In the dark

42

Hobi smiled at Peri's words. It was amazing to him how she could be sweet and caring one minute and drop-dead sexy the next. His feelings went a little deeper after their kiss.

Their kiss. He had kissed her once before; it was good but rushed. He wanted her to see his attraction toward Peri. They had told her at the dinner table. Hobi thought letting his actions speak would cement it into her mind. 

They had both kissed each other thanks to her initiative. The kiss was more mutual than the first one. It was filled with both of their sentiments. She used her actions to show him that she liked him too. Peri hadn't said it, but he was certain of them. Peri wouldn't have kissed him like that if she was just eh about him. He didn't know if the others knew what he knew or even if she had kissed them with the same tenacity. Hobi was excited to give them an update. 

Hobi held Peri's hand and pulled her off of the mirrored wall. "C'mon. We have to get ready for our shoot now. You can hang out with us.

Peri stopped her steps which made Hobi jerk back and stand still. "Hobi, I need to tell you something." He turned his body, so he was parallel to her, listening intently to what she was going to say. The look on her face almost seemed pained. He thought momentarily that maybe he had gotten the meaning of their kiss wrong. "I don't want you to get all worked up because of me," she continued. "I'm not worth it."

Hobi closed the gap between them, keeping their hands linked at their sides. With his free hand, he used the pad of his thumb to rub over the mark he had left on her neck. It was odd to see it so faded. He thought he had latched on to her neck hard enough, but in the excitement, he thought he had missed. 

Hobi leaned down and pressed his mouth onto her neck again. This time when he sealed his lips onto her skin, he used vampire-like suction. Peri shut her eyes tightly and let out a gasp mixed with enjoyment and ache.

He released her taught skin between his lips with a pop. He saw Peri's shoulder relax the tension she was holding. Hobi moved his lips to the outer shell of her ear. "Yes, you are," he stated. He brought his head up and looked down at his spot. It was an angry shade of red- it looked hot, pissed off, and delicious. Hobi looked into Peri's eyes, feeling pleased with his work. 

Peri gave him a look that suggested she rejected his words. Hobi shook his head and tsk'd at seeing her emotions still showing on her face. He placed his hand around hers once again and gave her a serious look. "If you don't believe me, I will pin you back against that wall and hold you there until you do." He leaned down and kissed her softly. There was no need to be rough with her when she was feeling vulnerable. The kiss was to give her assurance and nothing more. 

Peri looked up at him again when his lips left hers. There was a slight pull at the corner of her mouth. She wanted to believe him, but the poison coursing through her veins told her otherwise. "Let's go find the others," she told him with a roll of her eyes.

Peri let his hand go from hers as they walked out the door. They were out in the hallway, where anyone could see them. They would see him- just him. They would find it strange for Hobi to be walking down the hall with a giant smile on his face holding onto air. They would think he had lost his mind. They would think he was just under so much stress that he snapped and was now lost in his world, talking to himself. 

Hobi would occasionally peer down at her hand as they walked to the elevator. He would stretch his fingers out to feel just the tiniest bit of her skin under his as they rode the elevator down to the garage, but she kept her hands glued to her sides. 

Peri was always all too aware of the people around her. Hobi could watch her twist and glide away from one person to another as they walked. He could watch her eyes and see them shifting around, calculating the people around her moves. Predicting the intern would wobble with a stack of papers to the right and she would go left. The manager talking on his phone would stop abruptly to speak to the other person on the line. Peri could move past him like wind, blowing past him without interrupting her steps.