IGNITE

forty-five.

੭୧ 𝐩𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐫 ੭୧

My body was still as my mind slowly pulled itself out of its grogginess. The warmth of Greyson's chest pressed to my back and his arm draped loosely over me made my eyelids feel heavy once more, and I burrowed into his chest as much as I could without disturbing him.

I failed.

The strong arms around me tightened, a soft hum escaping him as he pressed a gentle kiss to the nape of my neck. "Good morning, Firelight." The warmth in his voice seeped into me as I rolled over in his arms so I was facing him. His hair was messy, and his eyes still heavy with sleep, his arm tightening around me as his thumb ran over my arm. "How did you sleep?"

My mind flashed to the night before, of Grey reading to me as I curled into his side. Of the gentle words of love that slipped from his lips before I let exhaustion overtake me, my body relaxing into Greyson's arms.

"Really well," I whispered. "I feel...lighter, somehow. Thank you for listening to me last night."

The words caught in my throat. I was never good at letting people see my vulnerability, I was too worried they'd hurt me with it, but something inside of me told me that I had nothing to fear from Greyson. And last night he had proven that he meant it, that he wouldn't run from me, wouldn't hide from who I was, no matter what it was.

He brushed a featherlight kiss against my knuckles. "I meant everything I said, you know. I know it's going to be hard, and that I can't take the pain away in one day, but I'm here. For all of it, for any of it, if you want me."

Greyson's lips caught mine in a slow, sweet kiss, one that had me curling further into him as I pressed my body to his. He rolled us over gently until my back pressed against the mattress and he was above me, his hand resting gently against the side of my face. My lips parted for him, allowing him to take what he needed from me, the gentle caress of his tongue against mine leaving a slow heat simmering through me. My skin grew warmer and my toes curled as his body pressed more firmly against mine, his hard length pressing into the softness of my thigh.

He groaned softly, a deep, primal noise that had the heat between my thighs growing as I wrapped a leg around his waist, urging him to move against me as my body pressed firmly against his. "Piper," he rasped, the muscles of his neck tight as his thumb ran along the length of my bottom lip.

"Yes?" My lips pulled up into a smile, and I caught the tip of his thumb between my teeth. His breath hissed between his lips as my lips wrapped around his thumb. His sharp intake of breath made me smile as I ran my tongue over it and released it with a soft pop.

"Fuck," Grey growled, and then his lips were on mine once more, hungry and desperate as I opened for him, welcoming him. I gasped as he shifted himself between my thighs, his hand slipping underneath the t-shirt I was wearing. His calloused palms ran along the bare skin of my stomach, trailing up to my breast, and rolling the taut peak gently between his fingers. My back arched against him as his mouth broke from mine, his lips trailing a line of soft kisses down my neck as I ran my hand up his bare back.

A quiet groan rumbled through his chest as he pushed the fabric of my shirt up over my stomach, exposing more and more skin as I arched my body towards him, urging him on. He had just begun to pull my shirt over my head when my bedroom door flew open, the bang of it hitting the wall and I shrieked, pulling the covers over my bright-red face.

Kai's laugh was a mixture of amusement and disbelief as Greyson moved to cover my body with his, "what happened to knocking?" Grey hissed as my hand snaked out, reaching blindly for anything to throw at Kai.