Page 23 of A Perfect Match
I don’t know who moves first, but the air whooshes out of my lungs and suddenly my lips are against his.The scent of wood smoke fills my senses, mixed with the manly tang of his cologne that takes me straight back to the intimate cocoon we created in Cleveland.One kiss turns into two, then his lips are parting, inviting me to do the same.His tongue presses into my mouth, searching for mine.I whimper as his hand finds the back of my neck.His touch sends electricity skating through my limbs and I push higher onto my tiptoes, begging for more.
He lets out a soft grunt as our kisses go from tentative to unrestrained.Heat pools between my legs.Yes, I remember this.I remember it so well, and I don’t just want more of it,I need it.
“Does that remind you?”His voice sounds drugged as he breaks away.His rough fingers are buried in the hair at the nape of my neck, sending tingles down my spine.
I can see the haze of arousal in his eyes; maybe I’d feel it pressed against my hip if it weren’t for this damn fence in the way.Suddenly, none of the awkwardness or bitterness about recent events matters.I just want this man between my legs again.Face buried in the V of my thighs like it was in Cleveland, sending me to heights of pleasure that I hadn’t even known existed.
“Mmmm,” I begin, my eyes fluttering shut.
“You need another reminder, huh?”
I nod, and he tugs on my hair before dipping back down.His lips consume mine, and we’re fucking each other’s tongues when Griffin’s voice pierces the air.
“Piper?”
Fuck.I disconnect from Kru with a gasp, like I’ve just come up from the bottom of the ocean.And in a way, that’s what this is.My attraction to Kru submerges me to a dangerous level—I need to stay up where there’s air.Clarity.Logic.
“I need to go,” I bite out, ripping myself away from him.Except those kisses erased the rest of the thoughts in my brain.I forgot about the snag.About the rose bush and the death grip of the thorns.My shirt is still snagged as I begin sidling out of the foliage.
“Piper,” Kru starts.
“Sorry.I need to leave.”
My head is cloudy.My limbs are desperate to stay near Kru.But my brain knows Griffin can’t find out I just kissed the man responsible for making me homeless, so I plow toward the house.
Rrrrrrrrip.
I stumble a few steps away, still kiss-drunk.I feel the breeze across my belly before I notice I’m no longer wearing a shirt.Just my bra.My T-shirt dangles from the thorny claw of the rose bush.Kru just smirks at me, and I hurry toward the house.
"Don’t ask,” I warn Griffin as I speed past him into the house.
“A few questions come to mind,” he says, but I don’t let him ask a thing before I’m shut in my bedroom.
I need some time—and space—to myself after what just happened in the backyard.My heart is pounding and all I can think about ismore.
More of that sweet pause.More kisses.MoreKru.
But everything in my life right now is telling me I should have as little Kru as possible.
CHAPTER EIGHT
KRU
I may be a chef on various reality TV shows, but I'm starting to think my true calling is as a fence enthusiast.
Because holy shit, what happened at my rental home’s fence line last night has been playing on repeat in my brain all fucking morning.
Piper Keegan kissed me.Well, technically I kissed her, but she was the one who leaned in first, who made those soft little noises in the back of her throat that drove me absolutely insane.The same noises she made back in Cleveland when we—
"Kru, you with me?"Pat, the producer, snaps his fingers in front of my face."We need to finalize the shot list for today."
"Yeah.Sorry."I run a hand through my hair, trying to focus."Where were we?"
"Final walk-through.We'll get some B-roll of you checking out the final details in each area of the building and then on the patio."Pat gestures broadly as he speaks, visualizing the shots."I want to have a nice sit-down in the kitchen too.Something emotional.You’re good at waxing poetic about ingredients.”
I snort laugh.I’ve offered up plenty of impassioned monologues about garlic and gastropubs and all manner of food service since we started filming.I’m one rant away from starting my own podcast.
“Just say the word, and I’ll give you a thirty-minute ode to your food item of choice.Plus a food joke as a bonus.”
