Author's Note: Thank you so much for the reviews! You know what? You all deserve a little smut. Turn away if you're not of a certain age.

On Monday morning, I get to school early, and I know Peggy has the day off. I open both doors and wait for Piper to pass by, hoping she arrives early as usual. I owe her an apology, and I want to do that before time gets away from us.

At 7:12 a.m. I hear familiar steps down the hallway. "Piper?"

She stops, but I can't see her.

"Is that you?"

She appears in the doorway, eyebrows raised expectantly.

I move to the front of my desk. "Close the door."

"Why's it so dark in here?" She can barely finish the sentence before my mouth is on hers.

And I don't stop kissing her. My fingers tangle in her hair as I pull her impossibly close, and I feel her hands grab the fabric of my blouse. She tilts her head, and I go the other way, giving us full access to each other's mouths. Our tongues swirl in a dance as if we've rehearsed for months.

I pull back a few seconds later, hands still weaved in her hair. "First, I'm sorry for the way I acted the other night."

She's out of breath and more than a little surprised.

"Second, I want to be with you, and if that's something you want, too, I'd like to see if we can make that happen."

That entails another round of kissing and my hand up her shirt. I need to feel her skin.

She pulls back abruptly. "Someone might walk in."

"I pressed the button on the door, so when it closes, it locks on the outside."

"Oh." She returns her attention to my mouth, untucking my shirt along the way.

"I'm assuming you want the same thing?"

She bites my lower lip, and I know it's going to leave a mark. "Yes."

I pull back once again. "While I would love nothing more than to spend the morning kissing you, we have to stop." I brush the hair out of her face. "Can you come over tonight?"

"I think so, yeah." It's like she's in a daze.

"I'll make dinner, we can talk, and then we'll see where that takes us."

"I'd like that."

"Good." I place both hands on her cheeks and softly kiss her. "Thank you."

She covers my wrists. "For what?"

"Bearing with me while I figured my shit out."

She kisses me chastely before releasing me completely. "I was ready to walk away."

"I know." I clench my jaw.

I touch her elbow. "See you later?"

She nods. "See you later."

And for the rest of the day, I'm on top of the world.

I leave school just before 4 o'clock, which is a record for me this year. I need to pick up the ingredients for dinner, and I want it to be special. I'm not a cook by any means—the only successful dishes I've made are pasta with store-bought sauce; chicken piccata (my go-to for date nights); and bell peppers stuffed with quinoa and turkey sausage. I looked up a few recipes before leaving work, and now I'm on a mission to prepare something exceptional for Piper.

I play my All Jazz station in the living room, turning the volume up so I can hear it in the kitchen, and get to work prepping for the meal. I'm starting with a caprese salad followed by Beef Bourguignon. For dessert, I'm making homemade cookies, though I think I've bitten off more than I can chew.

I didn't give Piper a precise time to come over, and she hasn't texted me. I hope she arrives closer to 7 so I can at least get the beef in the oven and start on the cookies. As of now, I have onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms chopped. I still have to mash the garlic and brown the beef.

I hear a knock on the door at 6:40, and I'm elbow deep in flour. "Come in!"

"Hello?"

"In the kitchen," I yell.

"Something smells delicious." Piper stands in the doorway looking as attractive as ever in joggers and a long-sleeved Red Sox shirt.

I smile. "It probably smells better than it'll taste."

She takes in a big whiff. "What are you making?"

"Julia Child's recipe for Beef Bourguignon." I hold my floured hands up. "As you can see, I haven't gotten very far."

"I tried making this once." She glances at the sauté pan. "I won't tell you about the results."

"Really?" I ask with disappointment.

She nods, giving the bacon a quick stir. "But if we do it together, it might come out better."

I turn the beef over with tongs, browning the final side. "But I said I'd make dinner for you."

Piper shrugs. "We'll finish it together."

I lean over and kiss her, and my god, it feels good. "Do I get to do that now?"

"Appears so." She wipes the corner of my mouth. "But let's save it for later."

"Why?"

She holds her stomach. "I'm starving."

I kiss her once more, realizing I should've ordered pizza.

She rolls up her sleeves. "Ok, put me to work."

"If you're comfortable sautéing the mushrooms and bacon, that would be a huge help." I dry the now fully browned beef with paper towels, and then cook the vegetables. "After I finish this, we can stick it in the oven for an hour and eat the Caprese salad."

"I love Caprese." She lowers the heat on the stove. "Is that what those heirloom tomatoes are for?"

"Yeah."

She removes the mushrooms and bacon from the heat. "Want me to slice the mozzarella?"

I open the fridge and pull out the cheese. "Thanks."

"Were your parents big cooks?"

"Not really," Piper responds. "My mom was queen of the Crockpot on Sundays. She never seemed comfortable in the kitchen, but she dished out a square meal almost every night." She places two discs of mozzarella on each plate. "My dad grilled in the summer. Typical gender roles that I'll do everything I can to break."

"Oh, really?" I chuckle. "So, you grill?"

"I don't own a grill, so no." She tears off a few basil leaves. "But when I have my own place I will."

Piper and I continue our casual conversation over the chopping board and hot stove, and 15 minutes later, we're able to sit at the table to enjoy the Caprese. Our conversation goes from Piper's continued thoughts on gender norms to our family upbringing to musical tastes, and like every conversation I've had with her, it's effortless.

As Miles Davis blows his trumpet through the speaker, I reach for Piper's hand across the table and smile. "Thank you for coming over tonight."

Her lips tug up. "Happy to be here."

"I had an epiphany Saturday after I left the bar, and I could hardly wait to tell you about it." I caress the top of her hand. "You've been the mature one throughout this whole thing, and you've never given me any reason to doubt your integrity."

She blushes as she looks down at her now empty plate.

"I'm sorry for being an ass."

"You weren't an ass. Well, maybe at the bar you were," she replies. "But I get why you're worried."

"I've never hidden any part of myself, including being gay. When I realized I liked girls, I told my mom right away. It wasn't this big secret that I felt like I couldn't share, you know?" I take her other hand. "I struggle with hiding our relationship or whatever this might be—it feels like we're doing something wrong."

"I know." She nods. "I guess under the scrutiny of society, we are doing something wrong since technically, you're my boss, but we're two adults who want to be together, and that's what I keep coming back to."

"I do want to be with you." I squeeze her hand. "But we have to talk about what that could mean."

She pulls back, and my now empty hands are lying on the table. I tuck them in my lap. "If someone finds out about us, it's likely I'll lose my job."

"I'd probably lose mine, too."

I shrug. "Maybe, but you might be able to play the victim card."

"I would never do that!" Her eyebrows make a stern V. "If we're going to take a stab at this, we're equally involved. I don't want you to feel like you're taking advantage of me. That's not what this is about."

"You're right." I put my hands back on the table, wishing I could take my words back. I know Piper wouldn't take advantage of the situation if we get caught. I have to make this right. "My point is that I'm willing to risk my job to be with you."

She looks conflicted. "On one hand, I'm honored you're willing to take that risk, but on the other, I hate that we're in this position."

I nod and pause for a moment to just look at her. Not that I needed confirmation, but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that she's the woman I want to be with possibly even long-term. She's rational; I didn't expect that from someone her age. I'm learning a lot about expectations, and Piper is blowing them all out the water.

"Should we talk about how we should move forward?"

"Yeah, I guess." She shrugs, and I can tell this whole thing makes her uncomfortable. Hell, I'm uncomfortable, too.

"It goes without saying that we can't kiss or touch at school," I begin. "If we act pretty much like we have been for the last three months, we'll be fine."

"Except for the moping around part?"

I point a thumb at my chest. "Me, moping?"

She gives me a look.

"I was…" I struggle for a way to describe how I felt. "Frustrated and sad that I had this major fucking crush on you and couldn't do anything about it."

Piper blushes. "A crush?"

"Yeah." It's my turn to blush. I grab her hand again. "Major fucking crush."

"I didn't think you were so bad either," she teases.

"Hey!"

"I'm kidding. I have a major fucking crush on you, too."

I stand in front of her, holding both hands. "I want to give this a shot, Piper."

She has that doe-eyed look. "Me, too."

I tug her hands until she's standing and kiss her softly. My head is spinning, and I feel drunk.

My mouth moves down her neck. "Do you want to have dinner now or later?"

Her fingertips skim up my arm. "Definitely later."

I walk her backwards until we reach the living room. She uses one hand to untuck my shirt and the other to cradle my face. I deepen the kiss, placing both hands on her ass. Piper angles her head the other way while snaking her hand under my shirt until her fingertips hit the bottom of my breast. I wish I wasn't wearing a bra. My hands glide up her back, gathering the fabric of her shirt along the way until its as high as it can go. She stops kissing me and holds her arms up so I can remove the shirt. I stare at her naked torso for a moment.

"You're beautiful." I don't mean for it to come out in a whisper, but I think she has literally taken my breath away.

Piper returns her mouth to mine in a more frantic kiss than before. Her hands aren't still for more than a couple seconds like she can't get enough of me. I know the feeling. I make quick work on the clasps of her bra, revealing small, perfect breasts. I cover them with my hands, feeling her taut nipples brush against my palms as wetness pools between my legs. Piper struggles with my shirt, so I remove it and allow her to caress my bra-clad tits until she attempts to remove the garment. Her hands snake around me, all the while our mouths never leaving each other, and she fumbles with the clasps. I reach back to help her, and I wonder if she's ever slept with a woman before.

That thought goes right out the window as her mouth travels south along with her hands. Just as her lips reach my right breast, her left hand sneaks into my jeans. One of her fingers barely touches the top part of my slit, and I moan. I unbutton my jeans, giving her better access, and Piper wastes no time running her middle finger up and down my center. I feel her smile against my breast that she continues to bathe with her tongue, and I think she's satisfied with the reaction she's getting from me.

"Maybe we should lie down," I pant.

"Why?" She teases my clit.

"Because horizontal sex is better than vertical?" I squeeze her arms as she continues to work her finger inside me.

She kisses me again. "It feels pretty good from this position, don't you think?"

The sounds coming out of my mouth sound foreign. I open my stance just enough for Piper to insert her finger, and as she does so, her thumb massages my clit. Her lips travel across my cheek to my ear, which she sucks on for a moment before whispering, "You feel so good."

Seconds later, an orgasm rips through me, and I have to hold on to her for fear of falling. She keeps one finger buried deep inside of me, and I'm sure she can feel the ripples of the intense orgasm. Fuck, Piper! I slowly come down from that otherworldly high, breathing heavily. She pulls her finger out, examines it, and then brings it to her mouth. Oh My God.

As soon as I'm able to function properly, I kiss her, allowing my hands to roam down her body, my short nails scratching her skin. I gently push her onto the sofa, and my mouth makes its way across her chest. The feel of her erect nipple against my tongue gets me wet all over again. I tug on her pants, and she helps me remove them. Before I touch her center, I notice the wet spot in her underwear. I pull it to the side and rub two fingers in the slickness, eventually pulling them out and popping them into mouth. She tastes sweet; I can't wait to put my mouth on her.

"That feels good." Her chest heaves in and out and her eyes glaze over.

I kneel between Piper's legs, tugging her underwear down until they pool on the floor still wrapped around her ankle. I open her pussy with both thumbs and take a long, leisurely lick. A string of her juice dangles between her pussy and my lower lip, and I dive in for more, licking her sticky pussy until it's clean. Piper writhes beneath me, hands tangled in my hair, muttering words of how good it feels. She raises her legs, placing a foot on either of my shoulders, and I'm amazed at how flexible she is. This gives her leverage to pump against my face, and I go to town on her pussy. My entire mouth is covering her, and I use my tongue and teeth to send her over the edge as she shouts my name.

I pull back, wiping my mouth on my shoulder as Piper lowers her long legs to the ground.

"That was amazing." She tugs me up by the arms.

I smile, kissing her and agreeing. "I didn't know if you'd been with a woman before."

She positions herself in front of me as we lie on the sofa. "I have."

"Yeah, that was obvious after the first minute." I chuckle.

She turns her head and blinks up at me. "But it's never been that good."

I lower my mouth to hers, gently kissing her. "No, it hasn't."

We lie like that for several minutes, basking in the afterglow of sex. I love the way Piper's body feels against mine. I stroke her thigh and listen to her breathing become shallower, and I wonder if she's going to fall asleep. That wouldn't be a bad thing.

And then I hear her stomach growl.

"Hungry?"

"I guess I am." Piper sits up. "Do you think dinner is ready?"

"Let me check." I kiss her shoulder before standing and making my way to the kitchen and opening the oven. "Looks like it's done."

She appears behind me, wearing my unbuttoned flannel shirt and nothing else. "Did you set the timer?"

I put my hands on her hips and dip my head for a kiss. This look turns me on even more than before. "I did."

She breaks the kiss. "How much time is left?"

"I have no idea," I say as I nip at the spot just below her ear.

This leads to a quick round of kitchen sex, and just as I'm coming down from my second orgasm, the buzzer goes off.

I wake up stretching and feeling tightness in my muscles. My neck and my right arm are sore. I rub my arm and smile, remembering why I'm sore—the reason is lying next to me in what appears to be a deep sleep. The sheets cover only half of her body, which means one of her breasts is poking out and begging for attention. I reach out to touch it, but then retreat in favor of just watching Piper sleep. Her right arm is flung above her head, bent at the elbow, and her hair is splayed on the pillow like golden feathers. Her mouth is slightly ajar as she steadily breathes in and out. There's a bruise where her neck meets her shoulder, and as I lean in, I realize I've given her a hickey. I don't know whether to apologize or gloat. The way she's lying here is peaceful; beautiful. As I lean closer to place a kiss on her cheek, she stirs.

"Mmmm," she sighs without opening her eyes.

"Good morning." I smile. "Sleep well?"

She blinks rapidly and squints against the beam of light streaming through a slit in the curtains. "I did." She rolls onto her side. "You?"

I brush a strand of hair off her forehead. "Yeah."

"I never thought I'd wake up with you." What starts out as a tiny smile spreads across her face. "I could get used to this."

I caress her arm, touched by her sentiment. "Me, too."

Piper leans over to kiss me. It's a closed-lipped kiss, but it lingers long enough to send electricity through my veins.

"Last night was good." I pull her closer.

"It was." She buries her head in the crook of my neck. "I might be a little sore."

I chuckle. "I definitely am."

I feel her giggle against me.

"Do we have to go to school today?"

"Afraid so." I kiss the top of her head. "I hate that it's only Tuesday."

"Tuesday?" Piper sits up and stretches, revealing her perfect little tits, and I want to reach out to touch them. "What time is it?"

"Just past six."

"Shit!" She freezes. "I have my weekly check-in with Brent at seven."

"Alright, well, let's get out of bed." I make no attempt to follow my own advice.

"I don't have anything to wear." Piper flings her legs over the mattress. "And I don't have time to go home."

"You can wear something of mine."

She gets to her feet and stares at me like I have two heads. "Because that wouldn't be obvious."

"My closet in the spare bedroom is filled with either off-season clothes or stuff I need to take to Goodwill." I roll out of bed. "Come on, we'll find something."

I show her three dresses, two blouses and a pair of pants that are too way long.

She reaches for a simple black dress with silver buttons down the front. "What about this?"

"It's too booby for me." I shrug. "But it might work for you."

She slips into the dress. "Don't think I didn't pick up on the small boob dig."

"You have smaller boobs than me," I reply through a chuckle. "But I wouldn't change a thing about you or your boobs."

The dress fits perfectly. "What about shoes?"

I give her three pair to try, and she settles for thick socks and a pair of boots. They're a little big, but she can get through the day.

We take a shower together, and I can't help but slip a finger inside her slick folds. Piper bucks against my hand and comes hard. I hold her up until she comes down from the high.

She sloppily kisses me. "I'm going to remember this when I see you at school later this morning."

"Me, too."

While still in the shower, we agree to face the opposite direction of each other for the cleaning off part so we can resist the urge to fuck again.

Piper blow dries her hair while I brush my teeth. "What's this?" She tilts her head.

I pretend not to see anything. "What?"

She stares in the mirror. "Is this a hickey?"

I rinse my mouth and attempt to hide a grin. "Looks like you burned your neck with a curling iron."

"I haven't curled my hair in a week." She gives me a look. "You gave me a hickey!"

I push her hair aside and kiss the bruised spot. "That appears to be the case."

"Alex!" she protests as her eyes flutter shut, betraying her stern admonishment.

I bathe the spot with my lips and tongue. "The collar of the dress will cover it."

She pushes away. "No more hickeys…at least not where people might see them."

"Noted." I give her a peck on the lips. "But the inner thigh is alright?"

Same look.

Ten minutes later, Piper is ready to leave, but before she opens the front door, I tug her by the elbow. "Hey—"

She straps her bag over one shoulder. "Hmm?"

"Thank you," I whisper.

"For what?"

"Everything." I shrug. "For coming over, for accepting my apology, for giving us a chance."

She puts a hand on my cheek.

"It's not going to be easy, hiding how we feel about each other every day," I admit. "But it's the only way through right now."

Piper nods. "I know."

I straighten her collar and smile. "Have a good day."

"You, too." She opens the door. "See you later."

With that, Piper hops on her bicycle and disappears into the fog. I'm left standing in the doorway with an over-the-moon grin.