39. Piper
THIRTY-NINE
PIPER
Liam
Be out front in five minutes.
Me
Okay! I’m ready and looking for you!
Liam
You’re going to be looking for a long time.
I rented a car.
Me
Wow. Goalie Daddy is riding in style.
Liam
Thought I hated that nickname.
Now I’m not so sure.
Me
It’s because you tolerate me.
“Why aren’t we going to departures?” I look out the window as we zoom past DCA. “Oh, no. The driver is your kidnapper from before, isn’t he? I knew this friendship between us was too good to be true.”
“We’re flying private,” Liam says, not bothering to look up from his phone. He was checking the league standings a few minutes ago, and even though he’s on a short hiatus from playing, his attention is still on hockey. “Why would we go to departures?”
“Hang on.” I stare at him and tap his screen. He glances at me. “Private? You sent me boarding passes for first-class seats on an American Airlines flight.”
“That was before you told me you don’t enjoy flying. I thought something with a bed where you could get a few hours of sleep might put you at ease.”
“You splurged on an airplane to take us across the Atlantic because I mentioned I don’t like to fly? That… that is obscene , isn’t it?”
“Is it? I figured you’d be more comfortable with space.” Liam turns off his phone and slips it in the pocket of his jeans as the driver pulls up to a barbed wire gate. “I’ve flown private before. It’s way more fun than any seat in first class.”
“You have? Where the hell are you going, globetrotter?”
“Home to Chicago. I bring Pico with me. He’s impossible in a carrier.”
“That doesn’t surprise me at all.” The car turns left on the tarmac, and I spot a plane in the distance. It’s not nearly as big as the chartered commercial jet we take on road games, but it’s still large. My mouth drops open, and I press my nose against the window. “This is unreal.”
We come to a stop, and I climb out. Liam takes my suitcases, walking up the short flight of stairs with the bags like I haven’t stuffed every outfit in my closet inside. He dips his head as he steps aboard, and I follow behind him.
The interior is plush leather and cool lights. Big chairs are on either side of the wide aisle, and a couch takes up almost the whole left side of the aircraft. There’s a table too, and a minibar in the corner.
It’s the most opulent thing I’ve ever seen, and I lived in one of the nicest penthouses in DC when I was married.
Sleek and modern, everything looks like it’s brand new and top of the line. I run my finger across the back of one of the chairs and huff out a laugh.
I know what NHL players make.
I see their nice cars. The jewelry they buy and the outrageous things they purchase because they can .
Liam doesn’t live like that, though, and this is my first taste at seeing just how rich he is.
A multimillionaire with a huge playing contract. Sponsorship deals and an endorsement with Bauer that pays seven figures a year.
This probably won’t put a dent in his bank account, but knowing he spent money on me makes me warm. My skin prickles. A fuzzy, fluttery feeling takes up residence in my stomach, and I can’t help but smile.
“Thank you for doing this. I really appreciate it,” I say.
“Think you’ll be less stressed out in here?”
“I sure hope so.”
“Good.” He cups the back of my neck and squeezes once. “I’m going to grab my bag.”
I settle into one of the chairs and relax. The tension about how the next few days are going to go seeps away as I take a deep breath and look out the window, watching Liam clasp hands with our driver and slip some money his way.
He’s back a few minutes later, popping into the flight deck to say hello to the pilots before taking the chair across from me.
“Feels like we’re about to conduct a board meeting.” I fold my hands on the table between us and level him with a look. “What items do you want to discuss today, Sullivan?”
“Dining options. You liked the chicken parm we had at my house, so I requested it ahead of time for lunch today. Oh, and chocolate chip cookies. If you want something else, they have other dishes.”
“You requested one of my favorite meals?”
“Yes?” He blinks at me and frowns. “Is that okay?”
“It’s more than okay. I forget how observant you are. I’m not used to it.”
“It’s my job, remember?” He leans back, eyes never leaving mine. “And you’re fun to observe.”
“Now I need to do things and see if you’re watching. Will you see me flip you off during games?”
“If you’re wearing that pink blazer of yours, there’s no way in hell you’ll be able to hide.”
I laugh and pull a book out of my purse. “Don’t insult my blazer. It makes me feel like Superwoman.”
“I never insulted it.”
“I’m going to get you a matching one to wear to the arena. We can be twins.”
“Do it, Mitchell. I’ll wear the shit out of it.” He lifts his chin my way. “What are you reading today?”
“The guys asked the girls to join book club this month, and Riley picked one with a hockey player. Seems a little too close to home, but it’s good so far.”
“You really like reading that much?”
“Yeah. I love my job, but it’s nice to turn off my brain and sink into a world that’s not here , you know?”
“Not really.” He leans forward and plucks the book from my hands. He pats his thighs and grins. “Come on over, Sunshine.”
“What?” I try to grab the book back, but he holds it over his head, out of reach. “You don’t care about my book.”
“I do now.” Liam pauses. “Will you read to me?”
My face softens as he watches at me with hopeful eyes. I’m out of my seat without a second thought, rounding the table and climbing into his lap. He wraps his arms around my waist and rests his chin on my shoulder.
“Do you want to see the page?” I ask gently. “Or just hear the words?”
“Hear the words, please. I’m a slow reader, and I don’t want to hold you up.”
“You wouldn’t be holding me up, Liam.” I reach up and touch his chin. “What are you most comfortable with?”
“Listening to you. And use your reporter’s voice when you read. It’s sexy.”
“My reporter’s voice?” I laugh again. “Do I have one of those?”
“You definitely do. Your tone gets all authoritative. Really pulls you in.”
“From the guy who doesn’t like interviews, you sure know a lot about how mine go.”
“I told you.” He hums and closes his eyes. “Observant.”
Liam links his hand through mine as we walk into the hotel hours later.
I know the affection is all for show, the grand finale of this plan of ours, but I like it when he touches me outside the bedroom. A brush of his shoulder in the tunnel. The graze of his glove when he jumps off the ice and heads to the locker room. His pinkie hooking in mine at the end of the night when I’m saying goodbye.
I’ve always craved physical touch, and a touch from him centers me. Calms me in a way words don’t. And when he rubs his thumb against the inside of my wrist in the middle of the lobby, I think we have a real shot at pulling this off.
“Liam!” someone shrieks.
A woman comes charging toward us, and the closer she gets, the more I can tell she’s the spitting image of the man next to me.
Same hook of her nose. Same hair texture and jawline.
She’s smiling more than him though, with a twinkle in her eye and a pep in her step I rarely see from him.
“Here we go,” he says under his breath, and I squeeze his palm in solidarity.
“I’m so glad you made it.” Alana throws her arms around his neck, breaking our contact, and I step back to give them a minute alone. “Don’t you ever go six months without seeing me again, you asshole.”
“Sorry, Lani.” He rubs his hands up and down her arms and kisses her forehead. “I’ve been a little busy.”
“Okay, hotshot with the great hockey season,” Alana teases. She elbows his stomach before pulling away and putting distance between them so Liam can’t retaliate. Her attention moves from her brother to me, and her grin grows. “You must be the mystery woman he’s told me nothing about. Jokes on him. I know exactly who you are.”
“Hi.” I smile and stick out my hand, surprised when she crushes me with a hug. “Oof. I’m Piper.”
“That interview you did with Maverick Miller was fantastic.”
“Thank you so much. And thank you for letting me be here to celebrate your special day.”
We pull away from our hug and she looks me up and down. “I’m happy you’re here and so glad my lug of a brother settled down. For a while there, he wouldn’t stop talking about?—”
“Where are Mom and Dad?” Liam asks, cutting her off. “We’ve had a long day. It would be nice to get to our room, shower, and sleep until morning so we’re functioning for all your festivities. I feel like a zombie right now.”
“Fine.” Alana rolls her eyes, but she smiles. “But I’m going to steal Piper away from you at some point. I want to make sure you’re treating her right.”
“He’s actually the worst,” I sign, and her mouth pops open. “ But he doesn’t know I’m saying that .”
“ You can sign? Oh, I can’t wait to talk shit about him. When did you learn ?”
“ My cousin is Deaf . I’ve been signing for years . What about you ?”
“ I majored in ASL and communications . I’ve done some interpreting at large events .”
“I’m used to her speaking and signing at the same time. This is new.” Liam’s head bounces between us. “You’re both so fast.”
“Welcome to how I feel when you start rambling about things in Spanish.” Alana flips him off, then turns her attention back to me. “ We’ll talk more tomorrow ?”
“ Yes, please . I want you to tell me all about Liam as a grumpy kid . I bet he was insufferable .”
She laughs and smiles at her brother. “I like her, Li.”
He drapes an arm around my shoulder and looks down at me. “So do I. Promise we’ll catch up more tomorrow, Lani.”
We make our way through the lobby, and I smile. “I adore your sister.”
“Doesn’t surprise me. Most people do. She’s got that air about her, you know?” He points to a couple at the bar. “Those are my parents. We’ll say hi then sneak upstairs. How are you feeling?”
“Not bad. The jet lag is starting to hit after that drive from the airport, but I’m doing okay.”
We head to the dimly lit space off the lobby. Liam waves, and the man and woman watching us stand with smiles on their faces.
I can see bits and pieces of Liam in them, and my heart warms at the thought of him in thirty or forty years down the road. What he might look like with graying hair and weathered hands. He’ll have lived a full life then, and I hope he’ll still be finding ways to be happy.
“There you are.” His mom jumps to her feet and hugs him tight. “We were wondering when you’d get here. How was your flight?”
“Longer than expected because of weather the pilots were working around, but not bad.” Liam kisses her cheek then shakes his dad’s hand. “This is my girlfriend, Piper. Piper, these are my parents, Cliff and Linda.”
“Oh, aren’t you beautiful?” Linda hugs me like Alana did. “It’s so wonderful to meet you, Piper.”
“It’s nice to meet you too, Linda. Thank you for letting me join your family these next few days.”
“We’re so honored to have you. Liam hasn’t told us much, only that you work for the Stars, and I can’t wait to get to know you.”
“I’m an open book. I’ll tell you anything you want to know,” I say.
“So different from Li.” Linda shakes her head, but she follows it up with a smile. “Always so secretive.”
“We’d invite you to join us for a drink, but we know you’ve had a long day. There’s a family breakfast downstairs tomorrow morning at eight thirty. We can catch up then,” Cliff says.
“Sounds good.” Liam holds my hand again and offers his parents a wave. “We’ll see you bright and early.”
It takes a few minutes for us to escape, a conversation between Liam and his dad about the 4 Nations Face-Off later this week unfolding before we dive into another round of goodbyes.
Thirty minutes later, we find ourselves in our room, and I yawn.
“I’m not sure I’ve ever been this tired.” I unzip my suitcase and pull out my pajama set. “I think I’m going to fall asleep standing up.”
“Exactly why I stopped Alana from asking us out. She likes to do things big, and a night with her almost always rolls into the next morning.”
“Maybe tomorrow.” I smile and walk to the bathroom, too tired to even admire the lavish room and what I’m sure is an ocean view. “I think it went well with your parents, though. I’m pretty sure they believe us.”
“They need to believe us for a few more days.” Liam pulls off his shirt and folds it neatly before setting it on top of his suitcase. “Alana loves you, by the way.”
“She does?” Our eyes meet in the mirror, and my gaze drops to his muscles. I admire the sharp lines of his body and the smattering of hair across his chest and down his stomach. “What makes you say that?”
“The text I got when we were in the elevator.” He snorts and unbuttons his jeans. “She asked how much I’m paying you to be here.”
“I’ll have to tell her I’m doing it for free. She’s going to be disappointed.”
“Are you done objectifying me, Mitchell? I can see you blushing from here.”
“I’m not objectifying you. I’m admiring the view. There’s a big difference, Sullivan.”
Liam walks toward me. When he gets close, he spins me so my back is against the bathroom counter. He lifts me by the backs of my thighs and sets me on the marble. “Never thought I’d see the day Piper Mitchell talked back.”
“What can I say? I’m gaining more and more confidence every day. Pretty soon you’ll think I’m a brat.”
“This is new. I like it. Can I sleep without my shirt on? Or are you going to have trouble keeping your hands to yourself?”
I tap my fingers on the waistband of his briefs. “Sleep naked for all I care, Sully. I can behave.”
His palms rest on my thighs and move up my legs. “Are you sure you want to?”
I’m not sure.
Especially when he’s crowding my space. When he’s looking at me with heat in his eyes and making me feel important, even in a hotel bathroom.
“No,” I whisper, and the corners of his mouth hook up in a smile. “I’m not sure.”
“Shower first. Then we’ll see if you can resist me.” He reaches for the hem of my shirt then pauses, delaying my undressing. His voice dips low and he clears his throat. “I like when you call me Sully. I like when you read to me on the plane. I like that you’re patient. I like that you’re here with me.”
“A lot of people call you Sully.”
“They do. But it feels special when you say it.”
I trace over his biceps. His muscles flex under my touch, and I still my hand. “I like that I’m here with you too, and I’ll read to you whenever you want.”
Liam pulls my shirt over my head and freezes when he sees my necklace. “You’re wearing your ring?”
I bristle with the silver chain, trying to hide it from view. “Yeah.”
“Why?”
“It’s silly.”
“Tell me anyway.”
“It didn’t feel right to throw it away. I feel like… like it represents this new part of my life. A part that wouldn’t be possible without you. So I keep it close to me.”
It’s embarrassing to admit this to him, and when he doesn’t say another word, I panic that I’ve crossed a line. He walks away, bending to rifle through his bag, and I have no clue what he’s doing.
A minute later, he comes back over with his wallet and hands it to me. Opening it up, I spot his band safely stored behind an old photograph, and I stop breathing.
My heart leaps to my throat. Almost falls out of me when he says, “Me too.”
I don’t know what it means that we’ve both kept our rings. Something important, probably.
But I don’t have time to think it over, because Liam is taking off the rest of my clothes. Kissing me and carrying me into the shower as warm water wets my hair and runs down my body.
Later, when we’re in bed under the stars, I feel his hand wrap around my necklace and hold it there, like he’s afraid to let go. The longer I listen to his breathing evening out as he slips into unconsciousness, the more I can’t stop thinking about how I’m falling head over heels for him.