Page 54 of Wild Promises

She moaned into my mouth, pressing her tits against my chest. I could feel the hard points through the thin, silky material of her dress. She wasn't wearing a bra. Was she wearing a thong, or had she gone completely bare? I was driving myself crazy imagining what she looked like under her dress. How easy it would be to slip my hand in that slit and touch miles of soft skin.

Was she already wet for me?

But she'd pulled back, dropping down to her heels. I wanted to snatch her back to me, continuing the kiss until I didn't know where I ended and she began.

"How was that?" Tori smoothed her hair, then rubbed lipstick off my face with an unaffected expression on her face.

What was I supposed to say? It was fine? Passable but could be better? Why didn't she feel what I did? Something had shifted between us, but she was carefree and I was strung tight. "That was good."

Tori smiled as if she'd won an award, then said, "We should probably get going."

"I'll need a minute." I gestured in the general direction of my throbbing dick, which was weeping at her nonchalance. I wanted her to drop to her knees and tug my zipper down. But that thought wasn't helping me calm down.

With a smirk, Tori said, "I'll be waiting for you in the living room." Then she was gone, leaving behind her scent and the feel of her body pressed against mine. I didn't think she'd be waiting naked for me in the living room. But the thought of that made it take longer for me to calm down.

When I was finally under control, I walked into the living room. This apartment was too small for the both of us. When I approached, she stood and slipped on her heels, throwing a coat over her shoulders.

I felt like I was moving through quick sand. I should have rushed to help her put her coat on, but my brain was mush.

She opened the door, and I said, "I got you flowers. They're in the truck. I meant to go outside, get them, and then knock on the door like a?—"

Tori's eyes softened. "Real date."

I nodded. "Yeah. Like that."

"Could you do that now? Can you pretend you didn't already see me in my dress and kiss me senseless?"

"Yeah, okay. I can do that." I needed the cold air on my skin. I didn't bother grabbing a coat. Just opened the door and jogged down the steps. I took a few seconds in the cab of my truck to talk to myself.This is fake. It's not real.No matter how real that kiss felt. Tori didn't want me like I wanted her.

She hadn't asked for a repeat of the other night and hadn't been excited about our scheduled practice session for kissing. Most importantly, she was unaffected by what we'd just shared. I felt off balance, and she just went about life as usual. Like nothing had changed for her, when everything was different for me.

I finally grabbed the bouquet of flowers, breathing in their scent before carrying them up the stairs and knocking on my door. It was a little weird to knock on my own door, but it felt right. Tori deserved to be treated like the queen she was.

When she opened the door, I was struck all over again by how stunning she was. Her blond hair was half up in some kind of bun and the rest curled around her shoulders, the bright color contrasting nicely with the deep green of her dress.

I handed her the bouquet. "You're beautiful."

She buried her nose in the blooms. "You already said that."

"And I'll probably say it a million more times tonight." Apparently, I had no filter anymore.

She lowered the flowers, revealing a smile. "Let me put these in water. Then we'll get going."

I stepped inside, closing the door behind me. My heart was thumping hard, and I didn't know what to do with my hands. I'd been out with many women, but it was usually meeting for drinks at a bar. I hadn't taken a girl out in forever, and I'd never done the thing where I met the girl's parents or brought her flowers.

It just meant that this thing with Tori was even more special. But then I remembered; this wasn't real. Even if it felt like it was.

Tori grabbed a vase from underneath the sink, filled it with water, then trimmed the stem of each flower carefully before arranging them. It was just enough time for me to panic.

My breath was coming in short pants, and my heart felt like it was racing out of control. Was this a panic attack?

When the flowers were arranged just so, Tori's gaze lifted to meet mine. "Are you okay?"

"I'm just nervous about my family. They can be a lot." Although tonight would just be my brothers. My parents were traveling again this holiday.

Tori came around the counter, looping her arm through my elbow. "Don't worry. We've got this."

I wasn't so sure I had anything. After that kiss, I was more confident than ever that Tori was the one for me, but I wasn't seeing that same realization in her. My greatest fear was that this relationship was one-sided, that Tori didn't see it as anything more than what it was, a fake arrangement. Once it had served its purpose, she'd be gone.

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