Chapter 12
Sebbie
“And I actually pet his crow, Crow,” I said, ignoring Toby’s snort of amusement over the phone. “Which yeah, is maybe a silly name, but it suits her. Then we kind of just hung out. I kept waiting for him to do that thing people do when they’re ready to leave—”
“Wait, what thing? What do people do when they’re ready to leave?” Toby interrupted.
I smiled. Toby was both amazing and awful at figuring out people.
He was a gifted writer, and I’d read almost all of his books.
(I was a little behind on reading his current series, but it was on my Tbr.) In his books, he could capture people so well that they leapt off the page.
They were so… real. Sometimes, though, he kind of didn’t notice what was actually in front of him.
I figured it was because he was in his head visiting with his book friends a lot of the time, so he didn’t pay as much attention to the real world as he could have.
It made me think about artistic genius in general (although Toby would dispute the genius part, because he was modest).
“Hey, have you ever thought about how really imaginative people were treated back in, like, the middle ages or something? Or even back in the last century or two? I wonder how many really gifted writers and inventors were treated like they were crazy?” I pondered.
Toby snorted. “A lot, I’m sure. Gifted storytellers were always revered, but I think they had to walk a fine line between getting lost in their stories and staying in the real world. I totally would have been deemed insane or possessed by evil spirits or something.”
I hummed in agreement, then went back to his previous question. “You know, how people sort of slap their knee, or say, ‘Well, then,’ or look at the clock or whatever. Or how they just sit more formally like they’re ready to hop up and run out the door.”
Toby hummed again, and I could hear rustling as he wrote something down.
I waited patiently—I was more than happy to give Toby ideas, whether it was about being possessed by evil spirits or mannerisms. It was always fun when I read something and saw it had come from a conversation we had. It was very cool.
We both had squirrel brains, too, which worked out perfectly, because we could follow each other really well.
“So what then?” Toby asked, and I knew we were back to talking about Corbin.
“Well, like I said, we just hung out. I offered to put on a tv show, and I got the television on, but we never got it off the screensaver,” I laughed.
Toby made this long mmhmmm sound that I knew meant he was thinking dirty thoughts.
I just laughed again. “Nope. Nothing like that. Although I did get an awesome hug before he left. You know how some people hug really well? Like, you feel like you’re being totally engulfed in their essence and you never want it to end?
Corbin hugs like that. And he’s so warm.
We probably hugged for way longer than was appropriate. ”
“And?” Toby asked.
“And that’s it,” I answered.
“Oh my god, Sebbie, please tell me you at least gave him your number,” Toby said. “Although, if not, I can always give it to him…”
I laughed. “Do not start matchmaking. You remember what happened when you tried in college.”
“I’m sure any matchmaking I did was totally perfect,” Toby said, all haughty sounding.
I simply replied, “The art major.”
“Oh, I remember him! He was cute!”
“He had a terminal illness, Toby,” I reminded him.
“Oh. Yeah. I forgot about that.” Toby paused for a moment, but he wasn’t going to be deterred. “Well, you said you guys didn’t have chemistry anyway. Hey, what about the guy from chemistry class?”
I sighed. “The one who was injured in the lab accident?”
“Oops. But there was—” he started.
“The guy who was straight and thought we were going on a double date with girls? Or the guy who broke his leg on our date?”
“Oh my gosh. I forgot about the straight guy. He was really nice, though. He inspired one of my characters,” Toby said.
“And he didn’t stay straight in your book,” I laughed. “That guy was really nice, though, and that was probably one of my least disastrous dates in college.”
I really did have bad luck when it came to dating, but I usually didn’t let it get me down.
I liked people, and they liked me (usually, anyways).
I’d find my Mr. Right at some point, and I’d found plenty of cool people to get to know in the meantime.
Yeah, I’d run across some jerks while dating, too, but I could usually spot them pretty quickly.
“Listen, Seb, I know you think you have bad dating luck, but I just feel like things will be different with Corbin,” Toby insisted seriously.
I snorted. “Is he impervious to accidents and illnesses? Because I seem to be a magnet for emergencies.”
“Well, actually…” Toby started, but then he paused. “I just think Corbin will be different,” he finally said.
“At the very least, I’ve made a new friend. I did invite him over for lunch today,” I admitted.
“Ohmygod!!! Sebbie! You have a date and you didn’t tell me!” Toby yelled.
“It isn’t a date,” I insisted. “I just invited him over for lunch.”
“Oh, it’s totally a date,” Toby said.
Shit. Was it a date? I bit my lip, then I mumbled, “Do you think that he thinks it's a date?”
“Do you want it to be a date?”
“Of course I want it to be a date! But what if I think it’s a date and he doesn’t think it’s a date?
And I’m terrible at dates! We just went through the history of my disastrous dating life, and we didn’t even cover half the guys!
Lunch with a friend I can deal with, but a date?
He’ll probably accidentally catch on fire. And I’m not even cooking anything!”
“Sebbie, you’ll be fine. Corbin is super nice, and I promise that you don’t have to worry about setting him on fire.” Toby chuckled a little, obviously finding my dating crisis mildly amusing.
If I wasn’t in the middle of said crisis, I would have found it amusing, too.
Then, to make matters infinitely worse, I heard a tapping sound at my front window and then a caw.
“Oh my god,” I whispered. “I think he’s here.”
“Who’s there?” Toby whispered back. “Are you in trouble? Should I gather the troops?”
I rolled my eyes. “I think Corbin is here!” I hissed.
“And now I don’t know if this is a date or not, and I’m totally not going to be able to stop thinking about whether or not I’ll get a goodbye kiss!
Do I lean in for the kiss, or do I wait for him to make a move?
And if he doesn’t think it’s a date, that’ll be totally awkward!
I’ll be standing there like an idiot with puckered lips, and he’ll probably lean back, fall over, and get a concussion, because that’s my luck! ”
Toby laughed, and I couldn’t help smiling in return. Okay, yeah, I was being a little dramatic.
“Go answer the door, and have a good date!” Toby sing-songed, and then he hung up.
I looked at the door, and then, as if on cue, there was a knock. I took a deep breath, walked to the front door, and opened it.
Corbin was standing there wearing jeans that fit him like a second skin and a black t-shirt, despite the fact that it was a cooler day for spring.
Once again, I got a prime view of his very sexy tattoos and all his muscles expertly outlined by his t-shirt.
His hair was down, and I couldn’t help thinking about running my hands through it.
His scruff was sexy as fuck, and his lips were quirked into a smile.
“Hi,” I said, standing there kind of like an idiot.
I heard a caw, and Crow flew in, circled the living room, and then settled on the couch. I turned to watch her, and smiled when she fluffed her feathers. “Hi, Crow.”
She cawed at me, tilting her head a bit.
I turned back and almost squeaked, because Corbin was standing right there. Like, I could reach a hand out and touch that sexy chest.
I looked up, and he was staring intently down at me. He reached a hand up and brushed it along my cheek, and goosebumps rose along my arms at the featherlight touch.
“Hi,” I whispered again, staring into his eyes. He had the most beautiful eyes, and they were looking at me so intensely that a shiver ran through my body.
“Hi,” he murmured.
Then he leaned down, and ohmygod, he was going to kiss me.
I angled my face up and closed my eyes, and he cupped my cheeks with both hands as his lips pressed against mine.
His lips were warm, soft, and gentle. They lingered on my closed lips, and I heard him inhale. Then his tongue gently touched against my lips, and I opened my mouth to him.
He kissed me slowly, languidly, like we had all the time in the world.
Our tongues flirted with one another, our lips pressed then eased, our mouths moving to get different angles and different tastes.
His hands moved off my face and wrapped around my body, pulling me in close to him until our bodies were pressing together.
His hard body against mine was a sharp contrast to the gentleness of his kiss, and I pressed closer, feeling… impatient. I used my teeth to nip at his bottom lip, and I heard a low growl rumble from him.
It was like some kind of on switch, because his mouth pressed harder against mine, the kiss turning heavier. His hands roamed up and down my back, and I moaned, unable to help myself. Corbin gripped me tighter, rubbing lightly against me.
It positioned my dick to rub against his thigh, and I gasped at the sensation.
God, it felt good. I leaned my head back to gasp in air, because I felt like I was on freaking fire, and Corbin licked and nipped at my neck.
I was rubbing against his thigh, the pleasure building with each grind against him.
His hands gripped my hips, encouraging my movement.
Fuck, he felt good.
He nipped at my neck, and the shiver of pleasure was so intense I felt like I was gonna come in my pants. I did not want that to happen—talk about embarrassing.