30. Piper
PIPER
He started talking before I could even say anything else, his words coming in a rush that barely made sense.
“Piper I’m so glad you picked up,” Vincent said quickly.
“I hope you liked the scent—I thought it would be a fitting tribute to you. Did you try it yet? The balance of the base notes with our topline of lilac is next level. The fougere accord has citrus undertones, which I thought you’d really appreciate.
Dwayne suggested a camphorous note, but we usually pair that with lavender, so I had to talk him out of it.
The real tenacity of the fragrance is in its depth and longevity, which, given the name, makes a lot of sense. Don’t you think?”
I couldn’t help laughing at his stream-of-consciousness perfumer talk. Half of it was a language I barely understood, given that my tenure with Summit had been so brief, but I knew what was behind his word vomit.
The great Vincent Forde was nervous. I settled onto my couch and got ready for what was bound to be a long conversation.
“Hey, hey, can I get a word in edgewise?” I laughed softly. “Yes, I am wearing it right now, and yes, it’s the most exquisite thing I’ve ever smelled. It’s perfect for me. Thank you, Vincent.”
I brought my wrist up to my nose, closed my eyes, and breathed in the fragrance.
A thousand memories exploded as I took it in.
Sunsets in Hawaii, lazy mornings tangled up in bed, sharing croissants at the farmers’ market, laughing together, making love.
It was the entirety of us, distilled into a single drop.
I heard a relieved exhale. “I’m so glad,” he said.
I wasn’t sure what to say next, because there was so much to cover.
“Did you watch the whole press conference?” he asked.
I looked out the window at the bright blue sky and tried to keep my pulse in check. “I did,” I said, keeping my voice even. No point in pretending like I hadn’t been glued to every second of it, heart in my throat the whole time. “I always follow instructions.”
He chuckled. “That you do.” There was a pause, a heartbeat of silence. “So…what did you think about it?”
His voice sounded strained, and I realized I needed to put him out of his misery. My hands went shaky; it was my turn to be vulnerable.
“Given everything you just said, I think it’s only fair for me to let you know—”
“Hold on, wait,” he demanded. “Give me a minute.”
My forehead furrowed. What was going on?
Not five seconds later, there was a banging from my front door. I ran to it and threw it open to find Vincent there, still on the phone, giving me a hopeful look.
He looked even more incredible than usual, like he was awake again after a long hibernation.
“I want to hear it in person.” He smiled at me, but he still looked a little queasy, like he wasn’t sure what was going on in my head. It was Vincent at his most vulnerable—a side of him that would take some getting used to—for both of us. “I hope that’s okay.”
I shook my head at his presumption. “Wow, you’re really banking on good news.”
He disconnected the call and gave me a helpless shrug. “Either way, I had to see your face.”
“Come in.”
I stepped back, and Vincent strode by me. The tension practically radiated off him.
“Let’s sit,” I suggested.
“Piper, you’re killing me,” he sighed as he dropped onto the couch. “Please tell me what you’re thinking.”
I sat on the far end of the couch and crossed my legs. Why was I so shaky?
“I’m so touched by what you did today,” I began. “I know how private you are, and that it takes a lot for you to open up that way. It was beautiful. Thank you.”
Any happiness in his expression was draining away as I spoke. “Why do I hear a ‘but’ in your voice?”
“But,” I inclined my head toward him, “You have to know that you really, really hurt me. And you publicly humiliated me, as well.”
He started to interrupt me, but I shook my head to stop him.
“I know that part wasn’t on purpose. But it happened, and it was awful. I felt broken because I trusted you, Vincent.”
He looked downright wounded now, like I was hitting him with body blows, and he was just waiting for the knockout punch that would end it all.
“But what you said today…” My eyes welled up. “It touched me, Vincent. I needed to hear that from you. Granted, it didn’t have to be in front of the world, but you always go big.”
His pained expression broke into a half smile.
“It told me everything I needed to hear. And now I think it’s finally time for me to be just as open and honest with you.” I took a deep breath, because I was about to jump into the abyss.
“I love you too, Vincent Forde.”
His reaction was immediate. He closed his eyes, dropped his head, and let out the longest sigh I’d ever heard.
“Oh, thank fucking god. You nearly killed me, Piper.”
I slid closer to him, placing my hand on his knee. “I’m sorry, I just needed to get everything out first. Being honest is important if we want to do this right. We have a pretty shaky foundation, you know.”
“We have a ridiculous foundation, but the feelings are real. And they always have been. It just took me too goddamned long to admit it.”
We stared at one another in silence as the realization of what we’d just admitted took hold. It was love, real love, that had brought us here. What happened next was a gigantic adventure I couldn’t quite wrap my head around.
I held my wrist out to him. “This is Perpetual. Like us.”
He clasped it gently and raised it to his nose, his eyes locked on mine as he breathed in my skin.
“It’s perfect,” he said as he closed his eyes and inhaled again. “Like you.”
“Is that a fact? Why don’t you tell me about it?” I murmured.
His lips danced inches from the delicate skin of my wrist, and just the warmth of his breath was enough to make me feel fluttery.
“The top lilac notes are playful,” he said, gently touching his nose against me.
“But not too sweet. There’s some light and bright citrus beneath it all with a tang that balances the competing elements.
But this is a complex fragrance, with layers.
” He locked his eyes on mine. “Just like the woman who inspired it.”
The intensity in his voice sent goosebumps up my arms. “Go on.”
Vincent inhaled again. “Did you notice the subtle nod to coconut?”
I smiled at him. “Of course I did. There’s some Hawaii in that bottle.”
“There is indeed. It’s heady and warm, but then right after that note you should get…”
He paused and waited for me to fill in the blank.
“Heliotrope,” I answered.
“Exactly,” he murmured, pressing a soft kiss in the crook of my elbow that made my body hum with excitement. “The scent that started everything. With that, you get a haze of vanilla and almond that are a tribute to the work we did together.”
“Work.” I pouted a little.
“Best job I’ve ever had,” he laughed softly.
“Now, you should also be able to pick up on the sensuality of the fragrance. The sweetness is balanced with deeper, almost smoky undertones of amber and musk.” His voice was lower now.
“Those are a reminder of us making love. The heat of our bodies entwined.”
Vincent planted a kiss on my shoulder, and my breathing went shallow, because I could almost see what he was describing.
“Perpetual mixes the bright and the sensual together. Like all perfumes, in order to fully enjoy it, the wearer should place it on pulse points, where the blood rushes close to the surface and warms the skin. So, always apply it to the wrist,” he slid his fingers around my wrist and held it like a handcuff.
“And the neck…” he leaned in to inhale close to my nape, and I felt my body move closer to him as I waited for the inevitable kiss.
But he kept me waiting, dangling the sweet relief I was craving just out of my reach. We were frozen, Vincent hovering just centimeters away from me, drinking me in. My entire body felt shaky. I was lightheaded and desperate for him.
But I waited in the moment with him, enjoying the sweet torture of wanting him.
“Piper,” he murmured as he tilted my head toward his. “I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you. I will never stop telling you that.”
The warmth in his eyes as he said it melted any of my remaining reserve of strength. I finally pushed closer and kissed him so hard and fast that he made a shocked grunt.
Catching his scent nearly made me cry. I’d missed the warm, woody spice that emanated from his skin.
I climbed on top of him, never breaking off the kiss.
How was it possible that kissing him was even better than I remembered?
The old t-shirt dress I was wearing that was too ratty to see the light of day rose up my thighs as our mouths crashed together, and Vincent’s hands immediately found my bare skin.
“Piper,” he whispered feverishly as he gripped my ass. “My Piper.”
I pawed at the buttons on his shirt, desperate to touch him. My fingers were clumsy, but I managed to rip them open, and I splayed the fabric wide so I could kiss the strong lines of his chest. When my mouth strayed to suck on his nipple, he groaned and arched his back.
“I need you,” he growled. “Now.”
His kisses became more demanding, speeding down my throat as he gripped the frayed collar of my t-shirt dress in his fist.
“Take this off,” he demanded, giving my dress a frustrated tug. “I want to see all of you.”
I glanced over my shoulder to the front door. Darcy wasn’t due back for at least an hour, and while there was a chance she could show up early, it was a risk I was willing to take. I stripped my dress over my head and threw it on the ground, leaving me in just my thong.
Vincent let out a strangled sigh before his fingertips began tracing a slow, torturous path down my body.
From the hollow between my breasts to the curve of my stomach, his touch was reverent, worshipful.
When his hand finally cupped the heat between my legs, his voice was low, rough.
“You have no idea what this body does to me.”
His hardness pushing up between my legs gave me a clue.
I leaned closer to whisper in his ear. “Show me.”