#tomandellie

[hurricanerin]

Show Me Ch. 1 Firecracker

Actor Tom/OFC Explicit (I always tag rape/noncon because I love me some dubious consent)

Summary: Tom's latest relationship has ended, but that doesn't mean he gets to act like a rebellious teen and get all reckless while recovering. Someone needs to set him straight. Who better than a sassy blonde with no filter?

Ch. 1 Summary: That one time Ellie should've shut her gob.

He was… off.  Or at least playing at it.  Not completely-off-his-rocker-off, but something about him changed after the alleged end of the alleged relationship.  Tom became reckless and, frankly, dangerous.  He was a menace to himself: Arriving at events and roaming through airports without security, going on runs alone in the park two blocks off Hollywood Boulevard where the paps could easily bombard him.  Did he not know how famous his name was now?  Thank God the man at least had the brains to visit a small, anonymous coffee shop instead of some wild, star-studded chain for his post-workout coffee.

The shop buzzed with steady business, the cozy ambience occasionally accented by the laughter of giggling friends or the clink of glass.  Ellie sat at a table alone.  Happily alone.  She leaned forward and stared at her laptop screen.  Her long blonde hair slid forward, untucked from behind her ears and slipping around her face to act as blinders to keep from having to make eye contact with the errant stranger.   Though her periphery was thoroughly blocked, she’d made the mildly unwise decision to sit facing the front door of the shop.  So much for no interruptions.  Idly she thought about turning, but decided she couldn’t be bothered.  Briefly looking away from her computer to take a sip of tea, she caught sight of a tall, slender man entering the shop.  Her eyes grew wide upon recognizing him.

Immediately his blue gaze roamed the space, making pointed eye contact with every female in the vicinity.  Rather than modestly keeping his head down and ordering his drink, Tom freely offered aggrieved smiles accented with casual winks to all the women in the store as he played at being the sensitive, healing, ex-boyfriend.  What had happened to him?  He was being so unTommish.

Just after he placed his order and paid, making sure to tip the barista generously and with a seductive grin, his gaze flicked over several swooning females to whom granted smiles, before falling on Ellie.  The girl stiffened in her chair, pausing to think for a moment before she made an executive decision.  She would not reward his poor and careless behavior over the summer, despite being a fan.  She glared and gave a sharp shake of her head in an attempt to discourage his attentions.  If he decided to be wild and beguiling, that was fine, but she was going to need to reevaluate her loyalty to him.  Ellie got a slight kick out of Tom looking somewhat taken aback at her declination to return his smile.  However, he recovered quickly and his confusion morphed into a Classic Tom Grin.  Her resistance, apparently, only furthered his interest in the blonde girl sitting alone.  As his long strides quickly closed the distance between them, Tom smirked, almost as if he were daring her to refuse his approach.  Big, strong hands gripped the back of the chair opposite of where she sat and he casually crossed one foot over the other.  He watched her for a moment before speaking.

“What’s wrong, darling?”

She stared blankly at him.  As an appreciator of his work, Ellie was mildly star struck,

despite her irritation with his behavior.  However, his being Tom Hiddleston did not let him off the hook for a) Dating someone with a rocky history of short romantic stints that often ended in b) Writing songs based on her past relationships ending badly and c) Rushing into things so quickly with her.  Ellie did not approve nor appreciate his antics.

“Don’t look so sour.  Give me a smile?”

That disgustingly beautiful British accent was wrapped in a candy coating of smooth baritone.  How dare he use that on her?  Of course she’d know better than to succumb to that. She glowered.  Enough was enough.  Ellie couldn’t watch him make a fool of himself any longer.  Yeah, breakups sucked.  But come on.  Be an adult.  Be Prince Charming Tom, not an  attention-seeking playboy.

“I am not interested in speaking with you, Thomas,” she snapped quietly, quickly

returning her gaze to her computer screen.

He had the audacity to laugh.

“Thomas?  Am I in trouble?”

She took a deep breath, eyes narrowing.  Thor: Ragnarök hadn’t finished filming.  Of course he was in trouble.  He was being unnecessarily risky and she needed him around and functional to film a movie where Loki didn’t fake his own death at the end, thank you very much.  Is a happy ending too much to ask for, Marvel?  She couldn’t help but go off on him.  Just a little bit.  She leaned forward, keeping her voice low.

“Yes, you are.  You knew exactly what you were getting yourself into this summer, and if you didn’t, you should’ve asked someone, because they would’ve told you.  And now you’re traipsing around Los Angeles with no concern for your own safety.  Get it together.”

His cocky grin faltered briefly, and he took a step back before his smile slowly returned as he rose to the challenge.  When the barista called his name—his first.  Fucking.  Name.  As if he had a death-by-fan-stampede wish—he retrieved his coffee and casually meandered back through the tables and helped himself to the empty seat at hers.  He looked at her intently.

His stare was completely disarming and he knew it.  She could see him smirking around the lid of his cup as he sipped.  Anxiously she tapped her foot, flexed her fingers and reluctantly closed her computer, abandoning her assignment.   Clearly her productivity was about to tank.  Ellie glanced back at his face.  He smiled pleasantly, reaching forward to gently rest his hand on hers.  Her eyes widened in slight horror at the casually affectionate act.  The fact that he was so calm only made her more nervous.  It was almost as if he were too soothing with his kind smiles and composed demeanor.  Damn.  What she wouldn’t give to see him lose control.

Smiling confidently, he set his drink back on the table and dabbed at his mouth with a napkin.

“May I ask your name?”

She couldn’t just be outright rude.  She wanted to be, because telling him her name was only going to encourage whatever fickle, Post-Taylor attentions he was bestowing upon her, but… it was Tom and he was such a fucking gentleman.  Even when he wasn’t.

“Ellie,” she muttered, wildly uncomfortable.

It was one thing to binge on YouTube videos of him doing velociraptor impersonations, or even to catch a glimpse of him in public.  It was something completely different to have him staring at her as if they were two normal people engaging in a nonchalant conversation at some no name bistro.

“Ellie.  That’s pretty.  Short for?”

“Michelle.”

“Lovely.”

His voice alone oozed praise, combine that with the actual complement and she was dizzy.  Ellie tightened her fingers around her cup.  As he looked at her expectantly, it became evident that he wasn’t leaving.   She sighed.  The buzz he generated upon entering the shop had died down and only a few fans remained star struck with their phones out, wildly taking pictures.  Awkwardly she covered the side of her face with her hand, attempting to shield herself from the amateur paps.

“You go by Tom, I assume?”

He grinned.

“I do.”

“Okay, Tom.  Would you please leave my table?”

He didn’t quite throw his head back and laugh, but it was close.  There was definitely a tilt to his neck as he chuckled.

“Now, that’s not very polite.”

She couldn’t handle it.  His proximity was beginning to make breathing more difficult and his undivided attention was completely unsettling.  Ellie huffed and rose, stuffing her laptop into her bag and grabbing tea to relocate.  Gently, as to not cause her to spill her drink, Tom caught her elbow.

“I’m sorry.  I’m teasing.  Please, stay for a chat?”

She hesitated, glancing fleetingly between his seemingly earnest expression and her now empty chair.

“Why?”

Tom studied her, his thin lips curving into that awful, genuine, charming smile.

“Sit, please.”

After pursing her lips for a moment, Ellie shook her head.  If he couldn’t come up with a viable reason for her to stay, she assumed he just wanted attention.  Hers, specifically, because she wasn’t yet fawning over him as everyone else in the shop would have.  This was too weird and way too uncomfortable.  It was time to leave.

“No, I’m sorry.”

She turned and dashed to the door, juggling her cup as she squirmed into her coat.

x

The next morning, Ellie returned to the same small shop kitty corner to her apartment to work on a paper.  After getting her tea, she set up shop at the exact same table, this time as a defensive measure to monitor incoming traffic, which could include Tom.  Breaking her stare at the door, she gazed pensively into her drink.  Never meet your idols, right?  Well, in all fairness, she didn’t idolize the man.  She just wanted his bod in the worst way possible.  That, and she admired the crap out of him.

Ellie sighed and stirred her tea.  She adored Tom.  Her mild infatuation hadn’t been a lengthy one, but as infatuations tended to go, it was intense.  How could one not become instantly taken with the man?  He was heartbreakingly good looking, British (which, as an American, was practically a Get-Me-in-Bed-Free card), a gentleman, a freaking scholar, and a humanitarian.  Oh, and he acted, too.  He was just overall wonderful and ridiculously talented.

Meeting him the day prior had been surreal.  He was different than she expected.  Aside

from his blatant desire for attention which, to her knowledge, was unlike him, his charm was tenfold, making him very difficult to deny.  She wasn’t sure how she’d managed to leave him.

With a groan she scrubbed her face.  She supposed she probably shouldn’t have been so rude.  He just made her uncomfortable.  He was a celebrity, for one thing.  And then the whole weirdness over the summer had shaken her, like she wasn’t quite sure she knew who he was anymore.  Intellectually, the girl knew she didn’t know him to begin with, but she was attached to his charismatic, humble-despite-massive-accolades public image.  He was the perfect gentleman in every way.

Ellie fought the urge to glance up every time the bell attached to the front door rang.  What if he came back today?  Did she even want to see him again?  No, she didn’t.  She really should leave.  She was tempting fate by showing up at the same time and place she’d seen him yesterday.  It was time to go.  Taking one last sip of her tea, she rose, abandoning her homework assignment for the second day in a row and dumped the cup as she made her way to the exit.

Halfway across the crosswalk to building, a hand firmly gripped her elbow.  The girl gasped, wheeling and digging for her Mace keychain.  Her “attacker’s” hands flew in the air in surrender as he quickly realized his mistake.

“Ellie,” Tom smiled, decked out in his running gear.  “I apologize.  I didn’t intend to startle you.”

Chest heaving and pulse pounding, she glared.  She’d almost temporarily blinded him!

“I almost Mace’d you, you idi—Ugh!”

He chuckled shrugged guiltily.

“I saw you and just wanted to say hello.”

She squinted at him, then raised a brow questioningly.

“Why?”

Looking genuinely confused, Tom shook his head.

“What do you mean?”

Her annoyed huff was interrupted as a car honked at the pair, who were still standing in the middle of the street.  Tom gently rested his hand on her lower back and guided her to the sidewalk.  Despite her fluttering heart, she squirmed out of his grasp and turned to face him, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Why bother stopping some random girl who barely qualifies as an acquaintance to greet her on the street?  There are a plethora of other women in this city.”

He nodded in thought, licking his lower lip.

“Well, you have a point.”

Of course he agreed with her.  Even when she was passively telling him to get lost.  Such a Tom thing to do.  He continued.

“I suppose you intrigued me yesterday.  It’s not often I ask a woman to stay and she leaves.”

“Unless her name is Taylor,” Ellie snorted.  Within nanoseconds her eyes widened in horror as she realized what she’d said aloud.  She clapped her hand over her mouth, cheeks blooming bright red.

“Oh my God, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!  I didn’t mean that,” she blathered from beneath her palm.

Tom’s mouth formed a thin line.  Never had she felt like such an ass.  He paused for a moment, looking her over, this time slowly, appraisingly.  He brushed his lips with a fingertip.

“I’ll forgive you.”

Her giant sigh of relief was interrupted by a faint gleam in his eye.  She sighed in resignation, uncertain that she really wanted to know more.  She cocked a brow.

“If?”

"If you do something for me.”

She looked at him skeptically.

"Have diner with me."

Ellie recoiled in shock, taking a step away from him.  Shaking her head in disbelief, she shifted her weight from foot to foot.  This was too cliché.

“After I’ve just offended you?”

He nodded with a smug smile, leaning casually against a newspaper stand as he watched her.

“I feel like I’m in “Pretty Woman” or something,” she muttered.

Tom, bless his heart, baulked.

“Are you—I didn’t realize—you’re an escort?”

Ellie blanched and looked down at her romper and flats.  Was she supposed to be flattered?  She adamantly shook her head.

“No! I just meant this is like some weird fairy tale fantasy… being swept off my feet by an inhumanly perfect prince.  I’m a fan of yours, you should be weirded out, not asking me to dinner.”

He grinned, causing her cheeks to heat.

“An inhumanly perfect prince?”

He completely ignored the part of her statement that was supposed to make him lose interest.  There was no way going on an… apology date? with a fan couldn’t be weird for him.  Her eyes flicked back to his.  He was staring at her intently.  Oh yeah, she’d just referred to him as a prince.  Ellie made a face.  She supposed she set herself up for that one.  He cleared his throat.

“I find you intriguing.  Humor me, sweet girl?”

Her jaw almost dropped.  Oh no he didn’t.  Yep, he definitely did.  How dare he whip out such an endearment, his equivalent to a weapon of mass destruction?

“Fine,” she grumbled, avoiding his gaze and scuffing her shoe against the cement sidewalk.

He flashed another Classic Tom Grin.

“Wonderful.  Do you live around here?”

She pointed at the building on the corner nearest to them.

"I’ll see you tonight at seven, then.”

Nervously drumming her fingers against her thigh, Ellie reluctantly nodded.

“Um, what should I wear?”

He surprised her when he took a step back, his eyes raking heatedly over her body and lingering on her face breasts and hips, all the way down to her feet.

Tom took two steps forward, completely invading her space and causing her to stumble backwards.  He grinned and lightly stroked a hand over her hip.

"Something that shows off your legs.”

As she stood there gaping, he grinned and jogged backwards a few steps.

“I’ll see you at seven.”

He turned and trotted off, leaving the poor girl alone and bewildered on the sidewalk.

[hurricanerin]

Show Me Ch. 2 Spotlight

Ch. 1

Actor Tom/OFC Explicit

Summary: That one time those crazy kids had dinner.

As per his request, Ellie donned a ruched aubergine dress with a skirt that ended right above her knees.  She opted for some simple winged liner and natural shadow and lip color.  She didn’t want to look as if she were trying to impress him, because she wasn’t.  Or so she kept telling herself.  Ellie left her golden hair down and loosely curled so that it draped over her back and shoulders.

She slipped on a pair of modest black heels as she popped in a pair of classic cubic zirconia studs.  She was a student, after all.  Diamonds were most definitely not in the budget.  Speaking of finances, her stomach fluttered.  Tom’s income was drastically different than hers.  What if he took her somewhere upscale?  Maybe she could afford a tiny salad, but she had a feeling Tom would insist on her eating more than that with the promise of paying.  The night would not end in him spending a dime on her, of that she was certain.  She shook her head as she thought of the foolish man.  As far as he knew, she might just be trying to take advantage of his wealth.  He should’ve at least run a background check on her or something.  The thought of a woman taking advantage of him infuriated her.

Ellie was startled out of her ire as her buzzer sounded.  Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her purse, flicked off the lights and locked her door before ambling down the stairs.  She exited her building to find Tom leaning against a black sedan, his arms crossed over his chest.  The girl’s pace slowed as she neared him.  The manner in which he was looking at her was… disconcerting.  It wasn’t a look she often saw him wear unless he happened to be gracing the cover of GQ.   He was… smoldering.  And he was smoldering at her.  He didn’t say a word as she closed the distance between them, he simply watched her, eyes roaming up and down her body.  Stopping about a foot away, she looked at him questioningly.  Despite the added height of her shoes, Ellie was still several inches shorter than he was.  Squirming with anxiety, she looked to him for direction.

“Are you going to let me in the car?”

“In a minute,” he murmured, making a circling motion with his finger.  He wanted her to spin.  Quickly she twirled, uncomfortable with having her back to him.  She knew it was a silly thought, that he wouldn’t harm her.  This was Tom.  Perfect, gentlemanly Tom, but her gut clenched when she knew he was watching her without facing him.

Looking to him once more, she fidgeted, rubbing her bare arm with a hand.  Tom shook his head.

“Spin slowly.”

Indignantly she scoffed, but the austere look he shot her, daring her to refuse him once more, made her throb, to her surprise.  Stiffly she turned again, this time allowing him to admire the view.

“Much better.  You look beautiful.”

She scuffed the sole of her shoe against the sidewalk, unable to meet his gaze as her cheeks flamed.

“Thanks,” she mumbled.

She could hear him chuckle as he opened the back door of car door for her. She climbed inside, smoothing the back of her skirt over her rear to keep from appearing indecent.  He shut the door behind her and slid in from the other side.

Idly she wondered where they were going, but she had a feeling that if Tom wanted her to know, he’d offer the information himself.  Ellie glanced down at her hands and realized she should’ve done her nails.  The chipped nude polish was not appropriate for an Apology Date.  Oh well.

Tom cleared his throat and she jumped, startled out of her thoughts.  When she looked at him, his lips were quirked in the tiniest smirk.

“What are you thinking?”

“Um.” She wasn’t about to draw his attention to the fact that her manicure was disintegrating.  “Just trying to figure out your motives, I guess.”

He chuckled, quirking a brow.

“Why do I need motives?”

“Because this is weird.”

“It’s only weird if you insist on making it so.”

She huffed.  He was kind of right.

She begrudgingly engaged in small talk as they sat.  While speaking, Tom resumed acting like his normal gentlemanly self, which calmed her nerves.

Once he helped her from the car after they arrived, his hand returned to her lower back to lead Ellie into the restaurant.  The maître d’ led them to a table in a darker corner and Tom thanked him while pulling out her chair.  Ellie was unable to decide whether she found his impeccable manners vexing because they implied she couldn’t seat herself, or if she was flattered and completely smitten.  She’d decide later.

Instead of sitting across from her, Tom took the seat immediately to her left.  She swallowed hard, fighting the urge to squirm in her chair as they looked at their menus.  He was too close.   Ellie flipped through the menu and sighed internally as the waiter delivered waters and Tom rattled off a wine selection.  Great. No prices on the menu.  She was doomed.  Straightening, she stuck to her guns and eyed the salads.  She picked one that she couldn’t pronounce and set her menu down.

“Ready?”

She nodded, taking a sip of water.

The server returned with the wine and poured them each a glass.  Tom nodded to Ellie and she ordered her salad.  When the waiter looked at her expectantly, as if there should be more to her order, she looked at Tom in an attempt to indicate it was his turn.

“The salmon, please.  Two of them.”

The server nodded with a smile and left.  Ellie bristled.

“Did you just order for me?”

“It was clear you weren’t ordering for yourself.”

She glared.  He smirked.

“A salad?  Did you intentionally eat before I arrived just so you didn’t have to spend as much time with me?”

She huffed, irritated and embarrassed.

“I’m sending it back.”

He laughed.

“It’s not even here yet.  Eat your salad, see if you’re still hungry once it’s finished.”

Fine, whatever.  She’d break the bank and succumb to living off ramen for the rest of the month.

“So,” Tom began, “Do you visit the coffee shop often?”

She took a gulp of wine and nodded as warmth settled in her belly.  Finally, she was able to relax a little.

“Yeah, I’m a student.  I get most of my work done there.”

“Interesting, what are you studying?”

“Political science.”

“Smart girl,” he murmured as he took another drink.

They chatted lightly, but Ellie sighed in relief when her salad was brought out along with the two platters of fish.  She was starving.  As the waiter moved the plates from his tray to their table, she froze as she felt Tom’s hand on her knee.  He looked at her while he took a sip of wine and smiled.  He fucking smiled.  Like he’d just bid her good day.

Did this count as being taken advantage of?  If he was making her own tummy tighten and her pussy throb?  It was becoming apparent that all of this was simply a man’s search for a temporary bed partner.  As if buying her dinner bought her for the night.  Hell.  No.  If he wanted sex, that was one thing, but treating her like the whore he mistook her for earlier that day was completely different.  Ellie tried to shake off his hand but he moved his fingers upwards and firmly gripped her thigh.   She gasped softly, shooting him a wicked glare.

“Remove your hand.”

“Eat your dinner.”

Ellie glanced at her food.  She’d only picked at her salad, leaving the salmon completely untouched.

“You won’t like the alternative.”

Obstinately Ellie stuck her chin out and glared, digging her nails into his skin.   With a sigh, Tom released her thigh and picked up some fish on his fork.  He held it out to her.

“Eat.”

Her jaw dropped in horror.

“Absolutely not.”

“I need one hand occupied.  You can pick which.  Would you like the entire restaurant to see me feeding you or would you prefer to endure my hand resting affectionately on your thigh?”

Cheeks flaming, Ellie reached for her own fork and violently stabbed at her lettuce, angrily bringing it to her mouth and taking a bite.

“Good girl,” murmured Tom as his hand resumed its position on her leg.  Immediately she closed her thighs, wincing as, once again, Tom squeezed her with uncomfortable pressure.  He swallowed a bite of salmon and washed it down with the rest of his wine.

“Leave them open.”

As her head began to buzz, she found herself, to her surprise, parting her thighs for him.   Tom replenished both of their glasses and she greedily took another gulp as she tried to process what the hell was going on.  Clearly he was using his status to assault her.  Clearly.  And it was working, but not in the actual assaulting sense.  She could feel herself growing wet as he gently stroked the sensitive skin of her leg.

Suddenly, his hand was gone and instead he bent over slightly, his fingers wrapped around the upper leg of her chair.  He dragged her closer, angling her so that the V of her legs was more open towards him.  She stuttered incredulously and began to move her chair back when he cleared his throat and gave her a pointed glare.

“You choose the hand,” he reminded her.

With a scowl she returned to her food, trying to ignore the feeling as his hand wandered further along her thigh, pushing her skirt up.

“People will see,” she hissed.

Tom looked up and around.  Everyone was absorbed in their own dinner conversations, and the tablecloth obscured the movements of his hand.

“No one will know, as long as you stay quiet.”

Her jaw dropped and her stomach muscles contracted involuntarily as his hand wandered until his fingers traced along slit.  She looked away, unable to keep his stare when he felt how wet she was.

She heard him grunt softly as he took another bite of food, all the while running his fingers along the elastic of her panties.

“Eat,” he commanded.

With a choked noise Ellie nodded, spearing some fish on her fork and shakily bringing it to her mouth as Tom’s fingers found their way beneath the silk of her underwear.  She visibly shuddered, and she caught the corner of his mouth twitching as he nonchalantly continued feeding himself with his free hand.  When his finger began to probe her, she audibly whimpered.

Tom nodded his head in the direction of the waiter, who was making his way to their table.

“Don’t give yourself away, sweet girl.”

She was pretty sure the noise that slipped from her lips constituted as a whine, which should have disgusted her, but with her alcohol intake she simply couldn’t be bothered.  Ellie clenched her shaking hands and nodded.

Vaguely she heard the two men discussing… something, but it was wildly unimportant compared to the digit he was now slipping inside her.  As the server departed once more, Ellie whimpered and shook her head on principle.  This was wrong, and she knew it.  Soooo wrong. But fuck it felt good.  At this point, it didn’t even matter who he was.  It was the fact that he was covertly debauching her in the middle of dinner that was important.  Her thoughts were interrupted as he used his wrist to thrust into her.  She almost fell forward, gripping the edge of the table with trembling hands as she fought to keep her hips still.

Unable to fight the urge, her eyes flicked to Tom.  He was watching her intently, casually swirling the wine in his glass.  Legs, and stuff.

"Please,” she whispered.

“What was that?”

She bucked her hips at him with irritation and moved to slide one of her own hands beneath her panties.  In a blink his fingers were pinching her tender clit.  She cried out softly.

"Ah, ah,” he chided.  “Girls who cheat don’t get to come.”

Really, she should be revolted, disturbed.  But all her overwhelmed self could do was contract involuntarily, which he most definitely felt.

“Mm, good, good girl.  Hands on the table.”

With a jerky nod she complied, fisting the tablecloth in either hand.   Helplessly she stared at him as he used her own slippery juices to trace around her clit.  Her mouth hung open in a most undignified manner, but neither seemed to care.  The dull buzz of the restaurant mostly masked the low groan Ellie made in her throat, but not enough that Tom couldn’t hear it.

“Do you need to come?”

Brows furrowed in a silent plea, she nodded.

“Then come.”

Her back arched as he rubbed her clit furiously, her hips bucking uncontrollably as she practically ripped the entire tablecloth off the table.  With his free hand, Tom caught her glass as it fell, grinning as he rubbed her though the aftershocks.  Something warm was on her lip and when her tongue flicked out to lick it away, the copper tang of blood flooded her senses.  She’d practically bitten through her lip in her desperate attempt to keep quiet.

Panting, she clumsily batted his hand away and stumbled to her feet.  She grabbed her bag.

“I—I have to go to the ladies room,” she stammered without looking him in the eye.  She rose and walked quickly, wincing as her thighs rubbed together, stimulating her extremely sensitive clit.  The girl burst into the restroom and staggered to the counter. Ellie stared at her appearance in the mirror.  Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes glazed and unfocused.  Blonde curls spilled over her shoulders, somewhat obscuring her cleavage.  With shaking hands, she dug her lipstick from her bag and reapplied, desperate for a mundane act to take her mind off the man awaiting her return.  She couldn’t believe what he’d just done. What she’d allowed him to do.  Slipping the bullet back in her purse, she pressed her lips together and watched her reflection.  She looked like a freaking frightened deer; Trembling just enough for someone to take notice, her eyes wide and her hands fidgety.  Ellie dreaded going back to him.  He was too much, too close, too dominant.   She didn’t trust herself to get back in that car with him.  She was trying to have standards.

She didn’t have to do this, she realized.  She could leave.  There was nothing keeping her here.  He’d probably be relieved anyway.  No awkward drama.  Turning on the tap to wash her hands, Ellie briefly felt guilty about not paying for her dinner, but then reminded herself Tom had practically forced her to accompany him anyway.  It’s not like he couldn’t afford her meal, too.

Straightening the draping of her dress, she turned and pulled open the bathroom door, hastily making her way to the restaurant entrance.  Vaguely she registered the lone male form leaning casually against the hostess station.  The entryway layout required her to slip by him.

“Excuse me,” she murmured, forced to brush against him when he refused to yield.  When two warm hands wrapped around her waist she gasped, suddenly finding herself lugged much too close against the man’s body.

“Escaping, are we?”

Her heart sank.  Damn.  How the hell had he known?

“I just thought I would save us both the trouble,” she mumbled.            

Tom raised a skeptical brow.

“The only one of us in trouble is you, kitten.  Are you really trying to escape?  Have you forgotten you owe me a debt?  For speaking so crassly earlier today?”

“I’m not sleeping with you,” she growled.

He had the audacity to laugh.

“Not yet, dearest.”

“No, I mean ever!”

The alcohol had gone to her head and she was getting loud.

His hand wrapped around her waist and he guided her through the front door.

“We have to pay!”

“I already did.”

“What?  How did you know I wouldn’t come back?”

He smirked.

“You were in the restroom for fifteen minutes.  Something wasn’t going well.”

“I was just thinking!”

Flushing furiously she tried to stamp on his foot and almost lost her balance.

“I’ll carry you to the car if I must.”

With a resigned sigh, she cooperated and allowed him to walk her.  Once seated, she turned to look at him, her stomach sinking.  She assumed he was going to expect her to reciprocate the act.  She could see the hardening bulge against his trousers as he sat with his legs splayed open.  She squirmed, unsure if she was supposed to initiate.  With a sigh, she began to crawl forward.

When he realized where she was headed, he gently pushed her shoulders back and shook his head.

“No, darling.  You just work on not falling asleep.”

She muttered something unintelligible and nodded.  He didn’t want her to suck him off?  What the hell kind of date was this?  There was no such thing as a sexually altruistic man.  No way, no how.

The car rolled to a stop and Tom murmured something to the driver.  The next thing she knew, he was opening her door and helping her out of the car. He held her arm, keeping her steady on her feet as they walked towards her building.

She turned to bid him goodbye, not just goodnight.   Dinner had been… she wasn’t sure what it was, but it’s not like they were ever going to see each other again.  He’d had his fun, or rather she’d had hers… and he missed out on his, but whatever.  Ellie’s nerves caused her to speak quickly.

“Thanks for tonight, I guess.  Have a good life.  Goodb—.”

With a glare he stepped forward and herded her against the brick wall of her building.

“Did you not enjoy yourself?”

“I—I did,” she stuttered, suddenly much too warm.  Her cheeks flushed and she broke his gaze, looking anywhere but his eyes.

Tom lifted her chin with a finger and gave a knowing smile.

“When do I see you again?”

Ellie blushed even deeper and frowned in thought.  If he was anyone else, she’d write him off as rude and possibly chauvinistic—definitely sexist—for ignoring her personal boundaries.  But he wasn’t anyone else.  He was Tom…  But a girl has to stick to her principles.

“This was a one-time thing,” she whispered as his face neared hers.

She felt his breath puff against her cheek as he laughed softly.  Nuzzling her, he kissed the corner of her mouth, eliciting a gasp.

“We both know it wasn’t.”

Indignantly she tried to push him back.  The damn, muscled man didn’t move more than an inch.

“I do not have to see you again.”

Tom tutted her and closed in once more.  This time, he grabbed her wrists and held them tightly against her chest.

“Each time you refuse me I’m only going to press harder.”

He accented his point with a subtle grind of his hips, forcing the breath from her lungs.

“We are having dinner again tomorrow.  I will pick you up at the same time.”

Immediately she began shaking her head.

“I have plans,” she lied.

The stern glare he shot at her somehow changed the direction of her shaking head so that she was nodding.

“Good girl.  Now, let yourself into your building while I still have the resolve not to follow you.

Breathing hard, she swiftly turned and ran up the front stoop, fumbling clumsily for her keys and shooting a glance over her shoulder.  His hands were in his pockets as he watched her intently, his gaze still giving her goosebumps.

"Goodnight, Ellie.”

She knew her voice was too shaky to give a dignified response.  Instead, she nodded and, once she finally got the damn door open, ducked inside.