Chapter 30 Grayden
THIRTY
Grayden
Bronski finished up and left a few minutes later. After taking some photos, just in case, I helped Piper fix the mess in her garage.
The door was damaged, but she said there wasn’t anything that valuable inside.
With an exasperated grunt, which was actually pretty cute, Piper stomped up her front porch steps and into the house. I followed after her.
She went into the living room and flopped onto the couch. “Once again, Danny gets away with his bullshit,” she said.
I stood a few feet away, my hand absently rubbing my jaw. “I assumed it would be Danny too. But before, you said he wouldn’t come here looking for your mom’s things. Since you didn’t keep anything of your mom’s here.”
“Who knows what’s in his head? Nothing he’s been doing makes sense.”
“The guy I saw. His shoulders were pretty broad. Bulky. Danny is thinner.”
“He was wearing heavy clothes, though. Right? That could’ve made him look bigger.”
I nodded. “Possible.” But I didn’t like this uncertainty. Who else would’ve broken into Piper’s garage? “Maybe Danny hired someone.”
Which was even more concerning. Some unknown person involved in this situation, someone who might be even worse than Piper’s ex.
With a groan, she put her hands over her face. “I wish I had that stupid jewelry box of my mother’s. I would hand it over to Danny if it made all this stop.”
Crossing to the couch, I lowered myself to the cushion beside her.
Immediately my mind went to last night at Silver Linings. And before that, the night I’d spent right here, well over a month ago now. When I’d barely known what to think of Piper as an adult. As a mom.
Now, I knew how incredible she was. How irresistible.
And how much she’d had to deal with, thanks to her ex.
“But if you give him what he wants this time,” I said softly, “he’ll come back wanting something else.”
“I know.” Her eyes were plaintive, and I wished so fucking much I could give her the answers to how to fix this. “Thank you for being here for me.”
“Anytime.”
“We were in the middle of a conversation before we got interrupted.”
“I remember.”
Oh, did I ever remember.
She’d been telling me about her teenage crush. And then about how she’d enjoyed what we did last night. I’ve never come that hard.
“You blew me off,” she said. “After I texted yesterday.”
“Just trying to do the right thing.”
“Why is it right for us both to spend this weekend alone? Assuming you would be alone. You don’t have plans with someone else?”
I smirked at her. “There’s no one else I’d rather be with than you.”
Probably shouldn’t have said that.
I saw the moment those sea-green irises caught fire. Piper’s nose brushed my beard, and she leaned into me. “Will you stay? Spend the night?”
My dick stirred, and my blood heated with longing. “All your neighbors saw us talking to a cop outside. They’ll notice if my truck stays here all night.”
“So what?”
“I almost got arrested in your driveway. There’s no need for your name to get dragged in the mud along with mine.”
“How many times do I have to tell you? I don’t care what this town thinks of me. I’m a big girl, and I can handle a few rumors. I’ve grown up, in case you didn’t notice.”
“I’ve definitely noticed.” My gaze moved over her, drinking her in.
“I can also make my own decisions. Bonnie and Clyde, remember? If you want me, then do something about it.” She brought her lips to my ear and whispered, “Spend the night.”
“You’ve been drinking.”
“I sobered up.”
But I could tell from her tone, from her mannerisms, that she was still feeling loose and hazy. She was far from wasted, but this wasn’t Piper in her usual frame of mind.
She carded her fingers through my hair. “Kiss me?”
Nnngh. I wasn’t nearly strong enough to resist her brand of temptation.
Somehow, without my permission, my lips wound up on hers. My tongue licked into Piper’s mouth, and her tongue played sweetly with mine. It was a slow give and take.
When I finally found my self control again, I gentled the kiss and held her face in my hands.
“I want you. Of course I do. I’ve been completely caught up in you since the night I slept on this couch. But you’ve been drinking, so nothing else is going to happen tonight.”
She exhaled. “Alright, I get it. But if the whiskey’s cockblocking us anyway, you might as well have a drink with me.”
A laugh snuck out of my chest. “Fine. One drink.”
Piper reached down and snagged the whiskey bottle sitting beside the couch. Opening it, she tipped the long neck to her lips, her eyes not leaving mine. The amber liquid flowed into her mouth. But she didn’t swallow.
Instead, Piper leaned close to me again. She brought her lips to mine, and I realized what she was doing.
I slanted my mouth over hers, and the spicy, toasty burn of the whiskey flowed over my tongue, laced with just a hint of Piper’s flavor. My cock gave an answering thump, hardening against my fly.
Swallowing down the liquor, I licked my lips. Piper was still close enough that my tongue flicked over her lips too.
“You are wild,” I rasped. “And fucking wicked. You trying to seduce me, Piper?”
“Do I really need to?”
“I’m trying to be good here.”
She blinked with feigned innocence. “But I want to be bad.”
I took the whiskey bottle, threw back another swig, and capped it before I set it aside.
“Hey, I want another shot too,” she protested.
“Nope. You’re done for the night.”
“Then I’ll have to kiss you some more. So I can taste it.”
For now, I was done objecting. Our mouths collided again. Rough and hungry. Between Piper and the whiskey, it was all vanilla and oak and caramel spice. I loomed over her, and Piper lay back against the couch, our mouths never parting.
My sweet, intoxicating temptation.
Her thigh lifted between my legs. She brushed against my erection and whimpered into my mouth. Her hand went to the hard length in my jeans and squeezed.
“Let me suck you off.”
I made a tortured sound. “You’re killing me, Piper.” As bad as she made me want to be right now, I had to draw the line somewhere. If she ended up regretting anything we did tonight, while she wasn’t fully sober, I’d hate myself.
She lifted up to kiss me again. Her lips were pink and swollen. “At least show me your piercing. Please? I’m dying to see. If you say no, it’s just mean.”
Knowing I shouldn’t, I popped the button on my fly and lowered the zipper. Pulled out my aching shaft. The pressure of just my hand made me want so much more, and my cock jumped against my fingers.
By habit, I toyed with the curved silver barbell that pierced my cock head. A Prince Albert.
Piper’s lips parted as she stared. “Wow. Grayden, that’s…”
“Okay?” Not everyone was into piercings.
Her gaze met mine. “So sexy I can hardly stand it. It feels good for you?”
I dragged my thumb over the top of the piercing, shivering at the sensation. “Very.”
Piper raised her hand like she was going to touch me, but I caught her wrist.
“Not tonight.”
She pouted. “You show me the hottest thing I’ve ever seen, and then tell me I can’t have it?”
“Just gotta wait. Don’t drink so much next time.”
Her tongue flicked out to trace her lower lip suggestively. Such a little tease. “You’re missing out.”
“I have no doubt.” An image flashed through my mind of that pink tongue licking my barbell, then her lips closing and sucking. Wetness welled at my tip.
Piper stretched out below me on the couch, her arms going over her head. “At least let me see you get off. Promise I won’t touch. I’ll just watch the show. I’m plenty sober for that.”
Fuck me for my weakness. There was no possibility of me turning down that offer.
“Okay, wild girl. Only if you’re good for me.”
I brought my hand to her mouth. To that naughty, teasing tongue. Piper licked my palm a couple of times, and I wrapped my hand around my cock and started to stroke.
My mind went to the memory of her last night, so wild and uninhibited. This woman… I could already tell I’d never be the same. Not after her.
My fist worked up and down my cock. On every few strokes, I used my thumb to play with the barbell, loving the intense jolts of pleasure. My gaze moved over her, studying every beautiful feature.
Everything I’d ever been through would be worth it, if she could somehow be mine.
Piper’s hand sneaked down to her shirt and tugged up the hem, revealing her smooth stomach. “Come on me. I want to see you. Want to feel it.”
My movements sped up and my breath went ragged. The things she was doing to me without even a touch.
“Piper,” I growled as the orgasm hit me. My cock pulsed with jolts of perfect, overwhelming pleasure, spilling over her stomach.
My fist slowed, teasing out the last few aftershocks.
Then Piper dragged a finger through my release and brought it to her mouth. Sucked her digit between her lips. Holy shit.
My cock gave another valiant pulse like it was trying to get hard again. If only.
I bent forward, hunching over her. My forehead rested against hers as I panted to catch my breath. “Can’t believe how gorgeous you are. All covered in me.”
“I love it,” she said dreamily. When I pulled back to look at her, she seemed tired, but her focus was sharp. “You’re staying, right?”
I nodded. Nothing short of a tornado would possibly drag me away at this point. And luckily, tornados weren’t an issue in this part of Colorado.
“Stay here,” I said. “I’ll be right back.” Slowly getting up from the couch, my head still fuzzy from that intense climax, I went to the hall bathroom and found a washcloth. The water took a minute to warm up.
When I got back to the living room, Piper was dozing. She barely stirred as I wiped the washcloth over her belly in gentle strokes, cleaning her up.
After returning the washcloth to the bathroom to deal with tomorrow, I found some blankets in a linen closet.
“Hey, wild girl. Scoot over a little.”
I managed to get us arranged on the couch, with me on my back and Piper curled into my side. She nestled her head against my neck, right under my chin.
Good thing the cushions were deep and oversized. Otherwise, I didn’t see how we’d fit. I wasn’t a small guy, and Piper wasn’t a small woman.
We fit so perfectly together.
She hummed and wiggled around. Sinking deeper into the blankets I’d spread over us. My eyes closed, a contented grin on my lips.
“Grayden, I’m scared,” she whispered.
My eyes shot open, and my heart squeezed. “Of what, sweetheart?” Did she mean Danny? The break-in? Officer Bronski?
“Of getting my heart broken.”
Heaviness gathered in my throat. She’d sounded so vulnerable. “I know.” I kissed her hair. “But I won’t hurt you.”
“How do you know for sure?”
“Because I’d rather die.”
“I’d rather you hurt me than that,” she slurred sleepily.
“I’d prefer neither. I’m not going anywhere. As long as you want me, I’m yours. I promise, I’m yours.”
Piper burrowed against me. I had no idea if she’d heard that, or if she was already asleep. But to me, my words seemed to echo in the room like a vow. Like something far bigger than a few murmured sounds.
I was already hers. There was nothing I could do about that. I’d tried and failed to stay away. Now, I was all in.
So, I had to make her mine.