“I did, and the year before that. I’ve never gotten to dance under the stars with anyone. Elli and Shea always did, but I was always left out since the guys I brought were all duds.”
“Duds?” he asked, fighting back a grin.
She let out a long breath and said, “The year before, I was dating this ice cleaner who Jakob hooked me up with. He’s gone now, moved out west or something. Anyway, he was horrible and didn’t like to dance. The year before that I was dating this computer geek who didn’t know his left foot from his right. So sad.”
“Horribly sad,” Erik muttered as music slowly filled the air around them.
“Yeah,” she said in a huff before crossing her legs and leaning farther back in her chair. Biting his lip to keep from laughing, he glanced over at her to see that she had her arms crossed over her belly and her lip jutted in a pout.
Man, she was cute.
“Piper.” She glanced over at him and a grin took over his face when she met his gaze. He then asked, “Would you like to dance with me?”
He could tell she couldn’t contain her giddiness as she squealed, “Yes!”
Shaking his head, he stood, taking her hand in his before bringing her down the dock, closer to shore. Twirling her out, he brought her back into his arms and smiled when she gave him a dazzling grin while laying her head on his chest. Erik took in a deep breath, enjoying her intoxicating scent. Moving his hands down the middle of her back, he rested them above her ass as they swayed to the beautiful melody.
“Did you date a lot of people?”
When Piper glanced up at him, she seemed surprised by his question. Even Erik was surprised he asked. He usually didn’t take the time to ask questions, but he wanted to know. He wanted to know everything about her.
A smile pulled at Piper’s lips as she shrugged her shoulders. “Not too many, but a few.”
“Been in love?”
She laughed as she rolled her eyes. “Why?”
“Just want to know.”
“Okay,” she said with a laugh, “Um, I’ve been in love three times.”
“Cool.”
“Have you?”
“Nope.”
She nodded before laying her head on his chest again. He held her close, feeling her heartbeat against his chest as they moved slowly along the dock.
“Have you been with a lot of people, Erik?”
Erik nodded in affirmation as he gathered her closer. He didn’t know why she asked. She had to know the answer but he still gave it.
“Yeah.”
“Do you miss it?”
“Not as much as I thought I would,” he said softly. She pulled back, looking up at him bewildered.
“Why?”
“I have no clue,” he said, his breathing increasing as he focused on her heated gaze. Seconds turned into minutes and soon he found himself asking the same question. “Have you been with a lot of men?”
Piper shook her head slowly, her eyes full of lust as she whispered, “Eleven, including you.”
Erik’s heart kicked up in speed at the thought of another man touching her. He didn’t like that, but he wasn’t going to analyze why.
“Piper.”
She blinked once, still completely locked in his gaze as she whispered, “Yeah?”
He moved closer to her, his body molding around her belly while his eyes never left hers. He moved his hands up her arms and cupped her neck, his eyes searching hers, waiting for something to tell him to stop. All lights were green, though, and with one last breath, he said, “Come here, I need to kiss you. Now.”
Without another thought, Erik dropped his lips to hers. When their lips met there was no stopping this kiss.
Moving his fingers up the back of her neck, pulling her closer to him to deepen the kiss, he fiercely moved his tongue along hers. Her hands came up, cupping his neck as she moved her mouth with his, biting at his lips before deepening the kiss even more. It was maddening and he never wanted her to stop. Moving his hands down her back, he cupped her bottom, lifting her off the ground to bring her mouth closer to him. Her arms wrapped around his neck, kissing him harder as he squeezed her to him. He could feel the bump of their child against his own stomach. As they parted, both were out of breath. Erik took a deep breath in, her breath mingling with his as a grin formed on her beautiful, swollen mouth. Looking into her eyes, he knew things were about to change.
And he also knew there was no turning back.
Piper’s heart was jackhammering against her ribs.
She must have forgotten how amazing Erik’s kisses were, because at that moment she was stunned from the feeling coursing throughout her body. Looking deep into his eyes, she gasped for breath as she tried to figure out what was going to happen next. His lips were inches from hers. His breath was basically her breath. His hands held her tightly to him. It was exhilarating and mind-blowing all in one. A part of her wanted to ask if this was real, if he really meant to consume her with kisses, but she already knew the answer. She could feel the evidence of his want against her legs and see it in his beautiful eyes.
And boy, did she want him, too.
“We have two choices,” he whispered against her lips, his molten gaze holding hers.
“And they are?” she asked, running her foot up the back of his leg and hooking it around his knee. His eyes closed in response as he nipped at her bottom lip, his fingers digging into the backs of her thighs.
“We can either try to make it to the house, or we can just do it here. I vote for here.”
“Duds?” he asked, fighting back a grin.
She let out a long breath and said, “The year before, I was dating this ice cleaner who Jakob hooked me up with. He’s gone now, moved out west or something. Anyway, he was horrible and didn’t like to dance. The year before that I was dating this computer geek who didn’t know his left foot from his right. So sad.”
“Horribly sad,” Erik muttered as music slowly filled the air around them.
“Yeah,” she said in a huff before crossing her legs and leaning farther back in her chair. Biting his lip to keep from laughing, he glanced over at her to see that she had her arms crossed over her belly and her lip jutted in a pout.
Man, she was cute.
“Piper.” She glanced over at him and a grin took over his face when she met his gaze. He then asked, “Would you like to dance with me?”
He could tell she couldn’t contain her giddiness as she squealed, “Yes!”
Shaking his head, he stood, taking her hand in his before bringing her down the dock, closer to shore. Twirling her out, he brought her back into his arms and smiled when she gave him a dazzling grin while laying her head on his chest. Erik took in a deep breath, enjoying her intoxicating scent. Moving his hands down the middle of her back, he rested them above her ass as they swayed to the beautiful melody.
“Did you date a lot of people?”
When Piper glanced up at him, she seemed surprised by his question. Even Erik was surprised he asked. He usually didn’t take the time to ask questions, but he wanted to know. He wanted to know everything about her.
A smile pulled at Piper’s lips as she shrugged her shoulders. “Not too many, but a few.”
“Been in love?”
She laughed as she rolled her eyes. “Why?”
“Just want to know.”
“Okay,” she said with a laugh, “Um, I’ve been in love three times.”
“Cool.”
“Have you?”
“Nope.”
She nodded before laying her head on his chest again. He held her close, feeling her heartbeat against his chest as they moved slowly along the dock.
“Have you been with a lot of people, Erik?”
Erik nodded in affirmation as he gathered her closer. He didn’t know why she asked. She had to know the answer but he still gave it.
“Yeah.”
“Do you miss it?”
“Not as much as I thought I would,” he said softly. She pulled back, looking up at him bewildered.
“Why?”
“I have no clue,” he said, his breathing increasing as he focused on her heated gaze. Seconds turned into minutes and soon he found himself asking the same question. “Have you been with a lot of men?”
Piper shook her head slowly, her eyes full of lust as she whispered, “Eleven, including you.”
Erik’s heart kicked up in speed at the thought of another man touching her. He didn’t like that, but he wasn’t going to analyze why.
“Piper.”
She blinked once, still completely locked in his gaze as she whispered, “Yeah?”
He moved closer to her, his body molding around her belly while his eyes never left hers. He moved his hands up her arms and cupped her neck, his eyes searching hers, waiting for something to tell him to stop. All lights were green, though, and with one last breath, he said, “Come here, I need to kiss you. Now.”
Without another thought, Erik dropped his lips to hers. When their lips met there was no stopping this kiss.
Moving his fingers up the back of her neck, pulling her closer to him to deepen the kiss, he fiercely moved his tongue along hers. Her hands came up, cupping his neck as she moved her mouth with his, biting at his lips before deepening the kiss even more. It was maddening and he never wanted her to stop. Moving his hands down her back, he cupped her bottom, lifting her off the ground to bring her mouth closer to him. Her arms wrapped around his neck, kissing him harder as he squeezed her to him. He could feel the bump of their child against his own stomach. As they parted, both were out of breath. Erik took a deep breath in, her breath mingling with his as a grin formed on her beautiful, swollen mouth. Looking into her eyes, he knew things were about to change.
And he also knew there was no turning back.
Piper’s heart was jackhammering against her ribs.
She must have forgotten how amazing Erik’s kisses were, because at that moment she was stunned from the feeling coursing throughout her body. Looking deep into his eyes, she gasped for breath as she tried to figure out what was going to happen next. His lips were inches from hers. His breath was basically her breath. His hands held her tightly to him. It was exhilarating and mind-blowing all in one. A part of her wanted to ask if this was real, if he really meant to consume her with kisses, but she already knew the answer. She could feel the evidence of his want against her legs and see it in his beautiful eyes.
And boy, did she want him, too.
“We have two choices,” he whispered against her lips, his molten gaze holding hers.
“And they are?” she asked, running her foot up the back of his leg and hooking it around his knee. His eyes closed in response as he nipped at her bottom lip, his fingers digging into the backs of her thighs.
“We can either try to make it to the house, or we can just do it here. I vote for here.”
