“Yep. Same as I was when I was nine and I stole your bra. In my defense, I felt like I’d stolen Wonder Woman’s lasso.”
She blinked at him. “Oh my God. I remember that! You were such a brat. But a cute brat.”
“Aw, that’s sweet of you.” He laughed. “And you were the prettiest thing I’d ever seen. Then and now.”
The mood changed, from pleasant reminiscing to sexual. With little Grant Weston!
“I’m older than you,” she blurted, not sure why.
His satisfied smile was its own answer, though he added, “Yes, you are.” He scooted closer and tossed her pillow to the floor. Then he tugged at the blanket. “Piper?”
“Grant?” Her death grip on the blanket tightened.
“Can I kiss you?”
“Why?” Ack! No. I should have said no.
“Because I can’t stop thinking about it. Maybe once I do it, I can focus on the TV and you won’t be so tense.”
“Me? Tense?” Her laugh fell flat, mostly because Grant’s glance went from her white-knuckle grip to her mouth.
“You can keep the blanket between us. I just want a kiss.”
To Piper, there was no “just” about a kiss. But this was Grant, someone she’d once known, and someone for whom she felt an extraordinary attraction. Ever since Sam, she’d had doubts about herself as a woman. And even that one short-lived relationship after Sam had petered out quickly. Why not let herself kiss a handsome man, just for fun?
“Okay, but if it’s slimy, I’m going to tell you.”
He grinned. “I’ll hold you to it.”
“And don’t get weird after. It’s just a kiss.” Said more for herself than Grant.
“I thought you knew. I’m already weird.”
“Not what I meant—oof.” He’d lifted her, blanket and all, into his lap as if she weighed nothing. “Grant?”
“A simple little kiss,” he said before cupping her face with warm hands that were callused, large, but so gentle as they held her.
His kiss felt tentative, careful, and surprisingly hot.
Piper didn’t know what she’d expected, but sexual chemistry was not it. She hadn’t seen this guy in years. Hadn’t even thought about him much, to tell the truth. And though yes, she found him extremely good-looking, she hadn’t been turned by a pretty face in a while.
So now, to feel as if she might combust because strong arms held her and his mouth tasted better than smooth caramel? Insane.
She leaned closer, wanting more. The soft, featherlight kiss deepened. But not enough.
Piper pulled back and watched him open his eyes, the brilliant blue color clouded with passion.
His voice husky, he said, “See? Just a little kiss.”
She couldn’t feel him, swaddled up in the blanket and now overly warm. And that annoyed her. “That kiss was too short for a real test.”
“Too short?” His voice broke, and he flushed.
Piper grinned. “Yep.”
“But it wasn’t slimy.”
“Nah. Just too short.”
