It would be a cold day in Hell before Piper left that cottage, and Deke knew it as well as he did. But the bastard had him over a barrel. How could he say no?
Deacon had ignored Cole’s behavior when he’d acted like an asshole for months after the accident. He hadn’t gone away though Cole had repeatedly slammed the door in his face. No, he’d stuck around, stuck by him. Given him a job when Cole would have been just as happy to stay shut in his dingy apartment, only coming out for his physical therapy sessions and appointments with his shrink.
What choice did he have? He owed Deacon West. Big time. “Fine.”
Deacon smiled. “This weekend?”
“I’ll move in Saturday afternoon.”
Deke stood, buttoning his jacket. “Thanks. It’s a relief knowing you’ll be right next door. I know you’ll look out for her.”
Relief wasn’t a word that came to mind when he thought of seeing Piper every day. Frustration maybe? Torture? Yeah, torture best described what it would be like for him from here on out.
He had months of sleepless nights to look forward to. Because how the hell could he be expected to sleep when the woman he wanted with every fiber of his being was right next door…wearing that flimsy, pink satin nightie?
He and Deke made small talk for a few more minutes, then his friend, looking pleased with himself, left for an early meeting.
Cole stood and shoved his hands through his hair. How was he going to deal with seeing Piper every day after that kiss?
The woman made his dick hard, his heart beat a million miles an hour. Made him wish for things he could never have. He craved her, dreamed about her, rubbed off to thoughts of her. Pathetic.
And now they were neighbors.
Fan-fucking-tastic.
But he’d have to deal with it because, as much as he wanted her, he couldn’t have her.
He was physically and emotionally scarred. A goddamn mess. Deacon had given him a chance, given him something to wake up for in the morning. He wouldn’t repay the guy by messing up Piper’s life, which is exactly what would happen if he was in it.
And now, every damn time he looked out the window, she’d be there. So fucking close, but so completely out of his reach.
If this was punishment for what he’d done, for taking a good man’s life, his partner from his wife and kid, he deserved it. That and a whole lot more.
Chapter Five
Piper dragged the yellow bandanna off her head and wiped the sweat from the back of her neck.
Sanding by hand was hot work at the best of times, but in the middle of summer? Yeah, totally sucked. But the sweat and aching muscles were worth it. The Chevy’s hood was slick. The cutout she’d made for the car’s big block engine she was rebuilding would look awesome. She ran her hand over its smooth surface, then stood back to check it out.
Saturdays they opened the garage for half a day, and Piper had stuck around after closing to get to work on her secret project. The car had been delivered during the week, and she’d lied to Alex and Rusty, telling them she was storing it for a friend while they moved house. They’d bought it, leaving her free to work on it after hours.
Grabbing a bottle of water, she walked through the double-wide roller doors and leaned against the outside wall. The midday sun beat down, causing heat waves to rise up from the asphalt. She tugged at her tank, now stuck to her skin with sweat, her shorts not much better. What she needed was a pool. A big one, sunken into her backyard, surrounded with colorful umbrellas and a kick-ass bar.
A certain ex-cop there to slather her in sunscreen didn’t sound too bad, either.
She took a deep drink of her water.
Dreams are free.
Dreams also didn’t have the ability to cut you down at the knees, humiliate you, and crush your heart.
She dropped her head back against the wall with a dull thud. Stop it, Piper. The stubborn male had already made it clear he wanted her. She just had to work out how to get him over whatever was holding him back—then get him to make a move.
Easy.
She snorted. Yeah, right.
She took another drink, then held the bottle’s cool surface against her forehead right as her phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out and glanced at the screen. Daniel Taylor. Goddammit. She’d programmed the real estate agent’s number into her phone so she could avoid his incessant, pointless calls.
She hit end call.
Sighing, she stared out at the road. The asshole needed to take a hint already.
During the week, Axle Alley was crazy busy. The weekend, though? Not so much. So when a car slowed down out front, Piper lifted her head and took notice.
When it signaled, driving into West Restoration’s parking lot, she stood straighter.
Oh my God.
Her hand tightened around the water bottle, and her knees went a little weak.
Cole.
He didn’t spot her standing in the shade of the building, and his car carried on past the main doors, stopping by the outside steps to Alex’s old apartment.
What was he doing here?
She heard a door open then close, followed by the sound of footfalls on the stairs. The now familiar uneven gait moving quickly to the top. Maybe Deke sent him to pick something up? Her face flushed hot.
Dammit. If she wanted to win over a man like Cole, she had to be confident, not all red-cheeked and stuttering.
He’d kissed her back. He’d been hard, for her. He could try to push her away all he liked, but he couldn’t deny the attraction between them. Not now.
And she couldn’t let this chance pass.
Tossing her water bottle in the recycling bin, she planted her hands on her hips and stared down at her boots.
You can do this.
The sound of his footfalls on the stairs came again, followed by the car door opening and closing. Shit. He was leaving. But he didn’t start the engine and drive away. Nope, the next thing she heard was him stomping back up the stairs.
Now or never. Brushing the loose strands of hair back from her face, she straightened her shoulders, sucked down a few fortifying breaths, and marched around the side of the garage.
There was no sign of Cole, but the trunk of his car was open. Books, CDs, a duffel bag, and a couple of boxes were crammed in. It was almost like he was moving—like he was moving in—to Alex’s apartment?
Deke would have told her if he’d rented the place out.
Wouldn’t he?
She shook her head in disgust. Of course he wouldn’t. She knew exactly what her control-freak brother was up to. Embarrassment forgotten, she stomped up the stairs and stormed into the small open kitchen/living room without knocking. She glanced around the room, and sure enough there were boxes on the kitchen bench and living room floor.
She sucked in a hurt, angry breath.
Jesus, Deacon.
Yeah, she wanted to see Cole, but not like this. Having the guy move next door at the request of her overbearing brother, reporting back to him, was not what she’d had in mind.
There could be no other explanation.
That’s when Cole walked out of the bedroom, looking as stubborn as always, that dark brooding thing he had going on, front and center. He spotted her, and his brows lifted as he took her in from head to toe.
When those usually cool eyes lifted to hers they were burning hot, and she felt a surge of excitement rush through her.
She was a sweaty, dirty mess, but he wasn’t looking at that. No, his gaze had roamed her curves in a way that made it clear he liked what he saw. Hell, a week ago she would have been embarrassed to be caught by him in her too-short shorts, or the tank she’d shrunk in the drier that now clung to her belly.
Not now, though. Now she actually felt—sexy.
But as much as she wanted Cole, it wouldn’t hel
p her cause to throw herself at him again. He would only fight their connection harder, she’d figured out that much after the other night in her room. He had to be the one to make the next move. It had to be him.
She held his gaze. “What are you doing here?”
He watched her closely, obviously not sure what to expect after their kiss. “I think that’s kind of obvious, Pipe.”
The man was as infuriating as he was gorgeous. Maybe she could tease him, push him to the breaking point, force his hand?
She inwardly cringed. Seduction had never been her thing. She’d always been too self-conscious of the way she looked. But Cole didn’t make her feel self-conscious. And apparently, he liked the way she looked just fine.
She put the idea aside, not sure she could pull something like that off. For now, she needed to pretend nothing had changed between them, that last weekend in her bedroom meant nothing.
Calling on all the attitude she could muster, she planted her hands on her hips and stared him down. “Well, you can turn yourself around, get whatever you’ve dumped in that room, and leave. I don’t need a goddamn babysitter. And you can pass the message on to my tyrant of a big brother as well.”
Spinning on her work boots, she strode toward the door. He certainly wouldn’t think she had seduction on her mind after that.
“Piper. Stop.”
He’d said it almost softly, but the way she slammed on the brakes and turned to him, he may as well have roared the words at her. His voice rasped over her nerve endings, hit her low in the belly every damn time.
He didn’t speak right away, just watched her with those cool blue eyes, a banked fire blazing from their depths. His jaw was covered in whiskers, but she could still see the scar that ran from the corner of his eye, brushing the edge of his mouth, all the way down to his jaw. It twisted his smile when he chose to share one, which certainly wasn’t now.
In fact, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen him really smile.
He lifted his arms, resting them on the doorframe above his head. The plain gray T-shirt he wore came up, flashing a mouthwatering strip of tan skin, and a sexy trail of dark hair between his shirt and the top of his jeans. The denim was faded and soft and molded to the more than adequate package in front. They also hung low on his hips, so low she could see where the trail of hair started thickening again.
She shivered, remembering the way he’d pinned her to her wall, hard and straining, demanding.
Her nipples tightened.
She tore her eyes away, which was not easy, and did her best to focus on his face. Oops. Going by his strained expression, he’d definitely caught her eyeballing his crotch.
Heat hit her face, again, and she crossed her arms, her automatic reaction when she felt nervous or embarrassed. Cole’s gaze dropped to her chest, like it had the other night in her bedroom.
Could it really be that easy?
She decided to test her newfound power and forced her boobs higher, showing an obscene amount of cleavage. She didn’t dare glance down, but with the combination of her old work bra, plus the stretched-out neck of her tank, it was highly likely Cole was getting a peek at the tops of her nipples.
This was confirmed when he made a strangled sound.
She did her best to look concerned. “Are you all right?”
His gaze shot up. “Yes,” he said between gritted teeth. He was working on maintaining his usual serious, frowny expression, but he kept darting glances down at her chest, giving himself away. “Look, Piper…”
“Why are you here, Cole? Why are you moving in?”
“I’m not here to…spy on you. You carry on doing whatever you do, and I’ll do the same.” He dropped his arms and crossed them over his wide chest, covering his stomach, but now she couldn’t look away from his strong forearms, the way the muscles bunched, the thick veins, all corded and sexy.
She forced her gaze back up and lifted a brow in question. She wasn’t buying it. Not one damn bit.
He rubbed the back of his neck, guilt flashing across his expression, just for a split second. “Look, Pipe, I think we need to talk about the other…”
Noooo. They weren’t going there. “So,” she said a little too loudly. “You’re telling me, you’re not here at Deacon’s request?” If he started talking about what happened between them, he’d ruin everything.
He cleared his throat, expression softening. “My apartment was only meant to be temporary. Deke offered me this place. Simple.”
She watched him for a few long seconds, waiting to see if he’d break and tell her the truth. But being an ex-cop, the likelihood of that happening was pretty slim. “You’re going to stick with that story?”
His mouth quirked up on one side, humor dancing in his eyes. The effect was devastatingly handsome. “Yep.”
She wandered over to the box on his kitchen counter and looked inside, so he didn’t see how that small grin affected her. Soup, cereal, and boxes of macaroni and cheese. She pulled out a packet of macaroni and shook her head. “You want to be Deacon’s Robin, that’s your deal.” She put the box down. “And I can’t believe you eat that stuff.”
He frowned harder. “Robin?”
“To his Batman, his sidekick, his lackey?”
He snorted. “I don’t really have the legs for tights.”
Her eyes skimmed over his long, powerful legs. He was lying through his teeth. “Hmm.”
He took a step toward her, and his expression softened further. “Pipe, I think we should talk…about the other night.”
Dammit. She forced a laugh. And winced when it came out sounding shrill and a little desperate. “I don’t think—”
“Piper.” The muscles in his arms bunched, veins bulging. “You kissed me, and I didn’t handle it the way I should have… I should never have—”
“I’d had one too many glasses of wine, and you, well, you just happened to be there, right when I was in the kissing mood. No harm, no foul.” She laughed again, and this time it came out a loud snort, like a deranged donkey.
“Piper…”
“You could have been anyone. I’m a kissing fool, you could say. Stick a pair of lips in front of me and I’m all over them.”
What the hell? Shut up. Now.
His brows shot toward his hairline, then his eyes narrowed.
Wrap it up. Her skin heated, but she shrugged carelessly, though she wasn’t sure she pulled it off, not when her face was glowing like a stoplight. “Right. I’m glad we cleared that up. There’s absolutely nothing to talk about. We’re cool. It was nothing.”
His mouth thinned into a hard line, and he dipped his chin, which she assumed was his way of agreeing to end the discussion.
She clapped her hands together and smiled brightly at him. “Excellent! And if you ever get sick of soup and macaroni and cheese, just let me know.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’ll do that.”
She doubted it. She felt the smile on her face turn wooden. When she’d called him a couple months ago, leaving that message on his answering machine—and yeah, large quantities of alcohol had been involved, but even so—she’d all but begged him to come for her, to be with her. And what did he do? Nothing, that’s what.
Her idea to tease him into making a move was doomed to failure. She’d offered herself to him, couldn’t have said it any plainer, and he’d turned her down. She should just quit while she was ahead.
Could she do that? Go back to the way they’d been before?
The answer to that was an emphatic no.
If she didn’t give this one last shot, she’d always wonder what if. She was sick of getting tied up in knots over him. It was time to find out one way or the other. She couldn’t let this chance slip away without trying.
He’d brushed the call under the carpet, pretended it never happened. Now
it was the big pink elephant in the room that no one wanted to bring up. Because bringing it up meant he’d have to admit the way he felt about her. And going by his swift departure the other night, he had no intention of doing that. But his actions recently, the way he looked at her, the way he’d kissed her back, they told her something entirely different. He wanted her all right.
He just had to stop fighting it.
So, for a moment, she stopped fighting as well, let the false happy, the bravado, slip from her face. The pretense was a waste of time. He may not want to, but he knew…he knew exactly how she felt. How could he not? “I promise you, Cole, I won’t bother you. But if you want me, for anything—you know where I am.”
Even Cole couldn’t mistake her meaning. He was off the hook. His best friend’s little sister wouldn’t be throwing herself at him any longer.
But she would be doing her damnedest to tempt him at every opportunity.
He made a rough sound. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Her belly did a little swoop. “Great. I’ll see you around, then.”
“I guess you will.” Then he turned away, but before he did, something flashed behind his eyes, something dark and tormented.
For a minute she felt rooted to the spot, until he started unpacking one of his boxes, back and shoulders stiff, effectively ending the conversation.
She walked out, leaving him on his own, and after closing and locking up the garage, she crossed the parking lot to her cottage. The sun was still high in the sky, the asphalt sticky beneath her boots. Yep, a pool would be awesome about now. But today, the hose would have to do.
Sitting on her front steps, she pulled off her boots and socks, then stood, sighing when her feet sunk into cool, spongy grass as she walked to the side of the house. Turning on the hose, she aimed it at herself to wash the grit and dirt off her skin, so she didn’t traipse it through the house, and groaned when the cool water ran down her overheated body.
Next stop a shower, followed by a glass of wine and some serious planning. She needed to come up with a few creative ways to torment her surly neighbor.
Wrecked (Axle Alley Vipers) Page 5
