Page 17 of Pickled
“Gideon,” I whispered and rested my cheek on his.
His hand slipped behind my waist, drawing us together. Breathing in, breathing out. On his inhale, his rib cage expanded into my chest; on the exhale, our bodies parted. His breath rasped hot on my earlobe as his other hand found its way to my face, his fingertips resting on my chin as he guided my lips to his.
He cupped my face and kissed me gently, then a little harder. His lips were an invitation I didn’t want to refuse. Despite all of my reservations, I was waffling, teetering on the edge of a decision that could change everything. And a part of me didn’t want to pull back.
When his body pressed mine against the countertop, that’s when I knew… I was about to have a one-night stand with the hockey player next door.
7
GIDEON
Vanilla and strawberrysurrounded me as I lifted Piper onto the counter and buried my face in her hair. Her legs wrapped around my waist, and a heat sparked low in my gut.
She pulled away. Perched on the counter, she could meet my gaze head-on. Her beautiful blue eyes searched mine. “Gideon.” Her soft voice sent a shiver through my body.
“Yeah?”
“Can we be friends tomorrow, if we… tonight?” Her cheeks turned the same shade of pink as her lips.
Neither of us was looking for something serious, but for the first time in a very long time, I’d met someone who made me wonder if there was room in my life for something other than hockey.
“Do it?” I filled in the blank to her question. It was immature, but “make love” didn’t seem to fit, and neither did the f-bomb.
The pink from her cheeks migrated to her collarbones, but instead of playing coy, Piper held my gaze. “Yeah. Do it…” She winked. I didn’t think that my cock could get any more on board,but her amused smile sent it to an eleven out of ten on the boner scale.
I fought it for a tenth of a second, but hell, if it was a one-night thing she wanted, it would be unsportsmanlike not to give it to her. Right? “Of course we can be friends. We’re neighbors.”
“I mean, you’re not looking for something serious. And I’m not either.” She pressed her hand to my chest. A familiar knot tightened in my gut.She’s being honest, right?I didn’t have the best track record with women and their ability to tell the truth. The thought was an unwelcome one that I quickly shook from my mind.
After spending a year thinking that my brother slept with my girlfriend, betrayal was something I’d never knowingly inflict on another person. That woman stole a year away from me and my brother, and I would never forgive her for it. She’d also ruined my hockey game. It was a reminder that women and sports didn’t mix.
But still, why didn’t Piper want something serious? It was a question I should’ve asked, but sometime during our make-out session, the rational side of me flew out of the building and was probably floating somewhere above Delray Beach.
Standing in front of me was a beautiful woman who didn’t want anything from me. I shouldn’t have trusted any woman, but for some reason, I believed Piper. Any of my remaining resistance evaporated.
My hand slid up her tanned thighs, fingertips flirting with the hem of her skirt. My dick was as hard as a can of beer, shaken and filled with pressure, and Piper was about to pop open the tab.
Just like in a hockey game, my brain was a few plays ahead. Three moves were all it would take to be inside of her. Unbutton my jeans, slide aside her panties, and execute a solid thrust.
My fingers continued their journey under her skirt, but instead of meeting panties, they were met with… shorts. It wasn’t a skirt after all. My play was foiled, the unexpected layer of fabric snapping me out of my horny three-move plan.
I rested my head on her chest. “It’s easy to get carried away with you.” There must have been some blood flowing to my brain after all. She was more than a frantic, unprotected fuck on my marble counter. I took a step back, meeting her eyes. “You’re beautiful,” I whispered.
She bit her bottom lip, her muscular thighs squeezing my waist as she drew my body to hers. I cleared my throat and managed to extract myself from her leg hold.
Tilting her head, her eyes searched mine. She thought that I was stopping things. I wasn’t—I was just taking my foot off the gas. “I’m not going to fuck you on the kitchen counter.” I scooped her into my arms and kissed her again.
Her eyes glinted, and the quirky smile was back. “Well, then where are you going to fuck me?” The bluntness of the question coming from her wasn’t crass; it was adorable.
“I haven’t decided,” I whispered in her ear.
“How about by the pool?” The glint and smile combo made a return.
I wasn’t expecting an actual suggestion and had planned to drop her onto my king-sized bed. She seemed to be into the dirtytalk thing, and I was game to play along. “I was thinking about bending you over the sofa, but I suppose the lounger will do.”
Stepping outside with Piper in my arms, we were met with a wall of humid air. CC scampered ahead, disappearing into his favorite bush. “Set me down.” This time, her voice was stern, completely different from the raspy one she’d used inside. This time, it was an order, and I obliged.
When her feet met the ground, she pressed her body into mine. Hard. “Kiss me.” Another order.
