When We Fall (Take the Fall, #2)(51)

I nod. “Yeah, the house makes her asthma flare up, too. I’d like to do something sooner rather than later about it. Only, I’m not exactly sure what I can do—that’s where I’m hoping you come in.”

Blake strokes his beard. “You could keep the land and we buy the house, paying you a fair lease rate to keep the building on your property. It’s not unheard of, mostly done for commercial buildings, but—let me talk to my business partner and see what she thinks. We’re really interested in this area. The growth is outstanding and the price is right.”

“You plan on turning it into a second version of NoDa?” I ask.

“No,” he answers with a shake of his head. “My company’s vision takes the current residents’ socioeconomic status into consideration. We don’t want to price anyone out of their own neighborhood. We prefer to keep the flavor intact and for people to feel like they have ownership as improvements are made. If we can come to an agreement that suits us both, we won’t tear down any portion of your house that is livable. We’ll merely improve it. In fact, we’d like to turn it into apartments that don’t have that traditional apartment feel.”

His plan sounds solid. Reasonable. “How long do you think it will take before you make a decision?”

“A week or two at the most, but we also don’t want you to feel pressured to sell to us.” Blake smiles as the waitress brings us our drinks—scotch for him and sweet tea for me. No way am I drinking anything stronger before I drive.

“Make sure that this is what you want to do. The last thing we want is for anyone we enter into a partnership with to feel like they were forced to sell to us.”

“I appreciate your honesty, Blake.”

He lifts his glass in salute and I do the same. “I appreciate your meeting with me, Jase.”

After a few more minutes of Blake elaborating on his plan for the neighborhood, we agree to meet in a month. I head to my bike and drive home with a smile on my face. The meeting went even better than I thought was possible and I’m eager to share my news with Piper. I need to see the look of pride on her face, the inevitable kiss she’ll give me, and the way we’ll make love to celebrate it.

It’s how I do things now. No more screwing around with random women and getting drunk or high. Piper is the ultimate high, the ultimate woman…the most important person in my life.

In no time at all, my bike’s in the drive and I’m racing up the stairs, calling out Piper’s name.

“In here.”

I step into the bedroom and find her wearing a fancy dress and heels that make me want to bite my knuckles, from the back anyway.

“Where are you headed wearing that?”

“Charity event at The Oaks.”

Shit. I want her to stay in with me. I want to celebrate my news by spending the next few hours worshipping her body.

“Can’t you get out of it?”

“It’s for the cancer ward at the Children’s Hospital,” she says, and then turns to me, looking like a rich housewife from The Oaks and not the woman who woke me up this morning by giving the world’s best blow job. There isn’t a hair out of place and her eyes are sexy, but that dress isn’t her. The huge necklace and cuff on her wrist aren’t her. It’s like she’s playing dress-up in her mother’s clothing. My Piper is classy, sweet, and approachable. This Piper…I might as well call her Mrs. Ross.

“Oh well…can’t miss doing something for the kids.” God, I sound like such an *, but this is supposed to be my night.

“How did your meeting go?” she asks, and I know she’s trying to ignore my * move.

“Fine.”

“Just fine?”

“You don’t have time to listen to how it went,” I point out. “You don’t have time for me at all tonight.”

“You can tell me all about your meeting when I get back,” she says with a hopeful tone in her voice.

“I won’t feel like it then,” I snap, then brush past her to turn on the shower. “After dinner and a beer or two, I’ll probably pass out. Don’t forget to text me before you leave, though.”

“Jase?”

The bewilderment and hurt in her voice make me want to put my fist through a wall. “Yeah, kitten?” I ask, gentling my tone and turning to face her.

“You can come, too.”

“I didn’t get an invite.” I’ll never get an invite, and it shouldn’t matter to me, but it does.





Chapter 17





Piper


“Want to be my date?” I ask, hating how small my voice sounds. I don’t want to yell at him to tell me what’s wrong, but I hate being in the dark. And right now, I’m blind. “You can be my plus one.”

“I’m not fit for company. Maybe another time.”

“Sorry, but that’s not going to cut it for me.”

He presses a kiss to my forehead. “I know it’s not, kitten, but I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I don’t like it when you shut me out.”

“Piper,” Jase says, and I turn to him.

“Yes?”

His mouth opens and closes, then he shakes his head. “Nothing. Be careful.”