by SJ McCoy
Cameron nodded. “I know you’re right.”
“But you’re hoping there’s another way out?”
“Yup.”
“You know I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
“Thanks, Mary El. You’re the best, and I didn’t even ask, are you bringing a date?”
“No. You know me. I’m not very good at those, and besides your delicious cousin is going to be here. I’ll be happy sipping my margarita in the corner and ogling him.”
Cameron laughed. “Did we put Antonio on the same table as you?”
She shook her head rapidly. “No! I’d be tongue tied the whole evening.” She gave him a sly smile. “But I did spend way too much time figuring out where to put him to ensure I had a good line of sight.”
“You’re unbelievable. Why won’t you let me set you up on a date with him?”
“Nooo! Because he’s gorgeous. He’s god-like, and I am a mere mortal.”
“He’s just a guy, Mary El.”
“No. He is not just a guy. He is my fantasy. He’s tall, dark, and handsome; he’s exotic looking and so smart and intense and …” She pretended to drift away, then grinned at him. “I do much better with a fantasy than with reality. I’m much happier admiring him from a distance.”
“Okay, whatever you say.”
“I say let’s turn this conversation back around onto you. You are ready to move into the realms of a new reality with Piper. So, you need to figure out how you’re going to handle all your previous admirers—and her new ones.”
He sighed. “Any ideas?”
“Only what I’ve said. You need to can that jealous streak of yours. And you need to be up front—with her about your past, and with everyone else that she’s your future.”
He met her gaze. He felt like he should say something to refute that. His future? That was a big statement, but he was hoping it was true.
“You want her to be, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I do; but don’t you think it’s a bit early to decide that?”
She shook her head. “Falling in love isn’t a decision that you make with your head according to some predetermined timeline. It’s something that happens inside your heart that you can neither control nor deny.”
“I want to make some smart-ass remark about you being a hopeless romantic, but unfortunately, I think you just hit the nail on the head.”
She grinned. “I know. I’m so happy you’re not denying it, and I think I might have to go and write that down before I forget it.”
He laughed. “Yeah, it’s a good one.”
Mary Ellen looked at her watch. “Are you keeping an eye on the flight tracker? They should be landing soon.”
“I know.” Cameron switched tabs on his computer, and the flight map appeared, showing that the plane had just landed. “I scrambled to minimize that when you came in.”
She laughed. “Why don’t we go on down to the hangar to meet them. I know you’re dying to see Piper, and I can drag Connor and Lyle away for you.”
“Thanks. Let’s go.”
~ ~ ~
Piper let the steps down and stood aside for Connor and Lyle to exit the plane.
“Ladies first,” said Connor with a smile.
“Thanks, but in this situation, I’m your pilot, not a lady, and it should be passengers first.” She gestured for him to go ahead.
“You can’t deny you’re a lady,” said Lyle. “And we’re hoping that the lady will join us for a drink now we’re back.”
She shook her head. They were good guys, they meant well, but she wouldn’t want to go for a drink in any circumstances, and certainly not in these. “Thanks, but …”
“You can’t say no.” Connor gave her a pleading smile. “You’ll break both our hearts.”
Lyle looked up as the hangar door opened and Cameron appeared with Mary Ellen at his side. Piper’s heart leaped at the sight of him. He didn’t smile. If anything, he looked pissed. “Uh-oh,” said Lyle. “If the choice is a broken heart or busted balls, I think I’ll take the former.”
Connor nodded. “We were only being friendly, wanting to welcome you as a new member to the team.”
Piper frowned. She didn’t think they knew about her and Cameron. They’d agreed that it was probably better not to mention it.
“He can be a bit of a stickler about fraternizing with co-workers,” Connor explained.
“Seriously?” She was so surprised, the question came out before she could stop it.
Lyle laughed. “No, not really. He just doesn’t like it when it causes problems. He’s not a hypocrite. He’s done enough fraternizing himself.”
Piper sucked in a deep breath. Of course, he had. He was a womanizer, and she’d do well to remember it. “Are we going to stand up here all evening, or are you two going to go down the steps and let me close up?” Her tone was sharper than she’d intended, but the thought of Cameron and his female employees had jarred her.
She took her time putting the steps back up and closing up the plane. Cameron and Mary Ellen were talking to Connor and Lyle. She wished they’d all just go inside. When she couldn’t delay any longer, she went to join them.
Mary Ellen smiled at her brightly. “It’s good to see you back. How was it?”
She nodded. “It was good.”
Cameron was looking at her, questioning with his eyes whether she was okay.
She smiled. “We had fun, didn’t we guys?”
Cameron scowled as the other two agreed.
“What’s the news on Gene, Cam?” asked Lyle. “Do we get to keep Piper for longer?”
Piper met his gaze, wondering how he’d answer.
“Gene’s going to be out for a while. It’ll be up to Piper how long she stays.” He raised an eyebrow.
She shrugged. “There’s a lot to figure out, isn’t there?”
“There is,” said Mary Ellen brightly. “And I for one hope that he can persuade you to stay. In fact,” she linked her arm through Connor’s and then through Lyle’s, “I think we should make ourselves scarce and leave Cameron to work on persuading her to stay.”
“I’ll volunteer for that assignment,” said Connor. He winked at Piper, and she had to hide a smile at the way Cameron’s eyebrows came down.
Mary Ellen dragged Connor away before Cameron could say anything.
“What do you think?” he asked when they’d gone.
“What about?”
“Do you want to stay on?” He was still tense and seemed angry.
“Not if you’re going to be like that.”
He closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I can be a jealous asshole at times. It’s no excuse, but it’s only because I want you all to myself.”
She smiled. “You do?”
“Yes. I do. What do you say we get out of here? We can go out for dinner if you like, or we can go home.”
“To your place?”
He nodded. “Stay with me?”
“I’d love to. Do you realize I’ve spent every one of the last seven nights in a different bed?”
He chuckled. “I think we need to put a stop to that. I think in the future I’d like you to spend every night in my bed.”
She met his gaze. From the look in his eyes, he wasn’t just talking about sex. But maybe she was getting carried away. “I’d like that.” It was up to him how he interpreted her answer, but she didn’t mean just for the sex either.
When they got to his place, Piper wandered around while he poured them each a glass of wine. It was very tastefully—and expensively—decorated. “Did you have a designer do all this for you?”
He came to her and handed her a glass. “No. It’s all me.” He smiled. “I told you; I’m known for having exquisite taste.”
“Thank you.”
“Do you want me to stay?” She blurted out the question that had been bothering her all the way back to his place. Hell, it’d been bothering her all week. Did he want her here? Did she want to stay? Would
it work between them if she did—or if she didn’t?
A lump of disappointment settled in her stomach when she saw the look on his face. She held up a hand. “It’s okay. I understand. I wasn’t asking you to let me stay. I just wanted to know how you feel.”
He took hold of her hand and led her to the sofa. “I do want you to stay, but it’s complicated.”
She tried to blink the tears that had come out of nowhere. “I know. You’re not supposed to fraternize with your employees.”
He frowned. “Where did that come from? I’m saying what I want from you is complicated, and that I need you to understand who I am—and who I’ve been—before you decide if you want to stay.”
“What do you want from me that’s so complicated? Sex isn’t complicated. We just do it.”
He put his fingers under her chin and tilted her head up until she looked him in the eye. “I know there’s nothing complicated about sex. What’s complicated is that I want so much more than that with you.”
“I want more than that with you, too.”
He smiled. “I was hoping you did, but I wasn’t sure.”
“Well, now you know. But where does it leave us? I could be an employee who you have sex with. It sounds like I wouldn’t be the first.”
He dropped his gaze, but he didn’t disagree.
“But can we be together and me work for you—you be my boss? That doesn’t seem to fit right.”
“I know, but I don’t know what to do about it. If you work here, we get to be together more.”
She nodded. “Have you talked to Smoke? You’re forgetting that right now I work for him, and I won’t leave him in the lurch.”
“Nor would I ask you to. You’re right. We’re getting ahead of ourselves.”
She was glad to drop the subject, but she knew they’d have to face it, and soon.
Chapter Eighteen
Cameron checked his watch. They needed to get going soon, but he didn’t want to rush Piper. She was still upstairs getting ready. He smiled. He was hoping this evening would go as well as the day had. She’d fit right into his life so easily, and he loved having her in it. They’d had a leisurely breakfast this morning, and he’d gone ahead and warned her that she might meet with some resistance from some of the girls tonight. She’d taken it much better than he’d expected. She shrugged and said it was only to be expected. She could handle it.
She’d been more upset when she realized that she had nothing to wear to the dinner. Mary Ellen had stepped in and helped out. She was a mind reader and a miracle worker rolled into one. She’d called Piper and asked if she wanted to go shopping. That had worked out perfectly as Cameron had a few phone calls he needed to make.
Piper and Mary Ellen had returned from their shopping spree with Chelsea in tow, and they’d all hung out for a little while this afternoon. It had been a glimpse of what his life could be like if Piper were here permanently—and he’d loved it.
“Are you ready?” she called down the stairs.
“Yes. Come on down.”
He went to stand at the bottom of the stairs, and the blood rushed through his veins when she appeared at the top. She was stunning. She wore a long, silver, shimmery dress that clung to her voluptuous figure and made him want to go upstairs to join her, instead of taking her out.
“Damn!” he breathed.
Her eyes sparkled when she smiled.
“You like?”
“Like doesn’t even come close! You look amazing!”
She made her way down and stopped at the bottom. “Mary Ellen picked it, I would never have thought of getting something like this, but she dared me to try it on and …” She dropped her gaze. “I feel good in it.”
“So you should.” Cameron made a note to thank Mary Ellen.
“I felt like I needed to look great, you know? I don’t want to feel dowdy when all your glamorous ex-girlfriends come after me with their claws out. I want to feel like their equal.”
He shook his head. “You’re not their equal, Piper. You’re so much more than any of them could ever hope to be. They can’t hold a candle to you.”
She smiled. “That’s a sweet thing to say.”
“I’m not just saying it; it’s true.”
She shook her head. “I scrub up okay.”
He laughed. “We don’t have time to stand around here arguing about it until you can finally accept a compliment. We need to get going. Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
When they pulled up outside the hotel, he looked over at her. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. A little bit nervous, but other than that, I’m fine.”
“You’ve got nothing to be nervous about. I’ll stick to your side as much as I can.”
“Thanks. Don’t worry, though; I know you’ll have to socialize. Mary Ellen and Chelsea have said they’re going to hang with me, too.”
Cameron smiled. He needed to thank both of them.
Once the valet had taken the car, he took hold of Piper’s hand and led her inside. She looked up at him. “You’re sure you don’t mind everyone seeing and knowing that we’re together?”
“It’s what I want. I want everyone to know it.”
Her eyes grew wide as they crossed the foyer and she spotted his parents. She tried to pull her hand away. “Does that include them?” she whispered.
He held tight to her hand and steered her toward them “Especially them.” He already knew his parents liked her.
“But won’t they expect you to be with someone … you know … someone more suitable?”
He shook his head. “Who could be more suitable than the woman I’ve fallen in love with?”
She stopped walking and stared at him. She couldn’t believe he’d said that any more than he could. He’d planned to tell her tonight, but not right now—not at a moment when they couldn’t continue to talk about it because his parents were right there, turning and smiling to greet them.
“Piper!” said his mom. “I’m so glad you’re here, and you look fabulous, darling.”
His dad smiled at her. “The belle of the ball, absolutely.”
Piper smiled at them. She looked shell-shocked. “Thank you. It’s lovely to see you again.”
“Have you made the move?” asked his dad. “Are you here permanently?”
She shook her head and then shrugged. She was totally at a loss, and Cameron felt bad. “No. I don’t know …” She looked up at him, asking him to help her out with an answer, but the answer was all up to her.
He smiled. “I hope so.”
His mom grinned at them seeming to understand that there was more going on than simply the question of whether Piper was going to continue to fly for them.
“I do, too.”
Piper nodded.
Fortunately, his dad was less tuned in to what was really going on. He frowned. “What on earth is Chelsea wearing now?”
“Don’t, Cole,” said his mom. “She looks beautiful.”
Cameron followed their gaze to see Chelsea coming in through the main doors. She was wearing a long flowing dress. It was pretty, but she looked like she’d be more at home in a field full of wild flowers or at some hippy music concert than she did here. He smiled as his mom chuckled. “She’s a free spirit. You can’t deny that.”
His dad shook his head. “I agree. I don’t wish to deny it; I just wish she could conform a little, sometimes. Is appropriate dress too much to ask for?”
Cameron laughed. “It is if you’re asking Chelsea. Come on, Dad. Let it go? Just roll with it for tonight?”
His dad nodded resignedly. “Very well, but can somebody, please, try to talk some sense into her?” He turned to Piper. “I hope you’re going to stick around. I believe you’ll be a good influence.”
Cameron hid his smile as Piper stuttered.
“Evening, everyone.” Chelsea joined them with a bright smile. “Look at you!” She grinned at Piper. “You look amazing.”
“Perhaps she could
give you some tips.”
“Cole!” warned his mom.
Chelsea smiled at her dad and reached up to plant a kiss on his cheek. “Sorry, Pops. I am what I am.” She gave a twirl. “I think this is interesting, and I know you’d rather see me in this than what I wore last year.”
Cameron laughed as his dad groaned. “Last year she wore the minniest mini-dress you’ve ever seen,” he explained to Piper.
Chelsea smiled. “Are we going in?”
“Yes.” Cameron took hold of Piper’s hand again as they went.
Chelsea made a point of looking at their joined hands. “So, are you two officially an item?”
“Yes,” said Cameron firmly. He looked at Piper, and she nodded.
His mom clapped her hands together. “That’s wonderful. I’m so happy for you both.”
Piper smiled, and Cameron was relieved that she looked pleased.
His dad nodded. “I wondered how long it was going to take you.” He winked at Piper. “I told him on the stag night that he shouldn’t let you get away.”
Piper’s eyes widened, and she looked up at Cameron. He smiled and gave her a shrug. He knew he’d have to explain that one later, but for now, it was enough that she looked pleasantly surprised and not horrified.
~ ~ ~
The evening was much more enjoyable than Piper had expected. She and Cameron had been seated with his parents while they ate. She really liked them and was glad that they were nothing like what she’d first imagined. Yes, they were very wealthy and very well-to-do, but they weren’t at all stuffy or snooty. They were fun. She watched Cameron talking to two older gentlemen. He had them laughing and—just like everyone else—they obviously liked and respected him.
She turned as someone came up behind her and leaned on the back of her chair. “How are you holding up? asked Mary Ellen.
“Fine. I’m enjoying myself if I’m honest.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear it.”
“How about you? Where’s this hottie you were telling me about?”
Mary Ellen shook her head rapidly and looked around the table to make sure no one had heard. “Shall we take a trip to the ladies’ room?”