Chapter 11
Piper
Istabbed angrily at my phone. Chance hadn’t responded to one text message. Was he okay? Had the man with the scar caught up with him? Had he been hurt?
Ugh. I needed to talk to him.
I tossed my phone down beside the sink in my bathroom and looked back in the mirror.
Great, another crappy night of sleep was stamped all over my face. With a sigh, I slathered on more concealer, then pulled a face. I couldn’t blame my continued lack of sleep entirely on my brother.
No, a certain annoying head of maintenance held some of the blame.
Last night, I hadn’t slept because I’d dreamed of Everett.
Dreamed of that kiss.
I hissed in a breath. Damn him. Now I knew how his mouth felt, how it tasted, and how good of a kisser he was.
My brain had dreamed of a hell of a lot more than a kiss. Those rough hands on my body. And it did an excellent job of imagining just how he looked under that flannel and denim. I’d woken up sweaty and turned on.
“Stop it, Piper.” I grabbed my mascara.
This was only because it had been a while—okay, a long while—since I’d dated. That was the only reason a tall, annoying mountain man was suddenly appealing.
Then, I remembered him bringing me an oat milk latte, checking my hands, telling me I was safe.
He was being nice to me. I didn’t want to think about Everett being nice.
I gripped the mascara wand harder and the move throbbed through my hands.
I’d already slathered them in cream this morning.
They were still grazed, but on the mend.
The cut on my neck looked a little better, too.
I was keeping it covered with a Band-Aid, and I’d tied a stylish, silky scarf in a burnt-orange around my neck to hide it.
It matched my skirt and looked good against my black shirt.
I was wearing my Saint Laurent ankle booties today.
“Stay focused on your work and your brother.” I nodded at my reflection. I was very good at working hard, and that’s what I’d do.
Once I was ready, I grabbed my laptop bag and headed out. I had meetings, and I wanted to coordinate with the building contractor on when he could start work on the spa and pool.
I hit the lobby, ignoring the hubbub of staff and guests. I did a quick sweep, but didn’t spot any flannel or burnished brown-gold hair.
“Good morning.”
I jolted, only steps from the door leading to the office areas. I spun to face Caden. “Don’t sneak up on people. You nearly gave me a heart attack.”
His brow creased. “I walked toward you, like a normal person.”
“You creep silently. You’re the quietest man I know.”
“You were distracted.”
I shook my head. “Is everything all right?”
“Yes. That’s what I wanted to reassure you about. About your brother.”
I cocked my head. “What about Chance?
“We found him.”
My heart kicked against my ribs. “And you didn’t tell me?”
“Everett spoke with him,” Caden continued. “Warned him to tell whoever attacked you that you are off limits.”
Feelings welled up inside me and I couldn’t get a lock on them. “Everett? He spoke with my brother.”
“Yes.”
“The two of you decided I couldn’t deal with my own family, hunted down my brother, and took care of things.”
Caden was smart enough to detect my mood. He crossed his muscular arms over his chest. “He was hanging out in the kind of place you shouldn’t visit. We care about you, Piper. We aren’t going to let you get hurt again.”
That was sweet, but still didn’t penetrate the anger welling inside me. Chance was my brother. I needed to deal with him. I didn’t need men, who clearly thought my brain didn’t function, swooping in to play the hero, and not telling me about it.
“Where is Murray now?” I clipped out.
“Maintenance workshop.”
I shoved my laptop bag into Caden’s flat stomach. “Put that in my office. Please.” Then I spun on my heels and strode toward the other door that led to the main back of house, where housekeeping and maintenance teams operated from.
After I angrily slapped my ID card to the scanner, I shoved through the doors. I got a quick glimpse of Allie talking with her team, all of them stocking their housekeeping carts with fresh towels and linen. She watched me stride past, her eyebrows rising.
I aimed right for the double doors that led to the maintenance area. I shoved through and instantly was assaulted by the drone of power tools. A few maintenance team members were working at benches, drilling things.
Swiveling, I spotted my prey and closed in.
Then my steps slowed.
He had another infernal flannel shirt today, but it was off and thrown over a stool beside him.
His T-shirt was white and hugged a wide, toned chest. My heart did a weird stutter.
He wore a set of safety glasses, earmuffs, and his hair flopped over his forehead.
My gaze snagged on his sinewy forearms, then travelled up to where the sleeves of his T-shirt cut into surprisingly muscular biceps.
He was pushing some sort of saw through some wood.
My stomach did a weird flutter, too.
He sensed me and looked up.
Straightening, he turned off the saw and set it down. He shoved the glasses on top of his head and the earmuffs around his neck. Neither of those things should look hot, but weirdly they did.
He did a top-to-toe scan of me, his gaze lingering on my ankle boots before he met my gaze. “Big city, didn’t expect to see you back here.”
I stiffened my spine. “Did you speak to my brother?”
“Yes.”
Anger spurted inside me. “And you didn’t tell me? He’s my brother. Did it not cross your mind that I would need to speak with him? This is my family business, and I told you to stay out of it.”
Slowly, Everett grabbed a bottle of water, tipped his head back, and drank.
My gaze locked on his strong throat. I tried desperately not to pay attention to the way it worked as he drank.
He screwed the cap back on the bottle. “And I told you I was going to keep you safe.”
I felt like my eyes were going to bulge out of my head. I strode forward and stabbed a finger into his chest. His rock-hard chest.
“He’s my brother. I’ve been trying to contact him, and he’s been dodging my messages and calls. I will deal with this.”
With a sudden move, Everett gripped my hips, spun me, and pinned me to the workbench. I gasped. I glanced around, but saw the other few members of the maintenance team had disappeared.
“Big city, your brother is a deadbeat who needs to grow up. I warned you that I was wading in to ensure you didn’t get hurt. Or more hurt than you’ve already been.” He gently grabbed my hands and lifted them. Callused fingers carefully moved over my grazes.
For some reason, my chest was tight and it was hard to breathe.
“The good news,” Everett said, “is that your brother looked upset that someone attacked you. He promised he’d take care of things, and ensure you were kept out of whatever fucked-up business he’s gotten himself involved in.”
I drew in a shaky breath. “Is he in any danger?”
Everett’s head did a little jerk. “Oh no, do not go big sister and wade into this for him. He needs to sort it out himself, and you need to stay safe.”
He didn’t understand. I had to ensure there was no blowback for my mom and Gram. And for all his mess and dysfunction, I had no desire for my brother to get hurt.
Everett studied my neck.
“It’s fine,” I murmured.
He looked at my palms again, then, shocking me into immobility, he gently brushed his lips over my grazes.
That small touch arrowed through me and ignited heat in places that had been lifeless for a long time. My pulse went haywire.
“Stop it,” I whispered.
His gaze met mine. The gold flecks looked like they were glowing.
“Whatever…this is, it has to stop,” I said.
“This meaning that we’re attracted to each other.”
I pulled in a breath. “We are total opposites with nothing in common.”
He smiled, and it was sexy as hell. “I bet we could find a few things.”
“We don’t like each other.”
He lowered his head, and the air caught in my lungs. “Don’t we?”
A radio on the workbench squawked. “Hey, Everett. We have a plumbing issue on level one.”
That jolted me out of my daze. I pulled my hand from his and slipped sideways. “You need to go.”
And I really needed to get out of his sphere of influence before I did something crazy. Like kiss the hell out of him, or tear his shirt off.
As I walked away, I couldn’t control the confusing emotions tumbling around inside me. I lifted my chin and headed for my office.
I needed to talk to Tessa, Allie, and the girls.
I needed cocktail night—and copious cocktails—tonight.