Chapter Five
Tag wasn’t sure what to do about Piper’s admissions.
He thought that he was showing up for a date with a willing participant.
He never dreamt that Sunny planned the whole evening to trick them both.
When he got free from the room and found Sunny, he didn’t know if he was going to kill her or kiss her.
She delivered Piper to him, and for that, he was grateful.
The problem was that the woman he had wanted for the past year didn’t know what she had signed up for.
And now, Piper was asking him for her first date.
God willing, she would also want her first real kiss with him.
What other firsts would she want with him?
If he had his way, he would give her all her firsts and beg her to be her last. Piper, sitting on his lap, did strange things to his libido.
He knew he was attracted to her, but being this close to her made him want to wrap her in his arms and keep her safe from the world.
He knew that Piper would fight him every step of the way, but he also knew that she was worth the trouble.
He couldn’t help himself—he kissed the top of her head, pulling her tighter into his body.
If Piper were willing, he would work to give her everything she wanted and more. He would be all her firsts.
“Piper, when I got your—well, Sunny’s message, I was beyond happy.
I gave up on you ever saying yes to me, so I joined the stupid dating app and was trying to move on.
The truth is, I don’t want to move on. I want you.
” Piper turned on his lap. She snaked her arms around his neck, straddling his thighs.
His dick sprang to life as if it were waking up from a long winter’s hibernation.
Honestly, it was. It had been almost two years since Tag was with a woman.
Once Piper entered his radar, he spent most of his time trying to figure out creative ways to ask her out.
The first time he asked her out, he brought her flowers and picked up some pastries from Sunny’s bakery.
He all but begged her to go out with him, only to have Piper smile and politely decline his offer.
He was crushed but determined to change her mind.
He did everything from leaving her messages spelled out in tiny river rocks outside of her home to sending her video text messages on her cell phone.
He ran out of ideas after about the thirtieth time.
From then on, he just showed up at her shop every Monday morning and just flat-out asked her to go on a date with him.
Each and every time, he held his breath, hoping that Piper would change her mind and tell him yes.
And each and every time she smiled and politely told him no, followed by a polite “thank-you”.
“Fifty-two is an awful lot of times to be turned down, Piper.” Tag pushed a strand of hair that escaped her ponytail back from her face.
“I just couldn’t face you telling me no again.
” Piper’s eyes filled with unshed tears.
Seeing her cry was the last thing he wanted.
“Honey, I’m not telling you this to make you sad.
Don’t cry.” Tag caught her falling tear with his thumb, rubbing it into her soft cheek.
“I’m not crying because I’m sad or upset, Tag. I think that for the first time in a very long while, I am actually happy. It’s been so long since I have done something for myself that I’m not sure what to feel,” Piper admitted.
Tag decided to take a chance. “Piper, I want to kiss you. Are you going to let me be your first real kiss?” Piper looked both excited and afraid all at once.
He could see her mind spinning, thinking about the pros and cons of kissing him.
“You’re overthinking this, Honey. Yes, or no.
” Tag waited her out hoping that she would just give in and go with her feelings.
“Yes,” she breathed out her answer, and before Tag had a chance to react, she pushed up against his body, her lips finding his.
He pulled her in closer, taking over the kiss.
Tag ran his tongue over her lips, asking permission to enter, which Piper gave.
He thrust his tongue into her willing mouth to find hers.
Piper groaned and ground her hips against his.
He felt his entire body come to life. She fit so perfectly with him; he knew that she was worth all the waiting and suffering that she put him through.
Piper pulled away from the kiss, leaving them both breathless.
“Wow, that was way better than I thought it would be.” Tag couldn’t help his laugh at Piper’s praise.
“Gee, thanks, Honey. I have to admit I’m a little rusty at this.” He motioned between the two of them; Piper still straddling his now bulging erection.
“Rusty? What do you mean? You’ve obviously kissed plenty of women.
” Piper rested the palms of her hands against his chest, blazing a path of fire to his core.
He grabbed her hands, taking them into his, stopping the inferno that she was igniting in him.
He knew that if she didn’t stop touching him, he wouldn’t be able to control himself.
He wanted Piper, but right now, she needed things to move slowly.
He didn’t want her first experience to be in a little room filled with fake artifacts and clues for escape.
He wanted her in his house, in his bed, where he could take his time with her.
“I mean that I haven’t been with anyone in over two years.
” Piper’s eyes widened at his words. Yeah, it was hard for him to believe, too.
Torren gave him such a hard time about not dating, even offering to share women with him.
But Tag didn’t want to share anything or anyone with his twin brother.
He wanted Piper. “I guess that once I decided that I wanted you, no one else would have been good enough.” Tag pulled her in for another quick kiss.
She was so willing now he was almost afraid to ask his next question.
“Piper, I need to know that if we escape this room, you won’t disappear.
I want to go out with you, not just on one date but many.
” Tag could see Piper’s wheels turning again, thinking about her next move.
“You’re overthinking again.” Tag kissed the corner of her mouth, working his way down her neck and back up.
Maybe a little distraction would help his cause, and he certainly didn’t mind kissing Piper.
“Do you mean something like going steady?” Piper’s voice was a soft stutter, giving him hope.
“That’s exactly what I want, Piper. I want to date you, take you out, and give you more firsts.
We can go wherever you want, do whatever you like.
I can go as slow as you need me to.” He pulled back from giving attention to her neck to look into her eyes.
She needed to know that he would never hurt her, never just leave her.
“Let me show you that I am not going anywhere. I’m here for the long haul. ” Piper barked out her laugh.
“You can’t promise me that, Tag. I know how everything can change in just seconds. But I know that you would never hurt me. Yes, I will go out with you. But I need you to promise me one thing.” Tag could feel his heart beating out of his chest. Was she finally agreeing to go out with him?
“Name it,” Tag agreed.
“I want you to promise me that you will make me no more promises. I’ve had too many broken to believe in them anymore.
I just want to live in the moment and enjoy the here and now.
” Tag considered Piper’s words carefully.
He understood where she was coming from.
She lost everyone that she loved at a very young age.
He could relate to her pain, but she wasn’t ready to hear that from him.
He could agree to her terms if she agreed to his.
“Fine, I agree to make you no promises. I need you to agree to give me a chance. Stop shutting me out, Piper.” Piper slowly nodded.
“Sure, I can do that—give you a chance. I want that too, I just didn’t realize how much until we were locked in this room together with no way out.
” Tag smiled at Piper; he finally got what he wanted.
He wasn’t going to spoil the moment by telling Piper that he already solved the puzzle while he was waiting for her to show up.
As far as he was concerned, they could stay locked away in that little room for days.
He was afraid that once Piper got a taste of freedom, she would change her mind.
His job was to distract her enough that she would forget all her fears.
“I’d like to kiss you again, Tag. If that’s okay with you.
” Piper’s question was a whisper against his sensitive neck.
He didn’t know if he could get his mouth to work properly to answer her question.
He nodded, and she was once again pressing her sweet lips to his, allowing him to take over the kiss.
For someone who didn’t have much experience with kissing, Piper sure didn’t show it.
She was like a little vixen straddling his lap, rubbing her body over his.
She was so responsive, he knew they would be explosive in bed together.
Piper moaned into his mouth, stroking the fire that burned inside of him.
He rubbed his palms over her taut nipples through her t-shirt, earning him another breathy sigh.
“Is this okay, Honey?” Tag asked.
“It’s more than okay. More, please.” Piper’s pleading was his undoing.
He flipped her over so that her back was pressed against the hard, wooden table.
His front was pressed up against hers; his cock was aligned with the heat coming from her pussy.
She was as turned on by this as he was. Thank fuck!
He cautiously reached under Piper’s t-shirt to find her little lace bra.
She filled his hands perfectly, thrusting her breasts into his palms. He couldn’t wait to taste her, with the way she was hot and writhing under his body.
He ground his jean-clad erection against her belly, and Piper froze.
“I’m sorry, Honey. I shouldn’t have pushed you.” Tag started to move from Piper’s body, but she pulled him back down on top of her.
“You didn’t do anything wrong. That was just the first time that I have ever felt—well, you know what I felt.” He liked the way she turned red while talking about his cock. She covered her eyes with her hands as if trying to hide from him.
“Honey, look at me.” Tag laughed, gently pulling at Piper’s hands. “It’s all right to be a little shy. Hell, I’m sorry that I pushed you. I want to take this slowly and not rush you.”
“You’re not rushing me. I have waited almost twenty-six years for this. I think we should speed things up a bit.” Piper reached for Tag’s zipper, causing him to hiss out his pent-up breath. If Piper got his fly down, he wouldn’t want to stop what happened next.
“Piper, I think—” He was interrupted mid-sentence by the door unlocking and swinging open to reveal one embarrassed teenage boy.
“Um, you guys can’t be doing that in here.” The teenager who let him into the room earlier was standing in the doorway, red as a beet. “My boss will fire me if he finds out that you two were making out in here.”
Tag quickly removed himself from Piper, pulling her up with him.
He helped straighten her clothing and stood in front of her as if shielding her from the teenager’s gaze.
The poor guy couldn’t seem to find his tongue, looking Piper up and down.
Tag growled, drawing the boy’s attention back to himself.
“Sorry, dude. We will grab our things and get out of your hair.” Tag tried to sound like he didn’t care that they were just busted by the teenage Escape Room police.
The truth was, he didn’t want this night to end.
He was afraid that Piper would go back to her place and forget all about him.
He couldn’t stand the thought of starting all over again with her.
Piper grabbed her bag and started for the door.
She was going to bolt, and he couldn’t let that happen.
Tag grabbed her hand as she tried to get past him.
“Let me take you home,” he begged. Piper seemed torn about what she wanted. The fear in her eyes told Tag that she just wanted to run and hide, but there was also something else. Something new. He didn’t want to get his hopes up, but he was sure he also saw desire.
“I don’t know. Sunny is probably waiting for me.” Piper pulled her jacket on, trying for nonchalant.
“Oh, that hot girl and her friend left,” the teenage boy said, still checking Piper out and standing way too close to her for Tag’s liking.
“They left? Why would they just leave me here?” Piper asked.
“I’m guessing that overly optimistic Sunny thinks that I’ll drive you home.
” Tag reached for Piper’s hand, hoping like hell that she would accept his.
“Come on, Piper, I’m an excellent driver.
I’ll get you home safe and sound.” Tag’s teasing tone earned him a laugh from Piper.
Her whole face lit up, and she was beautiful.
He couldn’t help himself; he took her hand and pulled her into his body.
“You are gorgeous when you laugh, Honey.” He kissed her lips, pulling away at the groans of disgust coming from the teenage boy who was still in the room with them.
“You two should get a room.” He laughed at his joke.
“Well,” Tag interrupted the kid’s moment.
“We had a room until you came barging in, telling us to get lost.” Tag led Piper from the building out into the night.
This whole evening couldn’t have gone better, even if he planned it himself.
He owed Sunny for not sticking around to drive Piper home.
And, damn it, he knew that she would collect.
He just needed a little bit more time to convince Piper that changing her mind was not an option.
This might have been one crazy first date, but Tag couldn’t wait for their second one.