Play It Again (26 page)

Cracking one eye open, and then the other, I
look up at him as he moves his big body between my legs. “What time
is it?” I ask, my voice thick and scratchy with sleep.

He doesn’t respond, merely smirks, placing a
kiss on my belly, before pushing my legs open wider, and his tongue
grazes over my clit. He licks and sucks, and in no time at all, I’m
gasping and tugging at his hair, pleasure sweeping through me as I
shudder through my orgasm.

Vance doesn’t give me a second to catch my
breath, before he climbs on top of me. He takes his time inside me,
though, not rushing, but not hesitating either. His lips never
leave my skin as he fills me over and over again.

It’s beautiful.

And the sound he makes, that deep groan as he
comes …

He’s
beautiful.

“Best wake up ever,” I mumble against his
shoulder as he rolls off me.

Vance chuckles, wrapping his arms around me
as I snuggle in beside him.

“Don’t get too comfy,” he says. “It’s
seven-thirty.”

My brow furrows, his words not quite
registering with me. “What?”

“You asked what time it is,” he replies, a
hint of amusement in his voice. “It’s seven-thirty, which means
we’ve got thirty minutes to shower, get dressed, and get down to
the office.”

Crapsicles!

We’re going to be late!

We’re opening up the new PRG Investigations
office today, and we’re supposed to be meeting the guys and Elena
at the doors for eight o’clock sharp.

Jumping up in a flurry of motion, I rush to
the bathroom, but I don’t hear Vance move, and I stall, glancing
back at him. “Get up,” I say. “We can’t be late for this.”

“We’ve got lots of time.” His voice is
amused, and so are his eyes, but his expression is soft and
sweet.

It makes my belly flutter and I like it—
a
lot
.

“No we don’t,” I say, shaking my head,
flustered as I move into the bathroom and turn on the shower,
Vance’s laughter following me.

God, I love that laugh.

It hasn’t been all laughs and fun these last
few months since my troubles ended, but it has been one hell of a
ride. It’s been amazing and a little scary, but mostly,
perfect—even when it’s not so perfect.

The trial against Tara was fairly easy to go
through. I thought I would have to testify, and deal with a long
and drawn out process, but she pleaded guilty and was sentenced to
five years in prison for vandalism, assault with a weapon, and
arson of an inhabited structure.

Vance’s schedule is still crazy, and he runs
off at all hours, but it doesn’t matter. We never spend a night
apart. My place ... His place ... One of us is always in the
other’s bed, but that doesn’t matter, either. I don’t care where we
are as long as I wake up with him beside me.

Vance comes into the bathroom, pulling the
shower curtain open and jumping in with me. He turns me to him,
moving me back against the tiled wall, and without further warning,
he kisses me, long and deep, with lots of tongue, his hands curling
over my butt.

It makes me dizzy.

When his mouth pulls away, he rests his
forehead against mine, his hands moving up my back, as he looks me
straight in the eyes.

“Love you, Piper,” he murmurs.

I smile, my heart beating wildly. He says it
every day, but I swear each time I hear it, it feels like the first
time. “Love you more.”

He chuckles and rubs his nose against mine,
before backing up a step and picking up the shampoo.

It’s nearly ten minutes after eight when we
reach the new office. We have to park around the corner, and make
our way through the early morning rush to the building. The
location is awesome, and the guys are going to be even busier than
they already are when it takes off.

Jase is on the sidewalk, leaning against the
door with Elena in his arms. When she sees me, she gives me a wave
and smiles.

“Hey, Pipes,” she says, but she barely gets
the words out, over a sudden squeal of tires.

We all turn to look at the street as the
sound of metal crashing together hits us, and see a shiny gray
Mazda, smashed right into the back of Wes’s car.

The driver’s side door opens and a tall
blonde-haired woman jumps out of the car. “Shit, shit, shit,” she
chants, making her way toward Wes as he opens his door and gets
out. “I’m so …” Her voice trails off, her footsteps stalling
suddenly, and her body jerks back a step. “Shit. Of course it’s
you.”

Wes straightens up and clears his throat,
rubbing the back of his neck as he eyes her warily. “Sarah?”

His voice is strangled, and his expression,
dumbfounded. I’ve never seen him look so … insecure.

She walks straight up to him, hands on her
hips and scowls. “Wesley.”

Vance tenses at my side, and Jase and Elena
go perfectly still as we watch them stare at each other, or rather
glare at each other, nose to nose, neither of them saying a word.
The woman—Sarah—looks furious, which is entirely ridiculous because
she’s the one who rear-ended Wes, but Wes ... Well, Wes looks like
he’s either going to pass out or throw up.

What the heck is happening here?

“Shit,” Jase mutters under his breath,
exchanging a look with Vance that I can’t even begin to read.

“Who’s that?” Elena mock whispers, nudging
Jase with her shoulder.

“That,” Jase says, “is Sarah Parker, Wes’s
high school girlfriend. She ripped his heart out a few years back,
took off with some guy in the middle of the night, not even leaving
a note.”

“Are you serious?” I whisper, looking from
Vance to Jase.

Vance nods.

“She’s gorgeous,” Elena says.

Vance laughs, so does Jase, as they both move
toward Wes, and Elena turns to me and says, “Huh, this should be
interesting.”

An enormous thank you goes to my family and
friends. You all are the best support group I could ever ask for.
Thank you so much for your encouragement and patience as I worked
through the writing process. I love you all.

To my editor, Kathryn, I couldn’t have
finished this book without you. Thank you for your patience and
hard work. You are an invaluable member of my team and I’m so glad
to have you.

And to my husband, Jordan, thank you for
believing in me.

But most of all, I would like to thank the
readers, reviewers, and bloggers for your support and for sharing
your love of books. You all are the reason I keep writing.

Ashley Stoyanoff is an author of romance
novels for young adult and new adult readers, including The Soul’s
Mark series and the Deadly Trilogy. She lives in Southern Ontario
with her husband, Jordan, and two cats: Tanzy and Trinity.

In July 2012, Ashley published her first
novel, The Soul’s Mark: FOUND, and shortly thereafter, she was
honored with The Royal Dragonfly Book Award for both young adult
and newbie fiction categories.

An avid reader, Ashley enjoys anything with a
bit of romance and a paranormal twist. When she’s not writing or
devouring her latest read, she can be found spending time with her
family, watching cheesy chick flicks or buying far too many
clothes.

Ashley loves hearing from her readers, so
feel free to connect with her online.

Website
|
Facebook
|
Twitter
|
Goodreads