So…
should he pick that up for Lisette or not?
Tobias’s brain short-circuited.
One half screamed no, the other whispered yes—for practicality, of course.
After what felt like a mental warzone, he gave in, turned around, and crouched beside the door.
With two fingers and a visible wince, he carefully lifted the hot pink lace bra like it might bite him.
The moment his fingertips brushed the fabric, heat zinged up his arm like he’d grabbed a live wire.
His ears burned.
Fantastic.
Tobias scooped up the rest of her clothes like they were evidence in a crime scene and dumped them into the laundry basket in one swift motion.
Then he opened the wardrobe, stared blankly for a beat, and reached for the plainest, safest pajama set he could find—white cotton, zero temptation.
He placed it beside the bathroom door, eyes very deliberately not drifting toward the narrow gap where steam curled out like a trap.
“I left your clothes by the door,” he called out, voice low and rough.
No response.
Just the steady hiss of running water.
Tobias waited a few seconds, then knocked lightly.
“Lisette?”
Still nothing.
A crease formed between his brows.
Leaving a drunk woman unattended in a slippery bathroom?
Bad idea.
Very bad.
He didn’t even think twice.
The door creaked open as Tobias stepped in.
The room was fogged with steam.
Thick, warm.
Air clung to his skin as he scanned the space—and his heart skipped a beat.
The tub.
Lisette was in it.
Naked.
Asleep.
Head tilted, dangerously close to slipping beneath the water.
Tobias moved fast.
Drained the tub, grabbed a towel, and wrapped her up with military efficiency—eyes averted, jaw tight, body locked in restraint.
But it was too late.
That one glance had already burned itself into his memory.
Her curves.
The soft dip of her waist.
The glisten of water sliding down skin that should absolutely be illegal.
He carried her out, stiff as a statue, and laid her on the bed.
Tobias exhaled hard and went to fetch a dry towel.
He worked through her hair in sections, gently patting and squeezing.
Her hair was long, soft, and tangled from the bath.
The simple, repetitive motion helped him focus—until she stirred.
Lisette cracked one eye open, gave him a lazy, half-lidded glance, then pouted and rolled over like a spoiled cat demanding more attention.
The towel slipped off her shoulder.
Tobias’s hand froze mid-motion.
His eyes caught the bare skin—smooth, flushed, dangerously soft-looking.
His breath stuttered.
Focus.
He kept drying.
Slower.
Gentler.
“Ow,” Lisette muttered, half-asleep, when he accidentally tugged a knot.
“Sorry…
I’ll be careful,” he murmured, trying not to think about how her skin looked like it would melt under his hands.
Lisette flopped back down, unbothered.
One second she said she was hot, tossing the towel aside and kicking her legs around like she didn’t have a care in the world—and no awareness that someone very much was watching.
Tobias lunged to cover her again before she flashed him more than he could handle.
A beat later, she was shivering and curling into his side like he was a heater.
“Quit moving,” he said through gritted teeth, nudging her away.
“No,” she hummed, clinging tighter.
Every time he tried to shift her off, she squirmed right back.
Heat pooled low in his stomach.
He was sweating, not from the room, but from her—her scent, her warmth, her total lack of boundaries.
Eventually, Lisette settled—barely.
He finished drying her hair, grabbed the blow dryer for a final pass, and tucked her under the covers like he was dealing with a sleepy, seductive minefield.
He stood up, exhausted.
His shirt clung damp to his back, wrinkled and rumpled from her grabbing.
He needed to change.
Fast.
Then he felt her fingers curl around his wrist.
“Daddy,” she slurred sweetly behind him, “tell me a story.”
Tobias froze.
“Are you kidding me?”
“Mmm…
you don’t love me anymore…” she whimpered.
Before he could react, Lisette kicked off the blanket and tried to climb out of bed.
Shit.
Light spilled across her bare legs and the curve of her hip as she stood, her body all soft dips and dangerous lines.
Tobias yanked her back into bed like she was radioactive.
“Lie down.
I’ll tell one.”
Lisette smiled like she’d won.
She rested her head on the pillow, staring up at him with that dreamy, half-drunk look—eyes soft, lips parted, hair spilling over her shoulder like silk.
The warm light kissed her skin, highlighting the fine golden hairs on her arms, the flush on her cheeks.
Tobias looked away.
Focused on the ceiling.
On oxygen.
He racked his brain for a story and started rambling about a mutant bunny who got infected by a virus and evolved into a wall-crawling, monster-slaying superhero.
There were fists, guts, explosions—utter chaos.
Lisette frowned, unimpressed, and turned her back to him with a huff, falling asleep mid-pout.
Tobias sat still for a moment, then exhaled.
Crisis averted.
For now.
He slipped out of the room and changed.
But even on the couch, even with a wall between them, his mind kept circling back to the feel of her in his arms.
The curve of her waist.
The way her lips parted when she slept.
He’d never seen her like that before—unguarded, soft, touchable.
And for the first time, Tobias wasn’t sure if he could keep pretending he didn’t want more.
He shouldn’t push his luck.
Rubbing his temples with long fingers, he called Hannah in to watch over Lisette, then dialed Elliot.
Right before the call, Elliot was reveling in rare freedom, thrilled about getting off work early.
He had just lined up a dinner date with a girl from a dating app and was already planning how the night might progress – food, drinks…
maybe even a hotel room.
When the caller ID showed Tobias’ name, a sense of doom hit him like a freight train.
Should he pick up?
Should he not?
Elliot rubbed his chin, weighing the options: the girl might lead to something fun tonight, but Tobias definitely had the power to serve him a pink slip with zero emotion.
Yeah, no contest.
Money wins.
Without another thought, he hit “answer” and instantly switched to loyal labrador mode.
“Boss, what can I do for you?”
That familiar calm voice came through: “Order dinner and have it delivered.
Something she likes.”
That’s it?
Elliot nearly fist-pumped.
This was perfect.
No firing, and he still got to eat, drink, and flirt tonight?
Life was good!
Grinning wide, he nodded furiously even though Tobias couldn’t see him.
“Got it, on it right now!”
But then Tobias added, “After that, come pick me up.
We’re heading to the office.”