by SJ McCoy
Piper rolled her eyes at Cameron. “Glad he finally remembered!”
Cameron chuckled.
When they were all in Papa Charlie, Smoke smiled at Piper. “Thanks, Piper, you’re the best. I think you know you’re not flying us back though, right?”
Piper laughed. “I suspected as much.” She looked at Laura. “I don’t think I’m taking the right seat either, am I?”
Laura shook her head. “No. That’s my seat for this flight.”
And that was as it should be. Piper was glad she’d been able to get the plane here for them, but now it was up to Smoke to get his bride to the church on time. She didn’t have a problem sitting back here in the cabin. She just hoped that Cameron would be his fun, friendly, attentive self. If he was going to be the sexy, flirty version, then she might not be able to stop herself. She’d kept trying to distract herself, but the man was gorgeous, and in that tux, he was doing weird things to her insides.
~ ~ ~
Cole raised an eyebrow at Cameron. He was asking if he minded sitting back here with Piper for the flight back to the lake. Mind? He nodded. Of course, it was fine. It was more than fine. He hadn’t been able to take his eyes off her since she’d opened the door and let the steps down when she landed the plane. He’d always thought it was cool that she was a pilot. But seeing her fly in to the rescue did something weird to him. If he thought about it too hard, he might have to admit that in his mind, when someone flew in to save the day, it was a guy, rescuing his woman. It turned him on no end that Piper, beautiful, petite Piper was the hero in this scenario.
He made a conscious effort to pull himself together. Piper had already taken a seat in one of the big club chairs and was fastening her seat belt. He eyed the two seats opposite her, but instead, took the one next to her. She looked so good, and she smelled so good, he realized as he sat down. He just wanted to be close to her.
Her eyes were wide as she looked up at him. They weren’t wide with surprise, though. He understood as he breathed in the scent of her that what he saw in her eyes was desire. Why the hell had he kept holding back? They could have spent last night together. They could have spent the last two weekends together. What was his problem? He didn’t know, and he didn’t care anymore. Whatever it had been, he was over it. Tonight, at the wedding reception, he was going to dance with her; he was going to hold her against him, and afterward, he was going to take her back to her room—or his—it didn’t matter. He was going to peel that dress off her and explore the body underneath it. That body had been taunting him for weeks now. He was ready to surrender, and he could tell she was, too.
The airplane thundered down the runway, and soon they were up in the sky above Vegas. The plane banked to the right, and they were on their way. He looked past Piper and out the window. Her cheeks turned pink as he deliberately leaned across her and pointed. “See the mountains?”
She nodded and then turned back to face him. Her eyes searched his.
He felt pretty dumb. She could hardly look out the window and not see the mountains. “They’re beautiful,” he murmured.
She nodded again.
“You’re beautiful,” he breathed.
This time she didn’t nod. She closed her eyes and then opened them again. “Cameron, what are you doing?”
He smiled. “Making a fool of myself?”
“It feels more like you’re making a fool of me.”
Damn! That wasn’t his intention. “No. Piper, no. I … I like you.”
“I like you, too.”
He reached up and touched her face, and she pressed her cheek into his palm. “I don’t want to complicate things.”
She ran her tongue across her bottom lip. “Why does it have to be complicated?”
He shrugged. He didn’t even know, and he was tired of trying to figure it out. He slid his fingers into her hair and leaned closer. She leaned toward him, and he watched her lips until he brushed them with his own. Her hand came up and clung to his shoulder, and he was lost. He covered her mouth with his and kissed her. Finally. She kissed him back. There was nothing hesitant about it. She pressed her lips to his, and when he slid his arm around her to draw her closer, she gave a little moan. That set his body on fire, and he let himself go. He explored her mouth and slid his hand down her back; she pulled him closer and pressed her breasts against his chest. Damn! The feel of her drove him crazy. She was so soft and so willing. When she finally pulled away from him, he felt bereft. He wanted to pull her back in, kiss her some more, listen to her soft moans and look forward to hearing more of them—tonight.
Reluctantly, he sat back and met her gaze. Would he get to hear her moan again tonight?
She smiled. “What took you so long?”
He chuckled. “What took you so long?”
“I wasn’t sure if I was reading you right. I thought you were …” she shrugged, “but then you kept flipping the switch.”
He nodded. He couldn’t deny it. “Not because I don’t like you.”
“Why then?”
He wasn’t sure he could explain it, wasn’t sure he even knew, but from on the look on her face he knew had to try. “Because, according to my assistant, I’m a womanizer.”
She gave him a puzzled look, and he waited, wondering why he’d told her that and what her reaction might be. It wasn’t anything he might have expected. “So, womanize me,” she said with a laugh.
He shook his head. “You’re not that kind of girl.”
“What makes you say that?”
“I don’t know. You just don’t strike me as the kind of girl who …” How could he put it?
“Who what?”
He shrugged.
She smiled. “You’re scared if you sleep with me, I’ll want something more?”
He shook his head. That wasn’t it, was it? No, it wasn’t. To him sleeping with women was a game he played—and the women he played it with were players. Piper wasn’t a player. Her smile was fading. He had to say something. “You’re a good girl.”
She laughed. “And you don’t like good girls?”
“I like you.”
“But you only hook up with bad girls?”
Cameron frowned. Was that it? It seemed he was taking too long, she was starting to look pissed. He had to say something. “I only hook up with girls who …” How to finish that sentence?
“Girls who what?”
He racked his brain, trying to figure out what the truth was, not just so he could answer Piper, but also so he could understand it for himself. He was shocked when understanding finally dawned. “Girls who I wouldn’t want to date.”
She frowned. “What?”
He gave her a sheepish grin. “Sorry, but it’s true. The women I know enjoy hooking up just for the sake of hooking up.”
“And you see me as a good girl, so you don’t think I’d want to do that?”
“Do you?” Maybe she did. Maybe he had the wrong idea about her.
She stared at him.
“When was the last time you just hooked up with some someone?”
She shrugged, and he knew he was right about her. Larissa and all the other girls he knew would have named a day within the last week. He was sure of it.
“When was the last time you did?”
He had to think about it. He’d spent that weekend with Larissa. That had been the weekend before he’d gone to Summer Lake for the first time to visit Cole. The weekend before he’d met Piper. “Three weeks ago,” he said. He wasn’t going to mention any of the offers he’d had since then—or the fact that he’d had no interest in any of them because he couldn’t get Piper out of his head.
She frowned.
“Does that put you off me?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No. It doesn’t bother me in the slightest. Well, that’s not quite true. It bothers me that since then, you’ve had the chance to hook up with me every weekend, yet you’ve walked away every time.”
“I don’t know how to explain it.
”
“Then don’t bother.” She gave him a resigned smile. “It’s not a big deal, is it?” She made to pull away from him, but he tightened his arm around her and drew her closer again.
“It doesn’t have to be.” He leaned in, wondering if she was still interested or if she’d given up on him.
“No?” She was looking up into his eyes.
“No,” he said as he lowered his lips and brushed them across hers. “Not if you give me a chance to make up for all that lost time.”
Her arms came up around his shoulders, and if her kiss was her answer, then it seemed she was eager to make up for the time they’d lost.
His hands moved over her; he couldn’t help himself. He’d wondered about her body since he first met her. Now he finally got to touch her, even though it was through her bridesmaid’s dress.
When they finally came up for air again, she leaned back and looked him in the eye.
“What?” he asked.
“I just want to be certain I understand what’s going on here.”
“What’s the question?”
She shrugged, and he guessed she was maybe too embarrassed to ask it.
“Yes, I like you,” he said. “Yes, I’m attracted to you.” Her lips twitched into a smile. “Yes, I’m hoping that you do want to.”
She met his gaze. “Want to what?” She raised an eyebrow.
“Dance with me later,” he said with a grin.
“I might.” He loved the way her eyes sparkled. She was playing with him now.
“What else?”
She shrugged. “What else are you hoping?”
“I guess we’ll have to wait and see, won’t we?”
“I guess we will.”
He slid his hand into her hair and tipped her head back, so she was looking up into his eyes. “I can’t wait,” he breathed.
She nodded and moistened her lips with her tongue. “Me neither.” He lowered his head to her again. He needed to taste her lips. He hadn’t lied when he said he couldn’t wait. He’d love nothing more than to get her out of that bridesmaid’s dress right now. Unfortunately, he’d have to wait. He could hardly ask her to join the mile-high club with him right now—not with his brother flying the plane and with the possibility that Laura could open the cockpit door at any moment. He’d have to make the most of just kissing her for now. Her kisses were intoxicating—and addictive. Every time he lifted his head, he was soon leaning in for more. He hadn’t kissed a woman like this in years, probably not since he was a teenager. Maybe it was because he could normally get a woman naked and underneath him, or maybe it was something about her. Like he’d told Cole, there was something innocent about her. The way she kissed him made him want to keep kissing her; it wasn’t just a locking of lips while he undressed her. It was more than that, but he couldn’t explain just what it was.
She had her fingers tangled in his hair, and she moaned into his mouth as he tormented her breast through her dress. She had the most amazing, full round breasts. He couldn’t wait to get to them to explore them with his mouth and his tongue. He froze at the sound of Cole clearing his throat. Piper went still for a second, and then they sprang apart.
He gave Cole and Laura an apologetic look. Damn! He’d intended to have himself back under control long before they landed. Beside him, Piper kept her gaze down and straightened her dress. He hoped that being caught like that wouldn’t put her off him completely. As far as he was concerned, they were just getting started. He’d love to continue this as soon as they could be alone together.
“Sorry to disturb you,” said Cole with a laugh. “But it’s showtime. We’re back, and we all need to get to the church.”
Chapter Seven
Piper sat down and gratefully took a long cool drink of water. Kenzie came and sat down beside her.
“How are you doing?” she asked.
“Wonderfully, thanks.”
The wedding reception was in full swing, and it was fun to watch everyone out on the dance floor.
Kenzie grinned. “I think I’d be doing wonderfully too if I were you.”
“Oh yeah? And why’s that?”
Kenzie laughed. “You know damned well why. For all your bleating about not knowing if Cameron’s interested, I think you have your answer now.”
Piper smiled. She did. She looked over to where he was standing talking to Jack and Pete. He turned as if he felt her gaze on him, and smiled. She sucked in a deep breath. He sure was sexy, and throughout the afternoon and evening, he’d taken every little opportunity to let her know that he’d meant what he’d said earlier. There was no flip switch to turn him off anymore. It seemed he was very much turned on to her.
The wedding had been beautiful. Piper was so happy for Laura and Smoke, and Cameron obviously was, too. He’d taken his duties as best man very seriously, and especially the part about being paired with the maid of honor. He’d stayed by her side whenever he could, and when she’d gone to dance with the girls, or he was chatting with people like he was now, he kept seeking her out with his gaze, and when he found her letting her know that he was still looking forward to later.
“Oh my God!” said Kenzie. “You totally just zoned me out while you two were staring into each other’s eyes!”
Piper laughed. She couldn’t deny it. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. What I want to know is why you’re still here? I’d have dragged him back to my room by now if I were you, made him make good on all those promises.”
“What promises?”
Kenzie laughed. “Every time he looks at you, he’s making a promise that he’s going to screw your brains out just as soon as he can get you out of here.”
Piper laughed. “You think?”
“I know—and so do you!” Kenzie pushed at her arm. “Why don’t you go and grab him and get on with it?”
“I couldn’t. He couldn’t. We can’t just sneak out on the wedding reception.”
Kenzie shook her head. “You can bet your ass Smoke and Laura would.”
“No.” Piper would love to do as Kenzie said—go grab Cameron and drag him off to her room, but she knew the time would come. She didn’t want to miss this. She wanted to be here for Laura. “I can’t just duck out on my bridesmaid’s duties.” She winked at Kenzie. “And besides, we’ve got all night.”
Kenzie laughed. “That’s the spirit.”
They both looked up as Cameron approached the table. Piper couldn’t drag her eyes away from him. His jacket was gone, and she’d never seen a guy look so damned sexy in a dress shirt. It stretched over his muscular torso, and he’d rolled up the sleeves a little way. His forearms did funny things to her insides. His hands looked so big. A shiver of anticipation ran through her at the thought that those hands had been on her breasts earlier today—and they would be again later. This time with no clothes to hinder them.
“Do you want to dance with me?” he asked when he reached them.
She nodded and took the hand he offered to pull her to her feet. She looked back and chuckled at Kenzie who muttered “Horizontally.” As they walked away.
Once they were out on the dance floor, Piper was glad that the music had slowed. He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. She was relieved. A part of her had been curious whether he’d want to hide what was going on between them. After all, so many people—including his parents—were here. She placed her hands on his shoulders and smiled up at him.
He raised an eyebrow and looked sad.
“What’s the matter?”
“Aren’t you going to come any closer?” He tightened his arms around her waist and pressed his hips against her. She drew in a sharp breath at the feel of his arousal.
She looked up into his eyes, and his smile left no doubt about what he wanted. She stepped closer, sliding her arms up around his neck and pressing the full length of her body against him.
He lowered his eyelids for a moment and let out a sigh. “Damn, you feel good.”
She ran her tongue over her bottom lip. “You have no idea how good I feel.”
He grinned and slid a hand down over her ass, pressing himself against her so she could feel the effect her words had on him. “I’m looking forward to finding out.”
She hadn’t meant it like that. She’d meant he didn’t know how good he made her feel—but he thought she was bragging about how good she would feel to him when he … when they … later! She tightened her arms around his neck, mostly for support, since she felt like she might melt into a puddle at his feet if he kept swaying his hips against hers like that.
His eyes twinkled as he looked down at her. He thought she was encouraging him. Hell, she was.
She was sad when the song came to an end. Dancing with him like that was the most intimate she’d been with a man in over a year—and she was the most turned on she’d been in many years. Maybe ever.
She loosened her arms, expecting him to step away from her, but her held her closer and shook his head.
“No?” she asked.
“No.” He smiled down at her. “I can’t believe what an idiot I’ve been, letting you get away from me the last couple of weekends. This time, there’s no way I’m letting go of you until I get you back to your room.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“Or my room. Wherever. I wish we could leave now, but we should stay until Cole and Laura call it a night. So, until they do, I’m going to do anything I can to keep you in my arms.”
Piper closed her eyes and shook her head.
“What? Did I say something wrong?”
“No. You said everything right. I think your assistant might be right.”
“About what?”
“That you’re a womanizer. You know the exact right thing to say to get a girl dropping her panties for you.” She was trying to make light of the effect his words had on her. The thought of him wanting to keep her in his arms made her heart melt—and her panties wet. She couldn’t fall for it, though. If he was that kind of guy, he’d always know the right thing to say to get into her panties, and she’d do well to remember that. She looked up into his eyes, expecting to see him laughing or maybe looking guilty that she saw through him. Instead, he looked hurt.