She laughs, and then cringes when the doctor tells her to hold still, and puts in another stitch.
Kim leans in, whispering something to Piper that I can’t hear, before letting go of her hand, backing away. She grabs Jimmy and drags him from the room, flashing me a smile as she walks past.
Once they’re gone, I move further into the room, taking up Kim’s place beside Piper. She reaches her hand out to me, and it shakes slightly when I grasp onto it, squeezing it with both my hands.
The next two hours are a blur of doctors and police officers. Cruz takes her statement, and as I listen to her recount the incident, I don’t know whether to be amazed with her, or furious with Jimmy.
Mostly, I’m pissed off at myself for not being there to protect her.
Cruz assures her that Tara’s in lock-up. There’s a chance she’ll make bail and someone will post it, but he guarantees that an emergency restraining order will be put in place to protect her. Not that it matters; I’m not letting her out of my sight anytime soon.
Jase and Wes show up sometime during the statement taking and Elena is with them. I’m not entirely sure how Piper feels about the audience, but she seems to take it all in stride, smiling at everyone, thanking them for coming and telling them not to worry.
When she’s finally released, I help her out to the truck. She’s limping and I try to carry her, but the stubborn woman keeps shoving me away, telling me she’s fine.
“You scared me, freckles,” I say quietly, once I have her alone in my truck.
She looks at me, and her smile wavers. “I scared me, too. Hitting someone with a frying pan is harder than you think. I almost dropped the damn thing.”
“Don’t joke,” I say. “This isn’t funny.”
“Vance …”
My mouth tightens as she tries to say something, and I hold up my hand and look her right in the eyes. “I love you. I didn’t realize how much, how deep, until I got that call from Kim, but fuck, Piper, I love you.”
She returns my look, her eyes holding steady, and she smiles.
That smile … It’s so damn pretty.
And then she says, “I know you do.”
Epilogue
About three months later …
Piper
Vance shifts beside me and his hands slide between my thighs, pushing my legs apart.
Cracking one eye open, and then the other, I look up at him as he moves his big body between my legs. “What time is it?” I ask, my voice thick and scratchy with sleep.
He doesn’t respond, merely smirks, placing a kiss on my belly, before pushing my legs open wider, and his tongue grazes over my clit. He licks and sucks, and in no time at all, I’m gasping and tugging at his hair, pleasure sweeping through me as I shudder through my orgasm.
Vance doesn’t give me a second to catch my breath, before he climbs on top of me. He takes his time inside me, though, not rushing, but not hesitating either. His lips never leave my skin as he fills me over and over again.
It’s beautiful.
And the sound he makes, that deep groan as he comes …
He’s beautiful.
“Best wake up ever,” I mumble against his shoulder as he rolls off me.
Vance chuckles, wrapping his arms around me as I snuggle in beside him.
“Don’t get too comfy,” he says. “It’s seven-thirty.”
My brow furrows, his words not quite registering with me. “What?”
“You asked what time it is,” he replies, a hint of amusement in his voice. “It’s seven-thirty, which means we’ve got thirty minutes to shower, get dressed, and get down to the office.”
Crapsicles!
We’re going to be late!
We’re opening up the new PRG Investigations office today, and we’re supposed to be meeting the guys and Elena at the doors for eight o’clock sharp.
Jumping up in a flurry of motion, I rush to the bathroom, but I don’t hear Vance move, and I stall, glancing back at him. “Get up,” I say. “We can’t be late for this.”
“We’ve got lots of time.” His voice is amused, and so are his eyes, but his expression is soft and sweet.
It makes my belly flutter and I like it—a lot.
“No we don’t,” I say, shaking my head, flustered as I move into the bathroom and turn on the shower, Vance’s laughter following me.
God, I love that laugh.
It hasn’t been all laughs and fun these last few months since my troubles ended, but it has been one hell of a ride. It’s been amazing and a little scary, but mostly, perfect—even when it’s not so perfect.
The trial against Tara was fairly easy to go through. I thought I would have to testify, and deal with a long and drawn out process, but she pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in prison for vandalism, assault with a weapon, and arson of an inhabited structure.
Vance’s schedule is still crazy, and he runs off at all hours, but it doesn’t matter. We never spend a night apart. My place ... His place ... One of us is always in the other’s bed, but that doesn’t matter, either. I don’t care where we are as long as I wake up with him beside me.
Vance comes into the bathroom, pulling the shower curtain open and jumping in with me. He turns me to him, moving me back against the tiled wall, and without further warning, he kisses me, long and deep, with lots of tongue, his hands curling over my butt.
It makes me dizzy.
When his mouth pulls away, he rests his forehead against mine, his hands moving up my back, as he looks me straight in the eyes.
“Love you, Piper,” he murmurs.
I smile, my heart beating wildly. He says it every day, but I swear each time I hear it, it feels like the first time. “Love you more.”
He chuckles and rubs his nose against mine, before backing up a step and picking up the shampoo.
It’s nearly ten minutes after eight when we reach the new office. We have to park around the corner, and make our way through the early morning rush to the building. The location is awesome, and the guys are going to be even busier than they already are when it takes off.
Jase is on the sidewalk, leaning against the door with Elena in his arms. When she sees me, she gives me a wave and smiles.
“Hey, Pipes,” she says, but she barely gets the words out, over a sudden squeal of tires.
We all turn to look at the street as the sound of metal crashing together hits us, and see a shiny gray Mazda, smashed right into the back of Wes’s car.
The driver’s side door opens and a tall blonde-haired woman jumps out of the car. “Shit, shit, shit,” she chants, making her way toward Wes as he opens his door and gets out. “I’m so …” Her voice trails off, her footsteps stalling suddenly, and her body jerks back a step. “Shit. Of course it’s you.”
Wes straightens up and clears his throat, rubbing the back of his neck as he eyes her warily. “Sarah?”
His voice is strangled, and his expression, dumbfounded. I’ve never seen him look so … insecure.
She walks straight up to him, hands on her hips and scowls. “Wesley.”
Vance tenses at my side, and Jase and Elena go perfectly still as we watch them stare at each other, or rather glare at each other, nose to nose, neither of them saying a word. The woman—Sarah—looks furious, which is entirely ridiculous because she’s the one who rear-ended Wes, but Wes ... Well, Wes looks like he’s either going to pass out or throw up.
What the heck is happening here?
“Shit,” Jase mutters under his breath, exchanging a look with Vance that I can’t even begin to read.
“Who’s that?” Elena mock whispers, nudging Jase with her shoulder.
“That,” Jase says, “is Sarah Parker, Wes’s high school girlfriend. She ripped his heart out a few years back, took off with some guy in the middle of the night, not even leaving a note.”
“Are you serious?” I whisper, looking from Vance to Jase.
Vance nods.
“She’s gorgeous,??
? Elena says.
Vance laughs, so does Jase, as they both move toward Wes, and Elena turns to me and says, “Huh, this should be interesting.”
Acknowledgments
An enormous thank you goes to my family and friends. You all are the best support group I could ever ask for. Thank you so much for your encouragement and patience as I worked through the writing process. I love you all.
To my editor, Kathryn, I couldn’t have finished this book without you. Thank you for your patience and hard work. You are an invaluable member of my team and I’m so glad to have you.
And to my husband, Jordan, thank you for believing in me.
But most of all, I would like to thank the readers, reviewers, and bloggers for your support and for sharing your love of books. You all are the reason I keep writing.
About The Author
Ashley Stoyanoff is an author of romance novels for young adult and new adult readers, including The Soul’s Mark series and the Deadly Trilogy. She lives in Southern Ontario with her husband, Jordan, and two cats: Tanzy and Trinity.
In July 2012, Ashley published her first novel, The Soul’s Mark: FOUND, and shortly thereafter, she was honored with The Royal Dragonfly Book Award for both young adult and newbie fiction categories.
An avid reader, Ashley enjoys anything with a bit of romance and a paranormal twist. When she’s not writing or devouring her latest read, she can be found spending time with her family, watching cheesy chick flicks or buying far too many clothes.
Ashley loves hearing from her readers, so feel free to connect with her online.
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Ashley Stoyanoff, Play It Again
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