Page 35 of Somewhere Along The Line
“Good thing I don’t want you to leave me alone.”
“Guess I won’t, then,” she replies, tiptoeing her fingers up my arm before resting her hand between my shoulders. Her head cocks to the side as she studies my face. I swallow hard as Piper’s eyes travel to my lips.
“Is that what you want?”It’s what I want.My pulse throbs wildly as she nods.
“Are you asking if I want to keep pretending you’re my husband so I can ask things of you?” Her pupils expand, her face flushed. “I do.”
I lean in further, pressing dangerously against some imaginary line, the one supposed to keep us safe.
“What if I don’t want to pretend?”
Piper pauses, holding her breath as she pieces apart what I just said and considers whether to push the line further. Her fingers tense into the muscle at the base of my neck.
“Then you should kiss me.”
Adrenaline courses through my veins as Piper waits for my reaction.
I take off my glasses, set them on the dash, and then reach for her jaw, gently but with authority. My eyes search hers for a second, looking for doubt or nerves but instead finding an eagerness that makes my stomach drop to my knees.
With a thumb on her chin, I angle her mouth the way I want it before leaning in and brushing my lips below her ear. I drag my mouth across her jaw, trailing a warm path before I pull her bottom lip between mine.
Fuck, it’s a good kiss.
A soft sigh escapes her as I stretch my fingers through her hair, relief washing through me as tension melts before immediately building again. I keep Piper with me, my mouth on hers, as we learn each other.
We move slowly at first, with purpose, savoring each kiss, breath hovering between us when we break before coming back together. I nudge her lips open and our tongues find each other like magnets, deepening the kiss and increasing the urgency.
I’ve never had a kiss like this, the kind born from weeks of emotional and physical build-up. This is a kiss more intimate than much of the sex I’ve had, more intentional and effusive, and the thought—of what sex with Piper would be like if kissing her is likethis—awakens a desire that’s been buried for years.
She wraps a hand in my hair and pulls as her mouth moves with mine, making a noise I’ll chase for the rest of my life if she’ll let me.
I want more of it, all of it, her sounds and her tongue, my hands on her back, my mouth on every inch of her skin.
She pulls away too quickly, resting her forehead against mine. Her breath is fast and heavy, our heart rates matching as I slide my hands down her arms to her thighs, closing my eyes against hers, her eyelashes tickling my cheek.
I’m desperate for another kiss, to continue what we started, but I want her to feel in control here, to bein control here.
“James?” she whispers, and the sound of my name on her lips makes me question my resolve.
“P?” I return, settling my nose under her cheekbone and pressing a peck just below.
“That was A-plus husband behavior.” Piper chuckles and I sigh, turning to drop my head to the back of my seat. I don’t know if this is real for her, whether this kiss was an extension of our game or a foray into how we could exist outside of it.
I’m too scared to ask.
“Happy to be your husband any time you need one.” I laugh, scrubbing my hand through my hair as I exhale, trying to redirect the blood from my groin to my brain.
“Thank you for doing this today. For helping me. For all of it.” She glances around the car, her eyes lingering on the items in the backseat before coming to rest at my mouth.
“Can I help you bring these inside?” I gesture to the pile of boxes in back. She seems to consider the offer, and while I didn’t mean to ask if we couldtake this inside,the suggestion is there.
“To be honest, I’m not sure how I’d get this stuff from my house to the event space next week. Any chance I could get you to drop the boxes there next Saturday? During the day, not when a bunch of guests are there. If not, I’m sure I can figure something out.”
She’s trying not to cringe, like asking for another favor makes her uncomfortable. Piper wants me to know she’s not using me, which is ironic because I’m finding I’m thrilled to be used. Any day, any way.
“Absolutely, just tell me the time and I’ll be there. Promise I’ll keep these things safe in the meantime—wouldn’t want anyone smashing my window to steal the placemats.” I give her a soft smile and she returns her own.
“Thank you, thank you. I guess I’ll see you Monday night, then? For the trial practice?”
