He climbs on the bed and straddles me. My hands find his chest and I touch him everywhere, raking my nails over his skin and palming his six-pack. Groaning, he kisses my neck and along the curve of my shoulder, making my skin tingle all the way to my toes. And then his fingers are inside me, torturing the sensitive flesh until I don’t think I can take any more. It’s too much, but not enough. I’m torn between turning away and thrusting into him.
“I can’t come again,” I tell him. “Not again.”
His lips cruise my jaw as he swirls my clit and shows me how wrong I am. My body instantly starts to hum beneath his fingers, more than ready to rise to the occasion.
“Don’t tire out on me already,” he whispers. “We’re just getting started.”
25
NATE
Piper getsthe last of her things moved into my room just as the doorbell rings.
I fell asleep beside her last night and didn’t wake up until nearly four a.m. Spending the night with a lover has never held much appeal for me, but I was so exhausted that I passed out next to her before I could send her away. Which was a mistake. I can’t have her getting attached.
Unfortunately, my sister’s visit is going to necessitate a lot more intimacy and quality time between me and Piper. What have I gotten myself into?
Piper waits behind me as I answer the front door. Eliza runs into my arms with a little squeal, her energy like a burst of sunshine through the clouds. She’s practically vibrating, and her smile is contagious. Her bright blue eyes, so much like our mother’s, look me up and down as she steps back.
“Have you gained weight?” She pokes my middle.
“Really? That’s how you greet your big brother?”
Eliza laughs and breezes past me, beelining for Piper and waving her hands in that theatrical way that some women do to each other.
“You must be Piper. I’m so excited to meet you!”
They hug and do that air-kiss thing on each cheek. Piper’s nervous smile relaxes a little as Eliza gives her a once-over and makes an impressed sound.
“Points for my big brother for knowing how to pick a good one.”
“She picked me, actually,” I say. It’s not exactly untrue.
Eliza scoffs. “No way. You conned her into this arrangement somehow.”
She laughs, not knowing how close to the truth she is. Then she shrugs out of her coat and tosses it to me so she can walk around the living room, assessing everything.
“I’m going to assume Piper hasn’t been here long, because this place is as sterile as ever,” Eliza snarks. “Where’s the color, the textures, the womanly touch?”
I look around at the black, gray, and white color scheme. It’s clean and sleek, and I was very adamant that my designer stick to this limited color palette, though there are touches of industrial steel and reclaimed wood for warmth.
“What’s not to appreciate about streamlined simplicity?” I ask, mildly offended.
Shifting my gaze to Piper, expecting a snappy response, I’m surprised when she doesn’t respond. The way she’s nervously wringing her hands makes me realize that she’s still anxious about meeting my sister. I hadn’t expected her to be this worried. Seems I misjudged how this might go.She’s wearing a gauzy pink, wide legged jumpsuit over a striped T-shirt, turquoise sandals, and pink lipstick that matches her outfit. The contrast of her clothing against the stark shades of my living room draws my full attention. She’s the splash of color this place needs. The perfect centerpiece.
“So, what do you have planned for us today?” Eliza asks, grabbing the handle of her suitcase and rolling it toward the stairs.
I take the suitcase out of her hand and carry it up to the guest room on the second floor, following behind her and gesturing for Piper to come along.
The room is the same one Eliza has always used since I bought this place. Everything she’s left inside over the years is still there, just as she left it, waiting for her next visit. The furry white pillows on the bed. Barely used toiletries and makeup in the small ensuite bathroom. The gold-framed antique mirror that she bought at the Long Island City flea market and insisted I hang up over the dresser for her. I have another guest room for when other people come to stay, which isn’t often. This one is explicitly Eliza’s.
“Dinner tonight,” I say as I set the suitcase next to the dresser.
“That’s it? What are we going to do between now and then?”
“I figured you’d be out with friends. Didn’t realize I had to make you a full itinerary.”
She scowls at me. “Come on, Nate. Don’t be boring. I’m sure Piper wants to go out, too.”
