Page 19

Chapter

Nineteen

ADON

Somehow, I’ve turned into a complete fucking sap. Spring is here, and in the midst of rainy days, flowers blooming, and warm winds, I find myself smiling more than I have in years.

“No, like this.” Piper giggles as she trims some of my beard while I lean over the sink, straddling her little legs with my thighs and pinning her in with my arms on either side. She lifts her neck to show me how she wants me to turn my face for her.

“Not too short.”

“Stop moving! Oh my god, I’ll cut too much if you don’t shut up.”

Despite closing my mouth, I can’t help but grin. I just want to kiss her all the fucking time. And she’s pretty much moved in, despite her reservations. Though she insists on staying at her place when the kids are here, which is fine. We’ll slowly introduce them more and more.

Eli’s doing well on his own. He and Essa worked things through, and he’s been focused ever since. Rhodes has decided to change directions in his career and become a professor of nursing instead, teaching at Northview University. He finally dumped his awful girl who we couldn’t stand. Let’s just hope he doesn’t go back to her.

For the first time, things seem right . Piper still doesn’t trust me fully, but every day we’re together, I sense that she’s opening up.

I’m so in love with this girl. Though I haven’t told her yet, the words are always on the tip of my tongue. If only she loved me back…

“Rosy, you look faint. What’s going on?”

“I cut you a little, I’m sorry…” Her face pales as her pupils shrink.

A snorted laugh escapes my nose. “Tough as nails, but passes out with blood. Did you take a pregnancy test?”

That seems to bring her back to reality as I take the scissors from her and clean up the tiny spot of red with a piece of tissue.

“Huh?” She attempts to slide off the vanity, but I hold her in place, then press my lips against her forehead.

“Fainting? You could be pregnant. Take a test, let’s see.”

“I-I don’t think so.” Her nails dig into my bare chest as she shoves me away, then heads toward my bedroom.

Hurriedly, I follow behind. “Wait, stop. Do not move. Turn around and look at me.”

As if giving up the fight, her shoulders slump and she does as I say, but crosses her arms. She’s protecting herself from something. “Talk to me. What is it?”

“You’re going to be mad…”

My gut churns. Did she cheat on me? “Just tell me.”

“I couldn’t take those awful pills, so I went and got a copper IUD placed a couple of weeks ago.”

Confusion coats my brow. “And…” Still waiting for her to tell me some horrific news, I brace myself for the worst.

She waves her hands to her sides dramatically. “And that’s it! You wanted babies with me, and I’m not having them… At least not right now.”

Her green eyes flash like she’s expecting a fight. “So you think I’m going to be mad because you got birth control and don’t want kids. Or at least not right now.”

“Yes, Adon. You keep telling me you’re going to pump me full of kids and?—”

I laugh, slapping the back of my neck with my heated palm. “I’m sorry, Rosy. I just fucking lose my mind when I’m about to come inside you. Things fly out of my mouth. I mean, obviously, I’d love to have children with you. If you don’t, that’s fine. I got two awesome ones already. No reason to think I’ll be mad. Come here.”

With a panting breath, she eyes me suspiciously, then takes a few steps forward until I gather her tiny body in my arms and squeeze her hard. Kissing the top of her head, I inhale deeply, saturating myself with her scent. She hugs me back, then rests her chin on my chest.

“You’re not upset?”

“Can we just pretend I don’t know? Let’s just pretend I’ll be getting you pregnant every time and we can play that game.”

The freckles disappear on her nose as she scrunches it with a giggle. “Absolutely.” Her face turns serious for a moment, and she blinks rapidly. “Adon?”

“Hmm?”

“I’ve never felt safe until I’m like this with you. You make me feel so secure.”

If there was any ice left around my heart, it’s all gone now. With a steadying breath, I gaze into her eyes and say, “I love you, Piper.”

She gives me a small smile, one tear falling over her cheek as she does. “I love you, too, Adon.”

The words send heat waves through my chest and heal things I didn’t realize were broken. I can’t help the emotion that warms my face until I have to clear my tight throat.

My palms grip her ass and lift her up until her legs surround my waist as I press my lips against hers. Her flavor fills my mouth, along with her tongue, and I groan in response, wanting more of her. Walking us to my bed, I plop her down on her back, then kneel between her legs as she spreads them for me.

“A-Adon…” she huffs out as I pull her panties down and toss them aside. “We have to get ready to go.”

“Give me a minute.”

Her hand presses the back of my head to her pussy, and I lick it up, sucking on her clit. She rides my nose while protesting. “We can’t. We-we-we can’t… The party.”

“Give me two minutes.” My lips hum against her labia, and she squeals while continuing to hump my face. Delving one finger inside her, I plunge in repeatedly while flicking on her clit just the way she likes. “Ten minutes,” I mumble as I pull down my sweatpants and grip my hard cock.

“They’re coming.”

Downstairs, the voices rise with a question, and I’m sure everyone wants to know where the birthday girl is.

“They-they-they’re coming… ” she moans until I can’t take the sounds anymore; she’s got me so worked up.

Standing, I grip her hips and tug her ass toward me, then plunder her body, forcing my cock all the way inside.

“I’m coming!” Her scream rattles the mirror over my dresser, and I smile as she raises her chest to the ceiling. One of her peaked buds fits perfectly between my lips as I suck, thrust, then come with her, filling her pussy as if I’d get her knocked up.

Am I disappointed she can’t get pregnant right now? Nah… Hopefully, she wants to someday. I think she’s it for me.

“Will you two quit whatever you’re doing and get downstairs? We’re waiting, and it’s awkward now!” Rhodes yells through the door, and I give my girl a smirk, her cheeks flaming bright red as her eyes widen.

“Oh my god, they heard me.”

“Most definitely,” I say, slipping out of her slowly.

She slaps my bicep. “Avery and Odin are in the kitchen!”

“I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen you embarrassed.”

Her eyes fall closed as she cringes. “I guess I just don’t want them to think bad about me. Honestly, I don’t give a fuck about Rhodes and Eli and Essa. Just your kids.”

“They love you,” I assure her.

She slinks by me and runs her hands through her short, pink locks, then pulls on her dress. Giving me her back, I know she’s trying to hide from me like she does. So I stand behind her and wrap my arms around her little body, pressing my lips to her bare shoulder. “They do. And so do I.”

As she flips around, there’s a bit of panic in her eyes. “I feel like I’m not good enough for them… For, you know.”

My big palms brush back her hair, and I can’t help a smile that comes over my face. It’s almost as if she’s considered being a permanent part of our lives. Just where I want her.

“You are. You’re perfect the way you are, Piper. No one can do you better. We miss you when you’re not around, you know that?” I tap the end of her nose, and she smiles again, but throws her hands on her hips and gives me a scolding brow.

“I’m not moving in.”

Wandering away from her, I tug on some boxers and jeans. “Not yet…”

When we get downstairs, my family gathers around the kitchen table and sings “Happy Birthday” to my girl. Her eyes light up as I join in, and her best friend grabs her in a hug. Avery even bops on her toes excitedly before shoving a hastily wrapped present at her.

“I bought this for you!”

“Me? Oh my god, Avery. You didn’t have to!” Piper’s shaky fingers dig into the gift with reckless abandon.

Avery snorts. “I wanted to!”

I toss an arm around my daughter’s shoulders and give her a kiss on her head. “Love you.”

She gives me a side hug and looks up at me with those big eyes. “I love you, too, Dad.”

“This is amazing! Thank you so much! From the library of Piper Hendricks…” She reads off on the embosser. I know that Emily helped the kids pick it out, and for that, I’m even more grateful. Just seeing the joy on my girl’s face, and knowing that my family helped put it there, makes my heart warm.

“Where’s your present to her, Adon?” Eli asks, shoving a huge bite of pizza in his mouth.

Piper’s cheeks flame pink to match her hair.

“Don’t worry about that,” I say, then kiss the top of her head. “I’ve got something for her. It’s private.”

Essa’s eyes sparkle as she gives me an approving nod, but Piper seems to pull away. Like she feels uncomfortable with the attention, which is so not like her.

I keep my observations to myself as we finish up the party, but by the time everyone leaves and the kids head out with Emily, Piper’s attitude is dark and gloomy.

Scooping up a piece of birthday cake, I hold the fork out for her to take a bite. “Talk to me. What’s going on? You seem like you just had the worst birthday ever.”

She takes the bite with a sigh, but then grabs her denim coat. “No. It was amazing, really.”

“Well, I still need to give you your gift.”

“Adon…you don’t need to get me anything.”

“I want to.”

Shrugging on her coat, she grabs her crochet purse. Since she’s been staying with me all week, most of her stuff is up in the bedroom and bathroom. “I should go home.”

I reach over the kitchen island and stroke her cheek. “Rosy, what’s going on?”

“It’s just a lot. We’re moving fast, and I…”

My jaw sets. Not this again. I thought she was with me. “You’re scared. You’re trying to hide from me. You had a great day with my family and saw how your life could be and think you don’t deserve it. That you’re, what, damaged ?”

With a toss of her pink hair, she faces me and narrows her eyes. “I am , Adon. You’re just too horny to see it.”

“Is that what you think this is? That I’m just pussy whipped?”

She doesn’t say anything, just crosses her arms, but her attitude makes me angry.

“Maybe it’s best you head home tonight, then, if that’s what you think. You think so little of me. I’m in love with you, Piper. I want you to move in with me and share a life with me. But you’re still hiding parts of yourself. I want all of you.”

Heated emotion clouds my face as I realize… Now I understand exactly what Emily was talking about all those years. Piper is me. I was this way in my first marriage, and now I’m begging my love to talk with me, open up, just communicate what she’s feeling. I guess she’s as confused about her soup of thoughts as I was all those years. Everything seems so clear to me now.

Piper doesn’t say goodbye, just spins on her heel and heads out the door. I let her go to cool off, hoping we can talk again later. I could explain that I understand how difficult it can be to talk about something you can’t figure out.

I did want to give her present to her, but I guess that will have to wait for another day.

An unfamiliar ache pulses in my chest. I don’t like arguing with her, or even being away from her. I get panicky. Things seemed to have settled since the last time something happened, but it’s always in the back of my mind that someone could try to harm her.

To distract myself, I clean up the kitchen from the party and then take my time getting ready for bed. I stare at my bookshelves far too long trying to decide something to read, then pull out an old sci-fi novel, hoping I can get lost in a different world.

Just as I think about texting her, my phone rings. It’s Piper.

“Rosy? You okay?” I’m already on high alert. The last time she called me, she’d been in a car accident.

“Adon, no.” Her voice shakes with a cry that has my stomach dropping to my feet. “Someone followed me all the way here. I think he’s outside. Please come over. Hurry!”

“I’m on my way.”