“Green!” That’s right. The current Hulk obsession.
“Okay, we’ll do Hulk water,” I said, dropping the food coloring into the water and then swirling it around.
“Hulk water, Hulk water,” Preston chanted as his mom tried to shampoo his head.
The tub had lots of toys that kept him busy while Piper washed his hair and then gave him a washcloth so he could wash himself. She sang a song about his body parts to help him remember where to wash and then tipped a bucket of warm water over his head.
I handed her a towel to wrap him up in and pulled the drain in the tub.
“Bye, Hulk water,” Preston said as his mom rubbed him dry.
“He’s going to request Hulk water every day now,” Piper said, but she was laughing.
I stepped back to let them have their routine. Piper brushed Preston’s hair and then had him pick out pajamas. Hulk, of course. Preston brushed his teeth and then got into bed with a book that he’d picked from the bookshelf.
“I’ll let you finish,” I said in a soft voice as Piper got into bed next to Preston.
“Okay,” she said, and opened the book.
“Goodnight, Preston,” I said to him.
“‘Night, night, Kenna,” he said, his eyes already starting to drift closed, his thumb firmly in his mouth.
I crept downstairs and put away some of the toys Preston had gotten out earlier, and then looked to see if anything else needed to be done in the kitchen.
I was chilling on the couch when Piper came back down and sat on the couch with a sigh.
“He’s down.”
“Is he a good sleeper?” I asked.
“Yes, thank goodness. He’s a champion napper most of the time too. Got lucky.”
She leaned on the couch and faced me.
“Thank you. For helping and for not running away screaming.”
“Running away from your son is running away from you. You’re a package deal.”
“I know, but it still feels weird. I can’t just go out without getting a babysitter. When it comes to dating me, there are complications.”
I moved closer to her, stroking my fingers through her hair. “I like complications. Other people are boring.”
Piper laughed and I kissed her.
“Plus, Mama’s Tickle Friend has a nice ring to it,” I said, and she laughed, ducking her head into my shoulder.
“I just know that I’m going to get a call from daycare asking about that,” she said. “Oh well. It’s not as bad as him screaming out curse words, I suppose.”
I played with her hair and she told me about Preston being a baby and I told her some of the funnier stories about my niblings. I sure had enough of them.
“Preston would fit right in. He’d have friends he can play Hulk with. We also always watch a movie, and the kids get to vote every week. The parents and everyone else have to deal.”
“I always got to watch whatever I wanted. My poor parents,” Piper said.
“I’d take the portable DVD player up to the treehouse,” I said.
“Oh my god, I forgot about those things. Now I just give Preston my tablet in the car so he can watch things.”
“My mom had a van once with the pull-down video screens in it. I miss that thing,” I said, laughing.
“It’s funny what you miss when you grow up,” she said.
The air in the room shifted and suddenly I couldn’t help myself from kissing her. She pulled me toward her until I was in her lap. No need to rip any clothing, unlike the other night.
“Is this okay?” I asked as I straddled her. Her fingers dug into my back and she looked up at me with bright eyes.
“Yes, it’s very okay.”
She pulled at my shirt, getting her hands onto my skin.
“For someone who’s only ever kissed one woman, you’re certainly not shy about it,” I said.
“I go after what I want,” she said. “In business, and in life. I wouldn’t be where I am if I didn’t. Maybe if I’d been more assertive in my personal life I wouldn’t have ended up…” she trailed off and then shook her head. “Sorry, you don’t need to hear about that.”
I stroked her hair back from her face.
“Don’t think about the past or the future. Just think about this moment.” I’d slipped into the voice I used for my yoga classes without meaning to, but it had the desired effect.
“This is a good moment,” she said, and I leaned down and pressed my mouth against hers.
Piper and I made out for what felt like forever. She kissed me in every way you can kiss a person, and I completely melted. Her hands skimmed across my back, greedily touching as much of my skin as possible.
I pulled back from the kiss.
“We don’t have to go any further,” I said.
Piper groaned, resting her head back on the couch.
“But I want to. You make me want to throw caution to the wind. You make me feel wild.”
Her fingernails dug into my skin and I let out a moan of my own.
“Let’s go upstairs,” I said.
Piper nodded and I got to my feet, my knees completely wobbly. Was this really happening?
Piper took my hand and led me upstairs, stopping briefly to check in on Preston, who was still sleeping.
She opened the door to her bedroom for me and then rested against the door as she closed it.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she said, almost as if she was speaking to herself. “It’s been a while since I was with anyone. So I might be a little out of practice.”
“You can practice on me,” I said. She could practice all night long.
“Come here,” she said, and I went to her. This kiss was pure fire, pure need. She must have been holding back downstairs and now I was bearing the full weight of her desire.
It was too much and not enough.
Piper didn’t fumble as she stripped my shirt over my head, her fingers tracing the edge of my bralette. My chest was small, so I didn’t often wear a full bra. Plus, bralettes were much cuter under yoga clothes.
“Pretty,” she said.
“Thank you. I’m sure it can’t compete with whatever you have on.” I hadn’t looked in the little drawers in her closet for underthings, but I had an image in my head of what she might be wearing under this crisp shirt.
Piper’s only answer was to start unbuttoning her shirt, but I grabbed her hands to stop her.
“Allow me.”
I finished with the buttons and pushed the shirt apart, and then helped her take her arms out.
“What you were expecting?” she asked.
“Better,” I said, taking in the beautiful lace creation that was practically see-through. I could see the exact color of her nipples behind the white lace.
No doubt her bottoms matched.
Piper caressed my nipples, and even through a layer of fabric, I trembled.
“This is very nice, but I’m much more interested in what’s under it,” she said, so I slipped the bralette over my head.
Piper looked at me in awe.
“I want to devour you,” she whispered.
“Go ahead,” I told her.
Piper pushed me toward the bed and then she was kissing my neck, licking my earlobes, and I was completely lost on the pure white bedspread.