Tied Together

Chapter 16: Motivation

As soon as my apartment door shuts Ray is on me.

"Why did you try to steal a car, Tate?" His voice is frustrated. And he used my first name, not my last. Not a good sign.

My apartment is a big room except for the bathroom, so it doesn't take me long to walk to the kitchen. I ignore Ray and get myself a glass from my cabinet.

"Tell me." He demands.

I sigh deeply, "Ray, why are you here?"

When he dropped me off I didn't expect him to follow me into my apartment. I didn't expect him to be able to get me out of jail for the night either. Guess I underestimated the golden boy's power and influence over people.

His jaw sharpens. "Because it seems like you need supervision now that your a criminal and all."

"I'm not a criminal." I deny weakly.

"Yeah? Well, you could have fooled me. I don't know about you, but theft of a car seems like a pretty valid crime to me!"

I wince filling my cup with water, my back still turned to him. "I appreciate you bailing me out and getting your parents to drop the charges. And I know you feel like I'm your responsibility because you are my Match. But I'm not. I'm not some charity case you can try to fix."

I am caught off guard when I turn around and walk into a solid chest. Ray has caged me in between both of his muscular arms, trapping me between him and the kitchen bench with no escape.

When did he get so close?

"You aren't my charity case Tate. You're not broken. Your you." He breathes. "And I'm fucking tired of you running away from me."

He just doesn't realise; I'm trying to do what's best for him.

"God Ray, you just don't get it, do you?! I'm no good. I just tried to steal your parent's car! Isn't that enough proof that I am no good! If you know what is good for you, you would leave."

He grabs me by the waist and lifts me onto the kitchen bench. I suck in a sharp breath still surprised by how freely he touches me. How natural it is for him to touch me, like he has allowed himself the permission to touch me as he pleases. I am not used to people touching me.

Especially not in the way he does.

"I'm not leaving. I want answers, Tate. Now you're going to tell me why because I have a feeling you have a real reason behind this."

I gulp.

No one has ever given me the benefit of the doubt before. It warms a bit of my cold stone heart that he did. That he thinks better of me.

He stands before me, eyeing me with an unreadable expression. He is so close that his scent absorbs my senses.

He smells so fucking good. A heavy musky citrus scent. I wish I could make into a candle of it and to keep.

"I'm not telling you," I say honestly.

He doesn't look pleased with my response. He takes a step back and runs a frustrated hand through his hair looking away. When he looks back at me he has a fire in his eyes. "Do you know what I learned about Matches the other day?"

"What?" I ask, surprised at the change of conversation.

"That the attraction between Matches can be... intense." He says looking focused, determined even.

He shrugs his jacket off chucking it onto the bench. "Chemicals oxytocin, dopamine, and norepinephrine are realised around your Match—especially when their skin is uncovered. The more skin exposed, the more it boosts these chemicals."

"You seriously giving me a science lesson right now?" I scoff.

He smirks, grabbing the back of his shirt he discards it in one smooth motion, revealing the defined gird of his abs

I still.

"Dopamine can be a good motivator. It helps people focus, helps them be more attentive to what is producing it." He moves closer.

"What are y-you...?"

"What I am saying is If you are not going to tell me, then maybe I need to give you some motivation..."

I start to catch on to what he is doing when his fingers go to the buttons on his pants. "R-ray, s-stop.

He grinned. Shook his head. "Stop? Blake, I'm just getting started..."

He starts to unbutton his pants and my brain stops working. There's so much skin. Heat starts to pool in my belly, my mouth can't speak and my heart has gone haywire.

I can't deal with this. His exposed skin is too dangerous to look at. I screw my eyes. It's better if I don't see. Then maybe it won't affect me as much. I hear his pants drop to the floor — Holy shit.

"Closing your eyes, huh" he hums. I can feel his breath on my cheek so I know he is close. I squeeze my eyes tightly leaning as far back as I can. "Don't you want to see?" He purrs.

I keep my lips sealed afraid to open my mouth or open my eyes and lose the control I am so desperately holding on to.

He chuckles darkly. "That's okay, let's see how long you can stay quiet."

He drags the tips of his fingertips up my arm slowly leaving a trail of goosebumps behind. I can't help but shiver.

"Tate Blake not biting back, if I knew stripping in front of you would make you so flustered, I would have done this a lot sooner."

I bite my lip. Hard.

"You know, closing your eyes isn't going to make this go away." he mummers, his voice several octaves lower. "It just means that you won't get to see what I do. Only feel."

I start to realise that closing my eyes may be more dangerous, because now I can't see what he is doing. What his next move is. I am vulnerable to him and I can't believe I am letting myself be like that around him. But I can't bring myself to open my eyes, because that means It is real.

The nerves build as I anticipate his next move.

I feel the pressure of his thumb drag along the side of my jaw, tracing the shape of my face. I feel a rush of insecurity, he is close enough to see all my flaws. All my imperfections. But those voices are drowned out by the thumping of my heart when he drags his finger across my bottom lip slowly.

"You know when we went out bowling that night. I thought it would be fine, that I had the girl I wanted. Then I saw Matt put his arm around you." He grunts, pulling my lip out of my tenth's grasp. "I have never been more jealous in my fucking life."

He drags his thumb over my lips again, almost possessively. "He didn't even touch your skin and I was losing my shit."

My eyes are still tightly closed and my hands are grasped tightly around the edge of the kitchen bench. I am breathing heavily now, my heart on a wild rampage. I can't find the motivation or willpower to move away from him.

I am in so much trouble.

He kisses a path near my lips, close enough to tease without really touching the place I want him to. I want so badly for his lips to touch mine. Just one touch. Just so I know what it's like to kiss him.

Just once.

He kisses the corner of my mouth, his lips brushing lightly against the side of my lips. "Tell me, Tate." He murmurs, his breath brushing my aching lips. "Why? Why did you try to steal a car?"

"I-I" I stutter like an idiot, my brain not quite functioning properly. I am undoubtedly aroused. The desire inside me ignited into flames.

"R-Ray, this isn't f-fair," I say, my voice weak. needy.

"I'm playing dirty, remember." His finger wraps around my ponytail tugging it slightly, forcing me to tilt my head up.

"Tell me, baby."

I open my mouth, ready to give him what he wants.

Anything he wants. He wins.

—but I don't get the chance to speak because, his lips slam against mine, taking the words right out of my mouth.