Until Next Time

by Dell, Justine

  All of her thoughts scattered. She could only drink in the sight of his gaze so focused on her. His fresh scent of soap with a touch of aftershave soothed her nerves. And the length of him…so closely pressed to her. So hard, so warm, so…

  He stole the rest of her thoughts with a kiss. A mind-bending, world-tilting, heart-thundering kiss. Lips met, parted, devoured. Teeth scraped, tongues twisted, lips suckled, and before Piper knew it, she was sweating. Hands caressed, body temperatures rose, and Piper went liquid in Quinn’s arms.

  Thankfully, before she dropped to floor, Quinn eased back. “I’ve really missed you.”

  A rush of air blew from her lips. “Well, I can see that.” She gave him a smile, knowing her face was twelve shades of red. “I’d be lying if I didn’t say the same thing.”

  “Good.” He snatched her bags up from the floor. “Shall we?”

  She followed him to the car, watching the way his frame moved beneath his T-shirt. This is was only the second time she’d seen him in a T-shirt and she had to admit it was a good look for him. Comfortable, sexy, relaxed. Not that he didn’t look relaxed in a suit—he did, which is something else she loved about him.

  Once settled next to him, he brushed the back of his fingers over her cheek.

  “You look exhausted,” he said.

  “I haven’t been to sleep yet.”

  His brow furrowed. “Lay back, then. And then you can sleep on the plane. You need to sleep.” His tone was calming, easy, caring. As always.

  “We need to go over the convention stuff. It’s import—”

  “You won’t be able to think in two hours, let alone concentrate. Sleep.” He gave her a worried smile. Even with frown line at the corners of his eyes, he was still melting her. “We’ll have plenty of time after we land. Sleep.”

  Not able to argue with a man who was so genuine and concerned, she pulled the lever on the side of the seat, flopping back and closing her eyes. Within seconds, she was asleep.

  Quinn woke her gently once at the airport. In a fog, she followed him, leaning on anything she could in the process of checking in. She was vaguely away of Quinn’s constant touch: his hand on her back, his fingers curled around her wrist, his support when she sagged against him down the long airport corridors.

  “Sit,” he said once inside the plane.

  Piper’s eyes fluttered closed as Quinn draped a warm blanket over her. Such a thoughtful man. Sleep consumed her all too quickly.

  <<<<>>>>>

  God, she was gorgeous when she slept. Quinn could only sit and watch her, enthralled at the steady rise and fall of her chest. Itching to kiss the pert pink lips as puffs of air slowly drew in and out. He couldn’t wait to get her alone at the hotel. A week away from her had been far too long. Quinn hadn’t realized how long until he’d kissed her on her doorstep. Even with dark circles under her eyes and exhaustion surrounding her, she was still breathtaking. And the aura that was only Piper had struck a bolt to his heart right then, reminding Quinn just how much he loved her. And how much trouble he was in for doing so.

  A week was a long time to consider his feelings. Piper’s rule of no-love had rolled around and around in his head. He’d thought he could do it. He’d promised her. But he couldn’t help the way she made him smile with simply a look. The way his heart lurched when she wasn’t around, and the way it warmed when he merely heard her voice. He hadn’t even seen it coming, and now he didn’t know what the hell to do with it.

  Every second in her presence was a tightrope walk with his emotions. Like on her doorstep—it taken every ounce of control to pull back from his lingering kiss and not show her how much her loved her right there on the wooden foyer floor.

  He brushed his fingers over her cheek. “Piper.”

  She murmured something about danger, tugging the blanket around her head.

  “We’re here, Piper.”

  Her eyes popped open, growing wide as she realized his face was inches from hers.

  “Wha?” Sleep was still evident in her voice. She blinked once, and then again, the cinnamon of her eyes focusing on him. “Quinn.”

  The breathless sound of her voice made his stomach knot. “Yes?”

  “I had a dream.” She blinked yet again, her long lashes fluttering like she didn’t want to open her eyes. “A terrible…terrible dream about you.” Her lip quivered.

  “Look at me, Piper.”

  She hesitated but then obeyed.

  “Tell me about it,” he said.

  Her head shook slowly. “No. I can’t.” Her eyes clutched tight. “Never mind.” Her voice went distant.

  He wanted her to open up to him, but knew pressing her would be a bad idea. Instead, he tried to lighten her sullen mood. “Sin City awaits.”

  Within seconds she was fumbling with her seat belt. Quinn noticed her shaking hands and reached over to help. She stilled instantly.

  “I can do it,” she whispered, nearly out of breath.

  He drew back, studying her. While loads of people wrestled with their overhead baggage and inched down the aisle to the exit, Piper took the time to stretch. She kept shaking her head and mumbling under her breath. Quinn said nothing, only watched with mild curiosity.

  Finally she spoke. “I. Hate. Flying.”

  He cupped her face, forcing her to look at him. “Piper.” His lips brushed across hers. Slowly. Carefully. She sighed into his mouth. Good, he hadn’t lost her to some dream.

  “Give me a second.” Piper’s voice was low, worried.

  Stroking her cheek with his thumb, he did just that. He’d give her all the time in the world if she asked.

  After several silent minutes and deep breaths, Piper spoke again. “Ever been to Vegas?” Her voice was more hers, a soft caress to his senses.

  “Nope. You?”

  Finally standing, she adjusted her lopsided ponytail. “Lots of times. The convention is in Vegas more often than any place else. I’ve been coming since I was legal.”

  Quinn’s brow rose. “Legal?”

  “Twenty-one.”

  “Oh.” His hand found Piper’s waist, his lips found her mouth. “I’m glad my first time is with you.”

  “Don’t be so sure,” she replied, a slight edge in her voice. “A bunch of stuffy people who work around dead people twenty-four/seven. Not the most lively bunch.”

  “You’re lively, Piper. And that’s all I need.” He gave her his best grin, hoping to shake her out of whatever frame of mind her slumber had put her in.

  Her hand flew to her chest, right over her heart, and she sucked in a tight breath. “Well, let’s get this started, shall we?”

  Frowning, Quinn swung around and stepped into the aisle and motioned for Piper. “Ladies first. I’ll get the carry-ons.”

  They collected their luggage, picked up the keys for their rental, and made their way to the parking lot. Once inside the red sedan, Quinn asked, “Why does the air feel different here?”

  “Oh, you mean really hot but not leaving you sticky?” Piper started the car and made her way out of the parking lot.

  “Yeah. It’s weird.”

  “It’s desert heat. Dry heat. I love it. You know, you can walk down the entire Strip and not be dripping in sweat.”

  “Even when I breathe, though, it’s strange, like something’s missing.”

  She laughed, filling the small space of the car with a majestic sound. “All the moisture’s missing. You’ll get used to it. Plus, you won’t be spending a ton of time outside, anyway. The convention keeps us pretty busy. Well, it keeps me busy…I’m sure you’ll want to wander whenever you get bored.”

  Oh, he wanted to wander, all right. His finger stroked her thigh. “We’ll see about that.”

  Quinn was amazed how quickly they got from the airport to their destination. The airport was practically jumping distance from the Strip and their hotel only a few minutes away from that.

  He kept his gaze on the glittering, immense buildings floating by as the car hummed
down the busy street. Hoards of people lined the sidewalks, and even in the middle of the day, the lights flickered brightly around him. He let out a low whistle as they pulled up to the hotel valet.

  “What?” Piper asked, shutting off the car.

  Quinn craned his neck, still eyeing everything around him. “I’ve seen pictures of Vegas, but I guess I didn’t expect everything to be so…big.”

  Smiling, Piper got out and handed the keys to the valet. “This is the Mirage. One of the tallest hotels on the Strip, but not necessarily the biggest. In its day, it was the most expensive hotel built.”

  Quinn fell into step beside her as they made their way through the golden glass doors. Piper’s steps were quick and determined. He held her waist, making her slow down. When she pulled completely away from him and hurried several steps ahead, Quinn slowed further. Was she putting distance between them? Even with the thought, Quinn couldn’t help but stare, jaw agape, at everything around them. His eyes danced from palm trees to the distance sound of binging slot machines, to people all around calling out strange things, to gold details and marble floors. And it was so bright—everywhere. It was like an orgasm for the eyes.

  “Oh, my God.” Quinn stopped dead in the center of the atrium. “Is that…?”

  Piper eased him forward by taking his hand. “Feel like you stepped into a paradise, huh?” Her own eyes skimmed over the lush foliage inside the front atrium.

  Outside was hustle and bustle, but this was like stepping in a rain forest. Bright tropical floras, orchids, and a bird of paradise tree made him marvel. “Yeah,” he said, at a loss for words.

  “There’s more.” She drew him into the lobby, pointing at the front desk. “Look at the fish tank behind the desk.”

  Quinn stepped forward, his eyes constantly scanning. “It runs the entire length of the wall? It must hold ten thousand gallons of water.”

  “Actually,” a voice called out from behind them, “it’s twenty thousand gallons. Saltwater. Beautiful, isn’t it?”

  Quinn and Piper turned at the same time.

  “Mitch!” Piper flung herself forward into the man’s outstretched arms. The man was no older than Quinn. He was clean-cut, shaven, with slicked-back hair, and a standard black suit.

  Quinn could only stand, dumbfounded, as he watched Piper’s perfect funeral director façade disappear before his eyes. This complete stranger stroked his hands up and down Piper’s back as he whispered into her ear. Piper hugged him with everything she had and giggled. When she briefly leaned back, Quinn didn’t miss the real twinkle in her eyes. He couldn’t help the twinge of envy that shot through him at the thought of Piper being so open and easy with this man. How long had it taken Quinn to get that same thing? And he still didn’t have it all.

  When Piper drew away, her cheeks were flushed. Quinn’s eyes narrowed, and he stood his full height. “Would you like to introduce me to your friend, Piper?”

  Her hand waved between them. “Mitch, Quinn. Quinn, Mitch.”

  Quinn held out his hand, suddenly very interested in learning more about Mitch. “Macy Quinn Oliver,” Quinn said, his voice as cool as he could make it. “I’m Piper’s boyfriend.”

  Piper didn’t flinch or react. Mitch’s eyes however, got as big as quarters.

  “Ah, well.” Mitch wriggled his hand from Quinn’s. “Mitch Dawson, director of the Seventy-fifth Annual Convention and Expo of the North American Funeral Directors Association. Nice to meet you. Piper and I have a long history.”

  Quinn didn’t miss the tone in the word long. Yet Piper looked cool as a cucumber. She smiled at them both, either not noticing or not caring, about the strain Quinn was trying to keep from his expression. Maybe he was succeeding.

  “Let me get you checked in quickly, shall I?” Mitch asked, finally focusing his attention away from Piper’s face.

  “That’s would be wonderful. Thank you,” Piper replied, stepping back to stand next to Quinn.

  Quinn said nothing as Mitch hustled to the front desk, speaking quickly to the brunette behind the counter. Piper kept her gaze trained on the fish zigging back and forth in the tank. There was history there, all right, Quinn thought. He wondered how many more people he would meet over the next week who had history with Piper. People who knew the real Piper. He was not prepared for that.

  A clawing envy, something Quinn had never felt, scratched deep in the pit of his gut and nearly had him gritting his teeth when Mitch strolled back over, a grin on his tanned face. He held up a small white envelope to Piper.

  “Suite fifteen-twenty,” Mitch said, dropping the package in her hand. His eyes flicked quickly to Quinn then back to Piper. “You two get settled in. The fun starts first thing in the morning. We’ll have the bellboy bring up your bags.”

  “Thank you, Mitch,” Piper said, still beaming.

  Quinn wasn’t blind. He noticed that Piper’s smile to Mitch wasn’t the same smile she gave him. Her eyes flickered, shining with a strange warmth. Her body was relaxed and less stiff than Quinn had seen her in quite some time. She was comfortable with this Mitch guy. Too comfortable if you asked Quinn.

  With growing curiosity, Quinn silently followed Piper through the winding lobby to the elevator. Piper was stopped a total of three times before they even made it twenty steps. And each time a stranger rushed up to her, Quinn couldn’t help but feel a growing anger with how easily Piper let these people in. She hugged them, really hugged them. Her eyes stayed focused, and her voice was chipper and excited, like she was actually happy to see them. In less than twenty minutes, her funeral director guard was completely gone and she looked happy around these people. It confused him.

  Quinn smiled and made small talk when necessary as he was introduced to strangers whose names he couldn’t have cared less about. Because the whole time he kept a keen eye on Piper. And he couldn’t help but tense his jaw in response to the way she was so…compassionate with these people. How long had it taken him to get her to be this relaxed around him? And now that he saw her this relaxed, he suddenly realized that Piper had never truly been totally at ease around him.

  The conference hadn’t even officially started and Quinn was already doubting how well he’d be able to handle Piper in this environment—with people who shared her passion and commitment to those who had departed. She had common ground with them. And it showed with each glimmer in her eye and wave of her hand to the people passing by as they finally took their remaining steps to the elevator. Was this what she had with Gavin?

  How was he going to survive this week? He needed Piper to be like this with him. Hell, he thought she was giving him her everything until he’d seen…this. And he still couldn’t scrap the image of Mitch arms wound around her back like an octopus. Shaking his head, he rushed out of the elevator as soon as it dinged and the doors swished opened.

  “Are you all right?” Piper asked.

  “No.” Okay, he got that word out through his clenched teeth, but he had no idea what else to say.

  Her hand flew to his forehead. Quinn closed his eyes.

  “You’re not hot.” Her voice was low, and a little too close to his ear.

  “I’m not sick, Piper.” Rubbing his face, he finally looked her in the eyes. “We need to talk.”

  Her lips curled downward as she keyed into their room. The luggage was neatly stacked by the door. Quinn’s eyes swept through the space. Cream walls, dark patterned carpet, and two beds with fluffy white covers and black accent pillows. The curtains were drawn, but he imagined the view was amazing. At the moment, though, he only wanted to focus on Piper.

  “Can we sit?” he asked, waving a hand toward the gray couch in the corner.

  Her expression tightened, but she sat, legs crossed, arms folded around her chest. “Is something wrong?”

  He tried to choose he next words carefully, not wanting to upset Piper, not wanting to further fuel his unease with her answer. But his mouth could only blurt one thing. “Have you slept with Mitch?”


  <<<<>>>>>

  His question made her rock back on the couch in shock. She could admit to having had some issues about this upcoming week. The most recent being the terrible dream she’d had about losing him on the plane ride here. The agony of his death had been all-too-real in her mind, yet when she’d opened her eyes she only saw his—calm and caring—looking at her like she was the only woman on earth. She couldn’t take it. They were getting too close. She was feeling way too much. So now his question, completely out of left field, gave her the perfect chance.

  “Is that your business?”

  He cast his eyes away, but Piper didn’t miss the sting of pain. It hurt her in places she didn’t want to admit.

  “No.” His voice was deathly cool. “I thought it would be nice to know if I would be meeting any past companions of yours while on this little trip, Piper. You seem pretty friendly with everyone.”

  Her own anger flared despite being touched that he was actually jealous. “Companions?” She jumped from the couch. “What do I look like, Quinn? A twenty-four hour bed-mart ready to have sex with any man who agrees not to get attached?”

  He stood then, eyes clouded with hurt. He towered over her. “I didn’t mean that, Piper. I would never think that way about you. You’re just…different here. We’ve been off the plane less than twenty minutes and I feel like you really know these people. Mitch, especially. After it took me so long to even crack through your shell, it surprises me, that’s all.”

  Her eyes watered from being open so wide. “For your information, Mitch is gay. He happens to be one of my oldest and dearest friends.”

  “You told me you didn’t have any friends. They were too much work, remember?”

  “This is different.”

  “How?” His voice stayed composed, despite her higher octave.

  “It just is. I don’t have to explain everything to you, Quinn.” She jerked her luggage up from the floor and unceremoniously dumped it on the bed. “Also, every other person I’ve talked to thus far, including any more that I will be talking to over the next several days, are only business acquaintances.” She huffed an irritated breath. “And for the record, I’ve never, ever, mixed business with pleasure. The few times I tried I stopped before anything could ever get started.” Spinning, she noticed he was right behind her. She jabbed his chest. “The only exception has been you.” Winded, she collapsed to the bed.