Chapter 6
Philippa Theresa Chapman has knocked my socks off.
Her photo was pretty enough, but when she walked in the door with Rochelle, I was mesmerised.
Pippa was always going to be a beauty. I watched her grow up and knew her brother and I would end up taking an active interest in who she dated.
But now she’s a woman—curvy as sin with an hourglass figure and cleavage I’d love to drown in. Her features were always dainty, but her full lips are just begging to be kissed.
Lucas would hate it if I seduced his sister, but any thoughts of revenge for his actions are fleeting as I could never do that to Pippa. She’s worth far more than a quick roll in the hay.
As soon as I saw her, there was no way I could stay away. I had to be near her.
She’s going to be mine.
Leaving her was hard the first time. She was way too young for me, and I didn’t harbour romantic thoughts about her, but I’d known her for her whole life. Pippa was like a sister to me, but I’m not feeling anything sisterly about her now.
When we’ve made plans to meet for morning tea the next day, I open my office door. Rochelle stands awkwardly in the outer office, meeting my gaze and arching an eyebrow at me while Pippa explains what we are to one another.
My eyes drop to Pippa’s hips as she walks away. The sway of them is hypnotising—I foresee a lot of watching those curves in the future.
Should I have interfered with Garrett’s hiring process?
No.
Should I have offered up my PA so I could keep Pippa close to me?
Also no.
But I did, and I have no regrets.
An hour later, Rochelle knocks on my office door and walks in. Any smile she had on her face earlier is gone. “I want to ask you what your intentions are toward Pippa, but that makes me sound like a parent,” she says.
“Nothing you’ll get any complaints about.” I deadpan.
She drops into the chair on the other side of my desk. “I mean it, Deacon. You cause any issues and I’ll?—”
“Do what? I’m not going to harass her. I’ve known that woman since … forever, and I won’t do anything to hurt or upset her.”
She gives me a short, sharp nod in response.
“But I might just marry her.” I grin.
Rochelle shakes her head, seemingly fighting a smile. “Just be careful. I don’t want you putting your own company at risk.”
“I’m not about to do that. I also know there are no rules against staff fraternisation, and while there’s a power imbalance between us, I’d never pressure Pippa into doing anything she doesn’t want to. Hell, she’s a grown woman who can make up her own mind.”
Rochelle straightens up and nods. “That’s a much better response.”
“Pippa’s always been dear to me. I’ll make sure if either one of us has concerns, we talk to you.”
That seems to satisfy her as she rises from her chair and walks toward the door. “She’s nice. I like her.”
“So do I.”
* * *
“Knock knock.”
Last night I kept thinking about today, and I didn’t sleep that great. I’m not sure why the thought of seeing Pippa again makes me nervous—I practically lived at the Chapmans’ sometimes. But grown-up Pippa is a very different prospect than the Pippa I knew back then.
For a distraction, I buried myself in reports this morning.
I look up and Pippa’s gaze locks onto mine.
“Is it ten already?” I smile.
“Right on the dot.”
I push myself up from my desk. “Prompt. I like it.”
She beams a radiant smile at me. “I’ve been doing all the paperwork with Rochelle.”
“So you’re all set?”
Nodding, she walks into the room, and takes my breath away. She’s wearing a black, knee-length skirt that hugs her curves. Her jacket’s nestled in her arms, and her crisp, white blouse tucked into her skirt emphasises that hourglass figure.
Holy shit.
I’m not supposed to have this reaction to my ex-best friend’s little sister, but it’s all I can do to keep my jaw off the floor.
She tilts her head. “Deacon? Are you okay?”
I blink to break my stare. Her first day, and she’s going to think I’m some kind of pervert. But this was not what I expected even after seeing her yesterday.
“I’m looking at you, Pip. You’re gorgeous.”
She blushes and slides her hand over her eyes. It’s familiar, and I’m taken back to the fun and laughter we all shared as kids—back before Lucas broke us.
I walk around the desk and remove her hand from her face.
“Deacon,” she murmurs.
“Let’s go and have coffee. I want to know all about your life.” Giving her hand a squeeze, I guide her out of the room and to the elevator.
I’m well aware there are eyes on us, and when we reach the lobby, Pippa takes a deep breath.
“You okay?”
She nods. “It’s a little overwhelming, but I’m fine. You did good, Deacon.”
My chest swells a little at her praise. We’ve all worked hard at building this business—our revenue increases year on year as we get into new markets.
Two years ago, we moved into this multi-storey building which just highlights our growth. All five floors are ours, and there’s a little coffee shop right in front which is handy for these moments.
It’s busy, and we have to queue for a few minutes. I keep glancing at Pippa. She’s clearly nervous, knitting her fingers together and biting her bottom lip.
“Order what you want. My shout.” I smile.
“A flat white with one sugar,” Pippa tells the barista.
“Make that two? Having here.”
I grab a number, pay, and lead Pippa to a quiet booth down the back of the shop.
She slides into it while I keep my distance and sit on the other side.
“I still can’t believe I’m here,” she says. “If I’d known in the early stages the job was here …”
“You might not have applied?”
She nods. “I was never sure how you’d react if we saw each other again.”
I draw in a deep breath. This subject was always going to come up. How can we move forward, even if it’s just friendship without addressing the past?
“Things were tough back then. I’d just found out about my mother, and I wasn’t fair on you.”
Pippa shakes her head. “No, you weren’t.”
Ouch.
She sucks on her top lip before continuing. “There’s something I want to clear up—something you got wrong back then.”
Double ouch.
“What is it?”
“Here’s your coffee.”
The cups are placed on the table, and I smile at the waitress and nod. “Thank you.”
Pippa wraps her hands around her cup before she meets my gaze. “You thought I knew what was going on that day. I didn’t. Lucas said he was going to your place, and my parents made him take me so I wasn’t home alone.”
I nod slowly. That day is a bit of a blur. One minute my dad and I were on our way to go fishing. The next, we were headed home because there was some work emergency. After he found Mum in bed with Lucas, they argued before he took off to deal with the work issue.
Then things got nasty between my mother and me.
“Lucas called you his lookout.”
She shrugs. “I guess he was pissed at being caught. When we went there, I thought you were inside and that the two of you were just going to be playing games as usual. I had no idea you and your dad weren’t there. I stayed outside to read my book. Your mother brought me a drink. I fell asleep on that seat.”
My stomach sinks. I don’t know what I said to her, but I do know I was angry—angrier than I’ve ever been in my life. For years, my parents fought, but I knew they loved each other—at least, I thought they did.
Mum had a real screwed-up idea of love.
“I’m sorry if I said anything to upset you, Pippa. I was a mess back then. You were a kid—even if you knew about Lucas and my mother, I wouldn’t blame you if you said nothing.” I blow out a long breath.
She reaches across the table and places her hand on mine. “I just always wanted you to know. You never gave me a chance to tell you.”
“I was so young and stupid.” I turn my hand up and squeeze hers. “What I do know is that I’m really glad you’re here.” Pulling back my hand to hold up my cup and take a sip, I shoot her a wink. “Now, tell me about you.”
Her smile lights up her face. That’s the Pippa I knew. That girl never had a care in the world. Her parents adored her, and Lucas for all his faults was a proud big brother—even when he was grumpy with her.
She was always sunshine even on the cloudiest of days.
“What do you want to know?” she asks.
I lean back in my seat. “The last time we saw each other …”
Her brows knit, and I swallow hard. She probably doesn’t want to remember that day any more than I do.
“It was twelve years ago, Pip. I’m sure a lot has happened in your life since then.”
She shrugs and drops her gaze. “There’s not a lot to tell. I finished high school, went to uni in Wellington, worked down there for a while, and now I’m here.”
“What brought you to Auckland?”
Her head shoots up, and those hazel eyes fix on me. “Something different? I thought there’d be more opportunities here, and the chance to earn better money. The company I worked for in Wellington had gone into receivership, and I knew if I left it too late I’d be out of a job, so I took the initiative and planned my exit.”
“You were always smart. Smarter than either me or Lucas.”
Her affectionate gaze is unsettling—more than it should be. She was so soft-hearted, and she never held back when it came to telling people how she felt.
“I don’t know about that. Look at everything you’ve built. You and your friends have done amazingly well. Your drinks are everywhere.”
I nod. “Yeah, I’m really proud of that. I wish Dad was around to see it.”
Her whole expression changes, and my heart lurches as I think I just broke hers. Tears well in her eyes. “Your dad isn’t with us anymore?”
“You didn’t know?”
She shakes her head, and I feel like the biggest bastard for dropping it on her like that.
“I’m not sure about the rest of my family, but I didn’t hear anything about you or your dad after you left. It was too sad to talk about. I only knew about your success because your company was in the media. You made me so proud.” She smiles through her tears, and I lean over and swipe a couple that have landed on her cheeks with my index finger.
“Don’t cry. My dad wouldn’t have wanted to make you sad. He thought you were the bee’s knees. Just like I did.”
Her lower lip wobbles, and before I can stop myself, I’m on the other side of the booth. I wrap my arm around her shoulder, and she leans into me. Closing my eyes for a moment, I breathe in the vanilla scent of her perfume.
“I’m so sorry, Deacon. Your dad was always so nice to me.”
I know I shouldn’t—not when she’s technically on company time, but I kiss the top of her head and hold her close. “I’m sorry to tell you this way. I think he’d be happy we’re working together.”
She barks out a laugh. “I still don’t know how that happened. Are you crazy?”
“Maybe just a little.” I plant another kiss in her hair. Twelve years apart is too much. If I’d stayed, would this shift in how I’m feeling about her have taken place? We were all so close, but time apart has changed everything. “I don’t want to let you go now. It’s been too long.”
“Then don’t,” she whispers.
“As much as I’d like that, we do have to get to work at some point.” I chuckle, but the truth is I’m very reluctant to let her go now she’s in my arms.
“Can we just stay here for a minute?”
I smile to myself. “Of course we can. I can’t tell you how good it is to have you here.”
“I’m just hoping I’m up to the task of keeping you in line.” She pulls away a little and gazes at me, her eyes skimming over my face.
“Whatever you tell me to do, I’ll do it.”
Her cheeks pink up. This attraction isn’t a one-way street.
“It’s going to be that easy, huh?”
“When it comes to you? Yes.”