Page 16 of Rescuing Tobias

Isabella was close, too, he could feel it, feel her fluttering around him, and when he took her bud between his thumb and forefinger and tweaked it, she came apart for him, shattering in the most beautiful way.

As soon as her internal muscles clamped down on him, he let go, let his own pleasure explode inside him, made all the more intense by the beautiful woman riding him through her release.

It was when she sank down against him, tucking her head beneath his chin, that the sense of loss hit. She could be perfect for him, could have been everything he was looking for in a partner, but his injury and her trauma made that impossible.

Only tonight had seemed hard when they’d first discussed it, but now only tonight felt impossible.

March 15th

10:14 A.M.

Something light strokeddown her cheek, nudging her out of her cozy little bubble of sleep.

Not willing to return to the real world yet, Isabella flicked a hand at whatever was touching her and was rewarded by an amused chuckle.

“For some reason, I thought you would be a morning girl.”

The voice made her laugh despite her desire to sleep longer, because it was right. Usually, she was a morning girl, only right now, nothing in her life was normal. She wasn't even normal anymore. And just like that she was awake.

With a yawn, she became more aware of where she was and what was around her. Namely, the large body spooned at her back, and the heavy arm draped across her middle. Its weight was comforting and reassuring, and likely why she’d slept so well.

“What time is it?” she asked, rolling over slightly so she could look at Tobias, but not yet willing to move out of his embrace.

One night. That was all this was supposed to be. A way for her to take back control, own her life and her body, find freedom and pleasure, before she began to tackle the arduous task of figuring out how she was going to process her ordeal and then move on from it. The last thing she needed was anything else added to her plate. And a relationship, especially a brand-new one, would be way too much to handle.

Besides, Tobias didn't even want more. He’d told her that he couldn’t offer her anything, and she’d told him that was fine, she wasn't looking for anything anyway. At the time, she’d meant it, still meant it, only … it was going to be harder to give Tobias Ashford up than she’d realized.

“It’s after ten. That’s why I was waking you. You have a little less than forty-five minutes to get ready before your friend shows up.”

“After ten?” she squeaked, noticing for the first time the light that peeked around the edges of the closed curtains. “I never sleep this late. You're right, I'm definitely usually a morning person. I have to get up. Take a shower, get dressed, do something with my hair. I don’t have any makeup so I guess that’s at least one less thing to do. Then I suppose I should probably eat something, and if I have time?—”

“Whoa there, firecracker.” Tobias’ arm tightened around her waist when she tried to wriggle out from under it to start getting ready. “Take it easy. I’ll make something for you to eat while you shower. Your hair is stunning the way it is, hanging in a million curls around your face. And you needed the rest. When was the last time you got actual, real, undisturbed sleep?”

The question caught her off-guard. Not because the answer wasn't easy to give, or because she didn't know she hadn't been sleeping well for months, but because it forced her to confront things she wasn't ready to face yet.

If it wasn't for the soothing weight of Tobias’ arm resting against her stomach, she very well might have run from the emotions threatening to grab hold of her and pull her under. But she wasn't alone, Tobias might not be able to physically help her face her demons, those demons lived inside her and only she could face them in battle, but he was there, he wasn't running, he was holding her, grounding her, and she appreciated that more than she should considering once she walked out of there today she’d likely never see him again.

“Not since before Connor showed up in Cambodia,” she admitted. “That last night, I was too worried about my best friend and how she was going to cope with the man who hurt her so deeply, popping back up to get any sleep. Damn, I don’t even know how that worked out.” Shoving away her feelings before they could clog up her mind, she glanced at Tobias. “Can I assume that he got back in her good graces and they’re back together?”

Isabella hadn't spoken with Becca directly. Tobias or someone else had organized for her best friend to come and pick her up, so she had no idea what happened to Becca after the village was attacked. At least she knew both her best friend and Connor were alive. That was something.

“I don’t know much about that,” Tobias replied.

Rolling her eyes at him, she shook her head. “Nuh-uh. Don’t give me that. I bet all you Prey people are the biggest gossips, bunch of little old ladies sitting around prying into everybody’s lives,” she teased, making him laugh.

“Okay, I know how things worked out, but I think your friend is going to want to be the one to tell you.”

“Knew it. Definitely a bunch of gossips.” While she might have liked to push for information, Tobias was right, Becca would want to be the one to tell her what had happened between her and Connor over the last seven months. Much as she was stillangry with Connor for hurting Becca, she hoped they’d worked through their issues. Becca had never fallen for another man the same way she loved Connor. It was the kind of love that lasted a lifetime, that could weather any storm if both parties were willing to put in the effort.

And Connor was, she could acknowledge that.

Just because she’d never been in love before, never really spent much time thinking about it, had always been of the mind that if it ever happened, it happened, and if not, she was okay with that, it didn't mean she couldn’t tell love when she saw it. And she saw it between Becca and Connor.

“Go get showered, firecracker, you can put my T-shirt back on until your friend gets here with clothes for you.”

Leaning down, he hesitated for a moment before dropping a kiss on her lips, and then he climbed out of bed and disappeared out the door.

Isabella was all too aware that it was their last kiss, and that it wasn't enough.

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