Holding himself up on his elbows, he kissed her sweaty temple, her damp cheek, and stroked her arms as she cooled off.
By the time he rolled off of her, exhaustion had set in and sleep had all but taken her. He pulled her up against him just as he had the night before.
Two nights in a row he’d held Piper in his arms.
Two nights to memorize the feel of her before she returned to her life, and he to his, whatever his life may be.
9
the fall
PIPER ROLLED TO HER SIDE and stretched her arms up to the headboard while pointing and flexing her toes. Every muscle protested the movement, but she didn’t care. She’d suffer for the next week, but every minute had been worth it.
Under the cover of darkness, they’d explored each other, with few words, instead using their hands, arms, and lips to convey the feelings racing through them. The sense of urgency increased as the night went on, as if the thieving dawn had the power to strip away what they’d found.
Now, as the sun rose over the lake and the morning crept up on them, she had no idea what to expect, other than another day, another performance.
Behind her, Trevor’s hand dove into her messy hair, finding her scalp, and massaged the nape of her neck before his fingers curled into the strands. He tugged, just enough to tell her who’s boss, enough to turn her on, but not to hurt.
Never hurt.
She shivered when his lips found her shoulder. “Good morning, Trouble.”
Her eyelids fluttered shut as she appreciated the remnants of the night before and his sensual greeting. “Mmmmm, good morning.”
“You hungry?” he asked.
“Ravenous.”
“Why don’t you take a shower and I’ll go see what I can steal from the breakfast options to bring back to you.”
She craned her neck around to meet his gaze. “I’d welcome any pilfered food you can bring my way.”
“You got it.” He slapped her ass cheek and rolled away. She studied him as he slid on a pair of sweats and stretched an Ohio State t-shirt over his broad chest.
Yeah, she’d hit that. The thought made her giggle, earning a smirk from Trevor.
“What are you up to over there?”
“Nothing,” she said.
“Uh huh, sure. I’ll be back soon,” he said as he ducked out the door.
She didn’t want to leave this room and step into the uncertainty that lay behind the door. The minute they had to play a role before others, this all disappeared with no guarantee that she could have it again.
She lounged in bed for ten minutes before she forced herself out. She lingered in the shower for another twenty after that. She stepped out of the steam of the bathroom wrapped in a thick towel to find Trevor sitting on the bed taking a bite out of a croissant.
When he spotted her, his jaw stopped, seemingly unable to chew while he devoured her with his eyes. His intense inspection had her fidgeting with her towel as the memories of them from last night raced through her fevered mind.
He finally gulped, but put the rest of the pastry down. “Come here.”
She stepped up to him and waited.
He unhooked the corner of the towel where she had tucked it above her breast and pulled it free. The towel fell away leaving her more exposed than she had ever been. Before, she’d had the benefit of the darkness and subtle lighting.
So now, as he looked his fill, she fought the urge to squirm and cover herself. She didn’t look like she did in high school. A late bloomer, who definitely bloomed, she had shed her lithe figure a couple years into college, leaving her a little too thick. The fitted dresses she wore actually helped her hide the fact by sucking her in in all the right places.
Well, that and the Spanx.
The fact that Rachel was tits on a stick and Trevor had been with her only made Piper more aware of what she lacked. “Done now?” she said with more bite than she intended.
He gripped her hip and glanced up to her. “Why are you mad?”
“I’m just not used to the personal inspections.”
“Nice try, Trouble, I’m not buying the bullshit you’re selling.”
She picked up the towel and tucked it around herself again. “I don’t need to stand here and have you point out all the ways I’m not Rachel. Plenty of men like me just the way I am. Not starving.”
He clenched his teeth and pushed off the bed. He stood over her, only by a couple inches, but with the anger radiating off him, it might as well have been a foot. “When did I ever once say any-thing disparaging about your looks or your body?”
“I—”
“You know what, you need to close your mouth.”
“You just asked—”
“And we both know the goddamned answer,” he snapped.
She grabbed his forearm. “Shhh, dammit. They’ll hear you.”
His face turned red and his nostrils flared with the effort to control his temper. The veins in his temple stood out against his skin showing her just how much keeping silent cost him.
“Look. Don’t go putting any of your self-image baggage on me. Did I give you any indication that I had one complaint about your body last night?”
“Well—”
“The answer is no, I didn’t. Did my hard cock last night confuse you?”
She glared at him as anger and the urge to fight welled up inside of her. “Hey, you don’t need to be rude,” she said.
“Rude. Rude?” He stood so close his breath fanned over her cheek. “Like when you treated me as though all I care about is some skin and bones piece of ass?”
She had done that.
Shit.
And in doing so, slid right back into the self-doubt she’d worked so hard to escape from. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply that. I’ve had a few find my body…lacking.”
He hooked his fingers around the top of the towel, backed her up to the dresser, spun her around to stand in front of the mirror, and flicked open the terrycloth. Standing behind her, his eyes locked with hers. “Don’t lump me in with other men, Piper. With our history, I deserve better than that.”
With their history, yes. However, it was his history that played in a continuous loop in her head, scarring her like a record needle skipping, leaving a deep scratch in the vinyl. She hated it. “I’m sorry, Trevor.”
“Let’s talk about what I see, just so we are crystal clear.” He traced his fingertips over her shoulders. “You always have your shoulders back and tall, you’re proud, but a part of that is defiance. You challenge people with this body. You use your tight dresses and stilettos to instigate a response. If they roll over and drool, they build your confidence. If they nitpick, you’re ready for battle.”
Piper took a shallow breath, his assessment way to close for comfort. Like, spot-on close. Almost as if he had kept just as close an eye on her as she did him. And maybe for longer than just this weekend.
Hope flared within her as she tried to see everything he did.
“You’re also caring and attentive to others. You use that same set of your shoulders, but you lean in and listen. I’ve never seen someone listen like you. You do it with all five senses and that’s how people know you care.”