Definitely (maybe) Dating, page 19
“Don’t you want to know why I took your camera first?”
No, she was more interested in why the girl brought it back. “If you want to tell me.”
Rebecca studied her fork, pushing her bite around the plate. “I wanted to take the picture for the showcase. That is, if I can still enter.”
20
🖤
Piper had just put the leftovers in the fridge when her phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number. Praying it was the Ladies of Portland, she answered right away.
“Hello?”
“Is this Piper?” a voice asked—that voice belonging to one Margo Easton, who was likely calling to gloat.
Piper closed her eyes and told herself she would not let Satan’s Keeper make her cry. She’d faced bigger and tougher bullies, and this one wouldn’t take her down. Period.
“Hello, Margo.”
There was a long pause, and Piper could practically hear the bangle bracelets jangle. “The board has voted on your art show.”
“And?” Piper held her breath.
“It was a five to four vote.” Piper hadn’t been expecting a landslide, but five to four didn’t imply a strong sense of confidence. “In your favor.”
Piper nearly dropped to her knees. “Oh my god.” She turned around. “Oh my God. Thank you. Thank you so much. You have no idea how many girls’ dreams you just made come true.”
Piper being one of those girls. And Rebecca. God, Rebecca was going to sell at least one of her pictures; she knew it. Piper was going to have Clive retake the photo of Cinderella’s a Lie, increasing Rebecca’s chance of selling for a high price, which would give her a good solid start for her college fund. And that’s when the first tear formed. Rebecca could actually finish school and go to college if she wanted.
“I can’t thank you enough. Can you please pass along my thanks to the board?”
“I can,” the older woman said. “And I want you to know that I voted in favor of combining the events.”
Piper froze, mouth hanging open. “You did?”
“I did.”
“But why?”
“My son. He told me that your art program means a lot to a lot of people.” Margo sighed, and Piper know this was hard for her. Piper coming in and screwing up her plan was difficult, so the vote of support meant even more.
“It does. It means so much to these girls.”
“I know. Josh told me that it meant a lot to you and that I need to be nicer.”
“Well, we don’t want to go too far,” Piper teased. “I don’t know if I’d recognize you if you weren’t sparring with me.”
For the first time in the conversation, Margo laughed. Piper wouldn’t call it a guttural, from the heart laugh, but it sounded less strained than when the call had begun.
“There are rules.”
“I wouldn’t expect less.”
“No street signs and no vandalism allowed. Any funny business, and the showcase is out.”
“I promise you that there will be nothing sketchy included.” Piper stilled. She’d said the word promise and didn’t break out in hives.
“I hope so because I went out on a limb for you,” she said.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Thank you is the appropriate response,” Margo said primly. “And the next time you see my son, could you pass along that I did as told?”
“Depends.” Piper said and heard the woman sigh. “What’s his address?”
🖤
Still in her pajamas, Piper arrived at Josh’s place. She had to circle his neighborhood twice to find parking and ended up finding a spot two blocks over.
She double-checked the address and triple-checked, and when she was about to call Margo a liar, someone in an expensive suit exited the building.
“Excuse me, is this a hotel or residential living?”
Expensive Suit looked up at the golden sign over the awning.” Both. Depends what floor you’re asking about.”
“Twenty-ninth floor?”
“Residential.”
Nerves ignited because Just Josh lived in an elegant high rise in the Pearl District on one of the Brewery Blocks. With upscale restaurants and a bustling night life, it was one of the most desirable areas in the city for young professionals. His building was modern and intimidating—a world that was light years from her daily reality. She’d passed this building a thousand times, never once imagining she’d be invited inside.
Well, she hadn’t been invited exactly—more like crashing, she thought as she slipped into the elevator and hit the button for the top floor.
After making sure Rebecca was settled, Piper had come over to give Josh a heartfelt thank you that could only be delivered in person.
“You’ve got this,” she whispered to herself. “I promise you, this is real.”
It was the second time in as many hours as Piper had used that word. In fact, she could count on one hand the number of times ‘promise’ had come out of her mouth. To her, it wasn’t something said in passing or to pacify a situation. When she made a promise, it was an unbreakable bond between Piper and the person in question.
Some unkept promises led to devastating results. Like the promise she’d made to Faith that everything would work out when it didn’t. She was older now, wiser, and would never make that kind of mistake again.
On the other side of the coin, Piper’s life had been filled with people who came in making big, lofty promises, which, in the end, rarely panned out. Reason number one why Piper was promise-adjacent.
Reason two was the sense of intimacy that came from sharing a promise. The same kind of unexpected intimacy she felt whenever she was around Josh.
“It’s now or never.” Piper took a deep breath and knocked, then immediately regretted her decision.
She was in her pjs and damp hair, no bra, no makeup and no idea what she’d do when that door opened.
Footsteps sounded behind the door, and her palms went damp. When faced with the decision to stay and see how this played out or make a stealthy escape, Piper did what any cornered chicken would do—she turned to run like hell. Only the elevator door had closed, the stairs were at the end of the hallway and—
The door opened, and her breath hitched. Bathed in a soft glow, from the lights overhead, Josh stood in the entryway. He wore a faded t-shirt, jeans, bare feet and a look of surprise.
Piper started to rethink her stealth attack when he smiled, those sea blue eyes twinkling her way. “Hey.” His rough voice brought on an onslaught of tingles.
“Hey,” Piper said, and before she knew what was happening, her feet were moving forward until she was toe to toe with the most incredible man she’d ever met. She slid a hand around to the back of his head and pulled him down, fusing her mouth to his in a greeting that came right out of a movie.
If he was caught off guard, he didn’t show it, pulling her close and groaning low in his throat. It went from hot to scalding, and she was still on his doorstep. Walking him backward, she took his lower lip between hers, delivering one hell of a bite, which he seemed to like. So she did it again.
“Now we know why you’ve been skipping out on poker night,” someone said from inside the condo. Piper froze.
Gage.
“Oh my god,” Piper whispered, looking up at Josh, horrified. She tried to move him away, but he didn’t budge.
“Poker night’s over,” Josh announced.
“That doesn’t work for us,” Rhett said. “Things are just getting good. You got any popcorn?”
“You’ve got thirty seconds before I throw you out.”
“Okay,” she said and went to move backward. His arms tightened around her, holding her in place—some serious muscle action happening up top and down below. Reminding her of just how big he was.
With a sexy, sly grin he said, “Not you. Them.”
“You don’t have to cancel poker night.”
His gaze dropped to her lips, dark and intense. “Yeah, I do.” To the guys, he said, “Fifteen seconds.”
There was some grumbling and a whole lot of chuckles, but finally cards were tossed on the table and everyone stood.
“Lemonade, huh?” Owen asked as he walked through the door. “I’m going to have to add it to my repertoire.”
As the guys passed, Josh turned his body, shielding her from what had to be the most embarrassing moment of her life.
Josh closed the door and walked her backward until she was pressed against the wall. He stroked a lock of hair behind her ear, his thumb tracing down her cheek. He watched the motion as he brushed her lower lip. “Now, where were we?”
“I was about to thank you.”
“That was one hell of a thank you.”
Her belly fluttered. “Your mom called. The showcase is a go.”
“That’s great.” His smile was genuine and warm.
“You’re great,” she whispered, a little embarrassed when her voice caught. Because he was amazing and honest and a man of his word. He was all those things and so much more. And right now, he was hers.
Wrapping one arm around his neck and placing a palm on his chest, she kissed him again. This time it was a gentle exchange of gratitude that lasted from one kiss to the next, blending into so many she lost track. And when her heart finally rolled over and exposed its soft underbelly, Josh kicked up the heat and took over. Which worked for her.
She’d gotten herself this far, always being the one in control, the one making everything happen. It was nice to let someone else be in the driver’s seat.
He cradled her lower lips between his, nibbling and teasing before sliding his tongue across the seam. She opened immediately on a throaty groan.
He rested his hand low on her back, cradling her to him. Of course, she willingly fell into his arms and into an unspoken promise.
His fingers cradled her head, holding her to him as his mouth moved down her throat to the vulnerable spot at the base of her neck. He kissed his way to her shoulder, working the strap of her tank down with his teeth.
“I’m starting to love straps,” he said, his lips brushing her other shoulder, and when that strap slipped, he smiled against her skin. “No bra?”
“I didn’t bother to change. I hope you don’t mind,” she said. “Oh, and I like a matching set.”
He was teasing his tongue down to her cleavage when he stopped and looked up at her. “Matching set, huh?” His hands were on the move, down her back to inspect for himself that she was, indeed, commando beneath those pajama bottoms. “This changes things.”
“What things?”
“We’re not going to make it to the bedroom.”
With his arms around her waist, he bent down, and when she straightened, he was holding her. She laughed as she wrapped her legs around him, loosely locking her ankles at his lower back. “Your couch looks comfy.”
“Too far.” She had a few other suggestions on possible locations—against the door, pressed into the wall, perhaps the big, overstuffed chair facing the fireplace—but before she could tell him, he moved.
It happened so fast she barely saw it coming. One moment she was in his arms, the next she was sitting on the entry table, Josh standing between her legs.
“That urgent?” she asked, and he pressed all the way into her. “I see.”
“Oh, in about five seconds you’re going to see. And in about five minutes you’re going to be screaming my name.”
“Tick tock, Mr. Assistant District Attorney. Tick toc—”
His mouth crashed down on hers, urgent and hungry—and with a whole lot of challenge. She’d thrown out the gauntlet, and he was going to deliver. The mere thought made her quiver.
He scooted her so that she was arched off the table, and then without warning, he dropped to his knees. He kissed her belly, her ribs, lifting her shirt as he went before reaching the undersides of her breasts. He peeled her shirt up and over her head, and this time he pressed opened-mouth kisses down her body until, bingo, he reached her second favorite kissing spot ever.
Pulling her deep into his mouth, scraping the tip of her nipple with his teeth, he gently blew on her heated skin. She shivered, so he did it again and again and again until she was halfway toward that orgasm he’d promised.
“My word,” she moaned.
“Josh,” he corrected, and all she could do was nod.
Josh indeed. Working his magic until she was panting and desperate for release. Her stomach trembled with anticipation, and she couldn’t look away as his hands traveled south, easing their way into her pajama bottoms on a direct course with pleasure central.
He took her mouth again as one finger disappeared inside her, and it did something to her, The hunger, the intensity morphed into something—a desperation for his touch, a deep need that only he could fill.
She ground against his hand, then placing hers over his to tilt it upward and angling so that when she came down it created a sweet, sweet friction. The pressure built, her need soared, and she held onto his hand, creating an erotic bond. She gasped, finding it impossible to breathe as his talented fingers did a swirling action.
“Oh my!”
He looked up at her and smiled. “Closer, but not quite right. Maybe if I did something a little more like—”
Her body shook, her head falling back as he added a second finger into the mix. Not caring about the stupid challenge, she pushed her hips forward until his fingers disappeared all the way, pressing on the little bundle of nerves. “Right there.”
“Right there, who?” he mused but got down to business. He had her so wound up, her vision started to blur, but he didn’t pull back. Not when she squirmed on the table or pressed up to get the right amount of pressure.
The man was all practiced grace and deliberate finesse as he led her closer and closer toward the most sensual experience of her life. Unable to wait, she slid her hand lower, linking fingers and moving them in and out in a rhythm that her so tight she was going to snap.
“Damn!” he said in awe, watching their hands.
“Piper,” she corrected.
That’s when he picked up the pace, and she knew his name was right there, just out of reach. All he had to do was move a little to the left and up—she shifted her hips—and yeah, right there, right there where—
“You got it, Boots. Let go,” he whispered.
She tried, she really did, but to let go meant to give up control, and that led to a vulnerable state that she hadn’t touched in years.
“What if I fall and nobody’s there to catch me?” she asked, tears stinging the corners of her eyes.
He threaded his free hand into her hair and looked her dead in the eye. “Do you trust me?”
She trusted him unlike anyone in her life. She nodded.
“Then trust me when I say I’ll be there. Every time.”
Full blown tears choked her throat at his sweet words. More importantly, he meant them. She could see it in his expression, the intense way he held her gaze, the secret smile that was always just between them. And that was all she needed to let go.
She was on the verge of embarrassing herself when the emotions spilled over lashes and down her cheeks. What was wrong with her? She never cried, but now that the flood gates opened she couldn’t stop them.
“I promise, I’ve got you, Piper.”
She didn’t correct him, didn’t tell him to take it back as she fell fully and completely, like an avalanche, over and over, fast and out of control.
“Josh,” she whispered. Then she groaned, his name becoming a mantra, as if she’d be safe if she kept saying it. From the emotions and the blind hope and the inevitable disappointment.
The tears didn’t stop, just kept coming as their bodies moved as one, bonding like some essential molecule.
“Josh,” she said over and over with every tremor that rocked her world. And he didn’t stop. Diligent and deliberate, Josh moved. Slow withdrawal and even slower thrusts, deeper and deeper, until she was riding yet another high before the delicious crash.
Then something miraculous happened. She fell so hard and blindly all she could do was cling to him, her limbs wrapped around him completely, her heart beating with his in perfect synch.
“Josh!” she screamed as she saw the past and present rushing up at her, the future right there. All she had to do was reach but, like before, it was right out of grasp, this elusive thing she’d never managed to touch.
Neither broke eye contact, and the moment rose to meet them and it began. First, it felt like a little stumble, but instead of struggling for footing, she gave herself over.
To Josh, to this insane connection, and to the security and safety that could only come from love.
Love. The word didn’t scare or make her want to run. It made her want to hold on even tighter, stay right there in his arms and memorize what it was like to feel cherished.
She’d loved many times over the past thirty years, but she’d never been on the receiving end. For her, love had always been followed by a ‘but’ never given freely or forever.
But this felt different. Her heart swelled against her ribcage. Piper closed her eyes and leaned into Josh, her breathing coming in fast puffs, exhaling the residual fear and breathing in his scent and strength.
A while later, when she came to, she found herself leaning against his chest, his arms around her, his mouth languidly kissing her neck. Slowly, her lids opened to find a pair of honest and tender eyes locked on hers.
“A two-fer,” she breathed.
“A two-fer, who?”
“A two-fer, Josh. But I was supposed to be thanking you.”
He chuckled. “That was the best thank you in the history of thank yous.” He looked at the clock above the fireplace. “Ninety seconds left, and you still have your pants on.”
🖤
The sun was rising, casting a soft glow into the loft and over Piper’s beautiful naked body. They never made it to the bed, working their way around the living room until they ended on his couch.
