Chapter 14
Piper
We’ve sat in the diner long enough to see the sky turn hazy blue, then pink, then back to blue. Long enough to order a second round of pancakes and a sixth—seventh?—round of coffee.
I’m never going to sleep.
Maybe that’s for the best.
We’ve been here so long that Graham went into the bathroom to take off his fake lashes, but he doesn’t seem like he’s in any hurry to go. We’re having a genuinely good time hanging out and talking about our lives, the drama of the past, the gossip of the present. It’s nice to be out with someone and not feel like I’m hiding something.
My phone dings in the middle of one of Graham’s cosmetology school stories, and he’s instantly interested.
“It’s probably—” I don’t finish that sentence, because I see King’s name in my notification bar.
King: Can we talk? In person?
“What? Is it him?” Graham gasps. “Oh my God, it is, isn’t it?”
I’m frozen at first, staring at the message, trying to decide if this is real or a dream. Maybe I fell asleep at the booth. The aching in my feet and the numbness in my butt make that theory unlikely.
Slowly, I nod.
“It’s him.”
“Holy shit. I told you! I told you never say never. Head games,” he says, tapping his temple.
I don’t know if that’s what this is. King doesn’t seem like the type, but how do I even know what type he is when he rarely sticks with someone for longer than a night?
“He wants to meet. To talk.”
“Tell him to come give you a ride home. I have an hour-long routine to get out of this mask, and I’d like to sleep at some point.”
I frown at the screen, reading those words again. He didn’t respond to anything I said, just pretended it wasn’t even there.
But he wants to talk. In person.
My heart races, and my libido has me typing out an answer before my brain has time to catch on.
His response comes in less than ten seconds. There’s a sudden lump in my throat, and all those pancakes feel like cement in my belly, but I also feel like there are springs in my shoes, and I don’t want to sit down when I could be pacing.
I keep sitting, though, and look up at Graham.
“He’s on his way.”
Graham grins, then lets out a little excited squeal.
“You’re going to have to give me all the details. Don’t leave me out of the loop this time, okay?”
I grunt, still not convinced he isn’t going to send paparazzi to spy on us.
“We’ll see. There might not be any details to give. He could just be asking to meet because he wants to actually end it.” My stomach knots at the thought. Should I just get a cab instead? I don’t know if I’m in any kind of state for big talks with the only guy sexy enough to make me lose focus.
“Do you want me to wait with you?” Graham offers.
“No, go ahead. He’ll show. I’ve seen how long your skincare routine takes. Go get started,” I tease.
Graham wastes no time in getting up. He comes around to my side of the booth to give me a half-hug and air kisses.
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” he says.
“Is there anything you won’t do?”
“Exactly!” He laughs, clapping a hand on my shoulder before he heads out of the diner.
Graham paid the bill a while ago. We’ve just been taking advantage of the free coffee refills for the last couple of hours. I get one more refill while I’m waiting for King.
It doesn’t help my nerves. At least I can blame the caffeine for my shakes if he asks.
I spot his flashy sports car pulling in—it’s not exactly flying under the radar, but cars like his are a dime a dozen in this town, so no one assumes there’s a celebrity behind the wheel—and pull out some cash to leave on the table. Judy took good care of us all night, never giving Graham any kind of looks. It’s a low bar to be happy that my friend was able to just exist in a space without harassment, but I am.
“Have a good ni—morning, I guess,” I amend, blinking at the day, feeling like a vampire shrinking from the sun.
King parks and is getting out of the car when I approach.
“Hey,” he says, brow furrowed. “Are you wanting to head right out? I thought we could grab a cup of coffee or something—”
“I’ve had enough coffee,” I say, shuffling toward the passenger door. “I’m at least fifty-percent coffee at this point.”
He’s still frowning when he climbs back into the car with me. “Is everything okay?”
“Graham and his drag mom got me drunk,” I admit, flipping down the sun visor. “So naturally, we had to get pancakes and coffee.”
“Naturally.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were going to New Jersey?”
It feels like all the air has left the car. The silence between us is heavy and thick.
“It was last-minute.”
“And you couldn’t respond to my texts?”
“You texted me?” He seems genuinely surprised by the news. “My phone wound up in the Atlantic.”
“What?”
His hands tighten on the wheel. “It would’ve been a lot easier to talk about this over coffee,” he grumbles.
“Too bad.”
He glances at me, then sighs. “Ace tossed my phone over the boardwalk.” He’s not heading to my house anymore. He makes a few turns, and I suddenly recognize where we are.
“Why would he do that?”
It’s been years since I’ve been back to the neighborhood I grew up in. It doesn’t look like much has changed, though. Some houses have new coats of paint, some landscaping has been redesigned, but it’s still a rush of nostalgia.
“And you couldn’t get a new one in the last three days?” I add, getting more annoyed the longer I think about it. He certainly has the funds to buy any new phone he wants. He didn’t want to be reachable.
He finds a shady spot in the park’s parking lot and pulls in, turning the car off before he answers.
“I went to Atlantic City to get you out of my head,” he says, facing me so I can see the sincerity in every word.
I wish I couldn’t.
“I thought if I could get over my feelings for you somehow that we could do the casual thing you want—”
“King—”
“I tried, Piper. I did, but I can’t do it. You’re too amazing for me to not have feelings for, and you’re just going to have to decide if that really means quitting what we’ve been doing because I’m not going to apologize for being crazy about you.”
It’s a lot to process all at once, and I’m struggling. I think better when I move.
“You wanna go for a walk?”
He gives me a ‘really?’ look, and I shrug.
“I haven’t been here in ages.”
“No? I stop by a few times a year,” he says.
“That’s because you’re more sentimental than I am,” I tease. It doesn’t land, though. He’s too open and vulnerable to accept the ribbing, and I see his wince.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t… Come on,” I say, stepping out onto the pavement.
My little black dress is not typical park attire, but there aren’t many other people out this time of day. The joggers and dog-walkers have already made their rounds, and the pre-school mommies aren’t out yet. We basically have the place to ourselves, and King doesn’t even bother with his incognito sunglasses.
King walks alongside me, but he’s keeping a wide distance between us. I don’t know if he’s afraid of encroaching on my space, or worried about letting me into his.
I drift closer to him, looping my arm around his. He gives me a questioning look, but doesn’t push me away or tell me to get lost.
“Did Jack ever tell you about my ex? Alejandro?”
King shrugs, looking confused. “I remember you dating him for a little while, but we didn’t normally talk about y
our dating life.”
“Four years,” I correct him.
“Shit, was it that long?” he asks.
I nod. “But it’s less about when we dated and more about when we stopped. I found out he’d cheated on me. A lot. With everyone. Somehow, I was the only one who didn’t know, and I wound up getting my heart destroyed and being the laughingstock of my social circles.”
King is silent, and I’m not brave enough to look at him to see his expression.
“I was … I was pretty messed up for a while. Not myself. Depressed, unemployed—”
“How the hell did I miss all of this?” he asks. Finally, I look at him, and it’s not pity on his face. It’s anger. He’s mad at himself.
“You were releasing albums and doing big world tours. Rock star things,” I say, nudging his shoulder with mine. “The point is, Jack has good reason—we both do—to be concerned about me falling for you. If you cheated—”
“You’re falling for me?” he interrupts, slipping into a grin.
I stop in the middle of the path and step away from him, folding my arms over my chest. “That’s not what I said—”
“That’s what it sounded like,” he sings, stepping closer and invading my personal space, my senses, my every thought…
“I’m just saying if I did, and if you cheated—”
“That’s a lot of ifs, Piper. Did you miss the part where I said I’m crazy about you?”
“You say that now, but what about when you’re traveling all over the world and lonely and horny—”
“Doesn’t matter,” he says, shaking his head. He takes another step forward, and I move back, off the path now, into the mature shade trees.
I feel like I’m being hunted.
I think I am.
“Do you know how many times I could have cheated on you while I was away? Before I left? Do you know how many women throw themselves at me on any given day?”
“Is this supposed to be making me feel better?”
“Ask me how many of them interested me. How many I could even look at without thinking of all the ways they didn’t measure up to you.”
“King—”
“Zero, Piper.” Somehow, he’s trapped me. He’s too close, his voice low and sultry, his body pressed against mine. There’s a tree behind me, solid as a wall. “I can’t go back to the imitation stuff now that I’ve had the real thing.”
I’m distracted by how much I want him. How much I need to feel him inside of me again. How good his kisses would feel. It takes me a minute to connect the dots.
“You couldn’t cheat on me because we’re not a couple,” I protest.
“Tell that to my suddenly monogamous dick.”
“You didn’t sleep with anyone in Atlantic City?” I ask, incredulous.
“Just Ace, and we had separate bedrooms,” he says. “I mean it, Piper. I’m too into you to let my eyes wander.”
I want to tell him how I feel, but I still can’t do it. I can’t make myself that vulnerable to him. Not yet.
“I missed you,” I admit. That’s as close as I can get.
“I missed you too,” he says, grinning, his hands on my hips and pushing me against the tree trunk. “I thought you wouldn’t want to hear from me.”
“No… I felt awful for being such a cold-hearted bitch.”
He kisses me. His lips come down hard, fierce, full of need.
“Don’t talk about my girl that way,” he says, nipping at my bottom lip before kissing me again, his tongue making me dizzy while his hands move down my thighs, around to my ass, pulling me against him.
“I get why you’re scared,” he adds, pushing his hands under my short dress. I’m suddenly having trouble catching my breath, wound so tight I’m going to snap.
“I’m not scared,” I argue, just as his fingertips dance around to the front of my panties.
“No?” he asks, tugging them to the side. I’m so wet—embarrassingly so—and now he knows it. “Maybe not,” he says, his lips on mine again, his fingers teasing me until my legs are trembling.
“I’m just…” I can’t think. My head is full of hazy lust, and his fingers haven’t stopped their continuous circles around my clit. Around and around. Winding me tighter and tighter. “Pragmatically … concerned,” I pant, barely holding in a whimper.
“I see,” he purrs. Around and around. “I think I know how we can alleviate some of that anxiety.”
“King… You can’t … not in the park,” I’m not holding back the whimpers anymore. I’m just barely holding back an orgasm, and that’s taking everything I’ve got.
“Oh, I can. And I am,” he says, pressing harder and kissing me again. He magically has his cock out in the next minute—I guess he has enough practice with this kind of thing—and I can’t believe I’m letting him do this, but I don’t even care anymore.
I did miss him, and I thought I’d never get to do this again. I don’t want to wait. I don’t want to miss my chance.
He slides in, slowly, savoring it. It’s such a nice stretch; the way he fills me makes my body feel complete. I never want it to end.
Buried all the way in me, he stays still for a moment, kissing me, kissing my neck, giving me goose bumps all over, and making me moan.
“Better keep it down,” he says, his face against my neck, rough stubble tickling my sensitive skin. “You never know when someone might walk by.”
“Oh God,” I groan, my whole body clenching around him. I don’t even know if it’s from panic or arousal, but I know I need him to fuck me. Now.
“Maybe you want someone to find us?” he teases, starting to thrust, picking up speed. The tree bark is rough against my back, but it’s such a distant thought that there’s no chance of it mattering. All that matters is King’s magnificent cock and the wonderful feelings it’s sending through my body.
“You know I don’t,” I gasp, clinging to his shoulders. Deeper, faster, harder—he readjusts his hands on my ass and lifts one of my legs, pulling me closer. The new angle makes my eyes roll back in my head, jaw slack, words gone.
“There it is,” he says, encouraging.
“Yeah,” I say between breaths. It’s right there, but now he’s gotten in my head about someone finding us. I’m worried I’ll scream too loud or something.
A dog barking nearby makes me freeze.
“King!” I hiss, eyes wide. “Someone’s coming.”
He grins. “Better finish fast.” He grinds in deep to punctuate that, and I can’t fight it.
I groan, shaking my head. “I’m going to be too loud.”
He presses his lips to mine, thrusting his tongue into my mouth, muffling my cry as I shatter apart in his arms. Icy-hot pleasure runs through my veins, followed by a feeling of completely satisfied relaxation.
It’s so good, and I’m limp in his arms by the time we’re both finished.
The dog’s barking sounds even closer, and now I can hear the owners calling it.
“Shit, shit, shit,” I mutter, struggling to right my dress and ignore the feeling of King’s cum slowly seeping through my underwear.
“Calm down,” he says, casually tucking himself into his pants, zipping up like it’s no big deal to risk public indecency charges.
For him, it’s probably not. It might even help his image. Ugh.
“Let’s get out of here,” I grumble.
King feigns offense. “You don’t wanna cuddle after?”
I roll my eyes, trying to find the way back to the path through the bushes and trees. King’s only a step behind me, but then he’s on top of me—literally. He tackles me into one of the bushes, holding me down, a finger to his lips.
I don’t need words. My expression clearly says what the fuck?
He holds up his hands and mimes taking photos. He’s still on top of me. Still reeking of pheromones.
Focus, Piper.
Cameras mean evidence. Not what we need.
Luckily, I don’t think the couple heard us hit t
he bushes, and I don’t think they saw us. They seem to be moving along down the path with their dog.
“Ratzi?” I finally ask, still whispering.
King shakes his head. “I don’t think so, but I’d rather not be in the background of any of the pictures they post on social media.”
“Fair.” It would just take one person to recognize him to start a whole scandal. Even if public indecency would help his image, King hates being hounded by the press, and a scandal guarantees a few weeks of headaches.
“Okay, I think the coast is clear,” he says, holding a hand out to me as he gets up. “Let’s get out of here.”
Chapter 15
King
After all that, I still don’t know where I stand with Piper. I bared my heart to the woman, and she’s still keeping the gates up.
Mostly up.
That was possibly the best sex I’ve ever had, and not just because we were in public and it had been too long since I’d come.
Because I care about her.
More than that.
I can’t let her get out of my car again without saying anything.
“So,” I say, wringing the steering wheel as I approach the gate to her community.
“Yep,” she answers.
“Are we doing this?”
“Doing what?” she asks. I know she’s not dumb, so she’s just avoiding it.
“Being together, Piper. That’s what I want. Is that what you want?” I’m done dancing around it. I’m not wondering anymore.
“It is…” she says, but she’s not looking at me. She’s looking out the window. She looks so sad.
I don’t think starting a relationship is supposed to make you sad. I’m not an expert, but I think that’s a bad sign.
“Let’s just tell him. You’re a strong, independent woman. You can take care of yourself; you don’t need your big brother looking out for you. Besides, if I break your heart, I will personally deliver myself to his doorstep for my ass-kicking.”
That gets a brief smile out of her, but it’s gone as quick as it appeared.
“Just … let me think about it, okay? I need to figure out how to approach this,” she says, shoving her hair back. She scowls, then untangles a twig from her sex-ravished hair.
King (Vegas Kings Book 2) Page 11