“That’s right.” Jules gets in my face again. “So take your come-burping gutter slut self the hell off our property!”
My hand rises to slap her, and Scarlett catches me by the wrist. “That’s what she wants. She’s dying to have you booked on assault. You’ve said your peace. Let’s get out of here.”
We take off, and even though my body is still shaking, still craving one serious smackdown, I feel light as a feather. For the first time, I actually feel free from all the bullshit Alpha Chi has embroiled us in from the beginning.
Sometimes a peaceful ending is exactly what’s needed.
Or at least it will be once the end arrives—and when it does, Alpha Chi won’t know what hit them.
Owen
A week goes by, and Piper helps shut down Alpha Chi on the eve of homecoming.
“Remind me to never piss you off,” I say as we sit across the street in my truck, watching as dozens of girls move out of the overgrown house. The school has frozen its status until further notice.
“Too late for that, but you’re one of the lucky ones. You managed to survive.” She wraps her arms around me as we watch the endless parade of furniture shuffled to the street.
“Piper, can I ask what happened in high school?”
She takes a huge breath that sounds as if it might never end. “I had a couple of friends just like Jules and Lucille who tried to get me to play a revenge prank on their boyfriends.” She sniffs back tears, that faraway look in her eyes lets me know she’s right back there, reopening the wound and soaking in all the pain. “Things backfired badly, and I ended up as the one most likely to succeed at teasing. People pretty much forgot my name was Piper, and once the entire football team started calling me Cock-Tease, that nickname never left. I hated high school.” She wipes her eyes with the back of her hand. “Anyway, it’s over. And I’m glad I had a hand in shutting down the mean girls for once.”
“I always knew you could.” I press a kiss onto the top of her head. “But I’m sorry about that little bit of history repeating itself. If anyone calls you that again, they’ll have to answer to me.”
“That’s very nice of you.” We watch as Jules and Lucille evict themselves from Alpha House one last time, dragging their mattresses behind them. “But I’d like to think I can take care of myself.”
I start up the truck with a grin on my face. “That’s why I love you, babe.”
We head out to our internship in Jepson together. I’ve got a little surprise for Piper that I’m hoping she’ll appreciate.
I know I sure as hell do.
* * *
Piper and I duck into the revolving glass doors of the Jepson Towers, and, instead of leading her to the elevator, I take her down the barren landscape of the back hallways until we spot a man in a gray uniform mopping the floor.
“Here she is,” I say, getting his attention. He turns around with a look of outright joy on his face.
“Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers! Glad to see you again!”
“Pete?” She leans back in disbelief at the clean-shaven, cologne-doused, hair-combed version of the man we once plucked off a Jepson sidewalk. “Wow, you clean up nice!”
“Thanks! I’m happy to do it. I can’t thank you enough for the kind words in helping me get a position here. I’ve even worked up the courage to contact my daughter. We haven’t seen each other in sixteen years, and she’s flying out to see me next weekend.” Tears come to his eyes. “Sometimes, the smallest act of kindness is all it takes to make a big difference in someone else’s life. I’m living proof.”
I pat him on the back. “I got my old boss at The Dungeon to rent him a room above the place. It’s just an old office that hasn’t been used in years with a bathroom. Nothing special.”
“But it works.” Peter doesn’t miss a beat with his never-ending gratitude.
Piper and I say goodbye and head upstairs.
“Thank you.” Piper pulls me in and squeezes me tight. “Once the dust settled, I was going to do just that—track him down and help him fill out a few apps, but you went the extra mile.” She presses a kiss to my lips and lingers. “You deserve all that kindness to come back to you times a million.”
“Times a million.” I shake my head as we get off on the right floor. “I need it,” I whisper mostly to myself.
Ryder calls us into his office, and we find both Wyatt and Bryson front and present.
Wyatt looks to his sister. “You want to tell him, or should I?”
Shit. I try to swallow down my nerves. I need this internship. Not only do I want to spend as much time with Piper as possible, but also my bread and butter depends on finding new prospects for the company. I put in an application for a couple of new student loans. As much as Jet tried to lend me the money, as much as I needed it, I couldn’t take it. It’s tainted, and I would never want to bring that grief to Piper again.
“You know that master list of corporations we planned on hitting?”
Crap. “Is this the part when I discover that our competition beat us out?” I suppose it’s only fair that the actual employees benefit, but Piper and I were willing to hustle just as hard.
“Not quite. I put on my best power suit and went solo.”
“What? Why?” I can’t wrap my head around the fact she’d go it alone. “I would have gladly gone with you.”
“I wanted to surprise you. Once I was through, I pretty much figured that I took a gamble and lost. I mean, if you were with me, maybe it would have been a shoo-in.”
Piper looks up at me from under her lashes, and despite the fact I’m still walking on broken glass with her big brother, I pull her in.
“Not a big deal. It’s the thought that counts.”
“Right. So I hope you appreciate the thought—and all six accounts.”
“What?” I step back, examining her. I must have misheard. “Oh, right. Thank you for hitting all six. You really didn’t have to do that. Next time, we’ll go in like a team and come out with the contracts.”
“Like I did?” She takes a step back herself and reaches for an envelope sitting on Wyatt’s desk. “Here’s your share. I already cashed mine.”
I pull out the contents and stare at a three thousand dollar check in silence for a solid minute. I pull Piper in and spin her.
“Thank you.” I brush a kiss over her ear. “I knew you could kick some ass.”
“Be grateful it’s not yours,” Wyatt flatlines. “Go on, get back to work. Find another set of victims, and make some magic happen.”
Piper pulls me out of the office with our fingers threaded tight.
I lean in and steal a kiss. “We are magic.”
She takes a quick bite out of my bottom lip. “I know.”
* * *
Ryder, Wyatt, and Bryson invite everyone down to the Black Bear for a celebratory round of drinks. In all, the company scored a total of forty new accounts that almost had them rethinking their hefty bonus policy, but, since the revenue and retainer fee is ten times that, they have no problem keeping the incentive alive.
The 12 Deadly Sins rage up onstage, and the coeds kicking off their heels on the dance floor seem to appreciate them most.
“Looks like you got your dancing partner back.” Cassidy swings her hip into Piper.
Piper reaches over and tugs Cassidy by a curl. “We need to get you a dancing partner.”
Her friend with the red hair, Scarlett, raises a hand. “I’ve got a brother.”
“I’ve got a brother, too.” Piper waggles her brows. “Have you officially met Cade?”
“Oh, hon”—Cassidy waves them both away—“I don’t need a man.” She takes off just as the brother in question pops up.
“I think I owe you an apology.” He reaches out and shakes my hand, although his features say, Don’t fuck up. I’m watching you. I don’t blame him. I know for a fact when Ava starts dating, I’ll be psychotic as shit.
“It’s all good,” I assure him. “It was j
ust one unfortunate event after another, but they led to a good place.”
“Nice save.” Piper wraps her arms around me as the music changes tempo. “Hey.” She points her brother over to the bar with a nod. “Go find that hot blonde I was just talking to and dance with her.”
He makes a face. It’s unsettling how much he and Piper look alike. No matter how hard I try, I can’t hate the guy.
“No thanks.” He eyes a passing brunette and starts after her. “I’m doing pretty good on my own.”
Jet and Rex come by.
“Hey.” Scarlett gives Rex an unenthusiastic reception.
Piper leans in as if a juicy bit of gossip just went off in our faces. “You two know each other?”
Scarlett leans her head back, her mouth contorts as if she’s unsure of the answer. “My dad is dating his mom. It’s something new.” She brushes it off as if it was no big deal, and the smile glides right off Piper’s face.
“You do realize I have a very single brother.”
We share a laugh while Rex and Scarlett repel into opposite ends of the room.
Jet leans in toward Piper. “I meant what I said. I’ll finish that tat for free if you want. Anytime, I’m ready and willing.”
“Really?” Piper wrinkles her nose at me. “How about tonight?”
“You sure?” I’m a bit surprised she’s going for it. I was there when she had the first half done, and it sounded like a bag of cats on fire.
“Only if you’ll hold my hand.”
“Done. How about we sneak in one dance before you’re forced to hobble?” Ryder catches my attention and waves me over before she can answer. “Hang tight, I’ll be right back. Don’t get too close, Jet. The girl bites.” I dot her cheek with a kiss before taking off.
“What’s up?”
Ryder leads me to the game room, and I spot Wyatt and Bryson each holding a pool stick.
“Nice. This must be the part where I get the shit beaten out of me. Do I get to defend myself, or are we instating prison rules?”
“No.” Ryder lands a warm hand over my shoulder. “This is the part where you get a job proposal. You pick up a few extra hours, and we turn your internship into a paying position. We’ve only got one part-time slot to fill, and we’d be happy to give it to you.”
A rush of adrenaline barrels through me. “No shit?”
“No shit.”
I take in a lungful of air as if it were my first. “Thank you.” I shake each of their hands in turn. “I can’t thank you guys enough.”
I head back to the bar, my feet hardly hitting the floor. It feels amazing that not only do I have Piper back in my life, but also I have a means to pay the rent, and maybe even take her out to dinner now and again.
Piper picks up my hand and waves to Jet. “Don’t go too far! This is happening in just a few minutes!”
Piper threads us through the crowd until we’re lost in a thicket of bodies. She wraps herself around me and sways her hips into mine.
“Careful.” I moan as she burrows her body against mine, and my dick perks to attention. “You’re about to start a war.”
A dark laugh rumbles from her. “It’s a war I plan on finishing.” She runs her finger over my lips. “Anyone ever tell you that mouth can work magic?”
“Only on days that end in Y.”
She laughs it off with a shrug. “I have a very short memory. You’ll have to prove yourself night after night.”
“I plan to. I just hope I can live up to all the hype.”
“If you don’t, I might have to punish you.” She bites down on her lip so hard it illuminates white. “You still have that whip?”
“Under my bed.”
“Good to know.” Her thigh rubs hard against my own. “Maybe later you can show me a few of those moves you specialize in.”
“Are you looking for a private show?”
“Are you offering to give it?”
“For you? Only on days that end in Y.”
My lips find hers, and our bodies stand still as we indulge in a kiss that drowns out the music, makes the crowd disappear, makes us believe we’re the only two people in the room, in the world. Her tongue glides over mine, hungry, excited with a passion that I hope she never loses. I know I won’t.
Sometimes, when you have something good in your life, the best thing you can do is hang on and enjoy the ride.
I plan on making it a long one.
* * *
“Shit, shit, shit!” Two hours and one visit to Think Ink later, Piper hobbles into my apartment, and I help her onto the couch.
“I’ll get the ice.”
“No, I just need you.” She pulls me over and slides onto my lap. “I can’t believe you talked me into that.”
“I believe it was you who asked Jet to carve into you tonight.”
“True, but you’re such an instigator.” She takes a bite out of my neck. “Okay, you inspired me.” She tugs off my shirt and runs her hand over my tattoos. “I figured if you could do a million—I could do one that was less than an inch.”
“Piper, I don’t have a single tattoo on my ankle.”
“Why’s that?” She leans her head on my chest and looks up at me from underneath those long black butterfly wings.
“It would hurt too damn bad. You were brave.”
“I cried.”
“They were brave tears.”
“Nice save.” She gives me a light sock in the gut. “You make me brave. Thank you for that.”
“You make me brave. I quit my job at The Dungeon—and before you say anything, I applied for enough student loans to keep me in Ramen noodles for the next two years.”
“Loans?” Piper buries her face in my chest a moment. “I never wanted to make you feel bad. I would have never asked you to quit your job. What are you going to do now?”
“Ryder and his partners offered me a paying position. They asked me to up my hours, but they mentioned the fact they only had room for one part-time employee. Are you upset?”
“Heck no.” Piper pulls me in hard by the neck. “I’m so happy for you, Owen. You deserve all the happiness in the world.”
“I’ve got all the happiness in the world sitting right here on my lap.”
“Aw, you know just what to say in order to get laid, don’t you?” She pulls her knees up and winces.
“Let’s see it.” I pull back the gauze over her ankle and reveal a slightly swollen purple and pink heart with the ornate initials O + P nestled in it. “You know I’m going to have to one-up you. I’m going to have your name written across my chest.”
“Are you really?” She bounces over my lap and gets a rise out of my boxers.
“Yes, really. But only if you hold my hand.”
“Will you cry brave tears?” she teases, slipping her cool fingers down my waist.
“No, I’ll cry happy tears because you chose to be with me.”
“Technically, it was you choosing me with a takedown in Founder’s Square that could have easily left me with a concussion.”
“I would never hurt you.”
“You will tonight. Unless, of course, you choose to disobey.”
A smile swims on my lips. Damn, I love it when she plays dirty. “What happens if I disobey?”
Her gaze needles into mine. “I know where you keep the whip.”
“Point taken.”
“Now, get up and dance, boy.” She slips off my lap and yanks me to my feet.
I cue up the music on my phone, and slowly, ever so slowly unbutton my jeans.
“I want in on this.” Piper joins me as we move our hips in tandem. Her dress kicks up from side to side like a fan spreading wide.
“Anyone ever tell you, you’ve got a wild side?” I slip my thumbs in her panties and send them to the floor.
“Only on days that end in Y.” She gets on her knees and tugs down my jeans. She takes a bite out of my boxers with her teeth, and I drop to my knees and meet her right there.
“
You’re ruining my plan.” She glides her hand along the length of me. “I was going to introduce the Punisher to my uvula. Cassidy says I’m still partially a virgin until I’ve gagged on your—”
“I get it.” I wince. “I just wanted to do this.” I give her lips a tender kiss. “And this.” I take a gentle bite out of her neck. “And this.” I track my tongue to her ear and whisper, “Thank you for loving me, Piper James. Thank you for being a light and leading me out of that tunnel of darkness I was in for so long.”
She takes a hard sniff, pulls back to get a better look at me, and nods. “And thank you for showing me that I was someone worth loving.” She blinks away the tears that come so easily for her. “I’m actually having something added to the tattoo as soon as I can.”
“What’s that?”
“The word forever.” She shrugs. “I’m sort of an all-or-nothing kind of a girl.”
“Then that’s what I’ll do. Piper forever. It has a nice ring to it.”
She leans forward and grazes her teeth over my lips. “It does.”
Forever with Piper—now there’s something I’m going to fight like hell for.
Piper took the pain, the agony from the last couple of years, and somehow managed to make it all disappear.
She slaps me over the thigh and instructs me to sit on the edge of the couch, and I gladly obey. Her lips find me, and I arch my head back, sucking a slow breath through my teeth.
I’m not the magic one around here. Piper is.
I’ve always known that—always will—forever.
A Note from the Author
Thank you for reading Wild Kisses (3:AM Kisses 7). If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review at your point of purchase. Even a sentence or two makes a difference to an author. Thank you so very much in advance! Your effort is very much appreciated.
Look for Country Kisses (3:AM Kisses 8), Cassidy and Cade’s story coming soon!