Page 19

“So you’re just going to marry her? Allison said you admit to not loving Mimi.”

Tori held her breath, expecting that any minute Tobias would explode. He would set her in her place and none-too-gently show her out the door.

When he stood, she forced her gaze to trail up his legs, past his flat stomach and broad chest to meet his darkened eyes. “Stand up.”

“I’m trying to have a civil conversation with you. Ensure you don’t make the biggest mistake of your life.”

His arm wrapped around her waist and the second under her legs. Tori yelped when he lifted her up into his arms. “Yeah, about that.”

Her mouth fell open, absolutely not one word forming when he stalked toward his bedroom.

If there wasa way to close her eyes tighter, Tori would’ve done it. She didn’t want to dare hope that they were going to end up in his bedroom. In his bed.

The air sizzled, sparks igniting so bright and constant, she wondered if it was all just a cruel hoax of her imagination. Any moment now, Tobias would nudge her and make a crude comment.

But it didn’t happen. When she opened her eyes to meet his breathtaking hazel ones, their gazes clashed like angry ocean waves against jagged rocks.

It was inevitable that she pull him down for a kiss. The hunger would not be denied.

Their time, their way.

If she had been interrogated before this day, Tori would have admitted that the only way for them, for her and Tobias, to ever clear things up between them was that they would have to connect. It would take raw, uncensored sex and emotion to purge years of anger and frustration.

There were so many things to apologize for. So many lost occasions, events and memories that they’d pushed away and ignored.

The moment fell over them like lightning and their kiss became raw and hungry, this was not the time for pretense. She accepted his tongue fully and deeply into her mouth, allowing barely a second before tangling with her own in a desperate dance that sent her body into tremors of want.

How she needed him.

“Take your clothes off.” Tori tugged at his shirt, her nails clawing into the fabric. “I want you now.”

Other than a groan of agreement, he remained quiet. Immediately, Tori was transported back to when they were engaged. They were so young. She was only eighteen and he twenty-two. Even then, their lovemaking had always been raw and urgent. He’d rarely spoken during it, while she’d recited entire Shakespearean works.

Her dress was done away with, the flimsy thing lying on the floor in a graceful pool of white and flowers.

His sweatpants, shorts and briefs made a less elegant pile.

“Don’t say anything other than ‘Fuck yeah’,” Tobias said, his mouth next to her ear as he trailed light bites down the side of her neck.

Trembling with need, Tori could barely stand. Seeming to sense it, Tobias cupped her bottom and lifted her to wrap her legs around his waist. His thick erection prodded at just the right spot and she ground into him. The friction of their bodies gave more than took and before long, she was losing control.

“Damn it, you have to fuck me or I’m going to scream,” Tori said, taking his mouth once again with hers while she ran her hands down his back and up to rake her fingers through his hair.

They fell onto the bed and he didn’t waste a moment. Thrusting into her with force just the way she’d always liked it. It had to start off hard and fast. She preferred getting off right off the bat before building to a second climax.

Suddenly everything went still. Both of them realizing what they were on the brink of doing. “Shit.” Tobias slid to the side of the bed and sat with his legs over the side. “Shit,” he repeated.

Tori was sat up, her body trembling at the realization they’d been on the brink of making love. “Damn it,” she said sliding to the opposite side. They sat without moving facing away, each in their own thoughts.

“I came here to talk. I’m not leaving until we do.” Tori was proud of herself. She wasn’t going to be the first one to acknowledge how they felt about each other. That conversation would be too painful.

She had never stopped loving him and by the way they’d just connected, neither had he. However, it was one thing to love someone and another to forgive them.

“God, Tori, there’s nothing to talk about. If my family thinks you can talk me out of something, they must have all done some sort of strange drug.”

She turned and studied his profile. Damn the man was gorgeous. He’d become more handsome over the years. “I think it was a combination of meth and cocaine.”

“Did you think you could actually change my mind?” He slid a look at her. “I suppose if anyone can, it’s you.”