by Ali Parker
“But you did fuck him. Yes?”
I sighed. “Yes.”
“Piper!”
“What?” I cried defensively. “It was a heat of the moment situation and—and—and I don’t regret it!”
Janie laughed on the other end. “That bastard always gets what he wants, doesn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“How did it happen?”
“We were fighting.”
“This is getting more and more confusing with every word out of your mouth. One minute, you’re fighting, and the next, he has his cock in your—”
“Things got steamy, okay? Haven’t you ever been in one of those situations where you’re so mad but so turned on at the same time?”
“Erm, no,” Janie said flatly.
Then you’re missing out, I thought. But I didn’t say it. Instead, I swung my legs in the water and stared out at the ocean. “Well neither had I until the other night. And Janie, it was without a doubt the best sex of my entire life.”
She was quiet for a beat. “Better than the other guys?”
I hated admitting it out loud like this. “Yes.”
She whistled. “Damn. Hello, Rockefeller.”
I couldn’t help but smile as I dropped my gaze to the pool and blushed. “You can say that again.”
“All right. Hello, Rockefeller.” She snorted.
I rubbed my temples before putting my hands behind my back on the sun-heated patio. With a content sigh, I leaned back, closed my eyes, and lifted my face to the warmth of the sun. “He’s different than the others, Janie. Like, there’s not this deep connection between us. Not like—”
“The others. Yes, I get it. Carry on.”
“Right. But even though that piece is missing, I can’t help but be totally into him. It doesn’t make sense. It feels wrong in a way and right in so many others and—”
“Girl, he’s a bad boy. What can I say? Sometimes, that’s what you need to light a fire in your belly, you know?”
“But I’m not that kind of girl.”
“So what? You’re allowed to have a bit of fun, Piper. Not every guy you see has to be someone you fall head over heels for. What’s wrong with one of them being a wild ride? Literally and figuratively.”
“I guess there’s nothing explicitly wrong with it. I just feel… guilty.”
“Guilty? What the fuck for?”
“For fucking Cooper when I don’t love him.”
“Oh my God, Piper. Seriously?”
“I can’t help it,” I said, sparing a glance in Cooper’s direction. He had his back to me, and he was performing perfect chin-ups with a wide-set grip. The muscles in his shoulders flexed. His triceps and biceps strained. Sweat made his skin glisten.
“You don’t have to love someone to enjoy yourself with them. It’s totally harmless letting your hair down with Cooper. Besides, what girl in her right mind wouldn’t want to know what it’s like to sleep with a Rockefeller?”
“Don’t say that,” I muttered. “It gives me the creeps. He’s not a Rockefeller.”
“Uh. His birth certificate says otherwise.”
“I know. I meant he’s changed. He’s not his family name. He’s someone else now.”
“Are you romanticizing the player, Piper? This is dangerous territory.”
“No, I’m telling you the truth. I’ve seen the real him over the last few days, and he’s a better man than everyone gives him credit for.”
“So his bravado and general shitty-ness is an act?”
I smiled in spite of myself as Cooper dropped from the chin-up bar. His chest heaved as he took deep breaths, and I remembered the fight this past weekend. “Yes. It’s an act.”
It had been a long time since I was that scared, since the fire at Wyatt’s ranch.
That had been terrifying in other ways. I’d been scared for Wyatt. Scared for his home and his animals. I hadn’t known what would be waiting for me when I reached the blaze, and when I found him at the mercy of the Buck brothers that night, that fear had quickly morphed into fury.
But things on the beach were different.
I’d been afraid for Cooper, certainly. But I’d also been afraid for myself. Once the three men were through with Cooper, I knew they would have turned their sights on me, and I would have found myself in a hell of a lot of trouble very quickly.
If Cooper hadn’t come to my aid, I might very well have been smuggled off the beach by those assholes and then… Well, I didn’t like to think too far down that road.
“He got hurt because of me on Saturday,” I said, tearing my gaze away from Cooper as he dropped out of sight to do some floor exercises.
I could hear Janie chewing on the other end and realized it must be close to lunch time. That explained my growling stomach. “What do you mean?”
I nibbled on the inside of my lower lip for a minute before launching into a play by play of what went down at the beach party. Janie listened silently and refrained from eating. She didn’t ask any questions, and once I was done, she breathed slowly into the line. “Jesus, Piper.”
“I know.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
“You’re sure? That’s scary. Did you call the cops?”
“No.”
“You should.”
“This is his home. I don’t want to stir up more trouble when I’m the one leaving in two weeks. That’s not fair that he has to deal with the repercussions in my absence.”
“They could have assaulted you, Piper. And they did assault Cooper.”
“I know, but—”
“This isn’t an ‘I know but’ situation, Pipes. Fuck these guys. If Cooper hadn’t been there… God, I hate to think of what might have happened. You should call Jackson Lee, too. He might have some advice. Or be able to reach out to the local police.”
“I’ll talk to Cooper about it first.”
“Sooner, rather than later, Pipes. If shit like this isn’t reported right away, it tends to get dismissed. And you’re already past the ideal timeframe.”
I sighed. I should have left this part out of it. “You don’t have to worry about me, Janie. Everything is under control. I’m safe. Cooper’s fine. I can handle this.”
Janie resumed eating her lunch. “I know you can, Pipes. But you shouldn’t have to. I’m sorry that happened.”
“Thanks.”
Janie was quiet for a minute, and I gazed at the pool water reflecting the sun below me. When she spoke, she changed the subject. “Have you talked to your family lately?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m tired of lying to them.”
“Shouldn’t you at least check in?”
“Probably. And I will. Eventually.”
Janie laughed softly on the other end. “It’s your call. Just don’t wait too long, okay? I’m sure they want to hear from you.”
She was right. I was dropping the ball.
I heard Cooper’s bare feet slapping on the patio as he made his way down the length of the pool toward me. I scooped up my phone and took it off speakerphone before lifting it to my ear. “I gotta go, Janie. Sorry. We’ll talk soon?”
“Sounds good. Go get your Rockefeller D.”
“Shut up,” I whispered. Then I ended the call and tossed my phone onto the lounge chair behind me.
Cooper stood above me with his hands on his hips. He was shirtless and in his exercise shorts. His body was covered in beads of sweat and a drop of it dripped off his bruised jaw to land between his feet on the pavement. “Who was that?”
“My friend Janie.”
He nodded as if he knew her. “You know, you’re looking far too dry for such a hot day.”
“Sorry?”
He cracked a grin.
“Wait,” I said, scrambling to get to my feet.
I was too late. Cooper scooped me up like I weighed nothing and, in one smooth motion, swung me out over the pool and released me. I shri
eked and heard his booming laugh right before I plunged under the surface and was engulfed in cool, refreshing pool water.
I spat water out of my mouth when I resurfaced. “You ass.”
Cooper pointed his hands over his head and dove in after me. He swam up beside me, grabbed my ankles, and then came up beside me for air. “I couldn’t help myself. I like you better when you’re wet.”
“Clever,” I said, trying to hide my smile and my reddening cheeks.
“Come here,” he said, reaching for me. He pulled me into him. I didn’t resist. I floated through the water until my breasts were crushed against his chest. He slicked my hair back and ran his thumb along my jaw. “Were you watching me workout?”
“Maybe.”
I liked the way his tattoos looked under the water. It was like they had come to life and were crawling all across his skin.
He pressed his thumb to my bottom lip. “I was watching you, too.”
I ran a hand down his chest, pausing to rest my palm against the bruise right above his ribcage. It had caused him pain over the last couple of days where he’d taken that knee fighting on the beach.
“Hey,” he said softly, calling my attention back up to him. He stroked my cheek. “It’s in the past.”
I nodded and closed my eyes, leaning into his touch.
And then he kissed me. And like every other time this happened, my body responded of its own accord. I opened up to him, draped my arms over his shoulders, and hoped the moment wouldn’t end for a long, long time.
CHAPTER 18
COOPER
Mitch cracked open my fridge and helped himself to a beer. He pulled out a second one for me but put it back when I shook my head. Then he cracked the top and took a sip, pausing to wipe a bit of dribble from his chin.
“Where’s Piper?” he asked as he came around the kitchen island and then joined me in the living room. He dropped heavily into the opposite end of the sofa and took another greedy gulp of his beer.
“Showering.”
“Ah. Yes. How’s she doing?”
“Good, I think,” I said.
He arched an eyebrow.
I chuckled and rubbed absently at my chest. Even though it had been almost a week since the skirmish at the beach party, it was still tender. “She’s good, man. Really good.”
“And things between you guys?”
How did I answer that question?
So much had changed since she first showed up at my place on the first of the month. Mostly my mindset. At that time, I’d been consumed with winning this thing. And my definition of winning was just being the guy she chose at the end. The guy who beat out all the others.
The top dog.
That wasn’t the case now. Winning held weight.
If I won this year’s Casanova Club, that meant Piper and I were getting engaged. And I knew one thing for absolute fucking certain: she deserved better than the likes of me.
Which meant I had already concluded that there would be no winning this.
“Things between us are complicated,” I said finally.
Mitch nodded. “I imagine so. It’s not every day a girl gets to date twelve guys and pick her favorite contender, is it?”
“No. No, it’s not. Hold up. I’ve changed my mind about that beer.” I swung up out of the sofa and fetched myself a can of beer before sitting back down. I took a few gulps to catch up with Mitch. “She’s not going to pick me.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Let me clarify. I won’t let her pick me.”
Mitch licked his lips. “I’m confused.”
“Same, man. Same.”
We both sat in sullen silence for a minute—well, my silence was sullen. I didn’t know what Mitch was thinking.
Then he asked, “Why wouldn’t you let her pick you? I thought this is what you wanted? I thought you were going to show those other posers—”
“Things change.”
“Apparently. Did Lennon hit you that fucking hard the other night?”
I chuckled. “No. This has nothing to do with that.”
“Then what’s the deal?”
I shrugged. “Piper started this because she’s looking for a husband. And she deserves someone by her side with the same values and goals. Someone who will build a life with her. Start a family with her. You know I don’t want any of those things. And I can’t ask her to put her priorities on the backburner for me. Besides,” I paused to drink more, “she’s already in love with someone else.”
“What?”
“I’ve known it for a while.”
“Which guy?”
“Does it matter?”
Mitch shrugged. “I don’t know. Does it?”
“No.”
Mitch eyed me like he suspected I was lying, but in truth, I didn’t give a damn which man had her heart. Whoever he was, I was sure he was one of the good ones. Piper wouldn’t have fallen for someone like Easton. He was too shallow. Too much like me.
Maybe it was the cowboy. I could see that. And I knew most women had a thing for a southern drawl and a guy who looked good in denim and plaid. I had to give it to Wyatt. He looked and sounded the part. The first time I’d met him, I knew he’d be real competition.
Or it might be the writer. She’d been parading around with enough of his books for me to lean that way.
And then there was the fucking Canadian. Too polite and too nice not to like him. Bastard.
None of the others stood out to me. They weren’t as memorable. But that didn’t mean they didn’t stand out to her.
I heard music playing upstairs and knew Piper was out of the shower and putting her makeup on. She loved listening to tunes while she got dolled up. I was smiling to myself, picturing her dancing around her room barefoot and in nothing but her panties and bra, when there was a knock at the front door.
“Be right back,” I told Mitch, leaving my beer on the coffee table.
Whenever there was a knock on my door, it was either Mitch, Luke, Davis, or a lady friend, but I’d told all my lady friends my house was strictly off limits this month. So I’d come to the conclusion that it must be one of my buddies.
It was not.
On my threshold were two police officers in uniform. One man. One woman.
The man hooked a thumb in his belt. “Mr. Diaz?”
“That’s me,” I said, looking back and forth between the two of them. “Can I help you?”
“We’d like to ask you a few questions,” the male cop said. “Is now a good time?”
“Yeah. Sure.” I stepped aside to let them come in and wracked my brain over what this could be about. “Come on in. We can have a seat in the living room if you’d like.”
The female officer brushed past me. “This shouldn’t take long, Mr. Diaz.”
“You can call me Cooper.”
She stared evenly at me. “I’ll stick with Mr. Diaz.”
Tough crowd, I thought as I led them across the foyer and into the living room. When we emerged, Mitch stood up, his face a mask of concern. “Everything all right here, Coop?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Just have to answer a few questions. You should go. I’ll call you later.”
“What’s this about?” Mitch asked.
The male officer took a seat on my sofa, and his partner sat beside him. “This is between us and Mr. Diaz, sir.”
Mitch frowned. “All right. I’ll get out of your way.”
Mitch and I exchanged an uneasy look before he slipped out the back door.
The female officer’s eyes slid to the two cans of beer on my coffee table. “Just a typical Friday afternoon?”
Judgement. Cool. Because I wasn’t used to that.
I sat down across from them. “Just two friends catching up over a beer. Now, what’s this about?”
The male officer couldn’t have been past his mid forties. His blond hair had long since started to turn gray and was cropped short. He had square features, a large nose, and a steady gaze
. The nametag on his uniform read “Jenson”. He leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “We received a call that there was a physical altercation at the beach on Saturday night. Were you there?”
“Yes,” I said.
The female cop, whose tag read “Rico”, lifted her nose at me. “So you were involved in a fight with three males on Saturday?”
“Yes, but—”
Rico held up her hand. “Please, Mr. Diaz, wait until we’re finished. So you confirm that you were involved in a fight with Lennon Roe, Maziar Kessinger, and Thomas Vice?”
This wasn’t going well. I nodded.
“We need verbal acknowledgement, Mr. Diaz,” Rico said flatly.
She was not my number-one fan, clearly. I knew I wasn’t the law’s favorite person on Nassau, but I wasn’t as much of a villain as the three who’d picked a fight on Saturday.
“Yes, your statement is accurate,” I said.
Rico shifted with satisfaction. “Why did you attack Lennon Roe?”
“Wait, hold on—”
“Are you changing your statement?” Rico asked, cocking her head to the side. Her short dark hair fell across her forehead.
“No, I’m—”
“If you’re not changing your statement, please answer the question, Diaz,” Jenson said. His tone was sharp and impatient. His eyes bored holes into me, and I glared right back at him.
Then over their shoulders, I saw Piper coming across the foyer. She shared a look with me, frowned, and then came to sit beside me. The officers stared blankly at her as she put her hand on my shoulder.
“What’s going on?” Piper asked.
Rico looked like she wanted to throttle Piper right then and there. “We’re having a private interview with Mr. Diaz, miss.”
“She can stay,” I said.
Piper smelled like coconut and roses. “Is this about those assholes on the beach the other night?”
“Yes,” I grated. “Jenson and Rico here think I started it.”
“That’s bullshit,” Piper said.
Rico rolled her eyes.
Piper straightened up. “Don’t roll your eyes at me. I was there. The fight started because of me.”
“Come again?” Jenson asked.