“My parents are home,” Piper reminded me.
“That’s why we’re going to the guest house,” I said. “I’m assuming it’s still empty? Used only for storage? The perfect place for a nightcap.”
“Yes, but…”
I stopped walking and turned to face Piper head on. My hands rested on her hips and I pulled her closer to me.
“If this isn’t what you want, I’ll go,” I promised her and I meant it. “Just tell me.”
Piper’s breathing was irregular as she laid her hands on my chest. She traced my muscles with her fingers and I could see the wheels in her head turning. The way she stroked my chest through my shirt was deliciously familiar. She used to do the same thing when we were together. It was her way of telling me how badly she wanted to feel my skin against hers.
“Logan,” my name was a growl on her lips. It was all the encouragement I needed. I lifted her off her feet and carried her up the stairs to the door of the guest house. The door was unlocked. I shoved it open and stepped inside with Piper still in my arms.
When I set her down, she stood on her tiptoes to stare into my eyes. The door swung shut behind us and we continued looking at each other. We didn’t move. We didn’t speak. We didn’t kiss. We just looked into each other’s eyes. I tried to read her every thought and I knew she was doing the same. It had been years since we were together and yet, in that moment, it felt like just yesterday. I could see the familiar flash in her blue eyes that told me to kiss her.
I wrapped my arms tightly around her waist and pulled her against me. She lifted herself up further, wrapping her arms around my neck. We were moving slowly, slower than we’d ever moved before. I wanted to remember every moment of this night. I wanted to memorize the feeling of her arms around me, her lips against mine…
When our lips finally touched, I sighed deeply. A shot of electricity went through my body, starting at my head and propelling its way down to my toes. Every inch of my skin was on fire from just the beginnings of a kiss. I could tell from the way Piper’s arms were trembling around my neck that she felt it too.
I deepened the kiss quickly. My tongue slid inside her mouth and she groaned, her lips moving fast against mine. My hands moved from her waist to her hair. I tangled my fingers in the dark curls while she raked her nails down my back. We were both running out of breath, but we didn’t break the kiss. Once we started, we could never stop.
Piper moved her hands to my chest. Her fingers frantically searched for the buttons on my shirt. She unbuttoned them one by one, her hands working at lightning speed. She shoved the shirt off my shoulders and let it fall to the ground. When she pulled herself away from my lips, she wasted no time before she was kissing her way down my neck and my chest. She kissed and tasted my skin, her tongue roaming freely over my hard muscles.
My head rolled back and I stared at the ceiling while she moved lower. When she reached the waistline of my jeans, I pulled her face back to mine. I wanted this night to last forever. I didn’t want to rush anything.
I kissed her with passion while I lifted her off the ground. She wrapped her legs around my waist and I carried her to the couch against the back wall. There were boxes everywhere, but I’d been in that guest house enough times to maneuver a smooth path around them. When we reached the couch, I threw her backward down and climbed on top of her.
I buried my face in her neck and kissed her relentlessly. She lifted one leg and threw it over my back. I grabbed her thigh and dug my fingers into her skin. I moved back to her lips and kissed her again and again while my hand worked its way up her skirt. When I gripped her ass, she moaned into my mouth and rolled us over. She straddled me easily, sitting up just long enough to pull her shirt off and throw it on the floor.
In an instant, I sat up and unhooked her bra. I’d waited so long to see her perfect breasts again, I couldn’t wait a second longer. When my eyes fell on her bare skin, I growled and flipped her back over on her back. My mouth found one nipple and my fingers began playing with the other. Piper writhed with pleasure beneath me while I kissed and teased and licked her breasts. I lost control of my body. Nothing was real to me in that moment except the feel of Piper’s body. I wanted to taste every inch of her.
I trailed my tongue down her stomach until I reached her skirt. I ripped it from her body and quickly removed her panties. I glanced up at her face and saw her eyes alive with desire. She was breathing heavy, one hand tangled in her hair, her body rocking beneath me. Just the sight of her naked body sent me over the top.
Without a second thought, I ducked my head down and went to work between her legs. My tongue moved faster than I knew it could. Piper let out a soft squeal as her body reacted to the sensations I was creating. Her hips lifted off the couch and I squeezed her ass hard while I continued licking her. She moaned louder.
“Oh my god,” she whispered. I could tell she was trying to keep her voice down, but that was the last thing I wanted.
I worked faster, pressing my tongue harder against her until her moans were louder than ever. I could tell she was close. Her thighs tightened and her fingers pulled desperately at my hair.
“Logan,” she growled. “Oh god. Please. Please. I’m so close.”
The sound she made when she released was guttural and animalistic. My erection pressed painfully against my jeans. Piper moved fast. She sat up and pulled me roughly to my feet. She undid my belt and yanked it free. Her hands already unbuttoning my pants. I kicked my jeans and underwear off, letting my cock free. Piper’s hands were on me in an instant.
She pushed me back on the couch with one hand while her other stroked my penis. She straddled me and grinned that devilish grin I knew so well. Her tongue was in my mouth in an instant. She kissed me until I couldn’t breathe and my heart was threatening to break free from my chest.
When she pulled away, she slid down to kneel on the floor in front of me. Her tongue trailing the length of my penis. My entire body was on fire. I couldn’t think. I stared at Piper’s face while she teased me slowly. She was sexier than anything I’d ever seen.
“Come here,” I ordered. I picked her up and laid her on her back. Her eyes locked on mine as she spread her legs apart, ready for me.
I braced myself over her, watching her face as I slid inside of her. She exhaled sharply and pulled my face down to hers. The way she kissed was more intense, more desperate than any kiss before. I returned it tenfold.
Our bodies moved together seamlessly. I didn’t know where I ended and Piper began. We were one entity as our hips thrusted wildly against each other. Our lips broke apart. We were panting, our hands gripping each other’s bodies with an insane passion.
I wrapped my arms around Piper’s back and lifted us both up. Still inside of her, I sat her on top of me. She didn’t need any more encouragement than that. She held tight to my shoulders and bounced hard on top of me. I buried my face in her breasts while I gripped her hips. There was nothing better than this moment.
“Holy shit,” Piper moaned.
“Piper,” I whispered against her skin. “My God, I missed you.”
At my words, Piper reared her head back and let out a scream of pleasure. Watching her was more than I could take. I felt a flood of ecstasy and my legs shook uncontrollably. Piper collapsed against me, sweaty and shaking. I held her tightly, letting the waves of pleasure wash over us both.
When we finally pulled ourselves apart, I laid down on the couch and pulled Piper with me. She rested her head on my chest just as she’d done a thousand times before, but this time, it meant more than it ever had. We’d spent so much time apart. I didn’t know if we would ever find our way back to each other.
“I can’t believe that just happened,” I said with a small laugh.
“Yes, you can,” Piper argued. “You knew it was going to happen at the restaurant.”
“Okay so maybe I had plans,” I admitted. “But even I didn’t know it would be like that. God woman, you almost killed me.”
>
Piper laughed and placed a gentle kiss on my chest. I stroked her hair absentmindedly while I held her. We fell into an easy silence. It wasn’t long before my eyes grew heavy and I fell asleep.
Eighteen
Logan
“Logan,” Piper whispered softly. My eyes flickered open and I saw Piper standing in front of me fully clothed. I frowned and sat up quickly.
“What happened?” I asked with a yawn.
“We fell asleep,” Piper explained. “It’s almost morning. You should go.”
“I don’t want to,” I complained, reaching out to her. She stepped backward and folded her arms across her chest.
“Seriously,” she said. “Come on. No one can know you’re here. You need to leave before anyone wakes up.”
“Okay, okay,” I said, raising my hands. I stood up slowly and got dressed even slower. I could tell Piper was annoyed with my pace, but I couldn’t move any faster. My legs still felt like jelly.
“Piper,” I began, but she cut me off with a look.
“Now isn’t the time to talk about it,” she said sharply.
“Talk about what?” I asked.
“What just happened,” she said.
“I didn’t know there was anything to talk about,” I said truthfully. “I’m just really glad it happened. I thought you were, too.”
Piper looked at me and her expression softened. She walked over to me and kissed me lightly.
“Of course, I’m happy,” she said with a smile. “How could you ever doubt that?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” I said. “Maybe because you’re kicking me out like a bad one night stand.”
“I’m not…” she began, clearly frustrated. “I’m not kicking you out. I just don’t want to have to explain things to my parents. You can understand that, can’t you?”
“I can,” I said with a nod “But that doesn’t mean I want to leave you.”
“And I don’t want you to,” she said. “Trust me, I wish we could stay in here forever. That would be amazing. To just hide out here with you all day.”
“Let’s do it,” I said with a grin. I pulled her to me and kissed her cheek playfully. “I’m serious.”
“What?” she laughed.
“Let’s do it. Let’s lock the door and just hide out. No one will ever know we’re here. You can call your parents and tell them you’re out for the day. They’ll think you’re wandering around town or something. They’ll be none the wiser.”
“You know that won’t work,” Piper argued.
“Then, what about my place?” I begged. “Come on, let’s just sneak out of here and go to my place. There’s no one there to interrogate us. It would be blissful alone time. For hours. All day. And all night.”
Piper groaned and buried her face in my chest. I stroked her hair gently and waited for her answer. I knew she wouldn’t agree to it, but I couldn’t help but hope.
“I can’t,” she finally said. She pulled away and looked at me sadly. “I have to be here today. My family hasn’t seen me in a long time and…”
“Neither have I,” I pointed out.
“Don’t do that,” she warned. “I can’t. You know I can’t.”
“I know,” I sighed. “I’m sorry. I’ll drop it.”
“Thank you,” she smiled.
“But what about tonight?” I asked quickly.
“Yes?” she raised her eyebrows.
“Can we go out again?” I asked.
“I should really have dinner with my family,” she said evasively.
“Then drinks. After.”
“Okay,” she answered quickly. She grinned widely. “Drinks at Kellan’s. Ten o’clock?”
“I’ll be there.”
I grabbed her hand and we left the guest house quietly. The sun was just beginning to rise as we snuck down the steps and across the backyard. We reached the end of the driveway and I pulled her in for one last kiss before she disappeared inside. When she pushed the door closed behind her, I stayed on the driveway for a few minutes just staring at the front door. My smile stayed plastered across my face for the rest of the day.
Piper Prewitt was mine once again.
Mission accomplished.
Nineteen
Piper
“That was delicious,” I said. My mom smiled at me in thanks and began clearing the table. I moved to help her, but she waved me away.
“Sit with your father,” she said. “The two of you have barely talked since you’ve been here.”
I knew she was right, but it didn’t make sitting back down at the table any easier. My dad looked up at me with an impassive expression. I slid into my chair and smiled tentatively, waiting for him to speak.
“So,” he said, clearing his throat loudly. “How are things at work?”
“They’re good,” I nodded. I was grateful he chose such an easy subject. “I’m busier than ever and the partners seem to really trust me now.”
“Well, that’s something,” he said simply. He took a sip of his iced tea and leaned back in his chair.
“It is,” I agreed. “When I first started I only had one or two cases every six months, but now they throw almost everything my way. I’m so busy that they actually had to hire an assistant for me.”
“Your mother told me,” he said. “Some young guy. Aaron something.”
“Ian,” I corrected with a nod. “He’s great, dad. You would really like him.”
“I’m sure he’s fine.”
We fell silent and I glanced around the kitchen. My mother was putting food away and Lilliana was sitting across from me at the table. Her head was ducked down as she shoveled pie into her mouth so fast I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Slow down, kid,” I told her. She glanced up at me with narrowed eyes, but she quickly slowed her pace. For a five-year-old, she was already developing an intense attitude. It was part of what made me love her so much. She was already an individual.
“Knows what she likes, that one,” my dad said with an approving smile. “I bet you don’t eat like this in New York, do you Lili?”
“She eats fine,” I said, trying to keep my voice even. This was exactly why I didn’t want to sit and talk with my father.
“I’m sure she does,” he said quickly. “I’m just saying, she doesn’t eat like this.”
“The pie at Anderson’s bakery on 101st street is way better than this,” Lillianna said. I fought back a smile. “No offense, Grandma.”
“None taken,” my mom said with a chuckle as she placed the last piece of Tupperware in the fridge. “I’m not a professional baker or anything.”
“You might as well be!” My dad said. “I’ve never tasted anything better than your cooking. Not in all my life.”
“Don’t listen to your grandpa, Lili,” my mom said. “He likes to tease me.”
“What I like is to watch the Pats,” he said roughly. He checked his watch and stood up quickly. He kissed my mother swiftly and hurried into the living room. We could all hear the T.V. turn on and his recliner creak as he sat down.
I rolled my eyes and mumbled “Nice talk, Dad,” under my breath. My mother patted my shoulder and moved to sit beside me.
“Don’t let him get to you,” she said softly. “That’s just your dad.”
“Doesn’t make it any easier,” I said just as softly. Lillianna was still working on her pie.
“He loves you,” my mom said as if that made everything okay.
“But he isn’t proud of me,” I argued.
“Sure, he is,” she said. “He just doesn’t understand your life.”
“For someone who grew up not even two hours from the city, you would think he would be more okay with his daughter living there,” I said.
“But he’s not and you can’t change that,” she said. “All you can do is accept it.”
“Right,” I scoffed. “Like he accepts me.”
“You don’t give him a chance to,” she snapped. “How many times have you been hom
e in the past five years? My god, Piper, we haven’t seen Lillianna since she was three.”
“That’s not true,” I said, but I knew it was. I avoided Bradberry like the plague.
“Piper,” my mom said. She shook her head and leaned closer to me. “Cut us some slack, okay? We just miss you. Both of you.”
“We miss you guys, too,” I said.
“I’m done!” Lillianna announced.
“Put your plate in the sink,” I told her.
“Can I play outside?” she asked.
“In the backyard,” I said.
Lillianna smiled and hurried over to the sink. She stood on her tiptoes to set her plate inside before she ran out the back door. I watched her go with a smile. She was growing up so quickly, I hated to miss even a single second with her.
“Mom,” I said, turning back to face her. “Do you think I made the right choice? When I decided to keep her?”
My mom’s eyes widened slightly at my words. We’d never discussed my change of heart that day in the hospital. I never knew how she felt about it.
“Honey,” she began slowly. “I think what really matters is whether you believe it was the right thing.”
“Most of the time, I do,” I said. “But there are times when I wonder if Audra would have been better for Lili. There are times when I question whether I was meant to be a mother at all.”
“You love your daughter,” she said.
“More than anything.”
“Then, you’re doing alright,” she smiled. “What makes a good mom isn’t living in the right place or providing a traditional family. It’s loving your child and doing everything you can to help them succeed. From what I can see, you’re doing that.”
“Thank you.”
My mom’s words filled me with warmth. I sat back in my chair and checked the time on the kitchen stove. It was almost nine which meant I had to meet Logan in an hour. Lillianna would be in bed by nine thirty, I hoped. I didn’t want to tell her where I was going.
“That’s the third time you’ve checked the clock,” my mom said.
“I’m meeting someone,” I explained. “After I put Lili to bed.”
“Someone?” Her eyebrows arched upward.
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