Chapter 149
**Sara**
I tried to focus on something other than his touch. My mind wandered back to our encounter in the parking lot. "So, about Isabella..."
His hand stilled on my leg. "What about her?"
"Is she really just a friend? Or does she have a thing for you?" I aimed for nonchalance, but a tinge of jealousy seeped into my voice.
He sighed. "Look, I already told you about the one-night stand. That's all it was."
I felt a pang of jealousy. Isabella was gorgeous, and the thought of her with Tom made my stomach churn. I tried to play it cool, not wanting to seem jealous or crazy.
"Okay, but... did you have a crush on her or something?" I asked casually.
"A crush? On Isabella? God, no."
"Really?" I pressed, not entirely convinced.
He shook his head, his fingers resuming their lazy patterns on my leg. "If anything, she's the one with the crush. She's always asking me out and trying to set up dates. I've lost count of how often I've turned her down."
Now, it was my turn to raise an eyebrow. "And why's that? I mean, she's pretty hot. Most guys would jump at the chance."
Tom's eyes met mine, and I saw a flicker of something I couldn't quite place. "Because I never felt anything for her. Not like that, anyway."
"Right, but you still fucked her."
Tom's hand froze on my leg, his jaw clenching. "Sara..."
"What? It's true, isn't it? You might not have had feelings for her, but you still hopped into bed with her. Or was it against a wall? On a kitchen counter? Ooh, in a car?"
"Do you want a play-by-play?"
I shrugged, feigning nonchalance despite my gnawing jealousy. "I mean, I wouldn't say no to some juicy details. Was she better than me? Did she do that thing with her tongue that—"
"Stop," he cut me off, his voice sharp. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Oh, come on. Don't be such a prude. You can't drop a bombshell like 'I fucked my hot friend' and then clam up."
"It was a one-time thing. Ancient history. Can we please change the subject?"
I sat up straighter, pulling my legs off his lap. "You know, for someone who's supposedly so open and honest, you sure don't reveal much about your past."
"What's there to reveal? I had a life before you. End of story."
"Yeah, a life full of mysterious hot women and steamy one-night stands, apparently."
Tom sighed heavily. "Sara, what do you want from me?"
"I don't know. Maybe some honesty? A little insight into the great and mysterious Professor Tom?" I waved my hands dramatically. "I'm just... curious, okay? You know practically everything about me, but you're like this sexy enigma wrapped in a riddle."
"Alright, alright. What do you want to know?"
"Oh, I don't know. How about... everything? I'm sure you've had your past relationships, wild college days, and steamy one-night stands."
He chuckled, shaking his head. "You really want to open that can of worms?"
"Spill it. I want all the juicy details."
"Okay, but remember, you asked for this. Where should I start?"
"How about your first time?" I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively.
He groaned. "Do we have to go that far back? It was awkward and over way too quickly. Not exactly my proudest moment."
I laughed, scooting closer to him on the couch. "Oh, come on. It can't be that bad. Was it with your high school sweetheart?"
"It was with a classmate when I was about 19. We, uh, hooked up in my apartment."
"Ooh, scandalous," I teased. "Was it a one-time thing, or...?"
"We fell into a casual thing for a while. You know how it is in college."
"Do I now? Please, enlighten me about Tom the Stud's wild and crazy college days."
He groaned, but I caught a hint of a smile. "You're going to make me do this, right?"
"Hey, you opened this can of worms. Now spill. How many notches on that bedpost of yours?"
Tom hesitated, his eyes darting around as if searching for an escape route. "Do you really want to know?"
"Would I be asking if I didn't? Come on, hit me with your best shot. How many one-night stands? Casual hookups? I want all the details."
He took a deep breath. "Alright, but remember, you asked for this. One-night stands... probably around fifteen?"
My jaw dropped. "Fifteen? Damn, Tom. I didn't know you had it in you."
"It's not like I kept a tally," he said defensively. "And that's over the course of, what, twelve years or so?"
"Uh-huh. And the casual hookups?"
He winced. "Maybe... Eight? Ten? Look, I went through a bit of a phase after grad school."
"A phase, huh? Sounds more like a lifestyle to me. Should I be worried about catching something?"
"Very funny," he said, rolling his eyes. "I've always been careful. And I get tested regularly."
"Such a responsible man," I teased, patting his cheek.
Tom caught my hand, his fingers intertwining with mine. "I try. Can we please change the subject? I feel like I'm on trial here."
I grinned, enjoying his discomfort a little too much. "Not so fast. We're just getting to the good stuff. What about relationships? Any epic love stories I should know about?"
He groaned, letting his head fall back against the couch. "You're relentless, you know that?"
"It's part of my charm. Now spill."
He sighed, his thumb absently stroking the back of my hand. "Fine. There was one serious relationship after grad school."
I leaned in, suddenly very interested. "Ooh, do tell. Was she the love of your life? Your soulmate? The one that got away?"
"Hardly. Her name was Amanda. We dated for about a year."
"And? Come on, don't leave me hanging. What happened?"
He shrugged. "Nothing dramatic. We just... grew apart. She moved to Australia. We tried long-distance for a while, but it didn't work out."
"Aww, poor baby Tom. Did you cry into your pillow every night?"
"Hardly. I was too busy drowning my sorrows in tequila and bad decisions."
"Ooh, sounds juicy. Care to elaborate on those bad decisions?"
"Not particularly," he smirked. "Some things are better left to the imagination."
I pouted, giving him my best puppy dog eyes. "Spoilsport. Fine, keep your secrets. Any other relationships after the Australian heartbreaker?"
"There was one... about a year ago. Her name was Josephine."
I raised an eyebrow. "Why do I get the feeling this story doesn't have a happy ending?"
He let out a humorless laugh. "Because it doesn't. Josephine was... complicated. She was just... always after money. My family's money, to be specific."
"Was she some kind of gold digger?"
"She was like a human vacuum cleaner for cash."
"Wow, tell me how you really feel," I laughed, but his expression remained serious.
"Look, I don't like to speak ill of exes, but Josephine was... something else. She'd spend thousands on shopping sprees, demand luxury vacations, and expect ridiculously expensive gifts. And the kicker? She never worked a day in her life. Always claimed she was 'looking for a job,' but that was bullshit. She was just after my family's money."
I listened to Tom's story about Josephine, feeling sympathy and curiosity. "Wow, she sounds like a real piece of work. No wonder you're gun-shy about relationships now."
His brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"Well, you know," I gestured vaguely between us. "This whole casual thing we've got going on. It's because of her, right? She burned you, so now you're keeping things light and breezy."
He shook his head. "Sara, that's not it at all. I'm not against relationships. I want to take things slow, see where they go naturally."
"Oh." I felt a flutter in my stomach that I quickly tried to squash. "So, you're saying you might want... more? Eventually?"
Tom's eyes met mine, and I saw a warmth there that made my heartbeat. "Maybe. What about you? Do you... have feelings for me? Would you want a relationship?"
I froze, caught off guard by his directness. "I, uh... well, I mean..." I stammered, trying to find the right words. "Look, I'm all for casual sex right now. Let's not overthink things, okay?"
He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, the doorbell rang.
"Saved by the bell!" I exclaimed, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. "That must be the pizza."
He gave me a look that said this conversation wasn't over, but he got up to answer the door. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, grateful for the interruption.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
