"Tris, love, it's time to get up. Wake up, sleepy head." I grunt, resisting opening my weighted eyelids. "Come on, Beatrice Grace Eaton. I let you sleep as long as I could. You need to get up." I struggle to open my eyes and finally manage to drag them open. "There's your beautiful eyes. Good morning, my Six." He doesn't call me that often so it brings a smile to my lips.
"Four," I groggily say. He leans over and lightly presses his lips to mine and gives me a soft good morning kiss. "What time is it?"
"It's a quarter to 7," he says. That wakes me up.
"Why didn't you get me up earlier?" I ask as I flip the covers off me and quickly get out of bed … well as quickly as I can at nearly nine months pregnant. I frantically move throughout our bedroom picking out clothes for today.
"Hey, hey. Slow down," he says, grabbing my arm and pulling me to him. "I got Tyler up and dressed. I gave Tessa a bottle and put her in the cutest little outfit. All you have to do is take a shower and get ready to go to breakfast. I think I left you plenty of time." I throw my arms around his neck and pull his mouth to mine for a slow, unhurried kiss.
"Good morning, Mr. Eaton," I breathlessly say, panting.
"God, I never tire of hearing you say that," he roughly says, still winded himself. "Good morning, Mrs. Eaton. Get ready. We'll be downstairs waiting for you."
"Okay," I say. I give him a sweet little kiss on the cheek then swat his behind as I sashay to the closet.
"You're in a good mood today," he says.
"I feel great right now," I say. "There's no pain in my back. My hormones seem in check. I have tons of energy. I could probably pack the entire apartment by myself but I want to go to the control room with you this afternoon. That's if you don't mind."
"I'm fine with it," he says. "Just promise to call it quits if you get too tired."
"I can do that," I say. "You better check on the kids. They're being much too quiet."
"Okay. I'll be downstairs. I love you."
"I love you, too," I say. "Now leave me alone."
"Your wish is my command, love," he calls out as he moves down the hall toward the stairs and I shake my head. That man! I open my closet and pick out an outfit then head into the bathroom. I'm in and out of the shower within five minutes just like most days. After I rub my coconut oil lotion all over my body, focusing on my belly, I slip into the comfortable black yoga pants, dark gray and black wide stripped tank top, and black walking shoes. I style my hair then pull out my makeup bag. Hhm. Where's my eyeliner? Why can't I find it? I just used it yesterday. Did I not put it away? I search the sink top and all around the vanity on the floor but still don't see it. I go to my little-used makeup basket with the intention of grabbing my black eyeliner and find my everyday soft gray liner. How? Am I losing my mind? I know damn well I didn't put it there but I guess if I dropped it Tobias might have put it in there. I grab the liner and quickly do my makeup then put it all away and wipe off the sink. After I turn off the light, I head downstairs.
"Alright, who's ready to go to breakfast?" I ask. Tobias gets up off the couch and hands me Tessa who smiles her wide toothless grin when she sees me. She's absolutely adorable in the sleeveless slate blue peasant shirt with a floral design on the neckline, floral shorts, and headband with a floral bow that he put her in. "Aren't you the cutest thing I've ever seen?"
"Hi, Mommy," Tyler says. "I weady!"
"Hi, buddy," I say as I ruffle his hair lovingly. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah," he says. "I hungwy. Let's go."
"Alrighty then," Tobias chuckles. When we get to the path, Tyler begs his father to be carried so Tobias puts him on his shoulders. I hold Tessa tightly facing away from me as she kicks her legs back and forth and jabbers and coos loudly.
"Who are you talking to, little one?" She looks up over her shoulder at me and smiles brightly then excitedly kicks even more and continues babbling. "Is that so?" I kiss her temple as we continue our walk to the cafeteria.
"Tris! Four!" We turn at the sound of our names and find Nathan jogging up to us.
"Is everything alright, Nathan?" Tobias worriedly asks.
"Everything is fantastic," he says, somewhat out of breath. "I wanted to thank the both of you. Zeke offered me a job in the control room. He wouldn't confirm it but I have an idea that I have you to thank."
"Zeke is very shorthanded and after discussing it, we decided to promote a fence worker," Tobias says. "Of course, your name came up but if we didn't think you were up for the challenge it wouldn't have been offered to you."
"Thank you," he says. "I really needed this change. I won't let you down."
"Of course, you won't," I say. "Hey, how are things with Abigail?" Abigail is Hana's best friend who he met the weekend before initiation started at the Candor or Dauntless party. From what I've seen, they've been inseparable ever since.
"They're wonderful," he says with a sappy look on his face. "I didn't know what love was until I met her. You know I almost didn't go that night. You have no idea how thankful I am that I let Avery and Callen talk me into it."
"We were happy to see you there, too," I say. "That was a fun night. Once Four and I get into our new place we're going to have a get together on our rooftop deck. Will you bring Abigail?"
"We'd love to come," he says.
"We'll let you know when it will be," I say.
"Mommy, I hungwy," Tyler says.
"I better let you go," Nathan says. "I've got to be running anyway. It was nice seeing you."
"It was nice seeing you, too," Tobias says. "I'm sure Tris and I will see you later this afternoon in the control room. We're going to be helping out."
"I'll see you then. Have a good breakfast."
"Thanks!" Tyler says. "Bye."
"Bye, Tyler," he says with a chuckle. "Enjoy your breakfast."
"I will!" Out of the corner of my eye, I see Abigail walk into the cafeteria as does Nathan. We say our final goodbyes then head to the food line after sending Tyler to our table. I make Tyler a plate full of French toast sticks with blueberry syrup, crispy bacon, and mixed berries with a dollop of whipped cream and get myself bacon and three cheese quiche with a baked apple.
"That looks good," Tobias says after we sit down.
"I felt like having something different today," I say. I take a bite of the apple and moan. Damn, that's good.
"Is it good?" Christina asks with an odd but humorous look on her face.
"It must be. She sounds like Uriah when he eats cake," Zeke says with a chuckle. I roll my eyes and continue with my breakfast while my friends tease me. I must be in a good mood or all this taunting would probably piss me off but instead I'm laughing right along with them.
"We better get the kids to daycare," I say after we each finish our breakfast. "It's nearly time to show the initiates the fear landscape room."
"Okay," he says. "You ready to go, Tyler?"
"Do I have to?" he asks, pouting.
"Yeah, you do," I quietly say. "Mommy and Daddy have to work." He sighs dramatically and lowers his head.
"Otay," he says. Tobias and I look at each other. Is he having problems again and hasn't told us? I take Tessa back from Christina who has been playing with her the past 10 minutes or so, and we get up from the table. Tobias lifts Tyler into his arms, and we go out onto the Pit floor.
"Hi, Mrs. Wheeler," I say when we get to the daycare center. "Can we talk?"
"Look, there's Zane," Tobias says. He lets Tyler down, and he goes running into the playroom.
"Is Tyler having problems with Bobby Ridinger again?" I ask. "He didn't want to come here this morning."
"I haven't witnessed anything," she says, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Everything around here has been rather quiet the past couple weeks."
"Okay," I say. "I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions. He usually wants to come and play with Zane, Emma, Mia, and Elliott."
"Those five are inseparable," she laughs. "I'll keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary and report anything I see."
"Thanks," I say. I kiss Tessa's head and hand her over then I stick my head into the playroom. "Bye, Tyler."
"Bye, Mommy," he says. "Bye, Daddy. See you latew." We wave at him then head back into the cafeteria. We notice that our table is empty except for Uriah and Christina.
"Are you ready for this?" Uriah asks when he sees us.
"Definitely," I say. "I've been looking forward to handing over the initiates to you two for weeks."
"Why do I get the feeling you're not doing this again?" Christina asks.
"Because I'm not," I state matter-of-factly. "Four says he's not either but I think he might change his mind."
"If I can find someone trustworthy to hand the transfers over to, I'm done," he says.
"I think I would be the ideal person to take over for you in the fear simulation practices," Uriah says.
"Yeah, you would," Tobias says. He would be perfect, too. He would help guide the Divergent since he's one himself. "But we have an entire year to think about that. I'll take it under advisement. Should we get this show on the road?" We all agree so we get up and Tobias shouts, "Hey, initiates! Gather round." The transfers and Dauntless-born move from where they're sitting to stand in front of us. "As I told you yesterday, we'll be doing something a little different today, so follow us." Uriah, Christina, Tobias, and I lead the initiates out of the cafeteria and onto the Pit floor then up the winding path that leads to the Pire. Once we reach the fear landscape room, Tobias opens the door and ushers everyone into the huge, damp space. "This is the fear landscape room." I notice the graffitied walls have been painted over with a crisp, fresh bright white and the old-fashioned fluorescent lighting has been updated with energy efficient LED lighting that casts a soft white glow on the space. Tobias even asked Gunner to come in and repaint Dauntless on the back wall. I thought he was just going to redo the red decorative scroll but he made it look like flames moving through black block letters. I really like it.
"In here you will be placed under a type of simulation you have never experienced before," Uriah says. "While you were going through your practice sims the past four weeks, Four and Tris saved all the data about the fears you faced. The fear landscape computer, which is through there," he points at the two way mirror on the wall, "will access these fears and present you a series of obstacles you need to move through as quickly as possible. You've faced some of the obstacles before but some may be new. The major difference between the practice simulations and the fear landscape is you will be aware in the fear landscape and have your wits about you as you maneuver your way through."
"The number of fears in your landscape will vary from person to person," I say. "Some of you may have as few as 7 or 8 while others of you may have as many as 20." I notice this takes the initiates by surprise but none of them complain like Peter did last year.
"I told you when we started that the final phase of initiation focuses on mental preparation," Tobias says. "You will be using everything we taught you in phase one, the physical part, and phase two, the emotional part, because the fear landscape requires you to control both your body and your emotions."
"On Sunday, you all will go through your fear landscape as quickly as you can in front of a panel of Dauntless leaders including Four and Tris," Christina says. "This will be your final test. Just as phase two weighed more heavily than phase one, phase three is weighed the most. The reason this is important, it will determine your final rankings."
"You can get past each obstacle in one of two ways," I say. "Calm down enough to have the computer register a normal, steady heart rate or face your fear. For example, if you're drowning, you may want to swim down further to face the fear. Either of these things will trigger the program to move on to your next fear. So I suggest you take the next few days and formulate a plan on how to get through your landscape as quickly as possible. Your future depends on it."
"I need all of you to meet here Friday morning at 8:30 a.m. sharp," Christina says. "At that time each of you will go through one fear from either my or Uriah's fear landscape to get a feel for the simulation. Then on Sunday you need to be here at 10 a.m. for your final test. Don't be late. It could cause you to be made factionless."
"You're free to go," Tobias says. "Just a reminder, don't leave the compound without a member." We stand around and watch the initiates file out of the room.
"Well that didn't take as long as I thought it was going to," I say. "Should we go to the control room, Four?"
"What are you doing in the control room?" Uriah asks, curious as ever.
"We've had an intruder in Dauntless," Tobias says.
"Another one?" he asks, stunned by the revelation.
"That's exactly how I feel," I mutter. "I want to know when we'll catch a break. It's been one thing after another the past year."
"It has, hasn't it," Christina says. "Will told me about finding Molly on the security camera footage. Do you have any idea what she's up to?"
"Molly?" Uriah says. "What the hell?"
"She confronted me at the park a while back," I say. "She thinks that Four and I cheated during initiation. I told her she was wrong but I couldn't exactly come out and tell her how I got through the simulations the way I did. She already holds a grudge. I didn't want to paint a target on my back. Hell, part of me already thinks there's one there." Tobias drapes his arm around my shoulder, pulls me close, and kisses my temple.
"She's angry that she was made factionless, and she blames Tris and me instead of herself and the old Dauntless regime," Tobias says. "What worries me is if she's involved in Sam's death. I just don't think it's a coincidence she was here the same day someone died."
"Can I give you a suggestion?" Christina asks. Tobias and I nod. We are at a loss as to what Molly is up to so we'll take all the help we can get. "Check for a connection between Molly and Sam. Maybe they knew each other in Candor. I was far from being friends with Molly so I don't know who she hung around with besides Peter and Drew but it might be worthwhile to find out."
"I can't believe I forgot they both came from Candor," I say.
"Come to think of it, so did Olivia," Tobias says. Ugh! Did he have to mention that bitch's name? "We all know she was working with someone. Maybe it was Molly … or Sam."
"It's all speculation right now," I say with a sigh, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. "We'll figure it out. We always do."
"We need to be going, guys," Tobias says. "Tris needs to sit down." I won't argue with him because right now my back is screaming at me. "I'll look through all the Candor transfers' files from the past few years to see if there is a connection. Thanks for the idea, Christina."
"You're welcome," she says.
"Can we walk you out?" I ask.
"Christina and I are going to stay here and do some prep work for Friday but thanks for asking," Uriah says.
"Well, we'll see you guys later then," I say. "Bye." We walk out into the hallway, and he takes my hand and leads me toward the control room.
"How's your back feeling, love?" he asks.
"It started feeling better once I started moving," I say. "It doesn't hurt at all now. As a matter of fact, I feel great."
"I want to stop by my office and grab Molly and Sam's files," Tobias says when he turns the wrong way out of the hallway.
"I thought you were getting turned around in your old age," I tease.
"You really are in a good mood today," he says with a chuckle.
"You have no idea," I say under my breath. When we get to his office I sit down on his couch and relax while he retrieves the files he's looking for from the cabinets behind his desk. I look at the clock on the wall and an idea pops into my head. I get up, softly pad to the door, and quietly flip the lock. Then I walk to where Tobias is and lean against his desk. When he turns around I cock my head to one side and give him a smile.
"Whatcha doing?"
"Well I was thinking. We told Zeke that we would see him this afternoon. It's only 10 a.m."
"And?" he says with a mischievous smile. He knows what I'm up to.
"I thought maybe we could take advantage of the fact that I'm feeling good," I say, running my fingertips lightly down his chiseled chest. "I haven't felt quite like myself for a time and it's been a while since we've been together."
"I'm aware."
"I know you are," I breathlessly whisper. "I thought we could mark a place off your list." He sets the files he's holding down on the filing cabinet then turns his full attention back to me. He gently grasps my face in his large hands and tilts my head back. He gazes into my eyes for a long moment, and I see his pupils dilate with desire, which does something strange to me. Knowing I'm the one causing his longing is a heady feeling. I still don't understand how plain ole Beatrice can cause this reaction in him but I'm damn glad I do. My heart pounds in my chest with anticipation as he slowly lowers his lips to mine and gives me a long, lingering kiss, thoroughly exploring my mouth with his gifted tongue. I move my hands from his hips where they have been resting and lift his t-shirt up his hard body. We stop kissing long enough for me to pull his shirt off over his head. Our lips crash into each other in a hungry, no-holds-barred kiss after he relieves me of my tank top. He slides his tongue between my parted lips when I take a much-needed breath, claiming my mouth as his own, and we let our tongues tangle violently as the passion intensifies. He glides his hands down my back and expertly unclasps my bra then leans back, breathless, and lowers my bra straps down my arms until I'm free of it. He tosses it unceremoniously to the floor as his eyes lovingly caress my naked chest.
"God, you're perfect," he roughly says, gazing at me with a heated, erotic look in his desire-filled eyes. He cups both my aching, full breasts and kneads them gently. I toss my head back and moan at his gentle touch, absorbing the feel of his calloused fingertips on my sensitive skin. I reach out and pull his mouth back to mine, needing to feel his lips on mine once again and kiss him roughly. He reaches behind me and pushes all the nonessential items off his desk, and they scatter noisily to the floor. I break our kiss and meet Tobias' gaze with a shocked look. "I've always wanted to do that." I laugh loudly and uninhibitedly not only at his statement but at the matter-of-fact look on his handsome face and he grins. "Shall I get you out of these pants, Mrs. Eaton?" I wonder if my name on his lips will always take my breath away.
He gently pushes me back until I'm lying flat on the top of his massive desk and puts his hands on the waistband of my stretchy maternity yoga pants. He leans down and scatters wet kisses over the skin he's exposing. When he slides my pants off, he tosses them to the floor with my other clothes, and I sit up so that we're nose-to-nose. I put my arms around his neck, and kiss him almost violently with the need I'm feeling. He runs his hands slowly over my body as we make love to each other's mouths. I unbutton his jeans and lower the zipper, feeling his hard manhood, which is straining to be free. He slowly moves one hand from my aching chest, down over my swollen abdomen to my thigh, caressing lovingly as he goes. I gasp when he slides his hand into my panties and slips a finger into my damp center. He parts my legs further with his other hand all the while moving his mouth deliberately with mine. As he increases the pace with his finger, the kiss deepens and he matches his tongues movements to that of his hand. I move my hips to meet each thrust and gasp into his open mouth when he abruptly stops his ministrations.
He puts his hand on my chest and gently pushes me back so I'm lying on the desk again. He hovers over me with a familiar look in his eyes, and I know what's running though his mind. I know him so well. He puts his lips on my left ear and teases it mercifully, making my body start moving on its own. God, I want him. I reach my hands over my head and grasp the edge of his desk, trying to still myself and prolong the experience. He lightly traces the outline of my ravens with the very tip of his velvety tongue before stopping at my pert, sensitive nipples, taunting them mercilessly with his fingers, mouth, tongue, and teeth. He makes me feel like I'm going to spontaneously combust at any moment. When I can't take it anymore, I grasp his head and pull him up my body. His mouth crashes into mine, knowing what I want. I taste my milk on his tongue and I sigh.
"You're such a bad boy," I murmur, realizing that my breasts don't feel quite as full as they did before.
"I'm your bad boy," he hastily says with a dazzling smile that dazes me for a moment. "I love you." He gives me another swift yet passionate kiss then glides his parted lips down my body dropping soft kisses as he goes until I'm writhing with passion beneath him once again. When he stops at my belly, he puts his hands on my black, lace panties and ever so slowly peels them off my body. "Hi, baby." I raise my head and look at him. He's never called me baby before but as soon as I look at him I realize he's talking to Peanut, which makes me smile. He puts both his hands on me, and I marvel at how they look, protectively covering our child. "Daddy loves you, Peanut. I hope you're happy in there. You're getting so big. It won't be much longer and I'll be able to hold you in my arms." He kisses my now exposed bellybutton making me gasp. I didn't know it was so sensitive. It's weird to see it sticking out like that. I've been an innie my entire life. I reach up and run my hand through Tobias' hair as he continues placing soft kisses around my belly and caressing my heated skin, worshipping me. He kisses my belly one final time then I hear him sit down. I leverage myself up onto my elbows and see that he's relaxed against the back of his office chair taking in the sight of my naked body in front of him. His eyes turn nearly black with lust as he sits up straighter. He picks up my left foot and brings it to his mouth. What is it with him and my feet? He kisses the pad of each of my toes then runs the tip of his tongue along the extremely sensitive sole of my foot.
"Aaahh!" I cry out trying to take my foot back but he holds it steady then I feel his lips on my instep. He scatters kisses along my ankle, shin, knee, and thigh then places my heel on the arm rest of his chair. He picks up my right foot and repeats each action then after sitting it on the armrest, he moves the chair as close to the desk as he can. He scoots to the edge of his seat and runs his hands up and down the outside of my thighs.
"Seeing you … all of you makes me feel the same way today as it did that Sunday afternoon last December. You are a spectacularly beautiful creature." He kisses the inside of my left thigh while caressing the outside of it with a feather-light touch, never taking his eyes off me. "I still wonder how we managed to find each other." He holds my left leg in place near my thigh and puts his other hand behind my right knee and effectively spreads my legs even further before him. My labored breath is coming hard and fast through my burning lungs as I listen to his outpouring of love while his eyes take in my bare form sprawled out before him. "Now you're my wife. You're the mother of my children. You're pregnant with my baby girl. You're my best friend." He leans over and kisses his way up my thigh, and when he kisses me in my most intimate place, I stop breathing. He slowly licks up my aching womanhood and over my nubbin in one long stroke. I suck in a breath through my clenched teeth then let out a long, guttural moan. He repeats the sweet torture over and over again before finally concentrating on my throbbing bundle of nerves. He grips my legs tighter trying to keep me still but I can't stop moving. First, I'm pushing myself closer to that amazingly gifted tongue of his then I'm trying to get away when the sensation nearly becomes too much to handle. He recognizes each of my movements and what they mean so he varies his attack, bringing me right to the edge time and again.
"Oh, Tobias," I breathlessly say just above a whisper, panting noisily. I need to come or have him inside me one of the two and it needs to happen now. "Oh God! Please!" Sensing my immediate need, he concentrates on my nubbin, lightly swirling his hot, wet tongue with a delicate touch round and round until my release violently rips through me. I scream out his name in sweet fulfillment, and he releases my legs and stands up. He lowers his jeans and boxer briefs in one swift movement then steps out of them, leaving himself gloriously naked in front of me. He leans over my body and presses his lips against mine for a loving kiss. I wrap my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. It's a little uncomfortable but since he's not moving, it's bearable.
"I love you," he says when we come up for air.
"I love you, too," I pant.
"I think I want to make love to my wife on my desk," he says. "I want that memory to keep me company while I'm at work." He reaches for my hands and releases himself from my embrace. He stands up straight and gazes down into my eyes. He loosens my legs from around his hips and pulls me to the very edge of the desk. He grasps his hard length and rubs it up and down my moist entrance before sliding into me deliciously slowly while staring intensely into my eyes. He cups each of my legs behind the knees and pushes them toward my body, opening me to him further, and he thrusts fully into me.
"Oh, God!" I close my eyes and relish the fullness. I hear his heavy breathing, and I open my eyes to find him gazing down at me provocatively. "Make love to me, Tobias." He unhurriedly pulls out of me and pushes back in then starts a steady, gratifying rhythm. I continually lift my hips to meet his passionate thrusts, feeling the familiar approach of yet another orgasm. We stare at each other, communicating lovingly with our eyes. He releases my legs, and I wrap them tightly around his waist, drawing him deeper into me. He moves frantically within me not taking his eyes off mine, and we find our final fiery explosion together. As I'm screaming his name, he's lamenting mine. After a final thrust, he collapses on top of me. We both momentarily forget about Peanut until we feel her frantically moving inside me telling Daddy to get off of her. He pulls out of me and sits down in his chair to catch his breath, and I slowly sit up. I get off his desk and gently sit in his lap. I rest my head on his shoulder, and he wraps his arms around me.
"I like being here with you like this, Tobias," I say. "It feels … naughty."
"It does, doesn't it?" he says with a chuckle. He kisses my neck, making me moan.
"How much time do we have before we have to go?" I ask. I'm so comfortable I don't even want to move my head to look at the clock.
"As long as you want," he says, nuzzling his nose into my hair. I can't help my smile. "Why? Do you have something else in mind?" I turn my head and look at him.
"Well, Mr. Eaton, first I thought I would get on my knees on the floor in front of your chair, take you in my mouth, teasing until you explode then you can bend me over this desk," I sensually glide my hand along the smooth oak, "and make love to me. How does that sound?" His eyes dilate right before mine, and his look changes to one of pure lust. I lick my lips suggestively then slip to the floor in front of him.