I suck in a sharp breath at the audacity of this man, and also because I think I stopped breathing. “Don’t count on it.” I leave his room, bound across the hall, and shut my door.
What the heck? Once my pulse is no longer racing like a thoroughbred, I spend the next hour getting ready to meet Callie. Dad would toss Tobias out on his muscular butt if he knew about this, but I don’t think I’ll include his overtures in my spy report.
When I leave my room, Tobias is nowhere to be found. Good. I hide the cookies to remind myself I hate him.
It’s really hard to hate Tobias. The three days he’s been in my home, he’s made breakfast every morning. Even put fresh flowers on the table. He’s a phenomenal cook and my attraction to him has grown tenfold, because not only does he wake me with the smell of bacon and fresh coffee brewing, but he also cleans the mess.
As part of my asinine spy assignment, I’m forced to have conversations with him. I know too many things now that have nothing to do with the task at hand but fulfilled my curiosity about him.
Favorite color—gray.
Favorite animal—turtle.
Favorite book—anything Sherlock Holmes related.
I also now know what he looks like fresh out of the shower, wrapped in a towel. That was a doozy I didn’t see coming. Every day I’ve reported to my dad that there have been no signs he’s a mole, but maybe Tobias is just that good. Regardless, journaling is not easing my frustrations, and I need him out of my house ASAP before I masturbate myself to death. Or before he discovers my secret and lets it slip to my father.
“Sorry I’m late,” Callie says, sliding onto a stool at the white marble bar of The Black Oyster Bar. “Are you writing a love note to Tobias?”
I shove my journal in my purse. “Hilarious. I’m just letting out a few frustrations.”
She signals the bartender and orders a mojito. Once she’s settled in with her beverage, she turns to me with a gleam in her eye. “I still can’t believe Mr. Blowjob and Mr. New Roomie are the same person.” She laughs. “What are the chances of that happening?”
I peer at Callie over the rim of my butterfly pea flower martini. “A zillion to one?”
“Are you going to have sleepovers in your room? Make obscene shadow puppets on the wall?” Callie asks with a straight face, her dark eyes shimmering against the stark-white light of the club.
Before I can say anything, I’m stunned into silence when I glimpse Tobias in the mirror that lines the back of the bar, walking straight toward us with a smile on his handsome face.
“Hi, Roomie,” he says.
Callie’s jaw drops open. She’s staring at him like he’s an enigma, and I nudge her with the tip of my cowboy boot.
“Hi. What are you doing here?” I ask.
It’s like sexy is a second language to him because he gives a half-grin that could melt hearts and says, “I heard there was an open mic night tonight, so I made the journey.”
Callie interrupts his gaze-fest on me and sticks out her hand. “I’m Callie.”
He shakes her hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Tobias.”
“Better to meet you,” she coos, dreamily gazing into his striking azure eyes.
“So, I guess the better question is, what are you doing here?” Tobias stares right at me.
“Well, if you must know, I too work for a record label, and I’m scouting talent.” I don’t want to tell Tobias the real reason I’m here.
He nods and gestures toward the bartender. “Two more of these drinks for my ladies, and I’ll have any hazy IPA you have on draft.”
“You don’t have to buy us a drink,” I say, wondering why he’s wasting his night on us when he clearly could have any woman in this place.
“What kind of man would I be if I didn’t buy you two a drink?”
“Fine,” I relent. One drink, and then he’ll move on.
Callie makes idle chit-chat with Tobias until the bartender sets our fresh drinks on the bar. Then we both fall into a lust-drunk stupor when Tobias reaches between us to grab his beer and slowly brings the mug to his lips. His mouth plows into the frothy head and I watch as he swallows down the first drink of amber-colored alcohol. It must taste as good as he looks, because he savors it, closing his eyes and licking the residue from his lips before taking another gulp.
I can’t stop watching him, and then I notice Callie is hypnotized as well.
I snap out of it because we must look like a couple of loons, salivating over this gorgeous man standing between us.
“So, you never answered why you’re here,” Tobias says.
“Well, actually, Sydney is going to—” Callie says but I shush her before she can finish.