“We’re practicing Spanish for the study abroad program. Today, he ran into Professor Gilmore at the gym. He might be stalking him. Prof. Gilmore told him that he’s still working on the clearance for the area we’re going. He thinks this could be career changing, big.”
“That sounds great,” I eyed my plate.
“Don’t say that if you don’t mean it. It’s natural to be jealous and worried,” Aunt Luna said.
Hmm. She was too much. She was pretty and friendly, but I’d bet my dick this was the reason she was fishing for single men at the wedding.
“He has no reason to be jealous or worried,” Piper snipped at her.
I caught her little smile. She enjoyed my jealousy. There was plenty more where that came from. However, that wasn’t all that was bothering me. This subject came up quicker than I thought, but I couldn’t ignore it.
“Is your study trip dangerous? I’d like to hear from Piper.” I spoke over Luna, who I anticipated was ready to answer for her.
“Maybe. But I believe going and being a part of reporting on this story is worth the risk. The international attention could change medicine and help millions of people,” she said enthusiastically.
I wanted to be good and say what she wanted to hear, but I wouldn’t lie. Not when it came to her wellbeing. I stood up. “I’m not against helping people, but your life is never worth a risk.” I turned to a beaming Luna. “I’ll take that bed you offered. Where do I go?”
“Down the hall,” Luna said gesturing her hand the direction I needed to go.
“No, that’s not…” Piper cut in then sighed. “Yeah. You can take the room down the hall.”
I walked where they pointed to out of the kitchen. I wasn’t dumb. I knew Luna had directed me to Piper’s bedroom, but I didn’t care. I was tired. Too much had happened already. I walked in and immediately took my shirt off. I had my jeans half way down my legs, when the door open and shut with Piper leaning back against it.
“Boxers,” she mumbled.
“Yeah. I own some,” I said and pulled off the rest of my jeans. Her eyes followed my every move.
“Brody. I don’t know what to say. I just followed you back here.”
I walked over to her and cupped her face. “You don’t have to say anything. I just told you how I feel about it. I don’t want you in danger or getting hurt.”
“Don’t say that. I can’t not do this—” she stammered.
“I know. I understand that. I won’t stop you. I just….” I kissed her hard on the lips and groaned pressing her soft body against mine. Kissing down her neck, I sucked on the skin at her throat, and I let out a moan. Moving back up to her lips she moaned in my mouth, opening for me and I slid my tongue against hers like I wanted to slide it in her pussy. Fuck. My mouth watered, I wanted her so badly, my brain turned off. I reached down and lifted that dress and brushed my hand between her thighs and up against her panties. I sucked in my breath, and my cock went hard as fuck. She was soaked through.
“You wet for me?” I asked gruffly. I was still riding jealousy about this Matt. The man that fit into that part of her life I was beginning not to like.
“You know I’m wet for you. Only you,” she answered and moaned as my knuckle dragged against her clit. Our gazes locked. Her desire was there, but so was her pain. I couldn’t take this from her then leave her. I loved her too much for that. I removed my hand, and she blew out her breath. Easing my arms around her waist, I pulled her into my chest. “Brody, you hurt me. You didn’t even give us a chance and just let me go. I can’t do this.…”
“I’m sorry, Sprite.” I released her. “I’ll move to another bedroom.”
“No. You sleep in here. I’ll go upstairs.” Her eyes teared up, and all I wanted to do was go over and pull her back into my arms. “Thank you for helping me with my bike, but if you’re here for me.” She closed her eyes. “Of course you’re not.”
I clenched my jaw in annoyance and didn’t stop her when she slammed the door behind her. She was upset? Well, so was I. It irked me how sure she was I didn’t want her. After all that I told her was between us. I know I hurt her badly. I also knew if I wanted to be a part of her life I’d have to do more. But she would have to change her life to be mine. She was too stubborn to see just how wrong that was for her. I was trying to help the both of us. But I was the one here now. I put myself back in her life. I was just as bad. We were damned either way. But I was here with her. Where I wanted to be.
Chapter Nine
Piper
DAMN HIM. HE was here, back in my life again.
I stared down at Brody slumbering on my bed in the back bedroom. He’d been asleep for most of the day. The summers were always warm in the barn, but this room was the warmest one in the house. It was also the one without air conditioning. He didn’t look as if he was uncomfortable. In fact, he looked beautiful.
The covers were thrown back, and he was lying on his side in his briefs. His well-defined chest and abs were on display. I wanted to touch him, but I wouldn’t because if I did, I’d wake him. We’d no doubt start touching each other and have to stop—not that I wanted to stop. But what other choice did we have?
I had slept upstairs for a couple of hours before leaving to go and do my day job with Aunt Luna. Luckily she was too busy with work to nose around in my love life. I didn’t need her to add to more of my worries anyway. My mind was crowded enough with all of the complications between Brody and myself. And here he was, in my bed. I had fished out his keys and carried in the bag of clothing I found in his rental truck. He really did intend to stay here and help me. So why wasn’t I happy?
Because Brody doesn’t like my career. He didn’t actually say he disliked it. He said he didn’t want me in danger. Okay, there was danger in global journalism, but there is danger in any career. Hell, I could get a bad chicken from the supermarket. It was the career path I’d chosen for as long as I could remember. Global journalism was my big dream. I worked my ass off to get here and, with Professor Gilmore’s help, I was close to getting it all.
Still, I couldn’t stop wanting to be with Brody. Truly, I didn’t know what to do.
I sighed and pressed a kiss to his forehead, got up and went to the living room to pace. Of course, when I got there, I forgot how very little space there was between the couch, knick-knacks, and books. I would need to navigate through to pace. I chewed my bottom lip and thought about calling Jorge, but he was compromised. The kiss that we shared, as well as his jealousy of Brody, would taint anything he said to me about him. Well, until we got our friendship back on track. Telling Aunt Luna might make her put on her counseling hat and wake Brody up for a session that might make us both leave. So who did I have left? While cursing my lack of social contacts, my phone rang, and I took it out to find it was Matt. Again?!
I resorted to my rusty Spanish and answered. This time asking why he’d called twice in one day.
“Because you said to try later,” he answered back in English. “You were also whispering, and I was curious. What’s up?”
“How do you say my almost ex-boyfriend showed up and everything is still a mess, but perfect, except he doesn’t like my chosen career path? En Español?
“I’d tell him to get lost and then come back to Boston early to date me.”
I rolled my eyes. “I already told you my answer. I’m not dating you.”
“Yet, you’re on the phone with me, full of doubts.” His tone was smug. I was a second away from hanging up and told him so.
“I only mention it because you asked me and you’re on the same career path as I am. You want this as much as I do,” I answered. Maybe more. I pinched the space between my brows. No. That’s Piper trying to take the easy path.
“Okay. One time advice as your college partner. You’ve got to love global journalism to live it, just like Gilmore told us. This is it for me. So if he wants you, he’ll have to deal. Life’s too short to do something you don’t love.”
“
That’s the thing I don’t know.” I slumped down on the overstuffed velvet couch.
“Sounds like you’re giving up before you’re even going to try. Listen, if he can’t deal, cut him loose. Spend a few days getting over it, and let me take you to dinner when you get back to Boston,” he said.
“Will you ever stop?” I groaned.
“Nope. Now switch to Español. I won’t be shown up by the other competition in class.”
I pursed my lips. Bossy. Yet, I collected my book, and we worked on conversational Spanish for a half-hour. All the time I was thinking about everything he said. I wanted this, but the thought of Brody letting me go again hurt me more than I could take.
When I hung up, I went back upstairs to the loft and was halfway finished with another pile of invoices when the sound of footsteps crossed my senses. I looked up, to find a shirtless Brody wearing only a pair of low hanging jeans. Oh lord. My heartbeat kicked up, and I felt a tight pull, low on my body. “Please put on a shirt.”
“Why?” he mused.
“Because my Aunt may jump you.” I threatened and laughed at the freaked out expression he had on his face at the thought that she might. Truly, Aunt Luna was a wild card, but not that wild. “Don’t worry you’re safe, but you better have some single guys at the wedding.”
He came up to me and placed his hands on my shoulders. “I’ll get Cole on it. What are you working on?”
“I’m entering six months’ worth of data, for my Aunt, to earn money for school. Well, maybe longer now if I can’t go back and need a place to stay.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you had no place to stay?” His voice was thick.
“Would it really have mattered?” I mumbled.
He swiveled the chair around to face him. “Yes, of course it would. You could have come back with us.”
“It all worked out okay. I did some day laboring and made a few bucks, and found the twin beds in dorms are too small for two.”
“Who did you sleep with?” He shook his head. “Forget it. You could have come back with us. You always are welcomed to stay with me no matter what happens.”
I averted my eyes. “No, I couldn’t, and that’s over now.”
We were quiet for a few minutes before Brody said, “After I work on the bike I’ll have one of my guys come and get it and take it down to LA,” he said. “It won’t sell right away, but with the right auction, you could make more than one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”
“No way! Really? That could solve everything! I could pay back my student loan and get an apartment though staying at the dorm or getting roommates would make it last. I mean, I’m not thrilled about selling the bike, but the money would really help everything, but surely it couldn’t be that easy. How long would I have to wait?” I scrunched up my face.
“I’d have to look into it. Maybe a couple of months or so.”
My face fell. “That’s what I feared.”
“So now tell me how much you need, to return to school. A loan,” he added quickly before I could start my dissent.
“I can’t take money from you, especially now that I know how you feel about my career and program.”
“I don’t like you in danger, but, like I told you before, I want you to accomplish your dream. I don’t have a lot, but if I can help you, I will. How much do you need?”
We sat there for a while without talking while I calculated the most modest number I could come up with, minus what Royce gave me, with the money from working for Aunt Luna, my meager savings, and a possible crash at Jorge’s during the fall semester. Even with all that, I was still embarrassed by the number I came up with to borrow from him. The sell would need to come quicker should I be able to do it.
He looked down at the paper and exhaled. “I can give you that.”
“You said loan, not give,” I insisted.
“You hate getting help don’t you? You struggle all the time. Why don’t you let people help you?” He asked.
I averted my eyes. “Jorge helps me.”
“Yeah. He’s into you.”
I wanted to deny it, but I couldn’t now. Brody didn’t press it.
“I’ve seen what taking things has done to my mom. Royce “spoils her.” I emphasized the quotations. “But every dollar and every gift comes with a price. I don’t want to get used to something that I can’t get for myself.”
“I can’t believe I was right there, and you were being hurt by that bastard. You had promised me you’d tell me.”
“You had your hands full with Seren and Cole. I didn’t think….” My throat closed. My heart ached at his pain and disappointment that I kept what happened from him. I didn’t stop when he pulled me to my feet then sat me down on his lap in the chair.
“That you mattered as much?” He looked sad. “I didn’t give you any reason to believe anything else after the way I handled things between us,” he said as he cuddled me close.
I stiffened. “Brody. What are you doing?”
“What we both want me to do to you,” he said. A low growl rumbled in his throat. The shiver that went through my body made it impossible to deny his claim. So I quietly stayed on his lap. Closing my eyes, I leaned back in, and he exhaled, enfolding his strong arms and warmth around me. I couldn’t fight the contentment that spread over me. Though warning signs were going off in my mind.
What was I going to do with him?
“Knock,” my Aunt sung out.
My face burned and tried to move out of his lap. However, Brody was stronger than me and held me firmly in place. He appeared so calm and casual as we waited for my Aunt to start speaking again. How did he do that?
“I’m sorry to interrupt you two, but would you mind if I borrow Brody to help with the compost recycling? A raccoon got in it, and well, it would take the repairman a long time, and it’s after work hours.…” She scrunched up her face.
“Yeah. I’ll see what I can do,” he said without hesitation. Lifting me off his lap he was up on his feet and following her down the stairs. He was always ready to jump right in and help. I loved that about him. However, at the moment, his chivalry left me exposed. Slumping down in the chair, I covered my face with my hands. I’d shared something personal and not easy for me to admit. It felt weird having him leave me like that although I was too scared to say it. My ears quirked at the sound of footsteps on the stairs and I tried to get a hold of myself. Though I couldn’t stop my bottom lip from trembling.
“The compost can wait a while longer. Let me hold you,” I was too weak to say no. I wanted it too badly. He put me back onto his lap and held me there and stroked my back, giving me the occasional kiss until I eased and relaxed into his arms. “I’m alright now. Thank you.”
“You don’t need to thank me, Sprite. I wanted to hold you. I love holding you.”
I couldn’t speak or move; I was so overwhelmed with his tender attention. So much so, I readily accepted his return to cuddling me in the chair.
“I’ll be back, and we can do whatever you want to do with the rest of the day. Do you have any ideas?” he asked.
More of this. “Maybe a walk around the woods? I haven’t been out there in a long time.”
“You got it. Now, I’ll go and help with the compost and lure the raccoon away.”
“Pesky little bandits.” I giggled, and he grinned. God, he was mesmerizing when he smiled. He pressed a quick kiss to my forehead before getting up and leaving.
My heart smiled as I watched him go. I then I happily returned to the data entry.
Chapter Ten
Piper
I WOKE ALONE in the bed the next morning. My pulse at panic speed as my hand ran over the sheet where Brody had been laying with me. Was it all a dream? It had taken him a while to return from rescuing the raccoon and compost for Luna. However, once he was done (after a shower), he came to bed and held me in his arms until I fell asleep. An intimacy all in its own. Never had I felt as vulnerable as I did with him holding me. I sat up and e
xhaled when my eyes spotted his leather jacket on a chair in the corner of the room. He was still here. He hadn’t left me. Yet. I reminded myself.
I got up and dressed, intentionally putting on another one of those summer dresses that he so obviously liked, and pulled my long hair up into a messy bun off my neck. Once I was finished and had tidied the bedroom, I headed to the kitchen to have breakfast, or lunch if the time on the bedside table was correct. I stopped by the door to look towards the garage. Sure enough, the doors were open, and Brody was out there working on the bike.
Luna walked up and stood next to me. “He’s gorgeous. If I were a few years younger and he wasn’t in love with you… He’s a sweet man, Piper.”
I touched my face. “It’s not that easy.”
“The best ones aren’t.” She sighed and patted my shoulder. “He hasn’t eaten.”
“I’ll make him something,” I said turning around.
“I beat you to it,” she said pointing to vegetable sandwiches, natural chips, and fruit. “It’s a lovely day. Why not take him for a walk out into the woods for lunch?”
“He might like that,” I said. She took out a wicker basket and blanket; I went about wrapping everything up and placing them inside of it.
“I have some good news on the love front.”
I raised a brow. “Oh?”
“Dex has broken his vow of silence, and we have a date,” she beamed.
“He lives around here?” I asked taking out two bottles of water from the refrigerator.
“No. San Antonio, Texas.”
I furrowed my brows. “Please don’t tell me you’re going off to see him.”
“No. We’re Skyping. So you’ll want to make the upstairs computer off limits tonight just in case we cyber-sex. I’m not expecting to do so, but Dex gives off a lot of sexual energy.”
I covered my ears. “No. Please. I don’t want to hear any more.”
“Nothing wrong with it. You may have to try it with Brody while you’re at school, keep the fires burning. He shouldn’t hold back from you now. It’s not natural. I told him as much this morning,” she said.
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