Was Ronnie right? Did Tori think he wasn’t serious about how much he wanted to get with her because of his stupid comments or the dancing? She was nerdy, mostly quiet, and a whole lot introverted. Thinking back over the past week since he had kissed her, she had seemed more relaxed around him, which he really liked. Most of the women he went after were much more aggressive than Tori. It was all an act with them. They were never just themselves. They were bubbly and giggly, or forceful and seductive, but not real.
As much as he wanted Tori’s body sprawled beneath his, begging for his touch, he kind of liked the way things were between them now. He was afraid to mess up that part. On Tuesday night, she had joined him and Zach for a sock war. Her laughter over throwing rolled up socks had left him feeling light-hearted, something he hadn’t experienced since before Caleb’s accident.
Wednesday night they went to the apartment and hung out with Caleb. Seth had finally been able to give her the foot rub he’d promised her while Caleb and Zach played the racing game they both liked so much. Her foot was smaller than his hand and only five minutes into it, he was glad for the carefully positioned pillow on his lap. She had let out a few sounds that his brain had connected with sexual satisfaction.
Maybe she wasn’t completely immune to him. Maybe what worked with most women just didn’t work on her. When he tried to come on all hot and heavy like at the club, she backed off, but when they were just having fun together and she was relaxed, sometimes she even touched him. Last night had been proof of that.
Zach had begged Tori to order a movie off cable that Cody Manson had talked about and she agreed. By the end of the movie, her head had been in Seth’s lap, her arms hugging his legs while he played with her curls. It relaxed him as much as it relaxed her because he had slept better last night than he had since spending the night with her.
Ronnie was a genius. Seth would step up his game and maybe she would actually make a play for him instead. If she gave him any indication that she wanted to be more than friends, then he would make the sex so good for her that she would come back for more…again and again.
He and Buck made it to the school just as Tori and Zach were pulling in. Sitting in a crappy car with a big, slobbery German Shepherd should have been the last place to conjure up sexually explicit thoughts of Tori, but he craved her like no other. She was like an obsession. He had tried to convince himself it would ease up once he got between her thighs, but his gut told him this time was different. She was different. Caleb was right. She was girlfriend material, and she had become his friend. Instead of that making the idea of sleeping with her less attractive, it only increased his desire.
His thoughts were quickly rerouted when he got a look at the worried expression on her face. Getting out of the car, he went around to the passenger side and let Buck out. He ordered Buck to sit and then waited for Tori and Zach to park and come over. When Zach got a look at Sergeant Buck, his whole face lit up.
“I hope you don’t mind, but when Sergeant Buck found out you were going to be reading today, he just jumped in my car. I guess he must think that anytime you read a book he should get to hear the story, too.”
Zach approached and let the big dog sniff his hand. After receiving a welcoming lick across his knuckles, he rubbed the dog’s head. Then looking up at Seth, the boy said, “Thanks, Seth.” Then he threw his puny little arms around Seth’s legs and hugged him.
Seth wasn’t real sure how to handle the kid sometimes. A little boy idolizing him was one thing, but this kid was making a special place for himself in Seth’s life. Somehow that made this thing he had for Tori even more important. He swallowed his sentimental thoughts and followed Zach and Tori inside the school.
The teacher allowed Zach to sit on a mat at the back of the classroom right next to a muzzled Sergeant Buck, which wasn’t too different from when he read to the dog at the gym. Seth and Tori sat at a table with the teacher and another woman. If he could will the boy to get through this test with no problems, he would do so, but instead he just sat and listened to him read. By the end of the first book, almost half the allotted time was already gone.
Glancing over at Tori, he could tell that she was just as worried as he was. Reaching over, he took her hand in his. She wrapped her tiny fingers around his and squeezed. Zach smiled at them. The next book was one of his favorites and went much better. Seth’s nerves were on edge through the last book as he tried not to pay attention to the clock and instead focused on the kid. When the timer stopped and Zach hadn’t finished, Seth felt Tori tense up.
Without thinking, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him. Zach looked up at them and said, “Can I still finish the story? There are only two pages left.”
The two teachers looked at each other and then Zach’s regular teacher nodded that he could go ahead and finish. Leaning as close to Tori as he could get without drawing the teachers attention, Seth whispered, “Don’t let the boy see your disappointment. You can show me later when he’s not around. For now, show him your proud look. He likes that look and so do I.”
She looked at him and her face was so close, he couldn’t stop himself from watching those lips that he could still taste a week later. Then she looked at Zach and her expression changed from one of defeat to one of pride and Seth gave her a squeeze. She had her game face on and so did he, thanks to Ronnie’s pep talk earlier.
When Zach finished reading, they both told him how proud of him they were and how well he had done. Then Zach asked if he could introduce Sergeant Buck to the other kids in his class. Zach’s teacher led them down to his regular classroom while Tori stayed behind to talk to the other teacher. The next half an hour was spent showing the kids how well trained the dog was and explaining what his job had been in the military.
After he’d finished up in Zach’s class, the teacher directed Seth down the hall to the other classroom and he dreaded stepping inside. He knew how disappointed Tori would be; he felt that way himself. They had worked with the boy every night for the past week preparing him for this test, and though they knew it would be close on whether he passed or not, they had both been hopeful. Stepping inside the classroom, he noticed that Tori wasn’t there.
“Your wife said she would meet you outside,” the other teacher said. His wife… It wasn’t quite as weird to hear it this time.
When he made it outside, Tori was leaning against the driver’s door of his car. After opening the passenger seat and letting Buck inside, removing the dog’s muzzle and then rolling the window all the way down, Seth walked around to where she stood. Unsure of what to say to her, he simply opened his arms and she suddenly squealed and flung herself into his embrace.
“He passed! He passed!” She laughed against Seth’s chest and shoulder.
“I don’t understand. The timer went off and he wasn’t done yet,” he said against the top of her head. She felt so good in his arms, so right, he could only shut his eyes and soak it in.
“But he wants to learn. He’s really working on it and he’s made new friends…finally. The teachers think that as long as he works steadily on his reading over the summer, he’ll be just fine. Oh, God, Seth, I can’t thank you enough for this,” she said against his neck as she hugged him tighter.
The feel of her soft curls against his cheek was incredible. He leaned back against his car to put himself more at her level. He didn’t want her to become uncomfortable and let go of him. She smelled like fresh air and sunshine. Her breath on his neck made his body react, though he tried to will it otherwise. He knew the minute she recognized the impact she was having on him and cursed his inability to contain himself where she was concerned. Lately, a nice breeze was enough to make him hard. He wanted her that bad.
Pulling back from him slightly, she said, “Seth?”
“I know…I know…we’re just friends. I can’t help it. I’m a guy,” he answered defensively.
“Is it like that for you all the time?” she asked quietly.
“You may not believe this, but it happens with you…a lot. I’m not sure why. I think it’s because I’m not used to being ‘just friends’ with a woman,” he started. “No, that’s not entirely true. I know I shouldn’t, that I’m not supposed to, but…obviously I want you.”
“I’m dating someone. His name is Tim Silver. He’s my boss,” she blurted out, backing away from him. “In fact, we have a date tomorrow. I’m sorry if you thought I was…”
She was dating her boss? Since when? He’d been working for her for three weeks and had yet to see her go out on a date. Was she lying to get him to back off? The more he tried, the more she pushed him away.
She looked at him for several moments. “I was actually going to talk to you and Caleb about possibly renting my basement. It is almost the same size as your apartment and with Zach being home during the summer months, I thought maybe you guys could help me with him and use my basement in return.” She looked down at the ground. “I guess that probably isn’t such a good idea after all.”
The disappointment on her face was killing him. She wanted his friendship as much as he wanted to spend a night in her arms. Once again she would win because he would rather have her friendship than nothing at all. He would be checking out what kind of first-class asshole boss slept with an employee, though.
“No. I may not be able to control my body, but I do have a good grasp on my mind. I know what is okay and what is not okay. Let me talk to Caleb and see what he thinks. It would help me out big time, at least until Caleb is able to get a job and contribute financially,” he replied.
She looked at him and then looked right at his crotch before looking back up at him again. “Does that hurt? Or is that just bull guys say to get laid?”
Good God! He really was firmly in the friend category if she was asking him things like that rather than offering to take care of it for him. How much longer until he got over this fascination with her? He needed to go back to banging available women who wanted him in return.
But this was Tori. And the curiosity on her face took him aback. The woman had a kid, but she seemed to seriously have no clue.
“It can be uncomfortable sometimes, in the wrong position or in tight clothes, but when he’s not restricted or when I’m being touched, it feels pretty good. I would guess it feels about like it does for you when you are really turned on…at least I would image,” he replied with a wicked grin.
Why the hell were they talking about his erection in the parking lot of a school? Her face was full of questions. As much as the conversation was forcing his mind and body down a path neither should be following, he wanted to know—had to know—what she was thinking. Grabbing her around the waist, he turned her quickly and backed her against the car. He leaned down close to her. Her bright eyes widened in shock, which made him want to kiss her even more. Shy and innocent? How was that possible? She had a kid.
“Do you want to touch it, Tori?” he asked with a grin. That should leave her speechless. This particular battle of the wits would be his first win…hands down. He continued to stare at her, waiting for her to look away, to back down, to admit defeat.
“You would let me touch you even without having sex?” she asked quietly.
He nearly swallowed his own tongue. Was she serious? Or was she just saying it to get a reaction out of him…to win? She didn’t look away and the longer he looked into her eyes, the closer he got to completely losing his cool. He was used to her comebacks, her wit and sarcasm, but honesty and innocence shone in her eyes. It had his breath coming in short gasps. If she was serious, she was going to have to work for it, give him something in return.
“Only if I can touch you, too,” he replied. “Somehow I don’t think your boyfriend would like that too much, even without having sex. Maybe you should ask to touch him.”
“I don’t feel comfortable asking him,” she replied.
Sometimes he was dumber than Ian proclaimed to be. Tori was interested in him. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. It was there in her eyes, in her dilated pupils, in the catch of her breath, in her slightly parted lips and the fact that though he had moved away from her, she had pushed her pelvis forward so she wouldn’t lose the feel of him against her. Oh, yes, she wanted him, but someone had hurt her and now she was gun shy. When he pushed her—by doing those things that typically resulted in him getting lucky—it was a reminder of that hurt and she shut down.
When he was just her friend, she relaxed and let him close, let him talk to her and, in this case, let him play with her. Sexual banter was obviously a new one for her. Part of him wanted to leave his mark. What other forms of foreplay had she been cheated out of before becoming a mother? Some idiot needed an ass whooping.
“If you are serious, Tori, then go home, undress, lie on your bed and wait for me. I am going to take Buck back to Ronnie and Kayla’s house. Then I will come to your house. When I get there, if you are waiting for me—naked—then I will take off my clothes, too, and you can touch me all you want. If you aren’t waiting for me, then don’t ask me something like that again until you are serious,” he said.
She stared at him until he backed up to allow her space. Then she made for her car as though the hounds of hell were chasing her. If she truly only wanted his friendship then asking to touch his dick was not okay. His whole body shook in an effort to control himself. Getting in the car, he was greeted with a whine from Sergeant Buck who was growing impatient with this adventure.
As he drove to Ronnie and Kayla’s house to drop off Buck, his mind was all over the place. Would Tori really let him touch her? Would she really touch him in return? At what point had he gone so far off his game that hitting second or third base was the extent of his sexual prowess with a woman?
It was Tori…the woman he had been craving for three weeks now. Could he stop at just touching and not pressure her for more? The biggest worry playing through his mind was the realization that if she wasn’t waiting for him, he would be hurt.
By the time he made it to Tori’s house, he wasn’t sure if he could go through with this. He hadn’t been so nervous about being with a woman since high school. As much as he wanted her, as much as he had been dreaming about this, the idea that this one time might make the difference between ‘just friends’ and something more was driving him crazy. He had experience with women, but Tori wasn’t like other women….
Taking a deep breath, he unlocked the door and stepped inside, listening closely. Upon hearing silence, his heart began to pound so hard he feared he would pass out before he made it up to her room. Have mercy, could she really be up there waiting for him? He had never been that lucky in his whole life, at least not when it was something he wanted this bad, when it was something that meant this much to him.
Oh, hell! He was falling for her…like actually falling in love with her. The thought stopped him mid step. They hadn’t even had sex yet, how was that possible?
No. That was highly unlikely. Wasn’t it? Nothing about Tori was normal for him. Yet somehow his fascination with her had him so worked up, he not only fantasized about how she would respond to him in bed, but what she would say, how she would look, and if she would allow him more than just a one-night stand. Swallowing his nerves, he headed up the stairs to her room and knocked on the door.
After waiting for a full minute, he was just about to knock again when she opened the door and said, “Okay, you win. I can’t do this. I am a chicken and you are right. I have small boobs, non-existent really, so I don’t want you to see them.”
Her cheeks were flushed and she would not meet his gaze. The expression on her face, combined with her wild curls and her hesitation, spoke to him in a way he hadn’t expected. He recognized her self-conscious look, as he had been right w
here she was before his height had caught up to his weight and puberty had hit. Tori wanted him. She’d been hinting at it all this time and he’d missed the signs because she was better at hiding her feelings than most people.
Part of this look of hers was his fault. He’d never wished to take back ill-spoken words so badly in his whole life. Unfortunately, shyness and insecurity had kept her from stripping down for him. Unable to completely give up on the idea of touching and tasting her smooth skin and tempting lips, he decided to back off. Maybe if he gave her some space she would relax. Her pink cheeks, short breaths and the heartbeat he could see hammering away in the curve of her neck told him she just as nervous as he was…probably more so.
“Well, you got me all the way over here. If you don’t want to play ‘show me yours and I’ll show you mine’ then what do you want to do?” he asked.
Her entire body visibly relaxed and for the first time since she’d opened the door, she looked at him. He grinned at her and she finally grinned back. “You’re not mad?”
“No, this was your idea. I have touched my dick before. I was just offering to let you, since you asked so nicely and all,” he said, unable to contain his laugh when her entire face went from pink to red.
“Geez, Seth, vulgar much?” She laughed. “Can you teach me to dance instead?”
“Well, see, that’s the thing. Being a male, I’ve got certain parts that you don’t.”
She giggled, which turned into a full blown laugh, which only made him laugh.
“Not that kind of dancing…” she choked out amidst her laughter.
“What? You don’t want to learn how to give your boyfriend a lap dance?” he asked, still laughing.
Walking over, he turned on the radio of her alarm clock and changed the setting to a different radio station. Then he walked back to her. Grabbing her hand, he led her to the bed. Sitting down on the edge of it, he pulled her onto his lap. Face to face, she was incredible. Her breathing was labored and he knew it wouldn’t take much to set him on fire all over again, but it would be worth it to have her so close.
Harlequin E Contemporary Romance Box Set Volume 2: Maid to CraveAll I HaveThe Last First DateLight My Fire Page 11