GIDEON STROKED PIPER’S hair, enjoying the sight of her sleeping, the content half-smile on her face. If he could keep her like this forever, he would. In a heartbeat. No matter the cost. She’d experienced enough of the bad things in the world. She deserved all the good he could give her.

The downside was that very soon he’d need to get to work. His problem clients had likely filled his inbox with all sorts of change requests they hadn’t paid for him to do.

Yeah, that was not what he wanted to think about while Piper was still sated and happy in his bed. Three rounds and he still wanted more. He was addicted to her in the best way possible. The biggest question was, how did he convince her they needed to be permanent?

He’d screwed up their friendship with nothing but good intentions. They had a second chance now, but nothing was guaranteed. He’d gotten her to agree that they could keep doing this, whatever this was, but how long would that last?

Piper’s eyes fluttered open. She locked gazes with him and her lips curled into a smile. She rubbed her face with the hand that wasn’t trapped between them.

“How long was I asleep for?” Her mumbled words made just enough sense he understood them.

“Not long.” He kissed her cheek, and she snuggled closer.

“What time is it?”

He glanced at the clock, not liking those numbers one bit.

“Little past eleven,” he said.

“Shit.” She sighed and rolled onto her back.

The real world was calling them back to reality.

“I know. Me, too.” He stroked her back and toyed with the ends of her hair. “What do you have to do today?”

“Clean up files and paperwork. A lot of paperwork. Also, I missed texts from the girls. I guess they came back last night and decided we were having brunch today. Only problem, I didn’t see the text until after it’d started.”

“They have to understand you’re not always available. Don’t they?”

“They don’t. I get the feeling they came back with the intent to do something with me.”

“Ouch. Did you tell them you weren’t coming?”

“No. I mean, they’re going to ask why. I have to work myself up to talking about it with them.”

Gideon let those words sink in.

She wasn’t hiding him from the others. Did he dare think that meant there was a chance? That he had hope?

“Your problem people still bothering you?” She stroked her fingers over his stubble.

“Yeah. I’ll probably give them a few hours this afternoon, then tell them to pony up more money or I’m done. They should have people for the implementation side of things. My assistant needs an hour or two of my time, too.”

“You and your fancy assistant.”

“You should totally get one.”

“Probably. I’m just a closet control freak.”

“Closet? Really? I remember the first time I went to touch your setup, and you nearly took my head off.”

“I wasn’t sure if I’d saved everything yet. I was really frazzled.” Her smile was the kind of thing he could stare at all day.

“I could tell.” He traced her lips and considered ignoring work for one more day.

“Would you mind if I used your shower before I head home? I wouldn’t put it past them to be camped out on my doorstep. We’ve got a few pieces to finish before the con next week.” Piper stretched her limbs.

“Go ahead. My shower is your shower.”

“Thanks. I should try to leave in the next hour. Back to the real world and all that.” She sat up and pushed to her feet.

His Nirvana T-shirt fit her like a dress. He knew she’d put her panties back on, but that didn’t stop his daydream about sliding his hand up under the garment.

The shower turned on and he could imagine Piper moving around the bathroom, using his things.

She was the only woman he’d enjoyed sharing space with. The very short list of women he’d allowed in his home hadn’t gotten so much as a toothbrush in the bathroom. He’d given Piper the extra out of the package and told her to leave it in the drawer when she was done so it would be there for her later. Next time. Whenever that was.

Gideon rolled out of bed and stood wiggling his toes in the carpet.

The door was still open.

He padded across the bedroom and into the bathroom.

The shower stall glass was fogged and water beaded its surface. He could still see the darker shadow of her body swaying under the spray. He pulled the shower door open and got a face full of steam.

Piper’s chuckle echoed off the tile.

That was better than telling him to get out.

He stepped inside and let the door close behind him.

“I’m not trying to live in your shower, I promise.” Piper had her back to him, hands in her hair, suds sliding down her backside.

“If you let me use it for a few hours a day, I wouldn’t mind it if you moved in.”

That got a real laugh out of her.

The shower was his one luxury. He’d expanded the original one, enlarging the already ridiculously sized bathroom a few feet to make sure he had all the room for a truly luxurious showering experience.

He reached around Piper, dropping a quick kiss on her shoulder, and grabbed his shampoo. If she was going to clean up, he should, too.

“Think I could find an apartment with a shower like this?” she asked.

“No. You need to buy a place.”

“That’s too much commitment. Signing my first lease almost gave mean anxiety attack.”

“Just because you own a place doesn’t mean that’s where you have to always live.”

“You’re so pushy. Get an assistant. Buy a house. Be an adult. You’re no fun anymore, Gideon.” Piper flicked water at him.

“That wasn’t what you said earlier.” He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her back against his chest.

Instead of laughing or smacking him like he expected, Piper turned her head. Those parted lips said it all. He bent his head and kissed her. He slid his hand down her stomach and between her legs. She groaned into his mouth and squirmed, but still didn’t move away from him.

She shifted her hips, sliding his fingers between her legs. He groaned into her mouth, stroking her folds. Her heat warmed his skin and sent his blood pumping to his cock.

“One more, before I leave?”  She reached back between them and wrapped her hand around his erection.

“Are you trying to convince me? Do I feel like I need convincing?”

He kissed her again. They both knew he didn’t need an answer, just like she didn’t have to ask.

Gideon let go of her and stepped out of the shower. He’d put most of the condoms in the nightstand, a few downstairs, and more than a few in the bathroom. Ever since he’d had the shower installed, he had sexual fantasies about what could happen in it, but to date, he hadn’t acted on those. This was the perfect opportunity.

He ripped the condom packet and rolled it on, briefly closing his eyes. Every time was better and better.

Gideon stepped into the shower. Piper had rinsed the suds out of her hair and now stood between the steam jets, half facing him. She was such a free-spirited hippie at heart, and he loved seeing her enjoying herself again.

He pushed her up against the wall and kissed her shoulder, her neck. She reached behind him and palmed his cock. He wrapped his hand around hers and together they guided his cock between her legs. She braced her free hand on the glass and tilted her hips back. He slid into her to the sound of both their groans.

They fit so damn well.

He pumped into her, the little groans and gasps of pleasure so damn sweet.

Gideon slid his fingers over her mound, finding her clit. Piper went up on her toes and flattened her face to the glass. She arched her spine, her eyes closed and lips parted.

So damn good.

Her tight, hot pussy constricted around him. She was close.

He wrapped her wet hair around his hand and pulled. She turned her head, completely given over to pleasure.

Gideon kissed her mouth and stroked her. She whimpered and beat the glass with her fist. Her body shuddered in his arms. These were the precious moments she’d trusted him with. Him. No one else. Just him.

He buried his face in the crook of her neck, his vision blurring, the release rolling up through him. They clutched each other, the hot water pounding his back, splashing his face. If only they could remain in this perfect little bubble, he’d die happy.

“You make it hard to want to leave,” Piper mumbled. She turned in his embrace to face him and looped her arms around his neck.

“You could stay here, in the shower.”

“Don’t tempt me.” She stared at him with that heavy lidded, smiling face of hers.

Piper was happy. He’d contributed to that.

“You know, after you finish up work, you could come over? There’s not a cap on the number of hours I’m willing to put into helping you with your homework.”

“Stop.” She chuckled and shook her head.

“I mean it. Come here.” He grabbed her soap and squirted it into his hands.

The quicker he sent her home, the sooner they could both be done with the have to do list and back to this precious time together.