After Us (Next Generation #6) - J.M. Walker Page 0,12

to jump right back into bed when that started our problem in the first place?

Piper pushed out of my hold, but she didn’t get very far. I grabbed her arm and pulled her back against me.

“We can’t do this here.” But she didn’t push away from me again.

“If you’re worried about me fucking you in front of our daughter, I won’t. I don’t mind the kinky shit but that’s too far. Even for me.”

A breathless laugh escaped her. “What kind of kinky shit are you into, Jaron?” she asked, turning in my arms and placing her hands against my chest.

I covered them and brought them up to my mouth, kissing her knuckles. “Shit we’ll eventually explore but right now…” I brushed my thumb along her bottom lip. “Whatever you’re thinking, I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

Her deep blue eyes met mine. “Promise?”

“Baby, I’ve been yours since Paris. Probably even before that.” It had been a few months since before we met up in Europe, that I’d last had sex. Women hinted but I shot them down. Fast. The guys always gave me a hard time about it, but I finally decided to get my head out of my ass and search Piper out. “Didn’t you know that I went to Paris, looking for you?”

“What?” Her eyes widened. “No, I didn’t know that. I thought you were there on vacation and it was just a coincidence that we were there at the same time.”

“I was only there because you were. I had been going through a rut,” I explained. “Nothing was doing it for me. I saw you that summer before you went to Europe. Do you remember that?”

“I do. My parents held a going-away party for me. You hardly talked to me that night.” She frowned. “Why was that?”

“Because the things I wanted to say to you…” My body stirred. “I wanted to fuck you, Piper. I wanted you to go to Europe remembering how my cock felt deep inside you. I wanted to own every inch of your body. I had every intention of pulling you to the corner of the house and swallowing you fucking whole in the shadows. But I never got a chance because when I went to approach you, you were with the twins. I could never get you alone.”

“Oh.” Her cheeks reddened.

How the hell she got me to say exactly what was on my mind, was beyond me. I always listened first before speaking. I watched and waited but Piper forced the thoughts out of me like she had control of my words.

I reached out, running my thumb along her cheek. “So instead, I brought Sammy and Cyrus with me and we went to Europe ourselves. But I gave you a little bit. And eventually found you at that café.”

“How did you find me?”

“I followed your trip on Instagram.” I shrugged like I didn’t just confess to stalking her.

“You were stalking me?”

My body stirred. She had been the only woman to ever call me out on my shit. It was what made me fall for her in the first place.

“And then I went back to your hotel with you,” Piper added.

“You did.”

She licked her lips. “That was the best night of my life but now that you’re home, this is the best night.”

“I agree, baby,” I murmured, kissing the side of her head.

She sighed. “Want to help me get Brynn ready for bed? She won’t be going down for at least an hour, but I like to get her changed and ready anyway just in case she falls asleep. Then I don’t have to disturb her.”

I headed to the playpen, reached inside and pulled our daughter out of it. She had woken up on the car ride home but now, with her snuggled against me, I found I just wanted to hold her and never let her go. “Can she stay up a little later tonight? I just…” I swallowed hard, running my hand over her head of dark curls. “I need this.”

“Of course.” Piper gave me a small smile. “We can get her ready for bed and then we can come out here and watch a movie.”

That sounded damn near perfect.

Piper

Watching Jaron with Brynn was something I thought I’d never actually see. He had promised to come home to me whenever he was released, but a part of me felt that they were just words and he didn’t actually mean them. I knew I shouldn’t have doubted him, but it wasn’t like we