“Piper, what are you—”
She gasped. “Close the door.” She pointed behind his head.
“What’s going on?” He narrowed his eyes. “How much have you had to drink?” He’d seen her with at least two glasses of wine.
“Close the door,” she said through her teeth. She was trying to sound stern, but it was hard to do when she was still giggling. “And I’m not drunk.”
Nate rolled his eyes, turned around, and closed the closet door.
It was a small space, and Nate had to do some maneuvering to twist his body back around. It didn’t help that it was dark with only a small patch of light coming in from underneath the door.
When he faced her again, Piper kissed him.
Nate pulled away. “What’s going on?”
There was just enough light for him to see Piper wiggle her eyebrows. “We’re going to have sex.”
“What?”
“Sex. Right here, right now.”
“We can’t do that here.”
She reached for his zipper, and before he could tell her to wait, she had it open with her hand in his shorts and her fingers wrapped around his cock.
He made a noise like he was being strangled.
She snickered. “Someone’s up for the adventure.”
Nate circled her wrist with his own hand. “He’s always up for anything. You can’t count on him to be responsible.” Like saying no to having sex in his friend’s coat closet.
He had grabbed her with every intention of pulling her arm away, but the way she was stroking him felt incredible. He hadn’t had sex in a week, and it wasn’t going to be hard to convince him this was a good idea. He let his hand drop.
“Oh, Nate, don’t be such a wiener.”
This caught his attention. “Did you just call me a wiener?”
Piper started laughing so hard that her head fell against his chest. She looked up at him. “I meant, weenie.”
He raised his brow. “I’m not sure how I feel about you calling me a weenie either. Especially with your hand down my pants.”
She pulled her fingers back from his shorts and grabbed his shirt. “Don’t be a stick in the mud. Let’s do it.”
“Do it?”
“Yeah.”
“What’s it?”
She laughed. “Have sex.”
He took a step closer, causing her to take a step back, and her back hit the wall. “Hmm…”
She licked her lips. “What does that mean?”
He grabbed her sides, lifting her up, and she let out a squeak.
“God, I love your hips.”
She grabbed on to his shoulders. “You do?”
“Fuck yeah.” He rested her legs on his thighs, so he could move his hands out of the way. “Pull up your dress for me.”
Piper smiled and pulled up the lower half of her dress.
He loved how she did whatever he asked when it came to them getting down and dirty. He hadn’t realized he had a bossy streak until someone pointed it out to him. He’d been young and immediately tried to stop doing it. When she’d called him out on it, she’d explained she had told him for purely educational reasons, not because she wanted him to change.
“I also love your ass.” He slipped his hands under her dress to cup her cheeks. “Well, well, well, Piper Stevens, are you wearing a thong?”
“Yes. Do you like it?”
“Is the Pope Catholic?”
He traced the seam of her panties toward her front until he found her center. He pushed a finger inside her. She was already wet.
She moaned from deep in her throat.
He kissed her on the side of the neck and sucked on her skin. “Shh…someone might hear you.”
“You should know by now that I can’t be quiet when you’re inside me.”
Fuck.
“Where have you been all my life?”
She knew it was a rhetorical question, so she just laughed. Until he rubbed her G-spot, and then she was moaning again.
“Reach into my front pocket,” he told her.
Her hands went into his front pockets until she found what they needed.
“Undo my jeans, pull me out, and cover me, so I can be deep inside you, where I belong.”
She pulsed around his middle digit and fumbled with the condom. Not only did she not mind being bossed around, but she also liked it.
She was amazing.
Piper quickly rolled the condom down Nate’s remarkable length. It wasn’t easy with her back resting against the wall and Nate holding her up, but she was bound and determined to get that sucker on.
As soon as she accomplished her goal, she quickly told him, “Now, now.”
Nate slightly lifted her and set her around his girth. She almost couldn’t wait.
“Please, please,” she pleaded.
Funny how she’d gone for over a year without getting laid, and now, she was going crazy after one week.
Nate slowly pushed his cock inside her, and she felt herself stretch around him.
“Oh shit,” rushed out of her mouth as she grabbed on to Nate’s shoulders.
“You feel so good,” Nate said against her ear.
“So do you,” she cried out as his dick hit a particularly sensitive spot. “I feel so full. Yet I want you in further.”
“I’m trying not to hurt you.”
“Hurt me. Please,” she panted. “I want it. All of it. All of you.” She pulled him tighter. “More. I need more.”
Nate made a sound that was half-grunt, half-groan and pulled her hips down.
Overwhelmed with his size, Piper bit down on his neck.
Nate began to pump inside her, and she let her jaw go.
“Oh God. I’m sorry,” she said right next to his ear. “Please don’t stop.”
“I won’t.” He moved his face back and took her mouth. He tasted like beer and Nate, and his tongue stroked her mouth like his cock stroked her pussy.
She broke their kiss to get more air.
Nate continued to pound away inside her. “Fuck. I’m not going to be able to last long.”
“That’s okay,” she said between breaths. She’d known going into this that it would have to be quick. “I’m almost there.”
Nate slightly shifted their bodies.
“Oh shit.” Breath. “Oh, damn.” Breath. “I lied.” Breath. “I’m there.” The next thing out of her mouth sounded like a baby whale being taken from its mother, but she didn’t care because the orgasm that crashed through her body made her see stars.
“Goddamn it, I love when you come,” Nate said and pulled her hard against him. He pushed her down on his cock, holding her there as his own climax took over his body.
For a minute, it was just the two of them, their deep breathing, and the feeling of their bodies still connected. But that was all interrupted by the sounds of voices.
Crap. How long had they been in the house?
“You’d better let me down.”
“Yeah,” Nate agreed and set her on her feet.
Piper smoothed down her dress and quickly undid her hair to put it up again. She looked up to see Nate watching her. She couldn’t read his face, but he looked so handsome, standing there, that she kissed him.
“I’ll go out first and make sure the coast is clear, so you can go to the bathroom.”
Nate kissed her again. “Thank you.”
She grinned. “Um…no, thank you. The pleasure was all mine.”
Nate laughed, and when Piper opened the door, he swatted her butt as she walked out.
Luckily, there wasn’t anyone standing right outside the door, but as soon as Piper turned the corner into the kitchen, she ran into Elise and Rachel. “Oh, hey.”
Rachel put her hand to her mouth to cover her laugh, causing Piper to laugh, too. She knew she’d been busted.
Elise wasn’t laughing, but she didn’t look mad either. “Oh, hey? That�
��s it?”
Piper shrugged. “What else do you want me to say?”
Rachel pulled her hand away from her mouth. “Did you just have sex in Elise’s closet?”
“Yep.”
Elise’s mouth dropped open. Piper didn’t know if it was because Elise was surprised it was true or surprised that Piper had admitted it.
“That is awesome,” Rachel said. “I think I like you, Piper.”
“Don’t look so shocked, Elise.” Piper slipped her arm through her friend’s. “You had sex in my laundry room, and now, I’ve had sex in your closet. We’re even,” she teased.
Elise turned red, and Rachel barked out a laugh so hard, she had to grab the counter to stay standing.
Elise narrowed her eyes at both of them. “You’re both bitches, you know that?”
“Aw,” Piper said. “We love you, too.”
The sun was beginning its descent, which meant the fireworks were starting to go off around the neighborhood. Everyone had moved to the front of the house to watch the neighbors’ fireworks and to set off their own.
“Hey, Nate, can you help me?” Luke asked him.
Nate set his beer down on the ground by his chair. “Sure.” He got up and followed Luke into the garage.
His friend was pulling five or six bags off of the shelf in the corner.
“How many did you buy?”
Luke looked over his shoulder and smiled. “Hopefully enough that we don’t run out anytime soon.” He handed Nate several sacks that were all full. Luke had always liked fireworks.
Once the shelf was clear, Nate asked, “Is that everything?”
Luke turned, his own hands full. “Yep.”
Nate turned to go back outside.
“Hey, Nate.”
“Yeah?” Nate glanced over his shoulder.
Luke hadn’t moved from his spot in the back of the garage.
Nate stopped and turned. “What is it?”
Luke took a deep breath. “It’s Piper, man. Do you think it’s smart to be sleeping with a widow?”
Nate stepped closer to Luke. “It’s not like that.”
Luke raised his brow. “Not like what?”
Nate sighed. “What exactly are you worried about?”
“Look, I don’t know Piper well, but what I do know, I like. My wife likes her.” Luke paused, as if searching for the right words. “You’re not exactly…relationship material.”
Nate scowled. Did Luke really think he’d hurt Piper?
Luke must have known what he was thinking because the next thing out of his mouth was, “I know you care about her. I admit, I’ve never seen you like this with a chick. And I would hate to see you push her away.”
Nate shook his head. “That’s not going to happen.”
Luke looked sad. “I know that’s what you think, but please just be careful. She’s a widow, Nate. I know she’s strong, but she’s still been hurt before. She doesn’t need to get hurt again. And I don’t want to see you staying with her just because you don’t want to hurt her. I don’t know what you two have going on, but she’s been married before. She might want more than just casual sex.”
Nate knew Luke was just looking out for Piper and him, but it still grated on his nerves. “Why are you asking this now? You already knew we’d slept together.”
“Yeah, but I thought that was going to be a one-time thing. You’d been out at the club, and some alcohol had been involved. But it’s obviously happened more than once since then.”
“How do you know?”
“Well, Elise told me about the closet.”
Of course she had.
“But, even if she hadn’t, you have a bite mark on your neck and fingernail cuts on your head that are about a week old.” Luke smirked. “She must have really gotten you good.”
Nate instinctively reached up with his hand to feel the back of his head and smacked himself in the chest with the bags full of fireworks. Nate dropped his hand and scowled at Luke. He should have known that Luke would notice Piper’s fingernail imprints. She’d really dug her nails in when he went down on her last week.
“Do you have to be such a damn doctor all the time?”
Luke laughed. “I can’t help but notice things like that.” He walked toward the front yard. “Come on, I’ve said my piece.”
“I appreciate your concern, but you don’t have to worry.” Something Luke had said came back to Nate. “Oh, and the first time we had sex, it was only Piper who had been out at the club, drinking. I was in bed when she came to my house.”
Luke looked at him. “Oh. Really?” They stopped at the entrance to the garage. “Huh. Maybe I really don’t have to worry.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Well, if Piper came to your house after drinking, you were basically a booty call. I was probably getting ahead of myself when I was thinking she might want more from you.”
“See, I told you. Nothing to worry about.” Nate had said the words, but a spot deep inside him didn’t agree. He suddenly felt unsettled.
“Good.” Luke smiled. “I’m glad.” His smile turned into a grin, and he wiggled his eyebrows. “Let’s go blow some shit up.”
Nate laughed and followed Luke to where everyone was sitting, but his enthusiasm didn’t quite reach his heart.
Hours later, Nate pulled up to Piper’s house. They both silently got out of his truck and brought in the stuff she’d taken to the barbecue.
“You can just set everything in the kitchen,” she told him. “I am beat. I wish we didn’t have to go to work tomorrow.”
Nate grunted in response. Normally, he’d agree, but right now, he welcomed the distraction of work. His stupid brain wouldn’t stop racing with thoughts of him and Piper. He kept thinking about what Luke had said over and over again.
“Hey.”
Nate jumped. He’d been staring off into space.
Piper stepped toward him and put her hand on his chest. “What is going on with you? You’ve been acting distant the last couple of hours.”
“It’s something Luke said.”
“What did he say?”
Nate lifted his shoulders and let them drop.
“Don’t shrug like you don’t know. If it’s bothering you, obviously, you know.”
He sighed. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Okay, now, you really have to tell me what was said.”
Nate put his hands over Piper’s. “He said I should be careful with you. That you want more than I can give you. He thinks that I’m going to hurt you. But then he turned around and said that I was just your booty call, so who knows?”
Her eyes filled with some kind of emotion he couldn’t decipher. “Oh, Nate. I’m sorry Luke worried you. There was a reason I picked you.”
“Picked me?” He frowned. “How many were in the running?”
Piper laughed, but Nate didn’t think it was funny.
She shrugged. “No one. Not really. I went on that bad date, but I probably wouldn’t have slept with him even if he hadn’t been married.”
He didn’t know if that made him feel any better.
“I picked you because you turn me on.” She blushed and looked down at their hands. “It’s because of you that I realized I wanted to have sex again.”
Nate’s chest puffed as some of the tension left his body. “What can I say? I’m irresistible.”
Piper laughed again. “I also picked you because you’re my friend. I trust you.”
He relaxed more. He really didn’t have anything to worry about.
“Also, I know you don’t do relationships, so I don’t have to worry that you’ll want something more.” She quickly kissed him. “That’s why you’re perfect.”
Nate tried to smile, but his sudden contentment was gone.
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Do you want to stay the night? Or for a few more minutes at least?” She kissed his throat.
Nate reached back and pulled her hands from around him. “I’m going to have to take a rain check.”
She lost her smile. “Oh. Okay.”
He didn’t want her to feel bad. “Hey,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “I would love to stay. But I have an early meeting.” Thank God it was the truth.
“The holiday is officially over, huh?”
“Yeah.” Nate kissed her and said good-bye.
As he walked to his truck, he thought about what Piper had said. He didn’t know why it bothered him. He didn’t do relationships, so why did it trouble him to hear Piper say it?
By the time he got home, he still didn’t have an answer.
It was Friday night, and Piper and Nate had decided to go out for dinner. They were sitting by the hostess stand, waiting for a table, when an older black couple walked in. There was something about the man that struck Piper as familiar, yet she couldn’t place where she’d seen him before.
She was about to nudge Nate, who was looking down at his phone, to see if he recognized the man when the couple walked over.
“Nate.”
Nate’s head shot up. “Dad.”
Ahhh. That was why he looked familiar. Nate had some of his father’s features.
It was a little strange to think that she and Nate were friends, but she’d never met his parents. She’d met his grandfather a couple of times and his sister once but never his parents. She knew that Nate was not close to them.
When nothing more was said, Piper elbowed Nate in the arm.
“Oh. Dad, Tricia, this is Piper. Piper, this is my father, Jerome, and my stepmother, Tricia.”
Piper held out her hand. “Nice to meet you.” Even though Nate didn’t care for his parents, she felt like a kid in a candy store. She and Nate were close, but there was still this whole part of him that was a mystery.
Jerome shook her hand, as did Tricia.
Just then, the hostess came over with her clipboard. “Sir, we have you down for only two people. Did you want to change that to four?”
Piper noticed the look of hope in Jerome’s eyes, even as Nate opened his mouth to probably say no.
“Yes, that would be wonderful,” Piper told the hostess. She then turned to Nate’s parents. “Oh gosh, I hope that’s okay. You two didn’t have a romantic date planned or anything, did you?”
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