"You really like the new apartment, don't you?" I ask. I'm lying completely naked on the living room floor wrapped around Tobias' equally naked body, leisurely running my fingertips over the patch of Dauntless flames that cover his right ribcage. When he doesn't answer my question, I tilt my head back and meet his steady loving gaze. He smiles at me, and a swarm of butterflies take up residence in my tummy. Am I always going to have this reaction to him? I slide up a little bit and lightly press my lips to his. He gently strokes my back while he tenderly kisses me.
"I absolutely love the new apartment, and I look forward to many happy years there," he says, slightly breathless when our lips part. "But I'll never forget the memories we've made and continue to make here in our first home." We just made love two more times adding to the memory cache; the first time was on the kitchen island, and the second time started on the couch and ended here where we're lying on the floor.
"When do you want to tell the kids that we're moving?" I ask, suddenly getting just as excited as he is. He shifts under me, and I move away from him. He rolls us until he's hovering above me then kisses my mouth passionately, letting his tongue tangle with mine, and then he trails kisses down my body until he's worshipping my growing bump.
"Teagan Grace Eaton, Mommy and Daddy are going to move the family down the hall to a much bigger place. You'll have your own bedroom with your own bathroom but don't expect to be spoiled. No! Mommy and Daddy will never let that happen." I can't help but laugh as he announces our plans to our unborn daughter. Sometimes he can be silly. "Daddy can't wait for you to make an appearance so that he can meet you. I love you so much, Peanut. You are one of the four best things to ever happen to me." He continues running his hands and lips over my swollen abdomen while he talks. When he's finished, he trails kisses back up my body until his lips land roughly on mine again. I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him with a joyful exuberance. I love him so, so very much. "One down, two to go. How about we tell Tyler and Tessa tomorrow?"
"That sounds like a plan," I say still chuckling. "Do we have to tell anyone we're taking that apartment?"
"I've already let Tori, Will, and Harrison know," he says. "Are there any changes you want to make?"
"I think the entire apartment needs painted," I say. "All the woodwork needs a fresh coat of a softer white. Right now it's so bright it hurts my eyes. I would like the entire downstairs and our master suite including the powder room and our bathroom to be the same color blue as we have here. That way what we have will still match. I think we should let Tyler pick out a theme and paint color for his room. He'll love that. We can pick a theme for Tessa's room and the nursery and have the other rooms painted the same soft white as the wood work."
"We'll need some more furniture," he says, a happy sparkle in his eyes.
"I swear you are the only man I know who likes to shop," I say with a giggle, shaking my head. He shrugs his shoulders at me.
"If it's for our home, I love it," he says. "Shopping for clothes … not my thing."
"I know," I say.
"Are you hungry?" he asks.
"How about we take a shower and then you can make me some supper," I say feeling the need to get up off the cold, unyielding floor.
"Sounds like a great idea," he says. He gets to his feet and helps me to mine. I start toward the stairs when he grabs me and swings me up into his arms causing a giggle to escape my lips. He has me giggling a lot today. "I wanted to thank you for a very diverting afternoon, Mrs. Eaton. This morning was emotionally draining with the service and seeing Marcus and Ethan Black but being locked away with you this afternoon has really helped." He touches his lips to mine, kissing me briefly before sitting me on my feet in front of the shower. I open the frosted glass door and find the perfect temperature before stepping into the swirling steam. I feel Tobias right behind me, and I relax into his body as I enjoy the hot water as it rains down over our bodies.
"As much as I've always enjoyed myself in this shower I can't wait for the first one in the new apartment," I say. Tobias moves us out of the water, picks my coconut-scented body wash up off the shelf, and creates a thick, rich lather between his large hands. "It's what, three times the size of this one, and did you see all the showerheads and body jets?" He's running his soaped-up hands all over my back and shoulders, massaging the lather into my body and I moan. "Mmm … that feels so good, baby." He reaches around and rubs the lather into my collar bones, chest, and heavy breasts; down and over my swollen abdomen; and down to my feet and back up again. I smile when I feel his lips on my neck but my breath hitches when I feel his fingers move between my legs. He thoroughly cleans my sex with his slippery fingers then moves me under the spray of water to wash off all the lather, leaving me feeling achy, needy. He turns me around, ensuring that I've been completely rinsed off then he leans down and places a soft kiss on my lips.
"My turn," he says. I smile at him, never taking my eyes off his as I reach for his body wash. I pour a large amount into my hands and work up a lather then step closer to him and run my hands over his shoulders.
"You have such broad, sexy shoulders," I say as I dig my fingers into the flesh making him moan. I move my hands down both arms and glide my fingers over the well-defined muscles. "Your arms are so strong. I love how they feel when they're wrapped around me." I thoroughly wash each hand, concentrating on each finger. "The tips of each your fingers have calluses on them. It makes your touch amazing, rough and gentle at the same time. They feel so good whether they're gliding gently down my body or thrusting roughly inside of me." I hear his breathing increase in direct correlation to my words, and his eyes dilate. I smile inwardly at the fact that I can arouse this perfect specimen of the male form. A come-and-get-me smile turns up my lips as I move my hands over the rippling muscles of his firm, smooth back while pressing my body up against his. I watch as his eyes darken further with desire. "You're very well-built, Mr. Eaton. I knew that the first time I watched you walk away from me. I couldn't take my eyes off of you, and I couldn't help but wonder what you looked like under your clothes." I slide my hands down and knead the tender flesh of his backside before slowly sinking to my knees, continuing my journey south down his thick, muscular thighs and strong, powerful legs to his sexy as hell feet and back up again. He gasps when I get to my feet and take his full throbbing erection in my dainty hand to thoroughly wash him. "It still amazes me that this fits inside of me. You're. So. Big." I push us back until the water is washing all evidence of my exploration away. I continue slowly stroking his hard length while I gaze into his eyes. "Do you have any idea how much I love having you inside me? You fill me so full. It's almost too much but it's the most amazing feeling in the world. If I had to do just one thing for the rest of my life, I would make sure that it was make love with you." He can't stand anymore, and his mouth slams into mine. The kiss is aggressive, fierce, and mind-blowingly intoxicating. I can no longer think straight from the lack of oxygen to my brain. When we part, we both gasp for much-needed air.
"God, I want you so much right now," he roughly says. "I swear if I'm not inside you soon, I'm going to explode."
"I'm all yours," I huskily say. He swiftly turns me around, and I place my hands on the wet tile wall. He lifts my right leg up on to the shower seat, bends me over further, and then fills me fully in one swift motion. I gasp and he groans at the intimate contact. He turns my head and seeks out my mouth, kissing me forcefully. His tongue thrusts into my mouth, claiming it once again as his own. We let our tongues tangle while he begins to hastily move back and forth inside me. "Slow, baby. Slow." He slows his powerful thrusts, letting me get used to his welcome invasion. "Oh, that's it, baby. So good." He slips his hand between my thighs and finds my throbbing nubbin with his fingers and I gasp. "Oh, God!"
"I love how you feel around me," he says in my ear. "You keep squeezing me, love. You're so damn tight."
"You're so big," I gasp as I clench around his shaft and he hisses in my ear.
"Just like that. You have no idea what you do to me. God, I love you." I try to tell him I love him, too, but my brain stopped functioning. He incessantly circles the highly sensitive bundle of nerves with the lightest touch of the pad of his fingers, the all too familiar pressure building and building as he increases the intensity and speed of each thrust. The sound of our heavy breathing and the spray from the shower bouncing off our colliding bodies is interrupted by our shared screams of fulfillment. He thrusts into my spasming depths a few more times before emptying himself fully. He pants heavily in my ear as I suck in lungful's of air. He pulls out of me, and I turn in his arms. He finds my mouth, and we give each other a warm, loving kiss.
"Baby, you've exhausted me." I can't help the yawn that escapes my mouth.
"I'd say I'm sorry but I'm not," he says with his cocky I-just-made-Tris-come-harder-than-hell grin on his face.
"I think I need a nap," I murmur. "I have time, don't I?" If I don't get a nap I definitely will pass out in front of everyone.
"Of course," he says. "We don't have to be there until 9:00 or 9:30 but you know we could always skip it." Is it just me or is his expression hopeful? I know why he's talking about missing the "party of the century" as Uriah likes to call it. We've both been avoiding Zeke since yesterday. A groan involuntarily escapes my lips, and he gives me a funny look.
"I was thinking about Zeke," I say, my skin flushing red. "How am I going to make it through tonight? You know my blush is going to give something away."
"Just tell everyone you're hot from the layers you'll be wearing," he says with sympathetic eyes. He turns the water off after we quickly finish our shower. We step out into the chilled air of the bathroom and I shiver. Tobias grabs an oversized fluffy towel and wraps it around my shoulders while vigorously running his hands up and down my arms trying to get me warm. I thoroughly dry myself as he grabs a towel for himself. After towel drying my hair, I go lie down on our bed. I feel the blanket settle over me but I can't open my eyes to tell him thank you.
My eyes pop open when I hear a loud clatter, and I jump out of bed. I slip into my black satin robe as I quickly make my way down the stairs. Tobias is practically standing on his head trying to get the stock pot out of the cupboard, and he's making a hell of a racket.
"How's a girl supposed to get any sleep in this joint?" I ask, feigning irritability. At the sound of my voice, he rears up and hits his head on the countertop with a loud thud. Oh! I rush to his side as he stands rubbing his head. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. Are you okay?" I run my fingers through his hair and find the beginnings of a knot. "Sit." I push him onto one of the barstools and go to the freezer. I take out an icepack and wrap it in a dish towel then press it to his injury. I tilt his chin up so I can look in his eyes to assess the damage but his pupils are thankfully their normal size. I don't want a repeat of Christmas night.
"I didn't mean to wake you, love," he says as he wraps his arms around me and draws me closer. "I was going to make us some sausage potato soup for supper but now I don't think I want to cook. My head kind of hurts but I know something that will make me feel better." I didn't even notice he had untied the sash of my robe until I feel his hands on my naked body.
"Oh, no, baby," I murmur against his lips. "If we make love again I'm not leaving this apartment tonight."
"That sounds like a wonderful idea," he says. Our kiss deepens as he slowly slides my robe off my shoulders right before his phone buzzes. "Saved by the buzz." He laughs until he sees it's Zeke then he becomes sullen. I can tell that he's debating on whether to answer or not. "What," he growls into the receiver after making his decision. I break his grip and slide my robe back on. Why does my self-control evaporate around him? I point toward the stairs after I put the ice pack away and he nods. I hear him muttering into the phone but I can't make out exactly what he's saying, which is probably for the best. I don't need to be reminded of our foolishness in the fear landscape room. I shudder at the thought. I go into the bathroom and try to get my hair to lay down before I give up and hop in the shower. After I wash my hair again, I drag my dryer out of the linen closet and style my hair.
"That's better," I say into the mirror.
"It sure is," Tobias says from the doorway.
"How did you keep from laughing your head off at me earlier?" I ask. "I could barely get the comb through it and nothing I did would make it lay down."
"You're always beautiful to me," he says. "You know that." I roll my eyes at his insanity.
"What did Zeke want?" I ask. He sighs at the mention of his best friend.
"To make sure that we're attending tonight's festivities," he says with an odd tone. I want to ask him about it but I decide to dismiss it instead.
"And?"
"As much as I would like to stay here with you and your divine nakedness," his fingers dance over each shoulder down to my breasts making me tingle, "I promised him we would go. I was ensured that we would be summoned by Purple-Hair and Snake-Tattoo, as you like to call them, if we didn't. I thought I would save us all the trouble. Let's get ready and get something to eat. I'm starving. My wife made me work up quite an appetite today. She couldn't keep her hands off of me." I scoff but he just grins wickedly and wags his brows at me. We head into our bedroom and put on as many layers as possible. I have on a set of basic black lingerie topped by a running bra and shorts. Next I put on a camisole and skin-tight leggings. "You look cute."
"I'm going to be so uncomfortable with all these clothes on that I'll be refusing people just so I can take some off."
"I'd prefer you only take your clothes off for me," he says with a smirk. I slide a skirt up my legs and look in the mirror. Not bad. I put on a loose black racer back tank top and a black denim vest. Okay, I swear I look like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. This is ridiculous. He slips his arms around me and kisses my temple, seemingly knowing what's running through my head. "Do you know what I see when I look at you?" I shake my head at him. "I not only see the beautiful woman who is having my daughter but I see my amazing wife who stands by my side during the good times and the bad; I see my best friend who I can tell any secret to, laugh heartily together with, who cheers me when I'm down, and stand up for me and next to me; I see my lover who keeps me sexually satisfied … so satisfied. You are beautiful, Beatrice Grace Eaton. Yes, there's a little more of you to love right now but you need to remember that this is a little person in here, a very precious little person who our love made. I love you, Tris." I feel the tears in my eyes start to overflow. "Don't cry, love. I don't want my words to upset you?"
"They didn't," I say, wiping the tears away before I have to reapply my makeup. "You're so sweet and understanding. I love you." I turn in his arms and look up at him with a huge smile, which seems to make him a little dazed. "Can you believe that we met one year ago on Monday?"
"I thank my lucky stars every single day that you chose Dauntless. I'd hate to picture my life without you."
"Don't," I say as my stomach growls.
"I better feed you," he says with a chuckle right before his tummy rumbles. A fit of giggles overwhelm me and soon tears are streaming down my face again. "Let's go, love." After I check the damage the tears made, he takes my hand and leads me down the winding path to the Pit for a late supper in the cafeteria. When we pass by the closed auditorium doors we can hear shuffling and banging noises. I wonder what those two have planned. "What can I get for you?"
"Why don't you surprise me," I say as I sit at our vacated table after I give him a quick kiss. I calm tremendously when I see Zeke isn't here.
"Hey, Tris," Nathan says as he steps up to the end of the table. "Are you going to the big party tonight?"
"Yeah," I say with a chuckle. The buzz in the air about the party is tangible and finally has me excited about it. "I was told you were invited. I'm so glad."
"It seems that being your uncle has opened some doors for me," he says with a genuine smile. "I'm just kidding but Callen and I will both be there."
"That's great," I say. "I look forward to seeing you both."
"Hi, Nathan," Tobias says as he sets a plate of meatloaf, five cheese scalloped potatoes, seasoned string beans with bacon, and mixed fruit salad in front of me. Damn that looks good. I don't wait before digging in. "How are you?"
"I'm good," he says. "I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with Callen tonight. Well, I won't keep you two anymore. I'll see you later." I turn my attention back to the food after telling him goodbye and practically swoon. Everything tastes wonderful.
"I'm going to get some cake," I say when I finish the last bite of meatloaf. "Do you want a slice? Chocolate?" He nods so I get us each a big slice. My face falls when I return to the table and see Zeke sitting next to Tobias with what can only be classified as an evil grin.
"Good evening, Tris," he says. Even though there's no innuendo or double entendre in his greeting, I can't bring myself to meet his eyes, and I blush violently at the memory of what he saw.
"Hey," I squeak.
"I just stopped by to make sure Four is going to come tonight," he says with the devil's gleam in his eyes and then he adds, "To the party." I hear Tobias growl, and Zeke just grins wider. I roll my eyes and shake my head. Is this what tonight is going to be like? No, that's probably an understatement. This is what the rest of our lives is going to be like.
"Four and I are moving into a bigger apartment," I say, trying to change the subject. "When we get moved in, we'll have a party on the rooftop patio."
"Rooftop patio?" he asks. Mission accomplished, Tris! I silently congratulate myself. "Wow that sounds fancy-schmancy. I can't wait to see it." We tell him about every detail of the new apartment while we eat our cake, and he silently hangs on every word, which has to be difficult for him.
"What made you decide to get a new place?" he asks. "You've always seemed quite content with your apartment."
"That's easy," I say. I point to my expanding abdomen. "We really don't have any place for this little one." One of his teasing smiles transforms his face and I sigh. Here it comes.
"Growing family," he mumbles. "I completely understand." He looks at his phone and gets up from the table. "I'll see you guys in a little bit. It's going to be an epic night." We watch as he walks away.
"I basically left the door wide open for some sort of crack, and he didn't take it," I say, confused.
"That's because I threatened him with bodily harm if he teases you, Tris, and he agreed," Tobias says. "I told him I'm fair game but to leave you out of it. He's scared just enough of me to heed my warning."
"That's not fair," I say, leaning toward him and lowering my voice. "You weren't alone in that room." He leans in close to me and gives me a tender kiss.
"No one will hurt you, love. Not even in jest," he says. "I won't allow it."
"I love you," I say.
"I love you, too," he says. He clears our dinner and dessert plates and holds his hand out to me. "Shall we?"