by Casey Hagen
And then one blow to the knee changed everything.
To this day, despite the practiced smiles, knowing just the right things to say, and the success, his mind always managed to drift back to that fateful moment in his life. When he couldn’t find the rhyme or reason for what he’d lost, he’d turned his turbulent thoughts to the days after, the recovery, and what he might have done differently so that today he could still be on that damn field.
Piper wanted to know where that guy was…
Probably still lying on the nine-yard line at Ohio SCartwright.
He needed a distraction.
A memory flashed in his head of Piper’s childhood bedroom and the white mask that hung on the corner of her vanity mirror. “We ran into each other at Phantom of the Opera.”
She gasped and popped her head out of the dressing room door. “You like Phantom of the Opera?”
“Not particularly. You love it though, and I can say I was there trying to impress my flavor of the month and ran into you.” He needed the words to put some distance between them. He pulled out his cell and pretended to give a shit about whatever came up on his screen. “Since you’re finished, I’m going to wait for you by the registers.”
Leaving her with her mouth hanging open, he ducked out of the fitting rooms and put some much-needed distance between his past and his present.
Chapter 4
Piper should have felt a niggling sense of guilt letting him pay for the clothes, considering she found outfits she would put to use later. It wasn’t like she couldn’t afford them, but with his parting shot about bringing his flavor of the month to Phantom, she didn’t care. Let him pay, since he took the opportunity to remind her in a roundabout way that this was a favor and he was a pig.
But how did he know she loved Phantom of the Opera?
She’d never mentioned it. She knew she hadn’t. That night, at prom, she had struggled to keep the subject matter on things that she knew for a fact they had in common, like sports.
She hung with the guys—her brother, his friends, her male cousins—and by association developed an appreciation for football, baseball, and hockey. She never could get into basketball. The squeaking of the sneakers on the court made fingernails on a chalkboard seem like a beautiful symphony.
Every time she’d stop flinching from the squeak and unclenched her shoulders—another squeak.
Squeak, squeak, squeak!
Nope.
Now she realized she had been an idiot in high school. In an effort to be what she thought he wanted, she had modified herself and hadn’t touched on anything of particular interest to her. She had loved to paint as a kid, loved classical music, and Broadway shows, and in her heart, she adored dancing.
But because she wanted Trevor to like her, she hadn’t shown him any of her personal interests all in an attempt to impress him. And how colossally stupid was that? What would have been her end game if they had actually started dating…to hide who she really was forever and live a lie?
She had been so unbelievably stupid.
Now, here she was, being what he needed her to be all over again. She would play the game, and she no longer felt the need to impress him with what she knew of his interests. She’d enjoy sharing some of her own so Trevor better hold on.
“Looks like this is it,” he said.
Her stomach flopped. She could have sworn she heard the splat as if she had dropped a rotten tomato on the floor.
Time to be on.
Time to be a couple.
They turned onto a long, asphalt drive winding through a canopy of trees. Around a couple of corners, the property opened up and the driveway led up to a circular pull-through in front of a sprawling, blue lake esCartwright. She caught glimpses of the shimmering blue water rippling on the surface through the pine branches surrounding the house.
On the other end of the house stood a four-car garage with vehicles lined up in front of it. Trevor had said that a few coworkers vying for the partnership would be there, so she hoped the cars belonged to his boss, because she hated being the last to arrive.
Of course, there was that detour for clothes and the time it took for her to change in the dressing room after they checked out, and the repacking of her suitcase.
Totally Trevor’s fault for not telling her he needed a specific kind of girl. She glanced down at the blue flannel she had layered over her white tank top and jean capris. She had tamed her hair with a loose side braid trailing over her shoulder. Total girl next door material…and if she were being one hundred percent honest, a weight had been lifted off her shoulders with the change. This Piper didn’t need to check her lipstick every twenty minutes. She didn’t need to smooth her hair anytime a breeze blew.
This Piper could pull up a lawn chair at the edge of the lake, basking in the scents of burgers and hot dogs, and ease into being Trevor’s girlfriend.
The door to the lake house flew open and a robust man wearing a huge smile stepped out. “It’s about time you made it, Trevor, my boy. You and your beautiful lady here almost missed the couples’ massages.”
This Piper, despite her brief lakeside fantasy, did not have a hot dog in her future because she was apparently going to be naked in a room with a naked Trevor.
“Trevor?”
His smile slipped a tad, but he tried covering it with a squeeze of her hand as he tugged her alongside him and up the front steps.
“We did not agree on naked,” she muttered.
He squeezed her hand again.
She dug her fingernails into his skin, satisfied with his brief flinch.
He reached out his hand to the man on the porch who’d just crushed her hot dog dreams. “Sorry, Mr. Williams. We hit a traffic snag about an hour outside of the city. A total mess.” He hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her forward. “I’d like you to meet my girlfriend, Piper Bradley. Piper, this is my boss, Davidson Williams.”
She reached out her hand and smiled despite the sheer panic that had set in. “Nice to finally meet you, Mr. Williams.”
He took her hand in both of his. “Oh, none of that now. Please, call me Davidson.”
“All right, Davidson. Really, you needn’t have gone through so much trouble. I don’t mind if we skip the massage—”
He patted her hand. “Don’t be silly, my dear. I want everyone to start out relaxed and refreshed. I have a whole schedule of activities for the entire weekend.”
He leaned in and winked.
Hmmm, that winking thing seemed to be catching.
“Actually, my lovely wife made the schedule, bless her. Unfortunately, a few things came up with the kids and their extracurriculars that called her away unexpectedly, but hopefully she’ll be back in time for you to meet her.”
Williams, though thick around the middle, stood tall and proud. His hair had gone almost completely gray. Between his build, his exuberance, his kids still being in school, and that gray hair, Piper might have had better luck nailing Jello to a wall than guessing his age.
She smiled. “I’d like that. What kind of extracurriculars are your kids in?”
“My! No one has ever asked.” He nudged Trevor with his elbow. “You found a good one here, my boy. You remember what I said about not letting her get away.” With his wallet in hand and opened to his pictures, he stood next to her. “We’ve got twin ballerinas. Sasha and Sabrina.”
What looked to be seven or eight-year-old, raven-haired beauties stared up from the picture. She’d seen their ballet gowns before. They’d been designed by Blush, one of her biggest competitors.
She schooled her features and pretended that she didn’t have more than a general interest in the girls or dance.
It was harder than she thought, but she managed it.
Just add actress to her resume.
“They’re stunning. You must be so proud,” she said as she handed back the wallet.
“Well, I can’t take all the credit, it’s mainly their mother’s doing. The woman is a saint. Anyway, enou
gh about that, grab your bags and come on in. I saved your suite and the massage therapists are in there waiting. I’ll introduce you to everyone else after.”
“Yes, sir,” Trevor said with a nod and winning smile.
Such a boob.
Davidson led them to through to a room at the back corner of the house, nearest to the lake. At least that was something.
She’d have liked to take in the post and beam lake house, only the wood, the furnishings, the huge windows, they all disappeared in the horror of what they were about to do.
She’d have the best view while naked, in a room with Trevor, getting a rub down.
“I hate you right now,” she whispered.
“Yeah, well, get in line. I’m not too thrilled with me right now either.” His otherwise jovial tone had vanished, leaving harshness in its wake. She could almost believe he meant it. If he hadn’t eye-humped her when she came out of her building that morning.
Sure, he was mad about it. She didn't believe that for a minute.
***
Trevor wanted to see her naked.
That he couldn’t deny…but not like this. In his fantasy, they were both naked.
Okay, so they were both going to be naked.
Piper eyed the ladies standing over the massage tables, her brows furrowed, and she wrung her hands. The wide openness of the room mocked him. There was nowhere to change privately. And of course, why would there be in a couple’s massage?
He shed his suit jacket and tossed it over a leather easy chair in the corner.
He made eye contact with Piper and willed her to understand what he was about to do. He popped a button on his shirt and grinned at her. “Oh, come on, baby. You can’t still be mad at me.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, leaned in, and laid his lips against her skin.
Christ. He’d done it for show, but the soft skin stretched over her delicate neck demanded that he continue to linger there, breathing her in.
His willpower vanished with her sweet scent. He didn’t know what he'd expected.
Or maybe he did. He expected her to smell the way she looked when she met him in front of her building. But no, a warm hint of lemon cream floated over her skin, fruity and sweet, and before he thought better of it, he flicked the tip of his tongue against her skin.
His eyes crossed with lust.
Her back stiffened under his hands.
“Easy, Piper,” he whispered along the shell of her ear. “We have an audience watching.”
“I think I hate you,” she rasped in his ear.
And damned if the sound didn’t go straight to other parts of him.
“Ahhh, but love and hate, they’re practically the same thing.”
“I definitely don’t love you.”
“Give me a couple days; I’ll sway you to the dark side.”
He curled his arm around her and rested his hand on her ass, giving it a squeeze followed by a playful slap. “Ladies, would you mind giving me and my girlfriend a few minutes? It was a long ride and she didn’t speak to me for most of it. I have some making up to do.”
“Absolutely, Mr. Myers,” the tall blonde therapist closest to the door replied. With a nod of her head, they both disappeared through the bedroom doorway, closing the door with a soft click.
Piper reached back and sunk her nails into the back of the hand cupping her ass.
“Ouch, shit. What was that for?” he said as he rubbed the crescent-shaped nail marks she had left in his skin.
“Look, I know what the deal is. I’m supposed to play the girlfriend. That’s fine, that’s what I signed on for. Since I’m doing that, you’re going to show your girlfriend respect.”
“Hey, wait.” He snagged her hand. “How did I disrespect you?”
“Women don’t usually like being grabbed on.”
“I kissed your neck. That seemed like a perfectly normal thing to do.”
“It was. It’s the ass grab that I didn’t appreciate. Don’t treat me like any other lay, Trevor. I deserve better than that.” She glanced up at him, disappointment evident from the lines with the set of her mouth and her guarded gaze. “What happened to that guy I used to know, huh? Was it this job that turned you into this? If it was, I’m not so sure it’s worth the promotion.”
She was right. He knew she was right. For years, more years than he cared to count, this was how he had been with women. They’d been happy to have the attention lavished on them, both monetarily and physically. They used him for what they could get out of him, and he used them for a soft place to land. It had worked.
It was also as impersonal as an audit, despite the nakedness.
And it left him alone in the end. Always alone.
Leave it to Piper to call him on his shit.
“I’m sorry, Piper. Seriously, I didn’t mean to make you feel like that.”
She sighed and fiddled with the end of her braid. “You know, it’s probably me. Dancers get grabbed on a lot, and are expected to pretend it doesn’t happen. I’m probably sensitive to it. Still, if you want to sell your boss on the new and improved, monogamous you, you need to treat me like the girl next door.”
He nodded. “You’re right. No ass grabbing.”
She looked so determined to be stern with him, but her mouth tipped up in the corners anyway. The light in her eyes returned and they were on their way back to solid ground again. Interesting how the eyes changed like that. Maybe it was just hers. Either way, he never wanted to put that look in her eyes again.
“Maybe we need to practice. You know, so we look like a comfortable couple.”
“Trevor,” she warned.
“What? I’m being completely serious here. We’ve never even kissed and now we’re supposed to be this couple that’s been together for a year? I don’t think it’ll wash. Do you want our first kiss to be with an audience?”
“Well, no. That would be weird.”
“Okay, so we do it now.” He took a step toward her.
She put a hand to his chest to stop him. “Wait.”
“What?”
“I don’t know.”
“Piper, it’s not like you’ve never kissed a man before. We’re just getting it out of the way. After all, we’re about to get naked in front of each other. Kissing should definitely come before nudity.”
“Okay, that’s logical. So, where do we start?”
“It’s just like any other kiss. Let’s just rip off the Band-Aid and get it done.”
“Band-Aid…right. Just a quick sting.”
He lined his body with hers, determined to take it slow. Tempering his insatiable urge to taste her mouth, he smoothed his hand over that braid, the silky fibers dancing along his skin. He didn’t know why that was his inclination, but he went with it.
Women liked their hair touched, right?
He swirled his index finger along the curl at the end. Careful to not dip his fingers lower over the curve of her breast, he dragged it along the skin of her collarbone, enjoying the rise and fall of the ridges there.
She sucked in a deep breath. In that moment, he needed to not screw this up.
He cupped her jaw and tipped her head back. Her eyes drifted shut just a fraction of time before he captured her lips.
She hesiCartwrightd under him, then seemed to remember herself and what they were supposed to do. In that moment, her lips parted just enough that her sweet taste climbed inside him and twisted his insides.
This had disaster written all over it.
And he didn’t care…he just wanted.
When she let out a soft moan and clutched his shirt, balling the fabric in her tight fist, he went for more. Titling his head to go deeper, so much deeper, he dragged out each slide of his lips, letting the heat they created set him on fire just to feel the torturous burn.
Yeah, he was a head case all right.
Her tentative tongue ducked into his mouth making him groan from its erotic exploration. Her hands slid around him until she held him, anchored
herself to him really, and there was nothing do but follow her. He took everything she gave, always seeking, needing more, needing to go deeper.
Trevor heard a soft knock indicating their time was almost up. When the door opened, he paused, his lips on hers, his fingers curled into her braid where it lay at the nape of her neck. She pulled away, just enough to look him in the eye, and blinked several times.
“Looks like you two made up. Are you ready for your massages now?”
He feathered his thumb over her cheek, still needing to touch her, to reassure himself that their kiss was real. “I think we’re ready,” he said, never taking his eyes from hers.
“Ready for what?” Piper asked.
“For everything,” Trevor said, knowing that this had become so much more than a game where he competed for the ultimate in prizes.
He turned to the therapists. “If you could give us just a minute to get undressed.”
“We’ll be back in just a couple minutes…if that will be sufficient.”
“That would be fine.”
Again, they left with nothing but the sound of the soft click of the door. Only this time, everything had changed.
He stepped back and unbuttoned his shirt at a steady pace, his eyes on hers the entire time. He would not look below her neck. He absolutely would not.
She peeled her tank top over her head, eyes locked on his, whether or not she was just feeling the same intensity as he or just making sure he didn’t pull something, he didn’t know. Reaching behind her back, she unhooked her bra. Seconds later, the muffled thud of it hitting the floor was the only sound, other than their heavy breathing.
Her hands fell away, and since he was being a good boy, he couldn’t be sure, but he suspected they landed on the snaps of her jeans.
She froze.
He didn’t, stripping his slacks from one leg, then the other, he stood there in nothing but his boxer briefs.
“What’s the matter, Piper?”
She bit her lip. The same lip he’d nibbled on just minutes earlier. “I’m not feeling like the girl next door right at the moment.”
“And I’m hard enough to pound nails right now.”