Wow, it's been a while since I posted but for some reason, this Rendezvous series will not let me go. Major thanks to Eunice339 who is so much more than the best beta in the world. My ideas flow so much better when I talk to her!

xXx

The last thing Tobias expected to see when he exited Customs was a slim, young man holding a sign with his name on it. He had planned to hire a car to take him to his hotel once he arrived in Los Angeles, so he hadn't bothered to make any prior arrangements before leaving Malaysia. But there in front of him was his name written in neat, black script. Hitching his bag over his shoulder, he walked over to the man.

"I'm Tobias Eaton," he said.

The young man smiled. "Good afternoon, Mr. Eaton. Your limo is waiting to take you to the hotel. Please, allow me help you with take that."

Tobias handed over his wheeled suitcase and followed the man out of the airport. "I didn't call for a limo."

"No, sir. Your mother did."

Tobias heaved a deep sigh as they approached the parked limo, mentally preparing himself to be accosted by his mother as the young man opened the door and he slid inside.

"Darling!" Evelyn beamed at him.

"Hi, Mom," Tobias replied with feigned enthusiasm as he leaned over and kissed her cheek. "What are you doing here? I wasn't expecting to see you until tomorrow."

"Well, you've been half way across the world for the last six weeks and I couldn't wait to see my son. Is that so wrong?"

Tobias regarded his mother with a mixture of affection and exasperation. She was a lovely woman whose years sat lightly on her, even though he knew that the rich, dark-brown coloring of her curly hair was the result of religious trips to the salon. He didn't have the heart to turn her away right now though. "No, Mom, it's great to see you, but I was just hoping to shower and get some rest. It was a long flight."

Evelyn's dark eyes turned soft. "Of course it was, darling, which is why I've arranged everything. I figured tonight we would just eat a light dinner together in the suite and then tomorrow we can attend the fashion show."

"Really, Mom, I just want to crash. We can have lunch before the show, but then I want to go back to my room and sleep."

Frowning, Evelyn shook her head at her son. "You simply must come with me to the show, Tobias. Stephanie is donating twenty percent of the sales from her fashion show to support Helping Hands and you just came back from one of our biggest charitable efforts to date. The publicity of having you there would be incredible. The article in Fortune magazine about Helping Hands specifically mentioned your connections to the UN and your active participation in the charity. Coming to the show right after you spearheaded the donation of one of our ships to the refugee cause highlights the importance of Helping Hands to the company and to the Eaton family specifically." Her gaze, no longer soft and maternal, suddenly turned shrewd. "You know what a boost this would be to Helping Hands."

Tobias let his head fall back against the back of the seat. His mother had a point and they both knew it. Helping Hands Foundation was the charitable arm of Prior-Eaton International Travel and Tobias' brain child, one he'd pushed his father for, so Evelyn knew he would be willing to do just about anything to make sure it was a success. There was nothing he could do but admit defeat.

"All right, Mom. I'll go tomorrow. But afterward, I'm going to just go back to my room and sleep. I really just need some peace and quiet." Tobias had plans with Tris that his mother knew nothing about and he was determined to make sure he kept them. Six weeks had been a very long time to be away and it had been a total of eight weeks since he'd seen Tris.

"I promise, darling, I'll be quiet as a church mouse. You won't even know I'm there."

A kernel of dread wormed its way into his stomach at his mother's words. "What are you talking about, Mom? There's only one bed in my room."

She laughed lightly. "Well, of course, but the suite has two bedrooms so I'll be sure to be quiet."

Tobias raised his head and looked at his mother. "I booked a single room."

"And I had Edgar change it to a suite. Really, Tobias, there's no need to continue living like you're back in Malaysia in temporary housing."

He rubbed the back of his neck, trying desperately to keep the panic out of his voice. "Are you telling me that you had your assistant cancel my hotel room and re-book me in a suite with you?

Evelyn narrowed her eyes. "Yes, Tobias. Is there a problem?"

Closing his eyes, Tobias let his head thud back against the head rest. "No, Mom," he said, his voice hollow. "Of course not." Behind his closed eyes, Tobias saw all his dreams of a weekend naked with Tris evaporate like mist.

xXx

Surprisingly, Evelyn let Tobias go straight to his room once they had arrived at the suite without complaint. He dumped his bags on the floor – he'd deal with them later – and drew the curtains, blocking out the cheerful California sunshine. Flopping on the bed, he pulled out his cell phone.

Parental interference is gonna wreck our weekend.

A moment later, his phone pinged with the answering text. Uh oh, what happened?

Mom cancelled the room and booked me in a 2 bdrm suite with her.

Seeing the words actually written out on the screen of his phone depressed him a little. One of the things he'd been looking forward to over the six weeks he'd spent in Malaysia was two full days locked in a hotel room with Tris. He hadn't seen her since New Year's and the sexy text messages and occasional phone calls they had been exchanging back and forth had done nothing but wet his appetite for her more.

His phone pinged and he looked down. I'll work something out. Trust me. Get some sleep. I know you need it. Tobias grinned at her message, wondering what she had in mind. Tris could be pretty resourceful when she wanted something. Plugging in his phone to charge, Tobias settled back into the soft pillows with images of being tangled in bed with Tris lulling him to sleep.

xXx

Well-acquainted with jet lag, Evelyn entered Tobias' room a couple of hours later, briskly waking him to encourage him to shower and unpack so he wouldn't sleep through the afternoon and awaken in the middle of the night. Tobias stumbled sleepily into the shower and let the hot water pound away the lingering muscle fatigue. It didn't matter how nice first class was, he mused, after traveling for over eighteen hours, exhaustion was the name of the game. Still ridiculously tired, he forced himself out of the shower and back into the bedroom. To keep himself awake, he unpacked what he'd need for the next few days, including the black suit and blue shirt he was planning to wear to escort his mother to the fashion show. He'd need to have it sent down to the concierge to be pressed, but that could wait. Pulling on a comfortable pair of cotton pants and a t-shirt, he hoped Evelyn was serious about staying in their suite for dinner.

He needn't have worried; Evelyn, true to her word, had ordered room service. She looked up when Tobias exited his room and tsked. "Really, Tobias, you couldn't have dressed for dinner?" Evelyn was wearing the same tailored, pearl-gray skirt and blush-pink, silk blouse, but somehow managed to still look as put together as she had when she'd met him at the airport.

Shrugging, Tobias sat at the table in the small dining room of the suite. "I'm going right back to bed after this."

She shook her head and sat across from him. "Image is still important, Tobias."

Ignoring her, Tobias reached for the silver dome over his plate and was pleasantly surprised to see a New York strip steak, roasted potatoes and steamed green beans. He looked up at Evelyn who was smiling at him. "I figured after six weeks, you'd want a good steak."

Tobias smiled back. "Yeah, this is great. Thanks, Mom."

"I know my boy." She removed her dome to reveal poached salmon with wild rice and asparagus. Tobias was grateful she'd remembered his aversion to asparagus as well. They ate quietly for a while before Evelyn sat back, a glass of wine in hand, and fixed her gaze on her son. "So, I assume you took the time to meet with the British officials and some of the businessmen we suggested while you were in Kuala Lumpur."

Tobias hid his sigh by eating a piece of potato. It had not been a question and Tobias had known that his parents would use his trip to further their business contacts for Prior-Eaton. "Yes, Mom. I even introduced Jack Kang to the Malaysian Special Envoy the government assigned to Prior-Eaton." Jack was Prior-Eaton's corporate counsel who'd stopped in Malaysia on his way back to the US from a business trip to India. Tobias' eyes narrowed at the knowing expression on his mother's face. "All of which you already knew," he concluded.

Evelyn gave a sharp smile. "Your father told me to relay his pleasure at the success of your trip."

Tobias shook his head and didn't respond. He'd often thought it was a waste of her talent that she hadn't taken an official position within the company, but he knew that his father preferred Evelyn to simply be a society wife. Marcus, however, was no fool; he knew his wife was extremely intelligent so he used her to his best advantage, which was networking and managing people, often their own son. Between Marcus' business skills and Evelyn's people skills, they made a powerful, yet formidable, couple. Tobias knew his parents didn't love each other – he wondered sometimes if they ever had – but they respected each other enough to create the image of a perfect partnership. Maintaining that image was the single most important thing to both of them.

Putting down her wine glass, Evelyn speared Tobias with another look. "Tobias, your father and I want to talk to you about your plans. It is high time you began thinking of your future."

Tobias let out his groan this time. "Mom, really…"

"No," she said sharply, "we need to talk about this. It is time for you to give up gallivanting around the world and settle down."

"Working with refugees is hardly 'gallivanting,'" he snapped.

"Well, it isn't growing the company," she snapped back. Noting the tightening tic in his jaw, Evelyn sighed and decided to change tactics. "Tobias," she said, her voice softening and becoming reasonable, "you are nearly thirty. You need to settle down, get married, and take your position within the company. We've indulged your whims since your Master's degree, all because we assumed you would use those skills in the business. It's time for you to get serious about that now."

Tobias resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He knew damn well that Marcus and Evelyn had used everything – his Master's in economics, his military service, and even his work with the United Nations and other charities – to their advantage when it suited them. They'd kept a lot of his refugee work quiet, as some of it was in unsavory places that they couldn't use for business, unless it was in the Middle East or Asia where Prior-Eaton could expand. His work with various charities helped Prior-Eaton's public image to be one of the world's most philanthropic businesses. However, Tobias knew the pressure from his parents would only keep rising as long as he was doing what he wanted rather than what they did.

"I spoke with Johanna Reyes last week when she came to do an on-site visit," Tobias admitted. "She is looking for ways to expand Helping Hands and I've been giving her some ideas." Helping Hands Foundation was the culmination of a couple of years of work on Tobias' part. Prior-Eaton had donated to other charities for years, but it had been Tobias' idea to have their own non-profit, created and directly sponsored by Prior-Eaton International Travel. The Foundation was still in its infancy, but thanks to Tobias' connections with the United Nations' High Commissioner for Refugees it was gaining a good reputation.

Evelyn cocked her head to the side, considering. Helping Hands had been a great boon to Prior-Eaton's reputation, largely due to Tobias' efforts. "That's a start." She picked up her fork and finished off the last of her salmon. "Now," she continued, "when you come to London next month, I have several social engagements I'd like you to attend. The Pickington's daughter, Myra, recently broke off her relationship with that model. Thank heavens." Evelyn rolled her eyes, thinking of the handsome but socially inappropriate male model Myra had dated for a year. Tobias' jaw tightened slightly as he knew his mother was still annoyed that he'd dated a model, Lauren Seagram, for two years in graduate school. Evelyn, oblivious to Tobias' annoyance continued outlining her plans. "Her mother and I had lunch recently and Amelia and I thought you two should have dinner." The Pickingtons were cousins to the royal family and Evelyn could almost taste the cachet nobility would add to the Eaton name.

There was a pregnant pause as Tobias finished his steak. "No," he said flatly.

Ignoring him, Evelyn picked up her wine glass and continued, "It would actually be easier if you just moved back to London." Evelyn was American and Tobias was born in Chicago, but she'd always been clear that she preferred her life in Europe. The Eatons had moved to Marcus' childhood home in London permanently when Tobias was sixteen, after the death of his grandfather, and Marcus took over as CEO.

"I said no, Mom."

Putting down her glass with a clink, Evelyn frowned, "Tobias, be reasonable."

"No."

"You have obligations, Tobias Alexander. You can't put them off forever."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He knew where this conversation was going and it was nowhere good. Evelyn would only get angry, call his father, and then he'd have to listen to both of them outline his deficiencies, what they wanted for him, why he should give in and simply do as they say. Part of him had considered it briefly. It would certainly be easier, but Tobias didn't want his parents to pick his wife. "I know, Mom, and I am thinking about the future. I promise."

Evelyn was scarcely mollified and she started to argue further, but as Tobias leaned forward to pour himself more sparkling water, she took a good look at him. He had lost just a bit of weight, not much, but enough that she noticed. There were dark circles beginning to form under his eyes and he looked exhausted. Evelyn sighed and decided to table the conversation for later. A tired Tobias was not a reasonable Tobias. And, she thought to herself, it might be better to simply put Myra in Tobias' path whenever possible. "All right, darling. We can always talk about this later."

Tobias let out a relieved breath. "That would be better. I really just want to relax and go back to sleep."

"Of course, dear." Rising smoothly, Evelyn walked over to the wet bar and reached for a small bottle of cognac on the counter and poured a shot in a snifter glass. She always brought it with her when she traveled as she was convinced the French brandy was the best sleep aid for jet lag. "Here. This should help you sleep." She handed him the glass and ran her hand over his hair. "Tobias, I only want the best for you. I love you."

Guilt warred with annoyance and affection inside him. "I know, Mom. I love you, too."

She kissed him on top of his head. "Get some sleep."

xXx

"What an amazing turn out!" Evelyn crowed. "Everyone we wanted is here and I'm certain they are buying up everything on the runway!"

Tobias had to admit, the charity fashion show had been a smashing success. It wasn't a huge surprise though. Stephanie Emeka had gained quite a reputation for her designs even if many had written her off as a lark when she first retired from modeling. People assumed she was simply arm candy for David Preston, lead singer of the rock band, Blunt Truths, and had no actual talent in fashion. However, in the last ten years, the Ghana-born model-turned-designer had made most of her critics eat their words with her daring runway shows and her even more popular ready-to-wear designs.

Thanks to their daughters' friendship, Natalie Prior and Stephanie had become good friends in the years since Tris and Christina first met as roommates their freshman year in college. A few months ago, Natalie had approached her friend with the idea of using one of her four ready-to-wear shows as a fundraiser for Prior-Eaton. Stephanie used one of those shows every year as a charitable fundraiser and had been happy to donate one to Helping Hands. Stephanie's shows always garnered a lot of attention and as a bonus there was an up-coming feature in Vogue, thanks to Christina's job as a photojournalist there. Given all the publicity of Emeka Designs teaming up with Helping Hands, Tobias was certain next year's fundraiser would be even bigger.

"This did turn out well. And the twenty percent will be a great help to pad Helping Hands' budget." Tobias noted.

"It's quite a coup for Prior-Eaton. I wonder if next year, we can make it into all the major fashion magazines, not just Vogue." Evelyn mused. Then she brightened, "Oh, here comes Natalie."

Tobias looked up and nearly swallowed his tongue. Walking towards them were Natalie, Christina and Tris. All three women were beautiful, but all Tobias could see was Tris. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail, leaving her face unframed but for the ruby, hoop earrings at her ears. She was wearing a cream-colored blouse; the open keyhole in the front just showing the slight swell of her breasts. Her wide-legged, cream-colored, cuffed trousers with their thin red belt swirled around her legs and hinted at the shapely curve beneath them. But sexiest of all were her bright red, peep-toe, sling-back heels. The heels were ridiculously high and Tobias suddenly had an image of those shoes braced against his shoulders as he drove himself inside her. As Tris glided closer, Tobias could see the slight smirk on her lips, the knowing look in those icy-gray eyes. It was all he could do not to pull her to him and do things that would certainly land them on the first page of every gossip magazine in the country.

"Evelyn!" Natalie and Evelyn exchanged air kisses to each cheek. "And Tobias, how good to see you!"

"Thanks, Natalie." Tobias bent down and brushed his lips across her cheek. Turning to Christina he did the same. "Hi, Christina."

"Hi, Tobias. You look exhausted."

Tobias rolled her eyes at Christina's cheerfully delivered honesty. "Gee, thanks."

"Leave him alone, Chris. He's been in Malaysia for over a month," Tris admonished. "Hey, Tobias."

He bent to press a kiss to her cheek, lingering a bit longer than he had with the others. "Hi, Tris." He straightened and saw his own hunger reflected in her eyes. Keeping up this pretense was going to be ridiculously tough, especially in front of an eagle-eyed Christina who rarely missed anything when it came to her best friend.

A waiter approached them carrying champagne on a tray and Tobias plucked off two, handing one each to his mother and Natalie, who were engrossed in conversation about the event. He snagged another two, one for Tris and offered the other to Christina, who shook her head.

"No thanks. I'm still working." She patted the camera around her neck and glanced around. "In fact, I only have a minute before I need to get backstage and interview the models about the show." Tobias nodded, sipping the champagne himself.

"How was Malaysia?" Tris smirked to herself as she already knew the answer to Christina's question. They had kept up a steady stream of text messages while he was gone, but it was the most logical next question. She shifted slightly, moving subtly closer to him. Tobias took a deep breath, the warm vanilla that was Tris' signature scent, teasing his senses. He forced himself to respond to Christina's question when all he wanted to do was grab Tris and pull her tightly against him.

"Busy. It took us several days to off-load all the supplies we brought on the Temperance and to get the refugees settled. Then it took forever to work with the UN and locals to start rebuilding. There were the usual delays – red tape, meetings…" Tobias rolled his eyes. "But in the end, we got a really good start and got a lot of families relocated before I had to head back. There's still a lot of work to be done there."

Christina shook her head. "I can't believe you did all that." Her voice held a note of admiration. "I don't know that I could."

Tobias grinned. "There's always room on our next charitable mission if you want to find out," he teased and Tris laughed while Christina shook her head again.

"No thanks," she said with a laugh. "The jungles of LA are more my speed." Noticing the time, Christina startled slightly. "Oh, I need to get back there. Call me tomorrow, Tris?"

"Sure." Tris waved as her friend hurried back towards the dressing rooms. Turning back to Tobias and their mothers, she caught Tobias draining his glass. Her own fingers tightened on the stem as she watched him, marveling that she could somehow find the way he drank champagne sexy. His cheeks were a little sunken in with weight loss, something that was probably more noticeable because he was clean-shaven now, no doubt Evelyn's influence. Even with the slight weight loss, she could still see the ripple of muscle under his crisp, blue shirt. The first couple of buttons were unbuttoned and Tris could imagine unbuttoning the rest of them, pressing her lips to that tan skin, savoring his taste. After weeks without him, having him this close was beginning to make her twitchy. She was dying to get him alone, but with their mothers with them, it was going to be tricky. A seed of an idea began to germinate.

Evelyn looked up when she realized Christina had left. "Is everything all right with Christina?"

"Oh yes," Tris reassured her, "she just had to head back to get interviews with the models."

Evelyn looked satisfied. "I have to say, this turned out even better than I'd hoped."

Natalie nodded, sipping her champagne. "I agree. I think this will be one of most successful fundraisers to date." Shooting an amused look at Evelyn, she added, "Even better than the art auction, which you said it would be, by the way." With a laugh, Evelyn toasted her, but looked away when she saw someone across the room. "Is that Janice Trent?" she asked excitedly. Natalie turned and gave a little smile.

"It sure is. I wonder how she heard?"

"Who cares?" Evelyn absently placed her half-empty glass on a passing waiter's tray. "A senator's wife coming is always good for us. Tobias, we need to go say hello." Taking her son's hand, she began weaving her way through the crowd towards Janice Trent. Tobias shot Tris and Natalie a helpless look over his shoulder as his mother dragged him off.

Evelyn moved with determination through the crowd, her hand clamped firmly on Tobias' arm. "Hmm, she seems to be alone. I wonder where her daughter is? What's her name…? Oh yes, Nicole."

"Probably rehab," Tobias mumbled. It was well-known that Nicole Trent was a huge party girl and had more than a passing acquaintance with the seedier side of the professional party scene. He'd met Nicole once, about a year before, at a party in New York and had been completely turned off by her. Unfortunately, it was just long enough for someone to snap their picture and make his mother consider a family connection to a US Senator.

Evelyn shot him a dirty look over her shoulder. "Be nice," she ordered. They quickly reached Janice's side, a warm smile planted firmly on Evelyn's face. "Janice! I thought that was you!"

Janice Trent turned to Evelyn and smiled, a practiced politician's wife's smile. "Evelyn, how wonderful to see you. I'm so glad I could support Prior-Eaton."

"We certainly appreciate it. The charitable portion of the proceeds will go a long way to helping us get Helping Hands on its feet." Evelyn practically oozed charm. "Oh, have you met my son, Tobias? He just returned from Malaysia where we lent our ship, Temperance, to the relief efforts there."

Tobias turned on his professional smile and held out his hand. "It's lovely to finally meet you, Mrs. Trent."

"I believe Tobias and your daughter know each other. Is Nicole here? I'm sure Tobias would love to see her again." She shot a smile full of warning to her son. Tobias suppressed the sigh at her not-so-subtle attempt at matchmaking. Evelyn had very definitive ideas about the right woman for him. Those ideas certainly didn't match with Tobias'.

"Unfortunately, no. She's suffering from a sinus infection so she's sadly at home."

It was all Tobias could do to suppress a snort, convinced that Nicole's "sinus infection" was most likely code for "rehab". Rumor had it that Nicole had a taste for cocaine.

"Oh, well, I certainly hope she feels better soon! It would be wonderful if we could all get together for dinner at some point. Of course, I'll have to drag Marcus here from London," Evelyn laughed lightly. "He's such a workaholic!"

Janice rolled her baby-blue eyes. "Tell me about it. Why just last week, Jack told me they'd scheduled three town halls for his next recess!"

Tobias felt his eyes glaze over as his mother chatted amicably with the senator's wife. To his enormous relief, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Turning slightly away, he pulled it out and opened the touchscreen.

Go out the doors on your left. Turn left. At end of hallway, turn right. Third door on the right. Now.

Suppressing a grin at Tris' cryptic message, he turned to his mother and Janice Trent with an apologetic smile. "Excuse me, please, ladies, I need to make an important call. Mother, I'll catch back up with you after I deal with this."

As her hopes for putting Tobias in front of a senator's daughter were dashed, Evelyn smiled generously. "Of course, son."

"It was lovely to meet you, Mrs. Trent. Give Nicole my best." He shook her hand and made his way to the doors on the left side of the ballroom. Turning left, he made his way through the hallways as Tris had instructed. When he reached the third door, he looked over his shoulder and knocked lightly. The door opened a little and Tris quickly grabbed his arm, pulling him inside.

She pushed him back against the door, closing it firmly behind him. Tobias reached back with one hand, flipping the lock as he pulled Tris to him with the other. He kissed her deeply, wrapping his arms around her waist. Tris kissed him back just as fervently, her hands clutching his shoulders. Even with the high heels, Tris had to stand on her tiptoes, practically climbing his tall frame to get closer to his mouth. She pushed his jacket off his shoulders, her fingers attacking the buttons on his shirt just as she had fantasized about earlier. Tobias fumbled a little pulling the gauzy shirt out of her pants so he could touch her soft skin.

Tris wrenched her mouth away from his and drew in a shuddering breath. "I couldn't wait any longer," she gasped.

He chuckled, his fingers lightly dancing along the skin on the small of her back. "I'm glad. I needed the rescue." Cupping her face in his hands, he brushed his lips gently against hers. "I'm so sorry Evelyn hijacked our time together."

Tris shrugged, her hands dancing down his naked chest to his pants. "Not your fault. We'll just have to make the most of this right now."

Shrugging out of his shirt, Tobias carefully unhooked her pants, dropping them to the floor. "We'll have to be quick," he warned, lifting her into his arms and stepping around their discarded clothes, carried her the short distance to the sink. Setting her on the edge of the counter, he ran his hands up her thighs, fingering her blouse. "How do you get this thing off?"

Tris chuckled, unbuckling his belt and pants. "It hooks in the back, but it's too much hassle. Leave it on."

He nodded, capturing her lips again, enjoying the feel of her hands pushing his boxers down. He broke the kiss to step aside, kicking them out of the way and grasped the thin material of her bikini underwear. Staring into her eyes, he slowly lowered them, throwing them behind him. Stepping between her open thighs, he growled, "The shoes stay on."

Tris gave a deep throaty laugh as Tobias lowered his head, nibbling on her neck. Their hands roamed each other's bodies, relearned every curve, every favorite spot. Tobias was a little bummed he wouldn't get his hands on her breasts this time around and made a mental note to spend plenty of time worshiping them the next time.

As his fingers danced over her warm, wet center, Tobias was absolutely certain there would be a next time. This thing with Tris, whatever it was, was beginning to take on a life of its own. It wasn't just sex, there was something more there. Every phone call, every text message, only seemed to draw them closer together. Sliding his fingers inside her, Tobias felt his heart racing at her gasp.

Clutching his shoulder, Tris groaned out, "Now. No teasing. I need you now."

He grasped her hips in his hands, pulling her to the edge of the counter and slid deep inside her. They moaned together, the pleasure of being connected again heightened by the urgency of their coupling. Tris cupped his cheeks in her hands, bringing her lips to his. She kissed him deeply, tongues entwining, as he held her hips tightly, thrusting inside her in a steady rhythm. Breaking the kiss, she let her head fall back, reveling in the feel of his body moving inside hers. No one had ever made her feel the way Tobias did and Tris was determined to enjoy every second of it.

Taking advantage of her position, Tobias nibbled her exposed neck, increasing his speed. He wasn't sure how long he could last so he slipped his hand between them, further opening her to him, his thumb pressing and moving in small circles over her. He pressed his lips to hers, capturing her cry, just in case someone outside could hear them. Her muscles fluttered tightly around him and he couldn't hold out any longer. He let go, moaning against her lips.

Tris hugged him tightly to her as they caught their breath. Pulling back, Tobias cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. "I can't wait another eight weeks for this," he whispered.

She covered his hands with hers. "I don't think I can either. That was entirely too good." She kissed him again lightly and slid off the counter. They cleaned themselves up, pulling on and straightening clothes. As Tris stood in front of the mirror reapplying her lipstick, Tobias wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"When do you think you can get away?"

Recapping her lipstick, she met his eyes in the mirror. "Probably in March. My parents will be spending a few weeks in Geneva so they won't notice I'm gone."

"Why don't we sneak up to Canada and ski? I've got some time and I have a great place we can go. It'll just be you and me, no neighbors, next to a resort. Just us."

Tris looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "I thought you didn't ski."

"I don't. I just want a whole week with you."

Tris grinned and turned in his arms, draping hers around his neck. "A whole week alone with you…? Whatever will we do with ourselves?"

Tobias grinned back. "We can play Twister. Naked."

Laughing she tightened her arms around him. She loved that he could make her laugh. Most of the men she'd dated in the past had been too stuffy, too much a part of the world she did her best to escape. She'd thought that about him and was continually delighted to discover how wrong she was. "I think that can be arranged. After that, we go into full-blown wedding mode." Tris let out a breath. "It'll be a wonderful to have a rest before the insanity."

"I thought the wedding wasn't until August." He frowned.

Tris laughed, "Oh, you have no idea, poor man."

"So, March?"

She nodded. "March."

Tobias bent his head and kissed her again. "I miss you already."

Tris smiled against his lips as her heart beat faster. She had tried to tell herself that this was just sex, but standing here in his arms, she began to wonder if she could keep it to that. Tobias was the most intriguing man she'd met in a very long time. "I'll go out first, then you can come."

"Already did."

She slapped him on the chest as he laughed. Picking up her purse, she shot him a saucy grin as she slipped out the door. Closing it behind her, she leaned against it for a moment, her eyes closed, letting her breathing return to normal. What am I getting myself into? Pushing herself upright, she took a deep breath and prepared to return to the after-party.