Chapter 204 I promise I’ll take care of you

Chapter 204 I promise I’ll take care of you
His lips crashed against mine with enough desperation to steal every remaining thought from my head, and I kissed him back just as desperately, my fingers clutching the front of his shirt before I even realized I’d moved. His lips were warm against mine, tasting faintly of mint and lemon, and I melted into him before my mind had the chance to protest.

A quiet sound escaped somewhere deep in my throat as his hand tightened ever so slightly against my cheek, his thumb brushing my skin with impossible tenderness while his mouth kissed me with the complete opposite. I had never known a kiss could hold so many contradictions all at once.

The kiss barely lasted a second before one arm slid around my waist. With ridiculous ease, Tobias lifted me clean off my feet, drawing a startled shriek from my lips.

I clutched at his shoulders instinctively, my heart leaping into my throat as he carried me the short distance to the couch. He lowered me with surprising care until my back met the soft cushions, never once taking his eyes off me. He settled himself between my legs, one hand braced against the back of the couch beside my head while the other rested lightly on my waist. We simply stared at each other, breathing hard, neither of us quite able to believe we had crossed whatever invisible line had been keeping us apart all evening.

“What do you want, baby?” he asked softly, his voice rough from the kisses we’d shared. His thumb brushed absentmindedly against my waist as he searched my face. “Tell me. I’ll do anything.”

I swallowed, my fingers tightening around the front of his shirt as my mind desperately searched for an answer. There should have been a hundred things I wanted to say. A hundred questions. A hundred fears. Instead, there was only one truth left inside me. I looked into his eyes and whispered, “I want you, Tobias.”

The effect my words had on him was immediate.

His eyes fluttered shut for the briefest moment, a shaky breath escaping him as though I’d knocked every ounce of air from his lungs. When he looked at me again, something in his expression had softened completely. He leaned down and kissed me once more, slower this time, lingering for a heartbeat before pulling away just enough for our nose to brush against each other.

“Have you… done this before?” he asked quietly.

I knew exactly what he meant.

Heat rushed to my cheeks so quickly I thought I might burst into flames. I shook my head without meeting his eyes, suddenly finding the buttons on his shirt incredibly fascinating. Embarrassment settled over me, making me instinctively turn my face away, but Tobias wouldn’t let me hide. His fingers slipped gently beneath my chin, guiding my face back toward his.

“Don’t hide from me, baby,” he murmured, smiling so softly it made my heart ache. “Neither have I.”

My eyes flew open.

“What?”

A laugh escaped him at the expression on my face, warm and completely genuine.

“That,” he chuckled, shaking his head. “I’d give anything to remember that look forever.”

I continued staring at him, certain I’d misheard.

“Are…” I blinked several times. “Are you serious?”

He nodded without hesitation, the corners of his mouth lifting into an almost sheepish grin.

“Yeah.”

He rubbed the back of his neck, looking oddly bashful for someone with Tobias Thomas’s reputation.

“Doesn’t exactly fit the school’s image of me, does it?”

I could only continue gaping.

“But…”

He laughed quietly.

“I know what you’re thinking.” His shoulders lifted in a small shrug. “How do you think people would look at the school’s bad boy if they found out he was a virgin?” He smiled to himself. “Justin’s the only one who knows.”

My thoughts immediately jumped somewhere else.

“But… Catherine…”

His smile faded into something thoughtful as he shook his head.

“We never got that far,” he admitted honestly. “She wanted to. More than once.” He paused before meeting my eyes again. “I just… never felt the need to.”

Silence settled between us again.

This time it wasn’t awkward.

It was filled with quiet understanding.

I felt another lump rise into my throat as I stared at him. Somehow, impossibly, my heart managed to make room for even more love than it already held. During the six months we’d secretly dated, Tobias had kissed me countless times. We’d spent hours tangled together, laughing, talking, stealing moments whenever we could. Yet never once had he pressured me to go further. Back then I’d assumed he simply respected my boundaries or wanted to wait until I was ready.

It had never crossed my mind that he was waiting too.

The realization settled over me so gently it almost hurt.

God…

Somehow, I had fallen even harder for the same boy all over again.

Neither of us moved for several long seconds.

We simply sat there, breathing the same air, our gaze holding each other, while my heart threatened to beat its way out of my chest. I had never been this nervous before. Never this certain either.

“You’re shaking,” Tobias whispered, his thumb stroking the side of my face.

I laughed softly, though it came out more like a nervous breath. “You’re one to talk.”

He looked down between us before lifting one of my hands and placing it against his chest.

His heart was racing.

Just as fast as mine. Maybe even more.

Somehow that made me smile.

“We’re really bad at pretending we’re calm,” I murmured.

A quiet chuckle escaped him. “I don’t think I’ve been calm since you walked into this cabin.”

My cheeks warmed.

His fingers found the zip at the back of my dress, but he didn’t move it. Instead, he searched my face one more time, silently asking the question he refused to ask with words.

I answered by nodding.

Slowly… almost reverently… he brushed a kiss across my forehead before another against my temple.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered.

I closed my eyes, feeling my heart squeeze painfully inside my chest.

“I’ve wanted to tell you that all night.”

My fingers curled around the collar of his shirt.

“Then stop talking,” I whispered with a shy smile. “And kiss me again.”

He smiled against my lips.

Outside, the wind stirred gently through the pine trees, carrying the scent of the lake through the cracked bedroom window. Inside, the world seemed to disappear until there was nothing left but the quiet rhythm of our breathing and the certainty that whatever happened next was something we had both chosen.

Tobias rested his forehead against mine one last time.

“I promise,” he murmured, “I’ll take care of you.”