between them with an artful arrangement of flowers.
Even the check-in desk is beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it.
“Ready?” Torin asks, amused at my gawking. Thank goodness he doesn’t seem embarrassed. I definitely look like a tourist, and in a way, I am because this isn’t anywhere I would’ve ever gone on my own.
“Yes. I can’t wait to see the room.”
He chuckles. “After you, love.”
Love.
I get goosebumps every time he calls me that.
The elevator is just as luxurious as the lobby. Torin pulls me into his arms and asks if I like my surprise. I tell him I more than like it, then press my body against his and reach up for a kiss. He obliges and deepens the kiss, taking control. My breath rushes out on a moan when my back hits the wall. Something about being pinned like this flips a switch inside me, and I find myself running my hands over his muscled chest, up his shoulders, then back between us. Before I can think it through, I’m unbuttoning his shirt and kissing him frantically. I want him so much it aches.
The elevator dings, and the doors slide open. A throat clears, causing us to jump apart. I bury my face in Torin’s chest, and he has to practically carry me out of the elevator. We quickly make our way to the room. Once the embarrassment has subsided, we laugh at being busted. We’re still laughing when Torin presses me against the door after we are safely inside our room.
“Now, where were we?” he asks.
“Here,” I say breathlessly, rubbing against him and unbuttoning the rest of his shirt so I can trace the hard lines of his chest.
His lips on mine are maybe my favorite thing in the world. He kisses me like I’m a treasure, then he kisses me with such a possessive force that I feel like he won’t survive without his lips on mine.
Both are equally toe-curling.
Both make my heart explode with love.
Both have the power to bring tears to my eyes.
I put everything I am into kissing him back. I want him to know that I treasure him and that I won’t survive without his lips on mine either. Torin reaches down between us and pulls my dress up and off. There is one slight moment of insecurity when he takes in my mostly naked body. I’m wearing the sexiest bra and panty set I brought—a pale blue lace with white flowers.
The way his eyes dilate, and he groans at the sight of me, erases every bit of insecurity. Torin doesn’t see me the way I do.
“Lani, you are so fucking beautiful. I want to kiss every inch of you.”
“Okay,” I say breathlessly.
Torin chuckles lowly. I squeal when he lifts me in his arms and walks me toward the large bed. He starts undressing, and I move to take my bra off. He growls, telling me he wants to unwrap his own gift. I blush darkly at that but relax back onto the mattress to wait for him to finish stripping me.
12
Torin
Fuck, Lani is beautiful. I could spend hours worshipping this body of hers. In fact, I think I might just do that. I slowly crawl up her body, dropping random kisses to her soft skin as I go, teasing us both with the promise of more.
When my lips finally land on hers, she does her best to control our kiss, but I back away making her whimper. I give her a stern look, then return to kissing her, soft and slow. Lani melts into the mattress, becoming completely pliant beneath me. I move my mouth down, nipping lightly at her neck before kissing lower to her breasts.
I lightly suck the soft mound of one breast, leaving a faint pink mark. She gasps, threading her fingers through my hair, holding me to her. I take that as permission to leave my mark on her. The possessive beast inside me snarls at the thought of her wearing my mark. I suck her pale flesh into my mouth, making a popping sound when I release it. She looks down and gasps at seeing the dark purple mark.
Her eyes find mine, and hers are on fire for me. Then she does something I never would have thought possible. She lightly caresses the mound of her other breast, silently asking for another mark. My cock throbs and aches to be inside her, but I’m not nearly done with her yet.
I unhook her bra, letting it fall away, revealing her pretty pink nipples like a gift. I can’t resist sucking one of those peaks between my lips and lashing it with my tongue. Lani moans and tightens her grip on my hair. I give the other nipple the same attention, switching back and forth between the two until she’s practically writhing beneath me.
Slowly—oh so slowly—I drag my mouth down her body. Kissing lower and lower until I’m kneeling between her spread thighs. Her wet little pussy covered in nothing but sheer lace is enough to drive me to the edge of madness. The growing wet spot pulls a low growl from my chest. Fuck, she’s soaked. I forget about the slow tease and rip her panties from her body, revealing her pink folds that are just begging for attention—my mouth waters at the sight.
I blow a long stream of air across her. She arches up, pushing her pussy towards my mouth, silently begging for more.
“Please, Torin,” she begs, her eyes wide and pleading.
I lick my lips, giving her a wolfish look. “What do you want, love?” I ask, blowing another slow line of air along her slit.
“Lick me,” she moans.
“Not good enough… tell me.”
Lani whimpers, her blush of arousal making way for a blush of embarrassment. “Lick my—my pussy.”
I do exactly what she asks for; I lick her from bottom to top, circling her clit teasingly. Her eyes practically roll back in her head at the sensation. She attempts to grind against my mouth, but I raise up, denying her.
“Torin,” she chokes out my name.
“You know what I want, love. Give it to me.”
“Please, please eat my pussy. Lick me, suck me, fuck me… God, I don’t care just make me come. I’ll beg if that’s what you want.”
That’s exactly what I want. I want her so damn needy she can’t help but beg and scream for it. “Good girl,” I say before devouring her pussy.
I suck her clit between my lips, bringing her quickly to the edge before backing away to circle her opening. I lightly lick into her, waiting until she’s calmed enough that she’s not so on edge, then return to her clit. Once again, I back away before she can come.
“Oh, fuck! Torin! You’re going to kill me.”
“Death by orgasm doesn’t sound like a terrible way to go,” I tease.
“Except you haven’t given me one of those. I’m going to die from need, not completion.”
I laugh darkly. “Do you want me to stop?”
She wriggles her hips impatiently before shaking her head no. She loves the tease even if it drives her crazy. I slowly circle her clit, not touching the needy bundle of nerves, but she’s so on edge, I think she could come just from this. She gasps and rocks her hips. I grip her roughly, keeping her still.
I slip two fingers inside her tight sheathe then suck her clit into my mouth, lashing it with my tongue. Within seconds she’s exploding on my tongue, her pussy clenching around my fingers. I lick up every drop of her release, savoring in the sweet flavor.
Raising up, I look down at the woman I love. Her whole body is flush from release, a wide smile on her lips, her eyes hooded and still filled with desire… she’s absolutely perfect. I kiss her smiling mouth, dragging my tongue against hers, sharing her flavor with her. She moans into my mouth as I notch my cock at her entrance.
I slowly press inside her, stretching her. She’s always so damn tight. Her walls clenching around me like a fist are sweet, sweet torture. I hook one of her legs around my arm, opening her further to my thrusts. She cries out when I hit her in just the right spot, then roll my hips so I put pressure on her clit at the same time.
“Oh fuck, Torin… I’m gonna—” she trails off
on a scream, her orgasm crashing through her like a hurricane.
It takes a herculean effort not to follow her over that edge, but I’m not done with her yet. I want at least one more from her before I chase my own release. I keep my thrusts steady. Pulling all the way out until just my tip is resting inside her, then slowly pushing myself back inside to the hilt. Over and over, I torment us both.
I lick my thumb and start rubbing her clit. Lani screams and begs. Claiming she can’t take anymore.
“You can. I want one more, love. Come on this cock.”
“Torin!” she screams my name as she finds her release again. I thrust into her hard and fast until I’m filling her with my hot release. I flood her pussy until it seeps out around me, dripping down her thighs and ass, making an absolute mess of her.
Lani goes completely lax after her orgasm abates. Her eyes close, and for a moment, I think she might be asleep, but then she stretches and gives me a brilliant smile that I return. I’ve smiled more in the weeks she’s been with me than I have in the last fifteen years. She is my happiness.
“Come on, beautiful, let’s get you cleaned up.”
She groans as I pick her up and carry her to the bathroom. “Do we have to?”
I kiss the tip of her nose. “Don’t worry, I’ll do the heavy lifting.”
“Hey!” She lightly slaps my shoulder.
“Kidding,” I say with a wink. “I meant I’m going to wash you. Every inch.”
She shudders in my arms. Despite being completely wrung out, her eyes turn hooded again. Lani is just as insatiable as I am.
I turn on the shower and wait for the water to warm before setting Lani on her feet and doing exactly as I promised. I clean every inch of her from the top of her head to her toes. I quickly wash myself, then dry us both off before carrying her back to the bed. I lay her down and crawl in after her. She turns to me and curls her small body around my much bigger one.
It doesn’t take long until her breathing evens out. Just when I think she’s asleep, she murmurs the three words I’ve been dying to say to her for years, “I love you.” I kiss the top of her head and whisper the words back, wondering if she will remember in the morning.
Chasing His Forever (Sweet Somethings Book 1) Page 6