kisses and enticingly erotic gropes, the second batch of cookies took a little longer to mix than the first. Once the rest of the cookies were in the oven, Harley and Piper went out back with Jiggs. They left the door open so they could hear the girls and sat on the steps of the deck, looking out at the water. Harley had been riding high since Piper visited him at Dutch’s yesterday afternoon. That telling visit, along with their admission to the girls, felt like they were finally making progress toward a real relationship.
Jiggs pushed his nose between them. Harley scratched Jiggs’s head and said, “You really are the worst wingman, buddy.”
“Careful, you’ll give him a complex.” Piper pushed to her feet, looking at Harley’s right leg, stretched out along the steps. “I’ll be careful of your ankle,” she said, straddling his hips. Her arms circled his neck and she glanced over her shoulder at his ankle, which was resting comfortably on a riser. “Is that too much pressure?”
“No.” He wrapped his arms around her and said, “You look beautiful tonight.”
She brushed her fingers along the back of his neck and said, “Let me clue you in on something. I’m a sure thing. You don’t need to say stuff like that.”
He should have expected that response, but that didn’t mean he’d accept it. “I don’t say anything because I need to. I say what I feel. Period. So get used to it, babe, because it’s not going to change.”
“You never know . . .”
She lowered her mouth toward his, but he cradled her face in his hands, stopping her short, and said, “I do know, Piper. I’ve known for a long time.”
“Then show me,” she challenged.
He crushed his mouth to hers, their tongues battling for control. She ground against him, making him hard as stone. He grabbed her ass with one hand and pushed the other into her hair, angling her mouth against his. She opened wider, allowing him to take the kiss deeper, rougher, sending an electric current arcing through him. She felt so good and right in his arms, he lowered himself to his back, bringing her down on top of him without breaking their kiss. The wooden deck was hard on his back, but nothing could take away from the perfectness of Piper rubbing her whole body against him.
She made a sizzlingly sexy noise as he ran his hands down her sides and clutched her ass, rocking up as she ground against him. He wrapped her in his arms, holding the back of her head, and rolled them over, cradling her off the hard decking. She wrapped her legs around the backs of his thighs as they kissed. When he drew back, pressing several lighter kisses to her lips and cheek, she kept her eyes closed, making a soft, sexy sound.
He pressed his cheek to hers and said, “I could kiss you forever.” He felt her stiffen a little and pressed a kiss beside her ear, whispering, “That’s not going to change either, Pipe. I know you’re worried, but you don’t have to be with me.”
She opened her eyes, genuine desire gleaming up at him. She used desire as a mask for her vulnerabilities so often, he liked to think he could tell the difference.
“Kiss me,” she said softly.
He lowered his lips to hers, soaking in her eager kisses. He was captivated by the feel of her soft, feminine curves beneath him and the press of her hands on his back. He tried to keep from devouring her, but their connection was too strong, their desire too alive, and their kisses turned urgent and forceful. Jiggs pushed his nose against their faces, and Harley put his hand between them and the dog. But Jiggs whined and pawed at Harley’s arm.
He tore his mouth away and said, “Jiggs. Lie down, buddy.”
He reclaimed Piper’s luscious lips, wishing he could carry her up to bed and sink into her. Jiggs made a strangled noise somewhere between a growl and a whimper, pushing his nose against their faces again, and barked. Harley snapped his head up, looking around, and Jiggs ran into the house, then bolted back out, whining, and ran back in again. Harley saw smoke coming from the kitchen, and his heart lurched.
“Shit! The cookies.” He pushed up and grabbed the crutches as Piper shot to her feet, running in with him. Smoke billowed out of the stove. “Open the front door before the smoke alarm goes off,”