Playing Pretend, page 16
I glance away, unable to hold his gaze when my needs and fears threaten to tear me apart all while that stupid device keeps me on the brink of suffering. My tolerance no longer cares that it remains on the lowest setting. All this talk of kissing is sinking me further into lust. “Level five. Ten-thirty deadline, and…”
“Kissing,” he answers for me. “I need to be able to kiss you, Piper.”
I need it, too. I want to devour him, but I know how much that will hurt.
“One kiss,” I offer.
“When I want,” he bargains. “Where I want.”
The twist of my stomach warns me not to concede. But I can’t deny the flutter in my chest.
“Deal.” Nausea swirls in my gut. Preemptive regret and worry over what this will do to our friendship.
I’m making a mistake and I can’t stop myself.
More couples join us on the dance floor, five or six, all of them shimmying to the fast pace of the song while Rome and I remain stuck in our own slow rhythm.
His arm leaves my back, his hand sliding into his pocket.
I brace for the increase to my torment, my pussy muscles clenched, my teeth digging into my bottom lip. It’s light, the gentlest escalation, yet so much more powerful than the first time after hours of stimulation.
“I’ve got you,” Rome vows.
I don’t want him to have me. I don’t. And in the same breath I can concede it’s all I’ve ever wanted.
I want him to have me. To hold me. To continue consuming me. But he’s a lifelong bachelor. A man with no experience or interest in commitment. The two of us don’t compute in the capacity I yearn for.
We never will.
The device slides up another notch, level three taking hold with devastating effects.
I suck in a breath and release his hand, sliding my palms around his neck to cling tight while I nuzzle my nose against his throat.
“Good girl,” he whispers. “I love how you take what I give without complaint.”
“Would complaining help?”
“No, but if you beg me to make you come, I’d make sure you got there a lot quicker.”
There will be no begging.
All I have to do is endure an hour of his tantalizingly filthy mouth while his sex toy runs rings around my normally stale libido. Roughly fifteen to twenty songs. And far less once I demand a bathroom break.
“Are you going to beg?” he purrs.
“Never.”
His chuckle is a bare murmur of breath near my ear. “Then are you ready for level four?”
My already exhausted muscles tighten. It’s better when I don’t have notice. When anticipation doesn’t ramp me far higher than the vibrations demand. “Yes, get it over and done with.”
He delves into his pocket. Bumps my rapture up a grade.
Goddammit. I don’t know how I’m going to last.
My panties are drenched. My core aches. Every single nerve in my body is prepped and ready for a climax I fight to suppress.
“I can’t do this,” I whimper. “Not here. Not in front of everyone.”
“You’ve done it before.”
I shake my head, trying to deny the memory, but it floods me with an agonizingly pleasurable reaction.
“You rocked that sweet pussy against my thigh until you came undone in a place far more illuminated and scandalous than this.” He presses his thigh between mine, adding the slightest maddening friction to my clit.
I bite the inside of my cheek. Stab my nails into my palms behind his neck.
Nothing helps. I’m too close.
The throb is relentless. I gasp, my core clenching, my back arching… Then the vibrations stop and all those explosive sensations subside.
I groan. “Why did you turn it off?”
“You’ll appreciate the release more when you’ve earned it,” he promises against my ear.
No, I won’t. Because if this continues any longer, I’ll be a puddle on the floor in front of my colleagues. “Quit dragging this out.”
“You’re not enjoying the journey?” His thigh presses harder between mine, teasing my clit. “Your needy gasps are the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard. And those nails digging into my skin… Goddamnit, Piper, I want them scarring my back.”
I’ve never been described as sexy in my entire life. Not by lovers. Not by friends. But hearing those words makes my stomach flip in ways I wish it wouldn’t. Exciting, addictive ways that will only cause more complications.
He nuzzles the side of my face, his lips teasing a breath away from my skin. “Can’t you imagine having your nails scarring my shoulders while your mouth is smashed to mine as you climax?”
I can imagine every part of it.
Our sweat-slicked skin.
Our panted breaths.
His hard length.
“I want my cum inside you, Piper. I want to taste myself between your thighs.”
Fuck.
The visual pushes me closer to the edge without any need for vibration. My body is one big mess of need.
“Beg me to make you come,” he murmurs, “and I’ll grant your wish.”
No. I won’t.
“Beg, little Pip, and I won’t leave you wanting.”
My limbs tremble under the weight of dopamine flooding my system. Under the harsh severity of biting need.
“Beg,” he growls. “Don’t keep me waiting.”
I squeeze my eyes shut, wanting to deny him, needing it. But I can’t. I’m too weak. Every inch of me quakes with desire, my panties entirely decimated with lust.
“Please.” I whimper. “Please, Rome.
“That’s my good girl.”
The praise in his tone is a killer. It slays me as one hand slides from my back, delving into his pocket, and level five shoves me over the edge.
I collapse farther into him, trying to hide, but he pulls back to claim my chin with a strong grip, one arm still holding me tight as I come undone.
He stares at me while I fight not to scream my pleasure. While my pussy flutters and my heart burns.
The intensity in his eyes enslaves me, the delirious glaze of lust so exquisitely rich as my core throbs over and over again.
I want him to kiss me. I want his mouth to punish mine while I come. But all he does is stare, barely blinking, not missing one second of my undoing.
He releases my chin to gently stroke loose strands of hair from my face. “I could watch you orgasm every day for the rest of my life.”
I suck in a breath as the last fading flutters of climax keep me speechless.
“I could spend my days exposing you to the most wicked sex acts and die a happy man.”
“Stop.” I can’t listen to his act anymore. And even if he’s being truthful, he’s taking this too far.
We’re friends. The benefits and games can’t extend beyond tonight. Not when he prefers to play the field. I won’t risk what we have for cheap thrills.
I want love. Commitment. Devotion.
Rome has never possessed those attributes. Not once. Not ever.
“Please turn off the device.” I remove my hands from his neck and drag my arms to my chest, cradling them like a barrier between us while I struggle to regain my equilibrium.
He does as requested, then returns to holding me in both arms as the world comes back into view—the couples dancing around us at a far faster beat, my colleagues chatting at nearby tables, the DJ with his headphones and flashing lights.
Regret seeps into my heart, filtering through my veins.
I said I could handle this.
I knew the aftermath would be brutal, and now it’s time to face it.
Pete and his wife dance a few feet away, their smiles cast in our direction.
“You two look so great together.” My boss’s wife raises her voice over the music. “You’re the perfect couple.”
Pain mingles with my remorse.
“Thank you.” I choke on the words.
I can’t stand here and pretend I don’t feel things for Rome far beyond friendship.
He has always been my tether. My true north. Now I’m a spinning compass. My axis wobbles with no grounding.
I inch away, unable to look him in the eye. “I need to freshen up.”
He nods. “I’ll walk you to the bathroom.”
“No.” I place a hand on his chest. “I need to go back to the suite.” I have to shower, clear my head, figure out a plan, and I need to do it alone.
Things have changed.
We’re something different now.
I’m something different. Something that messes with the foundation of what I’ve relied on all my life.
He steps closer, reclaiming the space between us, his hands possessively tight on my hips as his mouth leans toward my ear. “The night isn’t over. I have until ten-thirty. So do what you need to do in the bathroom, then return to me.”
My throat tightens with panic. “I need a shower.”
“If you go back to the room, Piper, I’ll be claiming the kiss I’m owed in private.” He pulls back, his eyes meeting mine with an animalistic intensity that is on a whole new level. A level I’m not sure I can survive. “And it’ll be my mouth between your thighs. Do you understand me?”
CHAPTER 16
Rome
Her lips part. Her eyes widen.
It takes the last ounce of my restraint not to smash my mouth over hers and claim the kiss I’m owed, but I need that for later.
“I’ll use the restrooms down here.” She retreats, my hands slowly falling from her body. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
“You sure?” I’ve crossed many lines. Trampled them. But fuck does it feel good. “I’m more than willing to take this to our suite.”
“Rome,” she warns, her chin raising. “I’ll be back soon.” She strides from the dance area, past tables, and out into the hall.
I should’ve told her not to remove the toy. How I’m not done making her feel good. But I’m not at the top of my strategy game because my surging hunger and thundering heart make it hard to think.
I measure my stride back to our table, once again thankful for the dim lighting and my suit jacket that hides how my dick stabs at my pants zipper.
We’re definitely taking this further tonight.
I’ve proven we’re physically compatible. We both know we’re emotionally tight. There is no reason not to jump to the next step and make this official. No reason except her insecurities.
I take my seat at the empty table, the rest of Piper’s colleagues either dancing or chatting around the edges of the room.
I hail a waitress while I will my throbbing cock to settle. Order a double. Then force myself to remain seated while my mind creates fantasies where I stalk after Piper, pin her against the public bathroom vanity, then sink my dick into the one place I know will feel like home.
My leg jolts beneath the table, my impatience growing as the waitress returns with my drink, but Piper doesn’t.
Come on, little Pip. It’s dangerous to keep me waiting.
I get that she needs time to freshen up. To regain her composure. And those perfect panties of hers would be dripping.
I throw back the scotch in two gulps. Wipe a hand over my mouth. Then the back of my neck. I act like a junky in need of a fix all in an attempt not to adjust the throbbing erection attempting to perforate my pants.
When the song ends and another begins, I pivot my chair to stare at the door. Every time a shadow passes I expect it to be her.
It never is.
Not after two more songs. Then three.
Did she change her mind about returning to our suite? Does she want me to claim my kiss in private?
I push from my chair and stalk from the conference room, making a beeline for the bathrooms.
Cassidy saunters out of the ladies’ as I arrive, her smile increasing as our eyes meet. “Fancy seeing you here.” There’s a tipsy rasp to her voice. “Are you having a good night?”
“Yeah. Is Piper okay in there?”
“In the bathroom?” Her brows furrow. “She’s not in there. I passed her going to the elevators on my way in.”
My dick jolts.
I warned Piper what would happen if she returned to the suite. I made it perfectly clear. Yet she went anyway.
She made the decision.
She took the final step.
“Thanks.” I struggle to keep my excitement in check. “I’ll see you later.”
“You’re calling it a night?”
I jog for the lobby. “Not even close.”
I reach the elevators and slap the call button, my pulse uncontrollable. I tap my foot. Clench my fists. I sweat fucking bullets waiting for the chime to announce my ride to heaven, but it doesn’t come.
Fuck it.
I run for the fire escape, yank the door open, then sprint up the stairs. By the time I reach the third floor, the adrenaline and alcohol in my system have formed a volatile cocktail of lust that has my hands shaking.
I pull my room card from my pocket, my dick hard as stone when I place the plastic against the security panel.
I picture her on the bed, shy yet sinful as she waits for me.
I’ll make the agonizing years we’ve spent living without each other worth our while.
I’ll taste every part of her.
Kiss every inch.
There won’t be any sleep for us tonight. Maybe all fucking week.
I shove the door open, grinning as I step inside. “I’m surprised you—”
My words are cut short by the sight of her, my feet turning to cement as I pause in the entry.
Piper stands at the end of the bed, already changed into shorts and a T-shirt, her hair tied into a rough pony as she pauses in the middle of shoving clothes into her suitcase.
All the lust drains from my blood. All the excitement. The hunger.
Fuck.
Dread forms an icy pit in my stomach and evaporates my hope.
I release the door, letting the heavy wood fall shut behind me. “What’s going on?”
She stares at her suitcase, her shoulders rigid. “I need to go home.”
“Why?” It’s a stupid question. I already know why. She’s scared. I pushed her too far, too fast.
“I need space. I can’t play your game anymore.”
I continue toward her. “Piper—”
“Don’t.” She holds up a hand.
That icy pit grows, taking over my chest, infiltrating my lungs. “Talk to me.”
“I can’t do that either. Please just let me leave.”
“You can’t start the long drive at this time of night.”
She shoves a handful of material onto the already messy pile, then closes the case. “It’s not far.”
Fuck. “If you want space, I’ll give it to you. I’ll get another room.”
“No. I want to go home. I want to put all this stupidity behind me and start fresh in the morning.”
“What stupidity? I thought we were having a good time.” I thought she was with me on this. She enjoyed herself in the pool yesterday. She came undone in my arms tonight.
Her body doesn’t lie.
She ignores the question and drags her suitcase off the bed.
“Talk to me,” I demand. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
“How can I talk to you when I can’t even look at you?”
I stiffen, her words a brutal slap. “I’m sorry. Whatever it is, I’m fucking sorry.” I shove a hand through my hair. “Just don’t leave. I’ll give you space. I’ll go to reception and get another suite—”
“I don’t want you to get another suite.” She raises her voice, refusing to raise her gaze from my chest. “What I want you to do is start acting like you’re my best friend.”
“I am your best friend. I’ve always—”
“Are you?” She stabs a verbal sword through my heart. “Because from my perspective, a best friend would never carelessly risk ruining what we have for a little fun.”
“It wasn’t for fun—”
“You know I’m not the type to play your games. I can’t do friends with benefits, or whatever the hell this is.” She rolls her suitcase toward me, her focus on the carpet. “I’m not your entertainment. I’m not your project to fix. I’m meant to be your best friend. Yet this entire weekend has been nothing but complications and one stupid argument after another. What you’ve done is ruining what we have.”
“You are my best friend.” I grab her arm as she attempts to pass me, her muscles stiffening under my touch. I’ve felt that tension before. The shock of contact. But this time, there’s no underlying hint of attraction. This flinch is riddled with friction. With rejection. “This wasn’t merely fun or entertainment.”
“When has sex ever been anything other than entertainment to you?” She twists her arm from my grip. “You’re a guy who’s never had a relationship, and I’m someone who’s never had a successful one, yet you seem to think casually throwing these explicit games into our friendship could be anything other than highly damaging.”
“No. I…” Fuck. Just because we lack experience doesn’t mean we’d be destined to fail. But she’s already made up her mind. And I know her well enough to understand that she won’t backtrack tonight. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I thought…”
“You thought I was enjoying myself.” Finally she meets my gaze, the glassy sheen in her eyes cutting me to the core. “And I was. I enjoyed the way you made me feel. But a best friend should never inspire those feelings.” She lowers her gaze. “I’m not like you, Rome. And I don’t want to be. I value sex. It’s not a cheap and nasty thrill for me.”
Cheap and nasty? That’s how I made her feel?
“We’re two completely different people who should have enough respect for one another not to risk our friendship and our future working relationship with this mess.” She continues to the door, dragging her suitcase behind her. “I’ll see you at home.”
CHAPTER 17
Piper
Remorse kicked in as soon as I drove out of the resort parking lot, the pressure of it compounding the closer I got to home.
I made a mistake. I blamed Rome when it was all my fault.
“Kissing,” he answers for me. “I need to be able to kiss you, Piper.”
I need it, too. I want to devour him, but I know how much that will hurt.
“One kiss,” I offer.
“When I want,” he bargains. “Where I want.”
The twist of my stomach warns me not to concede. But I can’t deny the flutter in my chest.
“Deal.” Nausea swirls in my gut. Preemptive regret and worry over what this will do to our friendship.
I’m making a mistake and I can’t stop myself.
More couples join us on the dance floor, five or six, all of them shimmying to the fast pace of the song while Rome and I remain stuck in our own slow rhythm.
His arm leaves my back, his hand sliding into his pocket.
I brace for the increase to my torment, my pussy muscles clenched, my teeth digging into my bottom lip. It’s light, the gentlest escalation, yet so much more powerful than the first time after hours of stimulation.
“I’ve got you,” Rome vows.
I don’t want him to have me. I don’t. And in the same breath I can concede it’s all I’ve ever wanted.
I want him to have me. To hold me. To continue consuming me. But he’s a lifelong bachelor. A man with no experience or interest in commitment. The two of us don’t compute in the capacity I yearn for.
We never will.
The device slides up another notch, level three taking hold with devastating effects.
I suck in a breath and release his hand, sliding my palms around his neck to cling tight while I nuzzle my nose against his throat.
“Good girl,” he whispers. “I love how you take what I give without complaint.”
“Would complaining help?”
“No, but if you beg me to make you come, I’d make sure you got there a lot quicker.”
There will be no begging.
All I have to do is endure an hour of his tantalizingly filthy mouth while his sex toy runs rings around my normally stale libido. Roughly fifteen to twenty songs. And far less once I demand a bathroom break.
“Are you going to beg?” he purrs.
“Never.”
His chuckle is a bare murmur of breath near my ear. “Then are you ready for level four?”
My already exhausted muscles tighten. It’s better when I don’t have notice. When anticipation doesn’t ramp me far higher than the vibrations demand. “Yes, get it over and done with.”
He delves into his pocket. Bumps my rapture up a grade.
Goddammit. I don’t know how I’m going to last.
My panties are drenched. My core aches. Every single nerve in my body is prepped and ready for a climax I fight to suppress.
“I can’t do this,” I whimper. “Not here. Not in front of everyone.”
“You’ve done it before.”
I shake my head, trying to deny the memory, but it floods me with an agonizingly pleasurable reaction.
“You rocked that sweet pussy against my thigh until you came undone in a place far more illuminated and scandalous than this.” He presses his thigh between mine, adding the slightest maddening friction to my clit.
I bite the inside of my cheek. Stab my nails into my palms behind his neck.
Nothing helps. I’m too close.
The throb is relentless. I gasp, my core clenching, my back arching… Then the vibrations stop and all those explosive sensations subside.
I groan. “Why did you turn it off?”
“You’ll appreciate the release more when you’ve earned it,” he promises against my ear.
No, I won’t. Because if this continues any longer, I’ll be a puddle on the floor in front of my colleagues. “Quit dragging this out.”
“You’re not enjoying the journey?” His thigh presses harder between mine, teasing my clit. “Your needy gasps are the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard. And those nails digging into my skin… Goddamnit, Piper, I want them scarring my back.”
I’ve never been described as sexy in my entire life. Not by lovers. Not by friends. But hearing those words makes my stomach flip in ways I wish it wouldn’t. Exciting, addictive ways that will only cause more complications.
He nuzzles the side of my face, his lips teasing a breath away from my skin. “Can’t you imagine having your nails scarring my shoulders while your mouth is smashed to mine as you climax?”
I can imagine every part of it.
Our sweat-slicked skin.
Our panted breaths.
His hard length.
“I want my cum inside you, Piper. I want to taste myself between your thighs.”
Fuck.
The visual pushes me closer to the edge without any need for vibration. My body is one big mess of need.
“Beg me to make you come,” he murmurs, “and I’ll grant your wish.”
No. I won’t.
“Beg, little Pip, and I won’t leave you wanting.”
My limbs tremble under the weight of dopamine flooding my system. Under the harsh severity of biting need.
“Beg,” he growls. “Don’t keep me waiting.”
I squeeze my eyes shut, wanting to deny him, needing it. But I can’t. I’m too weak. Every inch of me quakes with desire, my panties entirely decimated with lust.
“Please.” I whimper. “Please, Rome.
“That’s my good girl.”
The praise in his tone is a killer. It slays me as one hand slides from my back, delving into his pocket, and level five shoves me over the edge.
I collapse farther into him, trying to hide, but he pulls back to claim my chin with a strong grip, one arm still holding me tight as I come undone.
He stares at me while I fight not to scream my pleasure. While my pussy flutters and my heart burns.
The intensity in his eyes enslaves me, the delirious glaze of lust so exquisitely rich as my core throbs over and over again.
I want him to kiss me. I want his mouth to punish mine while I come. But all he does is stare, barely blinking, not missing one second of my undoing.
He releases my chin to gently stroke loose strands of hair from my face. “I could watch you orgasm every day for the rest of my life.”
I suck in a breath as the last fading flutters of climax keep me speechless.
“I could spend my days exposing you to the most wicked sex acts and die a happy man.”
“Stop.” I can’t listen to his act anymore. And even if he’s being truthful, he’s taking this too far.
We’re friends. The benefits and games can’t extend beyond tonight. Not when he prefers to play the field. I won’t risk what we have for cheap thrills.
I want love. Commitment. Devotion.
Rome has never possessed those attributes. Not once. Not ever.
“Please turn off the device.” I remove my hands from his neck and drag my arms to my chest, cradling them like a barrier between us while I struggle to regain my equilibrium.
He does as requested, then returns to holding me in both arms as the world comes back into view—the couples dancing around us at a far faster beat, my colleagues chatting at nearby tables, the DJ with his headphones and flashing lights.
Regret seeps into my heart, filtering through my veins.
I said I could handle this.
I knew the aftermath would be brutal, and now it’s time to face it.
Pete and his wife dance a few feet away, their smiles cast in our direction.
“You two look so great together.” My boss’s wife raises her voice over the music. “You’re the perfect couple.”
Pain mingles with my remorse.
“Thank you.” I choke on the words.
I can’t stand here and pretend I don’t feel things for Rome far beyond friendship.
He has always been my tether. My true north. Now I’m a spinning compass. My axis wobbles with no grounding.
I inch away, unable to look him in the eye. “I need to freshen up.”
He nods. “I’ll walk you to the bathroom.”
“No.” I place a hand on his chest. “I need to go back to the suite.” I have to shower, clear my head, figure out a plan, and I need to do it alone.
Things have changed.
We’re something different now.
I’m something different. Something that messes with the foundation of what I’ve relied on all my life.
He steps closer, reclaiming the space between us, his hands possessively tight on my hips as his mouth leans toward my ear. “The night isn’t over. I have until ten-thirty. So do what you need to do in the bathroom, then return to me.”
My throat tightens with panic. “I need a shower.”
“If you go back to the room, Piper, I’ll be claiming the kiss I’m owed in private.” He pulls back, his eyes meeting mine with an animalistic intensity that is on a whole new level. A level I’m not sure I can survive. “And it’ll be my mouth between your thighs. Do you understand me?”
CHAPTER 16
Rome
Her lips part. Her eyes widen.
It takes the last ounce of my restraint not to smash my mouth over hers and claim the kiss I’m owed, but I need that for later.
“I’ll use the restrooms down here.” She retreats, my hands slowly falling from her body. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
“You sure?” I’ve crossed many lines. Trampled them. But fuck does it feel good. “I’m more than willing to take this to our suite.”
“Rome,” she warns, her chin raising. “I’ll be back soon.” She strides from the dance area, past tables, and out into the hall.
I should’ve told her not to remove the toy. How I’m not done making her feel good. But I’m not at the top of my strategy game because my surging hunger and thundering heart make it hard to think.
I measure my stride back to our table, once again thankful for the dim lighting and my suit jacket that hides how my dick stabs at my pants zipper.
We’re definitely taking this further tonight.
I’ve proven we’re physically compatible. We both know we’re emotionally tight. There is no reason not to jump to the next step and make this official. No reason except her insecurities.
I take my seat at the empty table, the rest of Piper’s colleagues either dancing or chatting around the edges of the room.
I hail a waitress while I will my throbbing cock to settle. Order a double. Then force myself to remain seated while my mind creates fantasies where I stalk after Piper, pin her against the public bathroom vanity, then sink my dick into the one place I know will feel like home.
My leg jolts beneath the table, my impatience growing as the waitress returns with my drink, but Piper doesn’t.
Come on, little Pip. It’s dangerous to keep me waiting.
I get that she needs time to freshen up. To regain her composure. And those perfect panties of hers would be dripping.
I throw back the scotch in two gulps. Wipe a hand over my mouth. Then the back of my neck. I act like a junky in need of a fix all in an attempt not to adjust the throbbing erection attempting to perforate my pants.
When the song ends and another begins, I pivot my chair to stare at the door. Every time a shadow passes I expect it to be her.
It never is.
Not after two more songs. Then three.
Did she change her mind about returning to our suite? Does she want me to claim my kiss in private?
I push from my chair and stalk from the conference room, making a beeline for the bathrooms.
Cassidy saunters out of the ladies’ as I arrive, her smile increasing as our eyes meet. “Fancy seeing you here.” There’s a tipsy rasp to her voice. “Are you having a good night?”
“Yeah. Is Piper okay in there?”
“In the bathroom?” Her brows furrow. “She’s not in there. I passed her going to the elevators on my way in.”
My dick jolts.
I warned Piper what would happen if she returned to the suite. I made it perfectly clear. Yet she went anyway.
She made the decision.
She took the final step.
“Thanks.” I struggle to keep my excitement in check. “I’ll see you later.”
“You’re calling it a night?”
I jog for the lobby. “Not even close.”
I reach the elevators and slap the call button, my pulse uncontrollable. I tap my foot. Clench my fists. I sweat fucking bullets waiting for the chime to announce my ride to heaven, but it doesn’t come.
Fuck it.
I run for the fire escape, yank the door open, then sprint up the stairs. By the time I reach the third floor, the adrenaline and alcohol in my system have formed a volatile cocktail of lust that has my hands shaking.
I pull my room card from my pocket, my dick hard as stone when I place the plastic against the security panel.
I picture her on the bed, shy yet sinful as she waits for me.
I’ll make the agonizing years we’ve spent living without each other worth our while.
I’ll taste every part of her.
Kiss every inch.
There won’t be any sleep for us tonight. Maybe all fucking week.
I shove the door open, grinning as I step inside. “I’m surprised you—”
My words are cut short by the sight of her, my feet turning to cement as I pause in the entry.
Piper stands at the end of the bed, already changed into shorts and a T-shirt, her hair tied into a rough pony as she pauses in the middle of shoving clothes into her suitcase.
All the lust drains from my blood. All the excitement. The hunger.
Fuck.
Dread forms an icy pit in my stomach and evaporates my hope.
I release the door, letting the heavy wood fall shut behind me. “What’s going on?”
She stares at her suitcase, her shoulders rigid. “I need to go home.”
“Why?” It’s a stupid question. I already know why. She’s scared. I pushed her too far, too fast.
“I need space. I can’t play your game anymore.”
I continue toward her. “Piper—”
“Don’t.” She holds up a hand.
That icy pit grows, taking over my chest, infiltrating my lungs. “Talk to me.”
“I can’t do that either. Please just let me leave.”
“You can’t start the long drive at this time of night.”
She shoves a handful of material onto the already messy pile, then closes the case. “It’s not far.”
Fuck. “If you want space, I’ll give it to you. I’ll get another room.”
“No. I want to go home. I want to put all this stupidity behind me and start fresh in the morning.”
“What stupidity? I thought we were having a good time.” I thought she was with me on this. She enjoyed herself in the pool yesterday. She came undone in my arms tonight.
Her body doesn’t lie.
She ignores the question and drags her suitcase off the bed.
“Talk to me,” I demand. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
“How can I talk to you when I can’t even look at you?”
I stiffen, her words a brutal slap. “I’m sorry. Whatever it is, I’m fucking sorry.” I shove a hand through my hair. “Just don’t leave. I’ll give you space. I’ll go to reception and get another suite—”
“I don’t want you to get another suite.” She raises her voice, refusing to raise her gaze from my chest. “What I want you to do is start acting like you’re my best friend.”
“I am your best friend. I’ve always—”
“Are you?” She stabs a verbal sword through my heart. “Because from my perspective, a best friend would never carelessly risk ruining what we have for a little fun.”
“It wasn’t for fun—”
“You know I’m not the type to play your games. I can’t do friends with benefits, or whatever the hell this is.” She rolls her suitcase toward me, her focus on the carpet. “I’m not your entertainment. I’m not your project to fix. I’m meant to be your best friend. Yet this entire weekend has been nothing but complications and one stupid argument after another. What you’ve done is ruining what we have.”
“You are my best friend.” I grab her arm as she attempts to pass me, her muscles stiffening under my touch. I’ve felt that tension before. The shock of contact. But this time, there’s no underlying hint of attraction. This flinch is riddled with friction. With rejection. “This wasn’t merely fun or entertainment.”
“When has sex ever been anything other than entertainment to you?” She twists her arm from my grip. “You’re a guy who’s never had a relationship, and I’m someone who’s never had a successful one, yet you seem to think casually throwing these explicit games into our friendship could be anything other than highly damaging.”
“No. I…” Fuck. Just because we lack experience doesn’t mean we’d be destined to fail. But she’s already made up her mind. And I know her well enough to understand that she won’t backtrack tonight. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I thought…”
“You thought I was enjoying myself.” Finally she meets my gaze, the glassy sheen in her eyes cutting me to the core. “And I was. I enjoyed the way you made me feel. But a best friend should never inspire those feelings.” She lowers her gaze. “I’m not like you, Rome. And I don’t want to be. I value sex. It’s not a cheap and nasty thrill for me.”
Cheap and nasty? That’s how I made her feel?
“We’re two completely different people who should have enough respect for one another not to risk our friendship and our future working relationship with this mess.” She continues to the door, dragging her suitcase behind her. “I’ll see you at home.”
CHAPTER 17
Piper
Remorse kicked in as soon as I drove out of the resort parking lot, the pressure of it compounding the closer I got to home.
I made a mistake. I blamed Rome when it was all my fault.
