“You’re too hard on yourself. I’m not sure why, but it needs to stop,” he said. “There’s something about you, Adora. You bring out a part of me I thought was dead. Maybe your innocence, your beauty—all I know is I’m not letting you go.”
“So, I’m your prisoner?” she teased.
It felt right to lighten the mood. Tobias was scaring her with his intensity. Yes, she wanted him to be real, but her own emotions were a mess.
“Is it so bad?”
She couldn’t answer. So far, he’d only spoiled her, making her feel like a princess. She wished he’d handled things differently, maybe dated her without demanding a baby. “I’m not sure yet.”
“Fair enough. Tonight, I’ll show you just how good things can be.” He rested his palm on her thigh under the table, sparking every cell in her body to life.
She briefly closed her eyes, savoring the wave of need washing through her. Adora wanted to touch Tobias, to run her fingers over the stubble on his jaw, to unbutton his fancy shirt and feel those hard muscles firsthand. Maybe tonight she’d have the nerve to take what she wanted in return.
The waiter stopped by, introduced himself, and gave them menus. She was looking over the choices when she felt Tobias’s body tense next to hers. He sat up straighter, staring at the other side of the restaurant. She couldn’t see what he was looking at from her position in the booth, but she hoped it wasn’t another woman. Maybe it was an ex-lover. Adora wanted to block out all the stories her mother had shared over the years. She wanted to be the only one for him, and the thought of him mentally comparing her to those beauties didn’t sit well with her.
The new wave of jealousy surprised her, making her realize just how deep she’d invested herself in this venture. That’s the only name she could give their relationship because it was completely unorthodox, but she knew she was all in at this point.
Chapter Six
Across the crowded restaurant Tobias caught sight of not only one of his ex’s but also William Hamilton, the very owner of the company that ran the Hamilton program that Adora was determined not to be part of.
William was a known hound dog. He’d fuck anything with a pussy. Tobias’s ex, Katerina, was well known for screwing anyone who’d pay her for the pleasure. He used to be one of those men like William, but not anymore. Looking at Adora, he saw the freshness, the innocence, the beauty within. He glanced at the other women, dressed up in their expensive dresses, the jewels, and wondered how many of them had a hard life. Did any of them worry about having a meal from one day to the next? Adora had helped open his eyes.
He’d read Adora’s file and her mother’s. They’d struggled most of their lives to make ends meet, and he was determined to make all that stop.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
“It’s fine.” He reached across the table, taking her hand. She tensed up when he first touched her but slowly relaxed, and he gave her a smile, not wanting to think of William or anyone else. Tonight was about wooing his woman, and putting a baby inside her. If she’d not been hungry, he’d have already started the baby making.
“This is a really fancy place.”
“So, how often do you speak to your professor alone?” he asked, abruptly changing the subject. Seeing Hamilton reminded him of the conversation he had with her professor, and it also made him curious to know exactly why she didn’t want to go for the number one program.
“Really? You want to play the jealousy card again? I thought we went over that.”
“Why don’t you want to be part of the Hamilton program?” he asked.
He watched her tense up and pull her hand away from him. Being the astute businessman that he was, he knew something was going on there, something that he didn’t like, not one bit.
“I don’t like to do what everyone expects of me.”
“There’s something more going on there.”
“Nope, nothing.” She grabbed the menu, staring down at it. “Have you been here before? Do you know what’s good?”
He signaled the waiter over, and ordered them both some steaks, potatoes, and vegetables. It sounded simple, but each item was made with the perfect amount of butter, garlic, and herbs, only the finest ingredients. He loved coming to this place.
Returning his attention back to his woman, he saw that she stared down at her lap. Once again, he was struck by how young she was. Not only her age, but also her insecurity came through. This world would take women like her, chew them up, and spit them back out, and he didn’t want that.
“You remind me a little of a … person I once knew,” he said.
“I do?”
“He was determined to live life his own way. For a long time, he had these beliefs, searching for love, for something more.” He hadn’t told her about his brother, purposefully evading the question. Thinking about him now, Tobias was struck by a pain that twisted inside his chest.
“You make love sound like it’s a disease or a curse.”
“Love is overrated, and in his search for it, he killed himself.”