Page 15 of Legally Binding
When we kiss, it’s like I’ve been jolted by lightning. She gasps like she can feel it too, and I lick her bottom lip before slipping my tongue inside. Her hands grip my shirt, and she’s pulling me closer, nearly on top of her.
Animal instinct takes over, and I’m grinding my cock against her thigh as I reach for her hip and squeeze. Her tongue slides against mine, and there’s a growl in my chest that I want to release with a roar of possession. I’ve never been so consumed by someone’s touch before, and ever since the moment I touched Piper, I knew she was meant to be mine.
It’s going hot and fast, and when I reach under her shirt, she moans for more. My fingers find the edge of her bra, and I yank it down, the hard peak of her nipple waiting for my touch.
As soon as I have her nipple between my fingers, I give it a gentle pinch. To my surprise, Piper yelps against my mouth, and I pull back, ready to apologize.
“I’m sorry, I—” That’s when I see that Garfield has gotten in her hair again, only this time he’s figured out how to tug it. “Looks like the baby needs attention.”
Piper giggles before burying her face against my chest, and I wrap my arms around her. I never in a million years thought it could be like this. So easy, so perfect. Can something this good last forever?
Chapter Nine
PIPER
It’s strange to be in a person’s home alone when I only met them the day before. I guess technically I didn’t know my roommates before I moved in with them, but they were women.
Garfield hops around and tries to catch a ball that rolls on its own. There’s a feather sticking out of it, and he’s desperate to catch it. Somehow I’ve gone from living with two girls to two boys. Wait, Landon isn’t a boy. He’s all man, and that man kissed the heck out of me.
Everything with him has come naturally. It was probably a terrible idea to kiss him back, but I couldn’t deny my attraction to him. The man not only made me safe, but there’s a calmness that surrounded me when I was close to him. Even now I’m missing the peace he brings, and I’ve only been without him for a few hours.
When I woke up, Landon was already fully dressed for work and in the kitchen making us breakfast. I felt bad because I should have set an alarm and made him breakfast. I am, after all, his temporary house manager.
Temporary, I remind myself. I need to keep in mind that this isn’t a fairy tale. Life might try and trick me into thinking I’ve found something special, but it never lasts. The bottom falls out of everything.
"What are you doing, silly butt?" I laugh when Garfield tumbles over the ball, missing it completely.
Scooping him into my hand, I put a kiss on his head and smile at the memory of the kiss Landon gave me before he left for work. It was a quick kiss on the lips, but again, it felt totally natural. Like he’d done it a hundred times before. When he got to the elevator, I could have sworn the man didn't want to leave.
He even asked if I was sure he didn’t need me to stay, then he offered to move a meeting. It was sweet, but he has a life, and I don’t want to come off needy. Landon is used to being alone, so I worry that my presence here will annoy him. If I’m the temporary house manager, I’m supposed to make his life easier, not add stress to it.
The room I picked last night was the one closest to his. Landon tried to persuade me to take his room, but I was adamant that I didn’t want it. I knew it would make me feel uncomfortable, especially after all he’s done for me.
What I have noticed is that whenever I push back, Landon backs down. I’m guessing this isn’t typical behavior for him because I’m betting a lawyer would push until they got what they wanted.
Last night there was part of me that wanted to share his bed, but I didn’t dare tell him. Besides being incredibly shy, I didn’t want to put him in a weird spot. All he did was kiss me. There was no reason for me to try to get into his bed. No matter how safe he made me feel.
That’s what I keep coming back to, even now. The idea of sharing a bed with a man who is practically a stranger should freak me out, but it doesn’t. I slept like a rock when I fell asleep in his lap and he had his arms around me. I can’t remember the last time anything felt so good.
Putting Garfield on the bed, I go to the bathroom to gather my clothes from yesterday. Landon gave me one of his shirts to sleep in, but if I'm going to be staying here, I need to go back to my place and pack a few things.
I do my best to get myself ready with what I have, and once I’m finished, I turn to Garfield. "Are you going to be okay for a couple of hours?"
I don't want to leave him, and if I were only going out for something quick, I would take him with me. I’ll need to carry all of my belongings with my hands, so like it or not, he stays here. Once I set up the bathroom with everything he could possibly need, I also make sure there is nothing that he can get into that might hurt him.
Now I understand why people have baby cameras with apps they can view when they are away from them. I realize I'm being ridiculous, so I give him one last kiss on the head before I find my cell phone to head out.
The elevator takes me down to the lobby, but it’s not until I step off and the doors close behind me that I realize I don’t have a way to get back in.
“Crap,” I mutter to myself, pulling out my phone. I’m not sure what I’m going to do.
I’d forgotten to ask Landon for his phone number, but I suppose I could call the law office. I dismiss that thought because he’s working, and I don’t want to interrupt him. Waiting in the lobby until he gets back might be tacky, though. A girl in worn jeans and dirty sneakers sitting in a fancy lobby with overstuffed trash bags sounds embarrassing for Landon. They might also call the police on me.
I hurry out of the building and to the bus stop down the block. While I’m getting on, I ask myself what the heck I’m doing with Landon. The man lives in a whole other world than me, and no matter how hard I try, it’s one that I’ll never fit into. The thought is depressing.
I’m trying not to let my mood spiral as I hop off one bus and run to catch the next. It takes a total of three buses to make it back to my apartment building, and when I get there, it somehow appears more rundown than I remember. It’s silly because I was here yesterday. I guess Landon is already ruining me.
I find my key to the building in the bottom of my bag as I make my way up the sidewalk. Turns out I don't end up needing it since the lock is busted. Sadly, it’s not abnormal for it to be broken, so I take the stairs, not trusting the elevator. When I get to my apartment, I try the door, and it’s unlocked. I go to push it open, but the chain on the door stops me from entering.
