by K. C. Crowne
One word that moved me into his arms.
Grant lifted me, sweeping me off my feet. I squealed in surprise, but once he was holding me, I felt safe and secure. His room was next door, across the hall from where Caleb was staying. He kicked open his bedroom door and carried me inside what used to be his parent’s room.
This was one room I’d never seen, for obvious reasons. I’d never had any reason to go in his parent’s room. But even so, it no longer looked like a room that belonged to them - Grant was literally written all over it.
From the darkest of blue bedding to the grey sheets and curtains. The king-sized bed that appeared carved by hand, and likely was carved by Grant’s hands. He laid me down onto the bed, and it was cozy and warm - a down comforter beneath the dark blue duvet. I melted into the bedding.
Grant shut the bedroom door, and as he walked over to me, he began to strip. I sat up in bed, eager to get a better look as he ripped his shirt off over his head. His chest and abs were even more filled out than I remembered. He’d matured over the years and grew into one of the strongest men I’d ever known. He removed his belt as he stepped closer, letting it fall to the floor with a clink.
I felt like my eyes might pop from my head in anticipation as he slid his pants and boxers down his hips. His cock popped free from the boxers, standing at attention, and I eagerly reached for it, moving toward the very edge of the bed to be able to do so.
I gripped him in my hands, staring up at him as I stroked his massive cock. While I’d already felt him, seeing him so exposed like this was new to me. I’d never seen him completely naked, and I wanted to cherish the moment. Savor every line, every muscle of his body. Admire just how fucking gorgeous he was.
But I wanted to do more than just look at him.
I wanted to taste him.
I lowered myself, taking the head of his cock between my lips. I rolled my tongue over the tip, sliding down each side. I wouldn’t be able to take him fully into my mouth, but I wanted to try.
I slipped him between my lips and went down as far as I could, until he activated my gag reflex, then moved back up. I moved up and down on his member, sucking and licking and tasting every inch of him. What I couldn’t fit into my mouth, I ran my tongue all over until he was literally dripping with saliva.
His groans were low and deep, and he never once took his eyes off me. I stared up at him as I continued sucking his cock, watching his chiseled features contort into a look of bliss. His hands found the back of my head, but instead of pushing me down further, he gently nudged my face up, away from his member.
Grant dropped to his knees at the edge of the bed as he pushed my dress up and tore my panties off. He dove between my thighs, his tongue working its magic on my clit.
I threw my head back, biting my lip to stop myself from screaming. I held onto the back of his head, and unlike him, I actually pushed him down against me. I couldn’t help it, it felt too good. I needed his tongue to go deeper and deeper.
Grant didn’t seem to mind, eating my pussy like it was the most delicious dessert he’d ever had the luxury of tasting. He lapped up my juices and fucked me with his tongue until the first wave of my orgasm approached.
I whimpered, as my legs began to shake. My fingers grabbed his hair, both pulling and pushing at the same time. It was almost too intense.
Almost.
“Oh God, Grant!” was all I could say before my words turned into cries of pleasure. I tried my best to be as quiet as possible, but I lost control. My hands gripped the bedding as my body lifted upward, everything in me shaking as the pleasure took hold.
Grant didn’t stop until every last shudder had been silenced in my body, until I relaxed onto the bed, falling backward, on my back again. My cheeks were flushed, and while the orgasm was amazing, my appetite hadn’t been sated.
And neither had Grant’s.
He pulled me back upward to a sitting position and yanked off my dress, tossing it to the side. His hands fumbled with my bra for only a second before my breasts fell free. He took them into his hands, gently sucking each nipple before covering them in kisses. Our eyes remained locked on each other.
I knew in that moment that we were always meant to be together. We were meant to arrive at this place There was no one in the world that I wanted to be with more than him.
“Please, Grant…I need you now.”
He didn’t hesitate. He laid me down on the bed, climbing on top of me. He hovered above me, naked and beautiful and glistening with sweat. I wrapped my legs around him, and reached for his cock, guiding it toward my opening. Grant did the rest, thrusting into me and spreading me open. We’d been together once already, but that wasn’t enough to prepare me for the sensation. I cried out as my body pushed upward, eager to take even more of him.
I wanted everything he could give.
Our lips met again, and I tasted myself on his mouth. Our bodies found that perfect rhythm, him rocking back and forth, moving in and out of me as I held on for dear life. My hands explored his perfect body, digging into his flesh each time he buried his thick shaft in my pussy.
Grant lifted himself, grabbing my leg and positioning himself on his knees. I got the full view of his body as he fucked me, and God, it was beautiful. I placed my legs on his shoulders, allowing him to bury himself even deeper.
I wanted all of him, and it was clear he wanted all of me too.
He worked at my pussy like his cock was a jackhammer, and he was hitting all the right spots. Every single thrust brought me closer and closer to the edge again.
“Yes, yes,” I whimpered, feeling like I was losing control again.
I reached for him, needing to hold onto something as the pleasure began to take hold again. He fell forward, my legs once again wrapping around him, and we were as close as we’d ever been.
“Cum for me, Piper,” he demanded. “Come all over my cock.”
Hearing him talk to me like that was all it took to send me over the edge. To stop myself from screaming, I raised myself up and buried my face in the crook of his neck, biting harder than I intended as I came. My pussy milked his cock, and I noticed his breathing grew ragged, his movements more desperate. Then finally, he thrust into me one last time, going as deep as he could. His cock throbbed, filling with me his cum.
Knowing he was coming heightened my own orgasm. And together, we rode out the pleasure, our bodies bucking wildly together, until every last drop of his seed was inside me.
He stared into my eyes, kissing me deeply as he slipped his deflated cock from the depths of my pussy. The rush of warmth that followed made my insides tingle - a reminder of what we’d just done.
Grant collapsed beside me on the bed, pulling me close. In case I had any doubts that we were meant to be, in that moment, snuggled up against him, I knew I was falling in love with him. I thought I probably had always loved him, but I’d pushed it away. That was the moment I gave myself permission to love him, to let those feelings come to life.
I didn’t say anything yet. Neither of us said anything. There was only the sound of our breathing and his heartbeat thundering in his chest, against my ear, as I rested my head against him. He stroked my hair and held me close. I’d been so afraid he would never allow himself to open up to me, but there we were.
We were where we were supposed to be.
Ooo000ooo
A sound pulled me from my sleep. “What was that?”
My heart was racing as I sat up in bed. Grant was beside me, awake and alert as well. He jumped from the bed and threw on his pants. “Stay here.”
I stumbled from the bed but listened to his orders as he left the bedroom, shutting the door behind him quietly. I threw on my dress as quickly as possible, not wanting to be caught naked by Caleb or anyone else.
Panic took hold, and I tried to listen at the door, but it was thick wood and practically soundproof.
I prayed, silently, please let it be nothing, please let Caleb and Grant be okay. After what felt like an eternity,
I couldn’t take it anymore. My thoughts got the worst of me. I searched the room for anything that might be used as a weapon but couldn’t find anything in the dark. Except my high heeled shoe from earlier.
I held it pointy side out and slowly opened the bedroom door. The hallway was dark, and I didn’t hear anything. I quietly left the bedroom, tiptoeing as I went. The room Caleb was in was quiet, the door was still closed. I wanted to check on him first, so I went to the door. But I heard a sound behind me, just down the hall. Footsteps.
I turned, prepared to strike, lunging forward and falling into Grant’s chest.
“Really?” he asked, not even keeping his voice down. “A high heel? Were you going to bludgeon me to death with it?”
“What’s going on?” I asked, ignoring his question.
“Caleb woke up, needed to use the bathroom and asked for a glass of water,” Grant said, holding up a cup in his hand.
“Oh.”
“I got it under control,” he said with a little laugh. “You can go back to bed.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, little man is half asleep. He might not even be awake to drink the water when I get back in there.”
Grant’s voice didn’t sound like him, not fully. There was something wrong, I could tell. He wasn’t telling me something.
“What’s going on, really?” I asked.
“I told you,” he sighed. “You really should have listened and stayed in the room.”
“I thought something might have happened to you—”
“And if it had? You think you’d be better equipped to fight off the bad guy with a shoe?”
“I…well, I wasn’t thinking. I just wanted to protect you and Caleb.”
Grant placed his hand on my shoulder. I thought he might offer an apology for his tone, or maybe thank me for at least trying. But no.
“Next time, if we’re in a situation where someone is breaking in or something, listen to me. I’m the Marine. I have the training. You don’t. What if you’d have run into Caleb with that thing?”
“I wouldn’t have hit Caleb,” I stammered, feeling insulted he’d even insinuate that.
“Well, you weren’t exactly thinking straight when you lunged toward me before verifying who it was. Thank God it was only a shoe.”
He pushed past me and went into Caleb’s room, shutting the door behind him. I stood there, my mouth open in amazement. I couldn’t believe he’d talk to me that way. I stopped before doing anything stupid. I didn’t hurt anyone. Maybe he had a point, it wasn’t the smartest move, but I was scared.
I decided to check on Caleb anyway and opened the door. Grant was sitting in the chair beside him. I could make him out in the glow of a nightlight he must have turned on for him. Caleb was snoring quietly. Grant didn’t even look at me, even though I know he’d heard me come into the room.
I wasn’t sure what had gotten into him, but I didn’t like it. Instead of going back to his room to sleep, I went down to Leah’s old room. I crawled into bed with my dress still on and stared at the ceiling until I finally fell asleep.
Chapter 15
Grant
Maybe I’d overreacted. Just a bit. Piper had good intentions, but good intentions could get you killed in an emergency. People often jump into pools to save those who are drowning, even though they have no experience doing so. They find that the drowning person pulls them down too, requiring the lifeguard to now save two people instead of just one - and meaning the odds are good that at least one person could be seriously injured or die.
Without proper training, good Samaritans could sometimes make things worse.
My words had come out sounding harsh, and I felt like an ass. I’d stayed with Caleb for a bit longer, hoping Piper might fall asleep before I returned to my room. When I got there, she wasn’t in my bed. I checked Leah’s room and found her sleeping there.
I let her be. I’d rather her be pissed at me than end up dead.
I went back to bed, though I couldn’t sleep. This time, it had been a false alarm, but every time I closed my eyes, I remembered the time it wasn’t.
Firash was a good little boy who only wanted to help. He’d been playing outside with friends when a drone hit his home by mistake. His family weren’t terrorists; they were just regular people trying to raise their kid in a fucked up world. But in seconds, they were gone.
Had Firash not run inside to try and find them, he might still be alive today.
Had there been an intruder in the house, and had I subdued that person, Piper rushing in to try and save the day could have distracted me. It could have caused the bad guy to have an advantage. It would have given him a new target, someone more vulnerable.
I tossed and turned in bed, which felt empty without her in it. But I told myself she was better off in the other room. She was better off far away from me. I was broken. Not just my missing limb, but my mind too. I had to repeat that to myself, over and over again, to help with the guilt I felt for snapping at her the way I did.
I never did fall asleep, and eventually the sun filtered in through the blinds. I heard doors opening and closing, Piper was up. So was Caleb. I knew Piper had to be at work; the daycare couldn’t run too long without her. She was too short-staffed and the daycare couldn’t close - people’s jobs depended on it. She’d closed the day of the funeral, but she couldn’t do it too many days in a row.
I contemplated getting up. I needed to. Finally, I pushed myself out of bed and stepped into the hallway, just as I heard the front door slam. I walked down to the living room and looked out the front window. Piper’s car was pulling out of my driveway.
My chest tightened as she drove away.
I didn’t like her being so far away from me. Truthfully, I saw no reason Lars would have a beef with her, but I didn’t like the way he’d looked at her either. Something didn’t sit right with me. Why in the hell would he be at the funeral of the guy who was suing him? Unless he was there to admire his handiwork?
I couldn’t let her just leave like that; I’d have to make sure she was okay.
With a sigh, I finished getting dressed and cleaned up and left my house, headed toward the daycare and the hotel. I’d work there today, keeping an eye on Piper while also giving her some space.
The idea of giving her space also didn’t sit well with me, but that was my own damn feelings getting in the way. I had to push those back, think about it logically. I was a mess, the last thing she needed to deal with right now. She had to think of Caleb, not my shitty mood swings or PTSD flashbacks.
I drove to the hotel and was relieved to see Piper’s car in the daycare parking lot. I caught glimpses of her inside the building, shuffling around. There was a shower and everything there, so I knew she could get both herself and Caleb ready for the day.
It was still early, but Leah’s car was also in the parking lot. I made my way into the hotel to see what work my sister might have for me today.
The air was quiet and there was a crispness to it that meant winter was coming. I pulled my coat tighter around me as I walked toward the hotel entrance.
Leah greeted me as soon as she saw me. “Well look who finally decided to show his face?” She stood at the counter with her hands on her hips and a smirk on her face.
“What are you talking about?”
“People noticed your absence at Andy’s funeral yesterday, so I asked around,” she said, a teasing tilt to her voice, “And they all said you left with Piper.”
“Some distant relatives were giving her trouble.” I shrugged it off. “And I didn’t like the way Lars was staring at her, so I escorted her out. What’s the big deal? Not like I was close to Andy anyway. My presence wouldn’t be missed.”
“No, except by me,” she said. “But when I heard you left with Piper, well, I forgave you.” She winked at me.
“And what is that supposed to mean?”
“Come on, Grant. Are you going to deny your feelings for her forever?”
; “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I turned on my heel, preparing my exit. I knew exactly what Leah was talking about, but I didn’t want to discuss that with her. But my sister was persistent.
She hurried around, stepping in front of the door, blocking my retreat. She was grinning from ear-to-ear. “Tabby came back and stayed here, said Piper ended up spending the night with you,” Leah listed. “So, are you going to share the details or what?”
“I don’t share details,” I said, pointing at her. “And you know that.”
“You mean you don’t kiss and tell? So something did happen.” Leah pretended to pout, but it wasn’t a very good effort. She was enjoying it way too much.
“Maybe you should ask Piper what happened.”
“Oh I will, as soon as I see her, but you’re standing in front of me.”
“Well, I’m not in the mood.” I pushed past her and left through the door.
She called after me. “You know I approve of you two getting together, right? I think you’re perfect for one another.”
I cringed at her words. Maybe the younger me, the one untarnished by memories and left bruised and damaged. Yeah, that me might have been perfect for Piper. But the current version of myself, I knew better.
Piper was perfect. She would always be perfect. But that didn’t mean we’d be perfect together. Namely because I was far from perfect.
I was as imperfect as a person could get.
And I didn’t feel the need to drag Piper down with me.
ooo000ooo
I received a call from the doctor that the shoes for Caleb were ready to be picked up. I contemplated sticking around the daycare, just in case, but told myself I was being paranoid. Even if Lars had killed Andy, he had a reason for doing so. Piper was innocent, no reason to harm her.
But just in case, I put in a call to my best friend.
“Hey, man, can you do me a favor?”
“Sure,” Kellen said. “What do you need?”
“You working today?”
