But I was worried about her and Caleb, so I left the hotel and went over to the daycare. As soon as I stepped in the door, Caleb rushed toward me, grinning from ear-to-ear. Either he hadn’t heard the news yet, or he didn’t understand what it meant. It just made my heart ache for him even more.
“Hey, little man,” I said, trying to be extra cheerful. “Where’s Piper?”
She was never too far from the kids. She just blended in with them when she was down on the floor, like she was today. She caught my eye, and instantly, I knew she wasn’t okay. Maybe if you didn’t know her the way I did, you’d think she was fine. She offered friendly smiles to the children around her, but the smile didn’t go all the way to her eyes like it normally did. Instead, they were red and puffy, as if she’d been wiping the tears away all day.
She didn’t get up off the floor or come toward me, so I went over to her instead. I sat down in the middle of the floor, surrounded by kids. Caleb sat down beside me.
“You okay?” I asked, trying to be as casual as possible. She nodded but wouldn’t look me in the eye. “I heard the news.” I was intentionally being vague, especially around Caleb. “I’m sorry. If you need anything…”
“I’m fine,” Piper snapped.
“Alright, but if you—”
“I said I’m fine.”
She’d never snapped at me like that before. I don’t think she’d ever snapped at anyone, to be honest. She was usually so cheerful, the person who could smile through almost anything.
I decided to change the subject and talk about the good news instead.
“So I found a doctor who will see Caleb and look at his feet. The two of us can take him in, whenever you’re ready.”
Her face softened a bit. “Thank you. It should be easier to get him in to see one, but you know that’s not the only reason I can’t help him. Eventually, he will have assets from his father that will help with these things, but right now, everything’s tied up.”
She meant the cost. “I know. I’ve got that covered too.” She started to argue, but I held up a hand to stop her. “Not here. We can talk about it later, but please don’t let Caleb struggle because you’re too proud to let me pay for what he needs.”
She closed her mouth and nodded. She knew I was right, and Piper would always do what was best for Caleb. If the handout was for her, she’d have fought me harder - but since it was for Caleb, she gave in much easier.
“Thank you. Once everything is sorted out with Andy’s money, I can pay you back.”
I nodded, not wanting to dig in too deep here. She needed some time to process. Caleb would be living with her for good now, she would be his mother, of sorts. I knew Piper had always wanted kids of her own, but not like this.
“Tabby’s in town for the night, right?”
Piper nodded but looked confused about why I’d ask that. “She’s here for a few days, then back to Salt Lake. Why?”
“I was thinking you might come by my place tonight so we could talk about getting Caleb what he needs. Maybe grab some dinner or something. You need a night off.”
Piper stared at me and blinked a few times, unsure what she’d just heard. “You want me to come over to your place, without Caleb?”
“That’s what I said, right?”
I almost couldn’t believe I was offering it either. I’d make sure to tell her up front that I was sorry for what had happened the other night, that we shouldn’t let it happen again, but even I didn’t trust myself around her. Hopefully, by the way she was acting, she was also uninterested in going further - and the two of us could just talk like two normal adults. We both had the same goal - to take care of Caleb. We shouldn’t let our personal attraction to one another get in the way of that.
“Sure, umm, I’ll ask Tabby if she minds watching him for an evening, and I’ll get back to you.”
“Sounds good,” I said, pushing myself up off the floor.
I ruffled Caleb’s hair before leaving the daycare, praying I was doing the right thing. Maybe I should have offered to meet with Piper in public, but this didn’t seem like a conversation to have in public. No, I’d just have to behave myself.
I had to be man enough to do what was right by everyone involved.
Ooo000ooo
I wasn’t much of a cook, so when Piper told me she’d come over, I left the cooking up to Felicity and her staff. I hopped over to the cafe, picked up an order to go - including Piper’s favorite chicken and walnut salad with an extra side of Felicity’s famous cherry vinaigrette. I got a burger and fries for myself.
Piper had made it clear in the texts that this wasn’t a date - and I agreed. We needed to talk about getting Caleb into the doctor, and when we’d be available, and what else she might need help with in the meantime.
When I opened the door, however, I had to admit she looked as if she’d dressed for a date. My gaze moved over her body, and I was stunned that she was wearing a dress. She hardly ever wore dresses. This one wasn’t anything too girly and looked a lot like an oversized sweater - nice and warm and comfy, but also pretty. It was light pink with a belt at the waist, highlighting her figure. She stepped inside and plopped down on my sofa like usual, though. No greetings, no kisses. Just regular old Piper coming over for a beer, like we’d done a few times with Leah and Kellen in the past. Except tonight it was just us. And she looked damn good.
I went into the kitchen, grabbed our food, and placed it on the coffee table. Her face lit up and she gushed, “I can’t believe you remembered I loved this salad.”
“Eh, I cheated a bit. Felicity pointed it out to me.”
Piper shrugged and smiled at me. “Still, it’s the thought that counts. Thank you, Grant.”
I didn’t think it was a big deal and shrugged. If it made her happy, with everything she’d been dealing with lately, so be it. I thought it was a general courtesy, nothing more.
She dug into her salad, and I started in on my burger.
“So when do you think we could get Caleb into this doctor? I told them we weren’t his parents, filled him in on the situation. He’s a friend of a guy I served with, so we worked out those details already.”
“Whenever you want to, I mean— it’s more a money issue for me. If you’re willing to help, then I’ll work with you.”
“I’ll write the check, cover all expenses. You know I’m good for it.” I didn’t like to talk about it, but since we’d discovered the lithium in the ground at our feet, I’d fallen into a bit more money than I needed.
Piper seemed a little uncomfortable with the talk about me paying for Caleb, and her smile from earlier fell.
“What’s on your mind?” I asked, munching on a fry.
She shrugged. “It’s just, I guess for now, I am Caleb’s guardian. He has no parents. I have to look out for him now.”
“And you’ll do a damn fine job of it too.”
“I hope so.” She nibbled her lower lip and stared down at her salad. “I really, really hope so. You know how much I struggle to stay ahead. Can I really support both of us until everything is sorted out with Andy’s life insurance and benefits?”
“Yes, you can, and you will.” Even if that means getting help from Leah and me until all that kicks in, I thought to myself. I didn’t say it out loud. She had enough trouble accepting help as it was. No need to remind her of that fact.
“Ashley called me today after she heard about Andy. Since this is a bit more permanent now, they’re coming by to check everything out in more detail, look into my past a bit, my financials—”
“And they have nothing to worry about.”
“You think so? You don’t think they’ll look at my bank statements and realize there’s no way I can afford to raise a kid?”
“If you need money, Piper. Just ask.” There, I said it, finally.
She sighed and leaned back into the cushions. “You know it’s not that easy, Grant.”
“I know, but we need to think of Caleb. And there’s no one
else who could take care of him the way you do. We both know he can’t go into the foster care system, and there’s no one else to raise him. It’s just you.”
“What if there were others out there?” she asked, her eyes briefly catching mine.
“What do you mean?”
“My family in Vegas. They’re fairly well off, and—”
“And do they even know Caleb exists?” She didn’t answer and looked anywhere but in my direction. “Yeah, didn’t think so. You’ve never met any of them, and let’s face it, when you and Tabby were in the system, none of them stepped forward to take you. Why would they show up now?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I’m just trying to think of every possible angle, you know. I don’t want to get my hopes up.”
Tears welled in her eyes, and it broke my damn heart. I hated when women cried. Especially women I cared about. She leaned forward and put her face in her hands, and the sobbing began.
“I’m sorry,” she whimpered, “I just can’t take this. Caleb is going to be so heartbroken.”
Dammit. I couldn’t just sit across the room and let her cry into her hands. I got up and went over to her, sitting down next to her. I didn’t have to reach out to her, she came to me. She buried her face in my shoulder, and I wrapped my arms around her. I patted her on the back but had no idea what to say.
I didn’t want to tell her it would be okay. Andy was dead, Caleb was without a mom and a dad now; it wasn’t fair at all. I didn’t want to repeat tired platitudes that were complete bullshit.
So all I could say was, “I’m sorry.”
Piper looked up at me, mascara staining her cheeks. She tried to wipe it away but only smeared it worse. I leaned over and reached for a napkin, offering it to her. She smudged at her eyes, making herself look more like a raccoon. She groaned in frustration.
“Here, let me,” I said softly.
I took the napkin from her and dabbed at her cheeks, carefully wiping away the black marks. I noticed, while doing this, she stopped crying.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
I tossed the napkins on the table and tried to think of something to say. I knew from experience that words did nothing to help with grief. Only time would help heal her wounds. She might not have been close to Andy, but they were still family - and he was young.
Piper fell back into my arms, without the tears. I held her against my chest, feeling stiff in more ways than one. I tried not to think about the blood rushing down to my nether regions. It was, as usual with Piper, not the right time to be thinking with my dick.
“Caleb really looks up to you, you know? I think it would be really nice if you stopped by more, maybe spent some time with him. If you wouldn’t mind.”
I sighed. Not that I minded, but it brought back the nightmares. The loss I’d felt. It wasn’t fair to avoid Caleb, who needed me, just because he reminded me of another little boy I couldn’t save.
“I’ll try. You know I’m not good at these things.”
“Good at what, exactly?” Piper looked up at me with one eyebrow cocked. “Because from what I’ve seen, you’re really good with him.”
I shrugged. “If you say so.”
“Well I do say so,” she said, sitting up so she could better look me in the eyes. “And I have to admit, it’s the cutest thing ever to see the two of you playing trucks together or him urging you to draw. You’re this big, gruff man and he’s just little Caleb. It’s too sweet for words.”
“It’s all him,” I muttered, running a hand over my face. “No one has ever called me cute.”
Piper scooted closer, her hand resting on my thigh. “Well they don’t know you the way I do,” she said, her voice coming out breathy. “You’re more than just cute, Grant, but you already know that.”
My heart thundered in my chest. My brain told me to slip away, to go back to my chair, but I couldn’t budge. I didn’t want to move away.
Piper’s hand moved up my thigh, close to my groin. My cock throbbed in my jeans. It was painful, and my body was begging for release. I took Piper’s face in my hands and pulled her toward me, smashing my lips into hers. Her mouth opened to mine automatically, and our tongues touched.
There was no turning back now.
I pushed her down onto the couch and climbed on top of her, kissing her lips, then her neck. I inhaled her sweet scent, burying my face against her flesh.
She wrapped her legs around me, pulling me closer to her. My erection pressed against her body, making me ache for her even more. I grabbed the hem of her dress, pulling it up as I moved down her body. I needed to taste her; all of her. My head was spinning, and I was acting on pure, unbridled lust. All I could think about was making Piper feel good.
I wanted her body like I’d never wanted anything in my life.
I kissed her inner thighs, parting them gently. I stared up at her, and she was watching me, her eyes filled with heat. I slipped her panties off and tossed them to the floor before burying my face between her luscious thighs.
Her musky smell hit my nostrils, and I had to taste her. If she tasted anywhere near as sweet as she smelled, I’d be in heaven. I parted her lips, tempted by her flesh. Piper’s thighs trembled as I licked her sweet pussy, lapping up her juices with my tongue and teasing her clit. She whimpered and shook, her hands moving down until she was stroking the back of my head, pressing me closer to her.
I buried my tongue deep into the folds. I knew what she really wanted and moved back to her clit, paying special attention to it. I teased it, circling my tongue around it, as her breathing grew heavier.
“Yes, yes,” she cried out, her pelvis arching upward. “I’m going to—”
She didn’t even finish her sentence, as her words turned to screams of pleasure. She held my head with both hands, making it hard to breathe in anything but her sweet scent. Feeling her legs tighten around me, holding me there as she came all over my face, was everything I had ever dreamt of when fantasizing about this moment.
As she relaxed, her orgasm subsiding, she sat up and yanked me up from between her legs, pleading with me, “Please, Grant. Don’t stop.”
“Who said anything about stopping?”
She smiled a seductive smile I’d never seen and went for my pants. Her hands were still shaking as she unzipped my jeans and pulled them down. My erection popped free from the boxer shorts, and her eyes widened. She gripped my cock, her hand unable to wrap around it fully. It felt good, but I wanted more.
I needed to be inside of her.
I nudged her down until she was lying on the couch, and I climbed on top of her. I kissed her deeply as I thrust into her. She cried out, pulling away from the kiss with wide eyes as I stretched her and filled her completely.
“Are you okay?” I asked, automatically stilling above her.
“Yes. Oh God, yes,” she said, giggling. “Please don’t stop.”
She wrapped her body around mine, arching upward to take me in deeper than before.
Chapter 10
Piper
I knew he was big, but until he thrust inside me, I had no real concept of just how big he was. It took me by surprise, but it felt amazing. He stretched me wide and reached spots inside me that had never been touched before.
Grant moved above me, the muscles in his chest and arms tightening with each thrust. I’d already come once, but I knew he’d make me come again. I could feel it building already, deep inside.
His face was chiseled perfection, clenched tight with perspiration glistening on his brow. He fucked me slow and steady at first, making sure each movement hit all the right spots. Every time he buried his thick cock inside me, it caused me to cry out in pleasure. I never wanted it to end.
I could see from the look on his face that he was close, but he pulled out of me.
“Don’t stop, please—” I begged, reaching for him.
He didn’t answer me, nor did he stop. He lifted me off the couch and into his lap. I straddled him, my
dress pushed up to my chest. I took his cock and guided him into my wet opening, groaning as I lowered myself on him.
Grant cupped my hands in face, holding me still so he could kiss me. His tongue moved in and out of my mouth as his cock moved in and out of my pussy, almost at the same rhythm. My knees hardly touched the couch on each side of him, making it hard to truly move up and down, so he took my hips in his hands and guided my movements. My clit rubbed against his pelvic bone, and his dick hit every inch of my pussy.
It felt surreal.
All these years, I’d yearned for Grant, and finally, it was happening.
He grabbed my ass, lifting it and slamming it down against him, over and over again.
I bounced on his cock, riding him hard and fast, feeling the fire inside my belly. I was so close, ready to explode. The itch was inside me, and every time I lowered myself onto him, I came a bit closer to the climax.
And I could tell Grant was barely hanging on too.
I kissed his neck, nibbled on his ear lobe, and whispered, “Cum with me, please. I’m so close.”
His hands tightened on my ass, as if my words pushed him even closer to the edge. An almost animalistic growl escaped his throat as he shuddered, and I knew, in that moment, he was cumming inside me.
His cock pulsed and throbbed, and that’s all I needed. Grant pulled me down against his body one last time, my pussy milking him with spasms as we came together. Our bodies writhed and rocked; our moans blended together in perfect harmony.
Finally, as the last wave of pleasure subsided, I collapsed against him, my head resting on his shoulder as we tried to regain our breathing.
I’d never felt closer to anyone than I did him in that moment. I never wanted to let him go. He held onto me, hugging me to his body as I rested against him.
As I came down from the high, my head cleared, and I thought about what we’d just done. I feared he might pull away again, and it would probably have been the smart thing to do.
Junior For The Mountain Man Page 7