As she took another long drag of his scent from the pillow, she knew it really came down to only two choices. She could either sneak out now and leave with her heart safely intact and go back to being a voyeur into this lifestyle, or she could jump into the deep end of the pool and trust that Lukus would be there to catch her so that the two of them could navigate these new depths together.
It’s just one night. If ever I’ve wanted to explore, surely tonight is my chance. If he pushes me to try something I don’t want, I’ll just say no. Hopefully he’ll listen. Wait. No. I know he’ll listen. I saw it with my own eyes. He’s careful. He’s not Jake. He won’t let anything hurt me. And anyway, Bri and Markus are right next door if I need help.
Now that she’d thought things through, she couldn’t help but smile with relief.
Well, that was easy. There’s no way I’m prepared to get in my car and drive away from him, not tonight. Not after what he said to me down on the stage. It looks like I’m going swimming.
Energized, Tiff jumped up, ready to head out to the theater. Then she caught a vision of herself standing there in the oversized Harley-Davidson T-shirt Lukus had laid out for her along with a pair of his boxer briefs.
Oh, hell no.
She returned to the bathroom for more primping, coaxing her semi-dry hair into a casual, sexy style. Then she headed to Lukus’s closet. It only took her a minute to find what she was looking for. Slipping the Harley T-shirt off, Tiff reached out to pull one of Lukus’s button-down dress shirts from its hanger. She was pleased that it hung low enough to cover her ass and just a few inches of her toned legs. She buttoned just a few strategic buttons in the middle, careful to leave enough undone to give Lukus peeks of what she was hiding underneath. She loosely rolled up the sleeves, luxuriating in how the soft linen felt against her body.
After admiring her look in the nearby floor-length mirror, Tiff made one final wardrobe change. Feeling a surge of naughty empowerment, she slid off the boxers, leaving them along with the t-shirt on the floor for Lukus to find later.
Okay, Lukus. Ready or not, here I come. Please, be gentle with me.
Chapter Three
Lukus
Lukus was just about to crawl out of his skin after waiting for what seemed like an eternity for Tiffany to join him in the theater. He’d distracted himself by making popcorn and going through his movie collection to find the films he and Tiffany talked about earlier. He figured he’d let her choose her favorite, since he planned on spending the whole night watching her instead of the movie anyway. He’d already dimmed the lights for a romantic setting.
He was behind the bar mixing a Jack and Coke when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He glanced up as he poured the Coke to welcome Tiff to the theater and froze.
“Fuck me.” A low growl accompanied his expletive. He stood frozen in place as he caught his first glimpse of Tiffany just inside the door to the room. She was definitely not in the Harley T-shirt he’d left out on the bed. In fact, courtesy of the side lamp she was standing directly in front of, he could see she was definitely not wearing his boxer shorts either. The back lighting was perfectly outlining her very curvy, very naked, body through his now favorite dress shirt.
She’s so fucking hot. I’m gonna remember this moment every time I wear that shirt.
“Ah, damn it.” Lukus had no choice but to tear his attention away from Tiff as the Coke he was pouring overflowed the glass, making a mess on the bar. He could hear Tiffany giggling as he reached to grab a bar towel to try to sop up the drink before it dripped onto the carpet. Only when he had the spill contained did he glance back up to see Tiffany walking slowly towards him, a totally naughty smile on her face. She took a seat on the high barstool across from him.
“What’s the problem, Lukus? Looks like you’re making a mess back there. Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Her voice was soft and playful.
“I’m not sure about me, but I can see by that twinkle in your eye, young lady, that you absolutely know what you’re doing, you little minx.”
Suddenly looking nervous, Tiffany quietly answered, “Don’t be so sure. Looks can be deceiving. Truthfully, I feel so nervous that I’ve nearly forgotten why I’m still here.”
Her vulnerability cut through his chest like a knife. Leaning forward to place his forearms on the bar, Lukus moved in closer to stare into her ocean-blue eyes before answering her in a voice that left no room for doubt. “Well then. Let me remind you. You’re here because this is exactly where you belong tonight. I know it. You know it. I just wish you’d stop fighting it, baby.”
“Easy for you to say. This is your house. This is just another day for you.” She took a short break. He could see she was debating if she really wanted to continue on with her thought. He patiently waited her out until she finally continued. “I don’t think you have a clue just how close I came to putting my dress back on and sneaking out to my car.”
Even in the dim lighting, it was easy for Lukus to see her uncertainty was back. He stood and walked around the end of the bar until he was directly behind her barstool. Tiff made no attempt to turn herself around to face him, so Lukus took the opportunity to reach out and smooth down a few escaped wisps of her silky hair. He finally swiveled her barstool around so that she was facing him.
He leaned forward, placing his hands on either side of her on the backrest, effectively trapping her. Lukus leaned his body forward against her, happy when she subconsciously opened her legs to draw him in as he pressed close. When their faces were just a few inches apart, Tiffany quickly closed her eyes, apparently deciding his stare was too intense.
“Open your eyes, Tiffany.” When she didn’t comply, Lukus reached up to cup her cheek with his hand, stroking her gently with his thumb. When he detected her leaning slightly into his hand, seeking out his intimacy, he repeated his request. “Open your eyes, baby… please.” His voice was soft, careful not to spook her.
When Tiffany finally opened her eyes, he could see the glossy sheen of her tears. He continued to speak gently. “First, thank you for being honest with me about wanting to leave. This will never work if you hide your feelings from me. Now, if you feel uncomfortable at my place, that’s okay. I can fix that. I can take you home to your place or to a neutral downtown hotel with lots of wonderful amenities to spoil you. Just tell me where you’ll feel comfortable and I’ll make it happen. But walking away is not an option, Tiffany. I won’t allow that to happen. I’m not letting you out of my sight until we can get a handle on whatever the hell it is that’s happening between us.”
When she remained silent, he continued. “And for the record, you couldn’t be more wrong. The fact you think this is just a normal day for me just proves you don’t know me as well as you seem to think you do. Maybe—just maybe—you should give me the benefit of the doubt until I prove I don’t deserve it. You think you can do that?”
He could see the hope flicker in her eyes. He detected her slight nod as her only reply.
“So, where’s all that sass now, Miss O’Sullivan?” he asked, grinning. “You’ve got me hooked on your beautiful, sassy mouth. Don’t tell me you’re all out of jibes for me.”