Apartment 2B (15 page)

“Sidney, you should probably go to bed. It’s probably really late.”

“I don’t want you to leave. Will you come lie down with me?”

How will I ever be able to tell her no? The answer is never.

“Sure. Come on.”

Sleepily, she climbs off of me and begins turning off lights. I follow behind her
and nearly choke when she yanks off her dress and climbs under her sheets. This woman
has no modesty. It is weird and fucking sexy as hell at the same time. Finding the
wall switch, I turn off the last light and blindly make my way to the other side of
the bed, deciding that, if she is going to get comfortable, then so am I.

I unbuckle my jeans, letting them drop to the floor, and pull off my shirt. It seems
smart to leave my boxers on. Her bedroom is cold as shit and I’m alarmed that there
is only a sheet on the bed. Confused, I slide under it and rest my head on the pillow.

“Sidney?”

“Yeah?”

“Why the fuck is it so cold in here? Where are your blankets?”

“It’s a long story.”

“So this has something to do with your past as well.”

She sighs before she opens up. “Yeah. The bleach baths would burn my skin so badly
that all I wanted was to find a cool relief. Cold sheets would soothe my skin. The
habit is hard to break.”

It makes sense, but if I’m sleeping in this bed, then she’s keeping me warm.

“Come here,” I order. I can sense her sudden nervousness, but when I reach for her
and pull her to me, she comes willingly.

One of her arms nervously slides across my bare chest. My arm pulls her closer and
rests on her hip. I feel her breasts against my sides, her hard nipples pressing into
me. It is going to be fucking impossible not to ravish her. When her leg slides over
mine, resting just below my dick, I nearly go insane. We are simply cuddling, but
the sexual tension is so thick you could cut it.

I try to regulate my breathing, but my pounding heart is impossible to control. How
has this damaged woman gotten to me so quickly? We still haven’t figured out the whole
Liam thing, but it doesn’t matter. What matters to me is that her naked body is pressed
against mine.

Her hand delicately traces the grooves of my muscles under the sheet. I’m trying to
remain calm, but the lower her hand goes, the less I can keep my cool. When two fingers
slide just barely under the waistband of my boxers, I hold my breath.

“Can I touch it?” she asks innocently. But what she is asking is far from innocent.
It will lead to not-so-innocent things. I groan because I want her to touch it. Badly.

“Sidney, if you touch it, I may not be able to control myself.”

Instead of taking heed of my warning, she slides her entire hand into my boxers and
grasps my length. Her hands are cold but incredibly soft. My dick is rock hard, twitching
in response.

“It’s so big but it feels smooth,” she observes.

I’m about to say something, but all thoughts fly out the window as she strokes me
expertly. There isn’t much to giving a hand job, but Sidney is a motherfucking pro.
I groan again and she stops.

“Am I hurting you? Am I doing it wrong?” she asks nervously.

I thrust my hips back toward her hand that still grips me. “Fuck no. You feel so good.
Don’t stop, baby.”

I don’t have to see her face to know that she’s smiling. Her smile is one that I can
feel somehow in the dark. She begins her stroking again, and within moments, I’m spurting
my orgasm into my boxers.

She sits up for a minute and I fear she might run. But she laughs in the dark and
it warms my soul.

“What’s so funny, missy?”

“Your boxers are all wet now.” Her laughter continues, and the sound is so fucking
sweet that it takes every ounce of self-control I possess not to climb on top of her
and plunge my dick deep inside her.

“I guess we’ll have to fix that,” I tell her and pull them off. I use them to dry
me off and toss them to the floor. “Now get over here and keep me warm,” I tease.

She once again molds herself to my body, but this time, we’re completely naked. The
small patch of hair between her thighs tickles my hip.

“Lane, I don’t understand how I can do this with you. I feel like it’s a dream.”

For some reason, this makes me sad. This poor woman has been denied a normal life.

“Babe, from now on, this dream is your reality. I’m not going anywhere.” I kiss the
top of her head.

We’re quiet for a bit, and I’m just drifting to sleep when I feel two firm lips sucking
on my nipple. Of course, it jolts me and my cock awake.

“Damn, woman,” I growl as I gather her hair in my hand.

She gently bites down and I nearly go crazy. Having enough of her teasing, I take
my turn. I roll us over until she’s underneath me. A gasp escapes her lips from the
surprise movement, but she’s not freaking out. I begin softly kissing her neck and
collarbone until I feel her hands in my hair, pushing me toward her breasts.

I flick my tongue out and tease the area around her nipple until she’s whining. Finally,
I suck it into my mouth, teasing it, nibbling it. She’s moaning in pleasure now, and
my cock is begging to climb inside her. Ignoring the thoughts coming from that head,
I kiss along her belly, noting ridges from scarring along the way.

“Please kiss me,” she begs, and of course, I can’t deny her.

I climb up to her. Her legs come around my waist and urge me closer. Kissing her in
this position is dangerous as I struggle to keep my cock from where it really wants
to go. Resting it on her lower belly, I kiss her probably the hardest so far. I can’t
get enough of her.

“Every bit of this feels so good, Lane,” she moans into my mouth. I pull her lip between
my teeth, biting gently. “Oh God, I want you so badly,” she whimpers into my mouth.
My mind is losing all sense of control because I want to take her right now.

“You’re a virgin, baby. It will hurt. I don’t want to hurt you,” I groan.

She tilts her pelvis up to me. I’m trying to hold on to the last thread of self-control,
but when her small hand grabs ahold of my cock and slides it down to her wet opening,
I have none left.

“Please. I want to feel you from the inside,” she begs. I’ve never been begged for
sex before, and it makes me want it so fucking badly.

“But it will hurt,” I try again against her lips. My cock throbs with the need to
be inside her. I don’t even realize that I’m sliding it between her folds, dragging
it across her wetness.

“I’ve been hurt worse. Trust me. I can handle this.”

Losing that last thread of control, I find her opening and drive myself deep inside.
My thrust is so fast and hard that her hymen is a thing of the past within seconds.
She moans with what sounds like pleasure, and I take a moment to enjoy the way she
feels around me. This is when I realize that I am inside her without a condom. When
I go to move, the sensation feels so fucking good that I thrust a few more times before
I regain control of my mind.

“Baby,” I pant, stopping for a moment. “I don’t have a fucking condom. We have to
stop.”

“No,” she whimpers. “Please don’t stop. I need this, Lane.” Her hips bounce up to
mine as she uses her heels to dig into my ass for leverage. I find myself thrusting
some more before I stop again.

“Baby, no. We really need to stop. You could get pregnant. I know I don’t have any
diseases and you’re a virgin, but there is still a possibility of pregnancy.” I start
to pull out, but she tightens her legs around my waist.

“Please, can’t you just pull it out before you come? Please.” Her begging is too much,
and when she pulls my head to hers, kissing me deeply, I agree with her.

“Okay. Fuck. Yes.”

“Thank you,” she whispers. “Now do it harder.”

I begin pounding hard against her. Resting my hand on the bed beside her, I use the
other one to stroke her clit while I slide in and out of her. She moans louder and
louder as she gets close to coming.

“Lane!” she cries out and claws my back with her nails.

Her pussy clenches around my cock, and it feels so good that I feel my own hot climax
start to pour into her. Fuck! I pull out quickly and shoot my load all over her belly.
I’m pretty sure I pulled out in time. Fuck, I hope so. We need to get some fucking
condoms, stat!

“That was amazing,” she praises me.

It was fucking amazing—until the end where I messed things up.

“We need to buy a box of fucking condoms at the store tomorrow because I plan on doing
this again and again.”

She shivers from underneath me. “You might better buy two. I don’t plan on quitting
any time soon.”

Those words nearly stop my heart.

I wake up with sun blinding me. Where the fuck am I? Memories from last night flood
me and I grin. Looking over, I see the beautiful Sidney sprawled out beside me. The
sheet covers her waist, but her belly and breasts are exposed. From this light, I
can see hundreds of scars that paint her flesh. It makes me sick to imagine the crap
she went through.

As if my thoughts were spoken aloud, she rolls over to face me, blinking away sleep.

“It wasn’t a dream,” she smiles at me.

“No, that most definitely was not a dream.”

Suddenly, she seems embarrassed. “I don’t know what came over me. I barely know you.
Am I a whore?” She looks horrified, and I can’t help but burst out laughing. Now she
frowns at me, miffed that I’m laughing at her.

“Calm down, babe. People have one-night stands all the time,” I begin, but when she
bites her trembling bottom lip, I quickly continue. “But this isn’t a one-night stand.
I feel a strong pull toward you. It would appear you feel the same toward me. Relax,
I’m not going anywhere.”

She looks sad as she speaks again. “Lane, I will become attached to you. It happens
with everyone. Something about my personality makes me latch on to people. First it
was my friend Tina, then Liam, and now you. I’m sorry, but I know it will happen.
It already is happening. Now that we’ve had sex, I don’t want you out of my sight.”

Her words are bold and truthful. I admire her for that.

“I’m. Not. Going. Anywhere.” I smile at her, but when she still frowns, I switch tactics
and tickle her ribs. She squeals and rolls right off the bed onto the floor. “Shit!
I’m sorry, Sidney,” I shout.

When she stands from the floor, she feigns annoyance but then starts to giggle. With
her brown bed hair wild around her, she looks fucking hot.

“Dammit, woman. Get your ass in the shower before I take you again. And we have no
fucking condoms. I’ll run next door to shower and change. Hurry up!”

I roll off the bed and begin dressing. Thankfully, I hear the shower turn on. After
I’m dressed, I sneak in there to give her a goodbye kiss. When I stick my hand in
the water, I curse. She spins to look at me.

“What in the fuck? This water is fucking ice cold, Sidney! Does your shower not have
hot water?”

When her eyes fill with tears, my dumb ass figures it out after the fact.

“Shit, babe. I’m sorry. Take your cold-ass shower. Don’t be sad. I’ll be back in ten
minutes.” I lean my head into the icy spray and peck her on the lips. She smiles back
at me, and I sigh in relief.

I leave her alone and head back to my apartment, careful to lock her door behind me.
On Monday, I will talk to the building manager about that guy.

I’m in and out of my glorious hot shower in minutes. I opt for some low-slung jeans
and a red T-shirt. My civilian clothes fit a lot tighter after this last tour. It
was grueling, and my body is cut from the meals and physical demands. As I pass the
mirror on the dresser, I look at my reflection. My features resemble my brother’s,
but my face is fuller, healthier than his was in the last few years. Drugs will do
that to you.

My eyes are a dark chocolate brown, and two days’ worth of stubble scatters my face
as I was too lazy to shave just now. Through the reflection in the mirror, I see a
notebook I didn’t notice before on the nightstand. I certainly don’t remember it being
here before. I’m about to go see what’s inside when I hear a knock at the door. Deciding
that I’ll look later, I grab my wallet and keys, heading toward the front door. When
I open it, I’m almost stunned by the beauty of the woman standing before me.

She’s swept her dark hair off her neck and pulled it into a bun. The hairstyle gives
her already long neck an even longer look. I want to kiss every inch. My gaze falls
down to her breasts. Her nipples are poking through the fabric. It drives me fucking
insane. As I come out of the door toward her, she slowly backs away from me. She seems
nervous for some reason. I continue my path toward her until she meets resistance
from the wall behind her.

“Where do you think you’re going?” I growl and bury my face into her neck.

She gasps when my lips and tongue attack it. My hand brushes against her breast just
to be sure and now I’m positive that she’s not wearing a bra. Then I slide it up under
her dress and curse when my fingers come in contact with her pussy.