19. Get Me Coffee Now
I TUNE OUT the men sitting around me, only offering the occasional nod of agreement. They”re not really interested in anything anyone else has to say anyway, they just like listening to themselves talk. So I let them talk. I’m not here to socialize, that”s for fucking sure.
But while I barely notice anything they say, I sure as hell notice when Piper comes back into the room. Her first two steps are full of purpose and power, but I can tell the second she remembers where she is. Her shoulders hunch and her eyes drop to the floor. The sight is a knife to my chest and I have to fight the urge to start throwing punches. To punish these men for what they”ve put on her.
I know I can”t watch her the way I want, so I force my eyes back to the table, zeroing in on the biggest prick in the room.
“The place where you live now is just too full of temptation. It”s hard to keep things under control when the Internet is in every grocery store and parking lot.” He holds both hands out, palms up. “How are you supposed to keep your wives from being tempted to sin when they can access it whenever they want?”
I grit my teeth. If the opportunity to start throwing punches arises—and I”m hoping it will—I’m starting with his face first.
It didn’t take me long to figure out Rick is one of the driving forces behind this event. Not that he would have let me wonder. He’s been spewing his importance for the past hour. Making sure we all know he’s the top of the food chain in Mountain Oak now that Lydia’s father and brother and the rest of the higher-ups have been removed from the equation.
Aka sent to prison.
But Rick doesn’t seem to have any fear he’ll meet the same fate, and I have to wonder if he’s that stupid or just that full of himself. I’m thinking a little from column A and a little from column B.
Luckily, I”m saved from suffering through any more of his bullshit when Piper reaches my side. Resting one hand on my shoulder, she leans down, her voice low as she asks, “Would you like more coffee?”
I have to stop myself from jumping up. I don”t know how much it will take to make these people suspicious of us, and I don”t want to find out. Especially since it could put Piper at risk. So I take a deep breath, hoping it looks like I”m mulling over her question.
Finally, without looking at her, I slowly stand. “No. I think I”m ready to turn in for the night.” I focus on the men, ignoring Piper even though it goes against everything in me. “We had a long trip here, and I”d like to be rested up for tomorrow.” I tip my head at each man, ending with Rick. “You boys have a good evening.”
No one seems thrown off at my sudden departure, which I take as a good sign. They raise their hands or return my nod as I turn away, jaw clenched tight as I am forced to leave Piper to follow behind me.
As she did before, Piper keeps her shoulders curled and her eyes downcast. I let out a breath when I see there”s no one else waiting for the elevator and rush straight inside, pushing the door close button the second Piper”s cleared the opening. They’ve barely met in the middle when I grab her, dragging her against my chest and holding her tight.
Pressing my face against her neck, I breathe deep, soaking up the familiar cherry vanilla scent. “I fucking hate this.”
“Then you’re going to be extra excited when I tell you what just happened.” She leans back, rocking up on her toes, expression bright and open. “I—”
She”s cut off by the bell signifying the elevator’s arrival at our floor. Before my eyes, Piper morphs into something that turns my stomach, changing to look like the exact type of woman my father would”ve preyed upon, hoping to add her to his collection. She turns to the elevator doors just as they open.
Another group of hopeful IGL members stand on the other side, so I move past her, resting my hand over the doors to hold them open for the group entering. As soon as they’re inside, I tip my head and walk away, fists clenching and unclenching all the way to our room.
I can”t scan the keycard fast enough. The second the lock releases, I shove the door open, looking both ways before dragging her in with me.
Piper lets out a little yelp, flailing around as I haul her into the safety of our private space. Before she”s caught her breath, I”m fumbling with the buttons of her shirt, undoing a few before giving up and yanking it over her head. “I hate seeing you like this.” What I”m doing isn”t sexual, but it is based on need. “You shouldn”t have to do this shit.” Her skirt’s next, and I”m just as rough, yanking at the button and zipper before shoving it to the floor, leaving her standing in a hot pink bra and matching thong.
Next I go for her hair, unfastening the metal clip at the back before running my hands through the hairspray and teasing to smooth out the darker than normal strands. “It”s fucking bullshit.”
Once her hair looks somewhat normal, I whip off my own button-up shirt before fighting off the white T-shirt underneath. and pulling it over Piper’s head. When I’m sliding the length of her dark strands free of the neckline I feel like I can finally breathe.
Piper lifts her brows at me. “Better?”
I”m still frowning. “I don”t know if I would say better, but I don”t feel like going into that ballroom and punching every asshat in there anymore, so I guess that”s something.” I pull her close again, wrapping my arms around her back. Something hard presses into my forearm and Piper stiffens.
“I can explain —”
I lean to peek over her shoulder, lifting the back of my brand-new white T-shirt above her ass to find one of my flat-head screwdrivers twisted into the thin band of her G-string. “No explanation necessary.” I reach around and pull it free, holding it up. “It might not be a bad idea to keep it on you.”
Piper”s eyes widen. “You really are upset about all this. Aren’t you?”
I go to rake one hand through my hair, but the gel I had to cake on makes the action impossible and I growl in frustration. “This is all just such fucking bullshit.”
“I don”t disagree.” Piper”s eyes move over my face before lifting to my hair. “Why don”t you take a shower, and then we can talk, okay?”
Every muscle in my body is tight, and the only thing I want is her. To touch her. To show her how fucking brave I think she is. To show her how much I appreciate how hard she”s working. To worship her the way so many of the men here worship themselves. But I”m afraid of where that might lead—what it might make me do.
Walking out of this place with her and never looking back isn’t an option, no matter how much I want to shield her from all of this. People are counting on me, so I have to figure out how to get my shit together.
So I do as I”m told, quickly scrubbing away the gel, hoping I can also wash away the misery I”ve been choking on.
When I come out of the bathroom, Piper is still in my T-shirt, but her hair is now pulled up into a messy knot at the top of her head. Standing at the counter of the small kitchenette in front of the griddle I packed, she flashes me a grin. “Feel better?”
I shrug, because I”m not sure I”ll feel better until we’re back in Memphis. “My hair feels better.”
Piper”s smile holds. “Good enough.” She tips her head to the small table in front of the window overlooking the tiny town outside. “Sit.”
I shake my head. “You”ve waited on me all night. I should—”
Piper’s smile slips as one brow lifts. “I said, sit.”
The snark and bossiness in her tone does more for my mental state than any amount of showering ever could. Rubbing one hand across the warmth in my chest, I give her a two fingered salute. “Yes, ma”am.”
Piper turns back to the counter as I clear off the small table and settle into one of the seats. I can’t get a good look at what she”s doing, but the scent filling the air is familiar.
“I”m sure you”ll be shocked to discover my dinner was nowhere near as fabulous as yours, so I”m fucking hungry as hell.” She turns to me with a paper plate in each hand. “I”m really glad we made that stop at the grocery store.” She drops down into the chair across from me, setting one of the paper plates in front of me and one in front of her.
The warmth in my chest tightens as I stare at the grilled cheese she made me. It looks the same as the grilled cheese I made for her, with one important difference.
My sandwich is neatly sliced into four triangles. “You cut it.”
Piper’s already eating hers like what she’s done is no big deal. Like I’m not already so fucking open and raw every inch of me aches.
And then she has to go and do something like this.
Her chewing slows, eyes widening. “I’m sorry. Do you want me to make another one? I thought—”
Without thinking, I grab her, dragging the softness of her body into my lap. “You’re fucking killing me here, Sugar.”
She curls into my chest, lacing both arms around my neck. “I’m just trying to be a good wifey.”
“You don’t need—”
Her fingers press against my mouth. “I don’t mean like that.” She snorts. “I will never be like any of these women here.” She traces along my lips. “I just mean I’m taking care of you the way you took care of me last night when I was worried and struggling.” Her lips quirk. “And when my foot was a little, tiny bit sore.” Her touch slides over my smooth jawline. “Tonight you’re struggling with everything that’s happening.” Her hand dips lower to rest against my chest. “And your heart hurts seeing all this. I want to make you feel better the way you made me feel better.”
I curve one hand against her face, letting my nose drag along her neck. “Then you should let me touch you. Show you how much I appreciate how fucking amazing you are.”
Piper laughs, the sound light and sweet. “That doesn’t sound like something that would make you feel better.”
“That”s where you”re wrong.” I lean in, running my nose alongside hers. “Touching you makes me feel much better.” I let my hand skim up her bare thigh, just like I did every time she came to the table tonight.
“If you”re not careful, touching me will get us in trouble.” Piper leans back, lifting her brows in a serious expression. “I”m pretty sure you shouldn”t be sticking your hand up my skirt in public. I think that”s one of the many things that pisses God off.”
“If I didn”t touch you, I was going to touch them, and I can promise you there would have been a big difference between the two.” I trace higher, relaxing more and more with every inch of her I cover. “Didn”t you say you had something you wanted to tell me?”
“Shit. Yes.” Piper squirms around, trying to wiggle her way off my lap. “But I can”t think with you touching me like that.”
I pull her closer, locking one arm around her waist as my hand continues its upward trajectory. “Try.”
Tonight was brutal, and as much as I appreciate Piper taking care of me, that”s honestly only going to make me feel worse. But touching her. Making her feel good. Reminding myself I will never be like them, that will ease the anger threatening to ruin everything.
Piper sucks in a breath when I reach her inner thigh. “Well,” she whimpers a little as I trace one finger along the silky fabric covering her pussy. “I was in the room with all the women, and noticed one of them was staring at me really hard.”
I nip at her neck, letting my tongue flick against her warm skin. “And?”
Piper shivers, her thighs clenching around my palm. “And she motioned me into the hall. I followed her, and...”
Her words trail off as I hook my finger into the leg opening of her panties, probing through slick, swollen flesh in search of my target. “And, what?”
She groans as I find her clit, fingers clenching my arm. Not pushing me away, just holding. “And I hate you so much right now.”
“You shouldn”t tell lies, wife. Especially not ones that are so blatantly obvious.” I drag my finger through her wetness. “Because there’s no mistaking how very much you do not hate me right now.”
She whimpers again, hips bucking as I go back to her clit, carefully teasing beside it as I bring her back to the conversation. “You followed her into the hall, and then what?”
Piper swallows, the muscles of her neck working as her nails dig into my skin. “And then she pulled me into the utility closet, and it was Myra”s best friend Lucy and she’s married to one of the guys who got in the elevator with us when we got here.” The words rush out, like she”s hurrying to get through them.
But we’re not done yet. Having her like this, face flushed with the pleasure I’m bringing her, softens the reality of where I am and what I have to be. “I bet she was happy to see you.”
Piper”s head tips back, her breath coming in sharp pants. “Probably.”
I watch her face, needing to see what I”m giving her. Desperate for proof of how different I am from all those men around me tonight. “And did you tell her we’re going to help her?”
Piper’s legs twitch as her lower lip pinches between her teeth. “Yes.”
“Good girl.”
I nip at the lobe of her ear, flattening my fingers between the pillowy softness of her labia before working them side to side. The sound she makes at the change is a balm to my soul. It smooths the sharp edges of doubt and fear tonight brought out. “That”s it, Sugar. Let me hear how good I make you feel.” I want it. Can’t fucking live without it.
“Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.” She rocks against my touch, chasing down what I will always willingly give her.
“Never.”