Somebody Else's Sky (Something in the Way #2)(40)

Just thinking about it now, I got hot. Tiffany's car was too fucking small. My knees were nearly at my chin. I'd rolled down the window before I'd even pulled away from the curb, but it wasn't enough, so I played with a few buttons to get the sunroof open.

"Want me to do it?" she asked.

"No." Eventually, it slid open. The night was cold, and Tiffany pulled her sweater closer, but I couldn't help it. I needed the air.



       
         
       
        

I'd made a mistake putting off sex with Tiffany. I'd known it as soon as I'd stepped into the Kaplan's home. Lake had come running down the stairs, her skirt practically up to her crotch. I'd taken one look at her long, tan legs and gotten hard on the spot. I'd had to refrain from chasing her back up the stairs, into her bedroom, and locking out the world for a few days.

If Charles hadn't sent her back to her to change, I would've. The outfit was too much. She didn't know she was tempting a dangerous man, and if she did, she wasn't as smart as everyone gave her credit for. Did you put a juicy, bloody steak in front of a caged animal and expect him not to break through the bars?

As soon as I parked, I remembered what I'd forgotten at Target. "Fuck."

Tiffany eyes sliced to mine. "What? What's wrong?"

"I meant to stop and get some things."

"What things?" she asked.

"Condoms."

"Oh. Don't worry. I've got it covered." She opened the car door, smiling at her pun.

I shut off the engine and followed her through the complex. The apartment keys were on the BMW's keychain, so I unlocked the front door. "Wait here," I said.

"Why?"

Walking into a dark apartment, I tensed. The quiet made my stomach hurt. I flipped on some lights, looking around.

Tiffany clomped in behind me, kicking off her shoes next to the couch. "It's a really safe neighborhood," she said.

I wiped my hands on my jeans. "I know."

She came over and stood in front of me, hands on hips. "You got taller."

"Or you got shorter."

She smirked and held out her hand for me. "Come on, big guy."

"Where we going?"

"Take a guess." She led me to the bedroom and left me standing at the foot of the bed. I'd never seen a sweeter sight than a bed that could be mistaken for a cloud.

Tiffany went to her nightstand and opened a drawer. "Condoms, lube, toys."

"No toys," I said.

I watched her light a candle on the side table. "This is for ambiance, so don't get any kinky ideas. I hope you like vanilla."

I was partial to anything that didn't smell like mold, shit, or piss. "Are you on the pill?"

"Yes," she said, then turned to me. "Manning, I've got this. I've been thinking about tonight for a long time."

I scrubbed my jaw. If that was the case, she probably wanted this to be special. I guessed that was the reason for the candle. I'd have to rein myself in, because right then, I could've fucked until my heart gave out. Or maybe it was like the steak, and slow was better at first. 

"Toss me one of those."

She brought a condom over and put it in my open palm. "I got the extra-large. Wishful thinking, I guess."

I couldn't help my laugh. "Careful what you wish for."

Her eyes lit up. "Really?"

I kissed her. I wasn't sure how much longer I could wait. She pressed her body up to mine and I put a hand on her ass. When she had my pants down, she pulled back to look down. Her eyes widened. "Holy shit."

I was hard as a rock, but that wasn't the reason for her shock. My rock was more of a boulder. Thanks to communal showers, I'd seen more dicks than I ever wanted to, and I knew what I had. My hard-on was painful, and I was ashamed to admit I'd had it since dinner. Tiffany had run her fingernails over my thigh under the table like it was nothing.

Smoking that cigarette was supposed to help, but then Lake had showed up. Something about her bare feet was so sweet, it'd pissed me off. She made my emotions go haywire. One moment it was everything to keep my hands off her, the next I was reacting to her, helpless, and I hated that feeling. I never wanted to give up control again. If I'd never met her, I wouldn't be in this fucking mess, but I cared too deeply for her to just walk away. It was confusing as hell.

And so was this, my girlfriend stripping down to her black lingerie while I thought about her seventeen-year-old sister. I needed to be more fucking careful. Shouldn't be thinking about Lake that way at all, and definitely not while I was with Tiffany.

I pushed all thoughts of Lake out of my head and put my hands on Tiffany's shoulders. "Listen. I'm going to go as slow as a man in my positon can," I said. "If I get a little too rough, stop me."