Wicked Nights

by Anne Marsh

  “His rescue sealed the deal?”

  “He was very impressive.”

  Piper made a mental note to tell Cal that one.

  “And you’re expecting near drowning to be a common occurrence on your Fiesta-sponsored dives, and therefore you had to go with a professional rescue swimmer?” she asked sweetly.

  The dead silence on the other end was her answer. Sal was undoubtedly calculating how fast he could hang up on her now that he’d delivered his bad news.

  “Thank you for your time,” she said and ended the call. Since Fiesta wasn’t going to be paying her, she didn’t have to put up with Sal anymore. That was one silver lining.

  But...wow. She ran through the details of her proposal in her head, mentally walking through the demo dive. She’d been so sure the Fiesta team had loved her dive, that they’d understood exactly how much fun a shipload of cruisers and newbie divers could have swimming with the sea lions. And, instead, she’d been trumped when Mr. Heroic Navy Swimmer had come charging to the rescue.

  Worse, if she hadn’t offered to lead Cal’s dive, none of this would have happened. He would have got into the water or not—she was betting strongly on the not—but he wouldn’t have taken over for her. She thought about it for a moment. She’d had his back. Had covered for him. And it had backfired on her, hadn’t it?

  Carla came back inside the shop, carrying a cardboard tray with paper coffee cups. She flipped the open sign to closed and locked the door. The gesture was appreciated, but caffeine wasn’t the Band-Aid Piper needed right now.

  “Never forget who the competition is,” she told Carla.

  “Got it.” Carla popped a cup free and handed it over.

  “I rescue Cal’s butt and therefore he won.” Saying it out loud wasn’t as therapeutic as she’d anticipated.

  Carla took a sip from her own cup. “At least he’s got a mighty fine butt.”

  “Irrelevant.”

  “Would you feel better about losing to him if he wasn’t a hottie?”

  Would she? “No.”

  Carla motioned toward the cup. “Drink. It’ll make you feel better.”

  “I’m not in the mood for coffee.”

  “Good thing I didn’t bring you coffee.”

  Piper took a cautious sip. With Carla, anything was possible. Sure enough, sweet and salty, the margarita froze her teeth and hit her stomach like a rock.

  “Where did you find margaritas at—” she checked her phone “—ten in the morning?”

  “Big Petey’s. He likes you.”

  And she definitely liked his margaritas. Mainlining her weight in the sweet stuff was unexpectedly appealing, but it wouldn’t erase her loss. The Fiesta contract had gone to Cal.

  “So,” Carla said. “Next steps?”

  “I’ve got an appointment with the loan officer tomorrow over on the mainland.”

  Carla nodded. “And you’re keeping it?”

  “Yes.” She had no idea how she’d convince the guy to take a chance on her and shower her business with cash, but she’d figure something out. “He had ‘questions about my cash flow,’” she said, making air quotes. “The Fiesta contract was the perfect answer to those questions.”

  “Rest in peace, dear dream of a partner buyout.” Carla raised her coffee cup. “What about your bet?”

  Wow. That had completely slipped her mind. She now owed Cal one night of yes-master-what-can-I-do-for-you-master sex. Or at least that was what she’d imagined—with the roles reversed—when she’d made the stupid bet in the first place.

  “Your face is flushed,” Carla observed. “I’m going to assume you’re not worried about paying up.”

  Nope. That would be a resounding look forward to it.

  * * *

  PIPER WAS OUTSIDE her dive shop, locking up, when Cal drove up on his Harley. He had to be the last person she wanted to see right now, so he had no idea why he’d come looking for her. He hadn’t come to gloat or rub her face in it or even to tease, although he doubted she’d see it that way. He’d gotten the call, accepted the congratulations, and yet the whole time, he’d been thinking about Piper. While he was printing out the Fiesta contract and pretending to read the fine print (until Tag had taken the pages from him), he’d imagined Piper getting her call. Someone would be telling her that she’d lost and Cal had won.

  With the new revenue, he’d be able to hire more former SEALs. He knew plenty of good guys who were struggling to find the right place for themselves after leaving the service, and Deep Dive could fill that need. He still had plenty of work to do on his own head, but with the Fiesta contract he could give other veterans the same opportunity. He’d listened to Daeg and Tag making celebratory plans but hadn’t been able to drum up any enthusiasm.

  He had what he wanted, except...suddenly it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t what mattered most. Piper was.

  So he’d headed over here.

  Like an idiot.

  He killed the engine on the Harley and coasted toward the sidewalk. She had her back to him, so there was the small possibility she hadn’t heard him coming. Faded blue jeans cupped her butt and ended just above a pair of kickass boots. The dive shop T-shirt she wore hugged her breasts and she had a messenger bag slung over her chest. She didn’t look angry, but then again, she hadn’t seen him yet. She turned around, reaching up to pull her hair into a ponytail. The move emphasized the way her shirt clung to some of his favorite places. When she saw him, her face froze.

  “You heard the news.” Stupid, he chided himself.

  “Congratulations.” She didn’t move, just stood there and looked at him. The three feet of space between them suddenly felt like three million miles.

  “Piper—”

  She walked toward him. For a moment, he thought she was coming to him, and he wasn’t ashamed to admit he was fiercely glad. Maybe winning didn’t have to mess things up. Maybe she could accept this and even his partial ownership of her dive shop. Then, of course, she brushed past him and straddled her bike. She was leaving.

  “I’m going to follow you,” he warned. She didn’t get to run from this.

  “I don’t want to talk right now.” She fished in her bag for her keys.

  He didn’t want to talk, either, not if he was honest. He wanted to share his good news with her and hold her because the news hadn’t been good for her. Those two things were incompatible, however, and he had no idea how to solve things for her.

  “I thought about dropping out,” he admitted.

  She grabbed her helmet from the back of her seat. “I didn’t. I’m a big girl, Cal. I don’t need you to hand me things. Or fix them. I lost and I’ll handle it.”

  The look in her eyes was part pride, part sadness and humor. “Tell me you’re okay.”

  “I’m fine.” She flashed him a quick smile. “I may not like losing, but I do know how to do it. Next time, however, I’m going to kick your butt. Consider yourself warned.”

  Next time sounded good to him.

  She pulled the helmet on, started the Harley and pushed away from the curb. Definitely leaving. He opened his mouth to say something, although he had no idea what, and then she looked back at him.

  “Are you coming? Or are you afraid I’m going to kill you and hide the body so I can get my hands on that contract?”

  He could feel a stupid grin tugging at his mouth. “I’m not afraid.”

  “Nope?” She moved down the street, and he steered his bike beside hers.

  “You bet,” he said, raising his voice to be heard over the engine. “The only thing I’m afraid of is that you won’t put your hands on me.”

  “Your place,” she suggested and took off. And, even though she went twenty miles over the speed limit, he was right behind her.

  * * *

  THE FIRST TIME was fast and hard. Piper blamed that on the adrenaline rush of racing Cal. Not the most responsible thing she’d ever done, but she deserved some fun today. The strip of road hugging the island’s coast was de
serted, and she hadn’t gone over fifty. Much. She’d tried to race him into the house, too, but he’d beaten her to the door. Of course, it was his front door and, Cal being Cal, he’d undoubtedly locked it, but it was the principle of the matter. She’d gotten there first.

  “Got you,” he’d announced in a thrillingly rough voice, slapping his hands down on either side of her head. Cal in a playful mood was both new and sexy, so she hadn’t protested at all when he’d swept her off her feet, opened the door and carried her down the hall to the bedroom. Instead, she’d suggested a second race, to see who could strip down the fastest. She’d won that one.

  The sun was setting now, painting fiery strips of orange and red over the ocean’s surface. She didn’t want to move. He’d worn her out, but not before she’d put one hell of a smile on his face.

  “Was that four—or five?” His smoky, gruff voice rumbled in her ear and she squirmed. She’d be happy to up his count.

  She pretended to think. “I had at least five. It’s not my fault if you got beat.”

  “I’m a guy.” His hand cupped the back of her neck, his thumb rubbing a small circle against her skin. He’d done the same thing elsewhere, and her body hummed just thinking about it. Cal had magic hands. “We don’t recover as fast.”

  She could hear the smile in his voice. “Again, not my problem.”

  “You’re a tough woman.” He dropped a kiss on her head and she snuggled in closer.

  “I am glad for you.” It had to be said, and somehow it was easier like this. The room was getting darker now as the sun slipped down behind the horizon. Even without lifting her head, she could just make out the clothing scattered everywhere, along with most of the pillows from the bed. They’d made a mess.

  He shifted, tugging her up until he could see her face. Of course, the position also meant she could see his, which was no hardship.

  “Good,” he said roughly. “I don’t want you to be unhappy.”

  She stared at his familiar face. What did he want? Had he thought about where they went from here? He was supposed to be a chemistry problem she worked through, not a permanent fixture in her life. And yet...she couldn’t help wondering what-if.

  “I need to tell you something,” he said.

  And...cue the bad news.

  “You’re married. You’re shipping out. You don’t do relationships.”

  He bit out a curse.

  “Now you owe me a quarter.”

  “What kind of guy do you think I am?”

  She shrugged and rolled off him. “I don’t really know you, Cal.”

  “Tell me what you want to know.”

  “Give me the bad news,” she countered.

  He scrubbed a hand over his head. “Del is selling his half of your dive business. I made an offer. We’re going to be partners, you and I.”

  Over her dead body. Or his. Yeah. She liked the sound of that. “How long have you known?”

  “Del accepted my offer right after the Fiesta dive.”

  No way. “You’re joking. Please tell me you’re joking.”

  “You don’t like the idea.” He didn’t sound surprised—more resigned.

  “Cal.” She stared at him. “The only place we don’t fight is in bed.

  “You can’t have it all,” she said, jumping out of bed. “You should have told me.”

  “Piper—” He didn’t know what to say.

  “I’m done here.”

  “You can’t just walk out on us,” he said. “I want this to work.”

  “I like the sound of that.” And she did. Too much.

  “I hear a but.”

  Score one for him. “But you knew I wanted to own Dream Big and Dive. I told you that, and yet you went ahead and bought Del’s half of the business anyhow.”

  He sat up in bed, the sheet falling back to his waist. Part of her wanted to push him down and lose herself in the way he made her feel. The rest of her, however, knew that at some point the hot sex would come to an end and they’d have to work together. Live together. The sex wasn’t enough because somewhere along the line, he’d made her want all of him.

  “Del was going to sell anyhow,” he pointed out. She hated how calm and logical he sounded. “Aren’t I better than a random stranger?”

  “I don’t know how I feel about that. You didn’t ask me.”

  “I’m asking now,” he said, his voice tight.

  “After you bought in. It doesn’t count.”

  “Make it count.”

  He wasn’t the person who got to be angry here. He’d won the contract. He’d bought her business. In fact, he’d had everything go his way and she had not. She wasn’t going to whine about it, but she was going to do something about it. She got out of bed and started pulling on her clothes.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I’m leaving.” Take that. “Don’t worry. I’ll lock the door on the way out. Or not.” She shrugged and headed for the door. “I’m not the one who worries about thieves and evil villains.”

  “Piper.” Her name was a growl. Sheets rustled, and his feet hit the floor with a thump. Screw being dignified. She picked up her pace. She was done here.

  15

  IT TOOK THE rest of the morning for Cal to do the math. He’d done some swimming, followed by some thinking. Then more swimming. He had the contract all to himself, and his hands were going to be plenty full as he brought more former SEALs on board—but his place felt empty without her. Hell, he felt empty. Piper had filled a void he didn’t realize he had.

  When he gave in and went looking for her, Piper wasn’t at home, nor was she at the dive shop. Carla, however, was, scrolling through pictures on her phone of their last dive.

  He didn’t waste time with preliminaries. “Where is she?”

  “Where is who?”

  He wasn’t buying her sweet, innocent look.

  “Your boss? The woman who signs your paychecks?”

  “Funny,” she said, “I’d heard you were my new boss now.”

  “Would that make you take orders from me?” A man could hope.

  “Nope,” she answered, shooting him a saccharine smile. “Not in this lifetime.”

  “You don’t want to know what I want with her?”

  She shook her head. “The only thing that matters to me is what she wants with you.”

  “I can work with that.”

  “Are you going to chase after her and admit you screwed this all up?”

  “I’m not apologizing for winning the Fiesta contract.” Never. Maybe?

  Carla made a give-it-up gesture.

  “But I should have told her about my offer to buy out Del’s share as soon as I realized what had happened,” he admitted.

  “Because?” she prompted.

  “What is this, therapy hour?”

  “Do you need it to be? You are a guy.” She eyed him appraisingly.

  He had no idea what that meant. “And?”

  “You need to tell her how you feel.” She held up a finger when he opened his mouth. “I’m sure you believe your reasons for buying out Del are the best, but think about it from Piper’s perspective.”

  “You feel very secure in your job,” he announced.

  Carla beamed. “Piper and I go way back.”

  He eyed her. This was Carla, after all. Good to know Piper had someone at her back, but nothing about Carla made this easy. Or quick. “I’d like to hear her perspective. I’d also like to tell her a few things. Ask a question or two.” He paused, then went for gold. “Please?”

  “She’s taking the ferry over to the mainland.”

  “She’s leaving?”

  He turned and headed for the door.

  “The ferry leaves in fifteen minutes,” she called after him. “You can fire me after you get her back.”

  Yep. That was definitely gloating he heard in her voice.

  16

  CAL BROKE EVERY traffic law on his way down to the ferry dock. The side streets weren’t made
for speed, but he pushed eighty on the Harley. If he laid down his bike, he wouldn’t get there in time, but he couldn’t bring himself to ease up. Piper was at stake here. He tried to imagine staying on Discovery Island without her, and it wasn’t a pretty picture. He had no idea how it had happened, but he’d fallen for Piper Clark.

  Ten blocks. Two traffic lights, six stop signs and two four-way stops. And then he had the ferry dock in his sights. The heavy boat rode low in the water, loaded up with cars. He was close enough now to make out the tourists on the upper decks, chatting and laughing as they snapped their final photos of Discovery Island. The ramp was still down and he breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t completely out of time. He parked the Harley in a no-parking zone, so sue him—and vaulted over the turnstile.

  “I’m not riding,” he hollered at Mary Beth, the woman working the ticket booth as he sprinted toward her. “I need to talk to Piper and then I’ll be back.”

  He’d known Mary Beth forever. The older woman and his mother were friends and members in the Red Hat Society. Some of their antics scared the piss out of him. A spur-of-the-moment cruise to Cabo with tattoos came to mind. Since Mary Beth and his mother talked, she probably already knew his business anyhow, and could cut him some slack.

  She flashed a thumbs-up as he barreled past and indeed seemed disinclined to call for security.

  “Ten minutes,” she hollered after him. “That’s all you’ve got.”

  He’d make ten minutes be enough time.

  He sprinted onto the ferry, heart banging against his ribs. The ferry had two levels, plus the car hold. It also had a gift shop and a snack shop, in addition to all the off-limits, personnel-only areas. Think, he told himself. If you were Piper, where would you be?

  The answer was immediate and obvious. She’d be up front where the riders felt the chop and half of them ended up drenched from the spray. Unfortunately, she wasn’t the only daredevil riding the ferry today, and there were too many people to run, so he strode forward, bellowing her name. Heads turned as he worked his way out onto the forward deck. Yeah. He’d apparently left his pride at the dive shop. Again, this was Piper at stake. He was pretty much sure he’d do anything for her.