Page 73 of Secret Baby Next Door
A few moments later, I was back down in the kitchen. Piper was there, a glass of wine in her hand as she waited for Mick to come in from the backyard.
“Hey. She do alright?”
“She was fine; sleeping like a rock.”
I stepped over to her. Without a word and without a moment’s hesitation, she rested her head on my shoulder. We stayed like that for a time, Mick finishing up his business and soon coming in.
“I don’t know what to say. That room... it’s magical. I can’t imagine what it’d be like to be a girl her age and have a space like that.”
“That’s what I had in mind. You told me about how hard things were for you growing up, so I figured it’d be nice to give her something that a girl like her would love.”
“You did perfect. The look on her face when she first laid eyes on that room... I’ll never forget it. And I’d bet that you won’t, either.”
“You’d win that bet. Makes me understand the whole spoiling kids thing.”
She chuckled. “Trust me, it’s hard. She’ll ask you for something and you’llknowthe answer should be no, but then she’ll look at you with those big, brown eyes and pout just so. Your heart melts and you know there’s nothing to do but give in. At least, that’s what happens until you remember that giving her whatever she wants is a fast track to raising a little terror.”
I wrapped my arm around her waist, Mick plodding in and beelining for his water bowl. Piper took in a deep breath, her body pressing against mine. There was something perfect about that moment, the two of us looking out over the yard, the cicadas singing their songs as the tree branches lolled in the cool, summer night breeze.
“You want to know the truth? I can’t imagine her ever being a little terror,” I said.
Piper chuckled. “Famous last words. But I’ve got a good feeling you’ll find a nice balance between doting on her and sticking to the rules. You’ve got a knack for this parenting thing; I can tell.”
“Not to mention I've got you at my side. We’ll do this together.”
She turned to me, lifting her head from my shoulder. “That’s right. Together.”
I glanced down at Piper, at those gorgeous eyes of hers, and knew instantly that there was no resisting what I wanted. I placed her chin in the crook of my finger and tilted her head up, her lips wet and crying out for a kiss.
So, I gave her one.
Her mouth was soft and plush against mine, a slow draw of air pulling into her as she turned and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. I kept my hands on her hips, pulling her toward me, her breasts pressing against my chest.
“God, I want you so badly,” I said, taking my lips from her mouth for just long enough to speak before covering her neck in kisses.
“The feeling’s more than mutual, handsome. But...”
“Yeah. Kid upstairs.”
She pulled away from me, a smile on her face. “As much as I'd like for you to take me right here in the kitchen, you never know when a certain someone’s going to want a midnight snack.”
“Upstairs,” I said. “I think I've solved the where you’re going to sleep tonight matter.”
“Is that right?”
“Yep.” I reached around and placed my hand on her ass, squeezing its fullness through her jeans. She gasped, closing her eyes and biting down on her lower lip as I did.
“I’m thinking I'm on board with that.” She opened her eyes, grinning as she reached around and grabbed my rear in the same way I'd done to her. “I can give as good as I get, remember.”
“I remember. Now, show me more.”
I took her hand, and the two of us hurried out of the kitchen and made our way upstairs. We rushed to my bedroom and shut the door behind us. I had just enough time to flick on a light before we were all over each other once again. The kissing was hard and intense, as if we were making up for lost time, all those kisses we’d missed.
Right in the middle of it, however, Piper took her lips from mine and stepped back, a curious expression on her face as if something had suddenly occurred to her.
“What is it?” I asked. “Everything alright?”
She smiled, shaking her head. “Nothing. Just realizing how much nicer a bedroom looks when it’s not stuffed full of unpacked boxes.”
