“Let’s go,” she said, still laughing.
“We can check that one off the list. You’ve made out with a woman in the backseat of your car.”
Piper pretended to check off an imaginary list.
Chapter Sixteen
The drive back was full of talking about everything and nothing. She told me about the fancy schools she’d gone to, and I told her about the best pranks my brothers had played, and we both shared our favorite recipes for smoothies.
“You’ve got me into juicing now. And Preston loves it too. He asks me for ‘Hulk juice’ in the mornings now.”
“I’m going to start telling my niblings that’s what green juice is called,” I said. “They’ll all want some now.”
“That’s the key with kids. Sell it with superheroes.”
When we got back to the house I waited in the car as Piper went in and paid the babysitter and told her she could go home. I watched as she got in her car and left, and I crept out and into the house.
Piper had already slipped off her heels at the door and I took off my shoes as well.
Piper came down the stairs from Preston’s room.
“Still sleeping. I have to check and make sure he’s breathing at least a few times a night,” she said. “What would you like?”
I followed her to the kitchen, and she opened the fridge.
“I’m fine with whatever.”
Piper pulled out a bottle and showed it to me.
“You’ll like this. It’s a nice sweet red.”
I’d liked the prosecco, so I was going to trust her judgment on wine too.
“I should have gotten two pieces of cake because I really want to eat this,” she said, pointing to the box of cake we’d brought back.
“Just tell Preston that the Tooth Fairy ate it,” I said.
She laughed as she opened the wine.
“That would be so mean. I’ll be a good mom and save it for him, and if he can’t eat the whole thing, I’ll deal with the leftovers.”
Piper and I took our wine to the living room, and I was still stressed about the red liquid and the white couch, so I sat carefully.
Piper sat down and cringed.
“Time for me to be unladylike again,” she said, and she pulled down the zipper on the side of her dress before breathing in relief.
“That’s better.”
I was suddenly consumed by the fact that she definitely wasn’t wearing a bra under that dress, and I very much doubted she had any other underwear on.
“How’s the wine?” Piper asked, and I blinked at her for a second. I took a hasty sip.
“Oh, it’s good.” I wasn’t tasting the wine. I was too busy thinking about Piper’s body underneath the dress.
She had another swallow of wine before she spoke, asking the speakers to play the song I’d told her was my parent’s wedding song.
“Would you dance with me?” she asked, standing up and holding her hand out.
Her dress was still gaping at the side, and her hair was a little mussed from the kissing adventure in the car.
It was perfect.
“I’d love to,” I said, taking her hand. My arms went to her shoulders, hers to my waist.
“Do you know how to waltz? You look like a woman who’s had waltz lessons,” I said.
Piper chuckled softly. “Yes, I’ve had waltz lessons. And I’ve taken other ballroom dance classes.” Of course she had.
“Are you judging me?” she asked, her eyes narrowing.
“Not at all. It’s just another thing to make me even more attracted to you.”
“Oh, are you attracted to me?” she asked.
“You can’t tell? Should I show you?”
“Yes, I think I need more clarity on this liking situation.”
She had a smile on her face, so I knew she was joking, but I also was ready to show her more.
I kissed her as we danced, and it wasn’t a sweet kiss. It was a hungry kiss. I slicked my tongue into her mouth, and I slipped my hand into her hair, not caring that I was messing it up.
My fingernails dug into her scalp and she whimpered against my mouth, and before I knew what was happening, I was on the couch and she was over me, and I heard a tearing sound.
“Fuck the dress,” she gasped as she pressed her body onto mine, the kiss sizzling heat between us.
I couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, didn’t care.
Her hands were everywhere, diving under my clothes and tugging at them to get out of the way.
I was about to tell her that my outfit could fuck off too when a little voice said, “Mama?”
“Shit,” Piper said in a low voice, and then her weight was gone, and her mouth was gone, leaving me a trembling mess on the couch. I couldn’t move even if I wanted to, but Piper’s mom reflexes kicked in and she was heading up the stairs to put Preston back to bed.
“It’s okay, baby,” she said, picking him up. Her dress was still gaping at the side, but I didn’t think pointing that out would be helpful.
I lay there on the couch, listening to the soft murmurs of Piper tucking Preston back in and saying goodnight to him.
She was slow coming back down the stairs and I hadn’t been able to peel myself off the couch.
“That was close,” she said, standing at the bottom of the stairs and holding onto the banister.
“Yeah,” I said, looking over at her. “I should probably get home.”
I didn’t want to end things on this note.
“Hey,” I said, getting up and going to her. I didn’t care if my outfit was a mess. It didn’t matter.
“I’m sorry,” she said, but I didn’t know what she was apologizing for.
“It’s okay,” I said. “Both of us got carried away.”
She sighed and I took a risk and put my arms around her, sinking into the scent of her hair. No doubt her perfume was from a fancy boutique in New York City.
Piper hugged me back.
“I don’t regret tonight,” she said.
“Good. Neither do I.”
“Next time, we’ll just have to be quieter. Or get better at making out in my car.”
I pulled back to look at her face.
“Next time?” I asked. I’d prepared myself for her saying that this was never going to happen again. That she’d changed her mind about doing whatever it was that we were doing.
“Next time,” she confirmed and then she gave me a soft kiss.
“What did you tell Preston we were doing?” I asked.
She smiled. “I said that Mama and her friend were having a tickle fight.”
I snorted. “Is that what the kids are calling it these days?”
“He didn’t seem that interested, thankfully. I don’t think he knew it was you.”
“Well then you can just call me Mama’s Tickle Friend from now on.” I gave her another kiss and she smiled against my lips.
“Goodnight, Mama’s Tickle Friend.”
I drove back to the farmhouse in a daze. My lips were a little swollen from the various make-out sessions, and my hair was all over the place. It wasn’t quite sex hair, but I was getting there. I was happy it was late enough that only a few lights were on in the farmhouse, signaling that Ellie and Amanda were already in bed. The lights were on in the living room of the barn, but I didn’t want to talk about tonight. I just wanted to go to bed and dream of Piper.