Chapter 206 The feeling of safety

Chapter 206 The feeling of safety
The initial moment brought a sudden, sharp ache that made me gasp, my back arching off the cushions as my knuckles turned white in his grip. Tobias stopped instantly, his entire body locking up above me.

"Lisa--" His voice was strained, sweat glistening at his temples as he fought for control, refusing to move another inch. "Are you okay? Do you want me to--"

"No," I whispered, squeezing my eyes shut for a second as the sharp edge softened into a deep, overwhelming fullness. I opened my eyes, reaching up with my free hand to cup his jaw, feeling the heavy pulse beating in his throat. "Don't pull back. Just... give me a second."

He leaned down, pressing his lips to my temple, my nose, my mouth, showering my face in tender, apologetic kisses while he waited for me to adjust. "I'm sorry," he murmured against my skin. "I'm sorry, baby."

"You don't have to apologize," I breathed, wrapping my legs around his waist, pulling him closer until the space between us disappeared completely. "It's okay now. Really."

He let out a shaky, relieved breath, his eyes darkening as he began to move.
It was awkward at first--a clumsy rhythm of searching touches, tangled limbs, and hushed whispers in the dark. We bumped foreheads once, making us both let out breathless, quiet laughs against each other's lips, but as the seconds turned into minutes, the clumsiness transformed into something breathtakingly natural.

Tobias moved with a slow, desperate reverence, his mouth drinking in every soft whimpering breath I made. Every push of his hips felt like a promise, every touch of his hands wiping away the painful memories of the past few months, rewriting them with his name.

"Lisa," he groaned, burying his face in the crook of my neck as his rhythm quickened, his fingers digging into my hips. "God, Lisa... I love you."

The words slipped out of him naturally, unfiltered and raw, crashing over me with the force of a tidal wave. I locked my arms around his neck, pulling him down as a wave of intense, unbearable heat surged straight through my core, shattering every sense of reality I had left.

A helpless, vocal gasp tore from my throat, and Tobias followed a second later, his entire body shuddering violently against mine as he buried his face in my hair, holding me so tightly I couldn't tell where I ended and he began.

For a long time, the only sound in the cabin was the heavy, synchronized sound of our breathing and the quiet crackle of the dying fire.

Tobias didn't pull away immediately. He stayed collapsed over me, his head resting against my chest, his heart hammering a frantic rhythm right over mine. Slowly, he shifted his weight to the side, pulling me with him until we were tangled together on the narrow couch, my head resting on his bare chest.

He pulled his discarded jacket over our shoulders to keep out the chill, his long fingers absentmindedly stroking my damp hair.

"Are you okay?" he murmured into the quiet, his voice raspy.

I smiled into the darkness, tracing small, aimless circles against his ribs. "I'm better than okay."

Tobias let out a low chuckle, his chin resting on top of my head. "Good. Because if you said no, I'd probably have to throw myself into the lake out of embarrassment."

"You were very sweet, Tobias."

"Sweet?" He feigned offense, nudging my shoulder. "I'm the school's bad boy, Lisa. I'm not supposed to be 'sweet.'"

"You practically asked for permission every five seconds," I pointed out, tilting my head up to smirk at him. "And you struggled with your belt."

Tobias groaned, covering his face with his hand. "I am never letting you live this down, am I?"

"Never," I promised softly.

His hand dropped from his face, his expression softening as he looked down at me. He reached out, his thumb gently catching a stray tear that fell due to the intensity of what we had just done.. "We made a huge mess of the last few months, didn't we?"

"We did," I agreed quietly.

"I'm going to fix it," he whispered, leaning down to press a soft, lingering kiss to my lips. "All of it. The money, your uncle, Frank, Declan... everything. You're never going to have to handle any of it alone again."

I didn't answer with words. I simply snuggled closer into his warmth, resting my hand over his racing heart, and for the first time in as long as I could remember, I closed my eyes and let myself drift off to sleep, feeling completely, undeniably safe.