Page 22 of The Substitute (New York Gods #4)

TWENTY-ONE

SAVAGE

Iknow Tobi is not doing well by the end of break. I hate that between a vacation with my mother and hockey, I’ve not been in the city at all. I don’t know how much Ambrose has been around, but I know I need to see Tobi.

I barely even drop my bags in my place before heading to Tobi’s.

Savage: I’m on my way.

Tobi: It’s so late. You have been on a ten-hour flight. You can just come over tomorrow.

Savage: I need to see you.

I don’t knock when I get there, slipping into his room to find him curled up in bed.

“You don’t look so good,” I murmur, leaning down to kiss him.

“It’s been a really long month.” He sighs into my lips, and we linger there, half-hovering over him, until my body starts to complain.

I slip in behind him and wrap around him. “I can tell,” I whisper into the back of his neck.

He sighs and leans into me. “I’m tired of feeling like shit.”

“I’m going to do something for you to help you sleep. You don’t have to do anything in return.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m going to get you off.” I slip a hand around his hip and under his shirt to brush over his abs. “If that’s okay. I know we haven’t done much, but I want to make you feel good.”

“Fuck! Are you sure?” His entire body freezes.

“I’ve been thinking about it the entire flight. Why wouldn’t I be sure?” And the truth is I’ve been desperate to touch him.

“Because—fuck—I don’t know. You haven’t tried to before… I thought you just wanted to be friends.”

I blink. “Excuse me?”

“We haven’t really done much…” Tobi trails off.

“We’ve taken things slow because I know this is all new to you, but I very much want you, and I want to make you feel good.” I skim my fingers along his waistband. “Do you want me to stop?”

“No! I just—”

“Talk to me.” I pull back and force him to his back so he’ll look me in the eyes.

“Do you just want me to feel good so you’re going to, you know—” He shrugs.

“I said I want you to feel good. Is getting you off a problem?” I’m confused.

“You said I don’t have to return anything.” He frowns, but I still can’t figure out what the issue is.

“I would never expect anything in return. I’m doing this because I can’t stop thinking about touching you and I want to make you feel good.” I’m beginning to wonder if he’s really this oblivious. How can he not see himself?

He drags his teeth over his lip. “Do you only want to touch me because you’re not attracted to me, so you don’t want me to touch you?”

I look at him like he’s lost his damn mind. “I would not be touching you if I wasn’t into you. You’re hot as fuck. Why else would I be thinking about this all day? I only said you don’t have to do anything in return so you don’t feel obligated.”

“Oh.”

“You can touch me as you see fit, but I am making you come.” I brush my lips across his jaw.

Tobi groans.

I move to settle back in behind him, but he stops me. “What?”

“Can I face you so I can watch and touch you too?”

“Of course.”

We readjust, and I return to teasing and kissing him.

I dip my fingers into his waistband and tug it down. His eyes go wide as the backs of my fingers brush over his hard-on. I love the way he reacts to me.

“You can touch me.” I trace over his cock using the thin fabric of his boxers to make him desperate before I ever have his cock out.

His hand slides up my arm. “Is this okay?”

“You can do whatever you want, baby girl.”

“Can you take this off?” Tobi’s fingers slip under the edge of my sleeve.

“Take it off of me if you want it off.” I want him to learn to be assertive and to know he can touch me.

He hesitates, and I leave him to figure that out while I grab his cock. I let him be for the time being and focus on making him feel good.

He whimpers, eyes half closing. “Oh, fuck.” He’s leaking all over the place, and I love it.

“Feel good?” I ask, knowing the answer.

He nods, finally shoving his hand under my shirt to lift it up. I get up enough so he can get it off of me and then drag his sweats and boxers the rest of the way off. He squeezes his eyes shut, and I can tell I’m losing him.

I grab his jaw and put my mouth over his. “Do you want me to stop?”

“No,” he barely manages.

“Then what’s wrong?” I stop what I’m doing in case I triggered him without realizing it.

He shakes his head, retreating further into himself. I move my hand to his throat, keeping his face up so he can’t hide while rolling on top of him. That gets his attention. His eyes open, and he’s staring at me.

“You have to talk to me.” I don’t know how he went from feeling good to closing off in a second.

“You can leave if you want to leave,” he barely chokes out.

“What the fuck?” I ask, cradling his face. “Why would I want to leave, baby girl?”

“I know what I look like.” Tears well up in his eyes.

“Are you kidding?” I can’t believe what he’s saying.

“Just go if you want to go. I don’t want to talk about it.” He’s shutting down and I don’t know what happened.

“Do we need to stop? Not because I want to, but because you need it, but I’m not fucking leaving.” I just want to make it better.

He sucks in a shuddering breath. “No one’s ever seen me naked.”

“Well, I’m a lucky fucking bastard then.”

“You don’t have to lie to me.”

“I’m not lying. You are sexy as fuck.”

“I’m too skinny and gangly and—”

“I won’t allow you to speak that way about yourself.” I cut him off. “You are perfect the way you are.” I grab his hand. “Do you want to see how hard your body makes me?

“You’re hard?”

“Are you kidding?” I put his hand on my dick. “Would I be this hard if I wasn’t turned on by you?”

“Oh, uh…wow!” He fights my hold trying to look at my bulge. “You feel huge.”

“Want to see?” I release his jaw.

He nods eagerly.

I guide his fingers into my sweats, exposing myself.

“Oh my God. You’re pierced?!”

“It’s called a Jacob’s ladder.” I brush his fingers over the metal bars.

“Fuuuuck.” He wraps his hand around my girth and strokes, earning a groan, but I pull his hand back. He pouts.

“Do you understand you did this to me?”

He gets a little avoidant but nods. “Yes.”

“It’s all you. I want you.”

“Can I touch you now?” Tobi asks.

I shake my head. “Nope. I’m getting you off first, remember?”

“Can I touch you at the same time?”

“I told you, you can touch me wherever you want, but this is about you, not me.” I lay back on my side, drawing him back in.

He doesn’t hesitate to grab my cock again but then looks up. “Can you do one more thing?”

“Yes?”

“Put your hand back on my throat.” His words make my cock throb.

“Fuck yes.” Why is he the hottest creature on Earth?