by Emma Nichols
Delaney moved close and hugged her. “I know you miss her. I imagine she’ll be there with you in spirit. Encouraging you to drink and have a good time.”
“At least it’s a public school and I don’t have to go to that damn prep school.” Piper pulled out the itinerary and glanced over it again. “Looks like their will be plenty to do. Drinks, a day at the lake, we get to relive our prom, then breakfast and home.”
“Prom? I didn’t see any dress go into your bag, and I was standing right here while you packed it. What are you wearing to the prom?” Delaney bounced on the bed, voice high pitched and annoyingly chirpy.
“Are you really going to do this?”
“You are going right?” Delaney urged.
“Nope. “Piper shook her head. “Wasn’t invited then, not going to be now. I have something in there that would work if I change my mind. It’s semi-formal. I have clothing that will work.” Her belly clenched, and she flexed her fingers along the handle of the suitcase, her doubt winning out.
“Come on, let’s get you going. I don’t want you to miss your flight from Texas to Pennsylvania. Or you’ll change your mind.”
“Just a moment ago, you asked me if I was sure about this. Now you don’t want me to change my mind?”
“Actually, I said I couldn’t believe you were going and if you were going to be okay.” Delaney took the luggage and headed for the door. “Come along.”
“Thank you for this.”
Delany sent her a wicked grin. “I love spoiling my godson. Plus, Garrick is always happy to have another male in the house no matter how young they are.”
“I know he enjoys being over there with you all.”
“We love having him. Come on, we’ll be fine.”
While Delaney stashed her bag in the car, Piper hugged her son again. “Be good, Rian.”
“We’re going to be finishing Uncle Garrick’s Jeep.”
“Sounds like you’ll be busy.” She ruffled the shiny dark hair on his head only to be rewarded with a smile.
“Not too busy to miss you.” He settled a hand along her cheek.
Piper blinked back tears. It was always hard to leave him. “Love you, Rian.”
“Love you more.”
With a final deep sigh, Piper walked into The Leaning Pine. She’d checked into her hotel room already at the Hilton where the main festivity was going to be Saturday night. The prom. There were a lot of people walking around and she followed the line to the private room secured for them.
What the hell am I doing here? I wasn’t popular. Wasn’t part of the ‘in’ crowd. And here she was once again, her unease and uncertainty at the forefront.
She wandered into the private room, glancing around seeing if she could recognize anyone. How many school dances did I go to because my parents thought it was the best thing for me only to be sitting along the wall, without a single offer to dance. All that happened was I got ignored or made fun of.
Regretting her decision to attend this more and more with each passing second, Piper went to the bar and asked for a Jack and Coke.
While they were at the good old Linwood High Lion’s with their green and gold colors, she still couldn’t begin to explain how out of place she felt right now. It was as if she’d been transported back in time to when she had a big afro, braces, and thick glasses. That wasn’t a combination that entertained a lot—any really—of date offers. It held the record for bringing on teasing and shunning though, so it balanced itself out.
It wasn’t a huge school, so she couldn’t just blend in and be nothing. Their graduating class size wasn’t even one hundred and fifty people. Everyone knew everyone. May not have all talked and gotten along, but you knew them.
Piper looked along the wall at the images there of their senior year photos. Ignoring the rest of the people there, she slowly made her way down the line. Christ, it’s like a wall of shame. At least for her.
It wasn’t hard to pick out her photo and she clenched her hand to keep from ripping the offending image from the wall.
Somehow, her years weren’t beautiful, the gods hadn’t smiled on her like they had Mia Franco, the head cheerleader, or Jordan Mitchell the quarterback and the captain of the football team.
Back then, she’d been jealous of them. Now she wasn’t, life was what it was. Allowing her younger self a smile, she took a drink from her glass before continuing down the wall. By the time she reached the end, her drink had also been finished. Positioning herself against the wall, she gazed over the group gathered. People danced, drank, ate some of the light hors d’oeuvres, and got caught up.
And again, just like high school, here I am against the wall once more.
“You’ve definitely changed since high school.”
That voice reached out and did things to her no one had since before Xian had passed.
I could use another drink.
The owner of that seductive voice stepped from her periphery to the front allowing her to see him. What little breath she had left, vanished. The one man she never forgot, Slade Wickham.
The twin brother to the one girl she’d actually liked in school, Shelly. The man who’d offered her comfort the night they buried Shelly.
The man she’d given her virginity to.
2
Slade wasn’t sure what shocked him more. That he’d come to the reunion or that Piper returned. And sexy as fuck. He never forgot her. While she’d hadn’t been his first, he had been hers and that wasn’t something you just forgot. At least not him.
They’d been in the same class and she’d been friends with his twin sister. She didn’t speak much, even at their place. Always respectful and kind but quiet. The night after they’d buried his sister, he’d found her alone and crying. He gave her a ride home and things went from there in the gazebo at her parents’ house.
“Piper.”
She ran her gaze over him in return. “Slade.” A small smile. “How are you?”
“Better now.” For an inexplicable reason, he craved to feel her skin against his, so he brushed his hand along her cheek while moving some strands away.
“Okay.” A moment of silence. “Have you been here long?”
He stared in her eyes. “About an hour coming and going. What about you?”
“Checked in within the hour and came over here.”
He braced his left hand against the wall while curling some of her hair between the fingers of his right. He loved how she didn’t move from his tough. She watched him, almost cautiously. Slade plucked the empty glass from her fingers. “Dance with me.”
Her brown eyes, no longer covered by thick pieces of glass had light green flecks in them. They sparkled in the light.
His breath caught when she placed her hand in his.
“One dance.”
Yeah, he didn’t think so.
As he took her in his arms on the floor the music changed to a slower song. The strands of this ballad were so familiar. He stared at her, lips turning up. “You remember this do you?”
A fetching blush skated up her cheeks. “I do.”
“I haven’t been able to listen to this song since that night without thinking about you. And me. In that gazebo outside your parents’ home.”
A slight tremor moved through her.
“You were gone when I woke. And I never got to make sure I didn’t hurt you.”
“Really? You want to ask me about the night we slept together? On the dance floor?”
“No one is paying us any attention, Piper.” He didn’t look around as she did, he knew it for a fact, they were all catching up in their own hushed whispers.
“You were gentle. I don’t have any horrible memories about that night with you.”
His lips twisted up. “Good.”
When she dropped her gaze, he flexed his fingers along her back, bringing her attention back to him. “What have you been up to?”
“Being a mom and I work in a molecular biology lab in Texas.”
> “Where’s the mister?” And the real question was how come he hated the thought of her with someone else. It didn’t make any sense.
“Xian died three years ago, so I’m a single mom.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you.” Her eyes grew shiny. “Not here to think about that. I had enough bad times in high school without needing to add in any other depressing thoughts.”
“Duly noted.” He spun her in a circle. “Only happy ones from now on.” He’d be happy to give her a few more.
She was whisked away after the dance by another and he had no other reason to stay than to wait for her. honestly, she was the only one he’d come to see. He played sports but didn’t hang out with the jocks, had no time for them. After high school, he joined the Marines and done two tours before getting out.
He couldn’t bring himself to leave without getting another chance to talk to her, so he waited. He grabbed some munchies and a drink before securing a seat at a vacant table.
“Slade.”
He glanced up to see Jordan Mitchell, the big jock walking up, beer in hand. “Jordan.”
The man lowered himself to a vacant chair. Jordan looked good, played in the NFL, so what if he was third string quarterback, he was still in the league. “Good to see you.”
“You too, Jordan.” He’d actually gotten along with this one, just wasn’t into hanging out with them. They chatted, drank and he watched Piper. When she headed for the door, he was after her in a flash, leaving a laughing quarterback behind.
Catching up to her at the door, he snaked a hand around her wrist, halting her progress. “Running out without saying goodbye?” God, her skin felt divine beneath his hand. He wanted to explore the rest of her to confirm his belief it was as soft, if not more so.
“We have an entire weekend. I took the chance that I’d see you again.”
“You were right, here I am.” Slade motioned his head toward the door. “Let’s go.”
Piper squeezed his fingers and followed him out the door.
3
Piper yawned and stretched. Blinking a few times, she checked her watch.
“Amazing yow you get to sleep in when there’s no kid.” Flopping back, she snugged down into the thick warm coverings, thinking about Slade. They’d spent the night after they ran from the party sitting together on a small sofa in the side of the Hilton’s lobby, all alone except for the occasional staff member who walked by.
A smile turned up the corners of her lips. Slade was extremely tactile. It surprised her. she’d found it amazing this large man sat beside her, constantly touching her skin and hair while they talked.
It had been so damn long for her, she didn’t pull away, in fact she encouraged more by sliding closer. They talked about everything from her marriage to losing her husband and about her son. He shared about his time in the Marines and what he was doing now. Right now, he lived in Alaska and was a bush pilot.
Her body was hyper sensitive as her dreams had been full of sexual promise and teasing from Slade.
After lying there a few more moments, she climbed from the bed and got ready for her day. She intended to spend some time alone this morning before the thing at the lake began. However, she ran into Susan and shared a breakfast with her, another outcast classmate. After she’d finished eating, she departed the hotel to take a walk.
She ambled through the town and up to the school. Others milled about and she walked along the path between the schools that many students used for their rendezvous.
Not that I even went here for that.
The rumble of a motorcycle reached her as she exited the woods. She closed her eyes only to open them once more when the motorcycle got much louder.
Slade sat there, jean clad legs on straddling the large shiny black machine. “Hello sexy.”
Yes, you are. It wasn’t fair that he found a way to look so delicious. She couldn’t find a lick of fat on him anywhere. “Who are you talking to?” she asked.
“You. You’re amazingly sexy, Piper.”
She furrowed her brow. “Amazingly?”
“Yes. Don’t be like that. Come for a ride with me.”
She wanted to. “How safe is it?”
“I won’t let anything happen to you on the bike but I won’t promise you’ll be safe from me.”
Her heart thundered in her chest at his words. “Is that so?”
He tipped his head forward, gazing at her over the rectangular rims of his mirrored sunglasses. “Consider yourself warned.” He patted the seat behind him. “Get on.”
Those piercing silver-gray eyes saw everything. Everything.
Piper moved closer and the vibrations from the machine moved through her. He skimmed along her hip before flexing his fingers. Two of them under her loose button down shirt and brushing her skin. She bit the inside of her cheek.
“Let me take you”—a brief pause—“for a ride.”
Ah hell, why not? Flicking her tongue over her lips, she loved the way his gaze darkened further. “Wow me.” She swung her leg over and settled on the back. Glancing right and left, she searched for a place to rest her feet and where to hold on at. It didn’t help that his strong legs were right there keeping them safely balanced.
He angled back toward her.
Wishing she could see his eyes, she shrugged. “Where should I put my feet?”
“I really want to say around my waist.”
Her breathing escalated. “Won’t that make driving difficult?”
That sexy quirk of his lips made her gut clench with need.
“I’d love driving you like that.” He leaned nearer. “Time and place.”
I’m shocked I’m not panting like a dog.
Slade watched her mouth. “Later. That will have to be later.”
That sounded like a promise.
“Right now, feet go here.” He lifted her legs, one at a time, positioning her feet on the silver bars.
It may have been her imagination, but she believed his touch lingered on the insides of each thigh. Her belly quivered but allowed him to maneuver them.
He faced the front and she shifted on the seat. “What about my hands?” she asked over the rumble.
Slade glanced over his shoulder once more, reached back behind her and pretty much palmed her ass, sliding her up to settle right against him. “Tight around me. Hold on.”
Piper was fine with that. Closer the better.
Even so, it took her a few moments to open her eyes and enjoy the world as it rushed by.
4
Slade took the corner and smiled when her arms tightened around him. There wasn’t a destination in mind, he just wanted to get her all to himself. Away from the reunion. Away from the town. Just a place for the two of them to be together.
It had been hell for him to leave her last night and he’d been anxiously waiting to see her once more.
Now I have her and I don’t want to let go.
The young woman from school had found herself. He couldn’t stop the need to touch, caress, and it was hard to ignore the need to have a taste.
That night years ago had replayed in his mind during his dreams as if it happened yesterday. Then she’d been all softness and gentle moans. Now he wanted to know if she was a screamer.
He slowed them down as they neared a spot he’d always enjoyed visiting, coving her hands with his, he wished his hands were without gloves, so he could touch her bare skin. This was a place he came to while at home. The lush greenery gave way to a beautiful waterfall further in.
He avoided the main spot a lot of the kids used for their extracurricular activities, opting for this less trafficked spot. He released her and shut off the engine. Kickstand in place, he waited for her to climb off before he followed suit.
“It’s beautiful here.”
Slade wasn’t staring at the scenery. He watched her. Her loose shirt and slightly baggy jeans made her look messily sexy and someone he wanted to unwrap to enjoy the beauty he k
new lingered beneath. “I agree.”
“Thank you for this, I’ve never been on a motorcycle before.”
Slade moved around behind her and gripped her hips. “Glad I could be your first. yet again.”
Her shoulders shook from silent laughter. “I hardly believe deflowering me ran all that high on your ‘things Slade is proud of accomplishing’ list.”
He laced their fingers together after removing his gloves and led her to an older retaining wall. Once she sat on it facing over the green and waterfall areas, he straddled it, so he faced her. the wind blew gently around them, lifting the strands around her face.
Slade wanted to do the same but inched closer so his thighs touched her. “You’d be shocked to find out what is on my list, Piper.”
“Probably would.”
Slade moved his leg, rubbing against her. He trailed a finger along her features, enjoying her soft skin and the way she leaned into him. “What are you thinking?”
“Honestly?”
“I’d never want you to lie to me.” He nodded.
“I’m wondering why you’re wanting to spend time with me.”
Wrapping his arms around her, he rested his chin on her shoulder. The gentle scent of a citrusy baby powder wafted to his nose. “You’ve always intrigued me, Piper. Now that you’re here, I don’t want to waste time.”
“Waste time?”
“Yes. I want to be here, with you. I won’t lie and say I don’t long to fuck you but it’s more than that I want from you.”
She turned her head toward him and nearly brushed their lips together. “Let’s start with the physical.”
His cock pulsed and pushed hard against his jeans. God, that sounded perfect to him, yet he hadn’t lied. He wanted more.
Instead of pushing more to see why she longed to focus on purely the physical, he used a hand to turn her face back to his. Her long thick, curved lashes held his attention with how they accentuated her eyes.
She didn’t lower her gaze but latched onto his.
“Come here,” he breathed.
