by Harlow James
“Do you even know where she lives?” Clara asks.
“In the Hamptons. But that’s all I know.”
“Hey. I’ll text you the number of my buddy who lives out there. We went to college together and he’s a cop too. He can help you track her down.”
“Thanks, man. Wish me luck.”
“Go get her, Cash!” Clara shouts, and the biggest smile takes over my face at the thought of finally getting to her and seeing her again. Grateful I wasn’t drinking tonight, I’m fully sober and aware of what I’m doing as I race across town, back to my apartment. My body is humming with nerves, electricity flowing through my veins at the idea of touching her, holding her, loving her. Fuck. How am I going to sit still on a five-hour flight across the country in anticipation of kissing her again? Better yet, how is she going to react? Will she be happy to see me? Or will she be pissed?
I really don’t fucking care at this point because all I know is I need to see her either way. I need to know what she’s thinking and feeling. It’s been the longest fucking six weeks of my life and I’m tired of waiting.
As I slam my truck in park, I drop from the cab and run to my doorstep. But the sight in front of me steals my breath away.
Because it seems Piper had the same idea as me.
And she’s holding a box of Cheez Its.
Chapter 32
Piper
I feel like I’m about to pass out. Not because I’m still weak, even though recovering from a gunshot wound takes time and I’m still not one-hundred percent. No. I’m light-headed and nauseous because I hope to God I’m not too late and Cash is not out tonight kissing someone else at midnight instead of me.
Of course, how would he know I was coming since I didn’t bother telling him? I wanted to surprise him because the need I felt to get to him tonight before the new year was a pull I couldn’t ignore, just like the same one that pulled me to him months ago when I was fighting it with every ounce of my soul.
But I never stood a chance, because Cash Williams isn’t the type of man you can forget. And I never wanted to. I just needed time to process everything, figure out what I wanted, and then jump.
And boy, did I jump—onto an airplane on New Year’s Eve, hoping and praying that the man I love would want me back as much as I want him.
The last six weeks have been torture, but I needed the distance. I spoke to a therapist, processing my grief for Mason and my new reality when it comes to having children in hard-hitting sessions for the past four weeks. I wanted to move forward, and the more I imagined my life from here on out, the picture became clearer that my life and heart belonged in Emerson Falls now. I just needed to know that I could be strong enough to deal with the aftermath of the eight months leading up to when I was shot, and now my new reality as I pursue a life and love with the man that changed everything for me.
I know the situation for having a family isn’t ideal, but there’s still a chance. And there’s also adoption and surrogacy. I just hope Cash will still want me when I tell him my challenges, or the challenges we will face if he chooses to take me back.
When my plane touched down in Oregon, the nerves really came on strong, and never subsided during the Uber ride to Cash’s place. I had to text Jess to see if she knew where he lived since I had never been to his house while we were together, a detail I hadn’t realized as things were playing out. After asking around, she found out one of the doctors at the hospital actually lives on the same street as him, so she sent through his address.
As I thanked my driver and closed the car door with both of my suitcases beside me, I stood stunned in front of the most charming house. For a man who feared commitment, he sure had the house that indicated otherwise, a home perfect for a family one day. Dark blue trim framed the white stucco, providing a classic backdrop to one of the most beautiful yards I’ve ever seen, full of flowers and a well-manicured lawn with mature trees lining the property. I know I heard him say he took pride in his house, but I never would have imagined this. There’s even a tire swing hanging from the giant maple tree in the middle of the grass—another reminder of his love of children, which brings back the pit in my stomach.
I arrive at his door and knock, but notice there aren’t any lights on inside and his truck is missing. And then I remember. Tonight is Kane and Olivia’s wedding, so who knows when he’ll be home. Visions of him dancing with another woman infiltrate my mind, but I quickly push them aside, remaining hopeful that this trip will hold a happy ending for the two of us.
“Guess I have to wait for a while,” I mutter, taking a seat on the porch and resting back on one of my suitcases, retrieving the box of Cheez Its from inside that I planned to bribe him with in the extreme circumstance he wouldn’t listen, and then reaching for my phone to call my mother.
“Pfeiffer, did you get there alright? I wish you would have let us fly you on the private plane,” Her groggy voice comes through the speaker.
“Yes. I’m here. But Cash isn’t home.”
“Are you at his house?”
“Yeah. I’m waiting outside.”
“Oh, you know I don’t like that idea,” she chastises.
“Well, I don’t have much of an option, Mom,” I say, just as headlights come around the corner of the street and the vehicle races down the road at an alarming speed.
“Are you sure this is what you want, Pfeiffer?”
I take a deep breath as my smile spreads across my face, my hand clenching over my heart. “With every fiber in my body, Mom.”
“Then I’m happy for you, darling.”
The vehicle speeding down the road abruptly stops and turns in to his driveway. “Oh my God, he’s here, Mom. I’ve gotta go!”
“Call me tomorrow. I love you. Good luck!”
“Love you too.” I hang up the call and stand, rubbing my sweaty palms on my leggings, holding the box of Cheez Its in front of me and bouncing in place as Cash’s truck turns off and he hops down from the cab. His long legs eat up the space as he runs to his door, and then he freezes when he sees me, his face turning ghostly white.
“Piper?” He asks, his eyes wide in disbelief as he studies me, but he never moves an inch.
“Hi, Cash,” I whisper, almost afraid to speak too loudly, like I’ll scare him away.
“What… what are you doing here?” He runs his hand through his hair as I take in how strikingly handsome he looks in his suit—the black fabric hugging his toned body I know is underneath, his strong arms that I want to feel around my body so desperately, his abs that makes me want to weep at the sight of them.
“I’m here for you. I want to talk. I’m so sorry, Cash. I know I should have called, but I was hoping…”
And before I can say another word, Cash races up the steps and slams into me, attacking my body with his and fusing our lips together. And suddenly, my entire world is right again.
I drop everything in my hands as I meet him with every stroke of his tongue against mine, getting drunk on his lips and his taste, submitting to the power he has over me—not just physically, but in every aspect you can feel connected to another person.
He kisses me like he’s making up for every second we’ve been apart, stroking my cheek with his thumb, gripping my hip with his palm, pressing his erection into my belly, making me hot and wet for him between my legs.
“Fuck, Piper. God, I missed you woman,” he says briefly and then smashes his mouth to mine again.
“Me too. I missed you so much, Cash. I want to tell you everything,” I say desperately between kisses.
“We will talk, but not right now. Right now I need you,” he growls, reaching behind him to unlock the door and then he’s pulling me through it. Once the door is slammed shut, he’s back on me, gripping every inch of my skin that he can find and I let him, his fingers leaving a path of fire everywhere they touch.
My body is hot all over and all I want is to feel him inside of me again.
“This way,” he commands, dragging
me by the hand to his bedroom, giving me no time to assess his home. But hey, there will be time for that later.
When we arrive in his room, he rips my sweater over my head as I reach for the buttons on his shirt, popping each one and then pushing it down his shoulders along with his jacket, revealing his toned physique to me that still makes my mind fuzzy.
We reach for each other’s pants at the same time, his fingers dipping inside of my leggings as I release the clasp on his slacks, both of us shimmying out of the fabric along with our underwear before we crash into each other again, our lips moving against one another in a desperation that is unparalleled.
Cash walks us to his bed and lays me down, hovering over me as we scoot up towards the headboard and then he stops.
“I can’t believe you’re fucking here,” he says while staring down into my eyes.
“I’m sorry it took so long for me to get here.”
“I missed you so fucking much,” he says as he cradles my head in his hand and then rests his forehead on mine.
“You too. Please, Cash,” I say while pressing my pelvis into his hard length between us. “I need you.”
He plants a kiss on my lips and then trails kisses down my body, swirling his tongue around my nipples, but then stopping when he gets to the scar on my stomach.
“Christ, baby,” he speaks, emotion clouding his voice as he gently presses his lips to the angry red flesh. “God, I can’t believe I almost lost you.”
Tears leak from my eyes now as he stays there, knowing not only how ugly it looks, but the ugliness of what it represents—lies, manipulation, secrets, the possibility of no children, love. My scar will hold all of those things forever until it heals completely, fading away along with the strength of those reminders.
“I’m okay, Cash.” My hands find his hair, stroking his scalp with my nails while he stays there for a moment longer, taking a deep breath before moving down towards my core.
One stroke of his tongue along my slit and I fall—into the feeling of his touch again, into the unknown of our life together, into the bliss of making love to the man I love more than anything in this life.
“Cash,” I mewl as he pleasures me with his tongue, stroking long and hard before sucking my clit between his lips. He takes his time, savoring every second between my legs, bringing me to the precipice slowly, even though the time apart has only made me long for him to the point that I’m seconds away from detonating.
And then I do.
“Oh, God!” I shout as the orgasm overtakes my body, my hands clinging to his head as he plunges two fingers inside of me, intensifying my release. My pussy clenches and contracts with such brutal force, my entire body freezes from the impact, and then I snap back, my limbs turning to jello, my breathing heavy and deep, my heart pounding with the force of a sledgehammer against my rib cage.
I move to him, sitting up and pulling him towards my head, finding his lips and tasting my arousal on his tongue.
“I need you,” I say, bringing his cock to my entrance and pushing against him.
“What about a condom?” His eyes search mine as I shake my head.
“I want to feel you, Cash. Nothing else between us, ever again.”
“Fuck, sweetheart,” he growls and then presses into me slowly as his thickness stretches me and fills me up. And I’m complete again. As long as Cash is the man that makes love to me for the rest of my life, I am whole.
“I told myself I wasn’t going to say this in the heat of the moment,” he whispers heavily, thrusting deep inside and moving in and out of me in smooth strokes, the feel of him bare almost too much to handle. “But I fucking love you, Piper. God, I love you…”
“I love you too, Cash… so much,” I cry, tears streaming down my face again as I feel a drop of his own emotion hit my cheek. This strong and confident man is crying while he makes love to me, and I can’t focus on anything else than the feeling of being with him again.
“Keep saying it, baby.”
“I love you.”
“I love you more.”
“Not possible.”
“Fuck, you feel incredible. I’m going to lose it,” he growls, kissing me hard as he picks up his pace.
“I’m almost there,” I say, reaching down between us to circle my clit with my fingers, and that does the trick. “Yes…” I moan as my release washes over me, more intense than the last time. My entire body convulses as Cash pumps his hips and follows right behind me.
“God… Fuck!” He shouts, stilling inside of me, filling me with his release, and then falling on top of me, crushing me with his solid mass. But the weight of him on me is more comforting than painful. Eventually he rolls to the side, resting his head in his arm propped on his elbow, staring down at me while we recover.
“You’re here,” he finally speaks, brushing unruly hairs from my face.
“I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.” We lay there in silence, absorbing each other before I decide to start talking, knowing I have entirely too much to say. “I am so sorry I left in the first place. My dad was insistent that I come home, and rushed to get me out of the hospital. It all happened so fast, but I was too weak to fight him.”
“I lost my mind when I came back and you weren’t in your room, Piper. I fucking lost it. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so lost as I have in the last six weeks. I hated waiting, wondering if you would ever come back,” he admits, reigning in his emotions. “It killed me. I thought I’d lost you.”
“I can’t apologize enough, Cash. I didn’t want to leave like that, but when I got home, I was so overwhelmed by everything that I knew I just needed time. But I want you to know everything now.”
“I’m listening, sweetheart.”
I move to prop my head in my hand, mirroring his position. Cash reaches down to pull the blanket over us for warmth as I take a deep breath.
“My real name is Pfeiffer Winters. Piper Davis is the name my parents gave me when I left home after I found out that my fiancé was leading a double life. Apparently, Mason had a gambling problem and got wrapped up in an underground gambling ring with a very powerful family in New York, the Montevallo’s.”
Cash nods his head in understanding. “Ah, now I see the connection.”
“I felt stupid that I never knew—I mean, I was engaged to the man and he was living this entirely different life behind my back. I was so focused on finishing nursing school that I guess I was too distracted to notice. Or maybe I just didn’t care enough to ask questions. We were engaged, but I never felt for him the way I feel for you. Anyway, I overheard him on the phone one day, telling the other person on the line that he needed more time to come up with some money, and that’s how everything spiraled out of control. When he became frantic, he dropped my family’s name, saying he could get money from my father, that he just needed some time. Winters is a powerful name in our community as well. As you know, my parents are very wealthy and apparently Mason thought that asking my father for money under the lie that it was for an investment would be a quick way for him to repay his debt.”
“Fuck.”
“Yeah. So as soon as he dropped my last name and said he was engaged to me, it put a target on my back. My father was livid and then frightened, knowing what the Montevallo’s are capable of. After talking with our head of security, they decided it wasn’t safe for me to stay there, so they created a new life for me with a new name, kind of like a witness protection situation.”
“Why not just stay there where they could keep an eye on you?” He asks, stroking his fingers up and down my arm.
“They were too afraid that I would be watched and then kidnapped or worse at some point, particularly because my father refused to give them money for Mason’s debt. They sent a letter quickly after Mason dropped our name, threatening my life if they didn’t get their money, and my father refused, so he did what he thought was best. And most of all, my parents didn’t want me to have to sacrifice all the work I had put into becom
ing a nurse, so leaving became the only option.”
“Where did you go?”
“Denver at first. A childhood friend of my mother’s took me in. Heather was so sweet and knew my circumstances, so she kept me hidden while I studied to pass the NCLEX exam, the test that gives me a nursing license.”
“Okay…”
“My father has money obviously, so he had my degree changed to my new name and I took my test with my new name, so my license was also in my new name. Once I got the results that I passed, I started looking for jobs, and one posting I saw was in a place called Emerson Falls,” I smile fondly, remembering how I felt when I saw the name of this place. It called to me, like so many other things I can look back on now and realize made me feel the same way.
“So you packed up and headed out here…”
“Yes, about five months after I had left home. The only way I kept in contact with my parents was from the phone you found.”
“What was the other one for?”
“That one was for my best friend, Rachel. She knew I was gone, but never knew where I ended up. My parents were adamant about that.”
“Jeez. Okay, so then what happened when you got here?”
I can’t help the grin that overtakes my lips. “Well, I found an apartment and set up my life here, and then on my way to my interview at the hospital, I was stopped by a sexy deputy that made me question whether men that looked like you actually existed.”
A chuckle leaves Cash’s lips before he leans down to kiss me.
“And the rest is history,” he says.
“No. The rest is our story.”
Cash presses his lips to mine gently while we absorb the clear skies now that the storm has passed. The darkness that was hovering over us has now evaporated, leaving us with a clear picture of the present. But when he pulls back, I see pain in his eyes. “How did you do it, Piper.. or should I call you Pfeiffer now? That may take some time getting used to,” he says while brushing his hand through his sex hair.
“No.” I reach for him, intertwining my fingers with his own. “Call me Piper. I will always be Piper with you. I was more myself here as Piper in your arms than I ever felt like myself back home.”
