Page 20 of Kiwi

She looks at it, then smiles. Damn, I fuckin live to see her smile. "It's pretty." She moves her hand in the sunlight, watching the colors shift from gold, blue then to purple.

"Thank you, Tai." Her lashes flutter against her cheeks as she stares at it.

Grabbing her hand again, in mine, we step out into the scorching summer heat. Taking a moment, the two of us down our drinks. Just as we are mounting the bike, my phone rings. Pulling it from my pocket, I answer the call. The owner of the Harley sitting in my barn, who is a good friend of Wick's, is in town and wants to swing by to pick it up. After talking with him briefly, I hang up and slide my phone back into my cut. I look over my shoulder before starting the engine. "Mind if we make a quick stop by my place before taking you home?"

"Are you kidding?" Piper squirms, adjusting herself on the seat. "I've been dying to see your place since you mentioned it the other night."

Forty-five minutes later, I steer my bike down the long dirt road leading to my house. Piper slides forward, and her breasts press against my back. My cock swells against the zipper of my jeans from the warmth of her body. She speaks close to my ear. "Oh my God, Tai. You bought a farmhouse." I don't answer. Instead, I enjoy the feel of her body close to mine until rolling to a stop. I help her off the bike. Her eyes light up. "You bought old lady Ruth's place?"

"It's not much, and needs a shit ton of work done to it, but it's home," I tell her as I park and we climb off my bike. "Come on. I'll give the grand tour." Piper follows me up the steps onto the porch. "Watch your step. Most of these boards need replacing," I warn her as I unlock the front door. Immediately I hear the clatter of Chance's toenails, tapping against the wood floors as he moves towards us.

"Chance!" Piper says with shock, then kneels to the floor. Chance throws his head back in a howl, just before he's lapping at Piper's face. "You are the guy who adopted Chance?" She scratches his head. Chance flops to the floor and rolls over to his back, waiting for belly rubs, which Piper is happy to oblige.

"Hey," I jest. "Where is my welcome home?" Chance cocks his head and looks at me, as Piper continues to love on him. I laugh. "Traitor."

Standing, Piper takes a few steps in my direction, then wraps her arms around my waist. "Thank you."

"For what?" I hug her back.

"For giving Chance a forever home. I watched people pass him by so many times while working for Dr. Channing. It broke my heart." She finally releases me, and I let my arms fall to my sides. "Okay. Show me the rest of the house." Piper smiles.

It takes all of ten minutes to walk her through the whole house. "Come on. I need to push the guy's bike out of the barn. Wick is driving him out this way, and is due to arrive at any moment." On our way to the barn, Piper spots the goat pen.

She throws her head back, laughing. "You have goats too?" She runs to the wooden fence, and the goats flock to her, making their usual goat noises.

"Yeah," I rub the back of my neck. "Unfortunately, they came with the place. It turns out, the old lady used to sell goat milk products, like cheese and soaps."

"I think I remember seeing Mrs. Ruth at the county fairs selling her stuff." Reaching over the fence, Piper pets them. "What are their names?"

"Beats me," I tell her. "I don't even know what to do with them. I was thinking of sellin' them or something."

Piper looks at me. "This is their home, Tai." Then she turns her attention back to the babbling goats. "Don't sell them."

With a smile on my face, I sigh. "I'll think about it." Shit. Only for Piper would I keep the damn things around, so that I could watch her fuss over them like she is now.

I pull open the heavy barn doors. Inside, I lift the tarp covering the motorcycle. Cranking her up, I let the bike sit and idle for a few minutes. Piper walks in, holding Tom, the yellow tabby cat that apparently came with the place too. "I see you've met Tom."

Piper nuzzles his face against hers, and the fat shit eats the affection up. "He's a sweetheart. Did you adopt him too?"

"Naw. I think he belonged to the old lady. He keeps me company when I'm out here working, and Chance doesn't seem to mind him either."

Looking around, Piper spots a small wooden stool nearby and sits. Tom jumps from her arms, slinks my way, and rubs his side against my leg. Piper props her elbows on her knees and rests her chin onto her knuckles. She watches me as I take a cloth and wipe down the bike, making sure I don't leave any grease marks on the paint or chrome.

I cut the engine. The air in the barn feels heavier than usual. When I look at Piper, she's chewing on her lip. "Piper, we need to talk."

"I agree." Piper stands, slowly walking toward me. "You're giving me whiplash, Tai. One minute I think you want me—the next…" her words trail off.

"Piper," I swallow hard when her fingertips trail up my arm. "You have no idea how bad I want you."

"I want you too," she confesses.

"Shit," I whisper, leaning my forehead against hers. "I wish it were that simple." I thread my fingers through her hair, gripping the back of her head.

Piper's finger grips my biceps. "It is."

"No, babe. It isn't."

Piper's grip tightens. She's smart and, without me saying it, knows what is at stake if we pursue this. "What do you want more, Tai?"