When We Fall (Take the Fall, #2)(33)

Piper gives me a playful push. “Go to work. I’ll be there soon.”

“And tonight?” It’s her choice about the next step we take, but my body is practically vibrating with need. Has been for weeks. Months. Years.

She lowers her gaze, then peers up at me through her dark lashes. “I want to be with you, but I’m nervous.”

“Roller-coast ride, remember?”

“I know…it’s not the ride I’m afraid of, it’s my reaction to it.”

The wind stirs, gently lifting her dark hair that’s around her face. Sun shines on us in the parking lot. White, puffy clouds float in an endless blue sky. The day is almost as beautiful as she is. Funny how I never noticed the beauty of a day until I was relegated to only seeing an hour of it each day. Now I stop to admire it.

“If you want to wait, we’ll wait.” I have my entire life for a woman like her. What’s a few more days or weeks?

“I have to work tonight anyway, since I switched my hours at the center to go to this appointment.”

“How late?”

“Ten or eleven p.m.”

My phone starts ringing again, and I know it’s Emmett, but it bothers me for her to be out so late. “I know you can’t give me the address, but can you at least assure me that the location isn’t as bad as when you worked at Head’s Up?”

She nods. “I’m safe.”

A part of me wants to follow her to work one day, but that would betray her trust. I can’t have that. No matter how much I want to keep her safe, I want her to trust me even more.

“Good. I’ll see you tonight. Maybe you can text me when you get to work and right before you leave?”

“That I can do.” Her gaze lifts to mine. Her pretty eyes are shiny. “Thank you, Jase…for everything.”

I have no idea what to say to her in that moment, so I do what I do best and kiss her with everything I feel for her.





Chapter 10





Jase


“If you weren’t my friend, I’d beat your ass for blocking me,” I growl, slinging my helmet into my booth. “Be glad that Piper didn’t see your insulting-as-f*ck text.”

“So sorry that running a business interferes with your sex life,” Emmett deadpans.

I have to laugh at that. His humor is one of the reasons I keep him around. “Fair enough. Where do you need me?”

“Sign some checks and get Piper’s name added to the account at the bank. They need your permission so it will be legal and shit.”

“That’s a first.”

Emmett strides to me, one of his familiar shit-eating grins on his face. “By the way, you’ll never guess who’s back in town.”

“You’re right, I won’t, because I don’t keep up on the latest gossip.”

My buddy winces. “Yeah, I keep forgetting you haven’t been out that long.”

Isn’t that nice for him? I don’t have that luxury. “So who’s back in town?”

“Hunter Sloan.”

“Now you’re just f*cking with me,” I say, punching Emmett in the shoulder.

Growing up, I idolized Hunter Sloan. A couple of years older than me, he fought in an underground fighting ring, starting when he was only fifteen. Even back then, he was big for his age—solid as f*ck and could throw a mean left hook. I knew he learned how to fight dirty because his old man used to beat the shit out of him and his mom, and he had to find a way to defend himself.

Then one day out of the blue, his old man ups and leaves town. Pretty f*cking sure Hunter had something to do with it. A year after that, Hunter and his mom left town, too. Six months after that I went to jail. Never heard from him again.

“Best part,” Emmett begins with a grin and shake of his head, “you won’t f*cking believe what he does now.”

“Hit me.” Was he in the NFL, professional MMA fighter, WWE? My mind sorts through all the possible occupations a badass like Hunter can have now.

“A cop.”

“He’s a f*cking cop?” That’s a first. I don’t know of anyone who grew up around here who became a cop. Might as well draw a target on your back and wait for the arrows.

“Oh, yeah, and I heard he’s looking for a place on this side of town.”

“Death wish,” I mutter. I can’t believe Hunter is a cop.

“Bro, I hate to break it to you, but the neighborhood is changing, like for the good. Haven’t you noticed all the revitalization projects?”

“Not really.” Actually, I have noticed. Hell, the guy who worked on my place kept harping on all the houses with craftsman-style bones on my street. He was practically giddy over it.

“Maybe you should try to get out more.”

I shrug and head to our shared office. “Yeah, maybe.”

“Where’s your girl?”

“She’ll be here in a few. Had to go to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription.”

“Thought I was blocking you,” Emmett quips.

“Shut up.”

Emmett blows me a kiss. “Love you, too.”

An hour later, Piper blows through the front door. Quite a few heads turn to look at her as she flashes a smile and heads to the office. I can’t blame them—her conservative, lavender twinset and gray pencil skirt with those purple heels she’s wearing is a total turn-on. Yeah, I know colors and clothes, and I’m not ashamed of it, either. As an artist it’s my job to know colors. As for the other, women appreciate it when a man knows what they’re wearing.