Piper was everything warm and kind in the world. A ripe summer peach in a city of cold, hard stone. A passionate kiss in a parade of obligations.
Red dropped his hand from the window sill, hoping to catch hold of hers—but his fingertips encountered a drifting whisper of silk, instead. He only had to move them back a scant couple inches to find the opening of her robe, and beneath that, the juncture of her thighs.
Piper was bare for him. Wet and ready already, leaving Red to wonder how long she’d been that way. All night while he’d been gone, or only while he’d been wasting time here, deliberating?
The promise of her body, the melting heat and dark pleasure, called to him. All that was Piper burned off Red’s lingering fugue, like it always did, and had him hard and hungry inside his trousers in seconds.
Red slid his fingers through her folds and listened for Piper’s quiet intake of breath. In the window’s reflection, he watched her bury her face against his sleeve and felt her hand flex against his waist.
Yes. That. Nothing mattered but that—the soul-shaking, magnetic thing that was growing and blooming between them—Red would move heaven and earth to shelter that.
TWENTY-THREE
“RISE AND SHINE, pretty little dove,” Red crooned, his breath already fresh and minty.
Piper burrowed deeper under the covers, but he had hold of her hand and was placing precise kisses on each of her fingertips in turn.
The morning cheerfulness was a switch. Generally, Red was as irritated by the arrival of dawn as Piper was—which made sense, given that he was the one keeping her up half the night, and usually hadn’t gotten much sleep either.
From inside her nest of down, Piper demanded, “Why are you so happy?”
“Besides the fact that you’re here to wake up with, you mean?”
“Yes, Red. Besides that.”
“If you must know, I got some very good news a little while ago. And that means I have a surprise to give you later.”
He sounded smug now, on top of happy. Piper cracked open one eye and peered at him from under the covers. “Color me intrigued,” she said.
Red smirked, tucked her hand against his chest and moved closer. He switched from kissing her fingers to nibbling on her earlobe, and, while Piper might have been inclined to go back to sleep, her body clearly had other ideas. With each press of Red’s teeth and flick of his tongue, traitorous shocks of desire flared through her, waking up nerve endings and speeding up her groggy heart.
And then it occurred to her—Red was showered, shaved, and dressed already.
“Come on, Cupcake, up and at ’em,” he urged. “If I know you and your packing skills, we have some shopping to do.”
Piper snapped back the covers and frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“That I am completely certain you did not cram a cocktail dress into your little carry-on?”
“I do not like to wait for checked baggage, and neither do you,” Piper huffed. “And in my defense, you distinctly said dressy casual.”
“That was before the surprise came through.”
“Furthermore,” she growled, “Did you just call me Cupcake?” No one but Perry had ever dared to call her that.
Red got to his feet and gazed down at her from the foot of the bed. He looked good enough to eat, in his low-slung jeans and soft gray henley. Which was ironic, because then he grinned wolfishly and said, “I did. I’d like to lick you all over and then eat what I find underneath.”
“Oh my God,” Piper dove back under the covers to hide what was surely a vibrant red flush invading her face. “You’re worse than my cats!”
Dead silence. Upon reflection, Piper could understand why. She checked to see if Red was still there and found him stuck in place, head tilted while he squinted down at her.
“Not like that, you pervert! Only because you’re so freaking awake right now! When you’re not there, Sonny and Fredo always pounce on my toes and wrestle with each other next to my head, so I’ll get up and feed them.”
He considered that, then said, “I’d be up for the wrestling bit, but I’m already dressed. And I can feed myself, so…”
Piper sagged back, hoping he’d go away and leave her in peace.
Red lunged forward suddenly, grabbing her feet exactly like a pouncing animal and scaring a high-pitched shriek right out of her. Piper didn’t think she’d ever made such a loud sound before noon in her entire life. She glared at him indignantly.
He obviously considered his job done, however, because he turned and strolled toward the stairs with nothing more than a victorious grin and a wink. Tuneless whistling drifted after him as he descended from view.
“The least you could do is bring me coffee!” Piper belted after him.
“On your right,” Red called back, laughing.
Piper spun to the side and groaned—a tall, steaming mug sat on a coaster on the nightstand, the coffee inside the perfect, milky shade of light brown. That man could scale the defenses of even the hardest heart, damn him.
Little by little, he was demolishing all of Piper’s armor, and she’d hardly noticed him doing it. Stay aloof, her ass. She might as well be the president of the Red MacLellan fan club, at this point.
SHE TOOK HER time showering and getting dressed, partly to stick it to Red, and partly because a number of workmen seemed to have arrived at the loft. There was a good bit of cursing and struggling from under the stairs, while Red banged around in the kitchen.
Piper peeked down and saw some of the men carry an enormous crate out the front door. The rest of the guys had set up an unholy racket below her, complete with alarming metallic clangs and the whine of more than one drill.
Strangely, Red hadn’t mentioned anything about it when he’d woken her up. Piper couldn’t figure out what was going on. Something to do with her surprise maybe?
The instant the men left and all was quiet again, she crept down the stairs. Red was standing in the middle of the main room, hands on his hips and pleased as could be.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“See for yourself,” he said, pointing behind her. “Incidentally, this isn’t your surprise. That happens later.”
The crime scene painting was gone, replaced by a framework of plumbing pipes bolted in rows to the brick wall. Industrial clamps held black wooden frames filled with photographs, at intervals along each pipe.
“What is this?” Piper breathed, taking in the scale and cleverness of the design. It was industrial and rustic, masculine and homey, all at once. It suited Red’s loft much better than anything his mom’s decorator had picked out.
“Once we talked about it, I couldn’t stop thinking about how much I hated that painting, too. It was getting on my nerves.”
Piper pivoted around but didn’t spot the offending canvas anywhere else. “What did you do with it?”
“Sold it at an art auction.”
“Someone else bought that thing?”
Red was sanguine. “Turns out the painter died,” he shrugged. “Honestly, I got more for it than I expected to.”
“I’m not sure whether to be even more appalled,” Piper said, “Or to congratulate you on your business acumen.”
Red chuckled and gestured to the new structure. “This is better, though, right?”
“Much. Where did you find it?”
“I made it. I just needed the guys to install it once they got that atrocity packed up and out of here.”
“Seriously?”
“I had to do something to fill the evenings when you weren’t here,” Red smirked. “I’m not just a pretty face, Piper Mae.”
She grinned back, surprised and pleased by this new side of him. “I never doubted it for a second.” Her heart melted into a warm, gooey mess at how proud he looked.
Piper went closer, spotting among the pictures a few favorite places that Red had taken her to around town. There was an action shot of a teenaged Red in hockey gear, gearing up to score a
goal. Red as a toddler, crouched beside a pond with an older man and a toy boat. Him as a red-haired baby in an old woman’s lap, poring over a storybook.
And several photos of Red as he looked now, with two other men who appeared again and again—smoking cigars, raising drinks, playing cards.
“Who are those guys?” Piper wondered, fascinated.
“My best friends,” he murmured, a little shyly. “We were college roommates. The dark one is Luca. And the other one is Tate.”
“Where are they now?”
“Luca went home to Italy. He’s a doctor there. And Tate is in the Army, stationed in the Middle East.”
“Oh, wow.”
Red came up behind Piper and wrapped his arms around her. “I hope you can meet them someday.”
Piper thought she must be glowing with the affection she felt for him at that moment. When Red had chosen for himself what he wanted to see in his home every day, he’d gone with family, friends, and childhood memories. He’d picked images of the simple beauty secreted all over his city. And Red had gone one step further, designing and constructing the display himself, when he could easily have commissioned someone else to do it for him.
Piper didn’t know what his surprise was going to be later, and she didn’t care. Coming to New York for the weekend was worth it just for this.
THAT EVENING, PIPER finished showering and toweling off in Red’s bathroom, then donned her new strapless bra and lace panties before cracking the door to let out some of the heat and steam. While she combed out her hair in the big mirror over the sink, Red appeared and nudged the door wider.
Shopping for an evening dress with Red had been an experience. He seemed to have a predilection for zippers, buckles, and laces, for one thing—and an aversion to actual material, for another. Piper had determined that almost immediately.
What was more, he’d flatly refused to bring her to a simple department store. Instead, they’d gone to several boutiques on a list he had on his phone—culled, apparently, from the suggestions of women he worked with at PKM. Based on the styles displayed in each, Piper had almost been able to pick which employee had steered Red to which store. That confounded him.
He’d lobbied hard for a knee-length navy-blue confection, with one shoulder and an eye-popping price tag, but hadn’t been able to convince her. She’d dragged him to two more places before she’d finally settled on a simple, olive velvet slip dress. Red had proclaimed it boring until Piper put it on.
Once he saw the way the material slipped sinuously over her breasts and hips, he’d changed his tune. She bit her lip, remembering how he’d backed her into the dressing room and shut the door, working the narrow satin ribbons off her shoulders and fervently kissing her collar bones. Red’s talented hand had found the high slit on one thigh and slipped inside.
Piper took a deep breath and met his eyes in the mirror. He looked impeccable, leaning against the doorjamb in his suit. He still hadn’t told her where they were going. Her nerves about the evening ahead were getting the best of her.
His eyes skated over her body, his expression unreadable. She’d quickly purchased this set of lingerie in one of the boutiques earlier, when he wasn’t looking. Unfortunately, it wasn’t having the effect she’d been hoping for—on her or him.
Maybe she should have skipped that hot dog from the cart in the park. And also the muffin in the coffee shop right afterward.
Besides, it wasn’t like Red hadn’t seen her body already, right? Although…as Piper’s mind cast back over their relationship, she began to wonder. She did have a habit of turning off lamps and changing in the bathroom. Maybe Red hadn’t ever gotten a good look at her.
“Look, I realize I don’t have the body of a twenty-year-old model,” she muttered defensively. “But I’ve been living a full life and I clearly have the marks to prove it.”
Red’s eyes twinkled in the reflection, the first sign of life he’d shown since he’d barged in. Did he think that was funny?
Piper squared her shoulders and raised her chin, defying him to say one word about her imperfections. If he wanted to go back to dating rail-thin models barely out of their teens again, then she wasn’t going to stop him.
“What? I like carbs, all right?” Piper spat. “Preferably with cheese. Do we have anything else to discuss, or can I finish getting ready?”
Red laughed outright then, a dark rolling chuckle from deep inside him. He gave Piper a patently obvious once-over, from her heels to the crown of her head, then grinned at her image in the glass.
“Settle down, little dove. You look amazing, as always. I was just wondering how you managed to slip that little scrap of naughtiness past me,” Red snorted, coming closer. He cupped her ass, then bent to murmur hotly in Piper’s ear. “But after that outburst, I think we have plenty more to talk about. Why don’t you finish up in here, so we can figure out why you’re so worried about one little surprise?”
He sauntered away with another amused laugh, leaving Piper to stare in shock at his retreating back in the mirror. What the hell was she doing with a guy like him? She had to be insane.
THE CAR TOOK them straight to the garage under PKM’s headquarters, and Piper’s initial trepidation grew. When Red turned to her and displayed the smallest hint of uncertainty, that feeling turned right into worry.
“Okay, here’s the deal,” Red said. “We don’t have to stay all night, but we should probably stick around for a couple of hours, at least.”
“All right.”
“I think you’re really going to be excited about what happens, but…” He paused and took a deep breath. “We probably shouldn’t go in together.” Piper began to reply, but Red cut her off. “Or act like we’re a couple. I’m sorry. I don’t like it, but it’s for the best. I’d hate for my employees or your coworkers to get the wrong idea about us.”
“Red—I get it, but this is weird. What is going on?”
“Trust me, honey. It’ll be good. I promise. Just head up to the fifth floor and I’ll come find you soon.”
UPSTAIRS, THERE WAS a large party already in full swing. Apparently, Red’s employees had put together the entire thing in one day. From Anika, Piper learned that they’d ordered take-out appetizers from five different restaurants in order to have enough on such short notice. A guy named Rob admitted that he and the other members of Trident’s transition team had to visit three liquor stores to get enough beer and wine for the crowd.
And Red’s assistant Wayne explained how he and his mother had driven all the way to a warehouse store in Jersey for the napkins and paper plates, and the water and sodas. In addition, he told Piper that the small band playing credible Sinatra covers in the corner was comprised of his law school classmates.
None of the other guests she spoke to wanted to enlighten her on why they had gone to so much trouble, though. Piper sipped her wine and circulated and tried to uncover what the big mystery was. Red, head-and-shoulders taller than everyone else, mingled on the other side of the room, but caught her eye occasionally and sent her flirty looks.
It was exasperating. Piper had been promised a surprise and was dressed to kill—but the man responsible for all that was keeping his distance, having a grand old time with pretty much everyone else but her.
Piper had just parked herself next to a mystery writer named Lyla when Wayne whistled, loud and shrill, with his fingers. Behind him, Rob was helping PKM’s legal director up onto a chair.
Anika’s grin was wide as she addressed the room. “I’m sure most of you have heard the good news already, but I’d like to officially confirm that, as of six-thirty this morning, PKM is now party to an exclusive deal with the Millhouse & Rock bookstore chain! The deal is signed, sealed, and delivered, people.”
Piper froze, searching the room until she found Red—leaning against a wall off to the side and watching her expectantly.
There was a round of cheering and applause. Anika laughed, then shushed everyone.
“Listen g
uys, a lot of you have worked really hard to make this happen, and that’s why we wanted to celebrate. This is going to be a terrific thing for PKM, for Trident, and for all of Trident’s amazing authors.” She tipped her head at Piper and Lyla, at Rachel Wilbon, and at a few others scattered around.
Unsurprisingly, Jim Denton and his friends did not seem to be in attendance. Piper wondered if they had already gotten the ax, or just weren’t invited. She couldn’t imagine them choosing not to attend.
Red kept his eyes on Piper’s face as Anika explained how Millhouse & Rock would carry all of Trident’s current titles in a dedicated, preferential section of its stores and website. Piper didn’t dare look back at him, sure that he’d see how flustered she was.
“Incidentally,” Anika was saying, “We threw this shindig together on the fly, so if you have any criticisms you can keep them to yourself. Also, if you were one of the stupendous people who picked up food or supplies for us, don’t leave without giving me your receipts. Our dear leader has promised me we’ll be reimbursed.”
More whistles and applause rang out, Rob helped Anika down from her chair and high-fived Red, and the music started again, louder than before.
Lyla turned to Piper and said, “Well, I have to say, I did not know what to expect when I heard PKM had bought out Trident, but this is really great news.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Piper said.
“You don’t think so?”
“I really don’t know. But I guess we’ll see.”
Piper definitely had to talk to Red, though. She broke away from Lyla with a vague excuse and wound her way through the excited crowd, toward the place she’d seen him last. He met her near the center of the room, and once she was next to him, it took real effort not to be too obvious or demonstrative.
“Well, what do you think of your surprise?” he murmured.
Piper didn’t have a chance to answer. They were immediately waylaid by Rachel Wilbon, blowsy and overdone in black sequined chiffon. The other woman leaned heavily on Red so she could adjust her platform heel, then craned up to plant a too-long kiss on his cheek.
The Titan Was Tall (Triple Threat Book 1) Page 25
