Velvet Kisses(55)

“Yes, this,” she hisses as she pushes me deep inside her.

I don’t object.

I make her every wish come true.

Again and again.



* * *



Later that afternoon, Marley and I head over to Blake’s to say goodbye to Piper and Cade.

“What do you mean you’re not leaving?” I’m not amused one bit when Piper starts to throw a tantrum. She’s been known to throw a fit or two in her day. I’ve witnessed a few she knocked out of the park. Piper is famous for her pout and shout sessions.

“I mean I like it here.” She flips her dark hair over her shoulder, and I still can’t get over the fact she looks more like one of the coeds at the Black Bear than she does my pigtail wearing little sister. “I love horses. I can feed the horses for you. There’s nothing I won’t do. Contrary to what you believe, I’m not a priss. I’ll even shovel buckets full of shit.” She pulls her lip to the side as if she’s consigned to the fact.

“Perfect.” I cross my arms staring at her upturned face. If ever I wondered what I would have looked like as a girl, Piper answered my question—albeit she’s much prettier than I’m sure my hairy ass would’ve been. “All right.” I never could say no to that face. “You just scored yourself a summer job. Now pack your duffle bag. Blake is taking you to the airport.”

Piper glares at me with a fire in her eyes. She has a stubborn streak as subtle as barbed wire.

“You don’t know what it’s like at home. I hate it there! I freaking hate it!” She screams in my face as the cords in her neck pop like rope.

I glance to Marley and blink an even smile as if to say I’ve got this all under control. The truth is, no one or nothing has ever controlled Piper James. I’m not saying she’s a bitch. She’s just a little emotionally charged—all the fucking time.

“You’re getting on that plane because you have school, Piper. You have to be in homeroom tomorrow morning or the entire universe unravels.” Do they still put parents in jail if their kids are truant? Never mind. If I pose that non-threat to her, she’ll be elated. She’d love nothing more than to arrange a lengthy prison stay for dear old Pops. And, at the rate he’s defrauding investors of their hedge funds, he’s doing just fine landing himself there on his own. “I meant as soon as school wraps up, you can come down for the summer.” A part of me cringes because I know for a fact she’ll have to stay with me.

Cade nods. “Blake and Annie gave us the tour of Whitney Briggs this morning.”

“Really? Did you love it?” Marley wraps her arm around my waist, and I pull her in close. My entire person glows like a freaking Lite-Brite when she’s nearby. I don’t know why, but I’m all about playing house with her, pretending she’s the one.

An adrenalin rush hits from out of nowhere as I gaze into the wall just beyond Piper’s head. Marley is the one? A dull laugh rumbles through me. Good God, I think she is the one. Marley is the one. She just doesn’t know it yet.

“It was okay.” Piper wipes the imaginary dust off her shoulder as if giving WB the big FU.

“Are you kidding? I loved it.” Cade is the perfect gentlemen. Blake has the habit of calling him the Pretty Preppy, but never to his face. Piper, of course, was happy to relay the message, and, ever since, Cade has referred to Blake as the Junkyard Dog. But, at the end of the day, we all still get along. I think we care for one another a little more now especially after what happened to Benji. “And if this one goes”—Cade rubs his knuckles over Piper’s head causing her to backhand him—“I’m transferring.”

“Really?” She softens. “Thank you.” Piper latches onto him as if he was her favorite teddy bear, and in a lot of ways he is. As affectionate as my father was with me he was that much less with the two of them. Apparently metric distance didn’t account for much after all. Their mother runs the socialite circuit, and she never did have time or patience for wiping noses or bottoms. Piper and Cade belonged to a long line of nameless, faceless nannies. They’ve muddled their way through private school, and, now, it sounds as if they’re looking for their ticket out of the city—at least she is. Cade looks as if he’s about to follow just to keep an eye on his wild child of a baby sister.

“Think it through. Sleep on it. Give it its due diligence, and all that good shit.” I pull them both into a hug before dropping a kiss onto Piper’s head. “Be good.”

“See you in May?”

“May?”