Or you need a man to make you smile more, someone you can laugh with, to tease you. Not that he could be that man, but the thought of another man doing that made him... God, enough!
"I also need to contact my mom's relatives. Maybe they have some info on my great-uncle, something to help us understand how he came to own the stones."
"That's a good idea."
"Um, so do you want to, uh, maybe come back later and we can look through some more boxes?" Piper asked.
He wished he could, but Moreau's Ball was that night, a must-attend event. Yeah, the Moreaus were their closest competitors, but the Ballantynes and the Moreaus had a cordial though competitive relationship. Each Ballantyne sibling had received one of the coveted invitations, and not to attend would be, in Connor's words, very bad form. Jaeger would love to take Piper as his date; apart from the fact that he enjoyed being with her, he knew she'd enjoy the spectacle of the ball, the elaborate designs and the drama Morgan and Riley Moreau brought to the event.
But that was impossible. Piper didn't socialize in those circles, and there would be a lot of speculation about who she was and why she was with him. The press would want to know, and if he didn't give them the information, they'd go and dig for it. He couldn't risk anyone finding out about the stones before they sold, and neither did he want anyone digging into Piper's life. They'd realize she was a single mom, which would raise a dozen more questions, the biggest one being why he would be dating a single mom when he'd told the world, on numerous occasions, he wasn't the marrying and daddy type.
God, it would be a nightmare and a headache he didn't need. No, it was better to keep his relationship-or whatever this was-with Piper a secret for as long as possible.
"Sorry, Piper, but I have plans. I could come around tomorrow afternoon. I have a breakfast date with my siblings in the morning."
"Oh." He felt her sigh and sensed she wanted to ask what his plans were, whether he was seeing someone else. He braced himself, waiting for the questions.
Instead of speaking, Piper dropped her head and rested her temple on the ball of his shoulder. "Okay, no worries. I'll see you if and when I see you."
Why was she okay with him dropping in and out of her life? Didn't she realize that she deserved more, that she had a right to ask for what she wanted? Maybe this loose arrangement was all she wanted...and why did that irritate him?
He was losing it. Jaeger placed a kiss on her forehead and deliberately pushed his frustration away. "You're easy to be with, Piper Mills," he murmured into her hair, his words so low he wasn't sure if she heard him. "And I still have the morning free."
Piper stretched her neck and her lips grazed the underside of his jaw, painting streaks of fire on his skin. He closed his eyes and felt her move away, and he hissed his disappointment. His eyes opened when he felt the bed covers move off his chest and then his thighs, to be replaced with a slim, sexy, fragrant woman.
Piper straddled his legs, her knees against his hips and her hands on his chest, her happy place an inch away from his. He swelled beneath her and his hands skimmed up the sides of her rib cage, his thumbs swiping across her nipples. Piper's eyes darkened and her mouth opened, but she didn't break eye contact.
She dropped her hips and her heat met his hardness. Jaeger groaned, thinking this was the best type of torture, the sweetest hell. She could spend the next day-year, decade-just sliding up and down his shaft and he would be content to stare into her eyes, wondering what it was about this woman that captured his fascination.
Oh, her long, slim body was a turn-on, and she was as beautiful without makeup as she was with it. Her hair was soft and silky. He picked up the curl skimming the top of her breast and wound it around his finger. He brushed her nipple with her own hair. Piper shuddered and he watched her, desperately trying to ignore her slick, wet heat sliding across him.
He wanted to delay this, wanted to slow down and watch her enjoy him. He wanted to figure out what made this woman so different.
Maybe it was the fleeting emotions flashing in her eyes, which were the exact green of a tsavorite garnet. But the emotions were there and gone before he could identify them. Lust and desire were easy to recognize; she wanted him as much as he wanted her. But behind those feelings he sensed her desire to connect, to push away loneliness, to feel wanted in a nonsexual way.
He understood.
Jaeger lifted his hand and cradled her face. As her eyes closed, he watched her turn her face into his hand, seeking more. Yeah, Piper needed tenderness, affection, a connection...
He couldn't give it to her.
She wasn't asking for a lifetime commitment, Jaeger argued with his inner cynic. All she was silently asking for was a brief moment to pretend this was more than an exchange of pleasure, more than a big bang on a Saturday morning.
Or is a connection what you want?
Did he want a different sexual experience that had nothing to do with sex and everything to do with giving and receiving emotion, appreciation, acceptance, affection?
Jaeger skimmed his thumb across her lower lip. When her eyes connected with his, he saw his need for more-just this one time-reflected in those pure green depths. Unable to resist, he placed his hands on her hips and flipped her under him, holding himself up and away to keep from touching her. He just needed a moment to look at her, to burn the memory of her-so soft, so feminine, so open-into his brain.
"I need to love you."
Dammit, he didn't mean to say the words out loud.
Piper gave him a look he couldn't decipher. Then she linked her arms around his neck and pulled him down so they lay hip to hip, chest to breast. Her legs fell open. He nudged at her opening and groaned, feeling her fiery welcome on his tip.
He wanted more, he wanted to explore, but Piper lifted her hips and slid onto him, hot and tight. When he tried to pull out, she locked her legs around his hips to hold him in place. She surged upward again, and he was buried so deep inside her that his brain shut down and instinct took over.
He didn't need to move. Piper was moving enough for both of them, setting the pace. All he had to do was hold on for the ride. It was a strange experience, letting her take control, but it was massively erotic. With every thrust, she squeezed and he felt the pressure build. He gritted his teeth, willing himself to let her drive, knowing the orgasm she pulled from him would be one of the best of his life.
He felt her internal muscles contract, heard her intake of breath, and when heat coursed over him, he thrust once, then twice and followed her into a deep blinding light he never wanted to leave.
* * *
At the Ninth Street entrance to Prospect Park, Jaeger pushed the handle of Ty's stroller into her hand, walked over to the hot dog stand and ordered a dog fully loaded. God, he'd already had two bowls of cereal back at her apartment, two cups of coffee and three of Ty's baby biscuits. She'd forgotten how much men ate. Especially ripped, fit men who burned calories like a hot rocket.
Piper leaned down and checked on Ty. As she'd suspected, he'd pulled off his beanie, both his shoes and one sock. Piper replaced his footwear and tried to tug his beanie back over his ears. Within five seconds, Ty had it off again and in his mouth. Okay, Piper decided, this was a battle she wasn't going to win. The hat could stay off, but the socks and baby shoes had to stay on.
Piper watched as Jaeger lifted his hot dog to his mouth and took an enormous bite. She'd expected him to leave right after they made love, but after a trip to the bathroom, he'd climbed back into bed and wrapped his arms around her. Within a few minutes he'd fallen asleep.
She woke up around eight. Her bed was empty but her kitchen wasn't. Jaeger had Ty in his high chair, making buzzing noises as he directed a spoon of yogurt toward Ty's open mouth. Ty would not eat if his diaper was soggy, so that meant Jaeger had changed him while she slept.
Any other man, she suspected, would've nudged her awake, and told her Ty was awake and yelling for her-when Ty woke up he immediately demanded company. Any other man would've buried his head in the pillow and left her to sort out her son. Not Jaeger Ballantyne; he'd heard Ty, went to him, changed him and fed him breakfast, allowing her another hour of precious sleep.
If he ever needed a kidney, or blood, she was his girl. Hell, she suspected her heart already belonged to him, anyway. What was another organ or two?