Move the Stars (Something in the Way 3)

Slowly, she stepped out of her shorts. “Like that?”

“Underwear, too.”

She did as I said, and I reached up easily, running my thumbs through the blonde curls covering her mound, parting her sweetly pink pussy for my viewing pleasure. “This image will stay with me until my deathbed,” I said matter-of-factly. I touched her with as much restraint as I could manage. “You are a good girl,” I said, easing a finger into her. “I can fuck you raw and you’re still wet for me.”

She whimpered, and my lids fell with that little noise. I continued my exploration of her, felt her tense as I approached her asshole. Did I think she was ready for me to play there? Not by a long shot. There was plenty of time for that down the line, though. She didn’t yet know the half of what I’d do to her. For now, it was fun to watch the filthy thought occur to her, the horrified look it put on her reddening face.

While I was cooking up what crude thing I wanted to do to her next, the phone rang. I froze, and so did she. I knew without answering who it was—and so did she. It was early here, which meant it must’ve been dawn in California. I wanted to wait until tonight to talk to Tiffany, until we were face to face, but I owed her at least a quick conversation before I got on the plane.

Later. Now wasn’t the time.

We stilled until the ringing stopped. Lake’s expression had fallen, and I didn’t want the countdown to the flight to start just yet. I dropped my hand to my stomach. “Come sit down and let me do ‘that thing’ with my mouth,” I said, teasing her.

“If you insist,” she said, a smile spreading over her face. She started to step off me, but I grabbed her ankle. “Where are you going?”

“To sit like you said.”

“Why over there?” I asked, pulling her down. “My mouth is right here.”

18

Manning

It was just after ten in the morning, and I’d already worn Lake out again. She’d fallen asleep on my chest forty-five minutes earlier and had barely stirred. I’d have to start packing for the airport soon, but for now I was content to stay here and run my hand from the base of her spine up to her neck and back. She had the smoothest skin and baby fine hairs, with random freckles that reminded me of the constellations Maddy had taught me when we were kids.

Lake looked so fucking peaceful that when the phone rang, I grabbed it without thinking so it wouldn’t disturb her. She woke anyway and now I was pinned under her with what was likely Tiffany on the line.

I cleared my throat and brought the phone to my ear. “Hello?”

“Hello?” Tiffany said. “That’s all you have to say? I’ve been calling and calling. Where have you been?”

Lake furrowed her eyebrows up at me. I smoothed my hand over her hair and said, “Yeah, I’m sorry, Tiff. Hold on a sec.”

“Are you kidding?” she asked.

I put my hand over the receiver as Lake got up. “Give us a minute,” I whispered.

She nodded, wrapping a blanket around her as she ducked into the bathroom and shut the door. I watched her go, hoping last night was the breakthrough Lake and I needed to be able to talk about this. I’d need to lean on her a lot in the coming months.

I picked up the phone again. “Hey. I’m here.”

“I’ve been worried, Manning. I call late at night and there’s no answer. I called you over an hour ago and you weren’t there.”

“I was here,” I said. “Sleeping.”

“At nine in the morning? Since when do you sleep in?” Her voice pitched as if she’d already had several cups of coffee. “And that doesn’t explain the rest of the week.”

I rubbed the inside corners of my eyes. “I know.” I didn’t have an explanation, and I didn’t want to lie to Tiffany so I just said, “I’ve been busy.”

“Busy?” Her voice broke. That jarred me into waking up.

I sat against the headboard, keeping my voice down so Lake wouldn’t have to hear this. “What’s the matter?”

“I was so excited to talk to you. I called and called, and now I just feel . . . so stupid.”

“Stupid why?” I asked.

“You’ve been unreachable practically all week. Thank God Daddy said you’d been to your meetings or else I would’ve flown out there.”

“You’re exaggerating,” I said, my hands sweating at just the prospect.

“Am I? Or have you been avoiding me?” She got strangely quiet, and I fucking knew it was coming as she took her next breath. “Is it because you—is she . . .”

Fuck. Now I was wide awake. This was the exact reason I hadn’t wanted to pick up her call. If Tiffany chose now to voice her suspicions about Lake, after all the years we’d swept my feelings for her under the rug, we were about to have a brutal conversation over the phone. I swung my legs over the side of the bed, leaning my elbows on my knees. “Tiff, I . . .” I started. “Can we talk about this when I get back?”