I’m told D hasn’t had anything to drink since the reception, even when he’s not with me. Guess he’s a stronger person than me. Nights alone with my girls, Trace, and Nik, are all about major wine consumption and unending girl talk.
“Hard pass. I will never get up there and do that shit.” He shakes his head at Dak, who’s oblivious to D’s disapproval. “Pfft. Wearing your heart on your sleeve. It’s demoralizing,” he mumbles into his lemon water.
“Our turn!” Nikki shouts when Dak is finished. “C’mon, Trace, Heaven. Let’s rock this place.” Trace jumps up without any coaxing. Nik grabs my hand and tugs me from my chair. “We’ll have these guys comin’ in their pants.” She takes a long pull from her beer and slams her mug down.
“Um…no. Nik, I don’t think I should…” I try to protest because I don’t want D ‘comin’ in his pants’ or anywhere else which concerns me. I’ve been doing my best to avoid all forms of D’s coming. We’ve managed to repair our friendship. It’s the only way we work.
“Come on, bitch. It’ll be fun.” Nikki doesn’t give me a chance to finish my objection. She leans in and whispers, “If not Wolfe, maybe you can take another one of these hotties home with you. Look around. The place is wall to wall hot cocks.”
“Nik!” I screech. I swear I will never get used to her non-filter.
“Oh, c’mon. You know what they say. Use it or lose it,” she preaches as she drags me toward the stage. Trace is already up there picking a song for us. “I’m afraid if you don’t get laid soon your pussy is going to seal itself closed—forever. Or at least, the first guy in there is going to have to plow through the cobwebs.”
“You know you’re completely warped. Right?” Thank goodness we’re far enough away from the table, Wolfe can’t hear her.
“Maybe. But I can’t let my girl waste the best fucking years of her life. And I do mean fucking years. So many men. So little time.” She pulls me up the stage steps.
“What are you saying? Stop teasing my sister-in-law.” Trace laughs when we join her on stage. “You know you’re full of shit, Nik. You haven’t even looked at another guy since the day you and Dalt fell in love.”
“Oh, I’ve looked. I’m married, not dead,” Nik states in a droll tone. Trace shakes her head at the flippant comment. “Don’t worry. Looking is as far as it goes. I mean, look at Dalt.” Nik turns and blows a kiss to the man we all know is the love of her life. “Why would I need another guy? Dalt’s fine as hell, sweet, considerate, loyal, respects me, loves me unconditionally and he makes beautiful babies.”
“Exactly,” Trace agrees with a relieved sigh.
“And the fact he has a nine-inch cock as thick as a beer can doesn’t hurt, either. Well…sometimes it hurts. But in a good way.”
“Eww! You’re disgusting,” Trace and I groan through our laughter.
“Okay, bitches. Here we go.” Nik hands us microphones. Apparently, she’s finished her Nik’s Warped Lessons in Love 101 lecture.
When the intro to our music begins and the words to another classic sixties’ song, He’s So Fine by The Chiffons, roll across the big screen, I figure what the hell. Might as well give in and enjoy the time with my girls.
But when Nik and Tracey begin singing to their soulmates, which leaves me awkwardly glancing at Wolfe while I sing, I’m not sure this was the best idea after all.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Wolfe
“Thanks for doing this. I had a great time. I owe you one,” Pip says, as we walk toward my car.
“No. It was fun actually. I had a good time.” I don’t tell her I could have fun testing devices in a Medieval torture chamber—if she were the one doing the torturing.
“As long as you don’t have to be the one singing.” She chuckles as she climbs into my truck.
“Yeah. As long as that.” I smile and close the passenger door.
“You have a great voice, though. I loved hearing you sing,” I say as I slide behind the steering wheel.
“Really?” She looks at me like I have two heads. “Karaoke must be in our genes.” She laughs. “My mom and dad met at a Karaoke bar when they were in college. Dad said he couldn’t hear or see anything or anyone else in the packed bar when my mom began singing. He said his knees melted as well as his heart when she sang Feel Like Makin’ Love.” She wrinkles her nose as if thinking about her mom singing the provocative song and her dad’s reaction to it smells.
“Mom begged him to let her tell us the whole story about the infamous night. But I begged him to put the big kibosh on that idea.” She shakes her head. “You met my mom. You know how revealing her story was probably going to be. I wasn’t ready to be damaged for life thinking about my parents getting it on in a car or back alley or something.” She grimaces.
“Your parents are a trip.” I chuckle, remembering the yoga episode. “Especially your mom. Must be nice to be so uninhibited and open.”
“I guess. It’s sad though, in my case, the apple fell far, far from the tree.” She lifts a shoulder and drops it.
“Nah. What are you talking about? You’re my vibrating-higher-Pip.” I reach over and brush her hair back off her face. She trembles when my fingers feather across her cheek. “And I loved the way you were singing to me tonight.”
“Oh…I…” She squirms in her seat and looks around like she’s searching for the escape exit.
“Seriously. I was the luckiest guy in the bar to have you singing to me. Thank you.”
I can’t hold back another second. As I lean over to kiss her, I swear she’s leaning toward me too. Like gravity drawing two electrons toward each other. But then, also like two similarly charged electrons, we’re pushed away from each other when Pip says, “You’re welcome, but we should get going. It’s getting late.” That’s my relationship with Pippa in a nutshell. We have the same negative charge toward each other, repelling us from getting together.
“Sure, no problem.” I sit up straight behind the wheel and turn the key in the ignition. The truck roars to life. “Do you want to take Nik and Dalt up on their invite for a nightcap before heading home?” I don’t want to go to Nik and Dalt’s.
In the past few weeks, Pip and I have spent almost every day together, whenever we have some spare time. It’s been wonderful to have her back in my life. But in all these weeks we haven’t spent ten minutes alone. I want to be alone with her. I want to tell her how I feel, how I think we should take our relationship to the next level.
“I’m pretty tired.’ She lets out a small kitten-like yawn. “Sorry. But A few hours with Nik can be exhausting. I love her to death, but her energy is contagious—and draining.” She blows out a big breath.
“Yeah. Nik’s another free-spirited, uninhibited girl. You seem to be surrounded.” I chuckle.
“I know. Maybe the universe is trying to tell me something.” She smiles through another yawn.
After buckling in, Pip sinks down into the seat. She rests her head back and closes her eyes. The dim parking lot lighting streams through the windshield and washes over her in an amber glow. Even here, sitting in a truck, with her eyes closed and completely relaxed, she looks like a Botticelli painting.
I don’t know what the universe is trying to tell her, but it’s telling me to reach over and caress her cheek, run my hands through her long, silky hair, kiss her pink pouty lips. But I don’t dare listen to the universe. We’ve finally gotten back to the place where we’re having fun together, relaxed around each other. I don’t want to ruin it. I want to hold on to whatever time she’ll allow me to spend with her. But I definitely don’t want the night to be over.
“You know what I just realized?” I didn’t just realize it. I’ve been thinking about it forever. But the timing was never right. Not sure if now’s the right time either, but here goes.
“What’s that?” she asks without opening her eyes.
“You’ve never seen my condo. All this time I’ve been here, you’ve never been to my condo.”
&nb
sp; “Um…no…I guess I haven’t.” She glances over.
“Why don’t we stop there? I’d love your decorating suggestions.”
She wrinkles her nose. “I don’t know anything about decorating.”
“Your place looks amazing.”
“Ha. If that’s what you’re going for, just put everything you love around your condo and you’ll have my decorating expertise. That’s what I did in my house.”
“Exactly why I want you there…uh…to give me some ideas. You up for it?”
“Um…I don’t think…”
“It’s the first time in my life I’ve owned a home, and you’re the only one I want to show it off to.” I place a hand on her knee. She stares down at her leg through narrowed eyes as if some alien creature landed on it.
“O…okay…sure.” A nonchalant shove of my hand off her leg is added to the reluctant affirmation. “Why not?” She shrugs. “It’s Saturday, I can actually sleep in tomorrow. Take me to your lair, Milord.” She laughs and snuggles down into the seat again.
I throw the truck into reverse. My nerves begin racing along with the engine.
***
“Wow. This is amazing,” Pip says in awe as she walks around admiring my gym. “Now that you’re finished with therapy, I don’t know why you bother coming all the way to the clinic. You have all the same equipment here.”
“There’s someone at the clinic I happen to like spending time with.” I smile. She needs to know how important she is to me and how much I enjoy our time together.
“Aww. That’s sweet, D. I’ll tell Mr. Gilbert how you feel about him. Maybe he’ll offer to take you to Monaco for dinner.”
“Real funny, funny girl. I think it’s time for the spanking I was about to give you at Dave and Buster’s before we were interrupted.” I stalk toward her. She laughs and runs behind the treadmill.
“No! D, don’t you dare,” she says in between giggles. I keep right on prowling toward her.
“D, I swear if you take one more step, I’m going to…”
“What? What are you going to do, funny girl?” I chuckle. She squeals when I reach the treadmill. We dance around it, moving back and forth in opposite directions as she tries to keep it between us and avoid me. When she makes the wrong choice and moves the same way I do, I grab her around the waist. She lets out a little scream as I spin her around in my arms. We’re both laughing as she pounds on my chest and tries wiggling herself free. When she finally gives up the playful struggle, she collapses into my arms.
The skirmish has left us gasping for air in between giggles. With each heaving breath, her tits press into my chest. She looks up into my eyes, and when those gleeful pools of blue hit me, game time is over.
“I hope you know CPR because you take my breath away,” I whisper.
I don’t give her time to come back with another pickup line. Instead, I close my lips over hers with a gentle touch, giving her a choice to let me kiss her or push me away. But then the most wonderful, beautiful, sexy thing happens. The corners of her mouth tip up and I can feel her smiling against my lips. She lifts up on her toes and presses her lips more firmly to mine.
“Heaven,” I whisper into her mouth.
In a moment, our kiss goes from soft and tender to hard heat and frenzied grasping. My hands go straight for her ass and pull her into me. Her arms wrap around my neck like she’s hanging on for dear life. Our tongues are in and out each other’s mouths in an overexcited dance. We exchange moans.
“Fuck. Heaven. I want you,” I groan.
She whimpers and stops kissing me, placing her palms against my chest. “Wait. D. We should stop.” God. No! Please don’t make me stop.
I touch my forehead to hers. She’s looking straight into my eyes with her exotic blue ones—the ones that had me by the balls the first time I looked into them.
“If that’s what you want, Gorgeous. Whatever you want. Just tell me.” Her eyes glaze over at my soft words.
“I…I want…” I don’t think she even blinks as she keeps staring into my eyes like she’s searching their depths for something. “Um…I want to see the rest of the condo.” She drops her gaze and sighs.
We’re still wrapped up in each other’s arms. I dread letting her go. The thought occurs to me; I may never have her in my arms like this again.
She pushes away from me and extends her hand out for mine. “C’mon. I can’t wait to see what you’ve done with the place.” She smiles.
Taking her hand, I thread my fingers through hers and stare down at our connection there for a moment. I look up at her and smile. “Okay. Let’s go. I want to see if you like the color I had it painted.”
We remain hand in hand in the elevator for the few moments it takes to get to the second floor. The short ride is spent in what feels like an eternal awkward silence. When the door finally opens, Heaven moves to exit the elevator. I tug her back.
“Hey, Pip?” She turns, waiting for my comment. “I just want you to know, you felt perfect in my arms.”
She looks at me for a second and says, “You did too.”
***
Pippa gasps when I push the remote and the blinds open to reveal the floor to ceiling windows in my living room and the view beyond. The moon’s reflection is dancing on the surf below. The white sand glitters in crystal pinpoints.
“This is so beautiful,” she whispers, like her voice will disturb the tranquil scene. “It almost seems like I could reach out and hang on the tip of the moon from here.”
I walk up behind her and circle my arms around her waist. “Please don’t,” I say to her reflection in the glass. “I like having you right where you are.”
She sighs and leans her head back against my chest. “What are we doing, D?” She tilts her head to look at me.
“Something I think we’ve both wanted to do for a very long time.” I feather a kiss on her cheek. “But nothing, if you don’t want to.”
She turns in my arms and puts her palms on my chest, securing the barrier between us once more. “I’m scared, D.” God. The concerned look in her eyes hits me square in the heart.
“Of what, baby? Tell me what I can do to make it better.”
“That’s just it. I’m scared of you.” She tears me apart with her troubled look.
“Of me? You don’t have to be scared, Pip. I would never pressure you. If you’re not ready, I can wait.”
“It’s not that. It’s what you can do to me. I don’t think I can handle this.”
“Listen to me, Pip.” I sweep her hair back, behind her shoulder. “I know I’ve been a fool. I’m so sorry for all the time I’ve wasted, for all the time we could have been, should have been together. I thought I was doing the right thing for you. If I hurt you while I was trying to deny my feelings for you, sorry isn’t a big enough word.” A lone tear escapes her shimmering eyes. I catch it with my thumb.
“I’m sorry for what happened in your room at the resort. No. I’m not sorry for that.” Her brow pinches in confusion. “I’m sorry we didn’t take it further. I wanted to. I wanted to so much. But then you were with what’s his name. I thought he was better for you. I wanted you to be happy, and you looked really happy with him.” She closes her eyes, shakes her head, and blows out a breath. Shit. I reminded her about the other guy she fucked. Is she wishing she was in his arms rather than mine? Everything I was feeling as I watched her dance with him washes over me again.
When she looks up at me, I swear I can see our life together in those pleading eyes. “But then I couldn’t take seeing you with another guy. Thinking about you with someone else got me crazy. I kept trying to numb away the feelings with bourbon. The only thing I succeeded in doing was to get so fucked up I didn’t even know what I was doing. I can’t remember most of what I did. All I know is, I really fucking messed up because I wanted to be there for you, for us.”
“No. D, we…”
“It’s okay. I get it. I understand why you did what you did. He was there when I was
n’t, and if you still want him, I’ll let go. It will kill me, but I’ll do it because all I’ve ever wanted is for you to be happy.”
She strokes her hand down my cheek. My stomach tightens as she stares into my eyes. I hold my breath for the few seconds it takes her to answer. “I’ve never wanted anyone else but you. I still don’t,” she says in a soft voice. I turn my head and place a gentle kiss on her palm.
“Pip,” I breathe out against her skin. “Mmm. You smell so damn good like…what is it…caramel and…”
“That’s my Bum…”
“Bum cream,” I finish her sentence. She gapes at me in wide-eyed shock tinged with panic. “We’ve had this conversation before.” She sucks in her lips and doesn’t answer. “At the reception.”
She drops her gaze and says in a quiet voice, “Yes. When we were dancing,”
“And I said I…I wanted to eat you. Fucking hell.” No wonder why she was panicked. I brought back the horrible memory. Now I know why she was angry with me the next day. I must have been a complete thoughtless ass at the reception.
“I’m so sorry, Pip. I don’t know what else to say about my behavior. Please forgive me. I wanted things to be different. I wanted to be different.”
She looks up at me and whispers, “It doesn’t matter. That’s all in the past.” We hold each other captive with our eyes.
“You tell me what you want. Whatever you want, that’s what I’ll do. I would never do anything to hurt you. I’m happy just having you here, in my home, in my arms.”
“Oh, D.” She shakes her head. “I know you would never do anything you were aware of…I mean, you would never do anything intentionally.” She tilts her head back, pinches her eyes shut, and grimaces like I’m already hurting her.
Fuck. What the hell happened that night? What else did I say to her? I don’t know what to do, what to say now to make her understand what I feel for her. Hell. I don’t even know what I’m feeling. I only know she’s a part of my life I can’t lose.
Cross Crease (On The Edge Book 3) Page 20