Chapter Six
T y reached the address Piper had sent in seven minutes flat. He made great time, mostly because he’d already been in his car with his camera. Carter and Mel had asked him to go to the local shelter to take photos of some of the animals for the walls. Ty was about to head home when she’d texted.
Good timing.
Several times throughout the day he’d thought about texting her, but she had the pole, so he had to wait to hear from her. He even checked his phone occasionally to see if he’d missed anything from her.
Pathetic. Yeah, but that’s how it was.
After checking the feed this morning with Carter and Mac, Ty was relieved that no one else had been in or around Piper’s yard except for him, her, and a striped cat. Of course, then he took some ribbing from the guys about the kiss that was just visible from the north-facing camera.
But his friends were actually pretty good about it, slapping him on the back, giving Piper their approval, and telling him to follow his gut not his dick, because his dick would only lead him into trouble.
Sounded like they were speaking from experience, but he hadn’t had the chance to grill any of them since the morning meeting had started.
Receiving her text to meet at the building that meant so much to her had erased the day’s misgivings, and when she’d requested his camera, he felt a rush of pleasure and a few other hotter emotions.
He’d take pictures of garbage if that’s what she wanted.
Ty snickered.
After parking his car behind hers, he got out and looped his camera around his neck.
Sunlight danced on the building's exterior, and the subtle play of shadows highlighted its timeless features and spoke to him. He immediately popped the cover off the lens and began shooting.
The classic 1924 building, with its dignified presence and architectural grace, somehow remained a living testament to an era of craftsmanship and design, and he appreciated the enduring beauty of a bygone time.
He could see why Piper was drawn to it.
The sound of her screaming sent his heart crashing to his knees. He rushed inside the open front door and nearly body slammed Piper in a déjà vu of the other day. But unlike the alley, he was able to stop short before they collided.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, grasping her upper arms to steady her. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah. Sorry.” She panted, splaying her hands across his chest, flanking his camera. “I was upstairs and heard a noise down here. I thought maybe Brandi was still here or you. But it was a cat. It just scrambled from this back room and out the front door. Nearly gave me a heart attack.”
“I know what you mean,” he said. “Hearing you scream stopped my heart.”
Not something he wanted to relive again. Ever.
A smile spread across her face and gaze grew soft. “Sorry.”
He smiled. “Not sure I believe you.”
“You’re just going to have to take my word for it,” she said.
Even though he wanted to continue their banter, he glanced at the front door. Something was niggling at him about it. “Would Brandi have left the door open when she went home?”
“No.” Piper frowned. “I don’t think so. Why?”
“Because it was open when I came rushing in.”
“Well, it does stick, so it’s possible it didn’t close when she left. See?” Piper walked to the door and tugged it behind her but the top stuck. “You have to give it a real hard tug. But don’t worry, she’s going to get it fixed. Restored, actually. Isn’t it gorgeous?” she asked, her gaze bright with joy as she lovingly caressed the weathered wood.
“Absolutely,” he replied, totally not talking about the door. A gust of wind blew her hair into her face. He stepped close, and using his finger, he pushed the strands behind her ear. “Gorgeous.”
A blush colored her cheeks, and she smiled softly. “You shouldn’t look at me like that.”
He ran his finger down to her jaw before releasing her. “Like what?”
“Like I’m the best thing since sliced bread.”
He grinned. “But you are. You’re so much better.” He loved how her gaze grew bashful. She was adorable. “Why don’t you want me to look at you that way?”
“Because you make me want to throttle you.”
His pulse tripped at her possible meaning. “Define throttle.”
She flashed him a sinful grin. “Open it up. Full speed ahead. But we need to take pictures first.”
His heart went straight into a barrel roll as his mind took a naughty turn. “Pictures of what?” he asked, his voice a little hoarse because his throat had gone bone dry.
She smacked his shoulder. “Not those kinds of photos. I meant photos of this place.”
“Hey.” He choked out a laugh. “Sorry. I was only picking up the same context you used.”
Smiling, she shook her head. “Sorry, my bad. Allow me to clarify. They’re starting the remodeling tomorrow, so I’d love it if you could take photos of every room and wall. I want to chronicle the process.”
Ah. “Yeah, those are completely different photos.”
She snorted then gave him the grand tour and explained the renovations for each part of the building while he took the photos she requested. The fact that she trusted him enough to share her vision with him filled him with joy and some unfamiliar warm emotion that made his chest hurt.
He’d never been a confidant before. A keeper of a dream. He felt special, like he’d been given a precious gift.
The more he was around the woman, the more he felt, and what he felt was good. Real good. Damn. Her presence was addictive. So was her laughter as he took photos of her while she hammed it up.
“Oh, hey, the sun is starting to set. Come on,” she said, grabbing his hand. “There’s something I want to show you.”
He followed her downstairs and out a back door into a courtyard with an old fountain and a few weathered statues.
“Can you take shots of these too? I’m going to keep what can be saved and recreate the ones that can’t. Plus, I thought the lighting at this time of day would be perfect.”
“Sure,” he said, lifting his camera, his eye already drawn to the way the setting sun was visible through a crack in the architectural wall feature.
Nearly ten minutes had passed when he stopped and looked for Piper. He found her sitting on the ground in front of overgrown bushes, watching him with a look of awe on her sweet face.
His chest tightened. Damn, she was good for his ego and his heart. He’d only known Piper for such a short time, but it was enough to know he wanted to give her the moon.
He snapped a photo of her on his way over. “This place is great.”
“I know. But there’s more,” she said, patting the ground next to her, igniting a spark of heat through his body. “Put the camera on the bench and join me.”
Surprise rippled through him, but he did as she requested and set his camera on a nearby concrete bench. And when she sprawled out onto her back, he grew intrigued. No way would Erika have done something like this.
Piper was so different and so much better than his ex, they didn’t belong in the same thought. He pushed the latter and the past away and embraced the here and now.
The winter air was a lot milder in Texas than Tyler had expected. Then again, a cool breeze was no match for his heated state, even with his coat open.
A crackling awareness surrounded him as he leaned on his forearm to stare into her sweet, smiling face. The beauty regarded him with open interest while relaxing next to him on a bed of fallen leaves.
Their impromptu get together was proving what he’d already known. The mere presence of the amazing woman messed with his pulse and his common sense. Piper was a force Tyler couldn’t resist or control, not that he wanted to control her. No. She was vibrant, brave…unafraid to speak her mind or remain silent if the moment required. Like now. Wordlessly, she stared up at him, her incredible gaze full of acceptance, mischief, and a sparkle of hope.
He had no right to be the recipient of her special attention.
Piper was a kind, thoughtful, gorgeous woman who could do a hell of a lot better than a bitter, floundering man struggling to find his identity. She deserved more…so much more. She’d suffered a lot in her life, and deserved someone with both feet planted firmly on the ground, not a useless flyboy barely keeping his horizon level.
The right thing to do was to bring them both to their feet and end this situation before it spiraled into a nosedive from which there was no recovering. But instead of pushing away, he leaned closer. If he’d learned anything over the past few days, it was the fact he sucked at keeping thoughts of her at bay.
“Lay down,” she said. “The night sky is about to become spectacular.”
Her playful gaze, the way her hair spilled out around the hood of her open coat, and the sparkle in her gorgeous eyes took his breath. Something she seemed to do with such ease.
“Can’t be any more spectacular than my view right now,” he said, watching her gaze grow misty in the fading light.
She inhaled and lifted a hand to touch his face. “You say the sweetest things. I sometimes wonder if you’re real.”
“I’m very real,” he said, and to prove it, he caught her hand and slowly kissed each knuckle. “I sometimes wonder if you’re magic. I can’t get you out of my head.”
“Sorry,” she whispered, the slight upturn of her lips belying her sincerity.
He choked out a breath. “No, you’re not.”
“True.” That slight upturn widened into a full smile. “But turnabout’s fair play.”
It took a second for her words to sink in before surprise took hold, and a wave of satisfaction warmed his blood. “So…you’re saying I’m in your head too?”
“Yes, and I’d be annoyed if thoughts of you didn’t make me feel so good. Darn you.”
Now he was the one to fight a smug smile. “Sorry.”
She snorted and repeated his earlier words, “No, you’re not.”
“True.” He grinned, repeating her reply. “And I like the way you make me feel, too.” Tyler kissed her hand again. “Darn you.”
She tugged her hand free and skimmed it over his jaw to cup the back of his head and pull his face toward hers. Bathed in the warm hues of twilight, her eyes were full of vulnerability, anticipation, and a dose of heat. Ty palmed the ground on the other side of her head and felt every one of those emotions as the distance between them grew smaller and smaller. Their breath mingled a second before he covered her mouth with his.
She’s in control , he told himself, fighting the urge to deepen the kiss.
But he needn’t have bothered, because her mouth parted, and she kissed him over and over, nibbling, nipping, tasting her fill. Then she skimmed his lower lip with her tongue. Heat shot through his body, and his pulse kicked into high gear. Ty grunted and brushed his tongue to hers, loving the sound of her hungry moans and the way she shoved both her hands into his hair to hold tight while she explored his mouth, blasting his brain cells one by one with Top Gun precision.
Needing to return the favor, he explored and tasted, eliciting more of her sweet, sexy moans until she broke the kiss, and they sucked in some much-needed air. But then her mouth was back on his, and they were kissing deeper and hungrier, and blood was pumping through his veins at supersonic speed.
Piper released his hair then and ran her hands down his body before slipping them under his shirt. His stomach quivered under her touch and his own need to touch her shook through him. Unsure if it was okay since she was leading things, he remembered her “turnabout is fair play” statement and decided since she had her hands on him, he should be able to return that favor as well. Besides, she was arching beneath him as if looking for his caress.
No way would he ever disappoint this woman.
Still leaning on his one arm, he skimmed his other hand over her mouthwatering chest, down her belly until he found the bottom of her sweater. Using his thumb, Ty brushed the strip of warm skin her squirming had revealed, and she let out a needy sound of approval. He inched his hand upward, skimming his way over her warm, trembling body to caress the ample flesh of her breast.
Damn, she was soft, so soft, a contradiction to her pebbled nipple poking under the lace of her bra. Ty grazed the beauty with his thumb, and Piper moaned and arched into his touch. He did it again, and yet again, until the need to suck the peak into his mouth had him breaking the kiss and lowering his head to her chest.
Then his phone began to ring in his pocket.
He stilled, and several oaths shot through his head as well as the thought to ignore it and let it ring. But responsibility and discipline were ingrained in him. He couldn’t ignore the call.
With a deep inhale then exhale, he sent her an apologetic look before digging out his phone, sitting up, and answering the call.
“Ty, sorry to bother you,” Mac said, his tone serious. “Hunter’s with his son in the ER.”
Shit. “What happened?”
“Dillan fell off his play gym and landed on his arm. They’re not sure if it’s broken,” Mac replied. “I know it’s short notice.”
He knew where this was going and understood. “You need me to fill in for Hunter in Houston.”
It was a three-night job, starting tonight.
“Yes,” Mac replied. “We’re leaving in an hour.”
“I’ll be ready.”
“Roger that and thanks,” Mac said, before ending the call.
Piper had already fixed her sweater and was pulling leaves out of her hair when he met her gaze, barely visible under the rapidly darkening sky.
“Sorry,” he said. “Mac—”
“I heard.” She cut him off and set a hand on his arm. “It’s okay. And I hope poor Dillan will be all right. I’m sure Christa is beside herself.”
Nodding, he grasped her elbow and brought them to their feet. “Can I take a raincheck on this…stargazing?”
She smiled. “Absolutely.”
The urge to kiss her again was strong, which could easily get out of hand, so instead, he grabbed his camera and slid his arm around her shoulders. “Come on. I’ll walk you to your car.”
Light from inside spilled into the courtyard through several large windows as they made their way to the building’s back door. He’d feel better once he outfitted the place with one of ESI’s security systems, but that was a conversation for another day.
Ty released Piper’s shoulder to take her hand as they walked through the building toward the front door—which was wide open again.
Son-of-a-bitch.
“When is Brandi getting this door fixed?” he asked, glancing in every room along the way.
“First thing tomorrow,” Piper replied, shutting off the lights before they walked outside. “She’s taking it to a restorer and putting in a temporary one in the meantime.”
“Good,” he said, shutting it hard behind them.
Then he pushed on it to make sure the damn thing stayed closed. It did, but he was glad it wouldn’t be an issue after tonight. He was also glad she wasn’t staying, because he didn’t relish the thought of being in Houston and worrying about her alone in an unsecured building.
He had enough misgivings about her cottage, and now, he wouldn’t be next door for the next three nights.