Chapter 5

5

TEAGAN

T he lake is crystal blue, the enormous historic house overlooking it like a guardian.

We've just come around the bend, and the sight of it takes my breath away. It's not what I ever would have pictured Tobias living in, but now that I see it, I can't get over how beautiful the entire estate is.

"It's stunning, Tobias."

"Yeah, well, we'll see if it's as beautiful once we're inside."

He parks and turns the engine off, and I have to sit for a second and gather my thoughts before I can climb out of the car. My head is swimming, and the fact that the house is just so stunning is only making the anxiety worse. This is the world Tobias is from. How the heck am I supposed to keep up with a man like him?

"I've had the entire inside gutted and redone," he tells me, grabbing my backpack out of the backseat before I can. "Had a designer come and fix the place up. I don't have much of an eye for those things, so if it looks horrible, don't bother telling me."

Laughing, I follow him inside, watching the way his muscles bunch under his suit jacket as he straightens from reaching into the back seat. God, he makes me so hot that I barely know how to act. I don't even feel like myself anymore. Tobias makes me feel like a completely different person.

Inside, the place is absolutely gorgeous. The floors are all original wood but have been buffed and polished until they shine. The walls are white, and the furniture is modern, with clean lines and sharp edges. But what surprises me the most is the art. I don't know a lot about the subject, but the few pieces I can see hanging in the foyer alone look like they're museum-worthy.

It doesn't look like somewhere Tobias himself would have decorated. I look over at him while he's momentarily distracted taking his jacket off, wondering how he would decorate a space all of his own. What does he like? What are his tastes? It's so bizarre to me that he has so much money but at the same time barely seems to care what his space looks like or what is in it. There's so much I hunger to know about him, but I feel like he's hiding a lot of himself from himself too. Maybe I can help bring the real Tobias to the surface, slowly but surely.

"It's wonderful," I tell him honestly. "Your designer has a great eye."

"For how much I paid him, I would hope so." Tobias chuckles. "Can I show you around, Teagan?"

The more I see, the more impressed I become. The rooms are all huge, with high ceilings, and the views are to die for. He even has a boat dock out on the lake, and a hot tub overlooking it.

"I'm glad you like it, doll. I'll make sure to keep the pool boy on the clock since I'm assuming you're going to want to use that."

I roll my eyes. "Whatever."

We walk back inside, and I follow him into the kitchen. It's massive, with the same style as the rest of the house, but this room has a table large enough to seat eight people and is tucked into the corner.

"Are you hungry, Teagan?" Tobias asks.

"Yeah, actually." I realize that the breakfast we had was hours ago, and I haven't eaten since then.

"Great, I'll have the chef come and prepare whatever you'd like. I don't have much of a kitchen here, but the staff comes every day to make sure everything is fresh."

My mind is so boggled that I can't even answer. I sink into one of the dining room chairs, pivoting to look out the huge window at the lake, my thoughts racing.

Is this crazy? Well, that's a silly question. Of course, staying with Tobias is crazy. Remembering just an hour ago when I unlocked the door to the small apartment I share with Naomi, seeing her incredulous expression as she asked about why I left with the man that knocked our boss out, and then telling her that I'm actually staying with that man for a little while makes me giggle.

"What's so funny?" he asks, moving around his kitchen but looking unfamiliar with everything even though it's his home.

"Nothing. Just coming down from the adrenaline rush of everything that has just happened, I guess."

Tobias pauses to look me over. "Are you feeling alright, doll?"

"Yeah, it's just been a crazy day. I don't think I could have anticipated any of this even if I tried."

He finally pulls two bottles of Perrier and fills two glasses with ice, bringing them over and sitting down next to me. "It's been a crazy few days for me, too. But that's nothing new."

I raise an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Why's that?"

Raising an eyebrow, he smirks. "Let's just say that I'm not the type of man to have a girl come home with him."

Something warm blooms in my chest at his words. "Oh? So I should feel special, then?"

Tobias pours the sparkling water, sliding my glass over to me and watching me take a sip with a hungry look in his eyes. It makes me shiver. "You are more special than you know, Teagan."

The space between us hasn't changed, but all of a sudden, it feels so much smaller. I can feel the heat of his body, and my skin prickles, anticipating the way I just know he's about to touch me. Licking my lips, I try to find the right words but come up short. Just seconds ago we were teasing each other, but now the air is charged, and things feel much more serious.

When Tobias reaches for me, it feels like a dream. My whole body feels new, and the way he slides his rough fingers down my jaw and under my chin is overwhelming. He tilts my head back, leaning down to press his lips to mine. It feels like a spark ignites, and suddenly, I can breathe again.

His mouth is warm and soft, and as soon as his tongue slips past my lips, I groan, melting against him. This is unlike anything else. I have the wild thought that I won't be able to handle a man like Tobias, but those ideas are dashed away by each press of his lips and sweep of his tongue. The kiss is passionate, but he's holding back like he wants to savor the moment.

It's driving me crazy.

"Please, Tobias." I sigh.

Tobias rumbles, "Do you want more, baby girl?"

"Yes," I breathe, leaning into him and trying to get closer.

He chuckles, and his hand trails lower, cupping the side of my throat as his thumb drags across my pulse point.

"I don't know. Maybe I should stop and wait until you ask for what you really want."

I flush, embarrassment and arousal mingling and making me wetter. The way he's touching me and speaking to me is a turn-on, and I can't deny the desire that's rising inside of me.

The pressure of his thumbs gets harder, pressing into the skin of my neck. "Or maybe I should stop and wait until you beg for it."

"I don't know what I want, Tobias," I whine, letting my head fall back as he ghosts his lips over my jaw. "I don't know what to say."

He hums, his hand tightening slightly, and the feeling of it goes straight to my core. It shocks me and makes me shake. Is this really the same man who has been coming into the diner that was such a mystery? He certainly doesn't seem like a mystery now, with his mouth on my skin. We can't go further than a kiss. We just can't. The day has been too wild already. But god, he tastes so good.

"Well, that's fine," he says, pulling away, and I immediately feel the loss of him.

"Wait!" I can't help the sound of disappointment that comes out of me, and the smile he gives me is full of self-satisfaction. He disengages from me as if that wasn't the most heated, most incredible thing I've ever experienced. Like…like he didn't just set me on fire just to leave me hanging.

"Come here, doll. Let's go watch a movie and relax. I'll call the chef and get some food started."

He pulls me to my feet, and I'm so confused. How is he able to switch gears so quickly? My legs are shaking, and I have to fight not to wrap my arms around myself and cover up even though I'm fully dressed. My nipples are rock hard, and I'm so wet that I feel exposed.

"I thought—" I start, but he just shakes his head.

"Don't you worry about what you thought, doll. Your brain working overtime isn't going to make things easy, especially with this thing between you and me." He sits down on the couch and pats his lap. "Just come here."

Sitting on his lap feels downright sinful, and I guess, in a lot of ways, it is. His thighs are hard, but he lets me swing my legs over on the enormous leather couch, his hands on my hips holding me in place. It's a test of every bit of patience I have, sitting here on top of him. He finds some blockbuster superhero movie, but I don't think either of us is really paying attention to it.

The chef comes and goes, leaving a tray of food for us and not even batting an eye when he sees me sitting on Tobias' lap. I wonder how much he pays them for such discretion. He feeds me with his fingers—fresh fruit with sugar and salt dusting the pieces, roasted chicken spiced to perfection, and spears of asparagus. There's silverware, but he doesn't even consider picking it up, his gaze getting even more heated with each bite I take from him.

Despite the fact that all of this is a slow seduction, the food itself is amazing too. So much fresher and cleaner than the heavy, greasy meals I sneak between shifts at the diner.

"This is the best meal I've had in months," I moan, leaning back against his chest once the plate is empty.

Tobias laughs, his arm sliding around my back and resting low on my hip. It's a protective and possessive gesture, and it makes my heart race.

"Glad you like it. If I'm being honest with you, I don't pay much attention to what I eat, just that there is food here to keep me alive. It's nice seeing it through someone else's point of view."

"You won't get any argument out of me there." I laugh. "If everything is that good, I'll gladly eat three square meals a day."

"Good. I'm going to take care of you in ways you didn't even know you needed, Teagan." He brushes a piece of hair off my neck and speaks directly into the shell of my ear. "And we're going to start with a hot bath and some rest for you."

Shivering, I let my weight rest back on him. "A bath? God I've had to use nothing but a tiny shower stall for months."

"Take as long as you need. Soak for hours for all I care."

Swallowing hard, I get the nerve to ask the question that I'm really thinking. "Are you, um, going to be with me? You know…" I'm babbling at this point, and I can feel how hot and red my face is, but I don't care. "Like, in the bath…together…because if so, I should probably tell you that?—"

Tobias's finger lands on my lips, and my eyes go wide as I look up at him. I can't believe I almost just confessed that I'm a virgin, which would basically be a clear-cut invitation into my bed or bath. Or maybe a man like Tobias won't want anything to do with an inexperienced little girl like me. I'm sure he can get anyone he wants in the world, and who has time to deal with a virgin anyway?

Tobias is still staring at me. Oops. I'm getting myself all twisted up in knots again. "Not tonight, doll, as much as I want to. You've got me, well…" He licks his lips, and it makes me bite my own. I want him to kiss me again so badly. "You've got me worked up to a point that I don't trust myself to be as gentle with you as I would like. You're so little, and I would never want to hurt you."

I wrinkle my nose. "I'm not made of glass."

"No, of course not." He cups my jaw in his hand. "But I am not made of steel, either, and I know my limits. You need me to take care of you, Teagan, and I'm going to, but it's been a long day for you and I want no distractions between us. Understand?"

Unfortunately, I do. For a second, I consider playing dumb, maybe wiggling against him a little to make his control erode more, but I guess that isn't fair. I wouldn't want him to push me, so I shouldn't push him, even if it is so tempting.

"Fine." I sigh. "Show me to my room then."

"You're such a good girl, Teagan." Tobias rewards me with a brush of his lips against mine, making me whimper. "Such a good little girl, listening to me. I promise you that the reward will be worth it…in time."

Lowering myself beneath the thick, luxurious bubbles until only my nose and up are visible, I can't help but blow a stream of frustration through the foam. Tobias is right, of course. This is wonderful, and exactly what I need to forget my horrible day at work, firing, and then the exciting but intimidating hours of moving in with someone who is basically a stranger for a week or so.

I know the stuff I'm doing would be crazy by anyone's standards, but the scrumptious meal eaten on the lap of a hunk like Tobias, followed by a bath in a suite I'm sure would rival any presidential suite, is confirming that I made the right decision. At least for the moment.

I almost asked him to stay with me again when he showed me to my room. It's a beautiful bedroom and lounge area, with a four-poster bed and an en suite bathroom, complete with a whirlpool bathtub big enough for two.

Tobias's designer has decorated this suite in shades of teal and cream, vibrant but relaxing, and the essential oil-infused bubble bath that had been left on the side of the tub for me was just the cherry on top. It's hard for me to believe that anyone can live in luxury like this all the time, but I'm more than happy to take advantage of it while I still have the chance.

And then there's Tobias. He's so addicting, and when I'm with him, I feel so safe and cared for, and it's unlike anything I've ever experienced. I want his hands all over me and to pursue these feelings of lust that I've never had before, but at the same time, I want to give him complete control of my life because I know he'll make sure everything is perfect.

The embers that had been lit when he came to visit me at the diner every day have officially become a wildfire, and there's no way for me to extinguish them now. I don't think there will be any relief until I've had him inside of me—even the thought makes my core ache from emptiness. The desire is completely foreign to me. I'm afraid he'll be frustrated when he finds out that I'm a virgin or that, even worse, he might laugh.

Gosh, he's so much different than Ricky. It's almost funny. I hardly think of Ricky anymore, and I certainly don't think about him when I'm with Tobias. Tobias, Ricky's dad. Ugh, I can't dwell on that little hangup or I'm going to overthink it. I'm learning that when it comes to me and Tobias, it's better to just go with the flow. Fate is leading me by the hand, and I just need to close my eyes and follow along.

Sighing, I let the hot bath water help my sore muscles unwind, getting more sleepy by the minute. Tonight will be a rest night, even if I was down and ready for it to be more. Tobias is getting ready for bed somewhere else in the house, so I guess I should be doing the same.