Chapter 2 Piper
PIPER
“Shots, baby! Put 'em up!” Emily shouts, raising her glass high as she hands me one.
“Oh, I can’t,” I reply, looking around like I’m about to be caught robbing a bank. “I’m not twenty-one…”
Emily scoffs and rolls her eyes. “Would you stop being such a goody-two-shoes? Aaron’s about to show up, and you need to relax. And this will help. Now drink up!”
Before I can do anything, Emily is pushing the glass to my lips.
I gasp and gulp down a liquid that tastes like poison and burns my throat like fire. She laughs as I start coughing and pats me on the back. “That’s my girl!”
“Ugh, that’s awful!” I reply, grabbing for a glass of water that somewhat soothes the fiery sensation. “How do you drink that?”
Emily’s still laughing. She’s been my best friend since Mom put me in gymnastics when I was five. I didn’t last long, but our friendship did. In every way that I’m not confident, she is.
I’m awkward around guys. She’s not. I stammer when I talk to them. She’s eloquent and composed. I’m a nervous introvert, and she’s an extrovert who can also do shots of tequila with no problem.
Right now, I’m quaking in my heels as we stand by the bar at Chuckie’s, some local dive she said has ‘great energy,’ waiting for my blind date to show up.
“I promise you you’ll like him,” she assures me. “Peter says he’s awesome.”
Peter is her boyfriend, a pro-golfer on his way to fame and fortune. Aaron is apparently one of his golfing buddies—or maybe he works at the club? I can’t remember.
“Well, if Peter says so…”
She bonks me with her shoulder. “Would you cheer up? I thought you were into this idea. What happened to you?”
Yeah…what did happen to me?
When Emily first came to me with the idea of this date, I was actually kind of psyched. Like I said, I’m rotten with guys, and being set up with someone who might actually be cool seemed like the best thing for me.
But now, as I stand here in the crowd, shouting over the blaring '80s music and nearly drowning in the sea of cologne and perfume, my mind can think of only one thing…
…Jake.
I can still feel his hand on my wrist, gripping me like he owned me as his eyes ran up and down my body.
He was checking me out. No doubt about it. I may be awkward, but I know when a guy is looking at me.
And I know I should be disgusted. Most girls would be, right? You can’t just have your step-brother ogling your ass or checking out your chest. But when Jake looked at me…I liked it…
“He’s here, he’s here!” Emily blurts out, pointing behind me.
I turn to the door and see her boyfriend step in, looking rich in his green polo. And beside him, standing at least six inches shorter, is my date.
Emily assured me he was good-looking, which he is, I guess…if you’re into guys wearing gaudy fake-designer clothing with broccoli haircuts like it’s 2018 again.
There’s also something about the way he walks that bothers me…It’s like he’s casing the joint. He also doesn’t hide it when he checks out literally every girl that passes.
As he gets closer, I see that his eyes are glassy. Is he on something? An uneasy feeling sets into my stomach, and I reach for my things.
“I’m gonna go…” I say, setting my glass down.
“Oh, please don’t!” Emily replies. “He’s right there! Peter says he’s great. Let me do something nice for you. Have a little fun!”
A little fun? Is she kidding?
I’m a virgin, and she knows that. I’m not about to just go hook up with some guy I just met. Especially when he looks like he’d happily jump into bed with any one of the girls here tonight.
Movement across the bar catches my eye—a tall man standing by a support column. Is that…Jake?
He’s gone in an instant, leaving me with a pit in my stomach. Geez, this is bad. I’m already hallucinating my gorgeous step-brother in the crowd when I know he’s back at home.
Then, just like that, the boys arrive.
Peter wraps his arms around Emily, and the two of them start fawning all over each other. Aaron takes a power-stance in front of me like he’s sizing me up for a race.
“Hi,” I manage to squeak out. “I’m Piper.”
Before I even realizing what’s happening, he’s got his arm around me and is ordering a beer from the bar. “What do you say we get hammered and head back to my place?”
“Your place?” I’m trembling. He stinks like he bathed in cologne—and not a nice-smelling one either.
He winks and leans closer, whispering, “They call me the Pile Driver. Can you guess why?”
My stomach turns. I try to glance back at Emily for help, but she’s wrapped up Peter’s arms and not paying attention.
“I just remembered, I left the coffee pot on—”
But Aaron isn’t listening. He grabs his beer from the bartender, chugs it in one go, and then drags me away toward the rear exit.
“I’m gonna blow your mind, girl,” he says, chuckling with pride at what he just said. A poet this man is not.
His sweaty armpit rubs against my neck as he pulls me along with him. I try to struggle out of his grip, but he’s so much stronger than me.
“Emily!” I shout, starting to freak out. But my voice is drowned out by Journey blaring from the speakers.
This isn’t happening. This can’t be happening.
But I can’t stop it. Even when I try to force my feet down against the floor, they just slide, slipping against the floor that’s wet with spilled drinks.
“Please, just let me go,” I plead. “I need to get back to Emily—”
“Only place you’re going is out to my car,” he replies, rubbing his nostrils. “Just relax and enjoy yourself—”
I’m about to have a full-blown panic attack when something crazy happens.
A fist comes out of nowhere, soaring in like a meteor, and impacts Aaron’s nose.
His head snaps back, and he falls, pulling me down with him, but a set of strong hands catch me by the waist and hold me tight. I’m spun around, and even before I stare into the eyes of my savior, I know who it is, just by his smell.
“Jake…”
My voice is barely a whisper as I gaze at him, my heart racing, limbs shaking.
“What the…f-fuck?” Aaron stammers from the ground. He tries to get to his feet, reaching for the hem of my dress, but Jake kicks him back down and points a stern finger his way.
“Back off. This is my step-sister.”
His words set something off inside me. It feels like a thousand fireworks exploding, causing my stomach to tingle and twist delightfully.
Heat spreads across my face. I’m blushing. I feel safe but small. Protected.
“Son of a bitch…” Aaron mutters, stumbling off into the crowd. A few of them glance at us, but Jake just ignores them.
“Are you okay?” he asks, brushing my hair from my face. His hand on my lower back is warm and strong, and so comforting. I feel invulnerable as he holds me.
Feelings I’ve never felt before flow through me. My fingers are hot, and a tingling sensation spreads between my thighs.
Yeah, fine, Jake is gorgeous, but whatever I’m feeling right now cannot be happening. He’s my step-brother, for God’s sake!
“What are you doing here!?” I blurt out, much louder than I’d intended.
“What, a guy can’t get a drink?” His eyes sparkle with such intensity. Is he playing with me? “Come on, let’s get you out of here.”
I’m in a daze as he leads me out the back to his car. He opens the door for me like a chauffeur, I slide in, and he closes it behind me. Gorgeous, dangerous, and a gentleman? That’s a lethal combination.
And quite a contrast between the prick who just tried to assault me. What was Emily thinking setting me up with him? We’re going to have a chat later.
It’s only a few minutes to the house, but just sitting beside Jake is impossible. Naughty thoughts I shouldn’t be having flood my mind. He has one hand on the wheel and one hand on the shifter stick thingy—which leaves no hand for my leg.
I shouldn’t want his hand on my leg though! Jake is my step-brother. So what if he’s gorgeous? You can’t want your step-brother…
…can you? I mean, we’re not blood-related. I barely even know him.
When we get home, I practically throw myself out of the car and race inside. I’m halfway up the stairs to my room when I hear the door shut behind me.
I turn and look down at him. He must be well over six feet, with muscles bulging out from beneath his T-shirt and a jawline that could put any male model to shame.
Something inside me is turning unstoppably. As hard as I try to ignore it, I just can’t. My lips move without me even thinking. “So you wanna watch a movie or something?”
Oh my God, did you seriously just say that?
Yeah, that’s how inexperienced I am. Netflix-and-chill. That’s the only thing I know to suggest.
Jake’s eyes narrow, his jaw clenches, almost like he’s going to yell at me, and I instantly regret asking.
“I mean—”
“No.” He shakes his head, grabbing his keys and opening the door again. “I’m gonna head out. You have a good night.”
And just like that, he’s gone, and I’m standing alone on the stairs like Cinderella after the ball. Only without a prince chasing after me.