Page 62 of Lust
“I don’t know how else to communicate this with you except that I. Don’t. Share,” he gritted out. “You should have remembered that.”
“I swear, he came here unannounced because I had broken things off so abruptly. He only wanted to make sure I was alright.” I felt unsure how else to voice Tobias’ act of kindness.
“I don’t care.”
“I’ll make sure he doesn’t come near me again. Please, Tris. Don’t hurt him anymore.”
He shook his head. “The time for compromises has passed. I gave you time to get used to me, but all you have done so far is string me along.”
“Then let me prove myself to you,” I said faintly. “My phone is upstairs. Just let me call him an ambulance, and you have my word that things will be different.”
“Different, how?” he asked, failing to keep the huskiness out of his voice, while the meaning of this conversation was becoming clear to him.
I conceded my soul. “You know how.”
Slowly rising to stand, I moved away from that asshole’s unconscious body. Sara wisely followed me instead of rushing to poor Toby’s side. I suspected she was attempting to keep me at an even keel by acting indifferent.
It was a smart move.
Plus, Sara was familiar with enough assault and battery cases at the shelter to realize Tobias’ injuries were superficial. He had merely passed out and would be fine after sleeping it off. She had intervened before I could cause any severe harm.
Perhaps it was the concern she harbored for ‘poor Toby’ that made me turn around abruptly and tug her into my arms. There were no protests, nor did Sara pull away. Only a gasp when I yanked at her hair with manic force before my mouth crashed down to hers.
The things I wanted to do right now didn’t stem from love, only from a vicious need to possess. Be it forcing her to crawl naked across this hallway while begging to suck my dick or fucking her in front of her unconscious lover.
Instead of doing either, I kissed her violently until there were no such thoughts left to be dissected. I growled when she detached our mouths.
“Tris,” she beseeched. “Please let me get my phone and call him an ambulance before we go any further.”
Ambulance?
Suddenly, my eyes widened, remembering that dear Toby laid not fifteen feet from us.
Tedious detail.
Steve could get here in twenty minutes to take care of the problem and find a way to keep good old Toby from talking to the press. Either way, I doubted he’d file a report. Cops relished in portraying the alpha male. His big ego couldn’t handle how poorly he got his ass handed, let alone go public with the information.
Anger surged once more at how he had come here in search ofmygirl, but it quickly died away when Sara looked up at me with sadness in her gray eyes. They held me captive.
I might have tortured her for years with our rivalry, but I had indulged her all the same. I handed over the keys to my new car when one of her charities needed transportation, and all because Sara asked sweetly. Not once had I been able to deny her if only she batted her eyelashes at me. Our dynamics might have changed, but the power she yielded over me hadn’t. I didn’t want her to be sad or remorseful. And if I didn’t take care of this, she’d be doused in both.
Fuck.
“No ambulances,” I informed Sara. “He just needs to sleep it off. Steve will take him home and fix him up…” I nodded my head at Toby. “But I’ll only call him if you follow through with what you just offered. If I have Steve take care of that boy, what exactly am I getting in return?”
“I-I can’t have sex with you. I-I am not ready.” She looked down at her interlaced fingers. “What if I do something else instead? You can show me how to do other stuff… other ways to pleasure...” she couldn’t finish the sentence, drifting off.
My brow quirked. Last night, she was hesitant over letting me touch her. Now, she was offering to learn how to pleasure me and all because of another man.
The thought had me tethering at the edge.
“Teach you stuff? How about instead I put you over my lap and spank your ass for that little stunt. Or maybe I’ll tie you up and fuck you until you learn your lesson. Or maybe,” I lowered my voice sadistically, “I should fuck you in front of your unconscious lover until the only name you remember is mine.”
If she felt any horror at the graphic images I painted, she didn’t show it. Sara held her chin high. “I already told you. Sex is off the table.”
My jaw ticked. “Then this isn’t an offer worth considering.”
“You asked me to meet you halfway. That’s what I’m trying to do. I’m open to a one-time deal in exchange for you to squash this with Tobias. You won’t threaten his job or so much as touch a hair on his body again.”
