Though it hurt that he hadn’t read them, I understood. If he’d ever written me back, a letter from him would’ve been salt in my open wounds. A sting I would’ve welcomed, but painful nonetheless.
I wanted to look at the stars with him, but not as much as I just wanted to soak him in. Still studying him like he might disappear at any moment, I asked, “What’s up there?”
“Doesn’t matter. I saw the night sky once the whole time I was in there.” He inhaled through his nose. “It was only for a second, but you know what I saw?”
My heart skipped. Summer Triangle.
“Ursa Major,” he said. He took a breath and looked back at me. “What gave you that scar?”
There was only one answer to that question. “A great bear.” My great bear.
“Manning,” Tiffany called from the house. “You out here, babe?”
He wet his lips. “Be right in.”
He stepped back once then again. I put my fingers to my chin, attempting to hold on to the ghost of his touch. His eyes went to my mood ring. If he was shocked, he didn’t show it, just looked at it for a long minute.
Then he turned and stalked back to the house. Back to Tiffany.
10
Manning
Starved. Even after a full steak dinner, that’s what I was. I hadn’t eaten nearly as much as I’d planned. I’d have to work my appetite back to where it’d been.
I drove Tiffany back to the apartment, taking in everything through the windshield. The one time I’d been outside in the past year and a half, it’d been because of a fire in one of the dorms. They’d handcuffed all the inmates on my floor with one chain and walked us out to a van to transfer us to a secure spot until it was taken care of. In solitary, I’d had a nightmare or two about being locked in a cell while the building burned around me.
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.