managed to wedge between my hip and the couch. He’s lingering halfway over me. He has one hand on the floor beside my head. As our laughing settles down, he looks into my eyes and something is exchanged. I wet my lips and lift my head until they’re pressed against his.
I don’t even know why I’m kissing him. All I know is that it feels good. His lips are soft but strong as they slowly start to move against mine. His tongue is sweet, tasting like the wine we’ve been drinking, and his hard body, which is pressed against mine, causes my skin to burn with excitement.
It’s only now I realize I’m only wearing my silk robe. I’m completely naked beneath it, and it would take nothing to push it away and reveal myself to him. I should be worried, but this only excites me more. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer. He kisses me back softly and slowly until I nip his lower lip. When I do that, it’s like I threw gasoline on a fire. Something inside him changes and the kiss picks up intensity. Instead of staying at my side, I find him on top of me, his hips between my parted thighs. I feel him harden against my core and I can’t help the soft whimper that escapes. I reach for his belt buckle, but the moment my fingers wrap around it, he breaks the kiss and pulls away. He stands up, pulling me up with him.
“I’m sorry, Piper. I should go.” Without another word, his back is turned and he’s heading for the door. Hearing it close feels like a bucket of ice water being dumped over my head.
I fall back onto the couch with tears in my eyes. What’s wrong with me? Why do I do this shit? I’m sure Calvin is just thinking, Since she can’t have Preston, she wants me as a last resort. That’s not the case at all, even though I can see why he might think that.
Maybe I should’ve listened to that tingle in my belly instead of still chasing after Preston the night Calvin and I first kissed. None of this would’ve happened. Truth is, I never should’ve blurred the lines with Preston in the first place. I should’ve seen Calvin back then. I should’ve seen how good he was—how mature he was compared to the guys I was dating. I should’ve seen that he was always the one who was there for me.
Now I have this huge mess on my hands and I have no idea how to fix it.
Eight
CALVIN
I never should’ve gone over there. I should’ve known I’d end up doing something stupid. But fuck, kissing her felt good. Too good. I don’t know how I managed to pull myself away from her, but I’m glad I did it. She was drunk and upset and still beating herself up over my brother. Getting together with her now wouldn’t have been good for anyone. Deep down, I wonder if I’m just the closest thing she can get to Preston, and that’s the only reason she kissed me. That’s not how I want things to get started with us.
When we come together—if we come together—I want it to be for the right reasons. Not because she’s hurting or drunk or just trying to get over some other guy. I want her to choose me for me. I want her to want me as much as I want her.
I only went over there because that’s what I do. In the past, every time something happened with my brother, I was the one she ran to. I knew she wouldn’t come running this time. I did what I thought I needed to do. It’s now easy to see that it was just another mistake.
When I get home, I’m surprised to see Preston’s car in the parking lot. I park and get out, walking into the building and riding the elevator up to my penthouse suite. He’s trying to get on the elevator as I’m trying to get off.
“Hey, what brings you here so late at night?” I ask, stepping into the hallway and leading him to my door, where I take out my keys to unlock it.
“The show aired tonight.”
“I know. I watched it.”
He lets out a heavy sigh. “And? How big of an asshole was I?”
I open the door and let us both in. “A pretty big asshole,” I agree. “Why did you react