Mr. Judge: A Man Who Knows What He Wants

“So do I,” I whisper.

We kiss again, but then Bones starts yapping, keen for attention.

As we break off the kiss and Pearce picks up Bones’ new ball, I resent the feeling that rises up inside of me.

Relief.

I could sense how passionate Pearce was getting in the kiss, and despite what we just revealed to each other, I’m still not sure if I’m ready. My mind is, my heart is, but what about my body?

When my man claims me, will I be able to claim him in return?

“Are you okay?” he asks, glancing at me after throwing the ball.

I smile shakily, nodding. “Yeah. I just don’t want you to be disappointed with me. Later… if we, you know.”

“I could never be disappointed in you,” he says with conviction. “No matter what happens. Trust me, Piper, your young virgin body is going to know what to do. You want a family as badly as I do. Nothing’s going to stop us now.”

I try to let his words bolster me, even as those little niggling nerves won’t go away.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Pearce

I lie in bed with my woman in my arms, my hand gripping onto her back as I pull her closer. But closer isn’t enough.

After sharing our true feelings, my body wants to melt into hers and for us to become one.

“I never took you for a poet,” Piper murmurs, fingernails trailing up and down my chest, when I tell her how I feel.

I smirk. “There was a lot I wasn’t capable of before we met.”

“Like what?”

“So much,” I say passionately. “Feeling… what I feel, for you. This intense emotion. I never thought I could. Having a family, a future, with a woman. Clearly, that wasn’t in the cards for me.”

“Why?” she asks.

“Because I hadn’t met you yet.”

She props her forearms against my chest, leaning forward and looking at me. The sun has set and her cheeks looked flushed in the lamplight. We spent the day together, the first part of it in my office as she worked on her school work and I handled some work responsibilities. And then we went into the city to grab a bite to eat.

This time no one interrupted us.

Now I smooth my thumb across her cheek, simply to confirm she’s here. This is real. It’s happening.

Bones yawns from the corner, drawing my eye for a moment.

“That sounds like a line,” Piper says.

“It’s not,” I tell her firmly. “It’s the truth. It’s the only way I can describe it. Think about it. All my life, I’ve had chances to be with women. But I never felt it, this. I never felt like I needed anyone. Then you walked into my life, and I realized how wrong I was.”

She leans down, kissing my chest. I’m shirtless after my shower, my body aching from a hard workout in the gym. My manhood twitches when I feel her lips against my flesh, but Bones’ presence makes anything more impossible.

“How many do you want?” I ask.

“Kids?”

“No.” I grin. “Bouncy castles. Yes, kids.”

She laughs and playfully smacks my chest. “I’ve spent a long time obsessing about us having a family… Well, not a long time. How long has it been?”

“Around a week.”

She shakes her head, her messy captivating hair shifting around. “That’s insane. It feels like so much longer.”

“I know exactly what you mean. It’s us, Piper. Time does funny things when we’re together.”

“I didn’t think about exact numbers. But I think three, at least.”

I sigh, chuckling. “I’m glad you said that. I was thinking around four or five, or as many as you can give me. It’s about time this house had some laughter and happiness in it.”

She smiles. “What if we run out of bedrooms?”

“Then we’ll build more. I’ll build a hundred if that’s what it takes.”

She shifts against me. “Easy there, tiger…”

Bones yawns again.

“Are you tired, boy?” I call over.

He grumbles and pads over to the door, pawing at it.

“Maybe he wants the bathroom,” I say.

“I can go,” Piper murmurs.

I kiss her on the forehead as I rise. “Don’t worry. You’ll make it up to me when we’ve got a screaming baby.”

She laughs as I leave the room, Bones padding at my feet. I make to guide him towards the backyard, but he leads me into the living room instead, trotting over to his bed and curling into a ball. His eyes track me as I kneel, pulling the blankets over him.

“Just how you like it, eh, boy?”

He shuffles, burying himself deeper in the blankets.

“It’s like you want us to be alone don’t you,” I say. “I’m sure you can understand us. You heard us talking about a family and you decided to scram. Is that it, huh, clever boy?”

His lips peel back as I scratch the top of his head.

Piper is sitting up in bed when I return, looking like a meal ready to be devoured. She’s wearing a tank top with no bra, her nipples poking seductively through the material. Her short shorts climb up her thighs, in between her luscious ass cheeks, tempting me to slip my hand between them.