As I turn back to Ruben, he looks uncomfortable.
I hold my hand out to him. “Thank you for saying that. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.”
He shakes my hand. “I won’t be missing that.” He winks. “I’ll see you both then. I’m going to get back to Rosie.”
After watching Ruben leave, I turn back to Ramon and notice he’s disappeared.
But not for long.
Before I can go to find him, he walks out of the bedroom with his shirt and shoes on.
Frowning, I ask, “Are you going out?”
“I’m going to see Sylvia.”
“Why?”
“She was with Eric.”
“I heard, but why do you have to go and talk to her? I don’t get it.”
“Look, Noah, you don’t have to get it. Sylvia is a friend, more than a friend, and I can’t just abandon her after what Ruben told me. I’ll be back later.”
He grabs his car keys from the table by the door and leaves me standing in his apartment wondering what the fuck is going on.
Why am I so easily put to one side for someone else?
Ramon
Seeing Sylvia walking out of her bathroom naked as the day she was born stuns me. With her back to me she bends over and gives me one hell of a view of her shapely ass. She starts to towel dry her blonde hair.
The groan in my throat gets stuck on the way out and sounds like a gurgling noise. Sylvia quickly spins around and stares at me.
“What are you doing in here?” she gasps.
I stay quiet, which seems to cause her temper to rise. She stomps over to me and pokes me in the chest with her finger.
“What are you doing in my room, Ramon?”
“Your friend let me in on her way out, Talya,” I admit, distracted.
“Oh.”
I find that my eyes refuse to move from her body. Her large breasts with her cherry red nipples are on display and quiver with her anger. I’d be a liar if I said her nude body wasn’t causing a twitch in my pants, but she isn’t Noah.
“Ramon,” she whispers.
I reach out and place my hands on her shoulders before slowly caressing her skin with my thumbs.
I gulp. “You need clothes on.”
Those words were a mistake. I see the challenge in her eyes as she takes a step closer. Her nipples press into my chest, and my hands quiver on her shoulders. A telling sign that she’s making me nervous.
“Kiss me, Ramon?”
“I can’t,” I mumble.
“You can’t or you won’t?” she questions, and the sound of her disappointment is clear in her voice.
“Sylvia,” I caress her shoulders and allow my hands to slide up her neck. I stare into her beautiful eyes as I say, “I don’t know what to do about you.” I drop my forehead to Sylvia’s.
She presses closer and I let a groan escape between my lips.
“You’re beautiful, Sylvia, and you’re tempting me like no other woman.” I breathe heavily as my hands move of their own will. I slowly caress along her collarbone and then my hands drop lower until I have her breast cupped in my palm.
She grabs hold of my arms for support when my thumb rubs over her nipple.
“Sylvia.” I dip my head, but avoid her lips as my mouth seals over her plump breast.
But as Sylvia seems to stiffen in my arms, guilt flows through me, and all I can think of is Noah. I shouldn’t be doing this with Sylvia. I shouldn’t even be here with her.
I lift my head and meet her sad gaze. “Neither of us wants this, Sylvia.” I step back and look around me. Seeing what I want, I snag her robe from the one chair in the room and open it up. “Here.” I help her into it.
Once Sylvia has the belt fastened, I meet her gaze and finally admit, “There’s someone else.”
She offers a wry smile.
I continue, “They’ve been a part of me for a long time, and when I started asking you out as a friend, it was to try and get on with my life, but it didn’t really work. I’ve enjoyed our time together. I don’t want you thinking otherwise. It’s just that I can’t give you what you need, which brings me to why I’m here.”
Sylvia nods but she doesn’t say anything and I can see the hurt shining in her eyes…and the challenge as she waits for me to continue. I open my mouth to say something before I stop…how do I broach the Eric subject?
Just go for it.
“Eric,” I say and narrow my eyes.
“I take it Ruben told you about last night?” she asks, but she won’t look at me now that I’ve spoken Eric’s name.
“Sylvia, that isn’t you. What the hell were you doing?” I demand.
“I’ll admit that I don’t want you in my bed anymore,” she confesses.
“Ouch.” I laugh and realize she’s just as relieved as I am.
“What I do doesn’t have anything to do with you, Ramon,” she says softly, to take the sting out of her words.
“I’d like to think that we’re friends.” I hold my hand out, which she takes. Sitting down on her bed, I pull her down beside me.