“What?” Piper turned on the water. “Of course not. Aren’t you listening to me? This thing.'' She pulled a washcloth into the sink. “Is trying to kill me! I can’t sleep. I want the weirdest ass things. I asked for an olive and peanut butter sandwich today!” She wrung the washcloth out and exclaimed, “I hate olives!”
This time I couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle.
Piper whirled around. “Are you laughing at me?”
I moved to my feet and approached her with my hands out in front of me. “No, never. I’m just so happy to see you.”
Piper let me wrap my arms around her. She placed her head on my shoulder and sank into my arms with a sigh. “I’m just so tired.”
“I understand,” I murmured, brushing my hands over her hair and down her back. “We are working on getting you out.”
Piper lifted her head from my shoulder and locked eyes with me. “Why can’t you take me with you when you leave?”
Sliding my thumb beneath one eye and then the other, I caught her welling tears. “You know I can’t do that. Not yet.”
“Ugh,” Piper exclaimed and opened her mouth no doubt to give me an earful before she stopped. Her eyes zeroed in on my hands. “Why are you wearing your gloves?”
“Oh,” I dropped my hands, lacing them behind my back. “No reason. Let’s go to the other room. I brought you something.”
“No, you don’t.” Piper grabbed me by the lapels of my suit jacket and shoved me against the counter. “You don’t get to come in here and order me around. I want to know what’s going on with your hands.”
I slicked my hand through my black hair. “It’s nothing. Please do not worry.”
“Fine.” Piper crossed her arms over her chest and stared me down. “Then take them off.”
Locking eyes with her, I contemplated how I was going to get out of this one. Seeing that pushing her was probably not a good idea right now in her state, I conceded. “Fine. I will.”
“Good.” Piper jerked her head at me. “I’m waiting.”
Slowly, I lifted my hands before me and pulled on the middle finger of the first glove. Jerking each finger in turn, I slipped the glove off and tucked it into my pocket. Then I proceeded to do the other one. Each finger that came out of the material felt like a piece of my heart being exposed.
“Happy?” I asked with a forced smile, showing her my bare hands.
“Not hardly.” Piper pushed on my shoulders with her hands. “Get on your knees.”
Taken a back, I blinked at her. “What?”
“You heard me. On your knees.” She pointed down to the ground with a straight face.
Arching a brow, I slowly lowered to the ground. “Since when did you become the dominant one in this relationship?”
Piper smirked and cupped my chin up. “Oh, baby. I’ve always been in charge, you were just too busy getting your dick wet to notice.”