“My practice.”
“Is shut until this calms down. What you’ve dealt with the last couple days is going to look like a company picnic compared to the hoard of vultures about to descend. This story is hitting the Associated Press. It’s going viral.”
Piper threw her hands into the air. “So where am I supposed to go? If it’s viral there’s no place to hide. No place to escape the scrutiny.”
Stone smiled. Any other time the wolfish show of teeth might have given her pause, but right now...the man looked like he was about to go up against his worst enemy and had an ace up his sleeve to guarantee a win. He looked excited, which scared the hell out of her.
“Luckily, I have the perfect spot. The family happens to own a private island in the Caribbean. And a jet to get us there.”
“I’m not going to the Caribbean right now, Stone. Not leaving everyone else to deal with this mess.”
“Trust me, we’re doing everyone a favor by disappearing. Just for a few days. Let the initial frenzy die down. Give us a chance to come up with a media strategy.”
Piper opened her mouth to protest. She didn’t want to form a media strategy, dammit. Especially when Stone wouldn’t stop formulating long enough to listen to what she actually wanted.
“One we can both agree on.” Taking a step closer, Stone held his hands up in front of him. “I promise, Piper. I’m trying to help here. Please, let me.”
The scent of him tortured her. He was so close she could have reached out, pulled him in and brought his mouth to hers. Her lips tingled at the mere suggestion. Her body hummed, energy pulsing just beneath her skin.
How was it she could be so frustrated with him and still need him so badly she could barely think straight?
And he wanted her to go to some private island with him?
Could she resist this driving need if they were alone and she couldn’t escape?
But almost stronger than the need to touch and taste him was the desire to let him help. She wanted to go back to a time in her life when she could lean into his warmth, feel the weight of his arms wrapped around her shoulders and know he could solve anything for her.
But that wasn’t fair to him. And it wasn’t fair to her either. She was strong enough to solve her own problems.
How many times had she looked a patient in the eyes and told them that asking for help wasn’t admitting weakness though? It took great strength to admit you couldn’t handle something on your own and trust someone else to share the burden.
Above anyone else, she trusted Stone to protect her and keep her safe, something she apparently needed right now.
Groaning, Piper closed her eyes. “Fine.”
She just needed to find a way to accept his help without giving in to temptation and doing something stupid. Should be easy, right?
* * *
Being ignored was really starting to piss him off. Maybe Stone was stupid for expecting that Piper’s reluctant agreement to his plan would mean her cooperation with everything else. And it wasn’t like she’d thrown a temper tantrum or anything. She’d simply chosen to pretend he was invisible.
For their six-hour flight she’d waited to choose a seat until he’d sat down...and then picked the chair farthest away from him. And proceeded to open a tablet and not bother to look up again until the wheels touched down on the tarmac.
Transferring from the airport to the docks where they picked up the boat for the ride out to Isle D’Acier had been much the same. If she could avoid direct communication, she had. When that wasn’t possible, single-syllable words had been the extent of her response.
And he’d had it. Stone’s patience was stretched thin and his irritation was about to win out over his temper.
Stone had requested the normal staff be given several days off once the estate had been stocked with the supplies he’d asked for. Considering the viral nature of the story that had hit the streets while they were somewhere high above the Caribbean, he didn’t see the need in providing temptation for any of the staff. They’d been vetted and most had been under the corporation’s employ for years.
But money was always a motivating factor that was often difficult to ignore. Stone wasn’t in the mood to take any chances. Privacy was a better option right now.
And that meant there wouldn’t be an audience for the clash that had been brewing for the last several hours.
Stone held the front door to the ten-thousand-square-foot estate open and gestured Piper through. She skirted around him, making damn sure her body didn’t come close enough to touch him.
That didn’t stop the buzz of awareness from crackling across his skin as if she had. Stone’s fist tightened around the edge of the door, the corners biting into his flesh and helping to ground him.
A few feet inside, Piper dropped the bag she’d slung across her shoulder onto the sideboard in the entrance. Spinning on her heel, she braced her feet wide and tipped her head to the side. “Point me in the direction of my room, please.”
Her body language said she was perfectly aware of the energy brewing between them. Her words suggested she planned to ignore it and pretend it didn’t exist. Her strategy of choice tonight.
The restless energy beneath his skin said that ship had sailed hours ago.
Stalking forward, Stone let the front door slam shut behind him, plunging the entrance into a gloomy darkness. To her credit, Piper didn’t bother to move a muscle as he invaded her personal space.
“Stop acting like the six-year-old brat you never actually were, Piper. You’re better than that.”
A harsh sound scraped through her throat. “Apparently not. I’m not in the mood right now, Stone. Tell me where my room is. From the looks of this place, it’s big enough we should be able to avoid each other for the next several days.”
Yeah, that wasn’t going to work for him.
“Are we just going to ignore what happened?”
To her credit, she didn’t attempt to pretend not to understand what he was talking about. “Nothing happened. You said yourself that you’ve been without a woman for ten years. That’s a long time. Especially for someone with your appetites.”
“What do you know about my appetites?”
She shrugged. “Let’s just say your reputation was well-known, even to me. Honestly, it was embarrassing when I was younger. Do you know how many girls approached me looking for information on how to bag the legendary Anderson Stone?”
The ripe bitterness in her voice surprised him. Rocking back on his heels, he asked, “Why didn’t you ever say something?”
“What the hell was I supposed to say, Stone? That it bothered me whenever someone shared some tidbit of gossip about your latest sexual conquest? Would that have changed anything? Made you stop? I don’t think so.”
Stone reached for her. He wasn’t sure why or what purpose he hoped to achieve. No, that wasn’t true. He wanted to soothe away the echo of the pain he’d had no idea he was indirectly inflicting all those years ago.
But she flinched away, rejecting what he was offering.
Balling his fist, Stone let it drop back to his side. “I’m sorry.”
A tiny huff of humor pushed through her open lips. “For what exactly?”
“Hurting you.”
“Sure. It’s easy to say that now. The problem is you don’t realize you’re still doing it. I’m not sure you know how to stop. So, where’s my room?”
The irritation he’d been nursing for hours, building into a roiling ball of righteous indignation, crumbled away to nothing leaving him stupefied and uncertain. Both things he didn’t particularly relish.
“You take the master. It’s down the second hall to the right at the very end.”
Piper spun on her heel and took several steps before stopping suddenly. Without turning, she asked, “Where are you staying?”
“The room next door.”
Her head dropped. The long line of her light brown hair brushed across her back. The light caught highlights of gold, making it glint and drawing him unwittingly closer. Stone wanted to bury his hands deep in the strands, to tip her head back and claim her mouth. To touch her and tame her. Soothe her and promise he wouldn’t hurt her again—intentionally or unintentionally.
But he stopped himself. Because right now, that’s not what she wanted from him.
“I’ll move to another room.”
“No. I will.”
Twisting her head, she looked at him over her shoulder. She hadn’t taken the time to put on makeup before they’d left and for the first time in years he could see the freckles that sprinkled across her pert little nose.
He loved those freckles. Before, they’d been a sign that beneath the layer of her seriousness, she was still a little girl. When she’d gotten older, he’d needed that reminder to keep his own needs in check.
Now...he simply wanted to kiss every damn one so he could never forget the taste of her skin.
“Will you?”
“Yes.”
Finally, she nodded and walked away.
* * *
True to his word, she hadn’t heard or seen Stone all night. Wherever he’d settled, it hadn’t been close to her.
And, no, she wasn’t irritated that he’d finally listened to her and done what she’d asked. Not at all. It didn’t bother her that she’d had to roam the huge house alone in order to find the kitchen and make herself something to eat.
Whoever had stocked the estate had outdone themselves. It wasn’t like she’d spent hours in the kitchen slinging pots and pans—although maybe that would have been a good thing. At least, it would have kept her busy and her mind from wandering.
To Stone.
She’d had an assortment of prepared meals to choose from. So she’d taken the most amazing spiced chicken with some sort of salad back to her room and had eaten it standing in the doorway of her private patio, staring at moonlight streaming across the sand and water.
And, nope, she didn’t think about how amazing it would have felt skinny-dipping in that warm water.
With Stone.
Not once.
Her “not-thinking” hadn’t helped her restless night. She’d slept poorly and was cranky this morning. Coffee was definitely on the agenda. And since she was stuck on this private prison for the next several days, she’d decided to enjoy herself.
She’d spent the plane ride over trying to take care of all her patients. She’d contacted an old friend who was going to see those who couldn’t afford to miss sessions. He’d also agreed to be on call for the others in case something came up. For the first time since she’d opened the doors to her practice, she had no responsibilities.
And it felt entirely weird.
Which was also probably contributing to her restlessness and irritation. Piper knew herself well enough to recognize that she didn’t operate well without a task to accomplish. So she was going to concentrate on figuring out how to relax. This was going to be good for her.
Grabbing a banana from a bowl on the large kitchen island and a huge mug of coffee, Piper slipped back to her room. Staring at the suitcase she’d packed, she cursed Stone once more. He’d barely given her twenty minutes to throw things together and since it wasn’t like she prepared for a Caribbean vacation often, she’d completely forgotten to grab a swimsuit.
Just for kicks, Piper walked into the large dressing room attached to the master suite and simply stood there staring. An entire array of clothes filled the space.
At first Piper thought they were Stone’s mother’s, but after a few seconds she realized all of them had tags hanging from the garments. They were new.
She was going to kill him if he’d asked the staff to stock this closet for her. It was too damn much.
But that didn’t mean she was above taking advantage of the one thing she actually needed. Moving to a built-in, she opened several drawers, certain she’d eventually find what she was looking for. And wasn’t disappointed when one drawer revealed a handful of swimsuit choices in every color and cut.
Piper grabbed several, shed her clothes and started to try them on. She shouldn’t have been surprised when they were all in her size and fit perfectly.
The first was a one-piece that might have been considered modest if the hips hadn’t been cut high enough to reveal half the swell of her butt cheeks and the front hadn’t been cut in a V so low that the tip touched her belly button. There was no way she was wearing that anywhere. The next choice was a two-piece, a little more conservative, but the bright stripes just didn’t fit her.
The last one though...
Piper stared at herself in the full-length mirror for several moments wondering if she had the courage to wear it out. No, that wasn’t quite right. She had the courage...she just wasn’t sure the move would be smart.
The suit was a deep sapphire blue that somehow managed to make her eyes pop even though she hadn’t bothered to put on any makeup. The top might have been conservative except for the straps that crisscrossed over her chest in a way that drew attention to the deep cleavage it managed to create. The bottoms covered her ass, but rode low enough on her hips to give the impression they might just slip off at any moment and leave her naked.
She should try something else. No doubt about it.
But she didn’t want to.
This suit made her feel sexy, something she hadn’t realized was missing in her life until right that moment.
Screw it, she was going to wear it.
Snatching up a beach towel from the stack left in the bathroom, Piper pushed open the sliding glass door and walked onto the beach. The sand, still cool from the night, gave way beneath her feet.
All around her, wild vegetation ran rampant, Mother Nature trying to reclaim what Stone’s family had attempted to tame. At least for a while.
Piper stood at the edge of the water. She was completely alone. It was an unusual sensation. Even in her cottage, she was cognizant of the fact that she wasn’t ever truly alone. Her parents were never far away. And the surveillance cameras on the property meant someone was always aware of her comings and goings. Even at her office, her staff was there, anticipating her needs and providing their help.
But here...she was.
Tipping her head back, Piper closed her eyes and just breathed. So much had been happening in the last few days that she hadn’t taken the time to simply be.
Cool water lapped at her feet, swirling around her ankles before being pulled back out again. The soft sand shifted beneath her, allowing her feet to sink deeper and deeper until she was afraid she might be stuck.
Maybe that wouldn’t be such a terrible thing.
Peace washed over her with every lap of a wave and Piper soaked up every second.
She had no idea how long she stood there. But she did know the exact moment she was no longer alone.
The weight of his gaze on her was tangible. Energy raced up her spine and sped through her veins. No one except Stone had ever made her feel this way, restless and awakened and yearning all at once.
It was seriously inconvenient and annoying.
“Do you want me to leave?”
Did she?
“No.” The answer was simple, the reason behind it not so much. “It’s your house, you can stand on the beach if you want.”
But that didn’t mean she had to. Turning, she started back toward the house, but Stone shifted, putting himself straight in her path.
“Stay.”
He didn’t touch her. In fact, he remained several feet away from her. Hands shoved into the pockets of his loose athletic shorts, his posture was far from intimidating.
But it didn’t matter.
Stone’s gaze quickly skimmed down
her body, leaving her breathless and aching. Never in her life had she felt more naked. Which was laughable since she’d thrown on a flimsy, flowing cover-up that hid everything.
“That’s not a good idea,” she finally answered.
“Why?”
“Because I’m still angry with you.”
“Maybe, but when has that stopped you? It’s not like I haven’t managed to piss you off multiple times before.”
“Somehow, I don’t think this equates to the time you put blue Silly String in my hair.”
Suddenly, his warm eyes began to twinkle. Laughter brightened his face, even if the sound didn’t actually come out of his mouth. She’d do anything to make him laugh. The thought was a shot through her brain before it could even register.
There was such a difference between the man standing before her and the one she’d seen in the library the night of the party. Or the one who’d coerced her into coming here yesterday. Piper was fully aware of the rough edge prison had given Stone, but never more than in that moment. The difference made her heart ache.
Because it shouldn’t be.
“You were so mad.” He took several steps forward, closing the gap between them. A half smile on his lips, he picked up a strand of her hair and ran it through his fingers. Piper fought back the shiver that tripped down her spine.
“I’d just spent the better part of an hour curling my hair so it would be perfect when Jeremy Rivers came over to work on our group project. Something you knew.”
“I didn’t know you’d gone all girl on me. You’d never given a damn before then.”
“Bull. You knew.”
The smile faded. His gaze skipped from his fingers tangled in her hair to snag her eyes. The punch of it made her stomach flip. Piper swallowed, her throat working hard against the sudden dryness.
“You’re right. I was jealous as hell. You’d never taken ten minutes to do your hair for me.”
If he only knew. But making that confession probably wouldn’t be smart. So Piper had no idea why her mouth opened and whispered words fell out.
The Rebel's Redemption Page 9