Fell Into His Love Trap (Skylar and Tobias)

Tobias did not know whose necklace it was. Only when Skylar mentioned that it was Marcus who had tasked her with passing it along did he manage to guess who the owner was. That girl again. She has been on Marcus' mind for all these years, and he never let her go.

That answer made Skylar laugh. He's speaking in riddles with me. Whether or not he answered the question made no difference.

Pulling a face, Skylar said, "You're not going to tell me, huh? I don't think you would even if you knew. How melodramatic it is for two brothers to fight over a woman."

Tobias gave her a sharp flick on her forehead. "What are you thinking? Why would I do something like that? Marcus and I have different tastes. I may not fancy who he likes."

Skylar yelped in pain and clutched her forehead with both hands in an exaggerated fashion. It's difficult to get Tobias to talk about the past.

It began raining outside. A fine spray of rain splashed in from the half-closed window, and the chilly wind made Skylar shiver.

When he saw Skylar hugging herself and trembling, Tobias closed the window. Then, she heard a sigh coming from above her head. "Look at how skinny you are! There isn't a bit of fat on you. How can you no feel cold? Don't take your health for granted while you're still young, or you'll regret it when you grow older."

That was not the answer Skylar was hoping for. She was more interested to know who the owner of the necklace was.

As he admonished her for her health, it never occurred to him that he, too, usually stayed up late to work.

It was the second Christmas she was spending with him. The racket first thing in the morning added a lively touch to the festivities.

Having applied for leave, Madelyn had returned home for the holidays. The house was quiet and lonely.

Skylar searched the cabinet for the sweets she had bought at the mall, grabbed a dish to empty them in, and placed them on the coffee table. She wondered if she was qualified to be a hostess, as she had not appeared in public very much.

Tobias did not go to the office, so he did not put on a suit and tie like he always did. Yet, he was so immaculate that not even a strand of hair was out of place. That day, he was dressed in light blue denim jeans with a gray woolly sweater that exposed a white undershirt and a black cotton coat.

Skylar preferred Tobias dressed like that. It made him look sexy.

Unwrapping a sweet, she handed it to him enthusiastically. "Would you like one? It's Christmas, the season of joy!"

Skylar knew that Tobias did not like sweets. Indeed, Tobias did not even give her the courtesy of accepting them.

"You go ahead. I don't like sweets. Too much sugar makes one stupid."

He noticed that Skylar was wearing the same outfit as the day before. She was wearing black fleece pants and a boyish, loose-fitting black jacket with a massive golden eagle emblazoned on the back, which looked very stylish.

"Why didn't you change into a fresh set of clothes on Christmas? You look as if I can't afford to buy you clothes."

Tobias was conservative, and he thought women should dress in brighter colors during the festivities. Skylar's outfit was dark and gloomy, which made her look like a homeless woman.

He had lost track of how many branded clothes or trending items she had in her wardrobe, which he had people send over on a regular basis.

He had never even considered how there were many things that Skylar, in her capacity as an ambassador, could not carelessly wear. She had to conceal the logo when she did.

Examining her reflection, she said with satisfaction, "My outfit is fine. I'm just going home for a meal on Christmas, not doing a fashion show. Why should I dress up? I'm not trying to outdo anybody."

Tobias was not about to persuade her otherwise. Though part of her job, getting dolled up was not her nature. Instead, she preferred nothing more than being away from the spotlight in her own private time. Skylar had decided earlier that they would each return to their respective families. If Claudia asked about her, she would pay the former a visit.

More than anything, Skylar hated having to deal with her garrulous aunts and pretend to smile while they shared a table every year.