by Bailey B
“Girlfriend?”
“Only if you want to be.”
I bite my lip and nod. Rex takes my hand in his and brings it to his lips, kissing my knuckles before pulling me into his arms. I lay my head against his chest, listening to his heart race beneath me. “What man turns down sex? I can’t think of anyone at school that would pass this up.”
“First of all, I’m not passing anything up. I’m postponing it. Secondly, the guys at school aren’t men, they’re boys. They only think with their dicks. Real men think with their hearts and baby, until you break it mine’s all yours.”
Rex
Does Piper have my heart?
Eh. She’s got some but certainly not all of it. I’d be stupid to fall in love with someone after only a few weeks of hanging out. But there is something gloriously satisfying about the girl you’ve been pinning after for months giving you a chance.
I run my fingers through Piper’s hair a few times. I love how soft it is. Silky black strands that smell like strawberries and cream. She nuzzles into my chest, a quiet moan escaping her. “I should probably get upstairs.”
Her head lifts, those grey-blue eyes peering into my soul. I swear they crush me. Such beauty. Such pain. “Why?”
Piper runs her hand across my stomach. My heart’s racing again, I’m sure she can hear it and my shorts are getting tight. I’m gonna have to relieve myself soon or it’s going to explode. “Um…” Words, damn it. Use your words. “Trying to be respectful.”
Piper giggles and shifts. There’s no way she can’t feel me underneath her. I’m not porn star huge, but I’m not tiny either. Some guys are show-ers, others are grow-ers, I’m a bit of both. Still, the fact that she's acting like it’s not even there is a blow to my ego. She drags her nails down my chest to my belly button. “You know, you can still be respectful and kiss me. I am your girlfriend now.”
Piper’s legs wrap around my waist, pressing me tight against her. She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth. It slides out, painfully slow, glistening with saliva. I don’t think. My hand goes to the back of her head, pulling her lips to mine. Her mouth is soft and warm. I slide my tongue across her bottom lip, and she parts for me. She tastes like the peanut butter and jelly sandwich we just ate, but it’s delicious. Her hands run down my back, leaving a hot trail behind them. I’m hard everywhere. She’s soft, molding into me, rocking her hips against my very strained shorts.
After not nearly enough time, she breaks the kiss, trailing her lips across my cheek for one last peck. I grunt—What the fuck? I grunted?—and clear my throat to cover the sound. Piper rests her forehead on my shoulder. “We should probably go to bed.”
“Yeah, good idea.”
She slides off my lap and climbs under the covers. I sit there a minute, weighing my options. If I stay, we’ll cuddle. My hand will definitely end up on her boobs and hers might find its way beneath my pants. Shit could get fun after that. But I don’t want to rush things. Then again tomorrow’s a new day. It’s not like we’d go from kissing to hand jobs in the same make out session.
Stop being a dick.
I lay down, over the covers, and drape my arm over Piper’s waist. She grabs my hand and scoots back, pressing her ass against my dick again. “Why is there a blanket between us?”
“Because I’m not staying.”
Piper turns in my arms and juts out her bottom lip. I lean in and give it a kiss, a chaste kiss that’s more restrained than what I’m sporting in my pants. I’d love to suck that lip in my mouth and nibble on it. “I wish you would.”
“Next time. We’ll have all the nights you want together.”
Piper nods, her cheeks flushing pink, and presses a soft kiss to my lips again. “Night, boyfriend.”
“Good night, girlfriend.”
The alarm on my phone sings at six. I lay in my bed for another fifteen minutes before forcing myself out of it. After a quick shower and shave, I get dressed and head down to the kitchen. I pull the carton of eggs and a pack of bacon out of the fridge then head to the pantry for some toast and grits. I scramble, fry, toast, and stir. When everything’s done, I arrange it all on the kitchen island.
Skipping across the patio, I stop at her door. My heart thrums in my chest. I feel my pulse everywhere, eyes included. I’ve never cooked a girl breakfast. Never tried this hard to be a gentleman. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. On the exhale, I knock.
Nothing.
I knock again.
Still no answer.
I crack the door open and peek in. Piper’s out cold. Her dark hair’s splayed across the pillows. She’s still got on the shirt she wore yesterday. She must have slept in it, which means she probably doesn’t have anything clean to wear today. That shoulder bag of hers can only hold so much.
I dash upstairs to my mother’s closet again. She’s got more clothes than a department store, but most of it isn’t anything Piper would wear. Too bright. Too short. Too flashy. I was shocked when Piper chose the white one-piece swimsuit and the Lilly Pulitzer dress. Opening and closing drawers, I find a pair of jeans and a black tank top that should fit. It’s the closest thing to Piper’s style my mom has. I pause at the drawer of my mother’s intimates. Do I grab her underwear? Is that weird? Everything still has the tags but decide against it. Piper can go commando, which would be totally hot, or figure that business out herself.
I stop at mother’s vanity and put her hair dryer and a brush on top of the stack of clothes. I don’t feel bad taking anything. It’s not like she’ll ever know they’re missing. That would require her to come home. Since dad’s on tour overseas this year, I don’t see that happening again anytime soon.
Back at Piper’s door again, I knock. Still no answer. I pad across the cold tile and set her things on the desk. I sit on the edge of the bed and put my hand on Piper’s back, rubbing small circles, like Gretchen used to do for me. “Good morning, Beautiful.”
Piper groans then sucks in a breath, her whole body tensing, opens her eyes then relaxes. She rolls onto her back and looks up at me. “Hey.”
“You okay?”
“Yeah,” she says her voice raspy from sleep. “I forgot where I was for a second.” She grows quiet for a minute. “About last night....”
I hold my hand up, silencing her. “Don’t worry about it.”
22
Piper
Rex leans on the marble countertop of the island in the kitchen, a cup of coffee pressed to his lips. He takes a sip then holds the mug out to me. I shake my head and grab a bottle of water from the fridge instead. My body’s burning up just from looking at him, I need to cool it down, not make it hotter. “Breakfast smells great.”
Rex sets his cup down and rounds the island. Static bounces between our bodies. Pulling us closer together. “I like how you’ve made yourself at home here.”
I turn my back to him and lean against the counter. My skin’s humming, desperate to feel his hands on me, but my mind’s telling me to slow down. At this point, I’m not sure which one will win. Rex brushes my hair to one side, exposing my neck, dusting it with featherlight kisses. “You look good in my shirt.”
A moan escapes me because apparently being someone’s girlfriend makes my body create sounds it’s never made before. I close my eyes, letting the pleasure flow through me. “It was in the…”Fuck that feels good. “Um, room. I liked it better than your mom’s shirt.” Tingles spread through my body, down to my core, creating the same need I felt last night. A need I don’t know how to control. “Umm...I didn’t think you’d mind.”
Rex trails his lips across my cheek to my ear. “I definitely don’t mind.”
He slips my earlobe into his mouth, earrings and all. Warm vibrations flutter in my belly making my knees weak, literally. I grip the edge of the counter to keep myself on my feet. Calloused fingers slip under the hem of my shirt, spin me around, and lift me onto the counter. He spreads my legs and steps between them, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me flus
h against his body.
I look into those blue eyes, falling deeper into the abyss. Rex dips his head, the tip of his nose brushing against my cheek. If every touch felt this good, I’d almost welcome my reputation. Not with everyone, just Rex. I suck in a breath, my heart fluttering faster than hummingbird wings. His lips press against mine again. One soft, gentle kiss. Followed by another and then another.
Rex opens his mouth, hot tongue brushing against my lips, silently asking if it’s okay. I open mine and let him in. Kissing this morning is even better than it was last night. I grip the sides of his shirt to keep myself from melting into a puddle on the counter. He kisses me harder, threading his fingers in my hair. I can’t breathe, but the burn in my chest is a good feeling, one that has me excited for what’s to come.
Rex’s hands slide under my ass and he lifts me, carrying me across the room to the table before lying me on my back. I pull at his shirt, tugging it over his head. He’s a work of art. “Sculpted by the gods.”
“What?” Rex pants, mouth finding my neck and then my shoulder. He bites down, my hips rock against the hard length beneath his shorts, friction finding a tender spot that feels like heaven.
Oh snap! Did I say that out loud? I groan, my legs tightening around his waist. I’m dry humping Rex, but I don’t care. Heat and need consumes me. I reach for his waist and dip my fingers beneath the band of his pants.
“Fuck, Piper,” he says against my neck. I slide my hand deeper, finding coarse curly hair under his boxers. It feels short, but without actually seeing what’s going on down there it’s hard to tell. And then silk. Long, thick silk I can barely wrap my fingers around.
Holy shit it’s big!
Someone clears their throat. I yank my hand out like it’s on fire. Rex grunts and collapses on top of me. Trust me, I feel your pain.
“Sorry to interrupt,” the voice says with a chuckle, “but where’s the bathroom?”
I grit my teeth and swallow. My body’s vibrating, desperate to feel more. Rex climbs off of me and sits on the table. I push myself onto my elbows and glare. “You’re a fucking cockblock, Bane.”
I adjust my shirt and pull my hair up with the elastic on my wrist. Bane watches, a shit-eating-grin plastered on his face. “Where the hell did you get those?” I ask, looking at the Spiderman pajama pants he’s got on.
“Rex laid them out for me. He had a shirt too but I don’t want to bleed all over it. Also, I’m not six.”
“Why haven’t you changed the bandage yet?”
The four inch by four inch cotton patch is practically soaked through with dark, dried blood, changing the patch from white to a deep maroon with bright red tape that’s barely hanging on. “I was hoping you’d help.”
I roll my eyes. “Meaning you want to talk.”
He grins. “You know me too well.”
“I’m gonna help Bane with his bandage. Be right back!” I yell.
“Okay.” Rex replies from the kitchen.
Back in the guest room, Bane sits on the bed while I pull everything out of his hospital to-go bag. Cleansing cloth, tape, and sterile pads and lay them on the comforter beside him. I peel back the old bandage and set it on top of the sterile wrapping. Three tiny stitches are oozing blood and yellow gunk. It doesn’t look good. “You can’t do this, Pipes.”
I ignore him and dab his wound with a cleansing cloth. “You need to change this more often. I don’t want your stitches getting infected.”
“Piper,” he warns.
I finish cleaning the dried blood off his skin, then tape a new patch over the wound. Bane was lucky. The bullet missed everything important and lodged itself in one of his ribs. I crumble all the wrappers and dirty bandage together.
Bane grabs my wrist. Needles crawl up my arm, spiking my blood pressure. I look up and he instantly let’s go. “Do you love him?”
“What? No! Rex and I…” We’re not just friends anymore but Bane won’t approve. Not because of some unrequited love like Cooper, but because he knows whatever this thing is I’ve got going on with Rex will make leaving that much harder. “We are getting to know each other.”
“So you’re fucking?”
“Bane!” I smack him on his good side. “First of all, if I was that’s none of your business. But since you must know, no. I’m not.”
“Do what you want, Piper. Play house together, screw each other’s brains out. Hell, get pregnant for all I care. Just remember, in four weeks my dad gets released. Rumor has it he could get out early.”
I swallow the knot in my throat and focus on the mess of bandages. If I look up at Bane, I might cry. Less than four week? Does that mean three? Two? I can’t… “How?”
“Good behavior. He sprung for a lawyer this time and the guy’s fucking rank.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah, shit. Have your fun while you can, but the clock’s ticking. I’ve got a buddy with a house in Memphis we can stay at for a few days. One of mom’s old friends. We’ll be safe until we have a solid plan.”
“You’re a deadman the moment we leave together. You know that right?”
Bane shrugs. “Gerald may be my sperm donor, but you’re family, Piper. You’re all I’ve got left.”
Breakfast was amazing. I rinse my plate in the sink and set it in the dishwasher. Bane and Rex are getting along which I’d normally be ecstatic about, but Bane’s words hang over me like a dark cloud. Cooper ambles into the kitchen, a hand running through his already disheveled hair. “How the fuck did I get here?”
I wipe my hands on the towel then start fixing him a plate of what’s left. There’s not much. Rex eats enough for two on his own and Bane’s keeping up. “Better question, what were you doing at Bane’s?”
“Piper I—”
“Morning sunshine!” Bane claps his hand on Cooper’s shoulder. The timing, which could be a coincidence, is suspicious. Nothing in my life has ever just happened. I can’t help but wonder what they’re hiding.
Cooper takes in Bane’s shirtless appearance, brows furrowing. “What the hell happened to you?”
Bane shrugs. “It’s nothing, just a hazard of crossing the tracks. I’ve got a great scar from a few years ago.” He points to his Spiderman pajama covered leg. “Wanna see?”
Cooper shakes his head. “Nah, man, I’m good.”
“Piper, you’re meeting with Cherrybroom starts in thirty minutes. Are we skipping today or do you want to go?” Rex asks bringing the empty serving dishes to the sink.
“We should go. My meeting with her is part of my graduation requirements.”
“Speaking of,” Bane interjects. “Did you get that situation sorted?”
Cooper eyes me. “What situation?”
“It’s nothing, and not yet.”
“Piper,” Bane warns.
I shoot him a shut-the-hell-up-look. “Can you take the bus back?”
“I’ll take him,” Cooper offers.
Rex runs around the front of his Range Rover and opens the door from me. A few girls stare at us as I take his hand and step out. I bite back a smile, amused by their jealousy. In the four years I’ve been in this hell hole, no one’s ever wanted anything of mine. Then again, no one’s ever looked at me the way Rex does, as if the world begins and ends with me. He grabs my bag, putting it on his shoulder and asks, “Can I walk with you?”
“What do you mean?” I turn and lean against the side of his car. The black paint is warm against my back, but not unbearable because the sun hasn’t been up long. “You walk inside with me almost every day.”
“True.” Rex places his hands on either side of me. He whispers into my ear, his breath tickling my cheek. “But I want to walk inside together.”
“I’m still confused,” I whisper back, my breaths short, my heart fast.
Rex brings his lips to mine, one hand threading through my hair, the other tangling our fingers together. I can’t remember what we’re talking about. Every thought is lost on how perfect Rex’s lips feel against m
ine. How every time we kiss, it feels even more right. Someone yells at us to get a room and Rex pulls away. I whimper, drunk on his kiss, high on his scent, needing more. Remind me why I agreed to go to school today? I’d rather spend the day in his room exploring each other.
“Let’s go make our first appearance as a real couple.” He put his arm over my shoulder, escorting me to the main entrance of the school.
“I don’t remember agreeing to be your girlfriend,” I tease. I do remember and love the thought of being Rex’s girlfriend, but I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t make things a little difficult.
We stop walking. Rex spins me once, capturing me in his arms. “Should I kiss you again? Would that jog your memory?”
“Only if you promise to push me up against the lockers over there and make a mess of me.”
Rex presses his lips against my forehead. “All in good time, Piper. All in good time.”
People stare as we walk down the hallway hand in hand. No one bothers to hide their surprise that I snagged the most wanted man at our school, but Rex doesn’t seem to notice. He walks with his head held high, showing me off like I’m some sort of prize.
“Sup, Rex,” Jake, one of Logan’s friends, says holding up his hand for a high five.
Rex ignores the hand but grins. “Not much.”
Jake’s gaze drops to me, “Piper.”
My insides squirm in a nervous-get-me-out-of here way. I stretch my fingers, hoping Rex will let go so I can make my escape. Instead he squeezes my hand three times and, in my head, I hear him say I’ve got you. I fake a smile. “Hey Jake.”
“What’s good for tomorrow’s party?” he asks Rex.
“Not having one this weekend.” Rex pulls me closer then slides his arm over my shoulder. “I’m taking my girl on a date.”
A date? Like a real one? All of a sudden I’m hot. Too hot. Rex’s arm over me is heavy and I don’t think I can breathe. “Oh, I—”