Beautifully Broken

He slips my earlobe into his mouth, earrings and all. Warm vibrations flutter in my belly making my knees weak, literally. I grip the edge of the counter to keep myself on my feet. Calloused fingers slip under the hem of my shirt, spin me around, and lift me onto the counter. He spreads my legs and steps between them, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me flus

h against his body.

I look into those blue eyes, falling deeper into the abyss. Rex dips his head, the tip of his nose brushing against my cheek. If every touch felt this good, I’d almost welcome my reputation. Not with everyone, just Rex. I suck in a breath, my heart fluttering faster than hummingbird wings. His lips press against mine again. One soft, gentle kiss. Followed by another and then another.

Rex opens his mouth, hot tongue brushing against my lips, silently asking if it’s okay. I open mine and let him in. Kissing this morning is even better than it was last night. I grip the sides of his shirt to keep myself from melting into a puddle on the counter. He kisses me harder, threading his fingers in my hair. I can’t breathe, but the burn in my chest is a good feeling, one that has me excited for what’s to come.

Rex’s hands slide under my ass and he lifts me, carrying me across the room to the table before lying me on my back. I pull at his shirt, tugging it over his head. He’s a work of art. “Sculpted by the gods.”

“What?” Rex pants, mouth finding my neck and then my shoulder. He bites down, my hips rock against the hard length beneath his shorts, friction finding a tender spot that feels like heaven.

Oh snap! Did I say that out loud? I groan, my legs tightening around his waist. I’m dry humping Rex, but I don’t care. Heat and need consumes me. I reach for his waist and dip my fingers beneath the band of his pants.

“Fuck, Piper,” he says against my neck. I slide my hand deeper, finding coarse curly hair under his boxers. It feels short, but without actually seeing what’s going on down there it’s hard to tell. And then silk. Long, thick silk I can barely wrap my fingers around.

Holy shit it’s big!

Someone clears their throat. I yank my hand out like it’s on fire. Rex grunts and collapses on top of me. Trust me, I feel your pain.

“Sorry to interrupt,” the voice says with a chuckle, “but where’s the bathroom?”

I grit my teeth and swallow. My body’s vibrating, desperate to feel more. Rex climbs off of me and sits on the table. I push myself onto my elbows and glare. “You’re a fucking cockblock, Bane.”

I adjust my shirt and pull my hair up with the elastic on my wrist. Bane watches, a shit-eating-grin plastered on his face. “Where the hell did you get those?” I ask, looking at the Spiderman pajama pants he’s got on.

“Rex laid them out for me. He had a shirt too but I don’t want to bleed all over it. Also, I’m not six.”

“Why haven’t you changed the bandage yet?”

The four inch by four inch cotton patch is practically soaked through with dark, dried blood, changing the patch from white to a deep maroon with bright red tape that’s barely hanging on. “I was hoping you’d help.”

I roll my eyes. “Meaning you want to talk.”

He grins. “You know me too well.”

“I’m gonna help Bane with his bandage. Be right back!” I yell.

“Okay.” Rex replies from the kitchen.

Back in the guest room, Bane sits on the bed while I pull everything out of his hospital to-go bag. Cleansing cloth, tape, and sterile pads and lay them on the comforter beside him. I peel back the old bandage and set it on top of the sterile wrapping. Three tiny stitches are oozing blood and yellow gunk. It doesn’t look good. “You can’t do this, Pipes.”

I ignore him and dab his wound with a cleansing cloth. “You need to change this more often. I don’t want your stitches getting infected.”

“Piper,” he warns.

I finish cleaning the dried blood off his skin, then tape a new patch over the wound. Bane was lucky. The bullet missed everything important and lodged itself in one of his ribs. I crumble all the wrappers and dirty bandage together.

Bane grabs my wrist. Needles crawl up my arm, spiking my blood pressure. I look up and he instantly let’s go. “Do you love him?”

“What? No! Rex and I…” We’re not just friends anymore but Bane won’t approve. Not because of some unrequited love like Cooper, but because he knows whatever this thing is I’ve got going on with Rex will make leaving that much harder. “We are getting to know each other.”

“So you’re fucking?”

“Bane!” I smack him on his good side. “First of all, if I was that’s none of your business. But since you must know, no. I’m not.”

“Do what you want, Piper. Play house together, screw each other’s brains out. Hell, get pregnant for all I care. Just remember, in four weeks my dad gets released. Rumor has it he could get out early.”

I swallow the knot in my throat and focus on the mess of bandages. If I look up at Bane, I might cry. Less than four week? Does that mean three? Two? I can’t… “How?”