Operation: Girl Next Door

by Casey Hagen

  Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the glare on Rachel’s face. Anger and jealousy rolled off her in waves, with the set of her shoulders forward and aggressive. At this point, if anyone was going to cost him this promotion, it would be Rachel.

  Mike and Christina chatted about their wedding. Deanne listened with rapt attention and took notes on vendors and food recommendations. Kent nodded at all the right times, but by the look on his face, he hadn’t retained any of the important details.

  Surprisingly, Davidson had plenty of advice of his own.

  “Come on, a prestigious man such as yourself, you helped plan your wedding?” Piper asked.

  He leaned back in his chair and adjusted the waistband of his pants. “That I did. Surprised, are you? Well, let me tell you, my wife, she’s a whole lot younger than me. I’m almost ashamed to admit by how much, but she had never had cause to doubt my deepest love for her. And hell…” he gulped his beer, “she must love me. I’m no spring chicken. I groan like an old man when I get up in the morning, but when she looks at me, there is no doubt in my mind that she loves me to her core.”

  Such different people, or at least age-wise, and still, they made it work.

  “She’s definitely attracted to me. Physically, that is,” Davidson said on a laugh.

  Okay, time to slow the train. “How many of those have you had Davidson?” Trevor hoped he hadn’t had enough to actually get into the details. Some things he just didn’t need in his head.

  Ever.

  “When I start referencing my bedroom experience with my wife, too many, young man.”

  They all said their goodnights and made their way to their rooms to settle in.

  Door locked and the performance on pause, Piper headed straight for her bag and pulled out a night shirt.

  “It’s funny, they’re a lot different than I expected them to be. Mike is so serious and they’re all so traditional. It’s hard to picture you working with them.”

  She turned away and pulled her sweater over her head, then unhooked her bra and tossed it on the nightstand. Apparently, the events of the day had loosened up her modesty. He leaned against the door and appreciated the glow of the lamp illuminating the curve of her back.

  Right then and there, all talk from the night escaped him and all he could do was stare at her like some peeping Tom as she finished getting ready for bed.

  “I can feel your eyes on me.”

  “Be grateful you’re not feeling my hands.”

  She turned to him. “Why would I be grateful for that?”

  Her eyes widened as if the words surprised her just as much as they did him. Blood shot through his veins at her bold sCartwrightment. “Careful, Piper. There’s only so much I can take.”

  She bit her lip and closed her eyes. “I’m sick of being careful.” She opened them again, her gaze hot and heavy. “Aren’t you? I mean, I was careful the night of the prom and look where that got me.”

  “You were too young.”

  “I was almost eighteen.”

  “And off limits for anything more than escorting you safely to prom and home. That’s what Ryden asked for, that’s what I agreed to.”

  “Did you want more? At any point during that night, did you want me?”

  His fingers itched to touch her, but something told him to play this cool. This had a whole lot more to do with attraction, both then and now. He didn’t want to ruin it. “If I had been free to do what I wanted that night, I would have kissed you goodnight. Not just a friendly kiss, either.”

  She shrugged and glanced at the bed. “I didn’t know what to do with you…then, anyway. But I do now.” She peeled back the covers and climbed onto the bed. Her nightshirt rode high on her thighs and then slid up revealing the plump curve of her cheek.

  “You don’t play fair.” He’d swear his cock just got harder than any rebar known to man. He could support bridges with the situation in his pants.

  “No, but then, neither do you. After all, you’re here with a borrowed girlfriend trying to sell yourself as a man ready to settle down.”

  “I want what I want and I’m not afraid to go after it.”

  “Even if you don’t do it honestly?” She tossed the words out as she slid her legs under the blankets.

  “I’ll figure out how to live with myself.” Maybe. For the first time in forever he considered what this whole ruse said about him, should it come out. More importantly, he wondered what it said to Piper.

  “I guess we’ll see.” She fluffed the pillow behind her. “Are you coming to bed, dear?”

  “Not a good idea.”

  “You need to sleep and I don’t expect you to do it on the floor. We’re adults. And your virtue is safe with me. Besides, I’m not going to beg when it’s clear you don’t want it.” She unwound the last of her braid and finger-combed her hair.

  “Wanting it isn’t the problem. It’s walking away from it.”

  That got her attention. With his words, her boldness slipped and she pulled the covers higher up over her breasts. “Don’t put forever thoughts in my head, Trevor. Not when you’re not a forever kind of guy.”

  “That’s just the thing. Since picking you up, those are the only thoughts running through my mind.”

  “Goodnight,” she whispered as she lay down and rolled away from him, leaving him to decide if he was going to share the bed with her or not.

  Despite every part of him screaming that if he got in that bed, there would be no finding the playboy he’d woken up as that morning, he peeled off his clothes and climbed in beside her.

  Her shallow breathing told him that she hadn’t fallen asleep.

  Her scent called to him.

  So, to add an extra element of torture, he turned to her back, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her right up against his chest and closed his eyes.

  Chapter 6

  Piper struggled to fall asleep, and Trevor was solidly to blame. Who the hell did he think he was, just wrapping his arm around her and snuggling, making her terrified to take a deep breath, and then falling asleep as if he didn’t have a care in the world?

  She’d spent a good hour analyzing the way he spooned her, and then decided to put her energy to much better use reworking strategies for Exclusively Piper. She hadn’t given in to exhaustion until the wee hours, but that time might have been just what she needed to figure out how to proceed with her business expansion. She had every intention of going for it. The minute she got home, she’d lay out the idea for Rafe and see what he thought.

  Relieved to have come up with a solid idea for the future, she eased into Trevor’s embrace and drifted off.

  Awake, and sensing he might be too, she hesiCartwrightd, the feel of Trevor’s soft chest hair under her fingers. She had no idea the protocol for this: snuggle in as if it was the most normal thing in the world or try to extricate herself from his embrace. High-heeled Piper would run her fingers through that hair and maybe kiss his chest, just to make a sCartwrightment.

  High school Piper would have done anything possible to get out of that bed and get dressed without waking him up. She certainly wouldn’t have been brave enough to crawl across the bed seductively as she had last night. She seemed to be hovering between that confident woman who used her curves as a sort of defiance, daring the world to look and find her lacking, and the artsy, shy girl she had been in high school.

  She didn’t want to slide back into that persona. That girl would not have been able to build a successful design line. She definitely wouldn’t live in Tribeca and enjoy the nightlife of New York City three or four nights a week.

  And where was all that nightlife getting her? She spent more time at clubs clinging to Rafe as though she was coupled, than she spent dating the eligible bachelors sliding up to the bar night after night.

  If she had been totally honest, the few dates she had been on had bored her to tears. The men she chose seemed safe, respectful, unlikely to treat her like a piece of arm candy, but they
had the personality of a pet rock. Maybe it wasn’t them, maybe it was her.

  Not a single one of them woke up the feelings in her the way Trevor did.

  She curled her fingers along his skin and dragged her knuckles down the ridges and valleys of his tan chest to his hard, warm abs. She heard the hitch in his breath that told her not only was he awake, but her touch had affected him.

  Judging from the slow burn moving through her veins and the rising flush on her skin, it affected her, too. As much as she welcomed the sensation and anything born of it, they had a schedule to adhere to.

  “Good morning,” she said, smiling against his skin as she dragged her lips over his ribs.

  “Mmmm, good morning, Trouble.”

  She giggled and pushed herself up on her hands. “I think I like that nickname.”

  Pushing himself up on his elbow, he reached out and brushed the hair hanging in her eyes behind her ear, lingering a moment before he slid his fingers along her neck. “There she is.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Who?”

  “The Piper from prom.”

  Her breath stuttered in her throat. She reached up and intertwined her hand with his, brought it to her lips, and kissed his fingers. “We need to get going. We have kayaking to do.”

  He groaned and dropped back on the bed, pulling her pillow over his face. “I don’t want to.” His words came out muffled as he made a feeble attempt to smother himself.

  “Bullshit. You know you want this partnership, so let’s go out there and earn it.”

  “I already earned the damn thing,” he mumbled as he swung his legs off the edge of the bed and sat up.

  They took turns in the bathroom showering and dressing, and surprisingly, after all the firsts from the day before, as well as sleeping together, it all seemed normal. She had been digging through her suitcase for clothes, a mouthful of toothpaste and toothbrush hanging out when he stepped out and winked while brushing his own. She went in to rinse and by the time she was done, he was ready for the sink.

  They were so seamless, it’s like they had been doing this for years.

  A total fluke, Piper. Don’t get used to it, it’s only a weekend.

  They found Mike and Christina in the kitchen with Davidson, eating bagels and drinking coffee.

  “Any chance we’ll get to meet your wife today?” Piper asked before sinking her teeth into a warm, sesame seed bagel.

  “Looks like we won’t see her until tomorrow. She has some dance business she’s attending to for the girls. Last minute planning fell through the cracks.”

  “Oh, that’s too bad. I’m excited to meet her.”

  Piper spotted Rachel and Steve making their way into the kitchen followed by Kent and Deanne. They all headed for the coffee station first.

  Davidson shifted away from the coffee pot, giving them room. “She feels terrible that she’s missing this. After all, I made a big deal about the candidates for partnership bringing their spouses so I could see what they’re made of, and here I am wifeless.”

  “I won’t hold it against you,” Trevor said.

  “Good man,” Davidson said, clapping Trevor on the back. “I appreciate it. I’ve been especially hard on you. I hope you understand. Partnerships aren’t just about how much money you bring in.”

  Trevor took a sip of his coffee and stole half of Piper’s bagel as she walked by. “I get it. You want someone dedicated and planning to stay on. I can’t fault you for that.”

  Piper stopped, looked down at her plate, then whipped around and gave him a look. “You’re lucky you’re cute, or I would trade you in for a loyal dog.”

  He set his coffee down, curled a hand around her neck, and pulled her in for a lingering kiss. Her muscles went limp, her skin heated, and liquid lust pooled in her center. God, the man and his mouth would be the death of her.

  “I’ll make it up to you, Trouble,” he said when he released her lips.

  “You stole the woman’s food, that calls for Tiffany’s,” Davidson said.

  “Daisies. Fresh picked daisies are better than anything he could give me in a Tiffany box,” Piper said, her eyes never leaving Trevor’s.

  She didn’t want flash. She could do that for herself. She wanted a man to walk through the tall grass and go through the effort to bring her something full of natural beauty.

  “Ahhh, an interesting woman you’ve picked, Trevor. I like her,” Davidson said.

  He gave her a flirty wink. “Yeah, I think I’ll keep her.”

  They were just words, words to put on a show for his boss. She’d do good to remember that. But she couldn’t help the flutter in her heart. A part of her wished it was real. In just under twenty-four hours, she had become so embroiled in Trevor that all of her business worries had flitted away.

  As a matter of fact, she had hardly checked her messages since she left. She really ought to do something about that. Rafe was her right-hand man, but with the decision to expand looming right before the beginning of the fall dance season, she needed to be a united front with him. As an investor, and her best friend, it was the right thing to do.

  “Do I have time to make a quick call before we get into our plans for the day?” Piper asked.

  “Sure. I figure we’ll be heading out in about twenty minutes or so,” Davidson said.

  “Thanks.” She slid her phone out of her pocket and stepped out onto the deck. Small signs of fall had started cropping up. The morning air had turned crisp as the temperature started dipping cooler and cooler at night. The leaves lost their bright green luster the way they did every year right before the first spots of color streaked through the trees like their own distinguished way of graying at the temples as they aged.

  She brought up Rafe’s number. Not even one full ring and he was all over his phone. Not entirely surprising, since it spent most of its time glued to his hand.

  “Good morning, Gorgeous. Tell me you’re having a blast wherever you ended up.”

  “Hi…yes, a blast. The couple’s massage was fun. Nothing like going from zero to naked within the first ten minutes of arrival.”

  “Oh, I so need to hear about this.”

  “I’m sure you will. I’m almost certain I’ll have plenty to rant about when this is all said and done. In the meantime, I have to get ready for couples’ kayaking, but I wanted to check in. Anything important happening?”

  “That Marla woman called again. I can’t lie, she sounded pretty desperate. Before she was just excited about us, but now, I guess Blush had promised her community troupe costumes and they’ve backed out. This isn’t a small troupe either; we’re talking over a hundred dancers.”

  “Oh no!”

  “Yeah, so I know you have a waiting list of people who want your designs, and they’re all waiting for you to expand, but my advice, expand and bump her to the top.”

  Piper bit her thumbnail, and remembering how long it had taken to grow pretty nails after years of chewing them, she pulled it out. “I was thinking about that last night.”

  “Shouldn’t you have been preoccupied with hot and hunky?”

  “That’s why I was awake.”

  “Not what I would do with a hot guy if I was awake.”

  She laughed. “I know, but seriously, I only have a few minutes, so question: How many seamstresses do you think you can round up? Ones you know personally and can trust.”

  “Off the top of my head, I’d say ten to twelve. Why?”

  She took a deep breath and when she let it out, she took the plunge. “I’m thinking we can do a partial expansion. Get our feet wet. We can increase production, but buy ourselves some more time to find a couple of designers to work with. What do you think? Stupid? Too safe?” She flinched as if she had spoken the words right to his face. As successful as she’d become, sometimes she still shied away from making the big decisions. She worried about making the right choices with the people closest to her. Their opinions mattered to her more than anything.

  “Actually,
I think it’s smart. We never even considered taking this in steps. It’s been an all or nothing proposition.”

  “The idea made me nervous. Once it popped into my head, I didn’t give it much thought, just decided to go with it. I’ve had the same problem, thinking this was an all or nothing step, and that’s why it all just seemed so overwhelming. This way, we still follow through on the business requirements to expand, but with fewer employees out of the gate, it’s manageable and far easier to keep a close eye on quality control.”

  “It’s your name on the label, we’ll keep as close an eye as you need to.”

  “I love you, Rafe. I can’t thank you enough for being my partner in this.”

  “You do things all the time to thank me. Just keep being you, Piper. It’s enough.”

  His words burrowed inside her and niggled at the problem she had buried in there and didn’t want to acknowledge. Just keep being you…the words were a stark reminder that who she was behind closed doors was not who she presented to the world. Here she was giving Trevor crap about the same thing. Only, it wasn’t quite the same. He seemed to live this new version of himself. She erased her outer persona with every swipe of makeup remover.

  Her situation was totally different. She was representing her brand. That was all.

  Trevor popped his head around the corner. “Hey, we’re about to head out. You almost ready?”

  She moved her phone away from her mouth. “I’m just finishing up. I’ll be right there.”

  “Okay.” He ducked back out, the smile he’d had when she left the kitchen had vanished. She had to wonder if Rachel had pulled something while she was out of the room that caused it.

  “Look, Rafe, I have to run. Put Marla’s number on my desk and I’ll make sure to call her the minute I’m home.”

  “You got it, Boss.”

  She hung up her phone and headed for Trevor and their kayaking fate.

  ***

  Trevor took a deep breath to ease the tension in his shoulders and the churning in his gut. He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but he heard part of Piper’s conversation, and there she was on the deck, talking freely with someone about her work, and it wasn’t school teacher talk.