Tris Prior's relationship with Tobias had gone from sizzling hot to fizzling out. He spent a lot of time picking up extra shifts in the Control Room which left Tris alone most nights after her shift at the Tattoo Parlor ended. One night, she decided to go to the Pit for a drink to relieve her boredom and ended up drinking the evening away with none other than the cold-hearted, ruthless Dauntless leader, Eric Coulter. They developed a rapport and soon Tris became Eric's preferred tattoo artist. They spent many evenings together over the following weeks flirting with each other as Tris completed one exquisite piece of artwork after another on Eric. One night, after Tris finished up yet another beautiful tattoo on him, Eric made her an offer she couldn't refuse.
He never tired of the site of her on her hands and knees in front of him. Eric grunted as he held onto her hips and continued to thrust in and out of her at a relentless pace. Tris met him thrust for thrust and mewled as he hit that special spot inside of her that only he could reach. He slapped her ass repeatedly until it was bright red. The stinging sensation pushed Tris that much closer to her climax. "Come for me, Baby. I want to feel you squeeze my cock." Eager for her orgasm to consume her, she obeyed Eric's command. She slipped her fingers between her soaking folds and began pinching her highly aroused bundle. It only took a few tweaks of her fingers before her body became engulfed in euphoria. Her walls formed a vice around Eric's dick first before they relaxed and began to flutter. Eric became rigid and grunted as his own orgasm pulsated through him, releasing his seed deep inside of Tris.
He slumped over her, wrapping one arm around her waist and holding his weight with the other so he wouldn't crush her petite body. They stayed that way until Eric finally softened and slipped out from her. He then rolled onto the bed and pulled her against him. Tris snuggled into his side and laid her head on his chest. They laid there relishing in the afterglow of another satisfying sexual encounter; Tris mindlessly played with his chest hair while Eric slid his fingers up and down her spine.
All too soon they were brought out of their blissful state by an annoying beep from Tris' phone indicating she had a text. She groaned as she pulled away from the warmth that Eric's body radiated. She already knew who the message was from before she even picked up her phone. Another groan escaped her lips when the sender was confirmed. She laid the phone down and rolled back into Eric's awaiting arms. "I don't want you to go." Eric said, already knowing she would still leave.
She pressed her lips to his and poured all the feelings she had for him into it. Their tongues danced together in perfect harmony. They only broke apart when oxygen became an issue. "I don't want to." She whispered.
Eric pulled Tris up until she was straddling him. He sat up and leaned forward until their naked chests were flush against each other. The feel of her hardened nipples pressed up against him made his cock twitch beneath her. Tris moaned at the feel of him hardening.
It was pure agony every time she had to leave him. "I'm tired of sharing you with him."
Tris cupped his face in her hands and pressed her forehead to his. Tears filled her eyes. "Eric, please don't make this any more difficult for me."
Eric conceded and nodded in agreement. "I'm sorry. I just don't know how much longer I can stand by and watch the two of you together. I want you with me. I want us to start a life together. I love you, Tris."
Tris jerked her head away in utter shock at his words. "You love me?"
"Tris…I-I-I…" Eric stuttered. "Fuck!" he growled to himself in humiliation at his confession of his feelings for her.
"Eric, I…I thought we agreed this thing between us was just going to be about having some fun together. It was just supposed to be about sex. I didn't think you wanted any more than that."
Eric cradled Tris' face between his hands. He sighed heavily trying to decide how to proceed. After a few moments he finally decided to no longer be a coward held hostage by his feelings for the beautiful woman in front of him. "You're right. That's what I wanted when we started our little rendezvous. And, honestly, fucking Four's girlfriend behind his back was an added bonus." Tris broke eye contact with him because of her guilt from betraying her boyfriend with his sworn enemy. "Hey, Tris, look at me." She refused to do so and tried to pull away from Eric's grasp but he refused to let her go.
"Look. At. Me." He commanded in his stern leader voice. Finally relenting, Tris brought her eyes back to Eric's as tears threatened to break though. Once Eric had her attention again, he continued. "But sometime during the last few months, I began to admire you for the strong, brave, confident, ass-kicking woman that you are. That admiration turned into love. I didn't plan for it to happen but it did. I love you."
Tris was rendered speechless. She never expected the ruthless Dauntless leader to have any feelings towards her other than lust. For months, she had suppressed her feelings for the man she was currently straddling. She had fallen in love with him too and had wanted more from their relationship but settled for what she could get. She believed it was better to have a few stolen hours of the most satisfying sex she had ever had than to have nothing at all with Eric.
The silence that fell between them was deafening. Eric took her silence to mean she did not reciprocate his feelings. He honestly didn't blame her. He was a cold-hearted and cruel bastard who did nothing to deserve the love of a good woman like her. When Tris finally opened her mouth to speak, he pressed a finger to her lips to hush her. He couldn't bear to hear her rejection. He rather that it be left unsaid. He cupped her face in his calloused hands and placed a chaste kiss to her forehead.
"You should get dressed and go. You don't want Number Boy to get suspicious."
He lifted her from his lap and crawled out of bed in a desperate attempt to leave the room before his own tears trickled down his face. He picked up his boxer briefs and slid them on before walking out of the bedroom to the kitchen.
Tris sat on the bed, stunned at what had just transpired between them. She didn't mean to make the situation awkward between them from her lack of response to his confession. When the shock had worn off and she finally found her voice, she was ready to confess her love in return to him but Eric had stopped her and all but told her to leave.
Feeling confused, Tris slowly rose from the bed and began the hunt for her clothes. She heard the refrigerator door open and a cap popping from a bottle. A few moments later she heard another cap popping and then another a few moments later. Eric's quick consumption of that many alcoholic beverages in such short time span had her extremely concerned. She knew he could hold his liquor but three beers in five minutes was a bit excessive, even for him.
Once Tris had found all of her clothes and redressed, she cautiously made her way to the living room and towards the door following Eric's request to leave. She hesitated briefly; she did not want to leave without clearing the air between them. Nor did she want to leave Eric alone as he was obviously drinking himself in a stupor. But her time to get home to Tobias was quickly fading. She also knew that trying to talk to Eric in his current state would only lead to an argument and she did not want to end the night with either of them saying hurtful, regrettable words to one another.
Just as her hand touched the door handle, Eric finally spoke. Desperately trying to keep his voice from wavering, he said. "I think it's best for everyone's benefit that we end this tonight."