by Ali Parker
“Too much,” Will added. “I don’t remember how we got home.”
“I believe Raj picked you up,” Piper said, sliding omelettes from pans onto plates and bringing them over to us. She also set down a plate of bacon and a jug full of orange juice. In a separate bowl was a bunch of cut-up fruit: watermelon, cantaloupe, kiwi, apples, grapes, mango. She’d gone all out.
I stared down at my plate and then looked back up at her as she filled a plate for herself. “How did you know that?” I asked.
“He told me he would likely have one more run to do after dropping me off here,” she said simply before taking her seat across from me. She reached across the counter to grab a couple pieces of fruit, and my eyes became glued to her lips when she popped a grape in her mouth and chewed.
Was I the only man in the room suffering from her presence?
You shouldn’t have worn sweatpants, I thought, hoping nobody’s gaze strayed to my groin, where the blood was promptly rushing just from the sight of the girl eating a damn grape.
I had to get my shit together.
“What time did you guys get back here anyway?” Piper asked, now reaching for a piece of bacon and taking a bite.
For the life of me, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d sat in the company of a beautiful woman who actually ate real food, let alone bacon. Usually, they were ordering salads with no dressing and no cheese and only eating half of that. This was a pleasant change of pace.
“Around two, I think,” Brodie said as he cut the corner off his omelette. Cheese oozed out over his plate, and steam rose in curling wisps up into the air. He stared at his plate with wonder. “How the hell did you learn to cook like this?”
“Family trade.” Piper smiled.
Brodie took his first bite, and his eyes rolled back in his head. “Damn. That’s delicious.”
I dug into the deluxe spread before me. Each bite was better than the last, and we all subsided into a comfortable silence as we ate. The only sounds were the crunching of bacon, the slurping of coffee or juice, and the scraping of forks over empty plates.
When we were done, we all leaned back and patted our guts.
“That was excellent,” Will praised.
“Top notch,” Brodie said.
Brett dragged the back of his hand over his mouth and merely nodded, too stuffed and content to find the right words to summarize his enjoyment of the meal.
“Thanks for breakfast, Piper,” I said.
She crossed one leg over the other and sipped her coffee. “You’re welcome. I thought it would be a nice way to kick off the day. And I like to cook.”
“You can come stay with me if you get tired of this guy,” Brodie said, tipping his chin toward me.
Piper giggled. The sound was bubbly and intoxicating. “I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you, Brodie.”
“That same offer stands for me as well,” Brett added.
“Nose down,” I growled at them.
Piper giggled when they said they were just teasing. I knew there was some truth to their words.
Piper collected our plates and brought them to the sink. “I don’t think the Casanova Club would appreciate me wandering off and spending time with the wrong men.”
I gathered some dishes and joined her at the sink. I passed her the bowl the fruit had been in, and our fingertips grazed one another’s. Her eyes sparkled when she looked up and smiled at me. They were such a deep shade of brown that if I stared into them too long, I was sure I would become lost.
I scratched the back of my neck. “I’m sorry for coming back so late last night. I should have been here.” I shook my head. “No, I should have picked you up from the airport.”
She put a hand on her hip. “It’s all right, Easton. I understand. This process is… weird. For everyone.”
“Definitely.”
She smiled and filled the dishes up with hot soapy water in the sink. “The hardest part is behind us now. We’ve said our hellos, and now we can move on, right?”
“Right.” I nodded.
Her energy was contagious. And radiant. And I was suddenly completely at ease in her company and trying to figure out why I’d been so steadfastly against this for the last month.
Surely, a month in her company couldn’t be all that bad. In fact, I was almost starting to look forward to it.
Piper gave me a devious little smile that made something inside me suddenly very hot, like a match had been struck in my gut. “If I’m being completely honest, I did enjoy having this whole place to myself last night. I almost went in your pool, but I thought that might be awkward if you came back and I was out there sipping wine, looking like a sociopath in a bikini.”
I chuckled, but the mental image of coming home to a girl like her in my pool, sipping on wine, floating around in a string bikini, made my cock twitch.
Fuck me fucking sideways.
I cleared my throat. “I wouldn’t have minded. You are welcome to do whatever you like while you’re here.”
“Thank you, Easton.”
I licked my lips and glanced at the guys, who were minding their own business, thankfully, and talking about our upcoming game. Then I fixed my eyes on Piper as she started scrubbing the dishes. “I’ll kick these guys out and have a shower. Then what do you say the two of us get out of the house and do something fun for the day?”
She stopped scrubbing and turned the sink off. “Yes, please. I would love that.”
“Is there anything specific you’d like to do?”
“Just enjoy the sunshine. I haven’t—” She broke off and shook her head as her cheeks burned pink. “I would really like to spend the day outside.”
“Consider it done. Pack a bag to be out in the sun all day. And bring a swimsuit. I’ll take care of the rest.”
Piper bit her bottom lip and nodded. “Okay.”
The way she looked at me was going to be plastered in the back of my mind for eternity. And I was sure I would dream about the way she bit her lip. I suddenly felt like I was in big trouble. And it was only day one.
She’s just a girl, I assured myself as I went to tell the guys to get out. Just a girl with the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen. And a soul to match.
I shook my head. That was crazy. I barely knew her.
Chapter 8
Piper
Easton met me at the front door at ten o’clock. While he showered, I tidied his kitchen, packed my bag, and changed into one of the swimsuits I brought. It was neon pink and totally not the sort of suit I would have picked for any other occasion but this.
It also revealed a lot more skin than I was used to showing, but it would do for today.
Easton had on a pair of black swim shorts and a short-sleeved tank cut low beneath his arms, showing a bit of his ribs hidden under thick muscle. I tried to keep my gaze from wandering all over him as he opened the front door and held it open for me.
“Thank you,” I said, stepping out into the warm sunny morning.
He closed and locked the door behind him. “Cute dress.”
I’d thrown on one of the summer dresses I brought with me. It was white, lacy, and cut above the knee. I’d paired it with my gold sandals and a white, wide-brimmed hat to protect my face from the sun. “Thanks,” I said, self-consciously tugging the hem down.
He flashed me a grin, and then we walked down the steps to the driveway, where Raj was waiting for us with the door to the back seat of the SUV open. “Good morning, Mr. Price. Piper.” He nodded at me. “How was your evening last night?”
I beamed at him. “Pleasant, actually.”
“Glad to hear.”
I got in the back seat first, and Easton followed. He paused at the door to say something I couldn’t hear to Raj. The driver patted Easton’s shoulder and offered him a smile before saying, “Don’t sweat it, sir.”
Then he closed the door after Easton got in, and we were sealed away in silence until Raj got into the front seat and started the car. Music filter
ed through the speakers and softened the thick quiet in the back seat as he left the driveway.
I wrung my hands in my lap. This was a little awkward.
Easton glanced at me. “So—”
“Where are we—” I started talking over him. Then I blushed and apologized. “You go first.”
“No, go ahead. What were you going to ask?”
I wished I wasn’t blushing so brilliantly. “I was going to ask where we were going.”
“Oh.” He smiled. “The marina. I have a boat there.”
I remembered what Raj said about Easton having his own yacht, and butterflies took flight in my stomach. “Are we going fishing?” I asked coyly.
Easton laughed. It was a pleasant sound that contrasted with his gruff and tough exterior. “If you would like to, I’m sure I can arrange it.”
I shook my head. “I was just kidding.”
“I thought we would head out on open waters. Soak up the sun, have some drinks, and get to know each other. Does that sound good?”
“That sounds wonderful,” I said. And I meant it. The thought of being out on a yacht was an exciting one. I’d never done anything like that. I felt a bit guilty wishing it was Joshua who would be with me out on the ocean, but Easton would do just fine, and maybe he would surprise me. Maybe we had more in common than I expected.
I doubted it, but crazier things had happened before.
I couldn’t think of anything to say as Easton and I sat side by side, separated by the open seat between us, so I stared out the window, watching the palm trees flit past. Initially, it was only the trees that held all my interest, but as we drove down busier streets, I found myself intrigued by the pedestrians and the people, who were all very different from the people back home in New York City.
Here, they wore bright colors and walked to a beat, like there was a song playing that everyone could hear but me. People rolled by on skateboards and rollerblades, while others played guitars or ukuleles on intersection corners. There were artists splashing paint on canvases and groups of people playing drums on patches of grass as we drew closer to the marina, and I found that I didn’t need to force conversation with Easton.
There was plenty of entertainment all around us, and he seemed content to let me absorb everything happening around us while we drove.
The temperature seemed to have skyrocketed by the time we reached the marina, and sweat broke out under my boobs and on my upper lip as we walked from the car and down the dock, which was flanked by massive white yachts swaying gently over the waves.
Easton had my bag over one shoulder, and our sandals slapped against the soles of our feet as we walked. Still, neither of us spoke, and I couldn’t think of a single thing to say.
Things had been so effortless with Joshua. Conversation flowed with ease, and we were never short on topics. Even on days when we didn’t talk much, it was still comfortable. We could just be, and both of us were content with that.
Easton seemed as rigid and anxious as I felt.
He kept his blue gaze fixed up ahead at the end of the dock. He didn’t even glance over when I stole peeks in his direction. He was a wall. A completely unreadable wall.
We took a turn at the end of the dock and stopped in front of a massive yacht—the largest one in the marina without a doubt. It was tied to the dock, and a plank was down, connecting the boat to the dock where we stood.
Easton offered me a hand. “Ladies first.”
He guided me across the bridge, and I hopped onto the second deck of the three-tiered yacht.
Easton followed behind me and then headed up a set of stairs to the top deck. Not sure what to do with myself, I followed.
Up top, I found myself unable to keep my mouth closed.
The boat was incredible.
There was a hot tub off the back, a fully set dining table laid out with a lunch spread, complete with an ice bucket with champagne and orange juice, and a white lounge bed at the front. It was the sort of thing I was used to seeing on social media but never imagined I would set foot on.
“Holy shit,” I said when my tongue became unglued from my mouth.
Easton snorted. “She’s not bad, huh? A bit old. I have my eye on a newer model. But she’ll do for now.”
“Do for now?” I asked, flabbergasted. The yacht was magnificent. Incredible. So shiny clean you could lick salt from the railing before tossing back a tequila shot.
Easton seemed unaware of my shock and awe. “Yeah. I told my agent to keep an eye out for a new one. But he has his hands full with, you know, managing my dumb ass. I suppose things like this can wait, right?”
He put my bag down on one of the chairs by the fully set table and flashed me a cocky grin.
“I’ve never been on something like this,” I admitted.
“Never?”
I shook my head. “You should know that most people, us average people at least, don’t get to set foot on a boat like this in our entire lives. And I only have the chance because of the Casanova Club. This never would have become my reality under any other circumstances.”
“Don’t say that. You’re a pretty girl. I’m sure the time would come where some guy asked you to—”
I shook my head. “No. And if he did, that would be my answer to him as well. No.”
Easton blinked. “All right. Did I say something wrong?”
“Not wrong.” I shook my head. Just ignorant.
His brow furrowed. “Right. Well, make yourself comfortable. Have a bite to eat. I’m going to run down and get the staff and tell them we’re ready to set sail.”
“Staff?” I gasped.
He tossed his head back with laughter as he walked away. “Yes, staff. Don’t you know who I am?”
He descended the stairs and left me alone on the top deck.
“I had no idea who you were until this morning,” I said to myself as I walked to the very front of the boat. I stood just behind the white bed and gazed out at the open waters stretching out toward the blue horizon. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.
I’d seen the ocean before, but never anything tropical like this, with calm nearly turquoise waters. This was unreal. It was a snapshot for the June spread in a calendar. Not real life.
But this was real life. I was here, breathing in the salty air, feeling it as it clung to my skin and my hair. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply.
“Even if this is the worst month of them all, you still had this moment,” I whispered to myself. “And I am grateful for this.”
If I was honest with myself, I didn’t like how this morning had gone. Or last night. But there was no sense in getting caught on those negative feelings and pointing them out to Easton. He was who he was, and I wasn’t here to change him. I was here to do my time and move on to do it ten more times.
Somehow, I would have to keep my sanity. And I suspected knowing which battles to fight would help me on my journey. This was not a battle worth fighting.
I’d learned a lot about my February suitor in the few short hours I’d been in his company. For starters, there was nothing on this earth he loved more than himself. He was the definition of an egotistical jock. It made sense, given his good looks and his athletic accomplishments. I was sure everyone in his life was constantly telling him how great he was. I was also sure there was nobody in his life more vocal in their praises about him than his mother.
I smiled to myself. I had all month to find out if that guess was accurate.
I also knew he was a very private and guarded person. He struck me as the sort of man who had a wall up between him and all the people in his life, including his teammates. Maybe there was more beneath the surface, more that I could reach in my time with him.
It would be a pleasant surprise to find a shiny, kind, soft squishy center inside Easton.
The last thing I knew about him was that he was insecure. Painfully so.
All this boasting about his boat and talking about it like it wasn’t all th
at great reminded me of how boys used to talk about their first cars in high school. Or their video game systems. Or how people talked about their cell phones. He needed the latest and greatest because he needed to keep up appearances.
When was the last time he let all of that shit go and just breathed?
I sighed and wiped at the corners of my eyes where tears had appeared. I felt for this man. And I felt for me. And for Joshua.
If he had been here, he would have taken my hand and brought me onto that bed to gaze at the sunny sky together until we gave in to the need and sailed away without the staff on board so that we could explore every inch of each other’s bodies.
I licked my lips.
December couldn’t come fast enough.
Chapter 9
Easton
When I returned to the top deck, I found Piper gazing out at the ocean with her back toward me. I admired the smooth curves of her hips and her narrow waist, emphasized by the thin strip of fabric tied into a bow just off to the right side. Her legs were long and lean with muscle, and her hair caught in the warm breeze that blew in off the ocean.
“Are you ready to set sail?” I asked, moving up to stand beside her.
She glanced over at me. A small smile appeared on her lips, and she nodded. “Definitely.”
Within minutes, my crew, consisting of a captain, two servers, and one other sailor to assist the captain if he ever needed it, pulled away from the marina and out to sea. Piper wandered out to the very front of the boat where she sat cross-legged upon the white mattress.
I poured us each a mimosa, spiked mine with a bit of vodka for an extra kick, and brought the drinks over to her. I sat down beside her and stretched my legs out in front of me as I handed her the non-spiked mimosa.
“Thank you,” she said before pressing her lips to the glass and taking a sip.
“Cheers,” I said.
She blushed and tapped her glass to mine. “This is really beautiful,” she told me.
Her eyes were bright with wonder as she gazed out at the ocean.