Chapter Eighteen
“Did I handle the question better this time?” Piper’s tone is soft, but I can tell there’s sarcasm behind it.
“What question?” I already know what she’s referring to.
“About whether I’d be around in the future. You seemed upset with my response to Edward. I assumed you would’ve been happier by me dismissing it from Marybeth,” she replies as we make our way through the back hallway and toward the front of the tasting room.
She did exactly what she was supposed to do. Piper played her part with Edward. But I can’t explain why I became defensive when I heard her response. Everything is natural with her, and I find myself getting lost in the moment and completely forgetting that none of this is real.
I stop, stepping in front of her and blocking the tasting room entrance before she has a chance to open the door. “I shouldn’t have questioned you about it. You’re doing exactly what I you to do. I guess I was caught up in what’s real and what’s not.”
Piper’s eyebrows pinch together. Her hazel-green eyes stared up at mine with confusion. “This is what you wanted.”
“I know. You’re just doing a really good job at it.”
She puts her hands on her hips. “I don’t know how. I’m barely even saying or doing anything.”
“It’s your presence. That’s all. It’s nice having you here.” I sigh. “What do you say we continue this Bradley Family tour, huh?”
Piper lets out a dramatic exhale. “Sure.”
I spend the remainder of the afternoon showing her around the rest of the property. Our winemaker, Rob, gave her a personal tour of the caves and barrel rooms. Piper wanted a taste of everything she could get her hands on—and, of course, Rob obliged by indulging her with anything she asked for. He also gave her a crash course in the chemistry and farming behind winemaking.
I looked on with pride because it all fascinated her. She was so excited and eager to learn. Whenever Rob shared an interesting fact, her eyes lit up. For a brief time, I wondered if she was playing the part or if she was genuinely interested. I hope it was the latter.
Once in a while, in the middle of one of his mini-lessons, Rob would look over at me and mouth the words “she’s great” and “love her,” deepening my affection toward her. After a few glasses, her giggle captivated me, reminiscent of our night in Vegas. Whenever Rob would get into the science behind growing and fermenting the fruit, Piper would purse her lips together and chew on the side of her cheek. I couldn’t stop staring at the way she moved them. I made it my mission the entire afternoon to study every feature of her delicate face.
When we return to the main house, it’s about dusk, and Piper’s a little drunk from all the wine sampling.
“Can you stop with all the giggling?” I loop my arm around her waist to help her walk up the stairs to the front door. I love it.
“I’m sorry. It’s not my fault that Rob basically let me taste every varietal known to humans.”
“Look at you putting your new vocabulary words into action,” I smirk. “I’m so proud.”
Her lavender-scented locks right into my face. “At least I’m doing what you’re paying me to do, right?”
I breathe it in. “Like getting wined up?”
“No, being friendly and irresistible.” She winks at me.
I run the back of my knuckles across her soft cheek. “You don’t need wine for that. That’s just you, my love.”
“Always flirting with me.”
“I can’t help it.”
Piper stops on the second step before reaching the door and fumbles through her purse as her phone vibrates. She holds the screen close, and then I watch as the flicks of light in her eyes go dark. Her expression and shoulders fall at the same time. I get hit with an uneasy feeling.
I bring my hand to rest on her arm. “Is everything okay?”
Piper’s eyelashes flutter a few times before she answers. “Yeah, fine. It’s just my mom again,” she tells me, shoving her phone back into her purse.
Unsure of her response, I vaguely remember her getting a phone call in Vegas that also completely changed her demeanor. “If it’s your mom, you should get it.”
“No, she calls a lot. It’s alright,” she objects.
I wonder if it was her mom who called in Vegas too. She had almost a mirrored response and refused to answer then as well. It’s none of my business, and I don’t want to pry, but this seems odd.
“Are you sure?” I press.
“Yes. This is what she does. She is fine, trust me,” she gently snaps.
I nod respectfully, not pushing her again.
Piper plasters what I can now tell is a fake smile on her face. “Shall we?”
I smile back, hoping she’ll tell me about these phone calls at some point. Sucking in a deep breath, before blowing it out, I slide my arm under hers and reach for the door. “Gemma, we’re going to eat on the third floor,” I yell toward the kitchen, assuming Gemma hasn’t gone home yet.
“Of course,” Gemma raises her voice as she turns the corner into the foyer.
“Gemma!” Piper shrieks, stumbling away from me and into Gemma’s waiting arms.
“Oh, honey, looks like you sampled the product today, didn’t you?” she says, patting Piper’s head.
“She did,” I say, biting my bottom lip.
Gemma’s eyebrows raise. “Rob will do that to you.”
Piper looks at me with the biggest grin on her face, then slips right into my arms. I pull her in close.
“Give her time. She’ll learn how to hang.”
“Yeah, I know. It is hilarious,” I reply to Gemma while gazing down at Piper’s flushed face.
“I’m fine. I had so much fun here. I love this place,” she coos, rubbing her nose.
“You don’t mind bringing the food up before you head out for the day?” I ask Gemma, steering Piper toward the stairs.
“Of course not. It’ll be right up.” She tosses over her shoulder while walking into the kitchen.
Piper and I take the stairs to the third floor and then onto the balcony. “It’s beautiful up here. Is this where we’re going to have dinner?”
“Yeah, is that alright?”
“Yes!”
We both take our seats at the small bistro table. “What do you think? I know it was a busy day, and you met everyone so fast, but what did you think about the winery?”
Piper flashes me a wide, warm smile. “I love everything about this place. The smells, the stories—the people. I’m so glad you shared this part of your life with me.”
Having her here has felt so natural, but is that the wine talking or Piper? “I’ve had a love/hate relationship with this place since childhood. Seeing it through your eyes today has been enlightening.”
The sun is setting over the horizon, lighting up the hills with a low orange glow reflecting off her face. It unexpectedly causes my breath to catch.
“Good. I’m glad I could help.”
I don’t respond because my mind goes blank. I’m trapped in her gaze. In this light, she looks incredible—well, in every type of light, she looks incredible.
Piper sees me staring, and even though my instinct is to look away, I don’t. “You are impossible to read,” she complains, her forehead creasing. “And that says a lot, coming from someone like me who’s good at reading people.”
I hear her words, but all I can think of is the amazing day we’ve had. I share my childhood home with her—a place I haven’t shared with any other woman. A place that I’ve kept to myself for more reasons than one. Does she see me for just Jack, even in this environment?
A light breeze brushes past us. Pushing her hair in front of her face, she whips it around and locks eyes with me. “Why are you staring at me like that?”
My heart jumps into my throat as the words I’m about to say replay in my mind before they softly come out of my mouth. “Can I kiss you?”
She inhales a sharp breath. “What did you ask me?”
I lean forward, mesmerized by her beauty in this light. “You heard me.”
“If this is your way of messing with me, it’s not funny. It’s not like this is the first time you’ve seen me have a little too much to drink—” She pauses, then holds up her index finger into the air. “I guess Vegas was way different because I was plastered that night.”
She’s avoiding my question. But I want to kiss her. I want to feel Piper’s lips on mine again without multiple drinks in me. I need that closeness right now after the day I’ve had. Standing in my dad’s office, surrounded by her comfort, was something I hadn’t felt in a long time. And maybe tomorrow I’ll regret this, but right now, it’s all I can think about. My whole life will be turned upside down in a matter of weeks. I’m feeling brave and want to shoot my shot.
Keeping my eyes on her, I say her name, “Piper?”
She slowly turns her head. Her pupils are large saucers. She’s nervous.
I glide my hand up the side of her face, threading my fingers through her hair before hooking the back of her head. She doesn’t move away. Her eyes fall to my lips. I slowly lean in, not expecting her to meet me in the middle, but she does. Then she pauses. We share a breath for a moment before Piper’s mouth finds mine. My eyelids automatically close.
Her soft lips taste like a combination of watermelon lip gloss and Cabernet. At first, our mouths move slowly, massaging each other’s lips. But I want a better taste. Sliding my tongue along the seam of her lips, she parts them and invites me inside.
A small whimper escapes from her, and I can’t help but bite back a smile after hearing that delicious sound. I bring my other hand to her cheek, caressing her skin with my thumb. She’s so tender and so—perfect.
I can’t get enough.
“Umm,” she whispers, nuzzling my nose with hers.
“Yes?”
“This is going to complicate things.” Her voice is shaky and unsure, but it’s enough to snap me back into reality. She’s right. But I don’t want to stop because she feels so goddamn good.
I draw my head back, ready to respond, when Gemma opens the balcony doors. Piper and I whip our heads around simultaneously, forgetting she’d follow us up here.
“Dinner is served, my friends,” she announces, removing two flatbread pizzas and two glasses of water from a tray. We shouldn’t have had to pull away when Gemma showed up. She does think Piper and I are dating. But then why did it feel like we were doing something we weren’t supposed to be doing?
“You are awesome. Thanks so much.” I try to catch my breath, but it’s impossible, with my heart hammering inside my chest.
Piper chugs her water, looking worked up. “This food smells so good. Thanks again.”
“No problem at all. You know I love doing it!” Gemma looks at me. Then, she turns to Piper. “Have a wonderful night, dear. I’ll see you both soon.”
The door shutting behind us is the only sound for some time. My pulse is still racing, and I’m sure hers is too. With a kiss like that, I can’t imagine she didn’t feel the sparks between us. Her lips are even better than I remember, if that’s at all possible.
“Was that the first time you’ve been into your father’s office since his passing?” Piper breaks our silence in an effort to push aside what happened.
Setting my napkin on my lap, I prepare to have this conversation with her. I agreed to have her as my partner, and if anything is going to cool me off, it would be this. If I had my choice, I’d love to refrain from discussing my dad altogether, but I’ve brought her into the fold, and the least I can do is share some of my feelings with her.
I clear my throat before responding, giving myself an extra second to formulate an answer. “I, uh,” I hesitate. “Today was the second time. Believe it or not, being in his office is harder than being in this house.”
“I get that. You, your mom, and your father shared the house. But his office is truly his space. I’m sure he spent a lot of time there.”
I stare at the food in front of me, pushing away memories of running around his office when I was a kid, bringing food down when he was too busy to make it up for meals, and late-night brainstorming sessions with employees while I played with my toys on the floor. My chest tightens. I have to look away briefly.
Piper places her hand on mine as it rests on the table between us. All I want to do is turn it around and weave my fingers through hers. “It will get easier.”
“You seem much more sober,” I reply, changing the subject.
She grins, licking her lips. “Yes, that kiss definitely did the trick.”
I smile at her, enjoying how the color of her cheeks always hints at her true feelings. I know I’ve gotten to her, and it is thoroughly satisfying.
After we finish dinner, we head back to our villa, but this time, we are leaving with different energy between us. Piper returns to Arizona the day after tomorrow, and I’m more than a little upset about it.