10. Tom

Chapter 10

Tom

I stood in front of Ally's dorm room door, feeling like an intruder in a place I had no right to be. My knuckles hovered above the wood, hesitating. I shouldn't be here. I should be miles away, far from her and the fucking shit she stirred within me.

But seeing her tonight…

I knocked, holding my breath as if it would steady the storm inside me.

The door creaked open, and there she stood, framed by the dim light of her room. Her blue eyes met mine, a mix of surprise and something else—something that mirrored my own conflicted feelings.

"Thomas," she murmured, her voice like a bell, clear and resonant. It struck a chord deep within me, vibrating with all the emotions I'd tried to bury.

Without thinking, without giving myself time to reconsider the consequences, I crossed the threshold. Her presence pulled me in like gravity. My hand reached for her cheek, thumb brushing lightly against her skin as if confirming she was real.

And then I kissed her.

The world outside her dorm room faded away. There was no award ceremony, no unresolved grief or complicated histories. Just the taste of her lips and the warmth of her breath mingling with mine.

Her hands clutched my jacket, pulling me closer as if anchoring herself. The kiss deepened, fueled by months of unspoken words and buried emotions. Every touch was a silent confession of everything we couldn't say aloud.

I knew this was reckless. Knew it would complicate everything further. But in that moment, with Ally's heart beating against mine, it felt like the only thing that made sense.

We broke apart slowly, our foreheads resting together as we caught our breath. Her eyes searched mine, questions unasked but hanging heavily between us.

"Thomas," she whispered again, softer this time, almost pleading.

I didn't have answers for her—only more questions of my own. But standing there with Ally in my arms felt like the closest thing to clarity I'd known in years.

I kicked the door shut behind me; the sound reverberating through the small room. My hands found Ally’s waist, pulling her close as I kissed her again, this time with a hunger that had been festering inside me for months. The kiss deepened, turning urgent, almost desperate.

My fingers threaded through her auburn hair, tangling in the silken strands. She sighed against my lips, her breath warm and inviting. I felt like a man who had been drowning and suddenly found air.

With each step, I guided her backward toward the bed. The kiss grew more fervent, our bodies pressed together as if we could fuse into one. Her hands roamed my back, fingers digging into my muscles as if she needed to hold onto something solid in this whirlwind of emotions.

Ally stumbled when we reached the edge of the bed, and for a heart-stopping moment, I thought she might fall. But I caught her just in time, steadying her with a firm grip around her waist.

She laughed, a light and carefree sound that made something inside me unclench. I couldn’t help but smile back at her, genuinely smiling for what felt like the first time in months.

Since her…

I pushed the thought away, focusing on Ally's laughter and the way it lit up her face. This moment was about us—no ghosts from the past would ruin it.

We stood there for a second longer, our breaths mingling as we looked at each other. The room felt charged with electricity, every touch and glance adding to the tension between us.

She cupped my cheek, her touch gentle but grounding. "I missed you," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Fuck, Ally," I said, my voice low and rough. "You don't know…"

Her eyes softened, and she opened her mouth to speak, but I shook my head.

"Don't," I said, more forcefully than I intended. "Don't send me away."

The vulnerability in my own words twisted something inside me. I hated it, the raw openness that she brought out in me. But I couldn’t stop it either. She had always been able to strip away my defenses with just a look.

I leaned down and kissed her gently, my lips brushing against hers with a tenderness that surprised even me. For a moment, it felt like everything could be right again.

But then she pulled away, tears glistening in her eyes. "We can't," she said, her voice trembling. "Because then what?"

"Then you're mine," I said, the words coming out fierce and desperate. "Ally, I've always wanted you. You know this."

"But—" she started, her voice breaking.

I didn’t let her finish. I kissed her again, harder this time, silencing her objections with the intensity of my need for her. My hands gripped her waist as if she might disappear if I let go.

She melted into the kiss for a moment before pushing me away, gently but firmly. Her eyes were conflicted, torn between longing and fear.

"Thomas," she whispered, shaking her head slightly, as if trying to clear the confusion.

I stepped back, giving her space even though it went against every instinct to pull her close and never let go.

"We can't ignore what's between us," I said quietly, searching her face for any sign that she felt the same turmoil I did.

She looked down, biting her lip as if weighing her next words carefully. The silence stretched between us like a chasm.

"Please," I said softly, almost pleading now. "Just… don't push me away."

Her eyes met mine again, and for a split second, I saw the flicker of something—hope?—before it was masked by uncertainty.

In that moment, standing there in the dim light of her room with our pasts hanging over us like shadows, everything felt precariously balanced on the edge of what could be or what might never be.

"Just for tonight," I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper. "Let's just forget about everything else." The word stuck in my throat like a splinter, painful but necessary. "Please."

Her eyes snapped to mine, wide and surprised. It wasn't often that I pleaded, that I let anyone see me vulnerable. But here I was, stripped bare before her, asking for something I didn't even know how to define.

And then she kissed me.

It wasn't a tentative kiss, not the hesitant brush of lips from earlier. This kiss was fire and need, a culmination of all the emotions we'd been suppressing for months. Her mouth moved against mine with an urgency that mirrored my own, each touch of our lips igniting sparks that traveled down my spine.

I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her closer until there was no space left between us. Her hands roamed up my back, fingers threading through my hair and tugging gently. The sensation sent shivers through me, heightening the intensity of our kiss.

We stumbled backward until her legs hit the edge of the bed. She fell onto the mattress, pulling me down with her. I braced myself on my forearms, hovering above her as our lips continued their fervent dance.

Her breath came in ragged gasps between kisses, each exhale fanning the flames of my desire. I could feel the rapid beat of her heart against my chest, echoing the wild rhythm of my own. The world outside this room ceased to exist; there was only Ally and me, tangled in this moment.

She arched beneath me, pressing her body closer as if she couldn't get enough contact. The heat between us grew almost unbearable, every touch and caress feeding the inferno that raged inside us both.

I broke the kiss briefly to look into her eyes, searching for any hesitation or doubt. But all I saw was a reflection of my own longing and need. There were no words left to say; everything we felt was conveyed in that searing kiss and the way we clung to each other as if we were afraid to let go.

Our lips met again with renewed passion, deeper and more desperate than before. This was more than just a kiss; it was an unspoken promise, a silent agreement to forget about the world outside and lose ourselves in each other for just one night.

As I hovered above Ally, my hands moved to the hem of her oversized shirt. I paused, letting my fingers graze the soft fabric before lifting it gently over her head. The air between us felt charged, every movement magnified by the intensity of the moment.

Her eyes locked onto mine, and for a second, everything else faded away. The room, the world outside—none of it mattered. All I could see was Ally and the way she looked at me with a masked desire.

I pulled her shirt off completely, revealing the smooth expanse of her skin. My breath caught in my throat as I took her in. I'd seen her like this before, but tonight felt different—more raw, more real. The dim light cast shadows on her body, highlighting every curve and dip.

"You're so goddamn beautiful," I murmured, unable to keep the awe out of my voice.

She swallowed hard, her eyes never leaving mine. Her hands reached out tentatively, fingers trembling as they found the buttons of my collared shirt. I was still in that stupid suit from the award ceremony—a reminder of everything that felt so far removed from this moment.

Ally's fingers worked at the buttons, but they shook slightly with nerves. The sight endeared her to me even more, made me want to hold her and never let go. Each button came undone slowly, methodically, until my shirt hung open.

Her hands slipped beneath the fabric, palms flat against my chest as she pushed the shirt off my shoulders. The cool air hit my skin, but all I felt was the warmth of her touch. Her eyes roamed over me with a longing that mirrored my own.

I leaned down and kissed her again, slower this time, savoring every second our lips were connected. My hands moved to her waist, fingertips tracing delicate patterns along her skin as I took in every inch of her.

Her breath hitched when I reached for the clasp of her bra. My movements were slow, deliberate—I wanted to remember this moment forever. The clasp came undone with a soft click, and I slipped the straps down her shoulders one by one.

The bra fell away, revealing more of Ally's beauty. My heart pounded in my chest as I took in the sight before me. Every part of her felt like a gift—a reminder of what it meant to be truly connected to someone.

"Ally," I whispered against her lips, unable to find words that matched what I felt inside.

Her fingers traced lines down my chest as if memorizing every inch of me. Her touch sent shivers through me, heightening every sensation until all I could think about was how much I wanted—needed—her.

The world outside ceased to exist as we lost ourselves in each other once more.

I kissed her skin, my lips trailing down the curve of her neck to her collarbone. Each kiss was a silent apology, a wordless promise that I could never fully articulate. My hands moved with a purpose, mapping every inch of her body as if I needed to memorize it all over again.

My mouth found her breast, and I suckled gently, feeling the soft rise and fall of her chest beneath me. Her fingers threaded through my hair, pulling me closer as if she couldn't get enough. I took my time, savoring the taste and texture of her skin.

With one hand, I reached down to tug at the waistband of her underwear. It slipped down easily, revealing more of her to my touch. My fingers brushed against the soft folds of her sex, already wet with anticipation. A shiver ran through her, and she let out a soft moan that only fueled my desire further.

She spread her legs wider, giving me better access. The trust in that simple act made my heart ache in a way I hadn't expected. My fingers explored her gently at first, then with increasing pressure as I found the rhythm that made her breath hitch and body arch against mine.

Every movement felt like an affirmation of everything we'd been denying ourselves for so long. And in that moment, nothing else mattered but the connection we shared.

My hands roamed over her body, fingers tracing every inch of her skin as if I needed to memorize it all over again.

"Ally," I murmured against her neck, my breath hot against her skin. "Has anyone else touched you like this since... since us?"

She shivered beneath me, her fingers threading through my hair as if she needed something to hold onto. "Why does it matter?"

I pulled back slightly, my eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that surprised even me. "It matters because I need to know," I said, my voice rough and insistent. "I need to know if anyone else has been with you."

Her eyes widened slightly, but she didn't look away. "No," she whispered, her voice trembling with want. With fucking need. "No one else."

A fierce possessiveness surged through me at her words. I kissed her again, harder this time, my lips demanding and urgent. "Good," I growled against her mouth. "Because you're mine, Ally. No one else gets to have you."

She moaned softly, her body arching against mine in response to the intensity of my touch. My hands moved with purpose now, fingers sliding between her legs and finding the wet heat there. She gasped, clutching at my shoulders as I teased her with slow, deliberate strokes.

"Say it," I demanded, my voice low and commanding. "Tell me you're mine."

"I'm yours," she breathed, her eyes fluttering closed as pleasure overtook her.

I quickened my pace, fingers moving in and out of her with a rhythm that had her writhing beneath me. "Say it again," I ordered, needing to hear the words from her lips.

"I'm yours," she repeated, louder this time, a desperate edge to her voice.

"That's right," I said fiercely, my free hand gripping her hip as if anchoring myself to the reality of this moment. "You're mine, Ally. Always. No matter what."

Her body trembled with each touch, each whispered word of possession that fell from my lips. And in that moment, nothing else mattered but the connection we shared—the fierce desire that bound us together in a way neither of us could deny.

I continued to touch her, every movement a reminder of what we had and what I refused to let go of.

She climaxed, her body shuddering beneath me as she cried out my name. The sound of it, raw and unfiltered, sent a jolt of pride through me. Her eyes squeezed shut, mouth open in a silent scream as waves of pleasure rolled over her. Her fingers dug into my shoulders, gripping me like I was the only thing keeping her tethered to this world.

I watched every nuance of her release—the way her chest heaved with each ragged breath, the way her legs trembled and tightened around me. Her vulnerability in that moment was a beautiful contradiction to the strength I knew she possessed. It was like seeing a side of her no one else ever had, a privilege I didn’t take lightly.

Slowly, I pulled my hand away from her, feeling the slickness of her arousal on my fingers. Without breaking eye contact, I brought my hand to my mouth and tasted her. The act was primal, possessive—an unspoken declaration that she was mine in every possible way.

The taste of her only fueled my desire further. I felt like I was on fire, every nerve ending alive with need. There was no turning back now; I was too far gone.

"Thomas," she whispered, her voice still trembling from the aftershocks of her orgasm. Her eyes were wide, filled with a mixture of awe and lingering desire.

I leaned down, capturing her lips in a searing kiss that conveyed everything words couldn’t. My need for her was insatiable, consuming every rational thought until all that remained was the urge to claim her completely.

Every touch, every kiss felt like an affirmation of our connection—a connection I knew I couldn't walk away from even if I tried. And as I lost myself in the feel and taste of her, one thing became crystal clear: she owned me just as much as I owned her.