Page 20

Chapter 20

Tobias

I debated not going to Ruth's shop despite her call to Holly this morning about the security camera system she purchased. Since I'm already next door at the hardware store investigating security measures, it would be unprofessional to ignore her request. And even more for me to send a deputy when I'm already here. At least that's what I tell myself as I approach her door, my hand hesitating on the handle for just a moment before I push it open. My carefully constructed excuses evaporate the instant I step inside.

Ruth looks up from opening a large cardboard box, copper hair piled atop her head in a messy bun that exposes the elegant curve of her neck. My mouth goes dry at the sight of her, and it takes every ounce of self-control not to audibly gasp.

She's wearing a black dress that defies all logic and reason—cut high enough to reveal an expanse of her creamy thigh that makes my hands itch to touch, and low enough that her cleavage threatens to spill over at any moment. A delicate gray lace shawl hangs uselessly from her elbows, providing absolutely no modesty. And those boots—knee-high black leather that somehow make her legs look even more enticing.

My body reacts instantly, blood rushing south with such force I'm grateful for my tactical belt. Meanwhile, my brain screams in protest: SHE'S YEARS YOUNGER! MAINTAIN PROFESSIONALISM! But for once, my rational side is fighting a losing battle.

I'm a man accustomed to clarity of thought, to making decisions with conviction and following through without wavering. But standing here, watching Ruth move around that box with a grace that makes the dress cling to her curves, I'm experiencing what can only be described as an internal civil war. Meanwhile my dick is giving her a standing ovation.

I'm in trouble, and I know it.

"Tobias?" Ruth's voice sounds distant, like I'm underwater. She takes a step closer, dark red-painted lips forming my name again. "Tobias? Are you okay?"

"Ah, yeah," I manage, my voice embarrassingly hoarse.

Her soft giggle only intensifies my predicament. "Are you sure? You didn't respond when I said your name, and I think I saw you drool."

***

Ruth

I debated long and hard about taking the girls' advice on getting a new outfit, bra, and lipstick. The entire ensemble feels like armor for a battle. But since that's exactly what I'm about to engage in, I might as well play to win. The underwire bra is uncomfortable as hell, but now watching Tobias try desperately not to stare at my chest makes every pinch worth it. And these boots? A stroke of genius, judging by his reaction.

The glazed look in his eyes and the telltale bulge in his uniform pants tell me everything I need to know. I've won this battle. Well, at least the element of surprise. And I'm definitely on the right track. I've decided I want this man, and if that means starting as friends with benefits, so be it. I've had enough of this dance without it going anywhere. I've let my boots and bra do the declaring for me.

"Are you off duty?" I ask innocently, crossing my arms under my chest to create even more cleavage. His eyes dart from my face to my breasts and back again, like he's afraid of being caught looking. His breaths come more frequently.

"Who?" He shakes his head slightly, blinking hard. "Is it closing time?"

"Yes." The word barely leaves my lips before he's in motion, walking to the front door with purpose. My heart races as he flips the lock and turns the "Open" sign around.

He just locked us in together. The thought sends a thrill through me. Please let this be for something physical and not another lecture about why we can't be together. Please.

Without looking in my direction, Tobias strides toward the back room, methodically weaving around the plant stand and center display table. I hesitate, unsure if I should follow, but when he doesn't return after a moment, I make my decision.

The back room is suspiciously empty when I enter. "Tobias?" I call softly, taking a few cautious steps forward.

"Explain something to me." His deep voice from behind startles me. I whirl around to find him leaning against the wall next to the door, arms crossed over his broad chest, eyes dark with something that sends shivers down my spine.

"I'll try," I manage, suddenly breathless.

"What in the living hell are you thinking, allowing males to see you in that outfit?" His voice is a low growl, his eyes laser focused on mine. "When you turn, I can see your entire thigh. And those fucking boots..."

"I thought I would try a new look," I say, feigning innocence. "You don't like it?"

"Oh, I like it, believe me I like it." He takes a step closer. The intensity in his eyes nearly buckles my knees. "I just don't want anyone else to like it."

I take a step closer, my heart hammering against my ribs. "Tobias," I whisper. "What does that mean?"

In a swift, fluid motion that takes my breath away, Tobias closes the distance between us. His chest presses against mine, solid and warm. I tilt my head back to meet his gaze, finding his eyes dark with hunger, as he engulfs me in his arms.

"What it means is, that outfit is too fucking hot for you to be wearing to work," he says, his voice deeper than I've ever heard it.

I summon my courage, letting my lips curve into a coy smile. "I can take it off, if you like."

His mouth captures mine before the last word fully leaves my lips. One powerful arm wraps around my waist while the other encircles my shoulders, pulling me tightly against him. Our tongues meet with an urgency that makes me dizzy, exploring each other like we've been waiting lifetimes for this moment. Man, I'm grateful I've been chewing peppermint gum all day.

Tobias opens his mouth wider, inviting me deeper, and I follow without hesitation. I can feel his desire, his need echoing my own. His hand slides from my waist to my ass, squeezing firmly before delivering a light swat that pulls a surprised moan from my throat.

That small sound seems to unleash something primal in him. He repeats the motion, each gentle swat punctuating his words. "Next time—" swat "—I see you in this outfit at work—" swat "—I'll put you over your desk and spank your bare ass." swat

He breaks the kiss just long enough to deliver his warning before claiming my mouth again, harder and more demanding than before.

"Promise?" I murmur against his lips, surprising myself with my boldness.

"Girl—" Another swat, slightly firmer. "You do not—" swat "Want to tempt me." swat

These last few are harder, but the sting is delicious rather than painful, gone almost the moment it registers. For all his strength and intensity, I know instinctively that Tobias would never truly hurt me. His muscles may be impressive for a man his age, but it's the control behind them that makes me feel safe even as he dominates me.

His hand moves back to my waist while the other finds my breast. The ache between my legs intensifies to something I've never experienced. A hunger so profound it feels like a physical need. I want this man naked and inside me with an urgency that makes me reckless.

I let my hand trail down his back to his waist, then slowly move around to brush the back of my fingers across his erection. I immediately retreat, trying to make it seem accidental, but his answering groan tells me I've failed spectacularly at being subtle.

In a heartbeat, he spins me around, pressing me against the wall. His hand finds my breast again, massaging and squeezing with just the right amount of pressure.

God, it's been so long since anyone touched me. His hand feels perfect, large and strong yet unexpectedly gentle.

Tobias breaks our kiss to trail his mouth down my neck, his stubble creating a delicious friction against my sensitive skin. His warm breath, the scrape of his beard, and the wet heat of his tongue combine to nearly push me over the edge. I'm embarrassingly wet already, my body practically begging for more attention.

His palm flattens against my hardened nipple and the wall, brushing back and forth through the fabric of my dress. He chuckles low in his throat. "I like this," he says, pinching gently.

"You caused it," I breathe.

"What did I do?" He flips me back around and draws back slightly to look at me, his expression a mixture of hunger and genuine curiosity.

"You on my neck drives me crazy," I confess. "Tobias, I haven't been with anyone in a long time."

Something softens in his eyes. "I know. Neither of us has."

When he leans in again, the kiss transforms into something different, slower, deeper, more deliberate. He wraps his arms around me, holding me like I'm something precious rather than just desired. This gentleness somehow turns me on even more than his earlier aggression. I fought the urge to shamelessly grind against him but decided instead to take matters into my own hands. While we're kissing, I bring my hands between us and start unbuttoning my dress. I manage to unfasten four buttons, exposing the black lace of my new bra, before he notices what I'm doing.

"Ruth," he murmurs, his gaze fixing on my newly revealed cleavage. He brings his face next to my ear, nibbling gently on my earlobe as I continue my mission. He breathes, "Roo."

I undo another button and, as I move to wrap my arms around his neck again, deliberately brush my hand against his erection. The growl that vibrates against my ear sends goosebumps cascading across my skin. I've never heard anything so fundamentally male and arousing. None of the other guys I've been with are anything like Tobias, nowhere near his level of masculinity. Not one of them has turned me on like he is now.

His hand returns to my breast, this time slipping inside my dress to cup me through my bra. Taking advantage of his distraction, I unfasten another button. The fabric begins to fall away from my shoulders, and I realize that with just a small movement, I could be out of the dress entirely. When Tobias returns his attention to my neck, I seize the opportunity, giving a slight shimmy that sends the dress sliding down my body to pool at my feet.

Tobias steps back, and for one horrible moment, panic floods through me. I've miscalculated, moved too fast, pushed too hard. He'll hate what he sees. What was I thinking? My fat ass shoved in this zero support lace.

His expression as his eyes travel from my face down to my black lace bra, matching underwear, and those knee-high boots. When his gaze returns to mine, his eyes are dark with unmistakable lust.

"You're the definition of all things beautiful," he says reverently, his voice rough with desire.

Relief and happiness wash through me, replacing my momentary fear. He steps forward again, capturing both my breasts in his hands. I arch my back, offering myself to him as he teases my nipples through the lace. A small, helpless whimper escapes me.

Tobias slides his right hand down my side to the waistband of my underwear. He hooks his thumb underneath, pulling the elastic back slightly before slipping his hand lower. He brings his mouth to my ear, his breath hot against my skin.

"Spread your legs," he commands softly.

Instantly, I'm melting, I kick my left leg to the side, stretching until my foot encounters a chair. Glancing down, I hook my foot around it and pull it closer, placing my boot on the seat. The position opens me wide for him, my thighs stretched apart in wordless invitation.

"Good," he approves, his voice husky. "Don't. Move."

"Yes, Sir," I breathe, my skin burning with anticipation.

Tobias studies me like a predator assessing its prey, taking his time. His hand between my legs, fingers tracing the outline of my lips.

In all my years of intimate encounters, I've never felt this way—heart racing, breath shallow, skin hypersensitive, an almost painful ache between my legs. Has this been what I've been missing all along? Why did I waste time with men who never made me feel a fraction of this?

My thoughts scatter completely when he pulls on my nipple while sliding two fingers inside me. My head falls back against the wall, "shit," I breathe out.

"Don't. Move." He repeats, a note of satisfaction in his voice.

He withdraws his fingers slowly, then thrusts them back in with deliberate pressure. A moan tears from my throat as my head presses harder against the wall. His thumb finds my clit, circling it in rhythm with the movement of his fingers. While his other fingers pinch and pull on my sensitive nipple. The sensation is overwhelming—I can't believe I'm already close after just a few strokes.

On the third firm press of his thumb, the tension breaks. I come hard, my inner muscles clenching around his fingers in rhythmic pulses. I want to close my thighs, to trap his hand against me, but Tobias blocks my leg on the chair, forcing me to remain open and vulnerable as the waves of pleasure wash through me.

As my breathing begins to normalize, I lift my head to meet his gaze. The look of masculine satisfaction on his face is almost enough to start me building toward another climax.

"God that was fucking sexy to watch." He kisses my forehead.

I try to move my foot from the chair, but he immediately stops me.

He growls, his tone brooking no argument. "I didn't say I was done." My eyes widen as I freeze in place.

He withdraws his fingers almost completely, then drives them back in with enough force to make my knees buckle. He repeats the motion, his thumb finding my still-sensitive clit. I've got a death grip on his shoulders. Leaning against the wall for support, my hips instinctively rocking to meet his hand. His other hand continues to knead my breast as I thread my fingers through his silver-streaked hair.

He adds a third finger, increasing both pressure and pace. The stretch is delicious, just this side of too much. With each upward thrust, he curls his fingers, searching for and finding that spot inside me that makes stars explode behind my eyelids.

"Tobias," I cry out, leaning forward against him. "Ahh!"

My second orgasm hits harder than the first, muscles clamping down on his fingers as waves of pleasure pulse through my core. The added fullness of three fingers gives me more to grip, intensifying the sensation as I ride out my climax.

"I stand corrected, watching it the second time is even better." His voice is heavy and low.

When the last of my aftershocks subside, I realize my standing leg is trembling with fatigue. As much as I don't want this to end, I need to adjust my position.

"Tobias, please, may I put my leg down?" I ask breathlessly. "My other leg is getting sore." I quickly add, "I can put the other one up on the chair instead," not wanting him to think I'm ready to stop.

He looks inordinately pleased with himself, chest practically puffed with male pride.

"Yes, you can put your leg down," he concedes with a mischievous smile.

"Thank you, Sir," I murmured.

"You don't have to call me sir," he says, studying my face. After a pause, his expression shifts. "On second thought, you do, I like it."

He captures my mouth again, nipping gently at my lower lip until I open for him. Our tongues tangle as his large hands stroke up and down my back, mapping every curve.

"Sir," I whisper between kisses, reaching for the snaps of his uniform shirt, "why am I almost naked and you're fully dressed?"

"I see no problem with you being almost naked and me being dressed," he teases, but doesn't stop me as I unfasten the first snap on his shirt.

I'm working on the third when a knock at the front door freezes us both in place.

"Ruth? Are you there? I brought Joey back," a familiar voice yells from outside.

"Oh Hell! I forgot, Joey's been at the groomers." I panic momentarily before remembering the locked door. Looking down at myself—standing in just my bra, underwear and knee-high boots—I glance up at Tobias with wide eyes.

"Ruth?" Another set of harder knocks.

"I'll go," Tobias says, quickly rebuttoning his shirt as he steps away and walks around the door. I remain leaning against the wall, my body still humming with pleasure and frustration in equal measure.

Damn it!