Behind the Net: Chapter 29

PIPPA BLINKS.

“He’s watching.” I arch a brow, and my gaze falls to her lips. I know how soft her mouth is. I’ve replayed it a hundred times. “Only if you want to.”

“Yeah,” she breathes, nodding, and when I lift my gaze to hers, she’s looking at my mouth. “If he’s watching, we should.”

“Mhm.”

“Okay. I’m going to kiss you now.”

My hand comes to the back of her head and I gently pull her forward.

Our kiss is different this time. Less urgent, less frantic, although I feel all those things beating against the front wall of my chest, urging me to take her mouth, but no. I want to savor this one, because just like her sitting in my lap, we’ll never get another shot. After tonight, she’ll never see that loser again, and my opportunities to touch her will drop to zero.

I kiss Pippa like I mean it. Like she’s air and I’m about to suffocate. Her hands fist my collar and pull me closer to her, and I nip her bottom lip before I taste her again.

I kiss her like we have forever. I know we don’t. We have maybe thirty seconds more of this if I’m lucky.

She sighs into me like she’s been thinking about this all week, too. Everything falls away—the people, the music, everything except the feel of her mouth under mine, her pressed against me, my hands in her hair. She’s so fucking sweet. Her tongue slips into my mouth, and I’m leaking pre-cum in my boxers. I suck her tongue, and she whimpers.

I could make her come so fucking fast. I’d do it over and over until she begged for a rest.

“Pippa,” I whisper between kisses.

She nods, and her mouth seeks mine again. Desire floods my chest, drowning out everything else. Every bad thing I’ve ever seen or that has happened to me evaporates into the atmosphere as I kiss her, like she’s filling me with light. Her hair is silk, and I tilt her open more, so I can get deeper. I need to get deeper. I need her to be fully mine.

I know this isn’t real, but it’s still fucking incredible.

I sense a presence in our vicinity, and when I open my eyes, there’s a fluorescent hoodie beside us. I’m cradling Pippa’s jaw in my hands now, but Zach reaches out and tugs on a lock of her hair.

I pull back, glaring at him, jaw clenching.

“What are you two doing hiding in the corner?” he asks. His smile is wry, forced, and uncomfortable. “It’s a party. Come hang out with us.” He gestures at the table of his friends. He says it like he’s not asking.

Under my hand, Pippa’s back muscles tighten. Even without my hands all over her, I’d sense her hesitation, the way she straightens up.

“We have to go.” I stare at him. “We’ve got an early morning and I’m not done with this one tonight.” My tone is suggestive, and her eyes flare with surprise and heat. “Right, baby?” I ask, locking my arms around her waist. Her lips are swollen, and she looks dazed as she nods.

Something smug courses through me. Zach’s expression is both unimpressed and irritated.

She stands, and when I get to my feet, I take a step closer to Zach to emphasize our height difference. I don’t use my size to my advantage often, but tonight, I’ll take any opportunity to show this guy up.

“Thanks for inviting us.”

“Yeah,” he says, forcing a smile. He looks like he’s about to be sick. “Really great to see you, Pippa.”

She forces a smile right back. “You, too.”

I take her hand—it fits perfectly in mine. On the way down the steps, I’m practically carrying her, supporting her arms. She waves goodbye to a few people, and the second we get outside, she deflates. I let her arm go, because now that we’ve left the party, the ruse is over.

Something in my gut sinks. That all felt too easy, and I know how dangerous that is.

“Oh my god,” she breathes, closing her eyes. “That was a lot.”

“Pippa.” I fold my arms over my chest so I don’t do something stupid like touch her hair or waist again. We aren’t pretending anymore. “You killed it.”

She snorts, rolling her eyes.

“You did.”

She smiles up at me. “Thanks to you.”

My heart beats harder. “Anytime.”

I can’t tell her the truth—that tonight wasn’t a favor to anyone but myself.