When We Fall (Take the Fall, #2)(45)

Tenderness gleams in his eyes as he frames my face in his hands. “I forget you’re new at this. Let me help you.”

He thrusts his hips up and then pulls back a little, only to move inside of me once more. Pleasure rocks me, my nerves coming alive again, and I moan.

“Better?” he asks in a whisper.

I nod. “Much.”

He slides his hands down my throat, over my breasts, and then down the sides of my waist. “You are so soft, so pretty…I love touching you.”

In the blink of an eye, he turns into the lover I had last night. He whispers words of encouragement, helps me move, and runs his hands over my entire body until I’m shaking with desire.

With every slide of my body against his, I get closer and closer to the edge. His fingers find my swollen clit and rub it hard.

“Come, baby. Come all over my cock,” he whispers in my ear before he bites down on the lobe.

My body shatters. I scream his name. He shoves deeply, so deeply that I can feel each hot spurt inside of me as he comes. He doesn’t stop moving, keeps thrusting and rocking my hips. I swear he starts to get hard again, but then he kisses me softly.

“Missed you today.”

“Hard day at work?” I ask.

“Emmett and I argued a lot today, over stupid stuff.” My heart begins to race. I need to tell Jase about the conversation I had with Emmett. “Constantly questioning my method and shit. I’m not sure if I’m cut out to be someone’s business partner.”

“Maybe it’s the partner and not you,” I venture. “Y’all should have a meeting and write down goals you want to achieve.”

He laughs, the movement of his body making my taut nipple scrape against his chest. “I can’t believe you’re giving me business advice while my cock’s in you. I value your opinion, but baby, let me leave work at work tonight.”

Instead of answering him right away, I lay my head on him and close my eyes.

“Things will get better.”

He skims my back with his hand and then cups my neck, massaging it. “Already has.”

—

The next day, instead of eating lunch in the little park near the Women’s Center, I meet Rowan for lunch. When I pull into the parking lot, her Camaro is already there.

“That’s a first,” I say, getting out of my car. While Rowan is on time, she is never early. However, Mother says that to be on time is to be at least ten minutes early. It’s a habit I can’t break, no matter how hard I try.

Once I’m inside the sushi place, the hostess leads me to a table near the window. It’s semi-secluded, perfect for conversations about weddings and losing one’s virginity.

When Rowan sees me, she leaps up from her chair and gives me a hug. I return it enthusiastically, because that’s how I feel. Well, and slightly nervous.

“I’ve already ordered for us,” Rowan says. “So sit and tell everything that won’t make me puke.”

“Your brother is teaching me how to cook.”

Her face falls. “That’s exciting.”

“He went to the doctor with me to learn how to help me manage my asthma for when we are”—I glance around the room and lower my voice—“intimate.”

Rowan’s lips twitch.

“Sorry. I sound silly.”

My best friend shakes her head. “You sound like you, and you know I love you.”

“Are you—do you think poorly of me?” I don’t know why I ask this, but Rowan’s approval means more to me than anyone else’s. Except for Jase’s.

“As long as Jase treats you like you deserve, no. Even then, even if he did something stupid, I’d only think very bad things about his dumb ass, not yours.” Rowan grabs my hand and squeezes it reassuringly. “So…without going into too much detail, or really any detail at all, was it everything you expected?”

“No.”

Her blue eyes flash with fire. “Seriously. He got that wrong?”

“He got it right. It was more…he was…we were…I love him even more now.”

“Say no more.” She grins at me. “I’m very happy for you, even if it’s with my brother and I can never ask for dirty details.”

“Dirty? Your brother? He’s very fond of showers and loves to wash my—”

Rowan covers her ears. “Not listening.”

Laughter bubbles up from my throat. “I’m done. I was only teasing.” A little. Jase does love showers. He says it’s from spending all those years in prison and never feeling clean enough.

Our sushi arrives and Rowan grabs a pair of chopsticks. “I’m glad you’re happy, Piper.”

“I’m glad we’re both happy.”





Chapter 14





Piper


I sit in a comfortable lounge chair on Jase’s screened-in back porch while watching the rain fall. My knees are drawn up to my chest and I rest my chin on them. Jase went for a run about an hour ago. I still haven’t told him about my conversation with Emmett, but I will. I only have to figure out how to tell him without painting his business partner in a bad light. I can’t sound whiny or accusatory when I do.

I didn’t elaborate on my dinner with my parents, either. I don’t want anyone’s pity, least of all Jase’s. He deals with enough without adding my so-called problems to his. Plus, I didn’t want to ruin the two most special nights of my life.