“I need my ear buds,” I mutter as the door clicks shut. Any second, the noise will start back up I’m sure.
Thirty minutes later, I say to hell with it. My ears are hot from holding the pillow over them and Jake has his music up so loud that I can hear it filtering out from his headphones. The racket from the bedroom isn’t too bad, but if I fall asleep listening to “Oh Judd”, it may send some very unwelcoming dreams into my subconscious, and I’m just not cool with that. Last thing I want is to be chanting the same thing in my sleep; so I lay here, quiet and relaxed. My phone rests on the floor beside me, lighting up every once in a while with notifications that I don’t care to check. I’ve never been much of a technology buff. I prefer to live in the real world and not on my phone.
A strange noise hits my ears like a twig tapping against the window or something. I stop all thoughts and lie still, listening. Jake’s music and shallow breaths come through clearly as I focus my hearing on every sound in the room; nothing.
Shifting onto my side, I glance over to the orange glow of the fireplace which pops and crackles every few minutes as the same tapping greets my ears again, this time louder. I stop everything and sit up quickly. Is that knocking? Looking across the room to Jake, he seems to be sound asleep.
Tap…tap.
My head snaps over to the door, now clearly hearing the soft discreet rap of knuckles against wood. I bolt to my feet, half excited that it may be Skylar rewarding me with the opportunity to pay Judd back for all my sleepless nights. Sure Jake may have to turn his music up louder, but it would definitely be sweet revenge.
Flinging the covers off of me, I swing my legs out, then pause. There is nothing but silence until I hear something different. This time it’s the barely audible sound of footsteps out on the porch. I jump up, flying to the door with a quick glance in Jake’s direction to ensure that he is out for the night. He doesn’t move, doesn’t register a thing.
My hand falls to the door handle, sending an icy shiver through me as the cold metal sucks a bit of my warmth away. However, as soon as I have the door open and the brisk temperatures hit me, I feel nothing.
“Sk…” I stop before saying anything else as the cold winter chill that I dreaded blasting me, does nothing. I’m too stunned to register anything other than her slinky physique standing still at the edge of the porch, lit only by the distant outer light of the shower house. “Piper,” my voice comes out in a raspy shallow garble. Clearing my throat, I try again as she turns my way. “Hey.”
My mouth doesn’t even shut after my awkward greeting; it remains open, drawing flies and eager to say more if I could find the words. Even though our earlier interaction was fun and playful allowing me to see that sassy, excitable personality that she always had in my company, she is still the very last person I expected to see on my door step. Wait, this isn’t my place.
“How’d…”
“Hey, ummm…I…oh, I’m sorry,” she stumbles around and pauses, her hand dropping to the side railing.
She side-steps, nervously and I watch her every movement as if she’s doing them in slow motion. She holds her hand up, pointing; indicating for me to finish my thought, but for the life of me I have no clue what I was going to say. I shake my head, dumbfounded.
The image of her years ago burns into my head and I step forward, taking a quick gander towards her cabin to make sure the creep she’s been seeing isn’t outside looking for her or anywhere around. I may lose it if I thought for a moment that he had caused her any worry. I come up empty handed, my eyes landing right back on her as I take in her entirety; the way she stands, what she has on, as much as I can make out anyways, and how her voice sounds.
“Oh…ummm…I, I just thought I’d come and ummm…” she stutters, looking around.
Did she not come to see me? Oh yeah, how would she even know I’m here?
A gust of wind blows through the trees, sending a howling sound that echoes around us and gives off a spooky haunted forest vibe. The cool air hits me and this time I feel it. Piper shivers, folding both her arms around her torso to protect her from the weather, or maybe the imaginary ghosts. I chuckle at the thought and move aside as my eyes catch on the fact that she doesn’t even have a coat on.
“Come in, it’s cold.” I wave my hand in front of me as an invitation, but really would like nothing more than to grab her and hurry it along. It’s freaking cold, and holding this door open might turn the cabin into a refrigerator, plus I really just want her inside.
She hesitates before giving in, her tensed up posture immediately notating her surrender as her shoulders fall and she lets out an astounding breath that she may have been holding this whole time. Moving past me, she keeps her arms across her, rubbing her hands over them in a frenzy to keep up the blood flow. It used to be that she would get these tiny little goosebumps all along her skin every time I touched her. I loved it; I’d eat up small reactions like that. It was never chills as in she wanted me away, it was a nervousness that came when she was excited, when she wanted more of me. I really doubt that is the case now, but I sure do remember that.
I think carefully before opening my mouth, not wanting to send any signals that I don’t want her here or be too rash and blurt out, ‘what do you want?’. Lining out a somewhat harmless question, I go for it, knowing full well that I am the king of put-my-foot-in-my-mouth.
“Did you know I was here or have you been stalking me all day after getting that nice view you had earlier?” It’s not entirely a foot-crammed-in-my-mouth comment, but it leaves it open for some playfulness, and I’m all about that.
Tiptoeing across the floor as I point towards my corner, she stops and takes her eyes off Jake, which she has been carefully eyeing with gritted teeth as if she was on a mission to be as quiet as possible. She snaps her attention back to me and her expression shifts.
“Don’t flatter yourself, Evan. Like I said I wasn’t impressed,” she whispers.
I hold in my laughter, giving her a wide, tight-lipped smile. “Awww…come on. You could at least humor me and make me think you were.”
Her smile grows along with mine and I see a trace of the girl I knew, ready for me to give her hell so she can hand it right back. Shaking her head, she breaks the trance I thought I had her in and dives right back into conversation.
“I saw you run over to your camper earlier then run back here. It was late so I figured you were staying or visiting, either way, I thought I’d come by and invite you to Christmas tomorrow at my cabin.”
She goes silent, waiting and watching me. I don’t say a thing; I’m too busy staring at her lips as she pulls her bottom one into her mouth, sucking at it like she used to when she’d get nervous. Damn, I wish I were those lips; I’d take being that bottom lip any day. Envy and jealousy claw their way through me as I stare, studying the soft moist skin that glistens under the firelight.
“Oooooorrr…you don’t have to. I just thought…”
The movement of her lips and abruptness of her voice snaps me back to reality; the one where I am not devouring her lips like a sixteen-year old virgin that’s about to get lucky. Back then, I didn’t know half of what I know now and even getting that chance again has faded from my thoughts, up until now.
“Are you listening to me?”
Her hands slide down to her hips as she takes on a defiant stance, but with a light-hearted tone to her voice as if she can read me. I am sure my excitement is written across my face.
“Yeah…”
My footfalls stop as I near my bed. What the heck now? I look at the bed and then back to her in question.
“Have a seat,” I slide over the cot, scooting my back against the wall and creating boundaries so she doesn’t feel apprehensive. I go on, hoping she doesn’t think too much about it, “So you weren’t stalking me, yet you just happened to be standing outside in thirty to forty-degree weather with no coat on, looking this way, huh?”
I raise my eyebrows as she plops down with a little sass
in her actions. There’s my girl. Just like years back, a little distraction and a challenging conversation and she will drop her guard with me and be herself. God, I love when she does that.
“Oh, just keep thinking that you’re all that, but I just happened to be outside saying goodbye to my dad.”
Raising my brows in skepticism, my eyes gleam with enjoyment at her explanation. I know without a doubt that that is not true.
“Noooo…” I draw it out, teasing her, “…your dad left like two hours ago. I saw you saying goodbye earlier right after my heater broke.”
She bends her knee, sitting up straight and letting her other leg dangle over the edge. Her arms remain folded across her chest, but this time it’s more of a sexy, pouty gesture, not meant to torment or entice me, just letting me know she is fully ready to go head-to-head on anything I throw her way.
She spits out a bubbly laugh that makes me grin. “So who is stalking who here?”
“Oh no, no…you still haven’t told me how you knew I was here. I know you didn’t see me when I walked over then.”
“Ok and how do you know that? I think you are the one that was watching me.” She arches her brows and cinches her lips together in a kissing-type expression.
I want to grab the back of her neck and pull her to me. My body ticks with the need, but I hold back; a wave of desire swirling through me like a cyclone of wind building and building until it may become a ravenous tornado, ready to unleash all that I’ve held in for so long.
“Actually, I was watching you.” I drop my head back to the wall, looking into her eyes even though the fire is the only thing keeping a hint of light in the room. “And I’m fine admitting that. I looked over and saw you talking to your dad and then I just kept…on…looking.”
She stares at me, not saying a word. A sudden high pitched squeal comes from the next room and completely kills the serious vibe we have going.
Piper gasps, looking over to the wall with her mouth hung open and her eyes wide. Looking back to me, she coughs out a laugh, bending at the waist and extending her arm to slap her hand across my knee. I glance down, my abs tensing as I suck in a breath at the sensation of her touch. It’s only a second, just a simple flirty smack at my leg, then she is sitting back up, still laughing, but my mind stays right there.
Placing her hand over her mouth to hold back more laughter that has her whole body shaking, she looks at me bright eyed. “Don’t you room with Judd?”
I nod, observing the way her hair falls over her shoulders, how her smile spreads into creases across her cheeks and the flicker of the fire in her dark eyes. With so much animosity between us, I’d forgotten how beautiful she is, especially when all her guards are down.
“Oh my Gosh!” she spits out, her eyes wide with amusement. “Do you have to put up with that a lot?” She snuffs out her laughter with both her hands covering her mouth.
Unable to control the overwhelming reaction her happiness has over me, I mirror her hidden smile before correcting my agreement to her comment.
“Oh yeah, I did, but actually they just got their own place together this week.” The way she stares back at me has me completely distracted and unable to focus on our discussion.
“Wow, they got their own place?”
I nod once again, slowly keeping my eyes fixed on her lips. They hold me in a trance, my thoughts teetering from the last time mine touched hers, to only days ago when we were at each other’s throats. I could go for it; say screw all hesitations, grab her by the waist, pull her to me and taste her lips in a way I never did back when I was only sixteen.
I could, but should I?
“Evan…” she draws out my name much as she did back when we were younger; before anger invaded our carefree relationship. That’s all it takes to help me along…
That little sing-song tone in her voice; that says it all.
I’m going for it.
I LOOK ACROSS THE COT at him, still giggly from my thoughts of what is going on in the next room. Geez, what am I doing? His expression is unreadable, not only from the dim lighting and shadows cast over his face, but the way he seems confused and lost in thought.
“Evan,” I say, teasingly, a little amused at what has him so transfixed.
The way he’s staring at me has me about to go insane. It has my insides bouncing around like a bubbly little teenager with her first crush; or perhaps like the teenager I was…when I was in love with him.
“Ev…”
I don’t even have time to get the words out of my mouth when he suddenly scoots across the cot. His face is inches from mine and a soft touch falls to the middle of my back; his hand. My body trembles immediately as I release a strangled gasp with my mouth gaped open. It doesn’t scare me like other guys would, because it’s Evan.
He knows my fears…
He knows how to touch me…
Where to touch me, and now…
He knows exactly when to touch me, because even though I won’t admit it to myself, I’ve wanted him to all night. I’ve wanted him to since last night when I had him so close. He was always my security blanket from all the hurt in my life. I need him even if I don’t realize it.
“Piper,” he whispers my name, his breath moving over my own lips as he moves in closer. I keep my mouth open, my heart beating vigorously as my chest wall pulses in and out, in and out, in a vivacious pace. “Breathe,” he utters softly, staring into my eyes.
I look back into his, my thoughts swirling and my heart pounding with an intensity that I’ve never experienced. My eyes flutter before focusing back on him and I begin to move forward, like a force is pulling me to his lips; beckoning me to see how they feel.
Do they feel the same as they did before?
Another gasp and I close my eyes, spinning, whirling as his hand at my back moves up just below my bra strap. The heat from his gentle caress courses through the thick fabric of my sweater and makes my skin melt like butter beneath his touch. A noise reaches my ears, a quiet whimper that sounds foreign, yet the vibrations of my throat tell me that they are my own.
“Piper…I need you to breathe, ok? Take a deep breath.” His words are soothing and hold me steady; they ground me and bring me back to him as he stares intently into my eyes. “Take a breath with me, ok?”
I do as he says, flicking my eyes down to his mouth as I gasp; he smiles.
“That’s it….breathe with me, ok?” His voice is so soft, lulling my heart into a steady rhythm. “There you go.”
My chest expands as I watch him take in a mouthful of air and let it out slowly. At the same time, a tickle of air moves over my lips and his curve at the corners into that boyish smile I have always loved.
“It’s just me.” He says words he’s said to me a hundred times before, only this time they feel odd. I know it’s him; I can feel the difference this time, in his touch and in the memories that ordinarily would sneak up and rob my innocence when I’d get close to someone. This time it wasn’t those thoughts that made my mind fuzzy and my consciousness near the point of slipping into a fog, it was a different feeling; one that wasn’t awful. It wasn’t even bad. It was a sensation that is still driving me forward; making me want to feel him closer.
“I know it’s you, Evan,” I whisper back.
His eyes light up and his smile widens showing off a mouthful of teeth.
“So…” he grins through each shaky syllable. “This is ok?” he sounds like I feel, nervous as if this is his first time touching someone.
I nod as another unknown sound claws its way up my throat and comes out in a needy, desperate whine.
“Ok…” he barely gets out as his mouth slowly and tenderly touches mine.
His lips mold to mine in a way I’ve never felt with his bottom lip filling in the gap between my own. I move my mouth with his, my whole body floating as my heart swells and yearns for him to hold me tighter.
All the longing I hold inside of me, must suddenly grip his soul and pull him closer as
his tongue grazes over my lips and enters my mouth with a warmth and an unquenchable thirst. I reach for him too, softly moving my tongue and lips with his, mocking each of his movements as if he is instructing me what to do and how to do it. I let him lead as always.
Leaning forward, I wind my hand up his chest and grip the thick fabric of his sweatshirt in my hand. A forceful ambiance floods my mind. I fist my hand tighter as his other hand slides up my back. He pulls me to him and I follow, sliding one leg to the side so that I am nearly on his lap. My entire body tightens and I hold onto him as if he may pull away at any moment; that’s the last thing I want. I want him to hold me, I want to taste his lips; I want him…I’ve never felt this before.
His lips move away and I drop my head back, breathing in and out at an accelerated rate. Don’t stop.
“Piper…stay with me baby, ok? Breathe…”
I close my eyes as his hand moves over mine that rests at his chest. Enclosing it in a soft, smooth hold, I lift my head and look at him, seeing everything I’ve dreamed about since I was fourteen. The boy that gave me my very first kiss under the moonlight with just the tranquil sounds of the lake lapping at the dock and a bucket full of crickets chirping beside us. That was the only witness to where my heart went that night.
“Have you ever kissed someone?” I swing my legs below me in a nervous gesture, the hard edge boards of the dock digging into the backside of my knees.
Evan keeps his pole in his hands with his line cast out far into the dark waters. He doesn’t move with my question; doesn’t even look uneasy as I ask something so personal. For a second I don’t think he hears me, so I look over.
He stares forward as I resign to reword it.
“I mean…” I start.
Breathe With Me (The Breathe Series Book 3) Page 14
