Chapter Twenty- One
Piper slept cuddled into my side the entire night. At one point, I woke up with her arm and leg draped across me. I smiled, brushed the hair away from her face, and went back to sleep.
This morning, I got up before her as usual. I brought back breakfast and coffee for us both. Then, we took turns getting ready for the day, where she spent most of it reading on her Kindle out by the pool while I answered emails. By the evening, we were able to make it down to a networking event that Faye was hosting on the property.
Piper and I worked the room together. I often found myself memorizing her every move. She holds herself in public with such grace and confidence. Being genuine and authentic and not overly friendly is a gift. A few times, I imagined what it would be like if she were my wife by choice and not just a drunk mistake or a business arrangement. I have no doubt that she would make an incredible partner in this new role. How would I ever find someone who floats around a room full of new people with such ease?
By the end of the night, we went on with our typical bedtime routines, crawled into bed together, she snuggled into the crook of my arm, and we both fell asleep.
I suddenly wake and I sense something is missing. I sit on the side of the bed, letting my feet rest on the soft carpet. The room is dark. I glance behind me to the other side but don’t see Piper. Swiping my phone off the nightstand, I immediately notice the time. It’s four in the morning and still dark outside. I scroll through to her name, press call, and hold my phone up to my ear. To my surprise, her phone vibrates on the matching nightstand on the opposite side of the bed. Where is she? Sometimes, she has trouble sleeping.
I adjust the ties on my pajama pants, open the drawer to the left, and pull out a black hoodie. I use my phone flashlight to cross the hallway and head directly into the kitchen. But a quick look around tells me she’s not here either. Dragging my eyes across the room, I expect to see her possibly having a late-night snack. I’m still learning Piper’s habits, but it isn’t a stretch to think she’d gotten hungry. I quietly walk through our small villa.
A tiny sliver of moonlight shines through a thin crack in the curtains and from where I stand. I see something moving around the pool in the private backyard area. We get a lot of wildlife out here, so I hope she isn’t outside. I step close to the window to gain a better look. There’s a slight glow from the interior pool lights, and through the thick steam that hovers over the heated water, I see a figure in what looks like a black two-piece bikini.
My breath catches when I realize it’s Piper. I peer out the window, mesmerized by how her body glides through the water. Unlatching the back door, I head outside.
“You know we get a lot of wildlife out here, especially this time of night,” I say in an elevated whisper, walking across the morning dew-covered grass. It’s chilly. I hope she brought a towel with her.
Piper slowly swims to the pool’s edge, barely moving the water with her tiny strokes. “Since it’s technically morning and not nighttime anymore, I think I should be safe.”
Smiling, I squat down right by the side she emerged from. She looks up at me with her hair soaked and pushed back.
“Why are you out here?”
“I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to take a swim. Plus, look how beautiful it is,” she says.
I stay low but lift my eyelids to look out over the hills. The sun is beginning to rise, leaving a dull hue of yellow and orange across the area. Taking in all this land and all that it entails to run the farming and business side of it is entirely overwhelming. Feelings of defeat all come rushing back.
Piper raises half her body from the warm water, leaning on folded arms. “Are you alright? You have a disturbed look on your face.”
I fall back to a seated position, leaving my legs slightly raised and bent. “I don’t know if I can do this.” Resting my elbows on my knees, I let out a sigh of relief from finally hearing myself say those words out loud.
“What do you mean? The winery?”
“Yes. All of it. I haven’t lived here for almost ten years. Despite visiting once or twice yearly for the holidays, I haven’t been back,” I tell her, releasing only a fraction of the apprehension I’ve felt for some time.
“I can see that. This is a lot to deal with, especially since it wasn’t something you’ve ever wanted to do.” She looks up at me from her long eyelashes. Piper doesn’t see me as some ungrateful heir to a successful business. She shows a basic understanding of the desire to break free. To her, I’m just Jack.
“That’s the thing. I do want to do this. I feel like I’m finally at a time in my life when I’m more prepared to take it on than ever.” My eyes fall to her tits, which are pushed together. The tiny triangles of her bikini barely contain them. I want to run my finger along their soft skin and let my tongue explore between them. That might make me feel better.
Piper dips her head down, as if she can feel my eyes boring into her. I hope she knows how tempting she is. I’ve wanted nothing more than to taste those soft lips once again as I continue to keep her close like I have been each night. She’s become essential to me in achieving adequate sleep.
“Why did you leave then? If you always knew this was your path, why avoid it?” she challenges.
I exhale deeply. “I never wanted to take over solely because everything was given to me. I wanted it to be my choice. I needed to make my own way first. Maybe proving to myself that I was capable of other things? And now that I’ve done that, naturally, this seems like the next step.”
She nods. “I get it, but I also think it was courageous and respectable of you to want to prove your worth. You should be proud of that.”
I open my mouth to speak but notice her skin breaking out in goosebumps as the top half of her body is exposed to the chilly early morning weather. I want to keep her warm, feeling her body on mine.
“Here, let’s get you out. The air has got to be cold after swimming in that heated water.” I reach over and grab the towel off the chair behind me.
Piper lifts herself out of the water. She walks into the open towel and my waiting arms.
“Thank you.” Her teeth chatter. I hug her tighter, lowering my chin on the top of her head. There’s a drumming between us, and I’m unsure if it’s her heart or mine. Or both. Piper looks up at me through the water droplets that fall from her eyelashes, her long hair hanging loose and soaking down her back. The undeniable tension between us has elevated exponentially, and I don’t know what to do with it.
My dick starts to harden, growing between us. I drop my arms for fear she’ll feel it. “We should go back to bed.”
“Okay.” Her hazel-green eyes stared deep into mine.
I suck in a gulp of air and fight the urge to rip off that stupid bikini. Instead, we go back to our villa. I barely hear Piper’s footfalls behind me, so I must be a few steps away, but I can feel her energy penetrating the back of my neck.
We walk through the door together, Piper aiming right for the bathroom, probably to take a shower. I collapse on the side of the bed with my head in my hands.
Fuck.
I hear the faucet turn on in the shower, and that simple sound causes my blood to pump through my body like a powerful current. I know she’s naked in there. I need to go on a run. I can’t be in this room anymore. I swipe a notepad and pen from the desk in the corner of the room and write her a note explaining that I’m going on a run, and I’ll be back later this morning. I rip it off and slide it under the bathroom door.
The sexual chemistry between us is getting harder to deny. I see what I do to her when we’re close and recognizing that only makes it all impossible to ignore.
I only get halfway down the hill before I turn around and head back. Piper brings out so many different sides of me. Sometimes, all I want to do is cuddle her, keep her, and protect her. Other times I want to defile her—fucking her so hard that she won’t have enough energy ever to get off my dick. I dream about falling asleep intertwined in each other and with me nestled deep inside of her. I bet I’d get the best sleep of my life that way.
I walk up to the small door of our villa only a few minutes later. The dark windows showing no sign of light tell me she’s most likely returned to bed. I intended to stay out longer, but I forgot my cell phone in my frantic rush to get away. I’m sleeping on the couch or the floor until I can get this under control.
Quietly, I slide the key into the door, slowly press down on the silver metal handle, and then push it open. I squeeze myself into the small crack I’ve created and gently close it behind me. The short hallway is dark, with only a tiny slice of moonlight shining in through the shutters. I remove my shoes and then turn the corner into the bedroom.
A low buzzing sound alerts me that Piper is not asleep. Is that what I think it is? A shot of excitement zips through me, shaking my entire body. My senses heighten as I walk right up to the side of the bed, where the dull buzz continues underneath a mound of blankets. My legs lock into place, not sure what to do. I stand back, flipping through all the ways I can handle this situation. I could walk discreetly into the bathroom and make a loud noise so she could hide what she was doing, saving her the embarrassment of knowing that I found out. Or I can pull these blankets off her and participate. My dick stiffens. Piper is my wife and my fake girlfriend, and it’s obvious that I’ve gotten her all worked up from our proximity out in the pool.
Fuck it.
A growl forms in my throat. I’m about to do something that will significantly change the dynamics of our relationship. Nothing with Piper and me has been typical—it’s all been based on gut feelings, living in the moment, and rash decisions.
In one swift motion, I jerk the covers away, letting them fall to the floor.
“Jack!” Piper screams, throwing her pink vibrator off the bed and across the room. She scrambles to cover herself with two pillows. “What the hell are you doing? I thought you went on a run!”
I smile. “I did.”
Her breasts bounce up and down with the rhythm of her breath, and her face and chest are flushed pink. Damn, she’s sexy.
“Did you come yet?” I ask with a stern expression. If I’m going to do this, I’m going to do it right.
“What?”
“Did you come?”
“I’m sorry. I’m a little confused about what’s happening right now,” she says, her pupils fully dilated.
“Did. You. Come. Yet?” I ask again, pausing between each word to keep my tone even. I plan to wait all night for her to process what I’ve asked because this is happening.
Piper is raised on her knees and facing the end of the bed. “I can’t believe you ripped the blankets off of me!” Her tone is laced with anger as she refuses to answer my question.
I saunter over to the corner of the room and collect the pulsating vibrator from the floor. I wipe it off with my shirt, then stalk back to the bed and hand it to her. She reluctantly takes it from me. Her skin is still red, and her eyes are hooded—she definitely didn’t finish.
“I want you to come for me,” I tell her, then drag a chair over to the edge of the bed and take a seat.
“But I—”
“I interrupted you, and this is the least I can do, but since you are my wife, I’m going to watch.” I relax back into the chair, letting my palms rest at my knees.
“You can’t be serious.”
“Oh, I am extremely serious. You’re fucking sexy, and there is nothing more I want to do right now than to watch you get yourself off.”
With an uncertain expression on her face, she slowly nods. She is giving in because she wants to come, but I won’t let her unless I can watch.
Breathing heavily once again, she lowers herself and lays down on her back directly in front of me. With her head nestled into the softness of the pillow, she raises her knees and slips the vibrator into the heat between her thighs.
“Closer.”
With a slight smirk, she scoots further down on the bed.
“Wider,” I gently demand, craving to see all of her.
She eagerly obeys, letting her legs fall open and giving me a clear view of her swollen pussy. My mouth waters, imagining what it would be like to taste her insides.
“Is this better?” Her voice is husky and desperate.
“Yes, that’s a good girl. Now show me how you make yourself come.”
She places the vibrating toy on her clit, gasping as soon as it makes contact. Sliding it in and out, the rubber drips with her arousal.
My dick swells, watching her play with herself. Dying to participate, it painfully rubs the inside of my pants, so I quickly adjust myself, attempting to dull the mounting discomfort. Consumed by her, my eyes roam her naked body, appreciating her dips and curves, and I quickly become captivated by the way she arches her back, chasing the orgasm that I robbed her of earlier. A soft moan escapes from her pursed lips.
“You’re so fucking sexy. I can’t believe I’m married to you,” I mutter under my breath.
Her neck is tilted up with her eyes toward the ceiling. “Hmm?” she purrs, then whimpers as she hits a new spot.
I can’t get enough of her little noises. I give in, frantically lowering my pants, and pull out my cock. I don’t care if she sees. The pit of my stomach aches, watching her slide that wet fucking massager in and out, jealous that it should be me. I spit on my hand and run it along the length of my shaft, squeezing tightly. Keeping my eyes locked on Piper, I begin to pump myself. The sounds of slapping flesh fill the room.
“I can hear you,” she pants.
I grip myself harder, stroking in rhythm with the twitching of her legs. “It’s all for you, my love.”
“Come for me,” she begs, her hips bucking into the air. “Please, I want to hear you.”
She’s fucking begging me to come for her. Rock hard and ready to combust. I watch tiny sweat beads fall from the corners of her thigh and down her leg.
“Oh god,” I growl, moving faster. I give myself one more hard, quick stroke when I see her back arch off the bed.
“Mmm,” she groans at first, then her voice elevates, turning into a high-pitched scream. “Jack!”
I unload the moment my eyes fall to her pulsing, dripping pussy, and it takes everything in me not to shove my dick in at the last minute.
I let my head fall back, breathless and cursing with heat.
From the corner of my eye, I see Piper curl into her side and face me with a smile on her face. “Thank you,” she says, then wraps herself in a sheet, climbs off the bed, and sprints into the small kitchen.
When she’s out of view, I quickly wipe myself off and yank up my pants. I can’t believe we did that—like we actually watched each other get off. Fully aware of what I was doing before we even started, I suddenly get hit with a ping of guilt. If we start messing around outside of cuddling, everything will be much more difficult when I no longer need her. I’m paying her to be here with me. Who knows if she’d be with me if no money were involved?
If we give in to our urges again, I don’t know how I could stop, and I can’t let my focus falter. We need this to remain professional. We must maintain the illusion of love, or this whole plan could blow up in my face. If that happens, I’ll lose so much more than a woman I have the hots for.
Piper enters the room a few minutes later with an apple in one hand and a cup of water in the other. The mental pep talk I gave myself practically out the window. Getting a taste of her is something I no longer want. It’s something I need.
Unsure how we should act after what just happened, Piper and I stand uncomfortably, our eyes fixed on the floor beneath our feet.
“I don’t think that should happen again,” I say, being the first to break the thick silence. Then, I head into the bathroom to get ready for the day.
“I agree,” I hear her mumble from behind the closed door.
I take a much-needed hot shower, replaying every one of her movements and heavenly sounds in my head. I was surprised at how little she fought with me when I told her that I was going to watch. There are so many dirty things I can do to her, and she’s so ready and willing.