Tread

By Rosi Phillips

It was supposed to be fun; I wasn’t supposed to fall in love.

Rai is on a school trip in Ireland, enjoying the beautiful city of Dublin and its excess of bars. But one drunken rambling leads to a chance encounter with a Scandinavian hottie who is exactly the fun she needs without all the messy ties.

Or so she thought.

Leo is anything but easy. Sexy, funny, sweet—yes! But the man has an intensity that takes their fun fling to serious relationship heights that Rai’s not ready for.

Running back to America seemed like the right choice, the smart one. Rai’s not so sure anymore as underlying issues with family and friends reaches a fever pitch and she finds herself seeking the love and comfort of her Scandinavian beau. But will Leo take her back after the brutal and abrupt way Rai ended their summer?

Is this love?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rosi Phillips
• Release date: May 20, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463965887

Rosi Phillips

Rosi S. Phillips was born in 1993 with caramel colored skin, to a Nigerian immigrant father and a 2nd generation Finnish mother. With this background, International awesomeness was soon to follow. Rosi attended public schools in Cleveland (Ohio), Richfield (Minnesota) and Washington, DC and ultimately received a scholarship to attend Emerson Preparatory School In Dupont Circle, graduating at 16. Rosi then headed to Egypt for a year abroad to study Arabic in Cairo. Secretly, her friends wonder how her presence in Egypt may have sparked the Revolution, but her host family has assured her it is simply not the case. Rosi splits her time now between being an awesome daughter, learning Persian, and figuring out how to complete her studies in less than five years as she double majored in Women’s Studies and Persian. A Grim Love: Can’t Fight Time was her first published book. Currently, Rosi lives and works in China at an international school as an English Teacher. Sadly, Rosi cannot be on social media as much as she would like because of this. Updates to Rosi's website, Facebook, Twitter, and G+ are underway. Expect many more books with characters you'll fall in love with!

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Tread

Rosi S Phillips

Copyright ©2018 by Rosi S Phillips

Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. Please do not participate in or encourage the piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

Contents

Tread

Epilogue

May 31

I’ve officially exceeded my alcohol budget… and limit, I tell my friend over the rim of my beer. Remind me of that tomorrow. Okay, Em?

She laughs and punches my shoulder. Dude, I’m drunker than you! Tell Kate.

We turn to Kate, but she’s making googly eyes at Ivan. Not one week in and our study abroad group has coupled up. Em and I are the only single ladies, and we loudly declare it every chance we get. The second night in Dublin we made a pact to each make out with an Irish dude before we leave. Neither of us has done it yet, but there are still three weeks left.

It’s one of the reasons we’re out right now at The Kid and Hawk. There are no shortage of sexy Irishmen in this college bar, and I’ve very obviously been looking around for Mr. Friendly Lips since my third or fourth—I glance down at the glasses lined up in front of me on the table—fifth pint.

Him. Em points to a rail-thin, red-bearded guy at the other end of the bar. He sees her and flashes a grin before ducking his head and grabbing his beer.

"That’s your type."

Okay. What’s yours?

Intelligent, I slur. You know I’m a sapiosexual.

That’s not a real thing.

I shrug and look around the bar again. The men bleed together: dark t-shirts, brown hair, and jeans. The only spot of color is a pale skinned, blonde guy chatting up a red-haired woman at the bar. I touch my curls, remembering the Fire Engine Red I had for over a year before I dyed it back to sable brown. The color hurt my job chances out of college. And unless a magical fairy popped up and decided to pay off my student debt, I needed a job.

I blink, bringing the bar back into focus, and notice Blondie is looking at me. He’s got the funniest expression on his face. That’s when I realize I’m yelling out loud: "He’s hot! I’d totally fuck him."

A smile transforms his face as I scramble to shut my stupid drunk lips. Muttering something to the redhead, he moves away from the bar toward me. I turn around in the stool and nearly fall on my ass before Em catches me, laughing her head off. Rai, are you okay?

I’m—

Get you a glass of water? A sing song voice says behind me, catching our table’s attention. Ivan and Kate look up, and Em peers around me, lips forming an O. I look up and over my shoulder at the guy. Sure enough it’s Blondie.

His eyes are blue and his hair looks natural. There’s no way he’s Irish. Scandinavian definitely. Maybe Swedish?

What?

Water, he repeats, pointing out the lack of any aqua on the table. There are, however, ten pint glasses with varying degrees of empty. Do you need some?

I peek at his clothes, wondering if he’s a server. What kind of pick-up line is ‘let me get you water?’ He’s wearing scuffed black boots, dark jeans, and a green and white striped sweater. The outfit doesn’t scream waiter, so I assume he is just a Good Samaritan who heard my drunken ramblings and decided I needed to sober up quick.

Yeah. Water would be great. I make a move off the stool and the room tips precariously.

Careful there. His hands are on my shoulders, eyes looking straight into mine. "Why don’t you sit and I’ll get it?"

Swedish? The word bursts out before I can shut my mouth.

His lips quirk. Finnish. Wait here.

Then he’s gone, and I’m looking at my friends to confirm the conversation wasn’t a hallucination. Em stares back for a heartbeat before bursting out laughing. Glasses bounce across the table. I think your alcohol budget’s safe. Got a feeling I’ll be giving you 50 euros.

I blush and punch her arm because she just said that Mr. Finland might take my V-Card.

***

Ten minutes later, I gulp down my second glass of water and stare at the man who’s made our quartet a quintet. His name’s Leo, he’s on holiday, and that is as much as any of us get out of him. The guy seems hyper-focused on me, and I fight down the urge to crawl under the table.

He heard. He definitely heard. There’s no way he didn’t. So, Leo, thanks for the water. I’m obviously drunk as fuck.

Really? I hadn’t noticed.

I guess it was just my stunning conversation and infectious laughter that lead you here.

Seeing as you’ve downed five beers and can still use words like ‘infectious’ and ‘stunning,’ I’m going to say yes.

I giggle—God, I'm way too drunk—and stare up at Leo. There’s a lopsided grin on his face. The guy is just too much. Funny, hot, considerate.

Serial killer?

Only Coco Puffs. Can’t stand the other stuff.

Witty? Check!

I’m a Lucky Charms girl myself.

We’re natural enemies. Can’t talk to you now. He turns to leave but gives me a questioning look. Unless you want to change your answer?

Holding up my hands placatingly, I say, Think I’ll have to or you might pass out from the devastation of not getting with all this.

Leo leans closer, soft laugher warming my cheek as he casually places a hand on the back of my stool. I cast a glance over to Ivan and Kate, but their hands are under the table, and from the heavy breathing I know they’re paying zero attention to me. Em’s equally bad. She’s caught up in a conversation with two Irish girls about Ms. Marvel.

I cross my ankles and tug them behind the foot bar of my stool. So you’re on vacation. Are you in college or something?

I own a small tech company.

Really? What kind of tech company? I mean, what do you do?

He smiles and reaches forward to tuck a stray curl behind my ear. We build websites. Usually large ones for various corporations, NGOs, and government agencies in Finland.

Why do I feel like you’re giving me the most basic of answers?

Because I am. Telling you that I’m freaking out over whether or not I committed my changes before I switched branches on my client’s code and pushed it up to my master is cruel.

His words sink into my brain as I craft an intelligent response that doesn’t belie my utter lack of knowledge. I give up and shrug my shoulders. Maybe. But me talking about world building, character profiles, and why you should use an oxford comma would probably bore you to tears.

Leo’s eyes fall to my lips and he doesn’t bother to raise them. How about we bore each other for awhile?

I laugh and nod. First one to fall asleep gets their wallet stolen and has to buy the next round.

Lips pulling into a sly smile, he leans forward and explains Git, Drupal, and the more complicated intricacies of his work. I’m hooked. Not so much by what he says, but how he says it. All heart and soul; his business is his baby. Even now, on extended vacation, he’s never far from his phone or computer. Never without Internet, though the fees kill him.

We inch closer on the stools—centimeters apart—as he compares finding a bug in his code and fixing it to how I create, destroy, and remake relationships in my novels. I tell him how I struggle not to manipulate my characters but let their interactions and the dynamics of their relationships take their natural course. All Leo does is meddle. Tell the code what he wants it to do, find a way to fix it, manipulate it so it’s in line with client’s requests. Our lips are an inch apart when I ask if he’s a control freak. We’re closer when he says he just likes a challenge. A breath—

Dude. Em punches my shoulder and I nearly fall out of my stool for the third time. Think the bartender’s going to kill us if we don’t haul ass. He’s been yelling final call for like ten minutes.

Oh. Really? I sneak a peek at the bartender, and sure enough I can practically see him sharpening the spit to roast us.

Yeah. Time to go.

Well, looks like I have to leave. My voice couldn’t be more sober if I was at a funeral.

No way I can talk you into coming back to my place?

Not tonight.

But some night?

Maybe. I shrug. Not sure if I can trust you with my v-card.

What card?

Em punches my shoulder and glares. Apparently drunk Rai is more in control than I thought. Nothing. An American thing. I rush on, Tonight was a lot of fun.

Tomorrow will be too.

A laugh tumbles from my lips as I grab my phone and purse and get up. Very confident.

Hopeful, Leo says as he moves to stand in front of me. I enjoyed your company.

And there it is. Not sex appeal or rack size, but intellect and good conversation. The man could be the poster child for sapiosexual lust. Reaching up on my tiptoes, I kiss the Finnish hottie. It’s my first kiss and clumsy as hell, but I go for it. His lips part and his hands snake around my waist. Leo takes over, tilting my head, coaxing my tongue, taking a few moments to teach me how he likes it.

When I pull back, my lips feel puffy and the sting of whiskey sits on my tongue. Thanks, I whisper, ducking my head and blushing furiously.

I should be the one saying that.

Well, as a ‘your welcome,’ give me your phone and I’ll give you my number.

He doesn’t hesitate. With shaking fingers, I type in a new contact and do him one better: my name, phone number, and email. Just in case.

I’ll text you, he promises.

But as I turn and leave with a punch-drunk Em, I don’t hold my breath.

June 1

Leo: Good morning 8:43AM

Rai: Oh. Hey! Morning! 8:50AM

Rai: How are you? Leo? 8:51AM

Leo: Yes, it’s Leo. Good. Did you get home safe? 8:56AM

Rai: Yeah. Em was drunk af but its ok. U? 8:58AM

Leo: Yes. It was a great night. 8:58AM

Rai: :) yeah i had fun 8:59AM

Leo: What are you doing today? 9:00AM

Rai: We’re going to the James Joyce museum then class. U? Building any cool sites or have you finally dragged yourself away from your business? 9:02AM

Leo: Reviewing a built one from one of my project managers. Micromanaging is a hard habit to break. Then I was going to go to the beach. When do you get back? 9:05AM

Rai: Idk 5? Something like that 9:06AM

Leo: Cool. Are you doing anything tonight? 9:07AM

Rai: Ivan wants to head to this club. Grand Social I think. 9:08AM

Leo: What time should I meet you there? 9:09AM

Rai: You are soooooooo cocky! 9:09AM

Leo: Does that mean you don’t want me to come? 9:10AM

Rai: 10 :p 9:11AM

Leo: I’ll see you tonight, Rai. 10pm. Don’t be late. 9:13AM

Leo: And wear something sexy. 9:13AM

Rai: Bossy 9:13AM

Leo: You know it. 9:14AM

***

Leo: How was the tour? 1:29PM

Rai: good. still on it 1:33PM

Leo: That’s a long tour. 1:35PM

Rai: Boring too :/ 1:35PM

Leo: But you are learning a lot about James Joyce? 1:37PM

Rai: starving artist. Misunderstood. Blah blah blah 1:40PM

Rai: Wake me when its not the TWM story 1:40PM

Leo: TWM? 1:41PM

Rai: typical white male 1:41PM

Rai: Stopped micromanaging? How’s the beach? 1:42PM

Leo: Yes and very nice. It rained for about 15 minutes, but that’s all. 1:43PM

Rai: its not cold? 1:43PM

Leo: It’s very cold. LOL But I like it cold. 1:44PM

Rai: how Finnish of u 1:49PM

Leo: :) Go and enjoy your tour. Learn something! 1:50PM

Rai: Aye aye captain! 1:53PM

***

Leo: Are you back yet? 5:17PM

Rai: Yes! 5:42PM

Leo: Did you just get back? 5:51PM

Rai: Yup my teacher kept taaaaalking Hotel? 6:52PM

Leo: Yes, I’m back at my hotel. Just woke up from a nap. 6:53PM

Rai: A nap? How old are you dude? There is no napping! just constant exhaustion 6:08PM

Leo: Such a paradigm of wisdom, you are. 6:09PM

Rai: :) lol 6:09PM

Leo: I want to see you now. 6:09PM

Rai: Cant wait? 6:10PM

Leo: Barely. I will see you at 10. On the dot. 6:14PM

Rai: Maybe not on the dot… 6:14PM

Leo: On. The. Dot. 6:15PM

Rai: B 6:16PM

Rai: O 6:16PM

Rai: S 6:16PM

Rai: S 6:16PM

Rai: Y 6:16PM

Leo: You like it. 6:16PM

Rai: I plead the fifth 6:17PM

***

Leo: Where are you? You’re late. 10:02PM

Rai: I am officially in the building!!!! 10:20PM

Leo: Where? I don’t see you? 10:25PM

Rai: DANCING MY FUCKING ASS OFF 10:31PM

Leo finds me on the dance floor with a guy grinding his dick into my thigh. I don’t mind, alcohol doing a great job making sure I don’t mind a lot of things.

Rai?

Hey! Short time no text.

He looks at the man behind me, the smallest of frowns tugging at his lips. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.

Had to get a drink first. I raise the glass in my hand and unceremoniously down it. Think I need another.

The guy behind me leans close to my ear, hand snaking around my middle and up to my breast. He lets out a yelp and I see Leo bending the guy’s fingers away from me.

"You okay with this asshole, kultaseni?"

I look from Leo to Mr. Grinder—Did he ever give me his name?—and shake my head at the man. There’s just no competition between the two. Sorry, bud. Not happening.

Mr. Grinder snarls, handsome face dropping completely. Cunt.

Sticks and stones, baby, I coo, twinning my arm around Leo’s and tugging him to the bar.

Why is it every time we meet you’re drunk? he questions above me.

We’ve only met twice. We hit the bar and he orders me a glass of water, raising a brow when I open my mouth to argue. I bite back a smile and turn away as I continue, And we texted all day. I wasn’t drunk at all.

You had two pints. He thrusts the water at me when the bartender slides it down. Drink.

I salute him as I dutifully gulp down the liquid. Em, Ivan, and Kate come up a second later, glasses empty, smiles on their faces. Ivan leans down and whispers something into Kate’s ear. She tilts her head back and nods before they disappear again.

Leo, right? Em screams, all but deaf because of the synth pop blasting through the speakers at eardrum-rupturing volume.

Yes. Emily?

Em, she corrects. I didn’t know you were coming.

Rai texted me you all would be here so I thought I’d join you.

Ha! I texted him. Yeah right.

So how much longer are you gonna be in Ireland?

Not sure. I’ve been taking it one day at a time.

Her eyes widen. Wow. Wish I could do that.

How long are you all here for?

Until June 18th.

It’s a short visit.

No. She shakes her head and catches the bartender’s eye to order another vodka tonic. We arrived May 26th. It’s four-ish weeks.

I finally finish my water, slamming it on the metal bar. The bartender throws me a dirty look, and I grimace and mouth, Sorry. Then I’m going backpacking, I interrupt, joining the conversation, while everyone else goes home.

I would if I could, Em says for what has to be the ninetieth time.

You’re going alone? Leo asks, horrified.

Yup. But I’ll be fine.

A mash up of two of my favorite songs hits me, the base going straight to my hips. Waving bye to Em, I tug Leo onto the dance floor and lose myself in the strumming beat. It’s pulsing electric, everything I need as I sway to the music. Leo wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me into him. I can feel his erection dig into the hollow of my lower back.

The man’s insanely tall.

I tilt my head and rest it against his chest, nowhere near his shoulder. I feel miniscule next to him and I’m 5’10. How tall are you?

6’5.

My eyes bulge. Like you think you’re 6’5 or a doctor measured you 6’5?

A nurse got on a stool and measured me.

Good for you.

His eyes catch on my lips and I smile wide as he ducks his head and kisses me. My second kiss (not that I’m counting) is amazingly better than my first, and the first was really good. This one is all Leo, all Mr. I’ve Kissed A Hundred Women And Know How It’s Done Right. One hand moves to my stomach, the other curving beneath my jaw to tilt my chin this way and that. I can’t move if I want to, and the thought makes me cream my panties.

Men like Leo should not exist outside of books. They’re fantasies. I know what happens next. The hot sex, the (maybe) amazing orgasms. The STDs or cheating or Yes, I’ll call you promises that turn to nothing. It’s the first one that freaks me out enough to pull away.

I don’t do this, I yell up at him, his hand still on my chin.

What?

Kiss strangers in clubs.

But I’m not a stranger.

Dude, I met you yesterday. At a bar. For all I know you have a wife, kids, and I’m the extra woman you’re happy to spread your STDs to.

I don’t have STDs.

But I should worry about Ivonka and little Timothy and Sara in Finland?

He laughs and ducks his head to suck my bottom lip into his mouth before I can protest. Bite. Release. Ivonka, Timothy, and Sara do not exist outside of your imagination. Besides, none of those are Finnish names.

My mistake.

Leo’s lips quirk. Can I kiss you now?

By all— His lips descend and I forget everything else. The man tastes different tonight. A hint of lemon and wheat. It coats my tongue, the scent mixing with his cologne and deodorant. God, he smells good. Tastes divine.

Before I know it, we’re off the floor in a back corner. He presses me into a wall, my hands on his shoulders, one leg wrapped around his. My toes touch the floor as I press up against him, completely sober. I prefer doing stupid things drunk, less to think about, worry over, obsess on.

Leo hikes me up, pushes me further into the wall, and settles his erection between my thighs. I regret wearing a skirt because I feel everything. There’s a moment of panic, of over-thinking and planning my next move, before I grind hard on his dick.

Zipper right on my clit, I moan into his mouth and tighten my grip on him. Leo stills against me, knowing exactly what I’m doing before he resumes, this time more forcefully. One of his hands moves from my hip to my ass, squeezing, kneading. God, I’m so close. My little silver bullet has nothing on Leo’s denim-clad cock, and I grow wet thinking of him without the jeans.

"I can smell you," Leo growls, pulling back.

He crowds me in further, practically lifting me with his legs alone as his hand moves from my ass to between my legs. To say I’m shocked is an understatement. My mouth opens and shuts as he cups his hand over my panties. "So wet. Jumalauta, I want to fuck you."

And he does. In a way. Pushes the fabric of my panties aside and slides his fingers through my lips, getting them wet. My head crashes into the wall, because I’m that girl. Ms. Fucks Guys In Clubs. Ms. Gets Drunk And Parties. It’s insanely appealing, but horribly stupid.

Still, I don’t push his hand away. Especially not when his thumb rubs circles over my clit because for a while I’d thought I was a lesbian or asexual or just a horribly disfigured monster that no man would ever look at, let alone touch. But vaginas creep me out and I think about sex too much and Leo’s fingers are pushing inside me.

Oh God.

Never done this before, Rai, he says, forehead coming to rest between my breasts. "You make me want to be the guy who has sex in a dirty club bathroom. God, you’re so tight!"

I’m 100 percent sure I can never take a dick, because Leo’s fingers feel huge. They’re the first things I’ve had inside me, and I’m so filled I don’t think I can have anything else. But he pulls out and pushes three inside, thumb working my clit.

I come so hard I wonder if I break his fingers. It’s sudden, unexpected, and nothing like the orgasms I get from my vibrators. Those are tension relievers, so mundane it’s a part of my bedtime ritual. Shower, brush teeth, come, sleep. This is so different. It starts at my clit and spreads until I’m spasming around his fingers, feeling them move, dragging out my orgasm. I read somewhere most women come for 16 seconds—I swear I orgasm for a small eternity.

Rai, Leo breathes into my chest,