13. Liam
THIRTEEN
LIAM
Piper knocks on the door to my apartment ten seconds before six.
There’s a moment of hesitation before I wrap my fingers around the knob and throw the door open.
“Hi,” she says breathlessly with bright red cheeks. The dress she’s wearing is a pretty, flowy thing that fans out at her hips and stops at the top of her knees, and I thank the weather gods for the unseasonably warm temperatures we’ve been having this week. Her hair is down, her smile is hesitant but beautiful, and it feels a little bit like I got punched in the gut. “How are you?”
“Good.” I take a step back, motioning her inside. “Come on in.”
I get a whiff of her perfume when she brushes past me. I wonder if my whole apartment is going to start to smell like flowers if she keeps coming around, and I guess there could be worse things in life.
“Thanks. How’s your night?”
“Can’t complain.” I follow behind her, assuming my role as a lost dog again. “Want a drink?”
“No. Alcohol will lower my inhibitions, and I want to be present tonight.” Her laugh is light as she sits on the leather couch and sets her purse at her feet. “But don’t let me stop you from having a good time.”
“Nah. Don’t need it.”
Silence settles between us, and I know I’m going to have to be the one to break it.
I’m the one who told her to come over. She’s going to have certain expectations. Things she wants me to do and things she wants to learn. Plus, with her lack of experience, there’s no way in hell she’s going to be the one to make the first move.
“I’m going to ask the question I don’t want to ask, but I have to ask before we start any of this. When was the last time you were tested? You mentioned your husband was a fucking ass—sorry. Unfaithful to you, and I want to make sure there’s no?—”
“Ex-husband,” she says, interrupting me, and her lips twitch. “He is an asshole, though.”
“My bad. I don’t know how that insult got in there.”
“Must’ve been a casual slip of the tongue. As for the unfaithful part, I took a test after I found out about his affair. Everything came back negative, and I haven’t been with anyone since.”
“I don’t have anything to report on my end either.”
“Being celibate for years will do that to you, I guess.”
I huff out a laugh. “When we get to the sex portion of this arrangement, I’d like it if we used a condom.”
“That’s fine by me. Safety first, right?”
“Right. Do you have a preference on what type? Latex? Synthetic? Glow in the dark?”
“Glow in the dark?” Piper bursts out laughing, and it eases the tension I’ve been carrying around all afternoon. “That’s not a real thing, is it?”
“According to Grant it is. The picture on the box is of outer space. I guess you use them when you want your dick to be out of this world.”
“Oh my god.” She clutches her side and wheezes. “It’s not a dick. It’s a rocket ship.”
“I mean, you can ride both. They both make you see the stars. I’m not an astronaut, but I think they both involve thrusting too.”
“You’re making me get a cramp.” When she finally settles down, she wipes her thumb under her eyes. “I feel like I should be taking notes, because I am downright clueless about aesthetically pleasing condoms that transport you to different galaxies. What else do you have for me, teach?”
“Okay, smart-ass. This next part might make me sound like an prick, but it needs to be said. I like you as a person.”
“Shucks, Liam. I like you as a person too.”
I bristle at that, glazing over her compliment before I can think about it for too long. “That being said, we’re not dating. This arrangement between us is only physical. I’m not your boyfriend. My priority is hockey. When the two of us are intimate with each other, I’ll treat you right. I’ll show you what you want to learn. In the real world, though, I’m not going to hold your hand.”
“Wow,” she deadpans. “I’m falling in love with you already. Please stop being so irresistible You’re making it impossible to stay away.”
“Sarcasm isn’t a cute look on you, Mitchell.”
“You’re smiling.”
“I’m not smiling. I’m grimacing.”
“Sorry. My mistake. You’re right about the physical component. I’m finally doing my dream job, and work is my focus. I want to stay in DC long term, and the way to do that is to perform above and beyond the expectations in place for me. That won’t happen if I’m distracted. We’ll have plenty of fun, but it’s confined to the bedroom until we head to your sister’s wedding. After that, we can break this off and get on with our lives.”
Piper is eager to get the ball rolling. She’s moved to the edge of the couch and is watching me in the way I’ve seen other women watch me: like she’s going to stake a claim on me. Like I’m something she wants very, very badly.
And, fuck , I want her too.
Now that I can have her, now that I can touch her, I’m fucking desperate for it.
The guys tell me I need to relax, and this is me relaxing. Finally letting go a little and enjoying what’s around me.
I walk toward her. She tracks my movements until I stop right in front of her. I reach down and curl my fingers under her chin, lifting her head so our gazes collide.
“I wasn’t kidding about communication, Piper. You need to tell me what you’re thinking and how you’re feeling. If there’s something you don’t like, we stop.”
“I promise I will. Are we going to go to your bedroom?”
“No. We’re staying out here tonight.”
“Why?”
“We have plenty of time. If you’re doing it right, sex isn’t just about sex. It’s about the build-up. Foreplay. The things that happen before the main event. I can’t fuck you how you like if I don’t know what makes you wet, can I?”
Her throat bobs around a swallow. “No. I guess you can’t.”
“This is going to be a long process. I’m going to ask you questions during it, and I want you to answer them honestly so I can get to know you better.”
All this shit is rigid and formal. So unsexy and far from the encounters I’ve had in my past, but she’s counting on me.
And I’ve never liked letting anyone down.
“What kind of questions?”
“Do you like to be teased?” I ask. “Do you like things fast?”
“Um.” She drops her head back and stares at the ceiling. “I think I might like to be teased. It’s… that’s what I do when I’m touching myself. I try to prolong it. When my ex and I were together, he always just kind of… put it in.”
“Fucking hell.” I pinch the bridge of my nose and groan. That dude is an absolute moron. “Okay. Tonight we’re starting with kissing and some touching. That’s it. I’m never just going to put it in , Piper. When we get there, I’m going to get you off at least twice before I fuck you.”
“Now I really feel like I should be taking notes. Do all guys act like this?”
“The smart ones do.”
“Why?”
“Some of us can get off just from watching you get off. Eating pussy is one of my favorite things in the world.”
Her wide eyes drop to the front of my gym shorts like they did the other night. This time, she doesn’t look away. She studies the outline of my half-hard cock and bites her bottom lip.
“You really like it that much?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I like knowing what I’m doing is working, and when you’re going down on a woman, you can tell.” I touch her cheek again and trail my fingers down her neck. “I can feel it. Hear it. Taste it.”
“That’s sexy,” she whispers. “That you like it.”
“Can I kiss you, Piper?”
“Oh. Um. I might not be very good at kissing either. Steven was never very affectionate with me, and I haven’t kissed anyone in the years that have passed. I probably use too much tongue. Too much?—”
“That doesn’t answer my question. Can I kiss you, Piper?”
It’s her chance to back out of this. To run away before we start something we can’t take back. I don’t want her to have any regrets, and I want her to be really fucking sure this is what she wants.
And that she wants it with me .
“Yes,” she whispers, voice so quiet, I’m not sure she actually said it.
“Yes what?”
“Yes,” she repeats, louder this time. “You can kiss me, Liam.”
I don’t know how many first kisses I’ve had in my lifetime. A couple dozen, maybe? I’ve ever been nervous about any of them until right now, because she’s trusting me to get this right. She’s counting on me to give her the fun she’s never had, to make sure she learns so the next guy she’s with won’t be disappointed, and I’ve never liked being a failure.
“Close your eyes,” I say lowly. “Tilt your head to the side.”
She listens to every direction I give her, eyelashes fluttering closed and neck bending at a slight angle. Her hands sit in her lap, nervously tapping on her thigh, and I thread my fingers through hers to give her a quick squeeze so she knows it’s okay to touch me.
I move my other hand to her face, cupping her cheek. There’s a hitch in her breathing and she’s practically shaking. I dip my head, kissing her neck, and I almost groan.
She tastes like fucking sunshine.
Her skin is warm and soft, and a quiet moan escapes her as I move my lips up the line of her throat, not stopping until I get to the corner of her mouth.
“You sure?” I ask one last time.
Piper turns her cheek, her lips less than an inch away from mine. “Positive.”
That’s all I need to hear.
I close the distance between us. My mouth lands on hers and I swallow down her soft exhale. She wraps her arms around my neck and tugs me close, and I can’t help but smile at her enthusiasm.
“Is it—am I allowed to make sounds?” she whispers, pulling away from me slightly. “Or should I stay quiet?”
“Do what feels right. I like knowing what I’m doing is working, so I prefer hearing you. But I’m not every guy.”
“Okay.” Piper nods, determination sparking behind her eyes. “Then I’m going to keep making noises.”
I run my hand up her leg, wanting to touch her. Wanting to feel her and figure out if she loves or hates what I’m doing. Her fingers move to my hair and tug on the longer strands near my ears, and I take that as a sign I can give her more.
My tongue swipes across her lips, coaxing her mouth open. I hum when she opens right away, welcoming me in, and I can’t help but wonder what her tongue would feel like running up the length of my cock.
Like nirvana, I bet.
“Okay?”
“Perfect,” she murmurs, and the praise lights me up. Makes me kiss her a little rougher, a little harder, and she groans again when I gently bite her bottom lip. “I-I like this. Am I doing okay?”
“You’re doing great, Piper.”
My thumb brushes up her thigh, under the hem of her dress. I want to go even higher, up to the seam of her underwear so I can see if she’s wet. So I can see if she’s being honest and not just trying to stroke my ego, but I hold myself back.
I can be patient.
“I didn’t realize making out with someone could be so hot.”
“Lie back,” I tell her. “Get comfortable.”
She pulls away from me, and when I look at her, I can’t help feeling smug. Proud of the way her lipstick is smeared and how her eyes are glazed over. The content smile on her mouth and how much brighter she seems, even after two minutes of affection.
Piper Mitchell’s love language is physical touch, and I’d be willing to bet she’s a fan of words of affirmation too.
Fuck the guy who never gave her what she needed to help her shine.
“Like this?” she asks, her back on the couch and her head on the pillows behind her.
“Yeah.” My eyes rake over her body—the strap slipping down her arm. The way her dress hugs her tits. The freckles on her knee when she props her leg up and the hint of lace on her hips. I stare at her greedily because I fucking can . “That’s great.”
I’ve been restricting myself for so many years. I’ve been disciplined and followed diets and exercise regimens and strict sleep schedules.
But now? Now I’m allowing myself to let go and have a lot of fucking fun.
“Liam?”
“Yeah?”
“Can you kiss me again? Please?”
I hold myself above her, my chest almost pressing against hers. I bring my mouth to her ear and whisper, “I think I’m going to like it when you beg.”