Despite the booze, and the fact I’ve been up for almost twenty-two hours, sleep is nowhere to be found. I can still smell Piper on my T-shirt and my hands. I roll onto my back and adjust the pillow behind my head. The house has quieted except for the faint sound of the bass of the music downstairs.
My dick is so hard the sheet over me is almost painful. I’d jerk off if I thought it’d help. There’s only one cure and she’s in the next room because I’m an asshole who wants to be positive that she’s really mine this time.
The floorboards creak and I sit up in time to see a shadowed figure step through the bathroom.
“Piper?”
She doesn’t answer, just walks the rest of the way to the mattress. Her legs are bare, and an oversized T-shirt hangs down past her hips.
“I might not have all the answers, but I know what I want tonight.” Slowly, she pulls her shirt over her head. Her tits are pushed up in a black, lacy bra, and her chest lifts and falls with rapid breathing in sync with mine.
I hold out the blanket and she climbs in next to me. Smooth legs tangle with mine and her scent envelops me. My heart hammers in my chest as she grips the hem of my shirt. I left it on so I could keep smelling her all night long.
I let her remove it, then she reaches out and places a hand on my shoulder while I’m still admiring the smooth skin on display in front of me. Her fingertips move across my pecs and down over my stomach, stopping before she reaches the top of my boxers.
“Your body is insane.”
“You’ve seen me naked before.” I tuck her hair behind one ear and let my hand graze along the circle of her neck.
“You’ve changed.”
I know what she means. I’m two inches taller and I’ve added a lot of muscle thanks to strict dieting and workouts, but inside I’m exactly the same—still obsessed with her.
“I didn’t have you. I had to work out my frustration somehow.” I bring my lips to the sensitive skin above her collarbone.
Piper sinks back onto the bed. My eyesight goes a little blurry as I stare down at her mostly naked on my bed, dark hair and flushed cheeks.
“Damn, Piper.” I’m frozen just staring at her. She’s real and she’s here.
“I have not spent the last four years in the gym like you, and I’ve developed a pretty serious Kit Kat addiction.” She rests her hands on her stomach, hiding herself.
I move my hand up to lightly grip her neck and use my thumb to hold her chin, so she has to look me in the eyes. “You are perfect. You were then and you are now.”
A smile graces her lips, and she lets her hands drop. Then, she hooks a finger under the waistband of my boxer briefs and tugs me closer. Her fingers slip inside and wrap around me. I see spots.
“Condom?” she asks, stroking me.
For all the ways I imagined it, fast and furious wasn’t the plan. But I should have known this is the only way it could have been after so many years of denying myself. Actually, no, that isn’t even the truth. I wasn’t punishing myself. I just knew that no one would compare.
She pushes my boxers down my hips as I grab a foil packet from the bedside table. I tear it open with my teeth and cover myself. She continues to run her hands all over my body. A shiver rolls down my spine.
I’m going to last all of five seconds. It’s been too long and she’s too fucking perfect. I bring my mouth to hers, kissing her softly as I line up at her entrance, not pushing in but teasing her.
“Hurry,” she says, nipping at my bottom lip. She arches up until the head of my dick nudges at her entrance.
Oh goddamn. I push in so painfully slow. Piper’s groan mixes with my own. I consider pulling out and going down on her, so I don’t finish on my next exhale, but she lifts her hips and claws at my back, all while squeezing me so tight. There’s no other option than to give her what she wants.
I’m out of my mind, but so is she. I place my hand around her throat again, not squeezing, just caressing it with enough pressure to get her attention.
She looks up at me with those dark blue eyes.
“You’re mine. Always have been. Always will be.”
Her head tips back and she starts to close her eyes. I stop moving and increase the pressure ever so lightly around her throat. “Say it, Piper.”
She bucks into me and whines. I’m so close, if she does that a few more times, it’ll be game over. But I don’t relent. I need to know that this means the same thing to her.
“I’m yours,” she whispers.
I slam into her. “Mine.”
I repeat it with every thrust until she cries out and clenches around me. I follow a second later and I think I might black out from the pleasure that zaps through me.
This right here is why I never moved on. There is no comparison to her, to us. No one else could even come close.
I roll onto my side next to her as we catch our breath.
“Wow,” she says, arm thrown over her face. “Just…wow.”
I tuck her in close to me and breathe her in. Then I let exhaustion and happiness pull me under.
By some miracle, Piper wakes up before me the next morning. I smooth a hand over her empty spot. Stretching, I sit up and lean forward to look through the bathroom toward her room. It’s as dark in there as it is in here.
I swing my legs over the bed and grab a pair of sweatpants, pull them on and wander into her room just to double-check, but she’s not there.
I have a slight headache from the fruity drinks last night, and a delicious ache in my body from holding on to Piper all night long.
After a quick shower, I head downstairs. Piper is in the kitchen, dark hair pulled up on top of her head in a messy bun. She stands in front of the stove with a spatula in one hand. She points it toward the bowl of cherries on the counter and grins.
“Something to snack on while you wait for breakfast.”
“I have another idea.” I lift my brows.
She leans over the island to kiss me.
“Morning,” she says breathlessly against my lips.
Ash walks in as I kiss her again.
“Morning, lovebirds,” he says, smiling.
“Good morning,” Piper chirps. “Do you want an omelet?”
“Did you cut up ham?” He slides onto a stool next to me.
Laughing, she nods. “Of course.”
He groans and cuts me a look. “I am so glad you screwed things up with this one and had to convince her to live with us so you could win her back.”
Piper just laughs.
“I’m meeting a few of the guys at the arena in about an hour for a light workout,” Ash says, running his fingers through his long, messy hair. “Do you want to come or are you two going to be busy making up for lost time?”
Piper sets a plate in front of me. Egg whites, onions, tomato, and ham. My stomach growls loudly.
“I’m not sure,” I say before I dig in. “I have to pick up Everly this morning.”
“I’ll do it,” Piper says. “I need to run a few errands today anyway.”
“Perfect.” Ash grins.
I guess that’s settled. Disappointment sits on my chest. I would love to spend all day in bed with Piper, but it looks like that won’t be happening. I knew last night was a rare free night to do whatever we wanted, but the reality of my busy schedule smacks me upside the head a lot faster than I expected it to.
Ash and I devour breakfast. Piper’s finishing her own food when I come around with my and Ash’s plates. I put them in the dishwasher and then wrap my arms around her waist.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay and go with you to get Everly?” I drop a kiss to her shoulder where my T-shirt hangs off her.
“I need to update my wardrobe, or at least buy a few pieces for school. Last week I was wearing the same dress as one of my students and she complimented me on my vintage find. I bought it new when I was in high school.”
“Professional stuff?” I ask with a vision of Piper in some business-type outfits that are more fantasy than school-appropriate.
“Yep.” She turns and places her arms around my neck. “Although from the look on your face I think you have a very different mental image than me on what constitutes professional.”
“Garters are professional, right?”
She laughs. “I need to shower. See you later?”
“You can count on it.” I step away from her, walking backward.
I ride to the arena with Ash and Leo. Jack, Declan, and Maverick are already here. I have an extra pep in my step. We’re supposed to be doing a light workout, but I can’t resist adding a little more weight and doing an extra few reps on each set.
“Did you not wear yourself out last night?” Jack asks as he spots me on the bench press.
“Seriously, Ty,” Mav says, sounding genuinely concerned. “Did you make her do all the work?”
Their jokes don’t even phase me as I rack the weight and jump to my feet. “Fuck off. I’m just feeling good today, strong, re-energized, alive.”
I’m aware I sound a bit ridiculous, but honestly, I can’t remember the last time I felt this great physically.
After we work out, we lace up and hit the ice. I’m flying, making moves like the guys are standing still. Jack rests both hands on the top of his stick and grins at me. “Rookie, you need to get laid more often if this is the result.”
“No kidding.” Leo wipes the back of his glove across his forehead. “I think I’m doing it wrong. Scarlett and I were up all night, and my legs feel like lead.”
“Four years of pent-up frustration gone,” I say. “I feel lighter or some shit. I don’t know.”
“Wait a minute.” Mav continues to skate around as he talks. “Are you telling me that in the time you and Piper were apart you didn’t hook up with anyone else?”
“No way,” Ash says, then looks at me. “You’re fucking with us, right?”
I shake my head. “No. I’m serious.”
“Okay, so you didn’t go all the way, but you fooled around, got a blow job or a handie or something during that time?” Ash pushes for clarification.
I shake my head again.
“Not even a dry hump or a finger in the ass?” Maverick finally stops and all the guys are staring at me waiting for an answer.
“I didn’t even kiss anyone else.”
“Fuck.” Declan looks impressed. The others are still staring at me in disbelief.
“Well, damn.” Ash shoots a puck to Leo. “If you and Scarlett broke up, would you hook up with someone else?”
“Scarlett and I aren’t going to break up. We’re engaged.”
“I know, I know, but humor me. Let’s pretend that she hates your guts and moves back to London for the next four years and is banging every dude in sight.”
Leo’s jaw tightens. “I don’t like the pretend game.”
“Would you?” Jack asks him.
“How did this get turned on me?” Leo asks. “Maverick’s married. Ask him.”
“Four years is a long time,” Mav says. “But I’m not sure anyone would compare after Kota.”
“Yeah, I hate to agree with the rookies, but I think they might be right.” Leo cocks his head to the side.
“You’ve all lost your minds,” Ash says. “Back me up, guys?”
“I’d never be in that position,” Jack says. “When I’m done with a girl, I’m done.”
“More like she’s done with you.” Declan elbows him.
“At least I’ve gone on a date recently.”
The guys turn on each other, playfully teasing one another and I just stand back and enjoy it. They don’t need to understand or even agree with it. I know I made the right decision for me because it brought me back to Piper.
