Page 159 of Beyond the Blue Horizon

The trauma I’d inflicted.

Couldn’t come close to seeing the secrets that I had to keep locked down so deep there was no chance of them ever being exposed.

She wouldn’t be standing here in front of me if she did, and there was some foolish part of me that wanted to show her all of them, anyway.

“Like us,” she whispered.

I kept tracing my thumb across that delicious lip. “No. Not quite like you. You’re the only one who makes me want to keep coming back to your door day after day. Only one who makes me want to walk through it so I can get to you.”

Every word left me on a coarse rasp of possession.

“The entire day, I haven’t stopped thinking about having this sweet mouth wrapped around my cock for one second. Haven’t been able to erase your taste from my tongue. Driving me out of my mind, Piper Whittman. The way I want to peel you apart and sink right into you. In a way I never do.”

A tremble rocked through her, and her delicate throat bobbed before she whispered, “And that is why I’m terrified. Because I want that, too.”

Leaning in, I let my nose brush across hers.

Inhaling her delicious cherry scent.

Fuck, I wanted to devour everything that she was.

“Theo,” Piper breathed, and her hands found their way through the opening of my jacket and to my tee underneath.

Fisting and holding on.

Begging for this thing we both knew better than to give ourselves over to.

I spread my hands around her waist and pulled her hot body against mine.

A sweltering of need blistered between us.

“Mommy?” Little thuds suddenly vibrated the door as the tiny tot pounded on the wood.

Piper exhaled heavily, and I couldn’t stop my smile as my forehead dropped against hers. “Sounds like someone needs you.”

She peeked up in my direction. “Yeah, I’d better head back inside.”

“What, you aren’t going to invite me in?” I repeated the same question I issued from the get-go as I eased back to gaze down at her gorgeous face.

Her gaze dipped for a moment, those lashes sending a shadow over her cheeks before she looked back up at me. “I do want you to come inside, Theo.”

There was no playfulness to it.

My nod was slow. “Yeah, Piper, I do, too.”

Hers was shaky before she shifted around and went for the door handle.

Then she huffed out a breath. “Crap. I left my keycard inside.”

I dug into my pocket and pulled out the one that granted me access to every room at the motel.

Reaching around her, I pressed it to the reader.

When it unlatched, she sent me an accusing grin from over her shoulder. “Convenient.”

I buried my face in her hair at the side of her head. “Seemed like you didn’t mind so much last night.”

Could feel her smile as she carefully nudged open the door since Finn was directly on the other side.