Chapter Twenty-Two
A ugust’s whole body buzzed as she arrived at Hermes’ apartment with Ford. She hadn’t gotten enough sleep by a long stretch and she couldn’t have cared less. She’d woken up and launched herself out of bed when her alarm clock screeched her awake, and she’d made it to Ford’s place perfectly on time.
As they approached the front door of the building, all she wanted to do was text Piper to let her know she was outside. Ford, however, was excited to ring the buzzer to his new place.
Hermes buzzed them into the building, but the front door to the apartment was still shut when they stepped out of the elevator. Ford knocked loudly, looking like a whole new person as he started this new chapter of his life.
The building was sleek, beautiful, stylish, and a million other things August would have appreciated more if she could get her mind to focus on anything other than the absolute work of art that was Piper and their increasing proximity.
The door swung open and a slightly dazzled Piper stood on the other side, her eyes glancing quickly over Ford and landing on August. Everything around them seemed to dissipate into nothingness. The only thing that mattered was Piper and the way August could barely breathe while looking at her.
They’d had sex last night. A lot. It was real. And, now, there she was, looking so beautifully radiant.
Ford snorted and shimmied around Piper into the apartment. Neither of them really registered his movements, staying locked on each other.
“Hi,” Piper breathed when they were alone.
“Hi.” August smiled. She hadn’t been oblivious to what had been growing between them but she still found herself unable to believe that someone as incandescent as Piper was looking at her like that.
“How are you doing?”
August laughed. “Oh, you know, a little tired, but feeling like it was worth it.”
“Relatable.”
Fingers wrapped around the door and pulled it open wider, and August found herself looking at a woman with Piper’s dark hair, a Patagonia fleece, and a delighted expression.
“You must be August,” she said excitedly. “Piper’s told us so much about you.”
“Great,” August said, shooting Piper a confused look.
Piper, for her part, looked like she was being doused in cold water, like she’d entirely forgotten the woman was even there. August could relate to that.
“Piper,” the woman chided, “are you inviting her in or are you keeping her all for yourself at the door?”
Piper shot August a look that suggested she would love to do just that. But, she stepped aside and let August into the apartment.
“Ah, the gang’s all here,” cheered a man with the bushiest, most vibrant ginger beard August had ever seen, made all the more interesting by the fact that the hair that it bled into was not red. It was dirty blonde and peppered with gray. The effect was unusually striking.
Piper cleared her throat and sucked in a deep breath. “August, these are my parents, April and Todd.”
August cut off the startled laughter that erupted from within her and grinned widely. “Wow. It’s so nice to meet you.”
“Oh, you too, kiddo,” Todd said, nodding in Piper’s direction. “This one’s had so much to say about you.”
“Dad,” Piper warned.
He laughed. “Hey, what are parents for if not to embarrass you?”
“You’re not even here to parent me today.”
“Pfft. We’re always parenting you, and I’m not passing up an opportunity to embarrass you.”
“Anyway,” April said, clapping her hands together. “Come on through to the kitchen, we brought a big breakfast spread. Got to fuel up for all the work we’re going to be doing today.”
August found herself deeply amused as she watched Piper surrender to her parents’ wishes and gesture for them to lead the way.
When they were down the hallway, August stopped, grabbed Piper’s hand, and pulled her back to the living room, shielding them from view behind the partition wall. It was such sweet relief to touch her again.
Piper let out a surprised gurgle but recovered quickly, leaning against the wall to look at August. It was so much like last night and August was in danger of forgetting the kitchen full of people right down the—admittedly short—hallway.
“You brought your mom on our date,” August said, keeping her voice low.
“Is this a date?”
She shot Piper a look. “You know what I’m getting at.”
“Hm.”
“Your dad too.”
She laughed. “How much did you mean it last night when you said that wouldn’t have put you off?”
“More than you know.” She smiled, looking Piper up and down. The loose flannel shirt she was wearing—looking at least two sizes too big and sliding down her shoulder—had no right looking as good as it did on her. “Still, though, why did you bring them?”
She shrugged. “They’re here for Hermes. You’ll see.”
August nodded, understanding that they didn’t have time for the whole story right now.
“You’re still interested?” Piper checked, mostly joking, but August could sense the very slight apprehension under the question.
“So very interested.” She held Piper’s chin, the tip of her thumb running over Piper’s full lower lip. “That shirt is really working for you.”
Piper laughed, her eyes lighting up. “You’re one to talk.” She caught the bottom of August’s black Henley and tugged lightly, pointedly.
“You and my clothes, huh?”
“It’s not about the clothes, even if they are nice.”
“Oh? What is it about?”
“You definitely know the answer to that,” she murmured, pulling August into her.
“Piper! August!” called April from the kitchen.
Piper groaned and leaned forward, her head against August’s, their noses slotting together like they were designed to. “Today is going to be torture.”
August hummed. “I’m already counting the seconds until we can be alone.”
Their lips brushed as they spoke, electrifying and consuming.
“The coffee’s getting cold,” Todd added.
August closed her eyes and shook her head slightly, not moving away from Piper.
“Coming,” Piper called back, but she held them there for another moment, their lips brushing softly before she swiftly caught August’s bottom lip between her teeth and ran her hot, perfect tongue over it.
August groaned as Piper stepped away and headed for the kitchen. “Tease.”
Piper laughed, shooting a look over her shoulder at August. “It’s a long day ahead, I’m sure you’ll get your own back.”
Well, when she put it that way…
They joined the others in the kitchen, Hermes and Massima both shooting them knowing looks, and August was immediately hit by how happy Ford looked. The whole thing felt like walking into a family breakfast—a family she was part of.
April and Todd fussed over everyone. They asked questions about August’s job and Ford’s studies, and they acted like proud parents who had never heard anything as wonderful as Ford studying at a culinary institute. As they gushed over him, August was hit by how much Ford had deserved that, how much he’d needed it.
“Oh,” Todd said as he helped himself to another cup of coffee, “Ford, August, are you free May seventeenth?”
August blinked as she and Ford shared a look. “Uh, yeah, I’m pretty sure I am…”
“Me too,” Ford said. “I mean, I might have work, but, this far out, I can take off.”
“Fantastic.” Todd grinned widely and it reminded August of the way Piper smiled, as if she’d inherited happiness straight from him. “It’s family theater night.”
“Sorry?”
“Ah, so, we do themed family nights,” he explained. “April always picks a craft night, I like to do a walking tour or wine tasting, Piper picks something musical, and Hermes picks the theater. Really great way to expand the whole family’s interests.”
“And we like to bring the kids’ closest people, so we’ll get you both tickets,” April said warmly, her eyes lingering on August for a second too long.
August had put together enough pieces to know that Hermes didn’t talk to his biological family and that there was a lot of hurt there. She didn’t miss the flash of emotion as Piper’s parents talked about him as their own child. She suddenly understood Piper’s earlier comment. They weren’t here to parent her, they were here for Hermes, their son.
Shea jumped down from the kitchen counter and elbowed August as she grabbed another pastry. “She usually just calls us ‘the kids’ friends’. You clearly get special treatment.”
August shot her a look. “We’re just friends,” she said quietly.
“Her walls aren’t that thick,” Shea said, watching August with a deadpan expression.
“You don’t even live there,” August complained, trying to keep the blush from her face—and the desire from raging inside of her. Piper had commented on how she hadn’t been able to keep the noise down last night. August wasn’t upset about having that effect on her.
“I don’t need to. Massima told me.”
“Of course she did.” August shot Massima a look from across the room. The woman had the audacity to simply smile serenely back, as if she hadn’t been regaling the group with a play-by-play of Piper’s night with August.
Shea laughed. “No need to be embarrassed. Pipes clearly had a fantastic time— times .”
“Oh, my god.”
“What? You’re annoyed you got her off again and again?”
“I’m annoyed you’re having this conversation with me when her parents are in the room.”
“Don’t worry,” she laughed, wiggling her eyebrows. “They know all about sex. How do you think she got here?”
“Honestly, I don’t think about it. Not that part, at least. It’s a little weird that you do.”
“You’re just embarrassed. It will pass when you realize we’re all doing it.”
“Sleeping with Piper?” She furrowed her brow.
“Ha. No. Sex. In general. Piper’s more selective than I am.”
August went to complain but paused, considering. “That’s you telling me you want to sleep with my—” She cleared her throat. “That you want to sleep with Piper?”
Shea shrugged and looked Piper over. “Eh. We’re just friends. I’m not ignorant to the fact that she’s hot, though.”
It wasn’t exactly a denial, but it was good enough that August wasn’t going to worry about it too much. Still… there was something there, under the surface. She studied Shea and finally managed to place what it was. “You’ve slept with someone here.”
Shea flashed her a quick smirk. “A lady never tells.”
“I didn’t tell you anything but you still thought it was acceptable to talk about me having sex with Piper.”
“Hey, phone sex is hot, and she was the one being loud.”
“I beg you, stop talking about her like that.”
Shea cackled. “You’re so protective. She’ll like that.”
August closed her eyes and sucked in a breath. “Do you sleep with men?” she asked.
“Oh, I sleep with anyone, babe.”
“I’m not hitting on you.”
“I know. You’re happily taken.”
August shook that comment off, even though her stomach tightened excitedly at the prospect. “I’m praying it’s not one of Piper’s parents.”
“It is not.”
“Which leaves Hermes or Massima.”
She hummed. “It does, doesn’t it? Or, to look at it another way, Hermes and Massima.”
“Have you slept with them both?”
Shea held her gaze for a moment before she burst out laughing. “I have not.”
It could have been either of them. There were reasons it could have been neither of them, but here they were. August was more curious than she should have been. Maybe that was just the way people were.
“Should I worry that Ford’s next on your list?” she asked with a laugh.
Shea shot her a look. “If I sleep with your brother, do you want to know about it?”
“Ugh. No. Not even a little bit.”
Shea laughed freely. “Well, you’ll be delighted to know he’s not really my type, but I am a deeply open person, so, you never know.”
“Fantastic.” She shuddered. “If you do sleep with him, please refrain from telling him anything about my love life.”
“I’m pretty sure he already knows about your love life. You’re clearly into Piper.”
August sucked a slow breath in through her nostrils. “Fine. My sex life. Do not talk to my brother about my sex life.”
Shea grinned. “Your secret’s safe with me. But I will be thinking about it when I get off later.”
“Oh, my god.”
Shea laughed again and wandered back towards her spot on the cabinet. “Just kidding.”
August shuddered and tuned back into the discussion of what needed to happen today and who was being assigned which job. If she focused on that, maybe she’d forget the ridiculous conversation with Shea. She knew Shea was mostly just messing with her, but it was a fact that Massima had heard her and Piper having sex last night. And that she’d told the others about it.
August couldn’t quite bring herself to be annoyed about that. She’d never had friends who were so open about such topics, and it might take a little getting used to, but she liked having friends. She liked friends who were open and welcoming, and who treated her like she was already one of them.
They finished getting their assigned tasks and everyone was sent to work.
So many people for one man and one room had seemed like a lot at first, but, the day wore on quickly as they moved furniture and belongings, built a desk and a bookcase, and did some minor redecorating, and August was glad so many of them had shown up—for the physical labor, but also, she found, because it was great having people who cared. It was nice watching Ford have a set of parents fuss over him. It made her realize just how cold their own parents had been, how much more Ford had deserved, and how you were never too old to have people love you out loud like that.
It wasn’t difficult to see why Piper was such a warm person. She’d been raised by two of the best.
August gathered up a bunch of broken-down boxes and headed out of the apartment to the recycling. She was leaning against the back of the elevator when a hand flew out to stop the doors from closing. Piper stepped in with her, lingering by the doors as they shut behind her, leaving them finally alone.
“Hello,” August said, looking her over. Perfect, exertion-flushed, and bright-eyed. Not to mention, looking at August like she’d never seen anything more beautiful in her life.
“How’re you doing?” Piper asked, stepping a little closer, the trash bag she was carrying rustling loudly.
“Better for this moment alone with you.”
Piper smiled. “I know what you mean. Sorry about all the people.”
August waved her off. “They’re really great. Your parents, your friends… Thank you for sharing them with us.”
“Of course,” she replied, beaming. “You’re in now, you know. You and Ford.”
“Oh, believe me, I know.”
Piper shot her a puzzled look. “What does that mean?”
“It means Shea decided to talk to me about our sex life while your parents were in the room, and suggested she wouldn’t say no if Ford wanted to sleep with her.”
“Ah.” She winced. “That’s what that conversation was.”
“Indeed.”
“I’m so sorry. Do you want me to talk to her?”
August laughed. “No. It’s totally fine. And, you know, I’m not ashamed of having slept with you—or getting you to come loud enough for Massima to hear and feel the need to report it to everyone.”
Piper scrunched her face up. “I should have told her not to tell everyone.”
“It’s whatever. But, let’s prioritize having loud sex at my place in the future.”
Piper’s whole expression morphed and she shot August a mind-bendingly sexy look. “Sounds great to me.”
They made it to the ground floor and August couldn’t keep her eyes off Piper as they walked to the dumpsters, got rid of their trash, and as she pulled a tiny bottle of hand sanitizer from her back pocket for the both of them.
The elevator was still waiting for them on the ground floor when they got back inside, and their eye contact held as the doors closed, leaving them alone together.
“August,” Piper whispered, dark and seductive, and that was all it took for August to cross the two steps between them and scoop her into a deep, urgent kiss.
Piper met her energy exactly, one hand tangling itself in August’s hair, the other pressing into the small of her back, pulling her closer as she walked herself backwards to the wall.
August was learning that Piper loved being pressed up against a wall, and she was so completely on board with that.
Her hand slipped quickly under the soft, baggy, flannel shirt. Touching Piper’s skin made August’s insides go up in flames, a demanding throbbing starting between her thighs. They weren’t going to do it in an elevator, not really, but oh, how she wanted to.
August had never been reckless in love or lust before. She’d never been so completely overcome by someone the way she was with Piper.
She didn’t mind it at all.
The elevator jolted to a halt and Piper moaned August’s name again, barely more than a whisper, but enough to get August wet.
She laughed and pulled Piper out of the elevator with her, pausing before they went back into the apartment. “It’s so inappropriate for me to be going back in there this wet. Our families are in there.”
Piper breathed a laugh, her eyes lighting up at August’s admission. “You’re so… open with me. I love hearing exactly how you’re feeling.”
There were people who could have said that and made August feel self-conscious. Piper was not one of them. She sounded mesmerized, like she’d finally found something she’d long been searching for. August understood completely. She loved it when Piper did the same thing, the complete lack of ambiguity about how she was feeling was so beautifully reassuring.
Piper glanced down the hallway. “Do you think there are cameras in here?”
August laughed, not looking away from her face. “For sure.”
“Ah. Shame.” She stepped closer, crowding August up against the wall. Her hands wrapped around August’s sides and slid up until her fingers were brushing the curve of August’s breasts. “But, just so you know, I’m wet too.”
August groaned. “Point well and truly taken about openness.”
Piper laughed and stepped back, heading back to the apartment door. “At least it’s a good story.”
“One you’re planning on telling strangers at your doctor’s office?”
“No.” She hesitated in the doorway, looking August over. “One I’m only planning on telling my wrong date conspirator.”
August laughed. “I can get on board with that.”
“Good, because, by the time we finally get some alone time, I’ll have been thinking about it a lot. And I’ll have plenty to say.”