When We Fall

by Marquita Valentine

  I scrub at the tears on my face and stalk to my car. I have no idea where I’ll go or what I’ll do, but I refuse to be helpless. I’m not going to stand here and do nothing while the man I love suffers from a false accusation.

  “Where are you going, Piper?”

  “I can’t stay here.”

  “So you’re bailing on us? Giving up on Jase?” Rowan asks.

  Eyes narrowing, I whirl around and place my hands on my hips. “I’m not giving up on Jase, and as my best friend, you should know that about me. But crying over him isn’t going to help. The mayor will do everything in his power to get Jase convicted.” An idea pops in my head. “Unless…”

  Seth gives me an encouraging look. “Unless what?”

  “We hire a private investigator and the best lawyer Charlotte has to offer. The mayor will use one of his buddies to prosecute Jase, and normally they deal with public defenders, who are so overwhelmed with cases that I don’t know if their free services are worth it. If we can get a shark, they won’t know what hit until after she’s done.”

  “She?”

  I nod. “One of Mother’s sorority sisters owns a firm in Charlotte. A few of the male lawyers who live in The Oaks like to call her a bitch, and that’s how I know she’s the best. But she’s expensive and a private investigator isn’t going to be cheap, either.”

  A look of determination covers Rowan’s face. “We can use the money we’ve been saving to pay for the wedding.”

  “Absolutely,” Seth says. “And I’ve got some more in savings.”

  “I’ll contribute, too.” It’s been a month since I’ve been to Aristotle’s Closet. “Rowan, I’m going to need your help.”

  “I’m up for anything.”

  “Then I hope you’re up for cleaning out my closet.”

  She gives me an odd look. “I’m not sure how that’s going to help.”

  “Just you wait and see.”

  —

  “I can’t believe you sold all of your shoes and purses,” Rowan groans as we walk to my car, considerably richer than when we first arrived. I didn’t take much clothing since what I own, while beautifully made, isn’t what their clientele is looking for, but my shoes and purses…no one can resist them.

  Ebony ended up calling all the branches as well as the district manager. It was like Christmas had arrived in there.

  “I kept a few pairs.” The ones Jase loved and ones that would function well for work.

  “But you love your shoes and purses.”

  “I love your brother more.”

  Rowan stops at the car. “I’m sorry I doubted you, even for a minute.”

  “You were upset.” I pull out my phone and search for the phone number of McBeal and Associates. “All that’s left to do is secure Ms. McBeal and get her recommendation for a PI. Then we’re set.”

  “God, I hope this works,” Rowan says.

  “It will.” It has to…none of us can afford to lose Jase again.

  Chapter 19

  Jase

  I sit in a room with one light and a two-way mirror. There are three chairs and one table with a recorder in the middle. The third chair is for the bad cop to sit in while the good cop tries to be my friend and coax a confession out of me.

  But it won’t work. I’ve danced this dance too many times before.

  The door swings open and who should walk in but Piper’s father.

  “I’m not here in an official capacity,” he starts off. “I’m here to tell you in no uncertain terms to stay away from my daughter or else.”

  “Seems to me Piper has made her choice and I’m it.”

  He slams his hand down on the table. “Don’t you dare be flippant with me. She might have a soft heart for you, feel sorry for you, or whatever it is that makes her love you, but I don’t give a damn.

  “I’ll do whatever is legally allowed to come after you, after your business, and after your sister’s business if you do not end your association with her,” he adds in a menacing tone. “I will find a way to shut both of you down.”

  I tip up my chin and look down my nose at him. “She works for me. I’m not going to fire her and kick her out of my house.”

  “Break up with her and she’ll come home where she won’t have to worry about work or bills, or selling her clothes to Aristotle’s Closet to pay her debts.”

  She sold her clothes to pay bills? Why didn’t she tell me?

  “You have three days to make it happen.”

  “Three days?”

  “I like to think that I’m a reasonable man, even when it comes to my daughter’s future and well-being. Three days is enough time for a change of heart, don’t you think?”

  Right now, I don’t know what I’m thinking except that I want to get the hell out of here.

  “Good talking to you.” Piper’s dad leaves the room.

  —

  By the time I’m done with everyone and his brother questioning me, it’s late. So late that I text Seth to come get me instead of calling Piper.

  He arrives at the station in no time flat and doesn’t say a word the entire ride home, which is fine with me since I need the silence in order to come up with alternatives to breaking up with Piper. I’m not going to let that asshole ruin anyone’s life, yet I can’t think of a damn thing.

  “Thanks for the ride, Seth,” I say as we pull into my driveway. Every light is on in the house. “Is there a party going on in there?”

  “Welcome. Don’t worry, Rowan is home. Piper is waiting on you. Not sure about the light thing.”

  “She doesn’t like the dark,” I acknowledge.

  I get out of his truck and walk inside, slamming the door behind me.

  Immediately, I’m caught up in the sweetest hug I’ve ever been given. “You’re here. You’re home. Why didn’t you call me to come get you?”

  “You don’t belong in that place.”

  “But you were gone for so long that I was afraid they put you in jail without a trial.”

  “Can’t do that, kitten.”

  “Good.” Piper’s entire body shakes. I run my hands up and down her back to calm her down. She’s still wearing the same adorable dress and fuck-me heels from earlier, but I can’t think about that right now. “I have some news for you and I hope you’re not mad at me.”

  “I could never be mad at you, but I have some news, too.” I pull her arms from around my neck. “We need to talk.”

  Piper

  I don’t like the look on his face. It’s not one I’m accustomed to seeing.

  My stomach flips. “O-okay.”

  “Let’s go in the living room,” he says, taking my hand.

  My heart thumps hard against my chest. We never go in there. While the room is nice, it’s just not where we spend time. Once we’re standing by the sofa, he sits and I do the same.

  “Do you want to go first, or should I share my news first?” I ask, attempting to keep things light.

  “I’ll go first.” Jase immediately stands up and begins to pace in front of the fireplace. “I’ve been thinking about you and me. A lot.”

  “That’s good.”

  He stops and holds up a hand. “Please let me get this all out and you’re free to be mad at me, running screaming from the room, or never talk to me again.”

  My body runs cold, then hot. “You’re scaring me.”

  “Don’t be scared. Look, we love each other, and I don’t think it’s a love that will go away. Ever. I think you and me…what we have is special.”

  It’s all I can do not to interrupt him, but I keep quiet and clasp my hands together so tightly that my knuckles turn white.

  “Today, your dad threatened to ruin Rowan and me—our businesses, too—if I don’t break up with you in the next three days.”

  The room spins and the floor drops. I can’t speak at first. Tears blur my vision, then fall into my lashes. Unlacing my hands, I quickly wipe the tears away.

  “I don’t want to do it, Piper. I re
fuse to let that asshole dictate my life.” He runs a hand through his dark blond hair. “But I don’t know what to do to stop him from ruining Rowan or…fuck, going back to jail.”

  “Back to jail?” I whisper. My mind whirls at the implications and realization of what my father is doing. My dad threatened to put the man I love in jail for the crime of loving me? Where was he when Mark Williams attacked me? Did he drag him in after I made the report? Did he threaten his family?

  Jase visibly swallows. “Yeah. He said he would find a way to make it happen, but I’m not sacrificing us. There has to be a way around it. Don’t know what it is, yet, but we have three days.”

  Of course Jase has to break up with me. I won’t stand for him or my best friend getting hurt. Even though it feels like my heart is breaking into a million pieces, I know I have to do the right thing and save him the trouble. He’s been the bad guy all his life, but this time I’ll be the bad guy.

  “It’s over.” I jump to my feet and give him a smile that’s patently a product of Mother’s influence. I know how to look like a snob, even if I’ve always chosen not to act like one. “We had fun and all, but it’s over.”

  Jase stares at me. “Have you been drinking?”

  “I’m breaking up with you.” I clasp my hands in front of me, squeezing them together so tightly that my fingers start to hurt. “It’s for the best.”

  Jase’s gaze drops to my hands, then bounces back to my face. “You’re lying.”

  My snobby façade dissipates. “I would never lie to you,” I whisper. “I really did have fun.”

  “You want to walk away from what we have?” he demands.

  I shake my head. “I don’t want you to get hurt on my account. Or Rowan. My dad wants to make you the bad guy, but I won’t let that happen. I’ll be the one to take the fall this time, so you can live without worry about going to prison, or your sister getting hurt.”

  In two seconds flat he’s standing in front of me.

  “Please don’t—”

  He covers my mouth with his in a possessive kiss that makes my toes curl. “You’re not getting rid of me.”

  “I don’t want to get rid of you.”

  “Shut up, Piper.” Bending his knees slightly, he lifts me by my thighs. Automatically, I grab on to his shoulders. “Don’t say another word unless I tell you to.”

  My back hits the wall, but it’s gentle enough that I’m not frightened. I’m more curious and excited than anything else.

  Jase leans into me, his lips brushing my ear. “Did you do breathing treatments after I…left?”

  Breathing treatments. Why is he—Omigosh. He wants sex. Against the wall. My nipples tighten and I feel a hard throb of desire pulse between my legs. “Yes.” My eyes close tightly and he nips at my throat.

  With expert moves, he shoves my dress up to the waist and then unbuttons his pants. His fingers delve beneath the lace edge of my panties. “Wet,” he says, and captures my mouth in another hot kiss.

  In no time at all, he pushes my panties to one side and fills me with one hard, smooth thrust.

  I whimper at the feel of being stretched by him. At the sting of pain and the overwhelming sensual invasion. He rocks against me, big hands moving to cup my bottom.

  His fingers tighten. “Love this ass,” he says against my lips. “Trust me, baby. I’ll take good care of you. I’ll do you right. You’re going to come for me. I’ll make it good.”

  Understanding that he needs me, that he needs this connection, I let myself go, with the deep-seated knowledge that he will take care of me, that he’ll make sure that he’s not the only one enjoying this.

  “Damn it, you’re too fucking sweet for me.” He begins to thrust harder. “Won’t let you go.”

  I want to assure him that I don’t want to let him go, only that we don’t have any other choice, but my need for him grows and grows until I’m desperate and hungry for his kisses, his touch…his cock. I spread my legs wider and dig my nails into his shoulders.

  He curses and angles his pelvis so that each roll of his hips directly hits my clitoris. I’m on edge, ready to fall, but he pulls out of me suddenly and drops to his knees.

  “Need to taste you,” is all the warning I get before he tongue-kisses my clit. I cry out his name. His silky hair brushes at my thighs while the stubble on his cheeks and jaw rub against my sensitive skin. He sucks my clit into his mouth and slides two fingers inside of me at the same time.

  I fall apart. I shatter. I come so hard that stars dance in my eyes. In the middle of it all, Jase takes away his erotic mouth and fingers, replacing it with his cock. He shoves so hard and deep that another orgasm starts to build. He grips my hips hard, then holds himself still as he comes in hot spurts that turn me on so much that I come instantly.

  We stay locked together for hours, it seems, as he kisses me tenderly. He kisses me as if I’m the most precious thing in his life.

  “You’re my world, Piper, and I made a promise that no one would take that away from me.” He leans back a little so I can see his face. His blue eyes glitter. “Including you.”

  My bottom lip starts to quiver. “I don’t want to go away. I just want to keep you and Rowan safe. I love you.”

  “I know you do, but for us to give up without a fight—so not us.” His eyes close as he dips his head to press his forehead against mine. “It’s late, kitten. Let’s go to bed.”

  —

  All night long, I toss and turn, trying to come up with a plan that will keep everyone safe. Finally, near sunrise, I come to the conclusion that I will have to confront my mother. Surely, I can reason with her. After all, I did convince her that to be friends with Rowan Simmons was a community service act, and I had been only fourteen at the time.

  I fall into a deep sleep, but not so deep that I didn’t try to knock Jase’s front teeth out.

  “I love you, but damn, you’re violent,” he says, as rays of sunlight fill the room.

  “Considering the source of that comment, I’ll take that as a compliment,” I say, throwing the covers back.

  His eyes cloud over. “I don’t like you thinking of me like that.”

  Immediately, I hug him. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m sorry.”

  “I know you didn’t.” He kisses the top of my head. “And I am what I am. Funny how you’re fine with it while I’m trying to shed my old skin.”

  “Stop right there,” I say in my sternest voice. “First of all, you went to prison for a crime you didn’t commit.”

  “I did shoot him.”

  “Rowan says it was an accident.”

  He shrugs. “Yeah, it was, but it didn’t matter.”

  “It matters to me. I don’t want to change you, Jase. I only want everything that is good and wonderful in this world for you. Can’t you understand that? You’ve never asked me to change—not even the way I dress—so why would I ask the man I fell in love with when I was fourteen to stop being him?”

  “I fucking love the way you dress. I love you.”

  “Then let me love you as you are.” I kiss his cheek. “Let me love you, Jase.”

  He pulls me down into bed again, flipping me on my back. “How about you let me love you? I think I was a bit selfish last night, but I’d been dreaming about those heels.”

  With a smile, I wrap my legs around his waist. “Last night was amazing. It was what we both needed, but I can’t stay in bed with you today.”

  “The hell you can’t,” he protests as I quickly unwrap my legs and bolt out of bed. “Where are you going?”

  I start to answer him but get caught up in ogling the man lying in bed: the centerpiece—or rather centerfold—in a mound of white sheets and blankets. His hard body with its tattoos is a feast for the eyes. I swear he could be his own man candy page on Pinterest. Women wouldn’t have to search for any other image but his. But they can’t, because he’s mine, and that body is mine. That lickable, hot, sexy body—

  “Piper,” he says, and I
snap out of my lust-induced trance.

  “I have a meeting.” Smiling brightly, I hurry to the closet and pull out a silvery-green sheath dress that matches perfectly with my eyes. Mother had actually complimented me once while I wore it, so I think it’s exactly what I need to wear today.

  “With who?”

  I glance over my shoulder at Jase. “My mother.”

  —

  Every Thursday morning, Mother has a breakfast meeting with the Ladies of The Oaks charity organization. Actually, she runs the meetings.

  In any case, this is the only way I know to catch her before our three-day time limit is up.

  As soon as I walk into the private dining room, my mother’s eyebrows go up. Several of the ladies see me and smile, but their smiles aren’t friendly. They’re calculating how long they have to wait before they can share the news of me crashing their get-together.

  “Piper, darling. I’m so thrilled you could make it.” Mother is ever the cat who can land gracefully on her feet in all situations. “Ladies, Piper has been working with Ginger Davidson-Prattley at the Charlotte Women’s Shelter.”

  “This is rather unexpected, Whitley. You don’t have Piper down for today’s schedule.”

  My mother’s ice-green gaze bounces from me to the woman who dares to question her. “Piper’s schedule is so full that I wasn’t sure if Ginger could spare her.” A blinding smile covers Mother’s face. “But here she is.”

  Like a dutiful daughter, I take that as my cue to move closer and give my mother a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you for having me, but before we get started, may I have a moment of your time?” I look around the table. “I’m in desperate need of motherly advice. I’m sure y’all understand.”

  A woman wearing Lilly Pulitzer covers her heart with one hand. Her eyes are kind. “That’s so sweet. I hope my little Bentley—she’s only three right now—will do that when she’s older. You are so lucky, Whitley.”

  “Indeed I am.” Her cold gaze flicks to me. “We’ll be back momentarily. Y’all discuss next week’s luncheon.”

  I follow Mother to another room. She carefully shuts the door and then whirls around, her icy gaze now blazing. “What kind of stunt was that?”