When We Fall (Take the Fall, #2)(23)

“You missed the bathroom,” I point out.

“Your room isn’t the only one with hidden passageways,” he says cryptically, before pulling on a sconce near his dresser. A wall of shelves swings out.

“What’s in there?”

“I’ll show you.” He steps inside and turns on the lights.

I’m amazed by what I see. It’s a sitting room of sorts with large, comfortable-looking furniture, a huge flat-screen television, hardwood flooring, wood paneling on the walls, and ornate light fixtures. Off to the right, through a decorative arch, is a marble bathroom with a claw-foot tub and a large shower. Light filters through windows I can’t see, giving it a spa look.

He turns me to face him, the concern in his eyes making my heart flutter, but that’s not all I see. There’s vulnerability there, too. “I’ve never had another woman in here. That might sound weird, but this is my sanctuary.”





Jase


It’s all I can do not to ask her what she thinks. Hell, she probably thinks I’m weird. But it’s the truth; I’ve never had another woman in here. The only other person, or rather, people, I had in here were the contractors who renovated this part of the house.

“It’s beautiful. How did you find it?”

“My mom used it as a nursery for Rowan.” I run my hand through my hair. “When I came home the house was starting to go into disrepair. My…dad had set aside money for repairs and shit, so I finally used some of it.”

Her hazel eyes blink at me. “As in yours and Rowan’s dad?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh.”

She doesn’t ask any more questions about him and for that I’m grateful. I do not want to talk about him, especially while she’s wearing nothing but a sheet. I wrap my arms around her, bringing her petite, curvy body into my embrace.

“You looked beautiful when you came,” I say, enjoying the way her cheeks get all pink as her gaze skitters away. “Hey, don’t get all shy on me now.”

“I can’t help it. Before…I was too—” She shakes her head. “You know how you go on a roller coaster for the first time and you’re nervous, but you do it anyway and it’s so exciting and thrilling that you forget to be nervous or scared?”

I nod, wondering where in the hell she’s going with this.

“That was me before my asthma attack. I was too excited to be self-conscious. You made me forget myself and just let go.”

I tug at the sheet, and it falls in a puddle around her cute feet. Her pink nipples harden in the cool air while goosebumps dot the landscape of her skin. “I think I can make you forget all about yourself again.” I know I want to forget about her asthma attack. I’ve never been so f*cking terrified in my life, and that’s saying something considering I went to prison at only nineteen years old.

“What are you waiting for?” she asks, walking to the bathroom.

At the sight of her ass jiggling in all the right places, my dick hardens. Yeah, I’m going to make both of us forget, but this time I’ll just use my hands. Except…shit, her asthma. I can’t risk it. She’s more important than orgasms.

“Jase?” She casts a look over her shoulder at me. “I’m okay now. My meds will prevent another attack for at least four to six hours.”

I take a step toward her, then stop. “I want you again. I’m ready as f*ck for you again, but I’m trying to be good when all I’ve done my entire life is be bad.”

Her gaze drops to my cock and her eyes widen appreciatively. “You’re already hard?” she asks with no small amount of awe in her voice. It doesn’t escape my notice that she ignores my trying-to-be-good comment. “That soon?”

Maybe I should stop trying to be good for Piper and be myself instead. I smile slowly. “All your doing.” Then I walk over to her, drop to my knees, and proceed to make her come again. And again.





Chapter 7





Jase


Piper gazes up at me with a dreamy look on her face. It’s only eleven a.m., but we’ve been up since six, so there’s been plenty of time to play and talk…I’ve never talked so much in my life.

But with her, it’s easy. She’s easy to talk to, laugh with…she’s entirely lovable. My gut twists up at the thought of falling in love with her. I’m not entirely sure I’m capable of loving another person besides my sister.

“Do you remember that time you took Rowan and me to the water park?” she asks.

“Yeah, you refused to take off your T-shirt, and then it got caught on the slide at the bottom.”

She blushes even as she rolls her eyes at the memory. “You had to rescue me.”

“Of course I did.” The lifeguard kept trying to feel her up instead of helping. Once Rowan and Piper were safely in my car, my fists and I had a little talk with that punk.

“I think that’s when my crush on you went…to more…fantastical things.”

Piper’s always had a thing for fairy tales. Rowan confided in me often enough about what they talked about. She wasn’t making fun of her best friend—she was actually worried that her crush on me would prevent Piper from attempting to date anyone else.