“You’re right, Piper. I am a coward. Even right now, when I know without a doubt that I fucking love you, I want to run from it. But I’m not going to. I love you and I want to fight for you, Piper. Tell me how to fight for you. Anything, and I’ll do it.”
A sob lodges in my throat. “The dance studio…”
“Was the only thing I could think to show you that I care.”
“Nana…”
He grins. “Spunky lady.”
Looping my arms around his neck, I blink back mytears and smile back. “You wanted to take care of her. If there’s anything you could do to fight for me, that was it.”
His hand cups the back of my head as he presses his forehead to mine. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t ever push me away again.”
His fingers curl possessively in my hair. “I’m never letting you go.”
He gathers me hard against him as his lips land on mine and we’re sealed in an all-consuming kiss. My spirit flutters and blooms. It fills me like oxygen after I’ve been suffocating, pushing out all the poison and flooding me with life.
Our hands are suddenly everywhere, ripping clothes off, throwing them on the floor as we stumble back into the living room. Nate lays me on the rug beside the fireplace, his warm body covering mine. Cupping my face between his hands, he nuzzles my neck and kisses behind my ear.
“There’s another kind of contract we can extend indefinitely, you know.”
I’m so consumed with running my hands over his hard body that I don’t process what he said right away. He moves down, kissing along my collarbone, between my breasts, and when he unhooks my bra and pulls a nipple into his mouth, I abandon his words and let myself sink into the sensations. It’s been so long, too long, and I’m desperate to feel all of him.
He works his mouth lower, lower, his lips teasing the sensitive flesh across my hips while his fingers stroke the insides of my thighs. As soon as he has my panties off I open my legs eagerly for him, grabbing handfuls of his hair as he puts his mouth on me.
“Yes,” I moan.
And then I just fly away with it, consumed, owned by every stroke of his tongue. He works one orgasm out of me, then another, before lifting up on his arms to peer down at me.
Reaching for his cock, I stroke him a few times before urging him lower, but he resists my efforts.
“Did you hear what I said?”
Arching my hips, I try to wrap a leg around him to draw him into me. “Yes.”
Nate smiles and pulls back playfully. “And?”
“I’ll let you know. Let me test the goods first. It’s been a while. I forgot if it’s worth it or not.”
Grinning, I grab his hips and pull, but he doesn’t budge.
“You’re a needy girl, aren’t you?”
“Can you blame me? It’s been so long.”
He covers my body and moves between my legs, the fat tip of his cock slipping into me with ease. The sigh of relief that bursts out of me is so raw. This is the best feeling in the entire world. Nate slips into me inch by inch, slowly, torturing me when I need him so much.
“Say yes and you can sample the goods every day. As many times as you want, for the rest of your life.”
He plunges into me, all the way to the hilt, and I can’t speak until he begins to slowly thrust.
“Nate Windemere, are you asking me to marry you?”
“What if I am?”
He thrusts hard and I cry out what sounds like a yes. Maybe. I don’t know. Suddenly, he’s riding me hard and I’m meeting every thrust, so desperate to feel his releasemix with mine. I’ve missed this so much. We’ve missed so much, but no more.
