“Adam?” she said when she heard him come on the line. “I just spoke to Tobias. He wants me to be his label representative.” She handed the phone over to the musician to confirm. Adam was sputtering on the other end of the line as she held the phone out. Tobias chuckled lowly and took the phone, holding it to his ear.
“Yeah Adam, it’s me,” he said. He listened for a moment. “That’s right. The deal you’re offering me, but I want it from Josie, not you. I have no interest in dealing with you anymore.” Josie finished her cigarette and stubbed it out, leaning back in the chair. “Then fucking promote her, asshole.” He took the phone from his ear and pressed the ‘end call’ toggle on the touch-screen, placing it on the table between them. He finished his beer and grinned. “I noticed you didn’t mention the other part of the deal.” Josie felt herself blushing, fought it down and smiled.
“If I’m your label rep, then that part of it is none of his business.” She grimaced. “Though you may have overplayed your hand. I might just get fired outright.” Tobias shook his head, leaning back into a stretch, his arms extending over his head.
“I know my value to the label. Adam will try and squirm out of it, but his boss will promote you and that’ll be that.” Josie realized with a start that Tobias had not only gotten Adam out of his life with the simple gambit-he had also made it so that Josie was no longer dependent on her boss’ goodwill to develop the contacts to make her own way in the industry. She would have clout of her own.
“So,” she said, trying to keep the elation out of her voice at realizing the power she was being handed, “what do you want to know?”
Tobias smiled slowly, turning that intense, watchful stare on her again. “We need more beer,” he said, standing up and ambling in the direction of the kitchen. Josie tried not to watch him, but found her gaze drawn to his muscular ass covered in worn denim, his thighs flexing as he strode across the floor. It was so rare anymore for guys to wear pants that actually fit them; Tobias was proof that more men should pay attention to that detail.
He disappeared around a corner and she heard him open the fridge, heard the clinking of bottles. In a moment he was re-entering the living room, a bottle opener in one hand and four bottles of beer in the other. He opened two and extended one to her. “Let’s see,” he said thoughtfully, sitting back on the couch and staring off into space a moment. “If you are so interested in pursuing a music career, why haven’t you ever shown anyone your material?” Josie took a quick sip of her beer.
“You mean, why haven’t I ever shown you my material,” she replied. Tobias gave her a quick smile. “You and I have never been on the greatest terms, even before Nick decided to go solo.” She picked up her phone and opened up the app that held her demos. “Nick’s heard them, and so has Adam.” She looked over the small list of songs and selected them all, tapping the command to e-mail them. She quickly put in Tobias’ address and sent them off. “You can listen to them whenever you want to now.” Tobias nodded.
“Next question: did you have sex with Nick?” Josie knew he had implied that to several of his friends; it made her the perfect target-the complete Yoko Ono. She snorted, digging a cigarette free of her pack and lighting it.
“I have never been Nick’s type. I was attracted to him-hell, isn’t everyone? But I knew from the get-go that I’d never have a chance anyway.” Tobias raised an eyebrow at her answer.
“What do you mean you’d never have a chance?” He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and lit a cigarette of his own.
“I’m just not the type of girl Nick would go for,” Josie said slowly. “He’s always after the gorgeous model-type women, you know-tall, skinny, bug-eyed.” Tobias rolled his eyes.
“If Nick’s never had the hots for you, he’s blind,” he said. Josie sat back, startled at the comment. She almost asked him what he meant by it; but as if he hadn’t complimented her at all, he started again. “Next question…”
The apartment was getting dark, the late afternoon sun disappearing behind neighboring buildings. Tobias stood up mid-question and turned on the lights, casting a yellowish glow over everything. Josie was getting tired of the ceaseless questions; they had been going at it for at least two hours. Empty bottles were scattered over the coffee table, the ashtray was rapidly filling with butts. Instead of returning to the sofa after turning the lights on, Tobias sat down on the coffee table, inches away.
“Have you ever been attracted to me?” he asked her softly. Josie, exhausted by the sheer volume of information she had already given him about herself, sighed and decided she might as well be frank about this, too.
“Yes,” she replied. “I’ve always thought you were ridiculously hot, and it always kind of hurt me that you were not the slightest bit interested in me-that you even considered me an enemy, kind of, from the very beginning.” Josie looked away from Tobias’ face, thinking that she had expected a great deal of struggle from this errand, but she hadn’t expected to be taken apart, piece by piece. She should have known better.
Tobias’ hands closed on hers. “Look at me,” he said quietly, his voice hoarse from all the talking they had already done. Dreading what would come next, Josie tore her gaze from her own lap and looked at the musician. The same intensity she knew so well was still there, but there was nothing mocking about his gaze on her face.
There was something softer about it, at the same time. “You pretty little idiot,” he said, a smile tugging at the corners of his full lips. Before she could react, he had closed the tiny distance between them, and Josie felt her mouth claimed by Tobias’ firm, strong lips. He coaxed her mouth open, plunging his tongue past her lips to explore.
Josie felt Tobias’ hands move to her waist, and he pulled her up off of the chair, standing with her as he deepened the kiss. His grip on her body tightened, and Josie felt herself relaxing into the attentions, kissing him back. She had an impression of carefully leashed strength in his arms, in the demanding, hungry way he took control of the kiss. He pulled her close, pressing her body against his.
Josie felt her pulse pick up as his hands wandered across her back. His body felt so right, flush against hers; she was consumed with curiosity, with the need to know what he looked like without all the clothes on. If anyone had asked her before today if she was attracted to Tobias Dekker, she thought as she swayed up onto the balls of her feet, needing to feel more of his body, she would have thought they were crazy. She would have told him that no amount of his personal charm was enough to counter the bile and bitterness he directed at her.
Josie noticed that they were moving; unwilling to break away from the kiss, she opened her eyes slightly and realized that Tobias was edging them around the coffee table, towards the couch. She closed her eyes again, moaning softly when Tobias’ hands worked their way up under her shirt, caressing lightly against her waist and upwards. She could feel her skin tingling, feel her nipples already tightening without any touch from him.
Tobias smiled against her lips, and she felt his hands move to her back, unlatching her bra underneath her shirt. She gasped, almost breaking the kiss when his warm hands slipped underneath the loose garment, cupping her breasts. Tobias ran his thumbs over her nipples, teasing them into tight little buds; jolts of pleasure shot from Josie’s breasts directly to her pussy, already beginning to become wet with arousal. She could feel the firm ridge of his hardening cock pressing against her through his pants, and she couldn’t think of anything she wanted more in the world than to see it freed of its confines.
Tobias broke away from the kiss suddenly, looking down at her with his dark, intense eyes. “Do you want this?” he asked, his hands moving to hold her by the jaw, keeping her from looking away. Josie nodded, not trusting her voice to speak. Tobias’ lips descended on hers again, his warm hands slowly undressing her where she stood.