Bare, p.11
Bare, page 11
He yanks the cup of my bra down and my nipple is as hard as it feels. It’s aching, needy and when his tongue flicks out to sample it, I grab his shoulder to steady myself.
The clasp at the front of my bra is no match for his deft fingers. He pushes it off before he drops himself to one knee to slide my panties down.
I’m exposed and wet. I know he can see how much I want him. He lowers his mouth to my pussy, his breath breezing over my swollen clit before the tip of his tongue follows the same path.
It’s the barest, lightest touch but it almost tears me in half from its intensity.
“Get on the bed.” His voice is gruff and low as he stands. “Jesus, I need to fuck you.”
My entire body heats when he unbuttons his shirt to reveal a toned chest and sculpted abs. He’s magnificent in every way and when he finally bends down to rid himself of his pants and boxer briefs, I can’t help but stare.
His cock is thick and hard, jutting up toward his navel.
He reaches down to fumble with his pants pocket, pulling out a condom package before he tosses it on the bed.
“On the bed,” he repeats with less patience and more raw need.
I lower myself to the edge until I’m sitting with him standing in front of me.
My desire to taste him takes over and I lean forward, wrapping my hand around the base of his cock before I drag my tongue slowly over the head to steal the drop of come that’s been tempting me.
His hands fist back in my hair as he lets out a guttural sound that shakes me to my core.
My mouth is on him quickly, taking him deep, moaning around his silky hot flesh. I lick, suck and stroke him, feeling him harden even more under my touch.
“Yes,” he hisses out. “So fucking good.”
He steadies the pace, leisurely fucking my mouth while I rest one hand on his thigh, the other still at the root of him, squeezing and stroking, wanting him to gift me with the taste of his release.
“I can’t.” He pulls back with a half-laugh wrapped around a grunt. “I want to be inside you. I need it.”
I need it too.
I wipe my lips with the back of my hand not caring that he’s wet from my mouth.
I move backwards up the bed, my eyes pinned to his. He smiles and my breath catches because he’s gorgeous and wanting. His gaze stays locked to mine as he rips open the condom package and sheathes himself.
“Your body is amazing.” He crawls over me, his thick heavy cock dragging along the skin on the side of my leg, heating a path straight to my core. “I’m going to fuck this sweet little pussy until you scream my name.”
My legs fall open from sheer need. The need to feel; the need to be fucked by this man.
He reaches down to slide the tip of his cock over my slit, parting my lips, teasing my clit.
“I’m going to fuck you and then I’ll taste how sweet you are.” He keeps his eyes on mine as he pushes in, inch by thick inch.
My back bows with his girth. He takes it slow at first, long steady strokes that take me closer to the edge and when his thrusts become deep and intense, I slide my hands from his back to his hair and kiss him hard.
“I’m going to...” I say against his mouth before my words get lost in the orgasm that washes over me.
Chapter 31
Griffin
I carry the washcloth that I found in her bathroom back to the bed. I ran it under warm water so I could soothe her pussy. I took everything I could from her after she came.
I flipped her over, drove my hands into her hips to pin her to the bed and I fucked her hard until we both came.
“Piper?” I whisper her name against her cheek.
She’s on her side in the middle of her bed, her brown hair a halo around her face. She’s flushed, and her breathing is unsteady.
“I can’t move,” she says softly without opening her eyes.
I laugh as I kiss her cheek. “Roll over, baby. Get on your back.”
She sighs and I can’t tell if it’s from the sound of my voice or my command. She acquiesces, stretching out her long limbs before she rolls over, revealing every inch of her perfect body.
I lower the cloth to her pussy, sliding it along the sensitive folds, holding it against her tender flesh.
“You’re not too tired to come again are you?” I gaze into her vibrant green eyes. Their depth is immeasurable and with the small amount of light being cast from the lamp on the bedside table, her face is captivating.
“Never.” She parts her legs even further.
I take it as an invitation and toss the washcloth on the bedside table before I crawl into place, my lips skimming over the fleshy mound before I flatten my tongue against her clit.
She’s sweet and wet.
I lick her slowly, savoring the taste and each of the small sounds she makes.
When her hands drop to my hair, I moan against her, sucking the swollen bud of nerves into my mouth.
Her lips circle, coaxing me to keep going. I do. I lick, I suck and when I slide two long fingers into her, she moans loudly, my name wrapped into the sound.
I close my eyes when I feel her tense against me and when she comes, I groan from her release, my need to have more and the feeling that after tonight, I’m never going to be the same again.
***
I left Piper’s place after I ate her pussy. I wanted much more. I wanted to slide my cock into her again. I wanted to shoot my load down her throat, but she fell asleep.
I couldn’t wake her a second time, so I got dressed, kissed her goodbye and on my way home on the subway, I sent her a text message telling her how much I wanted to see her again.
It might have sounded desperate or edging on pathetic but my cock was essentially driving my every move by that point.
I was still hard when I got home, but I didn’t jack off. I couldn’t. I’m saving it for Piper.
“Griffin?” Gabriel Foster walks into his office.
I turn at the sound of his voice and wave my hand. “Gabe.”
“What are you doing here?” He smiles.
I push myself to my feet. I was directed to sit after his assistant told me he was in a meeting and I’d have to wait if I wanted to talk to him.
I could have done the deed on the phone, but I haven’t seen Gabriel in months. Our friendship is solid, but it’s limited to fleeting phone calls and the occasional email now that he’s preparing for next year’s spring lines for all of his collections.
“Because I’ve missed your pretty face?” I deadpan.
He laughs. He’s a good-looking guy although I’m not a judge on how attractive another man is. He’s taller than me with dark hair and eyes.
“I’ve missed you too.” He pats me on the shoulder as he passes me on his way to the chair behind his desk.
I sit back down anxious to get this over with. I have another stop to make before I put in a full day at my office, so I need to get Rufus a place in the London fashion week show now.
“So there’s this male model named Rufus...” My voice trails when I realize I have no idea what the fuck Rufus’s surname is.
“Rufus Jones?”
Jones? Seriously?
I instantly wonder if he’s related to Rocco Jones. He’s a friend of Dylan’s who consistently beat me at poker every week until I bailed on the games.
“Blond, tall, he looks like he should live on a surfboard,” I offer.
Gabriel raises a brow while he opens a file folder on his desk. He rifles through a stack of headshots before he tugs one free and turns it to face me. “Is this the guy you’re talking about?”
I glance down at a studio shot of Rufus with much shorter hair and a beaming smile on his face. “That’s him.”
“What about him?” Gabriel leans back in his chair.
“He wants in on that fashion show you’re doing in London.” I shake my head. How the hell did I end up here pitching Rufus’s case? “Have you got a place for him?”
He narrows his gaze. “Is he a friend?”
I huff out a laugh. “No, I wouldn’t call him a friend.”
“How do you know him?” There’s a hint of amusement in his tone.
I scratch the side of my nose. I might as well fess up. Gabriel will get a kick out of it, and with any luck, Rufus will land a job. “I’m enrolled in an art class. Rufus is the model.”
That pulls a hearty laugh from Gabriel. It’s enough to draw his head back. “You’re not taking that nude figure class he’s been posing for, are you?”
“I am.”
He studies me for a second. “That’s a good step forward, Griffin. I’m proud of you.”
I swallow past the lump in my throat. I thought he’d take the opportunity to rib me about it, but he’s a gentleman, he always sees below the surface.
I shift the subject back to the reason for my visit. “Do you think you can fit Rufus into your London show?”
“If you want him in London, I’ll make it happen.” He stands and buttons his suit jacket. “Let’s meet for dinner next week. Isla’s been telling me she has a friend she wants to set you up with.”
Gabriel’s wife is a charmer and a fierce romantic. She wants everyone to live the same happily-ever-after she’s living.
“I’m seeing someone,” I say with a smile. “Someone amazing, Gabriel.”
His expression softens. “You’re full of good news today. I can’t wait to meet her. She must be incredible.”
“You have no idea.” I grin before I shake his hand and head out of his office.
Chapter 32
Griffin
“Can someone call the police?” Marco Tresoni’s strangled voice barely escapes past the hand pinned to his neck.
My hand.
As soon as I left Gabriel’s office, I headed to Marco’s. I know Piper is going to stop at the police precinct to fill them in on who robbed her, but I wanted in on the action.
“This is assault, Kent.”
The mention of my surname by the man parading around Manhattan using my identity is enough to make me shove my fist into the wall next to his head.
“You piece of shit,” I seethe through clenched teeth. “I know it was you. You’re the son of a bitch who robbed Piper and left my card on the floor. You told her you were me.”
He laughs. The red-faced clown laughs. “You heard about that? Now, that was some grade A pussy.”
My stomach rolls with the mental image of his dick inside Piper. I have to close my eyes to ward it off. “She’s on her way to the police station now. You’re going down for this.”
“I did go down,” he hisses back. “If Morgan tasted half as good as Piper, I’d still be married to the bitch.”
I’m not Morgan’s biggest fan, but there’s no place in my world for men who talk shit about women. I squeeze my hand tighter coaxing a stifled sound from his throat.
I look behind me to where three women have gathered to watch me school Marco. They all flash me smiles which I take as reassurance that no one has dialed 9-1-1.
“Why use my name?” I push him harder against the wall. “Why leave my card behind?”
“I didn’t plan it.” He tries to push me off him, but it’s useless. “I stopped at your office a few days before to try and talk reason with you but you were busy. The receptionist gave me your card.”
I raise both brows in silent invitation for him to keep talking.
“I wasn’t going to use my real name to pick up a woman at that club, so when I felt your card in my pocket, I went with that. Kent. I never told her my name was Griffin Kent.”
What the fuck ever.
“You left the card on the floor.” I accuse with another crush of my hand around his neck. “Why do that? You wanted her to end up at my office.”
“Why the hell would I want that? You’d lead her straight back to me.” He shakes his head. “It must have fallen out of my pocket when I pulled the condom out.”
It’s one excuse after another with this bastard.
“You took her stuff, Marco.” I feel my jaw tighten. “You took her wallet and her phone.”
“I have a problem.” His face turns beet red. “I’m in therapy. Morgan knows.”
He has a whole host of problems at the moment. “What problem?”
“I get a rush when I take stuff.” His gaze darts to the door of his office. “It’s been a compulsion for years.”
“Oh my God.” One of the women behind me screams out. “Are you the one who stole my wedding ring? Was that you?”
I push him closer to the wall. “Answer her.”
He nods, his voice escaping quickly. “I did it. I took the ring, Gloria’s tablet, that silver pen that Marilyn got for her birthday.”
“You lying bastard.” I feel a pair of hands on my arm. “Let me at him. I’ll kill the jerk.”
“I’m an attorney. I strongly advise against murder.” I look down into the warm brown eyes of a woman who is older than me. “Let the police handle it. I’d much rather see Marco’s ugly face in a mug shot than your pretty one.”
She smiles. “I’ll make the call and thank you.”
“My pleasure.” I loosen my grip on Marco’s neck. “This was all my pleasure.”
***
“This is my boss.” Piper wraps her arm around the shoulder of the woman I met a few weeks ago. “Bridget Beckett. Bridget, this is Griffin Kent.”
Bridget reaches out her hand. I take it because it’s expected but also because I can see by the look on Piper’s face that this moment means a lot to her.
“You’re the man who bought Piper’s sketch.” Bridget smiles warmly as she tugs her hand from mine after a firm shake.
“Sketches,” I correct her. “I’ve purchased several of Piper’s sketches.”
Piper throws Bridget a knowing glance. “Griffin actually bought some of my sketches to give to Sem Jansen.”
“I heard that you arranged that night for Piper. It was such a gracious thing to do.”
It was selfish. I wanted to give her a gift that trumped every other gift she’s ever received. I believe I did that. “Piper deserved it.”
Bridget studies my face before she looks over at Piper. “I feel some tension here. I’m not imagining that, am I? There’s more to this than a student and his teacher.”
I wait for a beat for Piper to respond, but it’s obvious the question took her by surprise. I answer because I want this woman to know exactly what’s going on between us. “We’re seeing each other.”
Bridget’s face lights up in glee as her gaze volleys between Piper’s face and mine. “Piper, you didn’t say anything. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Piper tosses me a look before she turns to face her boss. “It’s new. It’s still really new.”
Bridget reaches forward to grab my forearm. “You’ll come to the staff dinner at my house with Piper on Sunday.”
I look to Piper for guidance but she’s staring blankly at Bridget. “I’m on board. Tell me where, when and what I need to bring.”
Chapter 33
Piper
I stare at Griffin after Bridget walks away. I’m at work early today. I had so much restless energy after I woke up after spending last night with him.
I read the text message he sent me over and over. He wrote that he had a fantastic night and that he wanted to see me again as soon as possible.
I didn’t think that meant that he’d show up at the gallery before lunch.
“You’re okay with me going to this dinner thing on Sunday, right?” Griffin presses his lips to my cheek for a soft kiss. “If you think it’s too soon for me to tagalong, just give me the word.”
I think it’s too soon for me to want him there, but I do. I love the idea of meeting the rest of my co-workers with this handsome man by my side. After what we shared last night, I’m ready to spend as much time with him as I can.
“We’ll have fun.” I run my hand through my hair.
I didn’t put any effort into my appearance today. I showered after I woke up and realized Griffin had left. Then I straightened my hair, put on a light touch of makeup and dressed in dark pants and a green sweater.
Since I don’t have class tonight, I didn’t expect to see him today.
It was a welcome surprise when I turned at the ring of the bell over the gallery door to see him standing there.
“I went to see Marco earlier.”
My entire body tenses at the mention of the man who stole my wallet along with a sliver of my pride. I stopped at the police precinct on my way here, but the officer assigned to my case told me that a man had called in very early this morning with a tip on the identity of the thief. I knew that had to be Griffin.
“What did he say?” I ask with a quirk of my brow.
“What could he say?” He attempts a small smile. “He admitted everything. It turns out that you’re not the first person he’s robbed.”
That doesn’t offer me any comfort at all. The only thing I feel is compassion for his other victims.
“Will he be arrested?”
He nods. “Today. He’ll be booked and released. Depending on how he pleads, you may not have to go to court.”
“I hope he pleads guilty.” I rest my hands on my hips. “Did you kick him in the groin for me?”
He smiles wolfishly. “Is that what you would have done if you saw him today?”
“That followed by a poke in the eye.” I jut my index finger out in the air. “I think he deserves worse, but at least it would be a start.”
“I practically strangled the life out of the asshole. It got him to confess and none of the witnesses remember the part about me having my hand wrapped around his scrawny neck.”
I carefully study his face trying to decide if he’s joking or not. “You’re my knight in shining armor.”
He looks over to where Bridget is standing by the charcoal portraits. Her attention is focused on the person on the other end of the phone. Her hand is waving wildly in the air as she laughs out loud.
“I’ll be your knight in shining armor, as long as I can be your lover too.”
