CHAPTER SEVEN
PIPER
The blonde woman on the other side of the desk was beautiful when she smiled, but a little hardened and angry when she didn't. She stared at me with frown lines on her face and her brow furrowed. She wasn't smiling. I cleared my throat and stared at my hands, folded in my lap, trying to fight off the feeling of dread threatening to consume me.
The woman was Sheila Appleton, attorney at law. One of the better family lawyers in Walter. Okay, technically, she was the only family lawyer in Walter, but she had a decent enough reputation. She was also fairly affordable compared to going out of town and finding a big-wig, high dollar attorney like Trent had done.
“What's the problem?” I asked.
My nerves of steel had disintegrated under the withering power of just that one look from her. It damn near stopped my heart from beating in my chest. All this time, I thought everything was going to be okay. I'd felt good about our case. I felt like there was no way I could honestly lose this case or custody of my little girl, But, Sheila's eyes told me otherwise.
“Your ex has tested clean on every single drug tests he's been given,” Sheila said, handing me a small folder, “And he's actually gotten a job with proof of legit income. Turns out, he's actually making a lot of money, Piper.”
“Bullshit,” I stammered, opening the folder and flipping through the documents. “It's fake. It has to be. I know Trent.”
Tears welled in my eyes.
“Maybe, but from where I'm sitting, it looks legit,” Sheila said. “And even if it's fake, it looks good enough that it can probably fool the courts.”
“No,” I said. “I just spoke to him the other night. He was high as a kite.”
“It gets worse,” Sheila said.
“Worse? How?” I wish I hadn't asked. “It doesn't seem possible at this point.”
“He's claiming you're an unfit mother and he's seeking full custody,” she said. “Not just partial custody as before. He wants to cut you out of Olivia's life as much as possible.”
“That son of a bitch. He has no basis to claim that I'm unfit,” I said. “I've never done anything that would justify that.”
Sheila still wasn't smiling. She nodded toward the folder, so I flipped through the pages. Gasping, I stared at the photo of me with wide, scared eyes. I looked up at Sheila, who looked like a disappointed mother, and then back down at the file in my hands.
“What is – ”
I pulled it from the folder. It was a picture of me alright, a picture of me sitting around with some of his friends. I remembered that night very well. I'd put on a happy face because I knew I was leaving Trent's ass for good. I was smiling because I knew I wouldn't have to put up with anymore of his parties – or him – anymore.
Except, the photo he'd included was of me with several men sitting at a table, passing a bong around. I didn't partake, I never did. I was simply in the photo. There were beer bottles and empty shot glasses littering the table in front of us. I knew, for a fact, that at that time, Olivia was asleep in her crib in the ack of the house. Away from the mayhem, and soon enough, even further away. But, that night, she hadn't even woken up while the house was filled with people.
“He fails to mention that these are his friends at his party – not mine – doesn't he?” I hiss. And he also fails to mention that I never smoked pot. Especially, with his lowlife friends.”
“Yep. He claims he wasn't there that night. He says that he was working and says he can prove it,” he said. “He also claims you were left at home alone with the baby and chose to party instead.”
“Bullshit again,” I said, throwing the photo on her desk. “I was passing through on my way to Olivia's room. I usually locked myself in with my baby girl when things got wild, but I needed to make her a bottle first. Trent was the one who took the photo.”
“He has a written statement from his boss that he was at work that night.”
“He didn't even have a job,” I spat.
“According to his paperwork, he did,” Sheila said.
She crossed her arms in front of herself and studied me for a moment. I slammed the folder shut and threw it on her desk. Leaning back in my chair, I nibbled my thumb nail and tapped my foot on the floor, urging myself not to cry. I'd shed enough tears over this asshole already. He didn't deserve anymore from me. What he did deserve was a swift kick in the balls.
“We're still going to win this,” I said.
“Absolutely,” Sheila said, still smiling, but sounding a little less confident than she had before. “He just made things a little harder for us. But, very rarely will a judge deny a mother custody as long as she's deemed fit – which you are. The picture won't hold up in my opinion, but we do have to make sure you stay on the up-and-up.”
“Of course,” I snorted. “I don't do anything illegal, most certainly not drugs. I don't even drink.”
Sheila nodded. “I know, which is why I'm confident we can win this, Piper. We won't give the bastard any material he can use against us, and he's going to fall on his ass. Mark my words girl, when we're done with him, he's not even going to be able to adopt a cat.”
Taking a deep breath, I told myself she was right. He was trying to scare me, trying to make my life more difficult so I'd end up running back to him. It wasn't going to work. I just had to keep doing what I was doing and stay out of trouble. If I could manage that – not a difficult feat to accompish in my life, really – everything would work itself out. Everything would be just fine.
***
As I was leaving Sheila's office, my phone rang. It was Shane. I couldn't control the smile on my face when I picked up the phone.
“Hey, you,” I said.
“Hey,” he said. “So about that second date we talked about? I think I want to take you out to a real dinner this time. Just you and me.”
“Oh yeah?” I giggled.
I climbed into my car and leaned against the seat. Everything would be okay. Stay out of trouble and Trent didn't stand a chance – and hang out with Shane more too. Life was going well, I had nothing to complain about. All things considered, I was feeling pretty confident. Pretty happy.
“So what were you thinking?” I asked.
“Perezzis. The best Italian food in town,” he said.
“And where we ate before prom,” I said, my cheeks hurting from smiling so hard. “But it's expensive, isn't it?”
“Not too bad. I can handle it,” he said. “A special girl deserves a special night out, after all.”
The idea of a night out at a nice place did sound nice, I wasn't going to lie.
“Did you find a job?” I asked.
“Yes, actually I did. Just a temporary gig, but it pays well enough,” he said. “Enough that I can spoil the hell out of you for one night at least.”
I laughed, feeling giddy and silly, like a schoolgirl all over again. “I'd love to, Shane. We can celebrate your new job too while we're at it.”
He was quiet for a moment, but then answered, “Yeah, sounds good,” he said. “We'll do that. So when are you free?”
“Tonight, actually,” I said. “I took the day off to meet with my lawyer to go over some stuff for the custody hearing.”
“Pick you up at six then?”
I couldn't believe this was happening to me – now, after all these years. Shane Jackson and I were going on a real date again. We were going to the place we'd shared dinner before our senior prom. It all felt too romantic and sweet for words. It almost felt too good to be true after all the crap I'd been through the last few years.
It was just surreal to me, how quickly life could turn around. How quickly you could move from your lowest depths, to unimaginable highs. It was amazing to me.
“I can't wait,” I cooed.
***
“Another date already? Think things are getting serious?” mom asked, smiling at me as I examined myself in the hall mirror.
This time, I'd picked out a soft pink dress with a bow cinching my waist. It brought out my hourglass figure, accentuating my curves very nciely, and made me look pretty amazing, I had to say.
“I don't know,” I said, but I couldn't stop grinning like a fool.
The other night, that kiss at his place – it had been pretty magical. It honestly felt like old times, like we were still the two love-drunk teenagers who couldn't get enough of each other. That fire and passion we'd had for each other back in the day didn't seem to have dimmed in the least with the passage of time.
To be honest, after Shane left, and then after Trent, I wasn't sure I'd ever find that again. I wasn't sure it even existed of if I honestly even wanted to try again. Yet, despite all that, there I was. Grinning like a lovesick idiot.
A knock souned at the door, and I giggled as my mom patted me on the rear, giving me a knowing smile. I scurried off toward the front door. Olivia was sitting in the living room, playing with her dolls, looking up at me and smiling as I entered the room. This was it. He was going to meet her, whether I was ready for it to happen or not.
Letting out a long, nervous breath, I answered the door, and instantly felt like my heart was about to beat straight out of my chest. He'd gotten a cut, so his chestnut brown hair was trimmed and neat, just like I'd remembered him. He was freshly shaven too. His brown eyes were sparkling and the warm, inviting smile on his face said he was happy to see me. I nearly melted into a puddle when I saw what he had in his hands.
“Lilies?” I gushed. “You remembered. I can't believe you remembered.”
“Of course I did,” he said. “They were always your favorite flowers.”
I welcomed him into the house, and Olivia stared up at him with big eyes, wide with a little hint of fear in them. She stood up and walked over to me, hiding behind my leg with her thumb in her mouth.
“Well hey there,” Shane said, kneeling down so he was at eye-level with my little girl. “You must be Olivia. I've heard an awful lot about you. My name is Shane.”
My heart almost couldn't take it. Seeing him looking at her with such sweetness and gentleness in his eyes made my heart swell to the point it felt like it might burst. It as almost too much for me.
“She's a bit shy,” I said, running a hand through her silky black hair, as she leaned her head into my leg. “But she'll come around.”
“I'm sure she will,” he said. “She's beautiful. Just like her mama.”
My cheeks flushed with color, and I just stood there, grinning like a fool. Footsteps sounded in the hallway behind me and a moment later, I felt my mother's hand on my shoulder, giving me a gentle squeeze.
“Shane, it's been way too long,” mom said, a warm smile on her face.
“It has, Mrs. Anderson. How have you been?”
“Good,” she said, giving me an approving smile. “And you?”
“Been better,” he said. “But, no use complaining about it. I'm making it work.”
“Sorry to hear about your parents. They were good people,” mom said.
The two of them made small talk as I transferred the flowers over to a vase. Olivia was like a magnet, stuck completely to my side.
“Its okay, baby,” I said. “He's mommy's friend.”
She didn't say anything, but her wide-eyed gaze moved over to Shane. He caught her staring and gave her a wink and a little wave. Olivia's face lit up and she smiled back at him, but buried her face in my leg again, still not willing to leave my side.
“Well, we better get going,” I said.
I stepped in to save him from my mother's endless chatter. She could literally talk to anyone for hours at a time, which was great in open, free-flowing social settings. But, when we had reservations, it wasn't always her most helpful or charming personality trait.
Shane waved at Olivia as we left my place, and we climbed into his car. He drove us over to the restaurant which was in the center of town. Mostly we reminisced about days from our high school youth – the stupid senior prank our class pulled where we painted the sidewalks around the school in our team's colors, about friends who had moved on from Walter, and how they were doing according to town gossip, and the like.
It had been so long since I'd been there – maybe even the prom had been the last time – so, I was shocked that Perezzis looked almost identical to my memories of the place. Nothing had changed. The carpet was still the same wine red, the furniture all antique, dark wood. Soft classical music played in the lobby, and a petite teenaged girl greeted us upon entering. She smiled back at us with teeth bracketed by braces, and it reminded me of the summer I worked at the diner down the street. I'd been a gangly, awkward girl with braces too.
God, it felt like eons ago.
“Jackson, party of two,” Shane said.
I raised my eyebrows. “You even made reservations,” I said.
“Of course I did,” he said.
He took my hand in his and laid a gentle kiss upon the knuckles. The hostess led us to our table, and as soon as I saw it, I almost died on the spot.
It was the same exact table we'd sat at all those years ago.
A corner table, tucked away in a private little nook with a water feature separating us from the rest of the place. It was a little bit private, a little bit cozy, and a whole lot intimate. The waterfall was calming as it splashed down upon the stones in the wall, providing nice ambient noise that brought back so many memories.
Before I could say anything about it, Shane scooped me up into his arms and pressed himself against me. I let out a soft yelp of surprise, but then laughed as he pulled my face into his, where he kissed me passionately. I took his face in my hands as well, stroking his baby soft cheeks and held him as if I'd never let him go again. God knew, I didn't want to.
I sensed the tightness in his pants as he reacted to my body, then felt him accidentally brush me with his hard cock. Embarrassed, he shifted himself so he wasn't poking me with it, but I too was having a reaction of my own to his body. I felt the wetness in my panties and almost suggested we sneak out of there and skip dinner entirely – both of us obviously eager to make up for lost time.
Shane had gone through all the trouble to do this for us though, and it was such a sweet gesture. When the kiss ended, he stared deeply into my eyes while stroking my cheek. The tenderness and passion in his gaze set my insides on fire and I swear I could almost have an orgasm just from the burning intensity I saw in him.
“Just like old times,” he whispered, his breath brushing against my lips.
“Yes,” I said, my face hurting from smiling so much and so wide. “Just like old times.”
***
“I forgot how amazing their tiramisu really is,” I gushed.
I finished the last of my cake with a groan of pleasure and sat back in my seat, feeling like I might literally burst right there.
“God, that was so good,” I groaned, feeling my swollen belly.
“Do you have to be getting back to your daughter?” Shane asked.
He lifted his fork to his mouth, and used the tip of his tongue to lick the remaining crumbs clean off his fork. I eyed this movement carefully, imagining what that tongue could do to my body if he licked me like that.
“No, my mom's off,” I said, shooting him a mischevious grin. “She said I didn't have to hurry back.”
“Good.”
“Why? What do you have in mind?” I asked.
“I was thinking maybe dessert, round two,” he said.
“I don't think I could eat another bite of anything right now,” I chuckled.
“Who said anything about eating?”
His eyes sparkled and held a devious glint in those fiery depths as he put his fork down.
“Oh? So where were you planning to have this delightful dessert. In your crowded apartment or my mom's crowded house?” I teased.
“Neither,” he said. “I've booked a hotel room, actually. Just in case things were to head in that direction – I wanted an option.”
“A hotel? Wow, your new gig must be paying well,” I teased.
He shrugged. “It's not too bad,” he said. “So, what do you say?”
My insides were tied in knots and my throat was suddenly as dry as the desert. I was struggling to form a coherent thought, let alone a coherent sentence – mostly thanks to my nerves, which were jingling and jangling. But, judging by the moistness in my panties, and the intense need I had for more of his kisses, there was no way I could turn him down.
“I say – let's get out of here,” I said with a wink.
I grabbed my purse and the two of us scurried out of the restaurant, his hand on the small of my back as we walked to his car. Luckily, the hotel wasn't very far. I squirmed in my seat as Shane rested his hand on my thigh. I couldn't tell if he was as nervous as I was. It didn't seem that way. Shane parked, and since he'd already checked in and everything, he pulled out his room key and together, we walked inside and down the hall to the room.
It was nothing fancy – especially since Walter didn't have super high end hotels. But, it was private. My mom, daughter, and his siblings weren't running around, which was a huge bonus. As soon as he opened the door, he pushed me inside, and our lips were on each other once more. The fire and passion burned bright and I felt my body lighting up with it.
This time, however, his lips didn't just kiss mine. Oh no, he moved down my neck as his hands worked over my dress, grabbing at it as if he wanted to just rip it off me. He slipped the tip of his tongue along my neck, and I shuddered as waves of pleasure rippled through me.
“Yes, Shane,” I muttered.
He continued pushing me backward until I fell against the bed. He stood there, towering over me and staring down, his eyes glowing with a lust-fueled fire. A salacious grin spread across his face, and he had the look of a man who knew he was about to get laid.
Shane parted my legs and dropped between them, kissing his way up my thighs. The softness of his full lips on my skin made me squirm and writhe. He grabbed onto my hips and pulled me down the bed, pulling me closer to him. I squealed with surprise, grinning down at him as he slipped my panties to the side. Shane flicked his tongue out, running them along my wet, swollen lips, before licking around my clit. I arched my back upward and I groaned, my eyes fluttering open and shut as he continued exploring my body with his tongue.
“Oh yes,” I muttered, my hands landing on the back of his head.
I raked my nails along his scalp as he devoured me. He went beyond just the simple flicks of his tongue against my clit. He was fucking me with his tongue now, moving it in and out of my tight little hole as my body convulsed in pleasure. He licked and sucked on me with absolute fervor, like I was made of the nectar of the gods themselves. My hands pushed him deeper into me without meaning to – it just felt so damn good and I wanted all of him.
I didn't want him to stop. I never wanted him to stop.
“Yes, Shane... Oh God,” I cried out.
My pussy spasmed around his mouth as I came, and Shane never once slowed down his pace. He kept me going, licking and sucking with the eagerness of a man who thrives on eating pussy, making the pleasure coursing through my body burn with an intensity that sent me over the top.
My orgasm had barely subsided when Shane was moving up my body, lifting my dress off over my head. His mouth crashed into mine again, and I tasted myself upon his lips. His tongue and mouth were coated in my juices, but I didn't care. I wanted him, all of him, and it was obvious from the way his cock pressed against me, through his slacks, that he wanted me too.
I fumbled with his belt and zipper as Shane worked at the snaps of my bra. Our hands were trembling – it almost felt like we were clumsy teenagers all over again – but we managed to get ourselves mostly undressed.
Slipping my hands up Shane's shirt, I slid my fingers along the smooth skin of his abs and chest. So tight. So firm. So filled out. I had to remove the shirt and see him in the flesh. He helped me lift it off over his head, and I marveled at the beauty. Tattoos that hadn't been there before, now dotted his chest and I traced along them with my fingertips.
All while he stared down at me, hovered over me. His eyes drank me in as he reached for my breast. Lowering himself against me, he took my nipple into his mouth and sucked on it, gently. The sensation of his moouth on my nipple tore through my body like a bolt of lightning, reaching the crown of my head, all the way down to my toes, and I cried out in pleasure.
His cock pressed against me, the tip of him resting against my pussy. I opened my legs for him, hoping to welcome him inside of me, but he continued focusing on my breasts instead. He moved his mouth over to the other nipple, his brown eyes staring deep into mine as he sucked on them with as much glee as he'd sucked on my pussy.
“Please,” I groaned, my voice breathless as I writhed upward toward him, asking with my hips for what I wanted from him.
Shane pulled back from my breast and held himself above me, staring deep into my eyes. His cock pressed against my opening, just the tip slipping between the velvety folds between my thighs. He smiled as he rubbed himself against my clit.
I wrapped my legs around his body and with all my strength, pulled him into me. It didn't seem to do much good, but Shane himself pressed forward, burying himself deep inside of me with one, hard thrust. He pushed past the folds of my pussy and drove himself into me with a low, animalistic grunt.
“Yes, yes,” I cried out, wrapping my hands around his body.
His gaze held mine as he moved in and out of me, our bodies finding a rhythm all our own. A rhythm our bodies seemed to remember well from the years that had gone by. We moved in unison, our bodies creating a perfect – and perfectly remembered – harmony.
“God, I've missed you,” he groaned.
His head fell, his forehead resting against mine as we stared into each other's eyes. He dotted kisses along my neck and collarbone, his breathing heavy in my ear.
“I've missed you so much, Piper,” he said.
“I've missed you too,” I said.
He grabbed onto my leg, lifting it slightly to get a better angle for himself, and then buried himself balls deep inside of me. I cried out, shuddering with pleasure as he started pounding deeper and deeper into my pussy.
“I want you on top, so I can see all of you,” he said.
He rolled us over before I knew what was happening, never leaving my body. I was straddling him now, and I sat up, stretching my arms up over my head to give him the view he wanted.
“You're so fucking sexy,” he said.
He reached up, his large, but soft hands kneading at my tits, teasing my nipples as I rode him. I ground myself against him, my clit rubbing hard against his pelvic bone. His hands continued exploring my body, as he savored my curves. I drew in a sharp breath as his fingernails raked against my flesh, as he moved his hands to my hips, holding me in place and helping me find our rhythm again.
His hips rose up to meet mine now, bringing us even closer together. I fell onto him, my head resting against his chest. His heart was beating so fast, thundering in his chest as I continued grinding my body against him, feeling his cock pounding against the walls of my pussy. I clenched myself around him, bringing a groan from deep in his body.
“Oh fuck, yes,” he said. “If you keep that up, I won't last much longer.”
Wanting to please him, I purposefully clenched down around him, lifting my head to stare into his eyes. I wanted to see his face when he came. Wanted to feel it as badly as I wanted to see it. His jaw was clenched and he gripped my hips tightly, holding me in place as he thrust himself upward, driving his cock deeper into me. I cried out his name, over and over again.
I was close, and from the sounds of his grunts and the nearly frantic movements of his body, so was he. He guided me up and down on his hard shaft, and I was bouncing up and down on top of him, fucking him fast and hard. He felt so good inside of me, plunging his cock into me again and again, setting off explosions of sensation as he touched all of my most sensitive spots.
“Cum for me, Piper,” he growled. “Cum all over my cock, baby.”
“I'm going to,” I whimpered. “Oh God, I'm going to cum...”
My voice trailed off as my orgasm ripped through my body. I squeezed my eyes shut as I cried out, my nails digging into Shane's chest as he thrust upward one last time. Together, we groaned and thrashed on the bed, our bodies riding out our orgasms together.
Shane looked deep into my eyes as he let out a growl that sounded only partly human as he exploded inside of me, his hands holding onto my hips tightly. I flexed my muscles around the shaft of his cock, relishing the feel of his hard prick throbbing inside of me, milking every last drop of his cum from it.
Once the pleasure subsided, I collapsed on top of him. My head rested against his chest, and we both just sat there, our bodies still intertwined together in silence. His hands moved up and down my back, gently kneading me, as we caught our breath.
After a while, Shane finally lifted my face and kissed my lips as his cock slipped out of me. He helped me roll over beside him, and curled himself around me, stroking my cheek as he looked deep into my eyes.
“Think you could stay the night?” he asked.
“I think I could arrange that,” I said. “As long as I'm back in time to get ready for my nine a.m.class tomorrow.”
“Good,” he said, nuzzling against me, inhaling my scent. “Because I've missed this so damn much.”