"Yeah?" Tommy quipped into his phone impatiently.
"You're up on the site," Yaeger stated matter-of-factly.
"Good to know," Tommy replied sarcastically.
Yaeger let out a chuckle… "this is painful to watch, man. Loosen up! You're acting like cops… Not a couple."
"Yeah… I guess I'm out of practice," Tommy admitted quietly, nodding to himself.
"Well, you need to sell it. He's watching you," Yaeger replied, his tone firmer this time.
Tommy winced slightly. "I'll do my best," he conceded as he hung up and headed back towards the couch.
He sat down right beside Lindy, chucked his phone down on the coffee table and grabbed his half-full glass of wine. Tommy's unexpected closeness surprised her a little, but Lindy didn't shift away from him.
He stared down into his wine glass.
"Everything ok?" Lindy questioned.
Tommy sucked in a short breath and looked over at her. He needed a moment to figure out what to say.
"Yeah... you know… work… always getting in the way of our romantic getaways," he lied, giving her an awkward smile.
Lindy nodded, but the baffled look in her eyes showed that she wasn't entirely sure what he was getting at.
Tommy turned his attention back to his wine glass and quickly drained everything left in it. Then he placed the empty glass down on to the coffee table. Unwilling to meet her gaze, he rubbed his knuckles across his lips, trying to build up his nerve for what was coming next.
He had thought about kissing Lindy before. Quite a bit in the last few weeks, in fact. Definitely, a lot more than he was willing to admit to himself. But not like this. Never as an act, in front of audience of perverts. Never because they had too. The thought of how she might react was terrifying.
"Just do it," he urged himself silently. "You can do this."
Finally, he risked looking over towards her. Before he could second guess himself, Tommy reached over and gently tucked her hair behind her ear. Then, he carefully rested his hand on her back. Lindy's eyes betrayed her surprise and confusion.
With his heart racing, he leaned in and whispered right into her ear. "They're watching," he said so softy that she almost didn't hear him.
This was the closest that they had ever been to one another. Tommy found it intoxicating, thrilling and petrifying at the same time.
Reluctantly, he came back to face her. They were still only inches apart. Unconsciously, he glanced at her lips before lifting his eyes to meet hers. He raised his eyebrows ever so slightly and gave her a questioning nod… trying desperately to secure her approval on what needed to happen next.
Tommy hesitated for a moment, then quickly leaned in and kissed her, softly biting her bottom lip.
To his surprise, she returned his kiss. He felt her tongue lightly brush his top lip. So, he deepened the kiss, cautiously raising his other hand towards her… his thumb just barely grazing her jawline and his long fingers gently resting on her slender neck.
Suddenly, Lindy pulled away from him and stood up off the couch.
"Ahh…." she started, then paused trying to gather herself. "We should get ready for bed," she suggested uncertainly.
Tommy couldn't respond. He was still trying desperately to pull himself together.
"Right?" Lindy pressed.
Finally, Tommy got his brain to work and managed to get a clumsy "yeah" out in response.
He looked down at his feet. Then up at the ceiling. Anywhere but her beautiful brown eyes.
"Yeah… sure… whatever you say," he said trying to hide the disappointment in his voice.
Lindy turned and headed in to the bedroom.
Still sitting on the couch, trying to pull himself together, Tommy took a strained breath and let it out slowly.
Lindy dropped her phone on the white dressing table that sat across from the bed and stared at her reflection in the large mirror hung directly above it. Still in shock and unsure of what to do about what just happened, she reached up and tried to rub the tension out of her neck.
Just then, Tommy crossed the room behind her heading towards the bathroom. His shirt was already undone and off his shoulders. As he walked, he reached behind his back and pulled each of his muscular arms out of their respective sleeves, one at a time. Once he was free of his shirt, he bunched it up and tossed it on the floor.
Lindy couldn't help but steal a glace as he passed. Obviously, she had noticed his height before. Especially considering that he towered over her by over a foot. But, she had never considered what was under those long-sleeved button-up dress shirts. He had smooth skin. Strong, broad shoulders and a powerful, well-built back, leading down to a lean waist.
She glared at herself in the mirror, giving herself a mental pep talk about keeping it together.
When Tommy finished in the bathroom, he threw himself down on the right side of the bed. Lindy silently counted her blessings that he still has his pants on and escaped into the bathroom herself.