Chapter 16

As soon as his mom answered the door and ushered Heather and Jayce into the house, Piper tensed up in his arms, "It's okay, if you don't want to talk to her tonight, it can wait until tomorrow," he said. "You've already been through a lot. I'm sure she'll understand."

Piper watched her mother for a second, "It's okay, I'll talk to her," she said. "She took a big risk for me tonight; I can't just ignore that."

He looked over at his mom, gave her a little nod, "Do you want me to stay with you?" he asked. "Or should I leave you alone?"

"Stay with me," she said. "I need you here for moral support."

Heather approached Piper slowly, her eyes full of sadness and red from crying, "Piper, I can't say I'm sorry enough," she said, collapsing onto her knees in front of her daughter. "There's nothing I can say to make up for the way I let your father treat you. I should have taken you and run away when I realized what a mistake I had made. I'll never forgive myself for not leaving."

Piper didn't move for a few long, painful seconds, then she reached out and took her mom's hand, "You were there when I really needed you," she said. "Thank you for calling Sawyer and for standing up for me tonight. Maybe we can start over without him in our lives."

There were tears streaming down Heather's cheeks, "I would like that very much," she said. "I know I haven't been a very good mother to you, but I'd like to change that. I'd like to be a part of your life if you'll let me."

"I think I'd like that," Piper said, smiling at her mom, tears running down her cheeks. "We have a lot of years to make up for, I've missed you."

The two women fell into each other's arms, and it was several minutes before they let go, and Piper let out a long sigh, "I guess tonight wasn't all bad," she said, smiling at her mother again. "But I'm exhausted, I think I need to go to bed."

"I should be heading home," his mom said, walking over to them. "Piper, you need to eat something before you go to bed, I left some soup on the stove for you. Heather, I was wondering if you'd like to come home with me tonight, I think the kids need some time to themselves."

Heather smiled at Tory, then got to her feet, "I think that's a great idea, it will give us a chance to reconnect," she said. "It's been a long time since high school."

"You two know each other?" he asked. "How is that possible?"

His mom shrugged, "We were best friends all through school," she said. "We lost touch after Heather got married."

Mary walked them to the door, then turned to them, "I'm off to bed myself. Reese is asleep in my room. I want you two to sleep in tomorrow," she said. "I'll take the morning shift, so don't worry about anything down here."

When she was gone, he got to his feet, "Let's get you up to bed, and then I'll come back down and make you up a tray," he said. "My mom's soup was the only good thing about getting sick when I was a kid."

He picked Piper up off the couch and she snuggled into his arms, "I'm going to let you carry me because I'm too tired to walk," she said. "But don't get used to it."

"Oh, sweetheart, I already am," he said, grinning at her. "Carrying you to our bedroom has become one of my favorite pastimes."

Piper laughed, a sound that filled his soul with joy, "Well, tonight you're just going to have to settle with putting me to bed," she said, then grinned up at him. "But check back with me in the morning."

Piper was already half asleep when he came back to the bedroom with a tray, "Hey, sleepy head, remember what the doctor ordered?" he said, setting the tray on the nightstand. "You need to eat before you fall asleep."

"I think I'm too tired to chew," Piper said, cracking her eyes open. "I don't think I can lift the spoon."

"Well then, I'll just have to feed you," he said, picking up the bowl. "I'm pretty good at this, remember. Now open up, let's get this food in you, and then you can sleep as long as you want."

The bowl was empty when he tucked Piper into bed, turned the lamp next to her off, and kissed her on the forehead. "I'm going to take the dishes down to the kitchen," he said. "I'll be right back."

Piper murmured something, but didn't move, and he stood watching her sleep for a few minutes, saying a silent prayer that he'd gotten there in time. Feeling the suppressed rage building up inside of him, he grabbed the tray, took it down to the kitchen, then stepped out onto the porch and sucked deep breaths of the cool night air.

When he finally felt control returning, he went back inside, climbed the stairs, stripped off his clothes, and climbed into bed with Piper. He pulled her into his arms, took a deep breath of her familiar scent, closed his eyes, and fell into a deep sleep, the rage slowly fading away. It was replaced by dreams of the life they would share, and when he woke just before dawn, Piper's head resting on his chest, her leg thrown over his, he gathered her closer, their path forward crystal clear to him.

The ring was waiting in the drawer next to the bed. It was time to take the next step, past time if he was honest with himself. Helen had almost come between them, Piper's father had almost broken them, and he wasn't going to wait any longer to make Piper his officially.

***Piper***

Piper woke to sunshine streaming in through the window and rolled over, expecting to find Sawyer in bed with her, but his pillow was empty, and a wave of disappointment washed over her. The sound of the shower running drew her attention, and she sat up in bed, an idea slowly forming in her head, but she wasn't sure that she was brave enough to go through with it.

Thinking about everything she'd been through in the last few weeks, she realized that life was too short not to take a few risks, and slipped out of bed. The bathroom was steamy when she walked in, but she could see Sawyer's outline in the shower and stood watching him through the cloudy glass for a few minutes, letting her mind wander. As the delicious thoughts flashed through her mind, her body began to tingle and tighten in all the right places.

Crossing the room, she opened the glass door to the shower and stepped inside, then wrapped her arms around Sawyer's back. She ran her hands up and down his chest, then let them stray further down, enjoying his groan of pleasure when they closed around his already swollen manhood. She stroked him several times before he turned her around in his arms and lowered his mouth to hers in a searing kiss that left her breathless.

"Good morning," she said when he finally let her up for air. "I was lonely when I woke up and found you gone, then I realized that you were in the shower, and all kinds of wonderful things popped into my head."

"Well, good morning to you too," Sawyer said, grinning at her, his hands roaming over her body, sending thrills shooting through her. "What kind of wonderful things?"

She felt a blush rising on her cheeks, and Sawyer laughed, "I like where this is going," he said. "Tell me, sweetheart, what are you thinking?"

"I think I'd better show you," she said, her heart hammering in her chest. "I'm not very good with words."

When she sank to her knees and sucked him into her mouth, Sawyer let out a shocked gasp, then groaned as she let instinct take over. He threaded his fingers into her hair, a growl of pleasure rumbling up from deep in his chest, his body quivering, and she felt a wave of power shoot through her. A second later, Sawyer pulled her to her feet, lifted her up into his arms, and drove himself deeply inside her in one movement that left her gasping for breath.

Seated deeply inside her, the spay of water washing over their bodies, he drove himself into her over and over until she tumbled over the edge, her body clenching his tightly. Sawyer groaned like he was in pain, then reached behind him and turned off the water, opened the shower door, and carried her into the bedroom. He threw her down on the bed, then crawled between her legs, pushed them open, and before she could protest, dropped his head and slid his tongue over her slick nub.

Pleasure deeper and more powerful than anything she'd ever felt rocketed through her. Every nerve ending in her body was suddenly alive, sending out wave after wave of sensation that threatened to take her under. She cried out Sawyer's name, almost frightened by the intensity of what she was feeling as the waves continued to grow, then just when she was sure that she was going to burst into a million pieces, the final wave hit her.

Tumbling into a world of pure sensation, she floated suspended for several long seconds before tumbling back down, only to discover a driving need inside her. "Please, Sawyer, I need you inside me," she said, opening her eyes to look down at him. "Take me now, I can't wait another second."

With a roar that shook the walls, Sawyer grabbed her by the hips, flipped her onto her hands and knees, then crawled between her legs. Grabbing her by the hips, he used one knee to pushed her legs open wider, then with fingers digging into her skin, he drove himself into her. His cry of pleasure when they were joined was as loud as hers, and as he continued to bury himself inside her again and again, she felt his magic begin to curl around them.

Her pleasure intensified by the warmth that flooded her, she began to soar again, pleasure pulsing through her with each thrust of Sawyer's powerful hips, and then she felt him tipping over the edge. His body began to tremble, he cried out her name as deep inside her she felt him empty himself, his member pulsing and throbbing, driving her to ecstasy, and she cried out his name just as hers left his lips again. He collapsed onto his side taking her with him, still buried deep inside her, wrapped his arms around her, then held her tightly for a long time, no words between them necessary.

When he finally let her go, she rolled onto her back and looked up at him, "That was……I don't know," she said, then a blush spread across her cheeks. "I mean, the sex was incredible, but there was more, I can't explain it……"

"Neither can I, but I felt it too," he said. "I think it's the bond between us; I think it makes us feel……I don't know, more."

"This bond thing is pretty powerful," she said. "Not that I'm complaining."

"And it lasts a lifetime," he said, leaning up on one elbow to look down at her, then rolling onto his back and pulling something out of the nightstand drawer. "Since it looks like you're stuck with me forever now, I was thinking we should make it official. Will you marry me, Piper?"

He held a beautiful engagement ring out to her, "It was my grandmother's," he said. "Mom gave it to me a week ago, I was just waiting for the right time to ask you."

She felt tears running down her cheeks, "Oh, Sawyer, I'm so happy, I never thought……I mean all those years……and now……" she stammered. "Yes, yes, yes, I'll marry you."

After slipping the ring on her finger, he leaned down and kissed her until she was trembling beneath him, desperate for his touch. "I love you, Piper," he said, his hand sliding between her legs. "And I'm going to love you for the rest of my life."

"I love you too," she panted, finding it hard to make her mouth form words. "Forever isn't long enough for me."