“I thought I heard you in here.” Wyatt appears in the doorway. “Coffee and a croissant?” He takes in my stressed expression. “What’s wrong?”
“The accountant called. There’s been some kind of mix-up and he’s at the restaurant right now.”
“Fuck. Okay, we’ll come with you.”
“You will?” The fear gripping my heart lifts a little. “Really?”
He gives me a puzzled look. “We’re your partners, Piper,” he says. “Of course we’re coming.”
Twenty seven minutes later, we’re outside Piper’s. Even though I’m nervous about the upcoming audit, I can’t suppress a thrill of excitement as I look at the sign with my name on it. The last month has been so busy that I haven’t had any time to stop and just breathe, and reflect on the fact that my dream is slowly but surely coming true.
Thanks to Owen and Wyatt. Who I slept with last night. I hope that wasn’t a mistake.
Josh Lewis is waiting for me, with an impatient look on his face. He’s a tall, thin guy with dark hair and wire-rimmed glasses. “You must be Piper Jackson,” he says tightly when he sees me. “I’m glad you could make it.”
I shake his hand. “These are my partners,” I tell him. “Wyatt Lawless and Owen Lamb.”
The instant he hears their names, his attitude changes. “Mr. Lawless, Mr. Lamb,” he stammers. “What a pleasure to meet you. I knew Ms. Jackson had new partners, but I didn’t realize…” His voice trails off. “My wife is a line cook at Paesano’s.”
Owen turns on the charm. “My compliments to her,” he says. “I’ve never had a bad meal there.”
Wyatt nods in agreement. “Mr. Lewis, you’re here to audit Piper’s books?”
“I am,” the accountant says, his voice more conciliatory than it was when he was addressing me. But hey, I’m just the lowly chef. I’m not Lawless and Lamb. In a minute, he’s probably going to offer to blow them. “I hope it’s not a bother.”
“Not at all,” Wyatt says. “Piper runs a clean shop.”
Josh Lewis gives me a doubtful look. Grant & Thornton have probably hinted that my books could use extra scrutiny. My cousin Colton would love to find any evidence that would make me lose my restaurant, and my parents seem eager to assist him in the process.
I unlock the front door and we enter. “My office is really just a cubbyhole,” I say. “Why don’t I bring my laptop to one of the tables and we can do our work in the front?”
“Good idea,” Owen says. “In the meanwhile, I’m going to grab us some coffee and breakfast. Josh, you want something?”
The accountant looks surprised that he’s being asked. “No thanks, Mr. Lamb,” he says. “I should get started.”
I fetch my laptop for him and navigate to my accounting software. “Here you go,” I tell him. “I’m going to be doing some prep in the back. Call me if you need something.”
He nods, his attention on my computer. I don’t think he even notices when I walk away.
* * *
The instant I walk into the kitchen, Wyatt pushes me against the freezer and kisses me hard. I whimper at his touch. Damn Josh Lewis. I would have liked a repeat of last night this morning.
“Hi there,” he says, smiling at me. “How’re you doing?”
I don’t know how to respond, so I settle for politeness. “I’m well, thank you.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Did you have a good time last night?”
I turn red as I remember yesterday evening. I can’t believe I sucked Wyatt off while Owen pleasured me, first with this mouth, then with his thick cock. I also can’t pretend I didn’t enjoy it. “I had a very good time.”
“Had a very good time with what?” Owen comes through the back, holding a tray of coffee and a paper bag. “Just bagels and cream cheese, I’m afraid. We’ll have to do croissants some other time.”
“Piper was just telling me she had a good time last night.”
“Did you?” Owen grins. “That’s good, sweetheart. Me too.”
I eye them both with exasperation. Part of me wants another go at Owen and Wyatt, and the other part of me is nervous.
“What’s the matter, Piper?” Wyatt asks.
I chew on my lip. “Should we have done what we did last night?” I reach for the coffee and take a sip. “We work together. Maybe we shouldn’t have been so self-indulgent.”
Owen looks up, his expression intent. “Are you concerned that if things end badly, we’ll take it out on your restaurant?” he asks me.
“No, of course not.” I can’t see them being so petty. They’re consummate professionals. “But things could get really awkward, couldn’t they?” I fix Wyatt with a level gaze. “Have you seen Maisie Hayes since your break-up?”
He doesn’t meet my eyes. “No,” he confesses.
“Why not? Because it’s uncomfortable, right?” I challenge him. The more I’m thinking about this in the clear light of day, the more I’m starting to think I made a mistake. “And Owen? Do you keep in touch with ex-girlfriends?”
“I don’t have any,” he responds.
That knocks me off my stride. “None? Really? How come?”
He grimaces. “Can we leave my dating history out of this?” His blue eyes lock onto mine. “Piper. Listen to me. All that matters is the three of us. Do you trust us not to screw you over? Do you trust us to be fair to you?”
“Yes.” They’ve more than demonstrated their commitment in the last month.
“And we trust you to be fair too,” Owen replies. “So, rather than jumping ahead to the future, can we just take it one day at a time?” His lips twitch. “What are you doing tonight?”
“It’s Monday,” I reply automatically. “I’m hanging out with my girlfriends.”
“Ah yes,” Wyatt grins. “The drinking club. We can’t get in the way of that. And unfortunately, we have to work the next couple of evenings. Are you free on Thursday?”
Before I can answer, I hear Josh Lewis call my name. “Ms. Jackson, do you have a moment?”
I hurry to the front to see what he wants. The table is scattered with papers, but my laptop is shut. “I’ve got everything I need,” he says when he sees me.
“That was quick.”
He nods. “Well, everything seems in perfect order. I can’t think of why Mr. Elliott wanted to check your books.” He shrugs. “Still, it pays the bills. I’m supposed to audit your books every month, so I’ll see you in four weeks.”
Mr. Elliott. Wait, Colton was responsible for this, not my parents? Guilt stabs at my insides. Maybe I’m being unfair to my mom and dad. The restaurant has been doing better. Maybe they’ve finally accepted my decision to stay in New York.
I shake his hand and show him out, Wyatt and Owen right behind me. “See?” Watt says, when Josh Lewis is out of sight. “Piece of cake. On to more important things. Will you come over on Thursday night?”
I gaze at them helplessly. I’m not sure if they’re being foolish or wise. “The contest starts on Thursday,” I point out.
“Good,” Owen says. “You’ll be stressed out. Dinner will relax you.”
I can’t help myself. Excitement buzzes through me at the thought of another night with Owen and Wyatt. “Okay.”
I hear my mother’s voice in my head. You’re being very foolish, Piper, she sniffs. I’m afraid she’s right. I’m am being foolish, but I don’t care.
23
I wake up every morning and I surprise myself. I wake up to a new me.
Gina Carano
Piper:
“Piper,” Gabriella’s voice sounds from the monitor. “Spill.”
While I’ve been busy with the changes at my restaurant, Gabby’s been making some changes of her own. She’s in a relationship now. She moved to Atlantic City a month ago, which is why she’s on Skype, not here in person. Though I miss my friend, I’m really happy for Gabriella. She reunited with the two guys she had a one-night stand with. She’s got her own mini-family now, complete with two boyfriends and
a new nephew, an adorable toddler called Noah.
Unfortunately, Skype or not, Gabby always has an eagle-eye. “I don’t know what you are talking about.” It’s a weak answer. The truth of the matter is, I’m not looking to keep last night a secret. My girlfriends are good at advice, and I need it.
“Piper,” she warns me. “There are consequences to keeping secrets from your best friends.”
“Shot, shot, shot,” chant the others. I smile inwardly as I remember the night Owen, Wyatt, and I sat around a table at Aladdin’s Lamp and had a drink. That was the moment everything had changed. I take a shot of vodka, coughing from the burn of the alcohol as it flows down my throat. “We miss you, Gabby,” I tell her. “There are no sandwiches.”
“I’ll be in Manhattan in two weeks,” she promises us. “Dominic has some kind of work thing, and we are all coming down for the week. I’ll bring sandwiches then. And Piper?” She gives me a dirty look. “I know an attempt to change the topic when I hear it.”
“Okay.” It’s confession time. “I may have been inspired by you and Bailey, and done something stupid.”
“Wait a second,” Wendy leans forward, her mouth open. “You jumped on the ménage wagon?”
“I didn’t go all the way.” God, that sounds lame, not to mention I’m bending the truth a little. I’ve decided that in a ménage, going all the way is anal sex. That’s my position and I’m sticking to it.
“Who with?” Miki, who’s also Skyping in, looks absolutely fascinated. “Anyone we know?”
Oh God, can this be any more embarrassing? Bailey, who knows who the guilty parties are, grins in her corner, but lets me flounder. “Sort of,” I whisper, mortified. “It’s Wyatt and Owen.”
Gabby bursts out laughing. Bailey’s grin widens into a smirk, and Miki chuckles. Damn it. I try to change the subject by asking Gabby about her new relationship, but she doesn’t let me off the hook. “No, no,” she says. “I move to Atlantic City and all of a sudden, you’re getting crazy and adventurous? How did this happen?”
“I am being crazy, aren’t I?” I wince as I sip at my drink. “What was I thinking?”
Miki frowns in puzzlement. “Why are you crazy? Because you were in a threesome? Two of your best friends are in ménage relationships. You’re not going to get a lot of judgment in this room over that.”
“Not in this room. But my parents will absolutely lose their minds.”
Wendy makes a face. “It seems to me, Piper,” she says, “that your parents disapprove of everything you do anyway. So they’ll have another thing to add to the list. So what?”
That’s true. My mother wants me to move back home, get married, and launch into the business of being a society wife. She’ll go ballistic if she finds out about Wyatt and Owen, but it’s not as if I’m basking in the glow of parental approval right now.
I still quail at the thought of telling them.
“The timing isn’t great.” I lift my chin up. “The first Can You Take The Heat? round is this week. Shouldn’t that be my focus?”
Bailey speaks up. “Life isn’t perfect, Piper,” she says gently. “It isn’t a to-do list where you check off one item, then move on to another. I was really busy when I met Daniel and Sebastian. You just make it work.”
“That’s the way I’ve always lived my life,” I reply.
“And have you been happy?” Bailey asks pointedly.
For the last six years, I’ve been alone. I can’t lie; it’s been tough. I think back to the way Wyatt and Owen insisted on accompanying me to the accountant this morning, the way they’d calmed me down when I was almost overwhelmed with nerves. “It’s nice to have someone to share stuff with,” I admit.
Katie gets up to refill our glasses and empty a fresh packet of potato chips into the bowl in the center. Jasper, who thinks he’s getting fed every time someone goes into the kitchen, looks up hopefully and goes back to sleep when he realizes that fish isn’t on offer.
“Talking about the contest,” she says, “we’re all coming to dinner to Piper’s on Thursday. Adam and I, Bailey, Sebastian, Daniel and Wendy. I made reservations yesterday.”
“You are?” I grin delightedly at Katie, warmed by the gesture of support. “All of you? Including Sebastian Ardalan? I don’t know if I’m thrilled or intimidated.”
“Be thrilled,” Bailey advises. “Sebastian is just a guy, though admittedly, a very hot one.” Her smile turns fond. “If you see him bumping into furniture in the morning because he hasn't had a cup of coffee, you’ll never be intimidated by him again.”
Katie chuckles. “Adam’s the same way. He’s completely helpless in the morning. Incidentally,” she turns to me, “the woman who took my details was a bit of a hot mess.”
“Kimmie,” I groan. “I know. We’re trying to hire someone to act as hostess, but it’s been difficult. I can’t afford to pay very much, and Owen and Wyatt are being very particular. It’s insane. We have someone filling in this weekend, but we need a long-term solution.”
“You’ll figure it out.” Wendy’s voice is confident. “You don’t give yourself enough credit, Piper.”
My thoughts return to last night, and I decide to confide my worries in my friends. “There’s something else.” My cheeks heat and I keep my gaze fixed on my drink. “Wyatt and Owen asked me out again.”
Gabby punches her fist in the air in celebration. “That’s awesome. You do like them, don’t you?”
“I do, but I don’t have a lot of experience, and I’m afraid they’re going to get bored of me. They probably think I’m a prude.”
“You’re definitely not a prude,” Bailey says, her voice emphatic. “Like Miki said, two of your friends are in ménage relationships, and you’ve been nothing other than supportive.”
Gabby shrugs. “So fix it.” she suggests, her voice unconcerned. “If they think you’re uptight, do something that will prove them wrong.”
Hmm. That makes sense. The beginnings of an idea start to form in my mind, and I can’t hold back my smile. I’m going to give Owen and Wyatt one heck of a surprise.
24
All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.
Sun Tzu, The Art of War
Owen:
Seamus Cassidy had ordered the hit on my family to make us an example of what happened when people opposed the mob. I still had a death sentence on my head, but my troubles paled in significance when compared to my uncle.
After the murder of my parents and my sister, Patrick Sarsfield had gone to the cops in Dublin and he’d told them everything he knew. He named names. He provided details of crimes, and more importantly, he had evidence that could be used to jail the ringleaders for life. Almost ill with grief at his failure to keep his sister’s family safe, he walked into the line of fire.
In return for our troubles, the police had put us in witness protection. For me, they arranged for a foster family in New York. A cop called Eduardo Mendez and his wife, Nina would take care of me until my eighteenth birthday.
For Patrick Sarsfield, they needed to do more. My uncle’s testimony was responsible for convicting six of the Westies’ most senior leaders. His life was in acute danger. In order to protect him, the two of us were separated and we were ordered never to communicate with each other.
I’ve obeyed that order for seventeen years. For seventeen years, Mendez, the man who was supposed to protect me has used me as a pawn in his schemes. In the years when we don’t talk, my life flourishes. Whenever he re-enters my life, he sucks me in, and my hard-won peace of mind disappears.
I want Piper to win Can You Take The Heat?. I want more nights with her. This morning, when Wyatt had asked me if I was ready to walk away, I’d almost said yes.
First, I need to know the truth.
It’s three in the morning. I
n Dublin, it’s eight, and the day has just started. And the woman I need to talk to, Aisling Rahilly, would have arrived at work, a large cup of coffee in her hands.
I dial her number. It’s time to find out where my uncle is. Who better to ask than the woman responsible for his disappearance?
* * *
The phone rings once, twice, a third time. Fear skitters down my spine. If Seamus Cassidy is out of jail, then none of the people responsible for putting him there are safe. Not my uncle, not Aisling Rahilly, not me.
I’m about to disconnect the line when she picks up. “Constable Rahilly.”
I exhale in relief. Aisling Rahilly was kind to me during a very difficult time in my life. She’d comforted me as I’d mourned my family. She’d arranged for a way to keep me safe, and she’d done her best to find me a better life.
“It’s Owen Lamb.”
It takes a few minutes for her to recognize my name, then she gasps. “What’s happened?”
The rules are designed for our protection. I’m never supposed to contact Aisling Rahilly. “Is Seamus Cassidy still in jail?”
No one will talk about the Westies. Their trials were behind closed doors. Their sentencing was shrouded in secrecy. Their locations, once they were jailed, was unknown, never revealed to the public.
Just as I feared, her reply is not helpful. “I don’t know.”
My uncle will be able to answer my question. For Patrick Sarsfield, this isn’t a matter of idle curiosity. It’s a matter of life and death. “Then I need to reach Patrick.”
She inhales sharply. “That’s a foolish request.”
“It’s not a request.” My voice is hard. “For seventeen years, I’ve done as I’ve been told. Now I hear that Cassidy might be free, that he might be in New York. I have to know the truth.”
Several moments elapse before she replies. When she breaks the silence, she reels off a phone number. “I hope this isn’t a mistake,” she adds quietly.
Playing with Piper (Menage MfM Romance Novel) (Playing for Love Book 3) Page 11
