Double Coverage (The Love and Sports #2) - Meghan Quinn

Double Coverage Book Two of the Love and Sports Series Meghan Quinn

Chapter 1 The minute Piper sat down in the buttery soft chair assigned to her on the airplane, she immediately shut the flimsy plastic window shade to block out the excruciatingly bright sun. She needed to because the light pierced through her skull and split her head in two. She adjusted her sunglasses so they were more plastered to her eyes, blocking off any other light that might work its way into her line of vision. Her deep red, curly hair was tucked away under the hood of her sweatshirt, since she was in no mood to tame the well-defined curls. Feeling a little queasy, she lifted her arm and felt around for the air to be turned on above her to reprieve her from the nausea that was rolling around in her stomach. Unfortunately, the pilot had yet to allow the air to flow freely in the cabin. Buckling herself into the first class seat her friend so nicely purchased for her, Piper chastised herself for drinking too much the night before, or rather in the early hours of the morning. Since landing a bartending job at the very popular sports bar, Dick’s Last Chance, she hadn’t been able to say no to latenight partying and now it was finally starting to catch up to her. Hopefully, the little break she was taking away from the bar would help her regain her strength so when she returned, well…she could drink some more. She was by no means an alcoholic, but she loved letting her inhibitions fly. Thanks to her father, she grew up accustomed to a strict schedule with rules and penalties. Growing up as the daughter of Captain Shores of the United States Army led to a very difficult childhood and, now that she was no longer under her father’s roof, she did whatever the hell she wanted. Ergo, dropping out of college, traveling the world, sleeping with whomever she wanted and working as a bartender where she could get bombed whenever she pleased. She reached into her pocket to find her cell phone to turn it off before the plane took off when she noticed a text message. It was from Hannah, one of her best friends and co-worker. Hannah: Piper, I just blew up the toilet with last night’s regurgitated dinner. I hope you are faring better than me right now. Piper chuckled at her friend. Hannah was a little pistol at times, but as sweet as can be, which came in handy since she worked at one of Denver’s most popular sports bars. She was one of the most beautiful girls Piper had ever seen and she was jealous of her friend every time they were near each other. Hannah was blessed with a perfect head of silky light brown hair and piercing light blue eyes placed on a heartshaped flawless face. Where Piper had height to her, Hannah was tiny with curves. Life could be so unfair at times. Piper sent Hannah a quick text before she turned off her phone. Piper: I didn’t blow chunks this morning, but I look like the Unabomber right now. I’ll text you when I land. Lay off the hooch for a bit, Hannah. Piper turned her phone off, stuffed it in her pocket, and laid her head back on the seat. Surprisingly, Hannah held her own last night while drinking. Usually, she took it easy, but she held nothing back last night, which surprised the hell out of Piper. Piper made sure her hood was still pulled on tight by drawing the strings tight and made sure her sunglasses were placed correctly over her eyes. She didn’t need anything rocking her senses right now, since she was not accustomed to puking in the tiny paper bags provided for up-chuckers on planes. She was just closing her eyes when a luggage bag was placed on the seat next to her, slightly hitting her shoulders and rocking her sensitive body to the side. Her eyes shot open because the sudden movement made her stomach roll. She breathed through her mouth and willed all contents of the cheeseburger she

had this morning to settle itself back down in the pit of her stomach. She slowly turned her head to see what the disturbance was, but only saw the waist of what looked like a very fit man. Not able to move her head much, she just turned back around. She didn’t care who sat next to her, as long as they were gentle, didn’t smell, and kept their mouth shut. She closed her eyes again, willing her body to relax, but was unable to because the brute who just sat next to her shuffled around looking for his seatbelt and talked very loudly on his phone. “That’s great, I’m happy for you,” he said in a very sarcastic tone. How odd, Piper thought, didn’t the guy know he was in a small confined space and everyone around him could hear his conversation? “What do you want me to say? I’m happy, alright.” Piper tried to ignore the way his voice was rising, but couldn’t, especially when every word he shouted felt like sandpaper scratching against her brain. “You want the truth? Fine, I could give two shits about what kind of amazing opportunity you might have.” He used air quotes when he said amazing, which was odd since he was on the phone. He continued, “No Brooke, you lost the chance at my approval when you decided that I wasn’t good enough for you. I’m no longer your man. Therefore, I don’t give a flying fuck what happens in your life.” He was now speaking in a controlled, but very stern, voice. If Piper wasn’t so annoyed with the conversation, she would have thought his voice was almost sexy, in a disturbing machismo sort of way. The flight attendant started shutting the airplane door and the conversation that Mr. Buff-man was having was bordering on obnoxious and extremely annoying. “I’m not sorry and I refuse to apologize…Oh, come on Brooke, you have got to be kidding me. It’s shit like that, that I don’t miss. Yeah, I don’t miss…you can be such a bitch.” He pointed to his chest when he said, “Me, I’m a bastard? Really funny because I remember you’re the one who…” That was it; Piper couldn’t take it anymore. She reached over to the guy’s phone, grabbed it out of his hand, pressed the end button, and then tossed it on his lap. She readjusted her sunglasses and put her head back on the head rest. From the corner of her eye, she could see the man leaning forward looking at her with his mouth open in shock. She just shrugged. Served him right. She was just closing her eyes when he tapped her on the shoulder. She didn’t look at him because that would require her to turn her head and she had used all her energy to turn his phone off. “What?” she asked, while staring straight ahead. “Who the fuck do you think you are…?” Piper held up her hand to silence him. “I’m going to stop you right there, buddy. I suggest you close that fly trap you have hanging wide open right now and silently thank me. I did you a favor.” “A favor? You just made my life ten times more difficult.” “Well, that’s your own damn fault for getting involved with, who I can only imagine is, a psychotic whore. So once again, you are welcome.” Piper heard the guy’s cell phone ring, but he ignored it and turned his phone off, shoving it in his pocket. Piper refrained from smirking, but still felt the corners of her lips curl up. She closed her eyes again and tried to calm her stomach that was rolling around from the movement of hanging up the phone for the man next to her. Over the plane speakers, the flight attendant started informing passengers about safety requirements, how to buckle one’s seatbelt and fasten oxygen masks in case of a loss of cabin pressure. Piper just let the words slip out of her mind. If things went awry, she would just play the helpless girl role and have someone help her. Just when Piper felt herself starting to relax, the man next to her bumped her arm that was resting on the armrest. The sudden movement made her fall to the side, since all of her weight was on her one elbow and her stomach rolled forward. She gripped the seat in front of her and glared at the man through her sunglasses. “Jesus, brute. Learn to share a freaking armrest.” “Share? You’re hogging the whole damn thing.” He exhaled and then looked at her, studying her

carefully. “Just my luck, I get to sit next to a bitch that looks like the Unabomber.” “I beg your pardon?” She snapped her head, a little too quickly, at the man and it was the first glimpse she actually had of him. He was surprisingly attractive. She was expecting some massively hairy and disgusting man to be sitting next to her, but he wasn’t…not even close. He had a dark complexion, like he might be an Italian, he had pretty-boy features, deep brown eyes, brown hair and a scruffy face. Lord have mercy, he was more attractive than she wanted him to be. He waved up and down her body with his hand. “Why the hell are you dressed like that? You know, when you’re inside, you’re supposed to take off your sunglasses.” “Well, aren’t you charming?” she said sarcastically. Even though he was attractive, too attractive, he was still a prick. “Why don’t you mind your own business and I’ll mind mine. How does that sound?” He just shrugged and turned back around so he was facing the front. There, that was easy enough. She started closing her eyes again when he spoke up once more. He held out his hand and said, “We got off on the wrong foot. I’m Mason.” She looked at his hand, but didn’t take it. “Good for you.” “Wow, you really are a bitch. You’re not even going to tell me your name? We have a long flight, you know.” She exhaled, grabbed his hand quickly, shook it, and said, “Jojo, nice to meet you.” He lifted an eyebrow at her in question. “Jojo?” Piper held back the laughter that wanted to pop out when he repeated her fake name. She didn’t like meeting new people, especially douche-bag men who thought they owned the world, so she always carried around an alias, ready to use whenever the time came. “Yeah, you got a problem with that?” “No, I just didn’t picture you as a Jojo.” She held up her hand. “Seriously, we are not doing this, okay?” She pulled her glasses down and flashed her bloodshot eyes at him. “I am beyond hung over and the last thing I want to do is make small talk with a douche like you, so if we can just get past these pleasantries and call this what it is…an unfortunate inconvenience, I’ll leave you alone and you leave me alone.” She plopped her sunglasses back on and tried not to smirk at the look on his face. Pretty boy most likely got whatever he wanted and never had a girl talk to him like that. She enjoyed it. She never took shit from anyone and, when her heart wasn’t in something, she wasn’t going to deal with it. So making pleasantries with the pretty-boy next to her for the next couple of hours was not even an option; she had to cut him off before he got too chummy. He started moving around in his seat, checking his shirt and his pants, wiping at his body, and basically causing too much of a disturbance for her slumber, once again. The plane was taxiing on the tarmac at the moment, so they were about to take off. She needed everything to stay still for that moment, so she didn’t lose the contents in her stomach. “What the hell are you doing? Sit still, for fuck’s sake.” “Oh, is the little princess going to puke? From what little skin I can see over those hideous glasses, you look green.” “Just sit the fuck still, you prick.” He continued to check himself. She stopped him with her arm and gulped. No, she was not going to puke, she refused to puke. “Stop!” He smirked at her. “I’m just trying to find the magnet that was attached to me without my knowledge.” “Magnet?” “You know, the bitch magnet because those are the only women that seem to be near me in my life.” Piper rolled her eyes under her sunglasses and grabbed the barf bag in front of her, just in case things got crazy. “You are such a tool bag, you know that?”

“Just calling it like I see it. You must be the spawn of the devil. You have the hair for it,” he said, while tugging on a loose strand. “Touch me again and lose your hand.” “Oh, I see. You have the menses right now.” The plane started to take off at a rapid speed and she felt her body fall back into the seat. Her stomach rolled once again, making her future look more and more like she was going to have a fantastic relationship with the bag that was currently being flipped through her fingers. “What are you, twelve? I told you I was fucking hung over, so just leave me the hell alone!” The minute she said alone, she felt her stomach say its apologies and then reject whatever was stored up inside. She placed her mouth in the bag and let everything fly. Sweat formed on her brow and her stomach convulsed all the liquid sins she drank the night before. Next to her, Mason the douche, just sat there laughing at her. If she wasn’t currently mouth-deep in her puke bag, she would punch the living daylights out of him. “Teaches you to mess with me.” When the plane leveled out, he pressed the button for the flight attendant. A perky blonde, who was blatantly flirting with Mason smiled down at him and asked, “Can I help you, sir?” Mason jerked his thumb toward Piper and said, “Yeah, this one couldn’t handle the takeoff. She is kind of smelling up the place with her puke bag. Do you think you can take care of it for us?” “Of course, sir.” The flight attendant eyed Piper with a distasteful look and offered to take Piper’s puke bag. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, Piper handed the bag over to the judgmental flight attendant. Piper was tempted to drop the bag on Mason’s lap, but knew that was only going to spread the smell and make her throw up some more. “Thank you,” Piper murmured, while Mason continued to laugh. What a dick! *** Thank God Mason spent three years living in the football house in college dealing with drunk idiots because, if he hadn’t, the smell of Jojo’s puke would have him lunging for his little puke bag as well. He started to feel bad that he’d made her puke, but then retracted that thought when her not-so-ladylike insults ran through his mind. She was being a complete bitch and for no apparent reason. He looked over at her and felt a grin spread across his face. She deserved every last bit of what she just went through. Women were not his favorite creatures at the moment, thanks to his now ex-finance, Brooke. He thought she was it for him. They spent four years in college fawning over each other. His best friend, Jake, thought Mason was crazy for falling in love in college when they could pretty much have any girl on campus, but Mason didn’t care. He loved Brooke more than anything. Once he graduated from college, was drafted by the Denver Stallions as their starting wide receiver, started booking ad campaigns, and proposed to Brooke, he thought he was all set in life. He guessed wrong, what he’d accomplished in life just wasn’t good enough for Brooke. The pain from Brooke’s break-up still affected him like it happened yesterday. Two months ago, Brooke approached him while he was taking a shower and told him she wanted more. She wanted to become a singer and be famous. Initially, Mason laughed at her and tried to pull her into the shower, but when he noticed she had a bag packed next to her, he realized she might actually be serious. He immediately got out of the shower and said, “You’re kidding, right? Brooke, you can’t sing.” He quickly grabbed a towel and wiped himself down. Being naked and having a talk about his fiancé leaving

made him feel exposed. “I can too sing! You just can’t listen well.” Mason looked at her as if she had five heads. He rubbed the point of his towel in his ear, cleaning out any cobwebs that might have prevented him from hearing Brooke sing properly. He gestured her to proceed. “Well, by all means. Sing me a little ditty.” She put her hands on her hips and said, “I can’t sing for you right now. There’s no music.” Mason laughed. “Listen sweetheart, if you can’t sing without music for one person, you’re never going to be able to sing for a sold out crowd in an arena.” “Oh Mace, you think I’ll have a sold out crowd?” Brooke asked with hopeful eyes. Mason rolled his eyes. “Oh, Jesus! No, you are most likely having some kind of mental breakdown.” “I am not, you ass! My daddy thinks I am going to be an amazing singer one day. Would it kill you to support me? I support you while you run around on the grass and catch a stupid brown oblong-shaped ball.” Mason leaned his hip against the counter and stared at Brooke. “First off, that brown oblong-shaped ball is called a football and secondly, I have talent. That kind of comes in handy when you want to succeed. Thirdly, your dad thinks you shit gold, so of course he is going to tell you that you’re going to be great someday.” “You are such a dick. This is why I’m leaving, because I can’t be in a relationship where I receive no support. All you care about is stupid football and…” she gestured toward his chest and arms, “And your stupid tattoos. Grow up Mason!” He had no clue why she had to attack his tattoos; they’d done nothing to harm her. With that last statement she made, she was out of his life…until today. She called him to tell him she “caught her big break.” She was able to get an audition on the very popular singing contest, Red, White and Blue Diva. Mason, at first, had no clue how she landed an audition, but then he thought about it for a second and came to the conclusion that Brooke’s dad paid someone off. That was the only way she would be able to get on the show because tone-deaf cows could sing better than she could. He wasn’t a big reality TV fan, but occasionally he would dabble in watching the singing contest and maybe, just once, did he vote, but that was a onetime thing and he’d just downed an entire twelve pack of beer, so he was feeling a little loose with his morals. He couldn’t believe she had the nerve to call him and then be mad at him because he could give two shits about what she was doing with her life. Did she really think he cared at all about her shitty attempt at being a pop-star? He knew her goal was completely ridiculous and asinine and nothing would come of it. It hurt even worse that she would throw away a perfectly good relationship for something so unattainable. She had turned Mason into a very bitter ass of a man and it showed today. He made a complete stranger goad him so much that he took great pleasure in making her lose her cookies on an airplane. Normally, his conscience would have kicked in and told him he was being an ass, but instead, he nestled himself into his very plush first class seat and smiled at his accomplishment. The bitch deserved it, he thought. He looked over at his flying companion and chuckled. She was slumped in her chair, legs spread and head bobbing to the side. Her sunglasses had fallen off and little sprigs of red hair poked out from under her hoodie. He scanned her face and noticed how creamy white her skin was; he was going to ignore that for now and, instead, focus on the pool of drool she’d started to acquire in the corner of her mouth that dripped down to her shoulder. He refrained from taking a picture and posting it on Facebook, even though he wanted to so badly it made his fingers itch. That would be a seriously dick move. Although, the more he thought about it, the more he itched to grab his phone. He quickly scanned the plane and noticed everyone was enamored with their own plane activities, so he grabbed his phone out of his pocket. Thankfully, it was on airplane mode, and he took a quick snapshot

of the “sleeping beauty.” He would Instagram the shit out of that picture later. For the rest of the flight, he lay back in his chair, shut his eyes and enjoyed the ride to San Diego. It was going to be a very, very long weekend full of love, romance and marriage; something he really did not want to be a part of, but he would because he would pretty much do anything for his best friends, Jake and Lexi.

Chapter 2 Piper could not believe she was in the airplane bathroom with the jackass who was sitting next to her. What would possess her to follow him into the small confines of the lavatory? Oh, that’s right, he kept flashing her that devilish smile and she couldn’t resist. His strong hands lifted her sweater off of her body and that was when she realized she was wearing nothing underneath. Was she that hung over that she completely forgot to put on undergarments? When he slipped his hand down into her jeans, she realized she really was that hung over because she was wearing absolutely no underwear. At least it was easy access for him. She worked her jeans down so they were around her ankles and then he propped her up on the sink counter. She felt the faucet head dig into her backside, but she didn’t care. She was too excited that she was going to make it into the mile-high club, which had always been a secret fantasy of hers. She knew the moment she saw this man that he was an ass, but he would be a good lover because of it. He attacked her lips with need she had never felt before. She hoped to God he couldn’t taste the actions of her stomach from earlier in the flight. That would be humiliating, but he knew she threw up and he was the one with the idea of heading back to the bathroom, so he must not have a problem with it. He ran his hands down her back, across her thighs and teased her center. She felt herself throb and was just about to beg him to take her, to make her scream, when something knocked her in the shoulder. She looked to her side, but nothing was there. Then she was knocked in the head. That was when she startled and realized she was having a sex dream…on the airplane. Humiliation filled her face as she looked up at the man she was fantasizing about. He had a huge grin on his face and a rolled up magazine in his hand. She rubbed her head. “What the hell? Did you smack me with that thing?” Mason looked down at the rolled up magazine and shrugged. “Yeah, we landed and hell if I was going to touch you, not with that pool or saliva waiting to flow over on your shoulder.” He gestured to her side with the magazine. Piper quickly looked at her shoulder and gasped, while quickly wiping the side of her mouth. The only thing that would be worse than this would be if she made some kind of moaning noise while she was dreaming. “By the way,” he added “I didn’t know I made such an impression on you that you wanted me to start squeezing your nipples. I usually wait until we have dinner to do that.” The smile on his face could have stretched the length of the plane, if his face was any bigger. She did not remember anything about her nipples being touched. “Did I really tell you to touch my nipples? I don’t remember that.” Mason barked out in laughter. “Jesus, I was just pulling your leg. So those little noise you were making were part of a sex dream about me.” He laughed again. “Awesome.” Piper punched him as hard as she could in the arm. “You are a fucking asshole. You know that?” Mason rubbed his arm. “So I’ve heard. You know, you better watch yourself; I could charge you with assault.” Piper tucked some loose strays of hair under her hood and put her sunglasses back on that must have fallen off during her sleep. “Go right on ahead. Tell the cops that little old me took you out. I would love to see their faces when a muscular guy like you runs to the cops.” “So, you think I’m muscular?” Piper rolled her eyes, even though she knew he couldn’t see her reaction. “Wow, they better put down the oxygen masks because your ego is making us lose cabin pressure.” “Clever.” Piper just shook her head and watched the crewmen out on the tarmac do their work so she could get off the airplane and away from Mason. Yes, he was extremely attractive, but his personality was less than pleasant. She didn’t really care anyway because this weekend wasn’t about her meeting new people; this

was about her best friend and she was going to make sure she kept it that way. *** Lexi waited outside of security, nervous as hell, because she wasn’t quite sure whether Piper actually made her flight or not. Piper was notorious for being a free-spirit and doing things on her own time, so Lexi wouldn’t put it past her childhood friend to miss her flight. She had done it before. She couldn’t believe she was getting married tomorrow. It seemed like only yesterday when she first met Jake her senior year in college. Now, two years later, she was about to walk down the aisle and commit herself to the love of her life. Lexi had not seen Jake in a couple of days, since he was in New York City doing some kind of cologne promotion. Since he was the quarterback for the San Diego Thunder, he had many different deals, sponsorships, and promotions he always had to attend. Luckily, Lexi got to work right along with Jake during the season as the San Diego Thunder’s on-field correspondent, a job she never thought she would actually have. The last two years living with Jake, working near him, but also having a life of her own had been amazing, but now she was ready to settle down and maybe consider starting a family. They’d been talking about having children for a while and now Lexi was thinking she was ready. Lexi checked the time on her phone and realized that the plane had already arrived and Piper should have been trickling down to baggage claim with the other passengers. Jake told Lexi that Mason was on a flight today as well, but was meeting up with some other guys at the airport so they all could ride together. She wouldn’t be seeing any of the men until the rehearsal dinner, which gave her time to spend with her girls, Piper, Margo and Brooke. Lexi sighed, thinking about Brooke and Mason. She wasn’t sure if Mason knew about Brooke being in the wedding, since Jake was bad at relaying details. She hoped Mason didn’t throw a fit when he saw her. Lexi thought about taking Brooke out of the wedding since Mason and her broke up, but Brooke was her good friend and she couldn’t do that to her. Mason and Brooke were just going to have to be adults about the whole situation. Plus, it was just a weekend; they could get through a weekend, or so she hoped. Lexi was just about to go up to the ticketing counter to see if she could find out any information about Piper when she saw a figure that resembled Piper walking toward her. She was wearing gigantic sunglasses and a sweatshirt with the hood over her head, leaving little strands of her annoyingly gorgeous red hair poking out…and she was sporting her ratty jeans and Chuck Taylors. Lexi smiled, some people never change. “Piper!” Lexi grabbed her friend and gave her a hug around her waist. Since Lexi was pushing five foot four and Piper was around five ten, Lexi really only reached around her friend’s waist. “Where the hell have you been?” she said, while smacking her friend’s shoulder. “Sorry Lex, I had to take care of some business in the bathroom.” Lexi was always jealous of Piper because she was every man’s fantasy. Long legs, gorgeous wavy hair, silver eyes and a seductive voice that could bring any man to his knees; Piper had it all. Lexi lifted off Piper’s glasses and looked into her red-rimmed eyes. “Pipe, did you stay out late drinking again?” Piper shrugged her shoulders, put her glasses back on, and led Lexi to baggage claim where her bag was the only one left going around on the carousel. Lexi thought again…some people never change. Piper grabbed her bag and turned to Lexi. “Where to L?” “I took a taxi here. I didn’t feel like dealing with parking, so we need to flag down a taxi and then we’re going straight to my place. That’s where the dress rehearsal dinner will be.” “Sounds good to me. Lead the way.” On their way to the curb, Lexi told Piper all about the wedding and the plans for the weekend. Even

though Piper looked tough on the exterior, she was a real romantic at heart. She asked insightful questions about the wedding and talked about how happy she was that Lexi had found Jake. That was one of the main reasons Piper was her Maid of Honor. Lexi had a hard time deciding between her friend Margo from college and Piper, but in the end, the honor went to Piper. As little girls, they’d always promised each other they would be each other’s Maid of Honor, so Lexi made sure to keep her promise. Although, secretly, she did tell Margo she was the Secret Maid of Honor. Margo seemed to be fine with that and even delivered her SMOH speech to Lexi yesterday. It was quite good. Margo and Lexi played softball together throughout college and were inseparable those four grueling years. They still hung out at least once a week. They finally got in the cab and were on their way to Lexi’s beach-front house she shared with Jake. “So, how was the flight?” Lexi asked, while flipping through different apps on her phone. “Oh you know, it was a flight. Thanks for the first-class ticket, by the way. Those seats were perfect to catch up on my lack of sleep.” “Jake and I were happy to help you out. We knew it would be difficult, financially, to get you out here, so that’s why we insisted on paying for you.” Piper got quiet for a second and Lexi hoped she hadn’t make her friend feel bad. “I know, and I appreciate it. I’ll make it up to you this weekend. I promise.” Lexi smiled. “You don’t have to make anything up to me. I’m just glad you’re here. I feel like it’s been so long.” “I know, what has it been, like…?” Piper didn’t get to finish because Lexi let out a loud gasp. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing on her phone. “What is it?” Piper asked, while taking off her sunglasses. Lexi looked up at her friend. “Uh, how do you know Mason?” “Mason? Mason who?” “Mason Dashel.” Lexi watched as her friend thought about the name, but no recognition crossed her face. “I don’t know a Mason Dashel.” “Do you live in a cave? He’s the wide receiver for the Denver Stallions, also known as Jake’s best man, also known as the guy who took this picture of you.” Lexi turned the picture that was on her Instagram feed toward Piper. Piper instantly grabbed the phone and swore. “That stupid fuckhead!” She tore her hood off her head and Lexi watched the medium sized natural red curls flow out of their confines. Jealousy, once again, enveloped Lexi. “Uh, what’s going on Pipe?” Piper didn’t answer her question. “I can’t believe him. Ugh and look at what he wrote, “My flight companion #SirDroolsALot, #HotMessAward, and #SadLadiesClub.” Then, as if something just struck her, she looked up at Lexi and asked, “He’s Jake’s best man?” Lexi only nodded. “Oh, he is going to fucking get it.” Lexi, not wanting another possible scene at her wedding, decided it might be a good idea to try to calm her friend down. “Piper, let’s not get out of control. He is a jokester. He does stuff like this all the time.” “Well, he doesn’t do shit like this to me.” Realizing that Piper was planning revenge on her friend’s wedding weekend she said, “Don’t worry, I won’t cause a scene. I’ll seek revenge in a subtle way.” A little intrigued, Lexi asked, “Oh yeah? How?” Piper gave Lexi that glorious smile of hers. “By using my sexuality, of course.” “I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Pipe. His ex, Brooke, is going to be there and I want to keep things

as tame as possible.” Piper started laughing. “His ex is going to be there? Oh, my God. Even better!” Lexi started fidgeting her hands, but Piper placed her hands on top of Lexi’s to stop the nervous habit. “I promise you, I will not ruin your wedding. This weekend is going to be amazing.” With Piper’s reassurance, Lexi relaxed back in her seat and took in the view of the ocean. Even though her backyard was the sea, she never got sick of the sound of the waves or the smell and feel of the ocean breeze. She was one lucky girl. *** Mason sat on one of the seats in the airport waiting for his buddies and the rest of the groom’s party to arrive. Jake was going to pick them up from the airport. Well, more like meet up with them when his plane arrived and they were all going to go to a bar for a semi-bachelor party before the rehearsal. Being the best man, Mason was pissed that he was unable to throw his best friend a proper bachelor party, but Jake, being the pussy-whipped man he was now and with his busy schedule, he wouldn’t allow for a bachelor party. Mason struggled while talking Jake into a couple drinks at a local bar before the rehearsal dinner, but he managed to get his way. Jake complained about how he hadn’t seen Lexi in a couple of days, so he wanted to go home and get ready for the party with her, but Mason put the kibosh on that, explaining that Jake would have the rest of his life to spend time with Lexi. He was getting drinks with his buddies. Mason was playing Candy Crush Saga on his iPhone when a soft lump hit him in the face. He looked down at his lap and saw a rolled up pair of boxer briefs. “What the fuck?” Mason looked up and saw Jake’s teammate and good friend Ryker grinning down at him. “Dash, my boy!” Ryker said, using the nickname Mason received from one of the sports announcers in college. “Please don’t tell me these are used,” Mason said, while flinging the boxers to the side with his phone. Ryker picked them up and shoved them in his back pocket. “You wish! What’s going on?” Ryker asked. “Damn, you look a little pudgy these days.” Ryker and Mason were notorious for picking on each other’s weight. Since they were both wide receivers, the only weight they wanted to gain was muscle, unlike their fellow linebackers. “Fuck you,” Mason said, while smiling. “You finally get that dick enlargement you’ve been saving up for?” “Yeah, and if I bring in a friend smaller than me, then I get fifty percent off. So I gave them your name.” Mason chuckled. “Dude, if I get any bigger, I won’t be able to fit in my briefs anymore.” Ryker shook his head. “How many times have I told you, they make boxers with superman on them in the men’s section? You don’t have to keep shopping in the little boys department.” Mason blew out a frustrated growl. “Can I ever have the last word?” Ryker barked out in laughter. “Not while I’m around.” He looked around. “So where is everybody?” Mason looked at the time on his phone. “Parker and Jake should be here soon. They’re both coming from the city.” Parker was Lexi’s best friend in college and slowly, over time, became a great friend to Jake, as well…after all of Jake’s jealousy wore off from Parker’s friendship with Lexi. Parker played shortstop for their baseball team in college and now was playing for the Atlanta Braves. He was recently called up to the majors and kicking ass. He was able to come into town for a couple of days, thanks to the all-star break, perfect timing by the engaged couple. “Speak of the two douchebags now,” Ryker said, while looking to his side. Jake and Parker walked up to the other two men together wearing sunglasses and plain ball caps, most

likely to avoid any kind of recognition by fans. Jake was good with his fans, but when he was a man on a mission, he didn’t want to stop and Mason knew Jake was thinking the quicker he got the bar scene over with, the quicker he could get to Lexi. Poor sap. Mason stood up and gave Jake an inappropriately large hug spinning Jake around and kissing him on the cheek. Mason put Jake down, while Jake wiped his face. Mason went after Parker, but he held his hands out in defense. “Keep those lips to yourself, man. I know it’s been a while, but I don’t need disease-ridden lips anywhere near my face.” “I take offense to that. They are not disease-ridden.” The guys all looked at each other and then Jake said, “Uh, with the ladies you’ve been spotted with lately, I’d say you might want to see a doctor.” “Hey, I don’t ever really let a lady touch my lips. The only thing their lips are touching is my cock.” “Well then, you might want to get your cock looked at,” Ryker said, as all three of the guys stared down at Mason’s jean-clad crotch, forcing Mason to block their pestering stares with his hands. “Stop looking at my dick, you idiots. If you’re that interested, I can show you later…while we’re sharing a hotel room,” Mason said, while wiggling his eyebrows. All three men took their turn punching him in the arm and walking away. Mason rubbed his arm and chased after them. He walked next to Jake and looped his arm around his neck. “So, are you ready for this man?” “Yeah, let’s just get this over with. I have other plans in mind.” “Jesus, can’t you just relax and be with your boys for a little?” Mason asked. They were riding down the escalator toward baggage claim when Jake turned to all three of his groomsmen. “Nothing against you guys, but I’m so horny I think my balls are going to shrivel up and turn into dust. Lexi has been teasing me all week with naked pictures. So, excuse me, if all I want to do is go home and fuck my gorgeous fiancé.” Ryker laughed and quickly grabbed Jake’s phone out of his pocket, just as he got off the escalator. “I hope you saved them,” he said, while running away toward baggage claim. “Fucker!” Jake ran off toward Ryker and tackled him into a wall near the bathrooms. Parker pulled the phone out of Ryker’s perverted hands and handed it to Mason. Jake lunged at Mason, but Parker held him back. “Let’s not make a scene. We’re going to keep that phone until you have a couple of drinks with us, horny or not.” Jake pointed his finger at all three of them. “I swear, if you look through my phone, I will chop all of your dicks off.” Ryker grabbed his crotch and grimaced. “That’s just cruel, man.” The four men grabbed their bags and talked about their trips while driving over to the quiet sports bar that Mason knew wouldn’t draw too many unwanted spectators and fans. Mason, Jake and Parker went into the bar and ordered some beers, while Ryker took a phone call from his agent. The three guys clinked their beers together. “Cheers, man,” Mason said to Jake. “I can’t believe you’re committing to the old ball and chain tomorrow. I never thought I would see the day when you settled down.” They laughed and took a sip of their beers. Back in college, Jake was a huge ladies’ man and Mason was the one in a serious committed relationship…with Brooke. Funny how things change, Mason thought. He imagined that he would have been the first one to get married out of his buddies, but instead, it was the ultimate ladies’ man, Jake. And now, Mason was incapable of committing to a woman for more than one night. He didn’t really believe in happily ever after anymore, thanks to Brooke’s dream smashing. She did a number on him, but he wasn’t going to reveal that to anyone. Nope, he just played up the fact that he was a free man and was loving every minute of it. Ryker busted through the door of the bar and threw his arms around Mason. “Looks like we’ll be able

to finally get that dick enlargement together, while holding hands.” Parker, Jake and Mason all looked at Ryker as if he just gave birth to an elephant. “What?” Mason asked. “Just got off the phone with my agent. I’ve been traded. Denver, here I come.” Jake put his beer down in shock. “What? Wait, so you’re leaving me? You two d-bags are going to be playing together? How the hell is that fair? And how did the Stallions pull that bullshit off?” Ryker shrugged. “I don’t know, but all I do know is that I got a nice chunk of change out of it.” He put his beer bottle up for another cheers and said, “Here’s to me being so great.” The guys shook their heads and laughed at Ryker’s obnoxiousness. Ryker put his beer down and pointed to the wall. “No shit. Look at that. A life size picture of me doing my touchdown dance. I’m surprised the “Gift from God” Jake isn’t up there.” The guys didn’t have the heart to direct Ryker’s attention to above the bar, where there was a mural of Jake pictures splattered all over the wall. Instead, they watched Ryker pull out his iPhone and take a picture of himself next to the picture…of himself on the wall. He gave the camera a thumbs up while making a dumbass grin. When he came back, he said, “That’s going on my Instagram.” “Speaking of which,” Parker said, pointing to Mason with his beer bottle. “Who the hell was that hot mess sitting next to you?” Mason laughed out loud. “Some chick that had a massive hangover from the night before. I couldn’t help myself. She had a gigantic string of drool hanging out of her mouth while she was sleeping…right after she threw up in a barf bag after take-off.” The guys gagged at Mason’s story. “She sounds like a real winner,” Ryker said. Mason laughed, thinking about how she was a real winner alright, a feisty one. “She had quite the mouth on her when she was awake, but yeah, a complete hot mess.” “What kind of mouth? Would she be able to handle Russell the love Muscle?” Ryker asked, while thrusting his pelvis at Mason. Mason backhanded Ryker’s crotch and all the guys laughed while Ryker bent over in pain. “Well done, man,” Jake said, while grabbing shots for all the guys. Ryker gripped the edge of the bar, while holding his crotch with the other hand. His elbow propped his upper body up as he grabbed his shot glass. “To an amazing weekend,” Ryker groaned out. “To a good weekend,” all the guys said together. They clinked their glasses and downed the liquid contents. *** Jake stumbled into his bedroom, where Lexi was curling her hair. The guys had dropped him off and gone to the hotel to get ready for the night. Thankfully, Parker was the responsible one out of the group and promised he would get the other two idiots to the party on time and not too wasted. Jake passed the girls on the way to his bedroom, but was too pre-occupied to really have a conversation. He murmured something about finding Lexi and they all pointed to his bedroom. That was where he found her, his blonde dream. He knew he was a little wasted, but even if he wasn’t, he knew he wanted Lexi just as much at that moment as he would if he was sober. She was wearing her bathing suit that barely covered her girly bits, making his plans for her that much easier to accomplish. As he looked up and down her body, he thought about what a lucky son of a bitch he was. She was perfect, from her long blonde hair, to her bright blue eyes to her tightly toned body to her large breasts that always made his mouth water.

“Babe, I need you so bad,” Jake said, while wobbling over to her. She smiled at him in the mirror, but then took in his appearance and frowned. Turning around, she asked, “Are you drunk, Jake Taylor?” Jake pointed at himself. “Who? Me?” He waved it off. “Never!” He grabbed her by the waist and started kissing up her neck. “Jesus, I missed you so damn much.” She tried to push against his chest, but failed miserably when he started kissing along her jaw. “It’s been so long since I’ve held you in my arms. You are so soft.” “And you are so drunk,” she said, while granting him access to the other side of her jaw. “You like it because I’m easy.” “You’re always easy. All I have to do is flash you a tit and you’re hard.” Jake pulled away and grabbed her breasts with both hands, marveling at their weight. “Have you seen these things? How could I not get hard?” “I have seen them, every day of my life.” “Damn that’s hot. Do you ever get horny from looking at yourself in the mirror?” Lexi swatted at him. “What the hell is wrong with you? Oh wait, you’ve been hanging out with Ryker again.” Jake shrugged his shoulders and started kissing her some more, this time on the mouth. He coaxed her mouth open with slight swipes of his tongue and took advantage when she finally opened up. This was his heaven. He wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but with Lexi, in their room, holding her close to his body. He reached around her back and up her neck, where he untied her bathing suit top. She let it fall to the ground without any concern, letting Jake know that the plans he’d been conjuring up on his flight home were going to become a reality. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. All of a sudden, he had the need to rip all their clothes off. He pulled his shirt off over his head, only breaking the contact of their lips for a second. He crushed his chest against hers marveling at the feel of skin on skin. He had never felt anything more erotic then her bare breasts pressed against his chest. Her nipples were hard and scraped against his skin, which had been recently waxed for a magazine cover, so he was able to feel every sensation her skin provided. “God, you feel so good, baby,” he said, in between kisses. She ran her hand over his length and said, “So do you, big guy.” Jake moaned out in pleasure and quickly slid off the rest of their clothes and guided his soon-to-be wife to their bed. He watched as she placed herself on her back in the middle of their bed and thanked God for her being in his life. Her blonde hair that was partially curled fanned against the white pillow, making her look like a present heaven sent down to him. She smiled up at him and opened her arms to him. Following her lead, he straddled her lithe little body and was just about to make a full connection when there was a knock on their door. Jake rested his head on Lexi’s shoulder in defeat. “Lex? It’s Margo, your mom just got here and is looking for you. What should I tell her?” “Tell her Lexi’s fu…” Lexi covered Jake’s mouth before he could shout to everyone that they were about to have sex. “Tell her I’ll be right out.” Jake knew the look he gave her was one of an incredibly desperate man. “Babe, you can’t be serious. I have some serious blue balls down there. My little Dick Clark has been doing a countdown since I got off the airplane and it’s just not right to not let his balls drop. It’s just not right.” She patted his cheek and hopped off the bed. “You’ll be fine, it’ll give you time to sober up.” “Are you serious? Baby, please. I miss you.” Lexi turned around with one hand on her hip. He took in the sight in front of him and felt his Dick Clark get even harder. Life was so unfair, but then she walked over to him and dropped between his legs. Heat

washed over Jake’s body, setting his body on fire. Maybe life wasn’t so unfair after all. Before he could say anything to her, her mouth was sucking face with Dick Clark and rubbing him up and down while cupping his balls. Jake threw his head back in complete pleasure. “Jesus!” Jake knew it had only been a couple of days since he had seen Lexi, but being away from her for a day was painful, let alone a couple of days. He watched as his fiancé looked up at him through her lashes and gave him the sultriest look he had ever seen, combined with the sucking and stroking motion she was delivering, he was a goner. He gripped the sheets he lay on top of and let out a guttural moan as he came. Not even ashamed for lasting no more than a minute, he blew out a heavy breath and gasped for more air. Lexi ran her hands up his thighs, past his stomach and up his pecs. She lightly kissed him on the mouth and said, “Go take a shower. I need to go see my mom.” She sauntered over to the bathroom and wrapped her silk robe around her body. “I should fine you for covering up such sweet perfection.” Lexi rolled her eyes at him as she walked toward the door. “You are so lame sometimes, Taylor.” He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her onto his lap. “I’m speaking the truth.” He kissed her temple. “Don’t think you just got out of that.” “Got out of what?” she asked. “Depriving me of watching you have an orgasm. Oh no, I’ll get my chance when you’re least expecting it.” “Is that right?” she asked, while stroking his face. “Yes. Do one thing for me tonight, baby.” “What’s that?” “Don’t wear underwear.” She got up and tied her robe tighter. She talked to him over her shoulder as she walked toward the door. “I didn’t plan on it.” She gave him a smile and walked out the door. “Lord help me,” Jake said, while lying back on the bed and running his hands over his face. Tomorrow night could not come soon enough…when he’d be able to carry his new wife off to their honeymoon suite.

Chapter 3 Piper sat up and took a sip of the fruity alcoholic concoction Margo made for all the girls. Lexi was inside doing her hair while Piper, Brooke and Margo were still outside trying to catch a couple of extra rays before the rehearsal dinner. “You are one brave woman,” Margo said, referring to Piper’s bathing suit. “I would never be able to wear a thong bottom, let alone go topless.” Piper chuckled and Brooke cut in, who was topless herself, before Piper could comment. “Well look at her. She has the body of a goddess. If my ass looked like hers, I’d be wearing a thong bottom as well.” “That’s true,” Margo added. “Thanks to my Latino genes, it’s like I’m practically wearing a thong anyway because none of the bottoms fit my ass.” Piper laughed. “Hey, guys love curves.” “That they do, but I’m just going to say it, Piper you are hot.” “I concur,” Brooke chimed in. “I mean, who’s able to have naturally ‘iron-curled’ hair, metallic eyes, breasts that are so perky I want to touch them myself and can pull off multiple tattoos that, let’s be honest, only increase your hotness factor?” Piper was starting to feel a little uncomfortable with all the talk about her looks and body. She knew she was lucky when it came to the looks department and it had gotten her in trouble multiple times, but when she wanted to, she used her looks to her advantage. Something she planned on doing this weekend to get Mason Dashel back. “Uh, well, thanks you guys, but I’m not really into women. Not to say that I haven’t dabbled a time or two,” Piper said with a grin. Brooke lifted off her chair and looked at Piper with her mouth open. “No way. You’ve been with a girl?” Piper just shrugged her shoulders. “Come on, girl, you have to tell us.” Piper looked at both Margo and Brooke and realized that Lexi had some really good friends. They were fun, exciting, and easy to talk to. Brooke came off as a normal human, not the psychotic bitch Mason made her out to be or the crazy she hung up on for Mason, which she was keeping on the down-low for now. She didn’t want to let that cat out of the bag just yet. Plus, she liked Brooke; she kind of felt bad going after her ex, but she wasn’t really going after him…she was just tricking him. In the end, Piper thought Brooke would appreciate her plan. Still, it was nice having the girl time, tanning, drinking and gossiping. She was the first to take her top off; she had no shame at all. It was so freeing to feel the sun hitting her creamy skin. She was a free person, ever since she’d been able to release herself from her father’s military confines. One of the first things she did was get a tattoo that started at the base of her back. It was a bottle that was tipped over, the cork slowly turned into little shadows of birds that flew across her body and over her shoulder to her collarbone where they formed the phrase “Free Yourself” written in script. The moment her mother caught sight of her choice of artwork, she almost passed out in hysterics. Piper tried not to take too much pleasure in listening to her father grind his teeth in disapproval. Point, Piper! “Seriously, Piper, are you not going to tell us?” Brooke asked. “I don’t kiss and tell. Hey, you’re looking a little red around the nipples Brooke, you might want to go inside.” Brooke looked down and examined her nipples. “You’re right. Plus, I need to try to tame my hair. I can’t just slip a dress on like you, Piper, and be ready.” There was a bit of a snide tone to Brooke’s voice, but Piper chose to ignore it. Piper turned to Margo, who was still fully clothed. Piper thought Margo was crazy for thinking Piper was prettier than her. Margo was decked out with olive skin, deep blue eyes and long dark hair. She had curves in all the right places and had that exotic look that brought any man to his knees. “You have to ignore Brooke. Sometimes she can get a little snippy.” “It’s alright. No biggie. So you, Lexi and Brooke met in college?”

“Yes we did. Lexi and I were on the softball team together and we were also roommates. I don’t think I could have gotten through those four years without her. The hell we were put through was enough to make someone jump off a cliff, but she made it easier. Brooke came along the last year in college. She was dating Mason, I think for three years by then; we met them through Jake who Lexi started dating. As you know, Jake and Mason played football together for the school. They were amazing together on the field. I really hoped that when they were drafted, they would be drafted together, but Jake ended up in San Diego and Mason was drafted to the Denver Stallions.” Margo leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Brooke and Mason were engaged right out of college and were supposed to get married this year as well, but Brooke broke it off to pursue her singing career.” Margo cringed. “She should have stayed with Mason. I don’t know if Mason knew she was going to be here, so it should be an…exciting weekend.” Piper smiled. “It should be. I’ll make sure that nothing destructive happens between Brooke and Mason. We don’t want a scene or anything.” “I agree,” Margo looked around. “Soo…you were Mason’s companion on your flight here?” Piper rolled her eyes. “You friends with Mason on Instagram as well?” Margo nodded apologetically. “Well, that’s rich. I’m glad that picture is available for everyone.” She shook her head. “I’m going to kill that man.” “Let me know if you need any help. He’s tortured me a time or two.” Piper lifted an eyebrow in question. “Has he? Well then, let’s have a little conversation, my friend. I have a good way of getting him back and I just might need your help.” Margo rubbed her hands together. “Oh, I’m listening.” *** Mason and the guys took a taxi over to Jake’s house from the hotel. The rehearsal dinner was semicasual so Mason put on a pair of dark jeans and a white button up. It was on a beach, so he didn’t want to appear too fancy. Ryker, on the other hand, decided to wear his red, white and blue plaid pants with matching Navy boat shoes, navy button-up shirt and red gingham bow tie. “You look ridiculous,” Mason said to Ryker. “No, I look like a fucking prideful American.” “You look like a dumbass.” “You’ll be dressing the same way after a year with me.” Mason rolled his eyes and doubted him very much. He would never be caught dead in that outfit. For one thing, Mason had a good fifty extra pounds of muscle on Ryker, so he would look like a giant tool in that outfit and then, of course, he did not have the outlandish personality to pull something off with so much…pattern. No, he was known as the asshole badass of the team, so he had to keep with that image and, thanks to Brooke’s breakup, he was able to maintain said status. Mason turned to Parker and lightly jabbed him in the arm. “You’ve been quiet. What’s going on, man?” If Mason didn’t know any better, he might think Parker was feeling sad that Lexi was getting married. They were best friends since freshman year in college and they tried once to make things romantic between them, but it never panned out. Mason was thinking maybe Parker wished it had. “Nothing. Just thinking about the season.” “Are you sure you’re not upset that Lexi is marrying Jake? Parker shot Mason a death glare. “You know I don’t think about her like that, so please, God, do not go saying that around anyone, especially Jake. I don’t need him pummeling my ass.” Mason held up his hands in defense. “Sorry, it’s just that you’re acting weird.” Parker shrugged. “I’m trying to sound like a pussy, but the fact that Lexi is getting married this weekend, while I don’t even have one good prospect in my life, makes me a little…I don’t know…

bummed I guess.” Ryker, who was sitting in the front of the cab turned around and raised his eyebrows at Parker. “Dude, you are a pussy. You’re the starting shortstop for the Atlanta Braves right now and could have any woman you want. Find your balls and start living it up.” They rode in silence the rest of the way to Jake’s house. Mason didn’t really know what to say to Parker; he wasn’t much of a touchy-feely type and he didn’t want to sound like an ass like Ryker, so he just kept his mouth shut. When they got to the house, they were greeted by Lexi and her mom at the front door. Lexi had a robe on, her hair was half done and she had a scowl on her face. Looked like their boy didn’t handle his alcohol intake very well. Mason went to go gather Lexi in a hug, but she held her hand at his chest. “Don’t even think about it. You are on Jake patrol. You made him like that, so you get to take care of him. Make sure he’s dressed and ready to go in half an hour. He better be sober enough to sit through dinner without falling asleep in the gazpacho.” Mason looked toward Parker, “Brew some coffee, man. Ryker, come with me, we have to make sure he gets showered and shaved.” “Not a problem, I’ve seen him naked too many times to count.” Lexi shook her head and walked away, but not before she said, “It’s good to see you Mace. I’ve missed you.” “Missed you too, hot stuff.” Ryker and Mason went into the master bedroom and found Jake sprawled across the bed, face down the in sheets, shirtless, and with his pants halfway down his legs. “Jesus,” Mason ran his hand over his face. “Start the shower. I’ll get him off the bed.” After a lot of grumbling and Jake trying to kiss Mason, mistaking him for Lexi, they got him showered, pumped with coffee and halfway shaved. Ryker was helping him with the razor because they didn’t fully trust their friend yet. Mason took note of his surroundings and realized that his friend was living a really good life. His house was amazing, not too big, but big enough so they had room to grow. His soon-to-be wife was hot as hell and one of the sweetest girls he knew and the view out of the master bedroom was spectacular. He was contemplating buying a place on the beach when the view from the master bedroom got a hundred times better. From where he was sitting, he could see a woman’s bare backside; she was wearing a silver thong bathing suit bottom that made her ass look like two perfectly round globes his hands itched to get in contact with. She was also topless and, when she turned while stretching, he got a great view of perky side boob. She had a tattoo that stretched across her back turning him on even more. This girl was fucking gorgeous. He hadn’t seen a body like hers in a very long time. He couldn’t see her face, thanks to a stubborn palm tree, but he saw her shoulders down to her toes and what he saw, he liked a lot. She was tall, lithe, perfectly round in all the right places and sexy as hell with the tattoo trying to tell him a story. Mason was just about to ask who the hottie was when he spotted another tattoo on a different body, but this one was disturbingly familiar. One he had run his hands over many times. A tramp stamp that spoke truths about the owner. Holy Shit! Mason sprang off the bed and went into the bathroom. “Brooke is here?” Jake winced, but it wasn’t from Ryker accidently nicking him with the razor. “Yeah, I meant to tell you, but I guess it slipped my mind.” “Shit man, a little heads-up would have been awesome. Fuck, this is awkward.” “I know. I’m sorry, but Brooke and Lex are good friends. I was afraid if I told you she was coming, you wouldn’t show up.”

Mason punched Jake in the arm. “Stop being a girl. Of course I would have come. I’ll just have to make sure I’m extremely intoxicated this weekend.” “I can help with that,” Ryker said, while looking around. “Hey, where’s Parker?” “Probably with Lexi,” Jake responded. “They’re good friends and it’s good for Parker. He’s been feeling lonely out there in Georgia while we’re all back here in the west. I know he likes his team and couldn’t be happier that he’s playing baseball for a living, but when he’s around us, he gets depressed.” “That sucks,” Ryker said, not showing much compassion. “You feeling better, man?” Mason asked, trying to change the subject. “Yeah, I guess.” He clapped his hands together. “Let’s get this show on the road.” The guys all walked out of the bedroom and out onto the deck where there were already a good number of people, along with waiters and alcohol being poured. This was what Mason needed, distractions and booze. Mason spotted Lexi being surrounded by friends with Parker at her side. She looked incredibly happy and…hot. She was wearing a white dress that did wonders for her curves. It was tight everywhere. Mason shook his head. Jake was seriously one lucky man. Mason saw Brooke out of the corner of his eye, but ignored her; he didn’t want to have a scene with her right at the beginning of the weekend. If he was lucky, he could avoid her altogether. The girls were staying at Lexi and Jake’s house for the weekend and the guys would be at the hotel, so that helped out Mason’s chances of avoiding Brooke. He just hoped after the mishap on the airplane of being hung up on, she’d be so pissed off that she’d avoid him as well. Mason grabbed a beer for him and the guys. He handed them out and they all clinked their bottles together. Mason was going to make sure he watched Jake’s intake because he didn’t want his friend hurting tomorrow from a hangover. Plus, if Jake was out of it, Lexi was going to have Mason’s head and, she might be short, but she was full of piss and vinegar. Mason took a swig of his beer and scanned the room, while Ryker pushed Jake’s buttons. Something Ryker was really good at. Mason was eyeing some of the appetizers when a flash of red crossed his vision. He focused on the vision in front of him. It was the girl with the amazing body. She had deep red curly hair, creamy white skin and the dress she was wearing showed off her tattoo perfectly. The dress was a beaded silver dress that sat low on her hips, like a dress from the twenties. The back dipped daringly low and, when she turned around, he found that it did the same in the front. The neckline went down to below her breasts in a V-neck perfection that left enough to the imagination for a man to drool. He tore his sight off her cleavage just long enough to take in the tattoo that stretched across her collarbone, a pleasant surprise. As his sight climbed, his mouth went dry; he needed to be closer to this woman. He was just about to walk over to her when he stopped dead in his tracks once he’d made eye contact with the beauty. He knew that face…from where did he know that face? Then it came all flashing back to him, Jojo from the airplane. Mason ran a hand over his face. Of course, the goddess with the perfect body, to die for hair and intriguing tattoo had to be the hot mess from the airplane. He nudged Jake in the side. “What is Jojo doing here? Do you know her?” Jake scanned the room and raised his eyebrow at Mason. “Who the hell is Jojo?” Mason nonchalantly pointed toward the red-headed temptress with his beer. “Jojo, the one in the dropdead gorgeous dress.” “There is only one drop-dead gorgeous woman…” Mason nudged him again. “Honestly, focus and forget about your fiancé for one damn second. Jesus. The redhead over there, Jojo, do you know her?” Jake spotted the girl he was looking at and turned toward Mason. “Why the hell are you calling her Jojo?” “That’s the girl from the airplane, the hot mess. When we introduced ourselves, she said her name was

Jojo.” Jake stared at Mason for a second and then barked out a roar of laughter…so loud that everyone took a second to look at them. The outburst had Lexi coming over and wrapping her arms around Jake’s waist. “What’s so funny, big guy?” she asked. Jake wiped his eyes and chuckled to himself while saying, “Piper fake-named Mason.” “What are you talking about?” Mason asked. Lexi looked over at the girl in question and started laughing as well. “Pipe, come here,” she shouted. Mason turned Lexi toward him. “What are you doing? Don’t bring her over here.” Lexi shooed him off. Piper/Jojo, whoever the hell she was, came over and stood next to Lexi. She must be about five ten, because she was towering over Lexi and just shorter than Mason, who was six three. She was even more gorgeous up close. Mason now knew why she was always wearing silver, because her eyes were the same color. He had never seen anything like it. Lexi grabbed the redhead around the waist and said, “Piper, I believe you might know Mason. Mason this is Piper, my best friend from my childhood and my maid of honor.” Mason felt his jaw drop. Life wasn’t fair. The one girl he found infinitely attractive for the first time in a very long time was a bitch and a half, hot mess, crazy pants. Mason took her slender hand in his and shook it. “So, it’s not Jojo?” A huge grin spread across her face as she answered. “No, I prefer not to give my name to giant douche bags on airplanes.” The way she said that, with the smile on her face, made her seem like a conniving little bitch and he didn’t like conniving little bitches. Mason could feel his temper rising because Ryker was poking him in the side and telling him what an idiot he was; Jake and Lexi could not stop laughing and Piper just stood in front of him smiling brightly. Jerks, all of them! “You guys are idiots.” That was the best retort he could come up with. He left the cackling hyenas and went straight to the bar. *** Piper watched Mason walk away with his tail between his legs. She looked over at Jake and Lexi, who were still laughing. Instead of laughing with her friends, she decided to put her plan into action, so she followed Mason to the bar. When she caught up to him, she nudged his shoulder with hers to let him know she was next to him. “Don’t go crying, now.” Mason looked her up and down and shook his head. “It’s a fucking shame.” “What is?” she asked with a smile. “That a body that hot belongs to a mouthy woman like you.” She thrust her body toward him and said in a husky tone, “So, you think I’m hot?” She watched his gaze glide over her, sending a burning sensation through her body. She might not care for the man, but by God, could he wear a pair of jeans. Plus, the way his button-up shirt clung to him and showed off his corded forearms from where he rolled up his sleeves, sent her mind into fantasy land. She couldn’t let her senses get to her, though; she had one mission and one mission only and that was to get Mason back. “Yeah, you’re hot and you know it.” She shrugged. “It’s the dress. I took about five minutes to get ready for this party. If I was more selfinvolved, I would have at least spent an hour getting ready.” He gestured up and down. “That’s five minutes of getting ready? Jesus, I wouldn’t want to know what you look like after an hour of primping.”

“My, my, my, was that a compliment?” He rolled his eyes and grabbed what looked like a scotch from the bartender. “Don’t let it go to your head. You are fuckable, but almost every woman here is.” “And you think you could get any woman here to sleep with you?” He laughed. “Uh yeah, look at me.” Piper gave him a long scan, starting at his feet, up his legs where his jeans clung in all the right places, up his torso that stood out like a proud peacock, to his face that had a delectable five o’clock shadow framing his jaw, all the way to his deep brown eyes and perfectly styled hair. She shrugged, grabbed her drink from the bartender and said, “You’re nothing to write home about. You’re a bit too tall, your eyes are brown, and you act like a Neanderthal. Now, Ryker, on the other hand, I will be introducing my breasts to him.” With that, she walked away, but not too soon to get a glimpse at Mason’s outraged reaction. That was satisfying, she thought, but she wouldn’t be fully satisfied until she saw her plan to fruition. She just hoped that Mason couldn’t tell that she was lying because he was, by far, the most attractive man at the party. And those eyes, she knew she just passed them off as brown, but they were more than that. They had character in them, charm and kindness when he was caught off guard. His eyes spoke words, words that, for some odd reason, hit Piper in the heart. She walked over to Ryker who had a very flamboyant way of dressing that Piper found odd, but it also worked for the man. If it wasn’t for the undressing of her he was doing with his eyes, she’d think that he might possibly be gay. That thought was quickly squashed when he licked his lips and continued to stare at her breasts when she was standing right in front of him. She got to get a good look at him while he stared at her. He was probably about six foot, maybe a little taller, but not as tall as Mason and Jake and he had dark hair, green eyes and dark skin almost like Mason, but where Mason was ruggedly handsome, Ryker was pretty-boy gorgeous. His hair was thick and stood straight up in a messy, but tamed mop on the top of his head; his face was freshly-shaven, whereas Mason sported the five o’clock shadow. To top it all off, Ryker had a dimple in his chin that only kicked up the charm radiating off of him. Piper grabbed his chin and lifted his head so they made eye contact. She had to admit, he was one gorgeous man, but for some odd reason, she found Mason more appealing. She shook that thought out of her head because she didn’t want to think of Mason as an attractive human…at all. “Eye’s up here, pervert.” Ryker chuckled. “When you wear a dress like that, all gentlemanly decorum is thrown out the window.” “Oh, so you know how to act like a gentleman? That surprises me. I assumed you walked around with your tongue hanging out of your mouth, popping a boner with every woman you see.” Ryker stood in silence for a second observing Piper before he busted out in laughter, which caused everyone to look at them. He wrapped his arm around her waist and guided her toward the bar. Piper got a quick glimpse at Mason as she walked away with Ryker and she saw fury lacing those chocolate brown eyes. Perfect! “You have a mouth on you; I like that. Do you do more with that mouth than come up with smart ass remarks?” “I do actually, but your sorry ass will never find out.” “Ouch. Pretty sure of that aren’t you?” Piper nodded her head while taking another look at Mason. Ryker turned and looked at who she was stealing glances at. When he turned back around, he had a huge smile plastered on his face. “So, you’re trying to make Dash jealous.” “Dash?” “Yeah, Mason. That’s what we call him on the field, well what everyone calls him. He is a good

looking man, I must say…if you’re into gargantuans.” “I’m not into gargantuans…I mean Mason. I’m just hoping for a little revenge.” Ryker set the down the drink he was holding and rubbed his hands together. “Ooo, revenge. I’m in. Tell me what I need to do.” Piper gave him a skeptical look. “Why would I have you help me? You’re friends with him; I never should have told you…” Ryker didn’t let her finish. “Holy shit, you are the hot mess from the airplane, aren’t you?” She just nodded, causing Ryker to laugh some more. “Oh, this is so perfect. Come on, you have to let me help.” Piper knew she needed Ryker on her side because she didn’t want him and Mason ganging up on her and blowing up her spot. So, she conceded and let him help her. After hearing her plan for revenge, he gave her a high five and told her how he could help. This was turning out to be a great weekend, after all.

Chapter 4 Mason watched two of his best friends dance their first dance together. The wedding was heartwarming and made him think that it could have been him and Brooke. Thankfully, it wasn’t. He dodged that bullet and he couldn’t have been more grateful. Brooke had not even approached him since the weekend started. It was kind of shocking, but he knew it must be because she didn’t want to start a scene. Even though she was a self-absorbed bitch, she still had a little bit of a heart and wanted to make sure the night was special for their friends. Thankfully, she already took off, right after the pictures because she had to get back to LA for her auditions. Lexi was one of those brides who didn’t mind their bridesmaids looking good. When Piper walked down the aisle right before Lexi, he thought he might lose his mind. She pulled a Pippa Middleton and stole the show for a second. She was wearing a deep blue dress that went down to her feet and had a scoop neck that showed off ample cleavage and, the best part was, it had absolutely no back, leading her to not wear a bra and, boy, could Mason tell. It was as if her breasts were mesmerizing him. Mix that with the way her hair naturally curled down her back, he was a goner. The woman was infuriating beyond belief and rude, but Lord help him, he needed her. He needed to have her one night, get her out of his system and move on. Until he was able to have her, make her his for one night, he was going to be a man in a lot of pain. She was all he could think about last night, even though she tried to tell him Ryker was more her type. He didn’t buy it, especially because of the way she kept looking back at him. He asked Ryker about the conversation he and Piper had last night and he told him all she could talk about was Mason. That made Mason’s chest puff out. He knew Ryker wasn’t competition. Now that he was sitting down at the head table, he couldn’t stop himself from looking over at Piper. She was gorgeous, beyond any woman he had ever seen. He wanted her…badly. So, he sucked up his pride and walked over to her. He pulled out the chair next to her and sat on it backwards so his arms were resting on the chair back. He decided to go with the sweet approach, even though, deep down, he knew he was a bastard. Anything to get his way into her bed, he thought. “Hey. You look amazing tonight.” She smiled. “Thank you.” Then she turned around and started watching Jake and Lexi again. Okay, this was awkward. The DJ called for other couples to join the newlyweds, so he took advantage of the opportunity. “You know the best man and the maid of honor should really dance together.” She raised an eyebrow at him as he held out his hand. She shook her head as if saying she couldn’t believe she was doing this and grabbed his hand. Victory. He led her out to the dance floor and pulled her in close. She fit perfectly into his body, every curve had a place to melt into. She felt like perfection. He could get used to this, he thought, but then shook that right out of his head. Boy, he needed to get this woman out of his system. Trying to strike up a conversation, he said, “I like your tattoo. Do you just have the one on your back? Or do you have others?” She looked up at him and studied his face as if deciding if he was trustworthy enough. He must have passed the test because she said, “No, I have more.” He liked that. “Where?” She held up her wrists where two birds rested on each wrist. “I also have two on my hip bones that wrap around to my back.” Mason gulped. “That’s kind of hot.” She just shrugged. “What’s with the birds?” “It reminds me that I have my freedom…finally.” She said the last word in a small voice. Was she actually opening up to him? This conversation had taken an odd turn, one he wasn’t ready for and one he

didn’t want. All he wanted was to jam himself in her, fulfill his appetite and walk away. He didn’t want to get real with her. He cleared his throat. “Well, that’s cool.” It was a stupid remark, he knew, but he couldn’t think of anything else to say at the moment. Time started ticking by without either of them saying anything and Mason started to panic. How come he lost all his ability to act cool around this woman? He looked down at her and he found himself staring into to liquid pools of silver. He felt a zip of emotional yearning run through his body, an emotional yearning he wanted nothing to do with. At that moment, the song stopped and Mason pushed himself away from Piper. She stumbled back and was caught by Parker. The look in her eyes was pure fire. “What the hell is your problem?” she asked, while coming after him. Think fast, think smart, and say something. “Uh, there was a spider on your dress.” She looked down and saw nothing, then looked back at him. “You’re a dick, you know that?” Shit, there went his chances of banging the hottest girl here tonight, all because things got too intense for a moment. Jesus, Brooke really did a job on him. He pictured his night turning sour, him alone in his hotel room, maybe treating himself to an X-rated film, but then she leaned in and said. “You’re a dick, but you’re a sexy one. Want to get out of here?” Completely and utterly confused at the one-eighty she’d just pulled, Mason just nodded his head in agreement and followed her out to the beach. Maybe he was going to get this sex-on-a-stick out of his system after all. *** Jake and Lexi nodded at the DJ, indicating they were ready for some more music, something upbeat to dance to. They made sure they got all the eating, speeches and whatnot out of the way first thing in the night, so they could spend the rest of their time dancing and drinking. Lexi looked up at Jake, who had lost his tie and un-buttoned the top few buttons of his grey dress shirt. She loved that he didn’t mind showing off some pretty awful dance moves; it was endearing. She pulled him in closer to her and wrapped her arms around him, while looking around. She noticed Mason and Piper walking off together a couple of minutes ago, so she asked Jake, “Do you think she’ll be able to bring back the Mason we know and love?” Jake looked in the direction that Piper and Mason walked off. “I don’t know, babe. He doesn’t really seem to care about much lately, especially since Brooke destroyed him.” Lexi agreed. “He hasn’t really been the same lately, has he? He’s not the same Mason we went to school with. It’s as if Brooke turned his heart completely black and left him to be a womanizer who doesn’t care about anyone’s feelings. That’s not the kindhearted Mason we went to school with. Yeah, he’s still goofy and fun, but it’s as if his humor has turned dark. It’s no longer lighthearted.” “He’s not that bad, babe. He’s just lost his way a bit.” Jake kissed Lexi on the temple and she reveled in the feel of his touch. “Besides, it looks like Piper is giving him a run for his money. I think it will be good for him.” “She can definitely hold her own, no questions there. She’s always been very sassy and independent. She’s always been a free bird, hence the tattoos. It would be nice to see her settle down with someone, find someone to finally protect her. Who knows? Maybe they’ll find happiness in each other.” Jake shook his head and laughed. “Can you imagine? I don’t think that will happen. Yeah, they are attracted to each other, but they’re like water and oil. They butt heads.” Lexi nudged Jake. “Hey we butted heads at first, too. Don’t you remember your poor attempt at trying to talk to me at the football house party? And then those two girls came up to you and practically wrote ‘we are having a three-way’ across your chest?”

Jake pulled Lexi away. “We did not have a three way.” Lexi chuckled and pulled her man back in. “I know you didn’t, but those girls were awfully persistent and ready to give you whatever the hell you wanted.” “Can you blame them? You’re married to ESPN’s cover man of The Body Issue.” Lexi shook her head and went to go get a drink. “I told you to not let that go to your head.” They both sat down at their sweetheart table and filled their bodies with more alcohol. Hell, they were paying for it, so they might as well indulge. Lexi looked out at her wedding and watched as her guests danced, laughed, and sang to the oldies but goodies. This was, by far, the best day of her life. They chose deep jade colors for the wedding, causing the purple, blue and teal linens to shimmer from the candlelight. Stringed bulb lights were hung across the dance floor, providing the only light for the dancers. It was romantic, but subtle. They didn’t want anything over the top because that was not who they were. Jake pulled Lexi in close so her back was against his chest and his head was leaning over her shoulder. “You know, babe, I could not be happier right now. You have made me the happiest man in the world today.” Lexi smiled to herself and leaned her head against her husband’s shoulder. “I love you, Jake.” “I love you too, Lexi.” He pulled away and brought her to her feet. “Time for the honeymoon. Let’s get you out of this dress.” He gave her a devilish grin so there was no way she was going to be able to deny him what he wanted. *** Piper led Mason out to the beach, where there was a little cove surrounded by rocks that they could hide in. She and Ryker had picked this place out earlier this morning for Operation Fuck Over Mason. It was just enough out of the way of the wedding so they couldn’t cause a scene, but not too far away for Piper to make a quick get-a-way. The entire evening, she had felt Mason’s eyes on her, from the moment she walked down the aisle to when Jake and Lexi were cutting their beautiful wedding cake. The man knew how to make his intentions very clear and his intentions were adding her to his book of fucks. Even though she knew exactly what he wanted, there must be something wrong with her because the obnoxious passes he made at her turned her on. It was annoying the kind of affect he had on her treacherous body. She needed to remind herself of the plan, the goal at the end of the tunnel, payback. Piper pulled Mason into the cove and placed her hands on his chest. It was time to turn on the charm, she said to herself. “So, are you going to just keep staring at me like you have all night, or are you going to actually do something about it, finally?” “When have I been staring at you?” Mason said with a boyish grin, trying to act as if he was innocent. His hands moved up from her waist to just below her breasts leaving a trail of heat scorching her silkcovered skin. Damn him! “Ever since you got to Lexi and Jake’s house yesterday. You think I didn’t see you staring at me from Jake and Lexi’s bedroom. I know you saw me, practically naked.” Sincere shock registered across his face. “Uh, I didn’t know you saw me.” Piper couldn’t help but giggle. “I liked knowing you were watching me,” she said seductively. She didn’t even lie about liking the way he checked her out. It was a huge turn-on that she could make a guy stare out a window like a puppy dog, especially a guy as drop-dead gorgeous as Mason. Once she realized he was watching, she made sure to turn slightly, so he could get a good view of her goods. She wasn’t a self-absorbed kind of girl, but she knew what her body looked like. Hell, she saw it every day and she knew she was sporting a pretty decent figure. She was blessed with a good rack and a

perfect little round ass, which was why she flaunted it when she got the chance. Might as well. Mason grunted in response to her admission, reached behind her neck and undid her top. Thanks to the backless dress Lexi picked out for Piper, she wasn’t wearing a bra. So, when her dress fell, she was completely exposed up top. Piper watched Mason soak her all in. “Jesus.” Mason ran his hands over his face and then returned them back to under her breasts. His thumbs barely stroked the underside of her breasts, sending shockwaves of warmth through her yearning body. She knew that she had to be careful and not get carried away, but she was beyond turned on by this man. He knew how to touch her in just the right way to make her temporarily forget the task at hand. “You are so fucking fine.” Mason went in to kiss her, but she dodged his kiss. “Clothes,” she demanded. Mason got the hint and quickly undressed himself so they were both just standing in the cove in their underwear. She pushed their clothes to the side, so they were out of the way. She took a good look at the man in front of her. From his toes to his neck, he rippled with muscle. She had never seen such a well-built man before in her life. Every muscle was carved to perfection, causing her mouth to water and her senses to go on high alert. What really made her forget her spiteful plans were the tattoos displayed across his body. She gently stroked the mono-colored art that graced his body. The artwork started around his pecs and went down his arms to form arm-length sleeve tattoos. There was no rhyme or reason to the tattoos; it was just a collaboration of intricate designs, sayings and random objects like a grenade and a football. His nickname Dash was written across his collarbone and, over his heart, was a blacked-out rectangle where he must have had Brooke’s name displayed on his body. She looked up at Mason and said as she stroked his arms, “These are hot.” Mason smirked at her and brought his hands down to where her panties rested against her hip bones. His thumbs stroked the tattoos on her hip bones and he said, “So are these.” Their eyes met for a brief second and then their mouths crashed together. Piper knew she wasn’t going all the way, but she allowed herself to indulge just a little. She wrapped her arms around his strong body and pulled him in closer so her breasts pushed against his chest. The feeling was so erotic, she had to keep reminding herself that she wasn’t going to give into this man, like every other woman before her had. She told herself that this is what he expected, women to just fall at his feet with a wink from one of his chocolate-brown eyes. She slowly inched her hands down and inserted her fingers under the band of his boxer briefs. He groaned in her mouth and tried to do the same to her, but she pulled away, giving him a wicked smile. She tore his briefs down and pulled them off of him. As she looked back up at him, she got an amazing view of what he had to offer. She swallowed hard and kept reminding herself of the light at the end of the tunnel; she could do this. He was just a man, a very attractive man at that, but just a man, nonetheless. He stood in front of her and said, “You like what you see?” She nodded in response and he gave her a cocky grin. “I don’t ever receive complaints.” That comment made her slip out of her Mason-induced fog. Typical man. He was a cocky son of a bitch and she was going to make sure he knew what an asshole he was. She stood up and rubbed her body against his to turn him on even more. As she did so, she literally felt the effect she had on him. He was growing by the second. It was self-assuring knowing she could turn on a man like Mason. He moved his hands up her body and gently cupped her breasts, running his thumbs over her nipples, causing her to gasp and her breasts to pucker. Damn her body. Think bad thoughts of Mason, bad thoughts of Mason, she repeatedly told herself. “Fuck, you’re hot.” Not the most eloquent man. She smiled at him in response. “Turn around.” He gave her a confused look, so she repeated herself. “Turn around,” she said again, while cupping his bare ass and lightly stroking his rather impressive

erection. His eyebrows shot up to his hairline and he did as he was told. When his back was toward her, she reached around him and gripped his cock with both hands. His head flew back as he groaned with pleasure. She gave him a couple of strokes and had him just where she wanted him. “Hold on one second,” she said, in her most seductive voice. “Don’t keep me waiting.” Piper rolled her eyes at the cheese-dick line and bent down to gather all their clothes. She put them against her chest to cover herself and quietly ran out of the cove. Just as she got to the top of the rocks, she saw Mason turn around and then shout, “What the fuck?” She stood next to Ryker who was holding his phone and she said, “Hey Mason.” He looked up and quickly covered his junk, just as Ryker took a picture of Mason in all his glory. “Payback’s a bitch, asshole. Next time, think about who you’re messing with.” “You bitch!” Mason shouted, as he looked around for something to cover himself. Piper giggled, turned to Ryker and whispered a quick thanks, then fled to the pool house to get changed before someone saw her almost-bare ass. Hopefully, Ryker was already sending the picture to her. As she was retreating, she heard Ryker say something to Mason. “Dude, I’m seriously impressed. You are hung, man,” Ryker clapped his appreciation for Mason’s dick, which plastered a smile across her face. “Fuck off, dickhead.” Piper agreed with Ryker, Mason was a very impressive alpha male. Unfortunately, he was way too alpha for her. She already had to deal with an alpha male, her dad, most of her life, dictating her life. She didn’t need to get involved with one romantically, no matter how attractive he was or how much her body ached for the man’s touch.

Chapter 5 About a month later… Piper stood on the sticky ground of the 7-Eleven, trying to decide which liquid sugary confection flavor she wanted. She was in desperate need of a Slurpee, but couldn’t decide what flavor she wanted, since there were eight different options to choose from. She’d had a rough day, finally unpacking everything in her apartment. She normally didn’t even unpack; she just moved from place to place, making her mark and then skipping town. But for some reason, Denver was nestling itself in her heart. Maybe it was her job or her good friend Hannah, but it made her want to stay longer than her usual couple of months. The fact that she unpacked her boxes and actually hung some pictures in her apartment was a huge step for her. Therefore, she was treating herself to a well-deserved Slurpee. She chose the second to largest cup at the gas station. She didn’t want to go all out and have people judge her for getting the largest cup, but she was going to rely on the sugar rush to cover her dinner for the night, so she needed a decent size. Thank God she didn’t have to work tonight because she would crash big time after gulping down her drink, another good reason to have a Slurpee dinner. It gave her the extra boost to get the rest of her apartment cleaned and, once the sugar wore off, she would be sleeping like a baby. What did she want? There were so many options and then there was always the option to mix and match flavors, which was an added stress factor in the decision making process because so many flavors would work well together. Add cherry to the Coke flavored Slurpee and you have cherry Coke iced perfection. But then there was blue raspberry and lemonade, wouldn’t that just be delightful? Then there was orange, to which you could add a shot of mango and then top it off with sprite. Oh, the possibilities. Piper put her hand on the bridge of her nose and started massaging it. Picking a drink should not be this stressful. “Need some help?” Piper dropped her cup, startled by the deep baritone voice behind her. She turned around and locked eyes with what looked like the boy next door. He was wearing a white Nike hat, light blue T-shirt, perfectly worn jeans and Nike shoes. He was handsome, yet adorable at the same time. He gave her a shy smile and she expected him to kick the ground with his Nike at the same time; it would only be fitting. Piper realized she was holding her chest from being startled. “Jesus, you scared me.” He bent down and picked up her cup. “I didn’t mean to.” He examined the cup and said, “I think we might need to get you a new one.” He had a bit of a southern accent that melted her heart. He was just way too cute. She watched as he placed the dirty cup in the trash and grabbed her a new one, but it was the biggest cup option. He turned and smiled at her, holding up the cup. “I know you really wanted the big one.” He held up the cup he grabbed for himself, showing her it was the same size. “Don’t have shame in the big gulp size.” He chased his sentence with a drop-dead-slap-me-in-the-pussy kind of smile. She was melting…and fast. She walked over to him and grabbed the cup from him. “Well if you’re going big, then I might as well also,” she flirted. “I only go big.” He cringed after he said that. “God, that was a cheese-dick line. Please don’t hold that against me. I don’t usually say things like that.” “How am I supposed to know that? Next thing I know, you might be saying something like ‘Is your dad a lumberjack? Because every time I look at you I get wood in my pants’,” Piper said in a low voice, trying to mimic his rich voice. The strange man barked out in laughter. “Beautiful, sassy and loves Slurpees, I might have died and gone to heaven.”

Piper looked around. “Wow, I didn’t know I took a right at Corny Road and drove right into Cheesyville.” The guy held up his hands. “What can I say? I lose all ability to be suave around you. How about you give me a chance to prove you otherwise?” “And how would you do that?” “Dinner?” Piper looked him up and down and said, “How do I know if you’re worthy?” The man looked over at the Slurpee machines and said, “I’m a Slurpee connoisseur. I will help you out and tell you what to get. If you like what I pick, then you go out to dinner with me. If I choose wrong, then you go on your merry way and I lose out on taking a gorgeous woman to dinner.” Piper smiled at his compliment. “Fine.” She held out her cup to him. “Fill me up,” she said with a wink. The man gulped and cleared his throat. “Alright, uh…there’s only one way to go when it’s a day like this. Cherry orange blast with a half-shot of lime, topped off with more cherry orange blast.” Interesting, Piper thought. She would not let him know how good that sounded. She was going to make him sweat it out. She watched him work the levers on the Slurpee machine and noticed how the muscles on his forearms rippled. That was when she took in his full backside. He had broad, strong shoulders that narrowed to his waist where his jeans clung to his ass as if they were his ass’s lifeline. She heard him clear his throat. Yikes, he caught her staring at his glorious backside. She knew he did because he had a huge grin plastered across his face. If she wasn’t so tired and delirious, she would have been mortified. “Here.” He handed her the cup with a pink straw sticking out the top. He also filled his cup with what seemed like the same concoction, but his straw was lime green. “Cheers.” He clinked their cups together and then they both took a sip. A cold burst of flavor hit her tongue and she thought she might pass out at the splendid perfection of iced sugar caressing her tongue. The man wasn’t lying, he really did know his Slurpees. “Mmmm. You won me over.” He looked shocked. “Wow, that was easy. I at least thought you were going to make me sweat it out while you hemmed and hawed. I know the drink is a winner, but I didn’t think you would cave so fast.” She leaned in to his ear and said, “That goes to show you how little you know about me. When I like something, I let people know about it.” Once again, he cleared his throat. It was so endearing that she was able to melt this attractive man that stood before her. It was always a good ego boost. She held out her hand. “Piper.” He took her hand in his much bigger hand and gave it a good squeeze. She noticed a bit of roughness to his palms, like he worked outside, but it wasn’t his everyday job. “Jax. Nice to meet you.” “Same. So…when’s dinner?” He gave her another one of those gorgeous smiles. He handed her his phone. “Put your number in my phone. I’ll text you the details a little later. I might have to work tonight so, if I do, are you free tomorrow?” “For a Slurpee genius? I think I’m free.” “Perfect.” They both walked to the register. He, of course, paid for their drinks and they walked outside together. “I’ll call you a little later.” She gave him her brightest smile. “Sounds good.” “It was a pleasure meeting you, pretty Piper.” He gave her a wink and got into his truck. As she watched him drive away, she sighed to herself. Did she just snag herself a handsome, southern

gentleman? Wait until Hannah and Lexi heard about Jax. They were always on her about finding someone to spend her nights with, so they were going to be over the moon to hear that she would be going out with a man who knew his Slurpees. *** Brooke sat in the hallway of the hotel where auditions for Red, White and Blue Diva were held. She had never been so humiliated in her life. What the hell was she thinking? Did she temporary lose her mind? She gave up a great life for something that was so out of reach, she didn’t even have a shot in hell. She knew now the only reason she had an audition for the show was because of her dad. The production manager made that quite clear. Now, she had to make sure her dad talked the production manager into not airing her audition. She would lose all credibility. She shook her head in disgust as she got up off the poorly-upholstered bench and made her way to her VW Bug in the parking lot. She had a long drive back to San Diego from Los Angeles. She should have taken up her dad’s offer of flying her up here, but she wanted to make it on her own. Little good that did her. Now she had to make a two hour drive back to San Diego all by herself, contemplating what a mess she’d made of her life. The one good thing she’d had going for her was Mason, but she pushed him away. He wouldn’t even look at her at Lexi and Jake’s wedding. It was the one reason why she never approached him at the wedding. He clearly wanted nothing to do with her and she didn’t want to piss him off even more than he was. Being so close to him and not being able to be with him was torture though, especially when she watched him look at other women like Piper. Brooke didn’t blame him, though. If she was a guy, she would be staring at Piper as well. Hell, she was a girl and she still stared at Piper. Thankfully, Piper wanted nothing to do with him. Why would she give up a man like Mason? He was kind-hearted, loving and treated her like she was the world. She saw something different in him at the wedding. It was as if she turned him black. He wasn’t welcoming, or kind or joking around much. He didn’t seem like the old Mason and that killed her more than anything. Was it because of her? Maybe if she was back in his life, he would no longer be so angry. She picked up her phone and dialed the only number she knew would give her good advice. “Hey lady, how was the audition?” Brooke blew out a frustrated breath. “Lex, why did you encourage me to go try out for that stupid show? I can’t sing worth a shit.” Lexi laughed into the phone. “I’m sorry, Brooke, but I didn’t have the heart to tell you. So I take it the audition didn’t go so well?” “No. It went terrible and now I have nothing good going on in my life.” “Don’t say that. I think you should start that clothing line you always wanted. You have the sketches all done, why not make it happen?” Lexi had a good point. She could have her own fashion line or boutique. Her dad could back her endeavor with the funds she needed. It was the least he could do after sending her off to embarrass herself. But would it be what she really wanted? Would she be satisfied? “Yeah, I guess so, but what good is doing something like that when you don’t have someone to share it with?” “You can share it with me,” sweet Lexi replied. “I love you to death, girl, but I’m not about to snuggle you in bed and tell you all about my day.” “Hey, we used to snuggle and you never had a problem with that. Lexi joked around about their college days.

“Yeah, but you’re not a man.” “What are you saying, Brooke?” Here goes nothing, Brooke thought. “I want Mason back.” There was silence on the other end of the phone, which made Brooke sweat. It was never good when you silenced Lexi, she always had an opinion or something to say. “Lexi, say something.” Brooke heard her friend clear her throat. “I’m sorry. I just didn’t expect you to say that. You showed no urge to be around him at the wedding and I thought you broke up with him because you weren’t happy.” It was true. Brooke wasn’t happy, but it was because she wasn’t living with Mason yet out in Denver and she saw him sporadically when he wasn’t playing football. Plus, she was always second to his career and she was a woman who deserved to be the center of a man’s attention. She knew it was childish, but she wanted Mason to know how it felt to be second to someone’s career. That was why she chose to pursue her not-so-successful singing career. She was such a joke. “I wanted to talk to him, but he looked like he would cut off my head with a machete if I gave him a chance. I miss him, Lexi. I made an incredibly idiotic mistake and I want him back.” “Wow. I mean, he’s really pissed at you Brooke. You have serious damage control to do. I’m pretty sure he punched a hole through a wall when you called off the engagement.” Brooke cringed at hearing that news. Mason was never the violent type. He was the guy who would make you laugh when the room was filled with tension. He was the guy who would dish out valuable advice about love, not the guy who punched walls and looked like he carried around a gun in the back of his pants in case someone got in his way. “I know I screwed up, believe me. I just want to know if you think I have a chance at getting him back.” More silence. This was not looking good for her. “All I can say, Brooke, is that you are going to have to be ready for a fight. Mason is…different these days. He’s changed. It can be difficult at times for Jake to even talk to him. He is bitter, angry and heartbroken. The one thing I can tell you is that, since he is so heartbroken, you might have a shot because it shows how much he loved you. He loved you so fucking much. If you hang onto that and remember what you had, you can use that to your advantage, then you might be able to get him back.” Brooke felt herself brighten. She could do that. She could help Mason remember who he used to be and what they used to have. “Fair enough. I’m moving to Denver and I’m getting my man back.” Lexi cheered into the phone. “Go get him, Brooke. If anyone can do it, you can.” “I can. I just need to make a couple of changes and I’ll make sure Mason never forgets me.” On the drive back down to San Diego, Brooke thought about how she was going to cut her long locks, add more layers, exchange her preppy outfits for more provocative, yet tasteful, apparel, get waxed and pull out her high heels. She had a man to win over and she needed all the help she could get. *** Mason ripped his chin strap off and removed his helmet from his head. Rage was searing through his body as he headed to the water coolers to hydrate. Hell week for pre-season was over a couple of weeks ago, so why was his coach hassling him as if it was hell week all over again? At the moment, all Mason wanted to do was shove his cleat down Coach Ryan’s throat. He was a young coach, trying to make a name for himself as the offensive coordinator for the Denver Stallions, but all Coach Ryan was proving was what a giant dick he was. Mason and he clashed in every way possible, not a very good relationship to have with the guy who basically decided if he was ever going to get the ball or not. Mason grabbed a water bottle and squirted water all over his face. The heat was killer today and it didn’t help that his coach kept making him run for the long ball. Every inch of Mason’s body was sore,

from his toes to his head. He wasn’t even going to mention the case of blue balls he had lately. Ever since the beach mishap he had at Jake and Lexi’s wedding, he hadn’t had the urge to fuck any other woman. It was rather devastating to his new bad-boy image. He just couldn’t get himself to go after any other girl. He needed to get Piper out of his system, but that was never going to happen. For one thing, she made it quite clear after her “revenge” that she wanted nothing to do with him and secondly, he had no clue where she was even located. It’s not like he hadn’t had any action lately, he just hadn’t gone all the way with a woman since Piper cockteased him on the beach. What a bitch, he thought. He should have seen it coming from the get-go. She changed her mind so quickly about him; he was an idiot and he deserved to walk back to the wedding with a fallen palm leaf covering his crotch. Thankfully almost everyone at the wedding was drunk. Mason looked out at the field and observed his team. The offense was taking a short break while the coaches figured out what kind of scrimmage plays they wanted to run, while the defense was going through drills. Mason eyed Coach Ryan with distaste coursing through his body. The man was such a prick. Mason couldn’t stand the sight of Coach Ryan with his stupid clipboard and wireless headset wrapped around his head, as if he was God’s football gift to the world. “Douchebag,” Mason muttered under his breath. “You talking to yourself?” Ryker asked, as he sidled up next to Mason with a water bottle in hand. Ryker was a great addition to the team. Even though they played the same position, it was great switching in and out and keeping the defense on their toes. Mason helped Ryker learn the plays and they would stay after practice together, watch game tapes and work out. Mason had a rough couple of weeks, but the one good thing that came out of the weekend of Jake’s and Lexi’s wedding was Ryker’s trade to the Stallions. Yeah, Jake was out a good receiver on his team, but Jake’s loss was Mason’s gain. Mason turned to Ryker and whispered in a hushed voice, “What is with Coach Ryan? Is he trying to look like the biggest prick in the world?” Ryker laughed. “I don’t know, but if he makes me run down the field one more time, I think my legs might fall off and I’ll only have my dick to propel me forward.” Mason looked down at Ryker’s crotch and scoffed. “Dude, you wish you were a tripod.” Ryker smiled and said, “I know I’m not hung like you, Donkey Dick, but I have a sizeable member. Russell the Love Muscle has done very well in his lifetime.” Ever since Ryker took the picture of Mason in all his glory, which was posted on Instagram with his face blurred out, Ryker would not let the fact go that Mason was packing. “Your obsession with my junk is a bit disconcerting.” “It’s not an obsession; it’s just me paying homage to the granddaddy of all dicks.” Mason laughed. “You need a life, you know that?” Ryker pointed at himself. “I need a life? No, man, you’re the one that needs a life. When was the last time you took a woman home? Or went out? You’ve become a hermit lately.” “Fuck off. I’m not a hermit.” “Uh, I beg to differ. What are your plans for tonight?” Ryker held up his hand to silence Mason. “Let me guess, pizza and beer in front of the TV watching SportsCenter. Sound a little familiar?” Mason couldn’t disagree with Ryker. He had the pizza company on speed dial and beer chilling in the fridge, ready to be consumed. His life was a bit lame at the moment and he could only blame it on one person: Piper. Mason scrubbed his hands over his face. “I just can’t get her out of my head.” Ryker gave Mason a questionable look. “Who? Brooke? Dude, I thought that was over.” “It is. I’m talking about Piper.” “Piper?” Mason watched Ryker’s mind work and saw the light bulb turn on in his head when he

recalled who Piper was. “The hot redhead from Jake’s wedding? You still thinking about her? Mace, did she really make that much of an impact on you?” “Shit, I don’t know, but she keeps popping up in my head and its annoying as hell. I didn’t even like her; she was a sassy little bitch, but I can’t stop thinking about her body.” Just talking about her made Mason visualize her creamy skin, soft perky breasts, and lips to die for. Not to mention the way her hair framed her face and the way her tattoos glided across her body in a graceful way that made him want to explore them with his tongue. He tried to remind himself what an unruly whore she was on the airplane and the way she tricked him into taking his clothes off at the wedding, but nothing worked; his dick, Godzilla, wanted her and wanted her badly. She was one building Godzilla wanted to climb up and into. “Well, you need to forget about her because, believe me when I tell you this, she wanted nothing to do with you then and wants nothing to do with you now. What needs to happen is you need to get fucked, and fucked good. I’m going to this bar tonight I just found out about and you’re coming with me.” Mason rolled his eyes at Ryker. He really didn’t feel like going out, but Mason had to admit, he was losing the swagger he built up over the summer and needed to replenish it. Ryker was right, even if Piper was right under his nose, there was no way she would even go near him. What he needed was to get his ass out in the social scene, maybe have his dick sucked and fucked a little and then he would be good to go. “Alright, I’m in,” Mason said. Ryker was just about to respond when their coach screamed from across the field. “Get your lazy asses over here and run green-eighty five more times until you get it right.” Green-eighty, fucking fantastic, Mason thought as he put his helmet back on and jogged into place. A couple more fifty yard sprints, why not? It’s not like he hadn’t already run twenty of them today. Mason just got in place when Coach Ryan came over and grabbed his face mask, yanking Mason’s head to the side. “Get your head in the game, dickhead, and make this God damn catch or you can kiss your starting position goodbye.” The coach released Mason’s mask, slightly tossing it to the side. Mason gritted his teeth and held back the retort that was hanging at the tip of his tongue. The quarterback got into position and called out the play. When the ball was snapped, Mason took off for a sprint down the field; ten paces down, he veered to the right where he saw the ball floating way off to the right. Mason leapt into the air and pulled the ball into his chest, landing on his side. Mason got up, tossed the ball to his teammate and smiled at his completion of the play. When he went back to where Coach Ryan was, his coach looked up at him and then said, “Next time, sprint a little faster so you can stay on your feet to gain more yards.” Mason turned away from his coach and muttered obscenities about the man. He couldn’t wait to get out of practice, clean up, and grab a drink with Ryker; at the rate the season was going already, he might as well start buying stock in a bar because he would be spending a lot of money there to get through the season with his asshole of a coach. *** Piper was scrubbing down the bar when Hannah walked through the door, just in time for her shift to start. Hannah was one of the sweetest girls she had ever met. She was kindhearted, polite and wouldn’t swear; it was endearing. When Piper started at the bar, they instantly made a connection since they were the only two girls who worked at the bar. They were able to con the owner into putting them on the same shift. They convinced him when they worked together, they brought in more money because of their looks combined and, funny thing was, it was true.

“Hey Piper,” Hannah called out, while she stuffed her purse into the employee lockers. She quickly reappeared and took a seat at the bar. It was currently slow right now since their shifts just started, so they always took the time to catch up while the regulars did their own thing. “How did last night go? Tell me all about it…but don’t go into too much detail, if you know what I mean.” “Are you asking if we had sex?” Hannah’s cheeks blushed. The girl couldn’t even hear the word sex without getting all middle school on Piper. Hannah could be a good time, especially when she was drunk and occasionally she let loose and dropped her prim and proper exterior, which Piper took advantage of when she could. Hannah leaned over the bar and lowered her voice. “Piper, I did not say that.” Piper just laughed. “Lighten up, girl.” Hannah smiled sheepishly. Piper had too much fun pulling her friend’s leg, it was way too easy. “Well go on…” Hannah said, while motioning her hand. Piper put her elbows on the bar and her head in her hands. “Hannah, I can’t even describe how much of a great night I had. Jax is beyond adorable, sweet, caring and, God, is he hot. You know how I described him as the boy next door?” Hannah nodded. “Well, think of boy next door gone bad. He was so cute at the 7-Eleven, but when he picked me up last night for our date, I think I almost drooled. He was wearing a polo and cargo shorts with flip flops, but he looked good enough to eat.” “Do you have a picture?” Piper laughed. “No, sorry. I’ll make sure to get one, though. We played mini golf last night and I’m pretty sure he let me win because a man that athletic looking can’t be that bad at mini golf. Then we grabbed ice cream and ate it in the bed of his truck while looking up at the stars.” Hannah sighed. “I wish Todd and I did things like that still. I feel like he’s always on business. I miss having him around all the time.” Todd. Piper could not stand the man. Hannah had been dating him for two years now and no proposal yet. He keeps talking about getting engaged, but never acts on it. He is an investment banker and is always out of town on business. When he is in town, though, he does treat Hannah like she is a princess. He’s always buying her things and taking her to expensive dinners. Piper didn’t quite understand what Hannah saw in him. He was one of those guys with blonde slicked back hair and clothes so expensive you could pay off a house with the money spent on them. He even took time out of his busy schedule to get a pedicure and his eyebrows shaped. That might be appealing to some women, but Piper liked her men rugged. Piper patted her friend’s hands. “When will he be in town again?” “I’m pretty sure he’s coming back on Wednesday. He said he was going to take me to the symphony. He even sent me a dress to wear. I’m excited.” “See, he still does romantic stuff.” Hannah smiled and looked up at the ceiling, as if she was thinking about all the romantic things Todd had done for her. “You’re right, he does. I just get upset sometimes when he’s out of town for so long, but I get it. So, do you think Jax might be the one?” Piper laughed and shook her head at her friend. Hannah’s goal in life was to be married and to have a family. She tried to project that goal onto everyone around her as well. “I think it’s a little soon to be asking that question. We only had one date…and one kiss.” “Oooh, how was it?” “So good. His lips were so soft and when he held me, I felt safe.” Piper felt herself smiling while talking to Hannah. She hadn’t felt like this in a very long time. “When are you going to see him next?” “I don’t know. He was going to text me.”

As if he knew they were talking about him, Piper’s phone chimed with a text message. She looked down at her phone she kept in her pocket and smiled. “Look at that, it’s Jax.” “What does he say?” Piper read the text message out loud. Jax: Hey Beautiful, had a great time last night and can’t wait to see you again. Can I see you tomorrow?” Hannah got off her stool and headed around the bar. “I’m so jealous.” While Piper lived in her own little world, Hannah took charge of the bar and started visiting the patrons, making sure no one needed anything. Piper kept smiling as she typed back. Piper: Depends, what did you have in mind? Jax: You, me, movie and popcorn? Piper: At a theatre? Jax: Nothing less for you. Piper: Do I get to pick the movie? Jax: That can be settled later. Piper: You drive a hard bargain, but I’m in. Text me the details tomorrow. P.S. I had a great time last night as well. Xxx Piper put her phone back in her pocket and tried to focus on doing her job, but she found it quite difficult with thoughts of Jax running through her mind. The bar was starting to pick up and she was going to have to help Hannah out; the poor girl couldn’t handle everything by herself. Before Piper started taking more orders, she took a second to think about how much she liked it in Denver and how she actually might have found her home. She had a great friend, a good job, and a possible boy toy in the works. For once, she was living happily.

Chapter 6 Ryker practically had to drag Mason out of the locker room to have a good time. His friend needed to get off his couch and find a woman to help him out of his funk. Ryker had noticed a definite change in Mason from when he broke up with Brooke to after Jake’s wedding. Jake called Ryker the other day, expressing his concerns about Mason’s funk. Jake asked Ryker to get him out of it because it was a little scary. Ryker hadn’t known Mason that long, but he knew him while Brooke was around and when she wasn’t and there was a definite change. Ryker could understand Jake’s concerns. Therefore, Ryker put on his tight jeans and button-up shirt and vest to go out for the night. “You ready for this, man?” Mason stepped out of the taxi wearing jeans and a button-up shirt. The man didn’t even bother to shave. Ryker hoped once he got some drinks into his friend’s system, he was going to loosen up a bit because right now it seemed like he had a cleat stuck up his ass. Mason ran his hand over his unshaven jaw. “I guess so. What’s this place called?” “Dick’s Last Chance. It’s a sports bar that worships the Stallions…so I’ve heard.” Mason walked toward the door. “Let’s just get this over with.” Ryker followed behind him, clapping Mason on the back. “Have I told you how excited I am you’re here? You’re really brightening up the night.” “I can go home if you’re going to be a dick.” “Don’t be so sensitive.” Once they got in the bar, Ryker took a look around. The lighting was low, which was nice because Ryker didn’t want to attract too much attention. The walls were brick and so was the bar. There were stools lining the bar and booths lining the wall. A couple of pool tables took up one side of the room and it was a surprisingly newer-looking establishment that had the feel of an old bar. Chrome, moss green, and brick brought together the ambiance as well as the soft lights and the laid back patrons. SportsCenter played on every flat screen TV flanking the walls. Ryker could get pretty used to this place. Ryker led Mason to a booth that sat across from a giant flat screen. They passed some old men playing poker and some extremely hot women playing pool. The bar was an eclectic group of people, ranging from college students to old timers. They both sat down in the booth and Ryker was about to ask Mason if he wanted to split some buffalo wings when he lost all ability to think. Standing across from him, taking the order of another booth was, by far, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was average height, curvy in all the right places and, to him, that was breasts and hips. She had light brown hair and the creamiest white skin he had ever seen. Her hair was down and curled, while she sported a headband. She wore a short skirt, tight white Tshirt, and flats. When she looked in his direction, signaling that she would be right there to take their order, he got a peek at her ice-blue eyes and button nose. “Holy shit,” Ryker said under his breath. “I know,” Mason said. “The prices here are ridiculously cheap, no wonder everyone and their mother comes here. This better be good beer and not that watered down piss they sell at college bars.” Ryker punched Mason in the arm. “I’m not talking about the prices, dickwad; look over there.” Ryker pointed at the gorgeous waitress. Ryker watched Mason eye the woman up and down, sending jealousy through his bones. “Don’t even think about it. I call dibs.” “Hey, don’t you want me to get out of my funk? I think she might be the cure.” “I’m not fucking kidding, man. Lay off.” Ryker could feel his blood boil. Why was he getting all possessive? It was just a girl…the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. “Jesus, put your dick on some ice, man, and cool it. I wouldn’t cock block you.” Ryker was going to respond, but the pretty waitress walked toward them. She smiled brightly and said, “Hi, my name is Hannah. What can I get you two gentlemen?”

Mason chimed in. “My friend here would like your number.” “Mason!” Ryker said. He felt like he was in high school again. Hannah’s face took on a scary shade of red. Great, Mason embarrassed her. “I’m sorry, but I have a boyfriend,” she said shyly. Ryker stepped in. “Sorry about my friend; he hasn’t been out in public in a while and has lost all his manners.” “He’s forgiven,” she said with a smile. “So what can I get you two?” “Two lagers on tap and a basket of buffalo wings.” “Not a problem.” She gave the guys a wink and walked away. “Jesus, she was amazing.” Mason cocked an eyebrow at Ryker as if he was crazy. “Dude, you said two words to her.” “It’s love at first sight. She will be my wife one day,” Ryker said with a cocky grin, while staring at Hannah’s retreat. Mason busted out in laughter, drawing attention to their booth. Ryker saw some patrons whispering and pointing in their direction. Some people recognized them, but had the decency to leave them alone. You didn’t find that very often when you were a celebrity in public places. Ryker was new to the city, but Mason was well known and loved throughout Denver. “What’s so funny?” Mason wiped his eyes. “So, you’re going to marry that girl?” “Hannah.” “What?” Mason asked. “That girl you speak of, her name’s Hannah.” Mason broke out in laughter again, just as Hannah came up to their table holding a tray in her hand with two beers on top of it. Ryker couldn’t take his eyes off of her and the way her movements were so fluid. “How serious are we talking here?” Ryker asked Hannah. She scrunched her nose as she asked, “What do you mean?” She was so damn cute, it took all of Ryker’s energy not to pull her down on his lap and bury himself in her neck. “How serious are you and your boyfriend?” Understanding flashed across her face. “Pretty serious.” She gave him an apologetic look. “Well, just in case you change your mind, I’m Ryker. Ryker Lewis.” “He thinks he’s going to marry you one day.” Ryker choked on the sip of beer he was taking and wiped his mouth once he caught his breath. He looked up at Hannah, whose face was past the boiling point of red. Mason was grinning like a fool at his ability to embarrass everyone around him. Mason was going to get it, and it wasn’t going to be pretty. “Payback’s a bitch, man,” Ryker said. Mason just shrugged and took a gulp of his beer. Hannah looked between the two men and said, “Well…uh Piper will be right out with your buffalo wings.” “Piper?” Mason asked. It looked like his face turned a ghostly shade of white. “Yeah, Piper, the other waitress. She’s taken as well boys. Sorry, but if you’d like, I could send those girls at the pool table your way; I heard them saying how they were single and looking for fun.” Hannah turned around, laughing. Ryker watched her little body sway away. Oh yeah, he was going to make it his goal in life to get to know her. Ryker looked over at Mason and saw that he was staring at something. Ryker followed his line of vision and a laugh escaped his throat. A bright-red-headed, gorgeous woman started walking toward their table. When she made eye contact with Mason, she stopped in her tracks. “Oh, this is going to be one of the best nights of my life,” Ryker said, while laughing and taking another sip of his beer.

*** Piper knew that there was a very slim possibility that she might run into Mason again someday, but she didn’t think it was going to be so soon and she didn’t think it was going to be at Dick’s Last Chance. What was he doing at a sports bar right across from the stadium? Did he want to get mauled by fans? Piper looked around and noticed that none of the die-hard Stallions fans were even making a play at his table. Were the rowdy fans actually going to let the man have a beer in peace? What was the world coming to? Now he was going to get the impression that the bar was peaceful, which it wasn’t. Mason was staring directly at her with his beer almost to his mouth in mid-sip when she made eye contact with him. Her hand started to burn and she realized the plate of Buffalo wings she was carrying was for Mason and Ryker. Damn it. This was the last thing she wanted. She looked around to see if Hannah was busy, so she could make the delivery instead, but of course, Hannah was swamped at the bar. Piper was going to have to drop off the stupid Buffalo wings herself. She puffed her chest out, shook her head to fluff her curls and headed toward their table. Mason did not take his eyes off of her, but finished the sip of beer he was taking when he first saw her. She tried to avoid eye contact with him, but she couldn’t help but look him up and down. God, he was too gorgeous. It annoyed her how attractive he was. He was wearing a button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, showing off his well-toned, tanned and tattooed forearms. She tried to shake the thoughts of those strong hands running up her body on the beach, but she couldn’t; the images were stuck in her mind. She unfortunately thought about that night on the beach often and how good she felt in Mason’s arms. “I’m surprised you’re not falling on your face wasted and drooling in the corner of the bar, given your track record,” Mason said to her, as she placed the Buffalo wings in the center of the table. His comment, thankfully, brought back all the reasons why she didn’t want anything to do with him. “Dude!” Ryker said, but Piper hushed him with her hand. She could fight her own battles. “I talked to the girls playing pool over there and they said they would blow you for fifty bucks. I told them they better ask for more, since you have some nasty ass bush down there,” Piper said with a grin, while Ryker busted out in laughter, even though she knew Mason was a well man-scaped man. Mason gently put down his beer and looked up at Piper. There was no anger in his eyes, more like amusement. “I didn’t pay you to go down there. What’s that say about you?” “That I will take one for the team when it comes to revenge.” “By how hard your nipples were that night,” he nodded at her chest, “and the way they’re hard now, makes me think differently.” He took a sip of his beer, while he grinned like a fool. Damn her treacherous body. She couldn’t help the way her damn nipples reacted to him. Ryker chimed in before she could respond. She almost forgot that Ryker was listening in on their little spat. It was as if Mason trapped her in his own little world; she found it a little bothersome. “So, did I hear right from your gorgeous friend over there, you are currently off the market?” Off the market? What was Ryker talking about? Guilt washed over her when Jax finally popped in her mind. How could she forget about sweet, kindhearted, adorable Jax? She was a terrible person. Earlier, in the kitchen she was day dreaming about Jax and the date they have planned, but then Mason reappeared and all thoughts of the southern gentleman escaped her mind. “Yes, I’m seeing someone right now.” “Is he aware that behind that body of yours lives the devil himself?” Mason asked, while chewing on a buffalo wing. Piper leaned over so her shirt fell open, giving Mason a good shot of her cleavage. “I knew you

couldn’t stop thinking about my body.” Mason stared down her shirt for what seemed like a minute and then looked back up at her. “I won’t lie, you’re fucking hot, but you are Satan’s spawn.” She got back up and leaned on her hip. “Interesting, you didn’t seem to think that when you were running your hands up my naked body, making out with me and moaning in my mouth.” Thinking about that night again made Piper’s body heat up. After she ditched him, leaving him naked by the ocean, she regretted her decision while lying in bed…alone. She’d had many sleepless nights thinking about how it would feel to have Mason completely wrapped around her, making her toes curl even farther then he did with just his touch. She even had X-rated images of what he did to her with his cock. Ugh, the vision of him standing bare for the world to see, cock sprung like a firecracker, made her mouth water. He was most definitely a well-endowed man and she so desperately wanted to see what he could do with it that night. But her stubborn personality kicked in and sought revenge. Even though revenge was nice, she was now regretting it. If she’d had him for one night, she most likely wouldn’t currently have sexual feelings for him. She kept telling herself to think about Jax and how sweet he is. Jax was the man for her and her new life in Denver. Ryker held up his hand to stop Mason from answering. He had a mouthful of buffalo chicken, but spoke anyway. “Jesus, can you two please stop bickering or just go fuck in the back room and get it over with? I’m trying to enjoy my beer here. Besides, Piper, you need to get the hell out of here so I can hit on Hannah.” Piper laughed. “Hannah? She’s not your type.” Ryker looked sincerely offended. “What does that mean?” “It means she’s a good girl. She’s not one to jump into bed with a guy and not be bothered that he never calls her back. Face it Ryker, you’re a player and she is the marrying type. Leave her alone.” Piper pointed her finger at Ryker in warning. “Now, unless you Neanderthals need anything else, I’m going to go help the other paying customers.” Piper walked away without hearing if they needed anything else. She didn’t care if they did. She needed to get away from Mason and his ego. It was suffocating. Piper saw Hannah nod at her, silently asking if she was okay. Piper nodded back and went to go help the other customers, wiping away all thoughts of Mason. Many hours, beers served and drunks shoved out the door later, Piper sat next to Hannah counting out their tips and ringing up the last of the customer receipts. Luckily, Piper did not have to deal with Ryker and Mason for the rest of the night. Hannah took one for the team and waited on the two arrogant men. Piper even noticed Hannah smiled and talked to Ryker a little more than she had to. Piper really hoped that Hannah didn’t fall for his playboy moves. “Oh, I forgot, here is your half of the tip from the boys.” The boys? Oh no. “Don’t call them that.” “What? They were actually really nice and funny. You know, Mason could not stop staring at you.” Piper snapped her head up from going through receipts. “That’s not true. He despises me.” Hannah shook her head and smiled. Her light blue eyes shined with amusement. “Oh no, he has it bad for you. He even asked about Jax.” Piper sat up a little more. “About Jax? Really? What did he say?” “He casually asked who the ‘poor soul’ was who you dug your fangs into,” Hannah said, while making air quotes. “But when I started describing what a dreamboat Jax is, he got all huffy and started playing with his phone. He’s crushing on you big time.” Piper snorted. “What is this? Grade school?” Hannah shrugged. “I highly doubt he would ever admit it, though. He is kind of an ass. There is no way

he would show his true feelings about you.” “Yeah, I know he’s an ass. That’s not news to me. It’s one of the reasons I stay far away from him. I don’t need another alpha male in my life. He is a control freak and you can tell. I don’t need to get wrapped up in that.” “I agree.” Hannah pushed a bill toward Piper. “Here, he left us each a hundred as a tip.” Piper thought her eyebrows shot off her forehead in shock. “He left us EACH a hundred dollar bill? I mean, I know he can afford it, but why would he do that?” “I don’t want to say.” “Hannah…” “Fine, he said to give this to you so you could get your eyebrows waxed. He said they were looking like two Tom Sellecks were trying to mate in the middle of your forehead.” “Tom Sellecks?” Hannah sighed. “Mustaches.” Piper ground her teeth together. She wanted to wring his neck. “What a cocky, arrogant dick-eater. God, I don’t know what I did to him, but I can’t fucking stand that man. He gets on my last nerve.” Hannah warned Piper about her language, but Piper didn’t care. There was no way she could talk about Mason without swearing. Just to reassure herself that she made the right decision in men, she sent a text to Jax. Piper: Just ended my shift. I know it’s late, but I wanted to tell you how excited I am for our date. She was packed up and ready to start making the walk home when she got a text message back. Jax: Me too, beautiful. Sweet dreams tonight. Piper let out a long breath she didn’t know she was holding in. Jax was just what she needed. Instead of focusing on how much she despised Mason Dashel, she thought about what a great new beginning she was starting with Jax as she walked down the street toward her little loft apartment. *** Hannah was incredibly tired from her shift at the bar. Mason and Ryker had her coming to their table any time they got her attention and, since Piper refused to serve them, Hannah had to deal with them. At least they tipped her well. They never really wanted anything, they only had three beers each, but they always called her over to settle a dispute or to ask questions about the bar…or Piper. Mason was infatuated with Piper, Hannah could tell. She couldn’t blame the man, Piper was beautiful. Hannah had always felt inferior to her. It was hard not to when your best friend was tall, with long legs, vibrant hair and soul-piercing eyes. Any guy who saw her instantly wanted her number, but the greatest thing about Piper was she didn’t flaunt her beauty. She was very subtle about how she presented herself and had the sweetest personality, but was sassy at the same time. That was why Hannah and Piper got along so well. Piper was the ying to Hannah’s yang. They made a great duo. Hannah dug through her purse for her keys to open her apartment when she felt the napkin Ryker wrote his number on. Even though he knew Hannah was taken, he didn’t stop flirting with her. It was flattering, but she knew Ryker wanted one thing and one thing only and she wasn’t the girl to give him that. Good Lord, was he attractive, though. Mason was bulkier than Ryker, but Ryker was toned; she could tell by the way his button-up shirt spanned across his muscular chest. He wore a very tailored shirt, so it left nothing to her imagination.

If she wasn’t in love with Todd and, hopefully, months away from getting engaged, then she would have possibly given Ryker a chance, but it would have been a date, not some late night booty call. That was not how she did things. It took her a few weeks before she slept with Todd and now she wished she hadn’t waited that long because, if she knew he was going to be gone as much as he was, then she would have soaked up as much sex as possible. Todd was the only guy she’d ever had sex with and he was good, or at least what she knew was good. He always liked how he was the only one who had been inside of her; she was proud of the fact too, especially since she knew she was going to marry him one day. Maybe when they had children, one day, he would slow down and spend more time with her and their family, rather than traveling for his job. Hannah let herself in her apartment and let out an exhausted breath. Kicking off her shoes in the hallway, she deposited her purse and made her way toward the kitchen for a little late night snack. She was just about to grab a banana from her fruit basket when she saw a shadow move across her wall. She turned around quickly, holding her banana out in defense when she saw Todd approaching her. Her hands flew to her chest as her heart beat wildly. “Oh my God! Todd you scared me half to death.” A slight smile tugged at his lips as he came toward her. “I’m sorry sweetheart. I didn’t mean to scare you. I was just leaving the bathroom when you came in, so I didn’t hear you come through the door or else I would have said hi.” Hannah was still catching her breath when Todd came toward her. He pulled her into his warm embrace, where she took in the rich smell of his cologne. She kept a bottle of his cologne on her dresser and would occasionally spray it when he was gone. It was the little things that helped her through the lonely nights of him being gone. She looked up at him and was finally able to smile. “I missed you.” She kissed his chin. “I missed you, too.” He pulled her to the couch where he sat down and pulled her on top of his lap. “Why do you have to work such long hours? I told you, you don’t have to work at all. I’ll support you.” He was always trying to convince her to quit her job. He gave her a credit card to use, but she just felt weird charging things to his name, especially since they weren’t married, let alone engaged. Maybe once he popped the question, she’d think about quitting her job, but right now she was happy, even though she was exhausted when she got home. “I like my job and I have a lot of fun with Piper.” “Piper, she’s the redhead right?” “Yeah, the gorgeous redhead with long legs and beautiful eyes.” Todd tilted her head so she was looking him in the eyes. “Not as beautiful as you.” Hannah melted into him from the sincerity in his voice. He really thought she was more beautiful than Piper, which was surprising. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home?” “I wanted to surprise you,” he said with a smile and then got up. Hannah watched as he went over to his briefcase and grabbed a small box from it. Hannah’s heart stopped beating and she felt her throat constrict. She could not believe he was finally going to propose. Hannah sat up straight and tried to fluff her hair a little bit, just so she could look semi-presentable on her engagement night. The first person she would call was going to be Piper. She would never believe Todd proposed. Todd sat back down on the couch and held out a small velvet box. “Here, open it.” Hannah took the box in shaky hands and held her breath as she opened the tiny box. Diamonds beamed up at her from the black velvet background, but it wasn’t the diamonds she was expecting. Instead of them being on a single solitaire, they were separated into two stud earrings. Hannah quickly masked her disappointment and put on a happy face, even though she was crushed inside. “Todd, they’re beautiful. You shouldn’t have.” Todd grabbed the box and took them out. He pushed her hair behind her ear and placed each earring

into place. “Yes, I should have. We’ve been dating for almost two years now and you’ve put up with a lot of my traveling. I wanted to get you something special.” Hannah touched her ears and held back the tears of being disappointed once more. She shouldn’t be such a brat; the man just gave her huge diamond earring studs, but she would give them up if that meant she got to spend the rest of her life with Todd. All she wanted to be was his wife and start a family with him, but that dream would just have to wait a little bit longer. She placed a very soft kiss on his lips, while cupping his face. “They are lovely. Thank you.” She started to pull away, when he grabbed her face with his hands and looked deep into her eyes. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong? Why are you going to cry?” He knew her too well. She shook her head as if nothing was wrong, but he wasn’t buying it, which only caused her to let the tears fall that had built up. If she felt like she was going to cry and everyone around her was normal, then she was able to push back the tears, but the instant someone asked her what was wrong, she lost all ability to cork up the waterworks. “It’s so stupid.” He stroked her face with his hand and pulled her into his chest. “Nothing is stupid when it comes to you. Please tell me what I did to upset you.” Hannah didn’t want to have this conversation, especially since Todd just got back from a work trip, but he was not going to let her tears go, so she might as well get it over with. She blew out a long breath and gathered her courage. “I thought you were going to propose.” Hannah felt Todd stiffen and she knew she should have kept her foolish thoughts to herself, but she had never lied to Todd and she didn’t want to start tonight. Instead of waiting for him to say something, she chimed in, “Never mind. Forget I said anything. I had a long night.” She started to get up when he stopped her. She didn’t move as Todd ran his hand over his face. “Hannah, we’ve talked about this,” he said in an irritated voice. “I know,” she interjected. “Then why does this keep coming up?” “Because I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you and start a family with you,” Hannah said on a choked sob. Todd brought her into his chest again and she cried while he rubbed her back. “Sweetheart, I love you too. You know that, right?” Hannah nodded into his chest while sniffing. “I’m just not ready yet. I want to be more financially stable when we get married.” Hannah could understand that, but Todd was five years older than she was; he had a great job and had more than enough money in the bank. She saw his bank statement once and almost choked on the cookie she was shoving down her face at what he had saved up. “You know money doesn’t matter to me.” “It matters to me,” Todd said in a clipped tone, but then eased the tension in his body while kissing the top of her head. “I just want to be able to fully provide for you and be there for you and I can’t do that while I’m still traveling. Alright? Once I become more stable with my job, then we can talk about it. How does that sound?” Hannah nodded, but still felt disappointed. She didn’t want to “talk” about getting married. She wanted Todd to want to throw caution to the wind, sweep her off her feet and whisk her to The Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas to have a very Elvis wedding. She wanted him to be a little spontaneous and reckless for once, but she could want all she wanted, it wasn’t going to change anything. Todd was always going to be cautious and methodical. Whisking her away somewhere to start their lives would never be in the picture for her.

*** Mason was drying off from his shower when his cell phone started ringing. Mason knew exactly who it was; he didn’t even have to look at the caller ID. Jake called once a week, same time, same day. Jake always said he wanted to catch up and see how the season was going, but Mason really knew what was going on. Jake was making sure Mason was doing alright. Jake had started calling once he found out Brooke tore his heart out and stomped on it. Mason answered his phone. “Hey, man.” “Mason, how’s the most hung man I know doing?” Mason laughed. “Uh oh, you’re trying to butter me up. What bad news do you have to deliver to me? Don’t tell me you’re taking Ryker back.” “Ha, I wish,” Jake said, with a little bit of remorse in his voice. “How’s he doing out there? Adjusting to the altitude?” Mason thought about how well Ryker meshed with the team. The guy was outgoing, that was for sure. He didn’t really care about what people thought about him and he did his own thing. He was practically best friends with every guy on the team and had women crawling toward him, except for one, which made Mason laugh. Hannah was a smart girl for staying away from Ryker. “He’s adjusting, just as you’d think he would.” “Ah, so he’s banging every chick in sight and has the men feeding off his every word?” “Pretty much, except for the chick part.” “What? Ryker doesn’t have girls flocking around him? That’s hard to believe.” Mason chuckled. “Well, they’re flocking alright, except for one specific girl that has his panties in a bunch. You should have seen him, man. We were at a bar the other night and Ryker takes one look at the waitress and loses his mind. Starts saying how he is going to marry her one day. He was practically begging her to go out with him by the end of the night.” Jake was laughing. “Let me guess, blonde hair and big tits.” “Not at all. She’s a petite thing, light brown hair and light blue eyes. I mean, she’s pretty, but she’s a good girl. She’s sweet, too sweet for the likes of Ryker.” “Man, I wish I could see him now. Next time you’re at that bar, take a video for me or something.” “I’ll try.” They were silent for a second and Mason was hoping Jake wasn’t going to go to his normal questioning during their once-a-week phone calls. It was like clockwork every phone call, they caught up at first and then Jake always asked how Mason was doing. Mason would tell him he was fine, even though inside he felt numb, completely numb. He hadn’t felt anything since Brooke destroyed him. He felt empty…until… As if on cue, Jake asked, “How are you doing, Mace? Everything going alright out there?” Mason didn’t like talking about his life very much recently, but something happened to him the other night. Something he didn’t think he could hold in. He had to share it with someone and Ryker was out of the question because Ryker would only give Mason grief and most likely torture him with such valuable information. Mason took a deep breath and said, “Better, I’m doing better.” Shock laced Jake’s voice. “Wow, that’s not the usual, ‘I’m doing fine’ retort I get from you,” Jake said, trying to mock Mason’s voice. “Yeah, well, something happened the other night.” Mason could hear Jake shuffling around. “I know we sound like a bunch of chatty hens, but tell me about it.” Mason sat on the side of the bathtub with his towel wrapped around his waist when he thought back to

the night at the bar. “When Ryker and I went to that bar the other night, I ran into Piper.” “Piper Shores?” “Yeah.” “Ok…” Mason continued. “Well, come to find out, she works at that bar. What are the odds, right? She dropped off some chicken wings and we harassed each other a little bit, but something happened to me. When she was around, it was like she was unclogging some of the fog that’s been clouding over me for a while. I felt like I could breathe again for the first time since Brooke left.” Jake was silent for a second and Mason contemplated whether or not he should have confessed himself to Jake. Mason didn’t really know what was going on with his emotions ever since the night at the bar; all he knew was that he didn’t feel as if the world was closing in on him anymore. Jake cut into Mason’s thoughts. “Are we talking about the same Piper here? The one who you made throw up on the airplane, the same Piper who made you walk back to our wedding reception sporting nothing more than a couple of palm leaves, the same girl who you swore was the devil’s spawn? That Piper?” “The one and only.” “Wow, I thought you two hated each other.” “I’m pretty sure she hates me, but I don’t know. God Jake, I don’t want to be attracted to her; she drives me up the fucking wall, but whenever I’m around her I can’t stop looking at her or wishing I knew more about her. She’s so damn intriguing.” Mason ran his hand over his face, irritated with his newfound feelings. “All I know is that the past couple of days since I saw her, I’ve been able to exhale without feeling pain.” “That’s good man, even if she’s the devil’s spawn,” Jake and Mason both laughed. “So what are you going to do about it?” “I don’t know. Hannah, her friend and Ryker’s future wife,” they both laughed, “mentioned that Piper was seeing someone, but it didn’t seem that serious.” “Then, go for it. It’s good to hear you sound more alive.” “How do you suggest I go after someone who thinks more highly of a rotten carcass on the side of the road than me?” “First things first, stop being an ass to her.” “Valid point.” “Then, bring out the charm. Bring back the old Mason.” “Easier said than done, man.” “I know, but I already can hear him coming back. If Piper is the key to you getting your life back together, then I say go after her. Lexi and I are worried about you. We just want to make sure you’re okay, you know?” “Yeah, thanks.” Mason spent the next ten minutes on the phone with Jake talking about the San Diego Thunder and how the team was looking. Apparently, they acquired a new rookie wide receiver that was having a tremendously hard time catching Jake’s passes. Mason felt bad for his best friend and former quarterback. Jake was a perfectionist when it came to being on the field and if he was holding up his end of the bargain, he expected his teammates to do the same. Mason threw up a silent prayer to the football Gods for the rookie because, if he didn’t get his act together, he was going to find a Jake Taylor-sized cleat stuck up his ass. When Mason finally hung up the phone, there was a knock at his door. As he walked over to answer it, he thought about how he felt better than he had in a while. Jake was right, if Mason wanted to be happy, he was going to have to go after what he wanted and, apparently, what he wanted was the fiery redhead with

a sassy mouth and silver eyes. As Mason opened the door to see who was knocking on it, his good mood from talking to his best friend instantly vanished when he saw who was at his doorstep.

Chapter 7 Piper stood in front of her mirror for the tenth time, examining her outfit. Why was she so nervous? She had already been on a couple of dates with Jax and every single one of them was perfect. He was such a gentleman when he only kissed her good night, never pressured her to stay over or sleep with him. It was refreshing. Tonight, they were supposed to have a game night, so she was testing out her sexiest lounge wear. She put on a pair of her tight yoga pants and a pale yellow tank top that looked like it was painted on her body. Her hair was down, of course, with her natural curls framing her face. She put very little makeup on, but made sure to put on a thick coat of mascara. The night before, Piper had to cancel on Jax because Hannah came over extremely upset about Todd. He came into town for one night, but then wound up going back to New York City. Hannah told Piper all about the earrings he gave her when she thought he was proposing. Piper didn’t know what to tell Hannah; Todd was never going to settle down. He was too career-driven, but she couldn’t say that to her friend; it would crush her. Hannah loved Todd too much; Piper didn’t feel like destroying her friend’s life so, instead, she held her friend and let her cry in her arms while Piper had naughty thoughts about not only Jax, but Mason as well. She hated that Mason kept entering her thoughts. Even though they practically spat at each other when they were in the same room, there was something strange that happened to Piper when he was around. Something she never felt before, as if they were supposed to meet, they were supposed to spend time together. The way Mason looked at her didn’t help either. Throughout her shift the other night, she would catch glimpses of him looking at her, with those smoldering chocolate-brown eyes. It was hard not to melt a little, even though seconds later he would open his mouth, making her want to cut his tongue off. But there was something in his eyes that spoke to her, as if he was secretly trying to tell her something when he was putting up a front, trying to push her away. She didn’t understand the man and she frankly didn’t care to understand him, not when she had Jax. She slowly started to feel herself falling for Jax. He was everything she’d ever wanted in a man. He was kind, caring and sensitive, but took control of the situation when she needed him to. He was always concerned about how she felt and included her when it came to decision-making. They’d been going out for a couple of weeks and she had never felt happier. Piper made sure to put on her sexy lingerie tonight because she felt like it was finally time. She was ready, ready to finally share her whole body with Jax. She knew he was ready; it was evident when they would make out on the couch. She would touch him, but never went too far because she didn’t want to be a tease. He was being respectful and she wanted to do the same, but she couldn’t wait any longer. She needed to have some fun with her southern gentleman and finally get ahold of all those fine muscles he hid under his T-shirt. Piper was pulling out some chips when her phone started ringing. She looked down at the caller ID and smiled brightly. “Hey you, when will you be here?” “Hey darlin’,” he said in his southern drawl. “I’m so sorry, but I can’t make it tonight.” Quick and to the point, Piper thought. It was nice that he didn’t tiptoe around it, even though she was disappointed as hell. “Why not? Is everything okay?” He blew out a frustrated breath. “Yeah, I just have to work late. I can’t even express to you how upset I am. I really need to hold you tonight.” “Rough day?” she asked, as she put the chips back in the bag and sat down on her couch. “Yeah, but I won’t bore you with that. Please tell me you’re wearing ragged clothes, you didn’t shave and you have a million zits all over your face.” Piper chuckled. “Zit-free, tight clothes, completely shaved, and I mean completely, and I’m wearing

some of my most uncomfortable lingerie.” “Fuck.” Piper could hear the remorse in his voice. It was sweet how much he cared about her and wanted her. Her heart kicked up a notch knowing the disappointment he was going through. It made her feel good, being wanted and desired. “Please tell me you’re kidding.” Piper smiled. “I’m not. I can always wear it a different night…” He cut her off. “No, I’m coming over after I’m done here. Even if all we do is hold each other, I’m coming over. I need to see you.” Piper crossed her legs on the couch and twirled her hair on her finger. “I don’t know. I might be really tired…” she said sarcastically. Jax’s good-natured voice boomed over the phone. “Don’t you dare fall asleep on me.” “Okay, text me when you’re on your way.” “I will. I can’t wait to see you.” “I can’t wait to see you either, handsome.” Piper tried not to sigh as she thought about him wrapped around her. Just a couple of hours and then they would be together. “I’ll talk to you later…oh, and if you want to fall asleep, you can. I’ll just wake you up the best way I know how.” “If that’s the case, then I’m headed to bed now. Stripping my clothes as we speak.” Piper didn’t move from her spot on the couch, but she enjoyed the long distraught groan that came out of the handsome man on the other side of the phone. “You’re torturing me, woman.” “Then hurry on over.” When they hung up, Piper decided that she wanted to take a bath to relax and think of all the possible ways that Jax could wake her up from a deep slumber. God bless 7-Eleven and her inability to make a decision on Slurpee flavors. *** Mason felt like the conversation he just had with Jake was completely pointless because the good mood he was in completely vanished when he found Brooke standing outside of his doorway. It took a second for his blinding rage to settle down before he noticed how Brooke looked…different. Good different, she was always incredibly pretty, but in a preppy way. Right now, she looked like she was on the prowl and Mason was her prey. She had cut her hair, framing her face in a sexy halo and her clothes highlighted all her glorious curves, especially her breasts. Mason tried not to stare at the obvious push-up bra she was wearing that put her breasts on a delectable display, but he found himself sneaking a peek. Mason shook his head of his thoughts; he despised this woman. Just because he was currently on a bit of a dry spell didn’t mean he needed to jump into bed with the crazy herself. “What the fuck are you doing here?” Mason spared no censor, especially since she was the one who threw him into a black hole of depression. Brooke, surprisingly, seemed shocked at Mason’s use of foul language. She quickly gathered herself and walked toward him, coming inches away from his chest. “I came to see you,” she said, as she put her hand on his chest. Mason couldn’t help himself; he took a good look at her mouthwatering display of cleavage, since he was a good foot taller than she was. He was a man and there was only so much he could take. He watched as her hand crept up his chest and that was when he realized he was still wearing just a towel from his shower. He plucked Brooke’s hand off his chest and put it back down to her side.

“What in that demented head of yours made you think I would want to see you? Are you really that naïve Brooke?” Brooke’s eyes started to water. Great, just fucking great, he thought. He didn’t need this right now. He didn’t need the temptation of an old flame; he didn’t need the distraction and he definitely didn’t need Brooke’s tears. What he needed was to figure out how to get Piper on his good side so he could figure out why she made him feel light and…happy. Brooke put her head down and said quietly, “I know I screwed up and I know I’m a terrible singer. I should have listened to you. I just wanted to show you how it felt when the person you loved chose their career over you. I wanted you to feel how I felt every day.” Mason felt rage pierce through his body. “Seriously Brooke? You broke my fucking heart to prove a point? Have you ever heard of having a grown up conversation?” “I didn’t mean to hurt you?” “Really? What were you trying to do? Did you think kittens were going to come out and lick me while I ate cupcakes in glitter land after you broke up with me?” Brooke pushed Mason in the chest. “Do you always have to be so sarcastic?” “I don’t need this,” Mason said and started to shut the door, but Brooke threw her body in the doorway, preventing him from slamming the door in her face. He couldn’t stand the woman, but he wasn’t about to brutally hurt her with a door, even though the thought of it eased some pain in his aching chest. “Please, Mason, just talk to me. I really am sorry. I want to give us another chance.” Mason laughed. “Holy shit, are you fucking delusional, woman? I would never take you back…even when your tits look that good.” He nodded toward her chest. A small wicked grin came across Brooke’s face as she thrust her chest forward and popped open a couple more buttons on her shirt. Damn it. Mason felt himself starting to pulse with need; it had been too long and it had always been really good with Brooke. No, he chastised himself. She was not going to suck him into her nonsensical web. “Not going to work, Brooke.” “Oh yeah?” Next thing Mason knew, he was gripping his towel from falling because Brooke tugged on it. The last thing he needed was for his neighbors to get a view of the goods. “Brooke, get the hell out of here.” Brooke’s face was no longer haughty, no it changed to agitation. She poked him in the chest and said, “This is not over Mason, not by a long shot. I know you want me, it’s evident.” She nodded toward his partial erection. He couldn’t help himself; she was hot and he was horny. “I’m going to give you time to cool off, but I’m not done here.” She reached up and completely shocked the hell out of Mason by grabbing his face and placing her lips on his. His mind must have short-circuited for a second because he found himself reciprocating the passionate kiss she was giving him. She pulled away quickly, leaving Mason gasping for air and her sporting a Grinch-like grin. Damn her. She turned around and gave him a little wave goodbye. He stood in his doorway and watched her saunter off. She was wearing a mini skirt that showcased her little round ass. Damn, she looked good. Mason ran his hand through his hair and shut his door. Even though he couldn’t stand the actual woman, his body was practically begging for hers. Instead of going to put some clothes on, he turned on his shower and turned it to cold. He needed to cool off because his little man seemed to have temporarily taken over the decision making. ***

Jax rubbed his hands on his pants before he knocked on Piper’s front door. When he found out he had to stay at work a little bit longer, he wanted to sulk because he was looking forward to his date with Piper. When he found out she was wearing sexy lingerie for him, he practically wanted to cry. They had been dating for a couple of weeks and saw each other a lot, but they never crossed the line of kissing and maybe a little groping. He kept things PG13, for the most part, because he didn’t want to rush Piper. He wanted to make sure she had a say in where they took the relationship because, if he was the one in charge, he would have taken her on the floor of the 7-Eleven when they first met. She was beyond gorgeous…almost exotic looking with her red curly hair and silver eyes that slanted slightly at the corners. Every time he was with her, he felt himself starting to fall harder for her every minute. It wasn’t good, especially since she was the first real woman that he dated since the death of his wife a year ago. He knew it was time to start dating, but he didn’t think the first woman he started dating after his wife’s death was going to knock him off his feet. He thought about his dear Kiera who passed away from a drunk driver; it tore his life apart, but now he felt like he was starting to have something to live for besides his job. Piper was a breath of fresh air and every time he was around her, he felt himself loosen the knot that had been tied around his heart for so long. He felt relief. He silently said a prayer that he was able to last a good amount of time if Piper and he did decide to take their relationship to the next level. It had been a long time since he had been with a woman, especially one as hot and tantalizing as Piper. He knocked on her door and shifted in place, telling himself to be cool and act nonchalant. He could do this. Piper opened the door and gave him a huge smile. She was perfect. Jax’s heart beat rapidly as she tugged him inside her apartment. She planted a huge kiss on his lips. “I missed you!” she said, while leading him toward the living room. “Do you want something to drink? Did you have dinner?” “I had something at work. Hey.” He stopped her and pulled her into his chest, breathing in her intoxicating scent. “I missed you too, darlin’.” “Mmm, my southern man.” Her hands slid up under his shirt and caressed his abs. The feel of her fingers against his flesh felt like heaven. He didn’t know how long he would last if she kept touching him like that. She slowly moved her hands south and played with the elastic on his boxer briefs, slowly slipping her fingers in and out of the edge, causing his cock to jump to attention. Slow down buddy, he told himself. Easy does it. He looked down at her, as a mischievous grin spread across her face. “What are you up to, beautiful?” “I think you know,” she said, while pulling his shirt off, exposing his bare chest. Jax counted to ten, trying to reign in the blood that was pumping south, but it was hard…no pun intended, with her wearing tiny boy shorts and a tank top that must have been two sizes too small. “Come on.” She guided him into her bedroom while slipping off her shirt, exposing a brilliant yellow lace bra with a tiny bow in the middle. It was sweet and sexy, just like Piper. “Hold on,” Jax said, surprisingly. “I need to talk to you for a second. She gripped his head with both her hands. “Jax, it’s okay. I want to do this. I have been dying to do this.” “Dying?” he asked with a grin. She nodded and started unbuckling his pants. Leaving them open, she pulled off her shorts so she was only wearing the lingerie she talked about. She did a quick turn to give him a full view of what she had to offer and his mouth went completely dry. How did he get so lucky?

“You like what you see?” Jax could only nod. “Come here.” She pulled him toward her, but he didn’t budge. “What’s wrong?” He saw insecurity flash through her face while she looked around the room. She spotted a blanket and covered herself up. “I’m sorry. I thought we both wanted this.” Jax felt like an ass. He instantly scooped her up in his arms and brought her to a big chair she had in the corner of her room. He sat down and sat her down on his lap. “Darlin’, I want this more than anything, but I need to tell you something first.” “Oh God, you have a disease or something, don’t you?” Jax chuckled and shook his head no. “Not even close.” Alright, here it goes, he thought. “I lost my wife a year ago and I haven’t been with anyone in a while. I might be a little…rusty and quick on the draw, if you know what I mean.” Piper looked stunned. “You were married?” she asked in a small voice, while looking down at her hands. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Good question. “I didn’t want pity, I guess. I used to tell people and they would always give me that look. That says, ‘oh poor you.’ I didn’t want that. I wanted someone to like me, not pity me.” “I wouldn’t have pitied you.” “I know that now. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.” “How did she die?” This was not the conversation Jax wanted to be having at the moment, but if it meant he could lift this weight off his chest and move forward with his life, then he would tell her with a massive erection poking her in the bottom. “Drunk driver. She was killed on impact.” Piper brought her hand to his face and rubbed it. “Oh Jax…” He pulled away and stood up. She was giving him pity. He saw it in her eyes. He couldn’t take pity, not from Piper. That was what he wanted to avoid. He walked toward her living room and grabbed his shirt, quickly throwing it on and buttoning up his pants. He heard Piper stumble after him. “Where are you going?” “I can’t Piper. I can’t take your pity.” “I wasn’t pitying you, Jax.” He turned around and took in the sight before him. Piper’s hair cascaded down her creamy delicate shoulders and her breasts were pressed up against her chest from her bra. It took everything in him not to throw his body at hers. “I saw it in your eyes. This is why I didn’t tell you. I don’t want it to affect what we have. I can’t take pity from another person, especially you.” “I wasn’t fucking pitying you!” Piper spat out, nearly shocking the hell out of him. “It’s called being concerned, feeling for the person you are falling for, feeling their pain.” Falling for? Was she falling for him like he was for her? “You’re falling for me?” Piper threw her hands up in defeat. “That’s what you got out of that? Men!” she shouted and turned around. Jax jogged after her and spun her around. “Pipe, you’re falling for me?” He made her look him in the eyes. “How could I not?” Water formed at the rim of her silver pools. He did not want to be the one that made her cry. So, he took her in his arms and gently placed his lips on hers. “You’re amazing, you know that?” “You’re just saying that to get into my bed,” she said teasingly. “Nah, that’s a sure thing. I’m saying that because I’m falling head over heels for you.” She giggled into his neck and smiled up at him. He took that moment to direct her back to her bedroom. He was out of his clothes in two seconds flat once they were in her bedroom. The only clothing separating

them was a pair of boxer briefs and her thin lingerie, still it felt like a stack of winter clothes. Jax swallowed hard and reached behind her back to unlatch her bra. Before he let go, he asked, “Are you sure about this?” “I have never been surer in my life.” That was all Jax needed. He released her bra and watched the fabric fall to the floor. When he looked up, he was rewarded with two of the most perfect breasts he had ever seen in his life. Sweet Lord, he was a goner. This night might very well be the death of him. He lowered her to the bed and slid her panties off as quickly as he could. She was perfect, from her painted pink toenails to her curly unruly hair. He had never seen anything more damn perfect in his life. He lowered his mouth to hers and started to take control. Most of the time, he liked to make a relationship with a woman a fifty-fifty split, but in the bedroom, he liked to take charge. He stroked her tongue with his and lost all ability to think. As he moved his hand up her stomach to just below her breast, she moaned in his mouth, sending another bolt of desire through his body. If he was going to pleasure this woman, he needed to take it slower, so he focused on kissing rather than the end goal of their passion for each other. “Please,” she moaned in his mouth. “I need you.” “I’m right here darlin’.” She reached down and grabbed his erection with her dainty little hand. “No, I need you.” She gave him a squeeze, almost making him lose everything in his boxer briefs. Jesus, self-control. “I can’t go that fast, I want you to enjoy yourself.” “Damn it, Jax.” Piper flipped Jax on his back, ripped his briefs off, strapped a condom on, wherever the hell that came from, and lowered herself down onto him, shooting him to a dark oblivion. “Motherfucker!” Jax let out. God, she felt beyond good. He didn’t think he could last two seconds as he watched her throw her head back and moan. She moved her head forward and her hair fell over her face and breasts, giving him one of the most erotic views he had ever seen. With her hands on his chest, she started rocking on him. “Fuck. I’m not going to last long,” Jax said through gritted teeth. “Oh Jax,” Piper said in between pants. “Fuck me, neither am I.” Jax didn’t want her doing all the work, so he grabbed her hips and rolled them over so she was on bottom. She wrapped her legs around his hips so he could plunge deeper into her. His toes started to tingle and a numbing feeling started to overtake his body. Hold off a couple of more minutes he thought to himself, but once Piper shouted his name at the top of her lungs and her inner walls contracted around his hard member, he lost all control and drove relentlessly into her until every last drop of passion escaped him. They both lay still on the bed and caught their breath. Jax didn’t think he would be able to move for a week after the power Piper just took from him. She removed every last ounce of ambition from him. All he wanted to do was lie in her bed, soak up the essence of Piper and never see the light of day again. He was a goner. She flung her arm over his chest and nuzzled into his neck. “Mmm, my pussy has never felt so good.” Jax chuckled. “Oh, is that right?” She nodded. “Well I’m glad I could be of assistance.” Piper looked at Jax and met his eyes. “I like you a lot.” “I like you a lot too, darlin’.” “I mean a lot, a lot.” Jax smiled. “Feeling’s mutual, sugar.” Jax pulled her in closer and got ready for round two because there was no way in hell he was going to sleep next to Piper without at least giving her six more orgasms before they closed their eyes for the night.

No, he was going to pleasure his woman until she was completely sedated from his cock. He wanted to make sure the girl in his arms remembered who she belonged to. From now on, Piper was his; he had marked her and he was going to make sure it stayed that way. *** Piper felt like she was floating on clouds. The last two nights she had spent on and off in Jax’s arms, once he was done with work. They made love, watched movies, talked and shared their most intimate details. She had never felt so enamored with a man before. Jax was a man she never thought she would be able to find and now that she had, she didn’t want to let him go; but it was time to get back to the real world and go back to work. She was tying her apron around her waist when Hannah came up from behind her and wrapped her arms around her. “Ooo, I missed you,” Hannah said, while squeezing Piper tightly. “I’ve missed you too! How was the symphony?” Piper knew Todd took Hannah to the symphony, a date they had planned a while ago. Piper turned around and saw Hannah grinning from ear to ear. “Pipe, it was glorious. I have never felt more loved and romanced in my life. I think Todd felt bad for the way he reacted the other night and really made it up to me. He told me how much he loved me, how he wanted to be married to me one day and father my children. We even talked about baby names. I feel like he was a completely different man. I feel like there is actually a future in sight. I might not have to work here much longer after all.” “You know you don’t have to work here now.” Todd had offered to pay for Hannah a long time ago, but Hannah refused until they were at least engaged. “You know how I feel about that.” “I know, but you two are practically engaged, might as well take the man up on his offer. You know he has money.” Hannah just shrugged. “But then, we wouldn’t be having these conversations.” Hannah walked behind the bar and donned her apron while looking around the room. “Looks like the regulars are taken care of, so tell me the reason why I haven’t heard from you in two days.” Piper couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face. “Jax and I finally sealed the deal.” Hannah cheered and hugged Piper. “Oh that’s great. Without getting too graphic, how was it?” Piper smiled at her prude of a friend. “It was amazing. We really connected.” “Well, I would hope so.” Piper waved off her friend’s horrible attempt at a joke. “I think this might be it for me.” “Really?” Hannah said with a questionable eyebrow. “What about Mason?” The mention of his name brought Piper’s high down a notch. She completely forgot about the man that consumed her thoughts before she and Jax slept together. Maybe he didn’t really matter to Piper after all, if she was able to forget about him so quickly. “What about him?” “I thought…you know, there might be something there. The way you two stare at each other could start a fire and grill up some burgers for the regulars around here.” “Oh please, we don’t look at each other like that. If there are any sparks, they’re angry sparks. The man is infuriating and pretty much the biggest ass I have ever met. Jax, on the other hand,” she sighed, “He’s magnificent.” Hannah smiled at Piper. “Well, I’m just warning you. I don’t think Mason is done with you.” “Why do you say that?” “Wendy told me yesterday that he’s been here every night since you’ve been gone, asking for you.”

Mason looking for her? That was new information. Why would he be looking for her? Maybe to give her more tips on how to pluck her eyebrows? Throw more jabs at her, as if she was his personal punching bag? “The man is deranged. He’s been hit too many times on the field.” Hannah shrugged and went to go tend to the couple of patrons that just walked in. Piper didn’t question her friend any further and went to work. She filled bowls with nuts, restocked the glasses and prepared for the busy Friday night she was expecting, trying not to think about Jax and his love making. As Piper was placing some napkins on the bar, a strong hand pressed against her lower back. “Good evening gorgeous, do you mind if we find our own seats?” A deep baritone voice spoke close to her ear, sending shivers of delight through her body. She looked up and came face to face with chocolate-brown eyes and a scruffy face. Mason. Piper gulped, pushing down the thought of why the hell this man was affecting her like this when she had another man pining for her, she nodded yes to Mason. He winked at her and walked toward the booth he’d sat in last time he and Ryker were at the bar. What the hell was that all about? Why did he just call her gorgeous and why did she still feel the imprint of his hand on her back? Shaking off the weird and bothersome feeling Mason left her with, she tended to the bar. When she saw that Hannah was knee-deep in hysterics with the old men playing poker, she realized she would have to take Ryker and Mason’s orders. She could do this. She was letting Hannah get to her head with all her Mason talk. Mason wanted nothing to do with Piper. He was most likely trying to get her back for what she did to him on the beach. That was it. He was trying to butter her up so he could return the favor. Mason looked up at her and pure joy spread across his face when they made eye contact. Shit. That wasn’t the face of a man who wanted revenge. “What can I get you?” she said in a calm voice, trying not to show how Mason’s smoldering eyes affected her. “I’ll take a shot of Hannah if you’re handing them out.” Thank God for Ryker, he eased the tension that was escalating at an alarming rate between her and Mason. “Sorry, we’re all out.” Ryker slapped the table and shouted. “Damn it all to hell. When are you ever going to restock? I’ve been craving some Hannah ever since I left here last.” Piper looked over at sweet Hannah who was patting one of the older men on the head. “Sorry, I don’t believe she’ll ever come back on the market.” “That’s crap. She doesn’t know the kind of investor I am.” Dropping the act, Piper said, “Ryker, she’s not the girl for you. Give it up.” “Never,” he said, while keeping his eyes on Hannah. Piper turned to Mason and felt her breath hitch in her throat. Damn the man, but he was gorgeous. It was kind of illegal how good looking he was. She loved how Jax was so clean cut and a southern gentleman, but Mason was the bad boy with the sleeve tattoos, unshaven face and eyes that could cut through a girl’s soul. “We’ll just take two beers on tap.” He squeezed her hand while rubbing her knuckles with his thumbs and then dropped her hand, just as quickly as he’d picked it up. “Thank you, Piper.” Piper felt like her legs were trapped in cement; she needed to move, but the commands coming from her brain were not reaching her legs. She just stood there and stared at Mason. Why did his touch render her completely immobile and why was he doing this to her? They both kept eye contact and didn’t move. Ryker finally took his eyes off of Hannah to see what

Piper and Mason were up to. “Uh, this is fucking weird. Should I go get the beers myself?” Piper shook her head and stepped away. “Sorry.” She cleared her throat. “I’ll go get them right now.” As Piper walked away, she saw Mason punch Ryker in the arm from across the table and yell at him. “Dude!” Piper smirked while she got their beers. This was not good, not good at all. Mason was supposed to be acting like an ass, not breaking down her walls and ripping open her soul with just his eyes. With her heart beating at a rapid pace and her mind going a mile a minute, she dropped the beers off at the boys’ table without making eye contact and spent the reminder of the night avoiding their table. She felt bad that she made Hannah deal with Ryker’s persistent flirting, but she couldn’t go over there. Not with the way Mason cut through her and the contradicting thoughts that were floating through her head. Piper watched the patrons slowly trickle out of the bar, but the boys stayed put. Their presence was starting to infuriate her more now than anything. Why did they have to pick her bar to come to and why the hell were the fans not bothering them? Did the guys pay them off or something? The whole situation made her want to throw a mug at someone’s head. “Hey, I think we’re about wrapped up for the night. Did everyone close their tabs?” Hannah asked. “Everyone but Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum,” Piper said, nodding toward Mason and Ryker. “They’re really not that bad, quite entertaining actually.” “I bet.” “Well, I’ll go close them out. Do you mind if I take off early? I’ll owe you, big time.” “Sure, I got you covered.” Hannah squealed and gave Piper a quick hug before grabbing the guys’ money and tossing it her way. Piper watched the guys get up and Ryker followed Hannah out the door, but Mason took a seat at the bar. Just great. “We’re closed,” Piper tried to say in an even tone, trying not to show how irritated she was, but the man in front of her had an annoying effect on her body, so her irritation increased. “Do you mind if I stay a little longer? I’ll help.” Piper was just about to tell him that she did mind, but then again, she looked around and the place was a mess; she could, unfortunately, use the help. “Fine, start stacking the chairs on the tables for me.” Mason made a show of flexing his muscles, his very defined and corded muscles, while saying, “I can handle that.” Piper rolled her eyes, but the image of his strong arms in mid-flex was burned in her brain. God, he was hot. Life wasn’t fair. As she stacked the dirty glasses, she conjured up thoughts of Jax and the way he gently pushed her hair to the side to kiss her neck, or the way he called her darlin’ in his southern accent. Her heart beat faster at the thought of him, so she pulled out her phone to see if he’d sent her any messages. When she saw a message from him, her face lit up with excitement. He never let her down. Jax: Hello, my sweet. I know you’re working, but I wanted you to know I was thinking about you tonight and can’t wait to hold you in my arms again. I miss you, terribly. Piper felt a wave of ease roll over her body. That was what Jax did to her. He eased out all of the unwanted tension she accumulated with just of a couple of sentences. He always helped her find her inner peace, whereas Mason made her feel incredibly tense, confused, and uneasy. But she craved him; she craved for him to look at her and to touch her. Why would she want someone who made her feel so uneasy near her? There was something seriously fucked-up about her. Maybe she should just blame her overbearing father, like she blamed him for everything else. That worked, she

thought. “So, how long have you lived in Denver?” Mason nearly startled Piper to the ground with his question. She was so lost in a train of thought, she’d forgotten that the man who tied knots in her stomach was even in the room. “Not very long.” She didn’t want to go into details. She didn’t want him knowing too much about her, even though she’d blabbed all about her tattoos to him when they were on the beach. “How long is not very long?” She watched him stack the last chair on the last table in the room and couldn’t believe he’d worked so fast. He grabbed a broom and started sweeping, waiting for an answer. She stared at him with a hand on her hip. “What’s all this about?” she asked, motioning her hand between the two of them. “What do you want from me?” A flash of hurt showed through his eyes, but was replaced with sincerity. “I want to be friends.” “Friends?” Piper laughed. “Mason, we hate each other. How could we possibly be friends?” Mason came towards her and set the broom down, placing her hands in his. The warmth that radiated off him shot straight through her body all the way to her core. Her breath caught in her throat at the proximity of him and the way his eyes bore down on her made her want to cream her pants right then and there. “I don’t hate you, Piper. Is that how you feel about me? You hate me?” She did and she didn’t. She hated him for making her feel the way she was feeling at the moment, completely and utterly confused…as well as happy and warm. This wasn’t supposed to be happening. Mason was supposed to stay the ass that he was and she was supposed to be happy with only Jax touching her, but the way Mason’s thumbs caressed her knuckles made her shiver and the movements scrambled her brain. “I don’t hate you.” “Then, we can be friends?” She tried to pull away, but he didn’t let her. “No, we can’t. Not when you obviously want more. I’m seeing someone Mason, someone I very much like.” Mason blew out a frustrated breath, but kept her hands in his. “He’s a lucky guy, but I just want to be friends. I promise, this is all innocent. I will never cross the line.” “Holding hands is innocent?” she asked, as she accidently rubbed his hand with her thumb as well. Was that an accident? No, because she kept doing it. Her thumbs apparently were calling mutiny on her brain. “Completely innocent,” he responded in his deep baritone. “Okay, but that’s it. Friends don’t kiss.” “They don’t kiss on the lips, but cheeks are okay and so are hugs.” “Mason…” she drawled out. He feigned shock. “What?” He pulled her in for a hug and then tickled her side, making her screech. She smacked his side and went back behind the bar as he followed her. She was about to spin around and ask what he wanted when his hand slipped to the front of her waist and yanked her phone out of her pocket. Piper lunged to grab her phone, but he held it above his head, completely out of reach for her. “Give that to me.” “Settle down, woman. I just want to put my number in here. Friends have friends’ phone numbers, you know.” “Well, you could have said that.” He smiled while he typed in her phone. A couple of seconds later, his phone chimed. “There, now I have your number too.” “Grand,” Piper said sarcastically. “Now, if you could finish sweeping, that would be great. Thank

you.” They worked in silence until the bar was completely cleaned up and ready to be closed. They walked out together and Mason waited for her while she locked up. When she turned around, she found Mason studying her. Friends…just friends, she repeated in her head. “Can I take you home?” “NO!” She practically shouted, making him hold his hands up in defense. She quickly apologized. “I’m sorry. I can walk home myself, that’s all.” “I don’t feel comfortable…” Piper held up her hand to stop him. “Mason, you’re skating on thin ice here. Don’t push it.” “Alright, fine. Walk home in the dark all by yourself. See if I care.” He crossed his big arms over his equally big chest, making Piper smile. “You care,” she teased. “You don’t have to rub it in.” It was surprising to Piper how easily they could talk and barb with each other, especially since the very first moment they’d met each other, they’d been at each other’s throats. Mason was actually really easy going and fun to be around. Hannah was right, he was a good time. “Well, thanks for your help.” Piper waved and started walking away. “Wait. What are you doing Saturday?” Piper turned around and searched his eyes, hope shone right through those molten chocolate eyes. “I’m not sure. I’m not going on a date with you, if that’s what you’re asking.” “Why the hell would I ask your scrawny ass on a date?” Mason said with a smile. “Scrawny? Really?” Piper turned around, showing off her butt and lifted her shirt, exposing some of her skin so she could take a look at her stomach and then pulled her neckline away from her chest to look down her shirt. “I wouldn’t describe myself as scrawny.” When she looked back up at Mason, she could see the heat shining through his eyes. She’d provoked him, but she didn’t care. It was all in good fun. “Devil woman,” he muttered. Laughing, Piper asked, “I might be free. What do you have in mind?” Ryker and I have tickets to the Boulders’ baseball game. Hannah is already in. Do you want to join us?” Piper was shocked to hear that Hannah had agreed to such a thing. Todd must be on a long business trip because she never committed to an outing that far in advance. “Hannah is going?” “Yeah, she’s pretty excited. So, you in?” Piper should have taken longer than a second to think about the offer, but like her thumbs, her mouth joined in on the mutiny of her brain. “I’d love to.” “Great, I’ll text you the details later.” Mason started toward her, but stopped himself and put his hands in his pockets. “I’ll see you later, buddy.” “See you…friend.” Piper watched Mason walk away and cross the street. He must live close by because there were no vehicles in sight. As she watched his backside stroll away, she thought about how she wished he had given her a hug goodbye. She wanted to be wrapped up in his arms one last time. Instant guilt washed over her. She should not be thinking such things when there was a perfectly amazing man waiting for her to call him. She pulled out her phone to call him and noticed the picture on her phone wallpaper had changed. It was a picture of Mason grinning at her, which made her laugh. She needed to change the picture before Jax saw it, but that could wait until tomorrow. For now, she would

keep it.

Chapter 8 Ryker tied up the laces to his neon Nike’s and rolled his shoulders, trying to get the kinks out. It was, once again, another rough practice. The season was going to start soon, pre-season games at least, so Ryker couldn’t understand why their coach was still running them ragged. Their schedule was relentless, practices in the morning, conditioning, lifting…followed by watching film on the other teams for hours. Luckily, food was catered, so at least they didn’t starve. Ryker didn’t know how much more he could take of the brutal hits to his body, long nights and lonely bed. Coach Ryan, their offensive coordinator kept the offense longer than special teams and defense. The other teams got to go home earlier, had some days off, and didn’t spend hour after hour in the film room watching the same damn film over and over again until they could play each defensive strategy out in their heads. Maybe the trade to a new team and dealing with a coach that didn’t quit would be better if he was able to hold and love Hannah the way he wanted. At least she’d agreed to go to the baseball game with him and Mason the other day. That was a miracle in itself. Ryker wanted to know who the douchebag was that she was dating. The man was never around, which was a positive for Ryker, but he didn’t get it. Who in their right mind would ever leave Hannah for so long? Ryker understood having to leave for business; hell, he had to leave for games all the time, but he’d be either dragging Hannah along with him or he would be rushing back to her side the instant he could. Ryker put his wallet in his pocket and turned to Mason, who was sitting on the stool in front of his locker with his towel still wrapped around his waist. “Are you going to get dressed man? I know you’re proud of that log between your legs, but we could all use a break from your bragging.” Mason chuckled and looked up at Ryker. “I’m just moving a little slower these days. I don’t know how much more I can take from that dickhead.” “I know. What’s he trying to prove? That he can run us all into the ground before the season starts? What good will that do? I don’t think Jesse can even lift his arm.” Ryker said, referring to their starting quarterback. Mason shook his head. “Well, when he has his third string offense starting the season opener, he’s going to realize what a massive pile of shit he was during training.” “Let’s hope we make it that far.” Changing subjects, Ryker asked, “So is Piper in for Saturday?” “Yup.” Mason was grinning like an idiot when he finally got up, shucked his towel and slipped on some clothes. “Wow, how did you pull that off?” “Calling truce. Asking to be friends.” “And she fell for that bullshit? I thought she was smarter than that.” “I guess not.” Ryker patted him on the back. “Well, I’ll pick up Hannah, you got Piper?” “Sure do. See you tomorrow man.” Ryker said his goodbyes and walked to the corner market for some food. His fridge was completely devoid of anything of substance. Since he was not a cook whatsoever, he found himself perusing the frozen food section. What was he in the mood for? Pizza, lasagna, possibly mac and cheese? Ryker went to reach for a frozen burrito when he heard the voice that had been haunting his dreams. “Ryker?” Ryker dropped the burrito and quickly shut the freezer door, feeling embarrassed for some reason. He didn’t want Hannah thinking of him as some lowly bachelor who had to resort to frozen burritos for nutrients, even though that was an accurate assessment. “Hannah, hey. Uh…what are you doing here?”

Hannah looked down at her cart that was full of food that could actually be used to form meals, not something you popped in a microwave. “Shopping, I thought that was kind of evident.” Ryker ran his hand through his hair. “I guess it is.” “Nice shoes.” Hannah nodded toward his new sneakers. “Thanks. Some people find them a little too much, but they’re perfect for me.” “I agree.” She looked at the basket he was carrying. It had a six pack of beer and a stick of deodorant. “I didn’t know football players did their own grocery shopping.” “Some of us do. I even brush my own teeth and wipe my own ass.” Why did he just say that? He didn’t want Hannah having the visual him wiping his ass rolling through her head. What an idiot! She gave him a nervous giggle. “What’s for dinner?” “Frozen burrito,” Ryker said with a shrug. “I’m not much of a cook.” “Frozen burrito? No, you are going to make a meal. Do you have pans?” Feeling a little taken aback at her abruptness, he shook his head. “Good, Follow me.” For the next half hour, he followed Hannah around the store as she filled his basket with beef, taco shells, seasoning, lettuce, chips and salsa. She threw a couple of other things in there and went through the grocery line with him. She followed him home, shocking the hell out of him, and went straight for his kitchen. “Do you have an apron?” Ryker smiled brightly at her and handed her the only apron he had, which his mom had given him a while ago. It had a floral print on it with lace lining the edges. She stared at it for a second and then barked out in laughter while gripping her stomach. “Why on earth do you have this apron?” she asked, while holding it out. “My mom gave it to me.” “Please, tell me you wear this.” “All the time!” Not really, but he loved the sound of her laugh, so he took the apron from her and wrapped it around his body. The brilliant smile that came from her face was worth all the humiliation he was feeling at the moment. He topped the look off with the matching pot holders and spun around for her. She busted out in more laughter and held onto the counter for support. “That is quite the look on you.” “Thank you.” Ryker did a little runway walk for Hannah, twisted at the end and then broke out into the robot. “Enough of that,” she said in between hysterics. “I don’t have all night. Where are your pans?” They spent the rest of the evening making tacos, laughing over the fact that Ryker was incapable of keeping the contents of his taco in the shell, and enjoying each other’s company. Ryker could not remember the last time he had such an amazing night with a woman. Usually, he brought them home, fucked them, and sent them on their way, but he wanted so much more with Hannah. He wanted to cook dinners with her, watch movies while eating popcorn in a big cozy recliner and then spend the rest of the night in each other’s arms. He wanted it all with Hannah. Ryker was in the middle of helping Hannah clean up when her phone went off. She ran to her purse and pulled it out, answering right away. “Hey…I miss you too. Yeah, I had a good night. At a friend’s, uh Piper, yeah. I’ll call you back in five okay? Love you too. Bye.” Hannah turned off her phone and stared at it for a second before turning to face Ryker. Pure and utter jealousy ran its course through Ryker’s body. He wanted to be the one on the phone calling Hannah, checking up on her, hearing her tell him she loved him. “I got to go.” Ryker figured as much. His magical evening with Hannah was over. “Was that him?”

“Todd,” Hannah corrected. ‘What kind of name was Todd,’ Ryker thought. A name for a douchebag. “Todd. Did you tell him you were with Piper?” Hannah looked away and whispered a yes under her breath. Ryker went toward her and made her look him in the eyes. “Why would you do that?” Please say because you don’t want Todd knowing you have feelings for another man, that you can have fun with another man, Ryker pleaded. “He wouldn’t understand our friendship.” “Is that what this is to you, friendship?” “Yes, Ryker. That is all this ever can be. You know that. I’m in love with Todd. We’re getting married someday, hopefully soon. If you want to hang out, then we have to be friends.” Not what he was hoping to hear, but he would take what he could get right now. “I’m good with friends.” Even though it was ripping him apart…not being able to hold her, touch her in a way only a boyfriend can and kiss her until they were naked in his bed, panting from making love. All in due time, he thought. Todd was going to slip up at some point and, in the meantime, Ryker was going to make it pretty much impossible for Hannah to not fall head over heels in love with him. He said she was going to be his wife one day and she was going to be. He believed in love at first sight and Hannah was it for him. He wanted no one else. *** Mason was exhausted, completely and utterly exhausted. Practices were running him into the ground and, when he got home to finally get some sleep, all he could think about was the baseball game and spending time with Piper. He hadn’t seen her since he helped her shut down the bar for the night. He wanted to keep his distance because he wanted to show her that he was really trying to be friends, not the horny dog he felt like. Anytime he was around her, he thought he was going to explode in his pants. It was embarrassing. He was proud of himself for staying away from the bar just to catch a glimpse of her. He was tempted to look through the windows after practice today, but he decided to keep his balls intact and go home before he lost all self-respect. When he got home, he threw his bag on his couch and headed for his bedroom; he didn’t even want to bother with eating dinner, he just wanted sleep. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Brooke lying on his bed, wearing sexy-as-hell lingerie and her hair curled cascading over her shoulders. Fuck, she looked good. Brooke never left him wanting for someone else in the bedroom. She was, by far, the best fuck he had ever had and he wondered was that because he was madly in love with her, or was she really that good? When she got up and walked toward him, her breasts barely contained in her bra and a garter-belt attached to the thong she was wearing, he thought to himself, nope—she was that good. She was really fucking good and it was evident from the tent he was popping in his pants. “How did you get in here?” He meant to have more malice in his voice, but his voice betrayed him, leaving him sounding sultry. “I lived here once, on occasion. You never changed the locks.” Good point. He never expected to see her back in his place, especially after the way she left, without even giving him the chance to beg her to stay. The thought of her booking her ass out of his life faster than he could snap a ball reminded him why her being practically naked in his bedroom was not a good idea. “Well, you need to get out.”

Brooke reached behind her back and undid her bra, letting her spectacular globes be on display. Shit. He couldn’t be that strong. He hadn’t had sex in a while and seeing Brooke, naked in front of him was wearing down his walls. He wanted the release, especially from all the pent-up frustration Piper put him through. He thought of her every night and every morning when he was in the shower, giving himself relief from the pain of his morning erections. Brooke grabbed his shirt and lifted it over his head, exposing his bare chest. Her hands started at his shoulders and scraped down his front side, making sure to run her fingernails over his nipples, like he always enjoyed. He knew in his head he needed to stop what was happening, but he couldn’t muster the words. His brain was fried and all he wanted to do was get lost in meaningless sex. She grasped his jeans and started to undo them. She looked up at him, as if asking for permission. He gave her a quick nod, wondering why he did, but when she stuck her hand down his pants, all thoughts of what was happening shot straight out of his head. Fuck, that felt good. He needed this. In his head, he convinced himself he deserved this. Brooke owed him a good fuck after what she did to him. Piper popped up in his head and he wondered what she would think of him with Brooke right now. As Brooke dropped to her knees and put his hard erection in her mouth, he all of a sudden didn’t give a flying fuck what Piper thought. She was with another guy right now, most likely doing the same thing. Although, the thought of Piper with another man made his skin tingle with rage. Brooke stopped and looked up at him. “What’s wrong? You got all tense…and not in a good way?” Mason shook his head and pushed his dick back in her mouth. She giggled and went back to work. She pushed him into the chair that was next to his door and put her hands on his thighs, sitting between them. Mason put his head back and enjoyed the way Brooke’s tongue licked his length up and down. Fuck, she was really good. She gripped his balls and sucked hard, while stroking him all at the same time. He felt the early signs of an orgasm come on and he got ready for the ride. Just as he started to go numb in his feet, she pulled away. “Fuck…” he moaned. “What are you doing?” She stood up and tore off the rest of her clothes, leaving herself completely bare for him. She was gorgeous. How could he not think that? Her green eyes drove him crazy when they dated and they had a similar effect on him tonight. “If you want to come, you’re going to have to come inside of me.” Mason would have preferred to stick with a blow job, because it made him feel less guilty about Piper, but then again, they weren’t dating and his dick was almost purple from not being able to have its release, so he went with what his little man wanted. He pulled her down on his bed and reached for his nightstand where he kept his condoms. He quickly put one on and straddled Brooke. He couldn’t believe he was doing this, then again, a part of it felt kind of right. She looped her hands around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. He stopped her. “No kissing. I’m just going to fuck you.” “But Mason…” He teased her with his dick along her slick folds. “You either get fucked or you get out. Your choice.” She took a second to think about it, but then spread her legs and said, “Fuck me, Mason. Fuck me hard.” Mason did what he was told and buried himself deep inside of Brooke. They’d never used condoms before; she was always on birth control, but he didn’t know who she’d been with, so he kept himself wrapped. The minute he was fully inside of her, she moaned and threw her head back. He did the same. Even though he despised the woman he was inside of right now, he couldn’t help but notice how good she felt around him.

He held her legs open and pumped into her, fast and hard, leaving her no time to catch her breath. “Yes, Mason. Oh God, yes!” “Fuck…” Her walls tightened around him as he pumped into her a couple more times, giving him his own release. Her scream of ecstasy registered in his brain, letting him know that, once again, he’d delivered pleasure to the woman he thought he was going to marry. Once the last drop of his juice left him, he got off her and headed for the bathroom to take a shower. He needed to clean himself and get rid of her scent. Just so she couldn’t follow him into the bathroom, he made sure to lock it. As the water ran down his back, he chastised himself for not having more self-control. He should have turned her down and thrown her half-naked ass out on the curb, but he couldn’t. He was so fucking hard since he met Piper that he needed some kind of release. He thought about when he blew his load into Brooke, how it felt oddly right, but was that because the whole time he was picturing Piper? He wondered what Brooke would think if he told her that. He got out of the shower and wrapped the towel around his waist. When he opened the door, Brooke was laying in his bed with the covers barely covering her exposed body. Normally, the sight would throw him into round two, but it barely got a jolt out of him. “Why did you get up so quickly? We always used to snuggle after having sex.” “Used to, being the key words, Brooke.” She sat up, letting the covers slip off her chest and exposing her breasts. Damn, she was fine. She caught him staring and gave him a wicked grin. She got out of bed and walked toward him, reaching for his towel. He held it tight, though. He wasn’t going to get sucked in again. “Get out of here, Brooke.” “It looks like you don’t want me to.” “I do. I want you fucking out of here.” Brooke put her hands on her hips. “Were you just using me?” “Nothing gets by you. I told you, I wanted to fuck you. That was it.” “You can’t tell me you didn’t feel what I felt.” “And what exactly did you feel, Brooke?” She put her hand over his chest. “The love we used to have Mason, before I screwed everything up… The love that we still share, I felt it just now, Mason. I know you love me. You’re just hurt right now and lashing out.” “Brooke. Like I’ve said before, you are delusional. What I felt tonight was a warm body to fuck while I dreamt about fucking another woman.” Brooke gasped at his words. “How dare you speak to me like that?” Mason shrugged and headed for his dresser. He put on a pair of sweats, but left his chest bare. When he turned around, he saw Brooke gathering her items and putting on the coat she must have worn to his place. He heard her sniffle and realized she was crying. Damn it! He did not want to deal with the guilt she was making him feel. Why did he even care? He shouldn’t. She was the one who fucked up, the one who ruined what they had. He should not feel bad about that. “Brooke…” She turned around and pointed at him. “I might have broken your heart Mason, but I would never have used you the way you just used me.” “Oh, don’t fucking start. You’re the one who seduced me. You knew what you were getting yourself into. Like you really thought I was, all of a sudden, going to start loving you again when you walked in here naked? Think again, Brooke. You broke my fucking heart,” Mason screamed. “You destroyed me.” Brooke was sobbing now. “I’m so sorry. How can I show you how sorry I am?”

Mason sat down on the chair in his room and shook his head. “Just leave me alone, Brooke. Leave me the hell alone.” “But, I’m in love with you.” Mason didn’t know how to respond to that, so he did what he did best; he walked away. He went to his kitchen and grabbed a beer from the fridge. He stared out the window and listened to Brooke walk out of his apartment. When he heard the soft click of his front door closing, he chugged the rest of his beer, locked up, and went to bed…getting lost in thoughts of beautiful, sweet Piper. *** Brooke had never felt so humiliated in her life. Mason used her; used her while picturing another woman, but who was this other woman and why was she invading her man’s mind? Ever since college, Mason hadn’t wanted anyone but her. He never strayed and always was utterly devoted to her. She knew she broke his heart, but to not love someone you loved for six years so quickly, she didn’t believe it and she didn’t believe that another woman could take her spot so quickly. The thought of Mason pushing into her with his massive erection was not going to leave her mind anytime soon. What they just shared, yes, was not full of love…more like lust, but it was a step closer in the right direction. At Lexi and Jake’s wedding, he couldn’t even look at her. The moment he got a glimpse of her outfit purely picked out for seduction, he was aroused immediately. It was quite evident. Brooke grinned to herself, thinking about the sight of Mason fully aroused. Pride surged through her chest knowing that she was still able to affect Mason like she used to. Even if their love was on the rocks, he still found her attractive and still wanted her. He was putting on a show for her, acting like he didn’t want her or care about her, but she knew differently. She saw flashes of her old Mason in his eyes. She knew if she kept pestering him and burying herself in his life, she would find the old Mason. But, first things first, she needed to find out who the other woman was and there was one sure-fire way how to do so. She reached into her purse and grabbed her phone, dialing Lexi’s number. “Hey, lady. What’s going on?” “Oh nothing…you know, just having sex with Mason.” “What?!?” Brooke had to hold the phone away from her ear because Lexi’s shout pierced through her brain. “What are you talking about? Tell me everything, right now.” “I actually have to go, but can I call you back tomorrow? I just wanted to tell you the news.” Brooke joked with Lexi, knowing she would not let Brooke hang up the phone after divulging such juicy information. “Oh, no you don’t!” Brooke began laughing. “There’s not much to tell. I used my key to get in, dressed in some sexy lingerie and when he came home, he couldn’t resist me.” “He didn’t fight it?” Brooke didn’t like the skeptical voice her friend was using. Yeah, Mason was sort of harboring a hatred for Brooke right now, but that didn’t mean that he didn’t still love her or wasn’t attracted to her. “Well, it took a little convincing, but the minute he saw what I was wearing, I got a little visit from my old friend and, God, had I missed him.” When Lexi first started dating Jake in college, Brooke took Lexi under her wing and they became great friends. One night, they got completely trashed and Brooke took the opportunity to divulge the ins and outs of Mason’s penis to Lexi. Even though Lexi was drunk beyond belief, it was the one thing she remembered from the night. So, when Brooke said she missed her old friend, Lexi knew exactly what she was talking about.

“Oh, how was Godzilla?” Brooke laughed at Lexi remembering the name Mason had given his penis. “He was fantastic. I rode that dinosaur, rendering him incapable of roaring anymore.” Lexi was laughing hard; when she finally gathered herself, she asked, “So how did it end?” Brooke inwardly cringed. “Well, not as well as I wanted. That’s kind of why I’m calling.” “Oh?” Brooke told Lexi the whole story, starting with how she seduced Mason all the way to how they’d ended their encounter, maybe throwing in a couple of juicy details for the married woman. Not that Lexi’s sex life was at all boring; her sex life was probably more adventurous than Brooke’s, but it was always good to throw a friend a juicy tidbit every now and then. “So, he said he was thinking about another woman?” Lexi said, hesitantly. “Yes, do you know who he might be talking about? Has he talked to Jake about it?” Lexi was silent, indicating that she knew something. Brooke was not getting off the phone until she pried the information out of her friend. Brooke needed to know who her competition was. “Lexi….” “I think Jake is calling me…” “Don’t even think about it. Please Lexi, I need to know. I want Mason back and if there’s a girl standing in my way of achieving that, I need to know who my competition is. I know it’s betraying Jake’s trust, but I really need to know. I’d tell you if the roles were reversed,” Brooke pleaded. “If the roles were reversed, I never would have given up Jake in the first place.” “Oh, don’t even go there. I think you forgot about the end of your senior year in college. Shall we recollect…” Lexi stopped her. “Fine. Alright, let’s not go there. I might know who he’s talking about, but I don’t know how serious it is; I’ve just heard things…that’s all.” “Well, anything you know would be great.” Lexi blew out a frustrated breath. “Ugh, I hate doing this because I feel like I’m betraying so many people, but I know the girl doesn’t have feelings for Mason, so I guess the only person I’m betraying is Mason.” Brooke tried to think who Lexi was talking about, but no one came to mind, besides Margo, their friend from college, but she was so head over heels in love with Parker that there was no way Mason would even glance her way. “Who is it?” Brooke asked. “He was talking to Jake the other day and saying how he can’t get this one girl out of his head. He said it was Piper.” Piper? As in the gorgeous redhead with perky breasts, bubble butt and legs that didn’t quit. That Piper? Oh, Brooke was so screwed. She couldn’t compete with Piper. “Piper? But I thought they hated each other.” “Yeah, I guess Mason doesn’t. I don’t know about Piper. I mean, she’s been seeing a guy named Jax lately, so I don’t even think she knows about Mason’s feelings.” “Can you ask her?” “No, Brooke. I don’t want to get in the middle of things. I already feel bad that I told you.” “Please Lexi…” Brooke whined, trying to get her way. “No. I won’t do it.” “Fine,” Brooke practically shouted, then tried to settle her voice to a normal level. “At least tell me where she works in Denver.” “Come on, Brooke…” “Lexi, come on. I’m dying here. I love Mason so much and all I want is to have him back in my life. I screwed up big time and I’m just hoping I’ll be lucky enough to have a second chance with him. Please,

just help me out here.” “Fine, but did you ever think that Mason might not want a second chance with you? Maybe he really is done with you and is moving on. After all you did to him, don’t you want that for him? To be able to be happy?” Brooke could feel her body tingle with anger, but she was so close to receiving vital information that she didn’t say anything that was going to offend her friend. “I’m willing to take the chance to see if he is still in love with me. I see it sometimes, in his eyes, and if I don’t try for a second chance, then I’ll regret it forever.” “Alright. She works at Dick’s Last Chance next to the stadium. She’s a waitress.” Mason couldn’t stop thinking about a waitress…at a bar? Brooke must have really done a number on Mason because he had gone from being engaged to a socialite to fantasizing over a bar maid. Oh boy, she needed to save her man from a massive mistake and she needed to do it as quickly as possible…before Mason got in too deep. “Thank you, Lexi. I really appreciate it.” “Of course.” They said their goodbyes and Brooke thought about how she was going to approach Piper. Should she just go up to the breathtaking woman and ask her about her intentions with Mason? Or should Brooke observe the woman, see how she acted if Mason came around. As she found herself walking into her place, she mapped out an action plan on how to remove Piper from the picture. She wanted her man back and she wasn’t going to let anything or anyone get in the way of that.

Chapter 9 Piper thought she was going to puke. Her entire body was sweating and she couldn’t sit still. She talked to Jax earlier in the day for two hours about nothing in particular, but had the most enjoyable time. They laughed together, never having to fill an awkward silence. He wanted to see her, but she told him she already had plans with friends. Why did she turn him down? She should have cancelled her plans with Mason and met up with Jax instead. She actually missed him and he missed her too, he made that quite clear over the phone. Anytime he called or sent her a text message, she felt a flutter in her stomach that she didn’t think she’d ever felt before. She knew she was falling hard for Jax. She thought about him every minute she had a chance, made love to him whenever they were together, and soaked him up as much as possible…so why in the hell was she going to a baseball game with Mason? She knew it wasn’t a good idea and she knew Jax probably wouldn’t be happy if he knew about the gathering, especially since he’d started calling her his girlfriend and pretty much told her they were exclusive. But, she still decided to go and hang out with Mason. She told herself they were friends, which they were, sort of, but there was a little voice nagging her in the back of her head that told her she wished they were more than friends. Maybe that was why she was so incredibly nervous. Piper looked at herself in the hall mirror, once again, debating her outfit choice. They were going to a Boulder’s game, so she decided to wear a team shirt…only it was a low-cut tank top with “Boulders” written across her chest. The bra she chose to wear might have been one of her best push-up bras, displaying a good amount of cleavage. She was quite impressed with the way her top looked. Then she took a gander at her shorts and slightly tugged on them. Turning around, she looked at her butt and was happy with her choice of a thong, because otherwise she would have shown panty lines right through her white jean shorts that were plastered to her ass. She topped the outfit off with casual three inch wedges that elongated her legs even more. She looked hot, she couldn’t deny that, and her hair chose to look even hotter with its rounded curls falling past her shoulders and down the front of her chest. Yup, she was trying to impress Mason and it showed. There was a loud knock at her door which made Piper startle. She pulled on her tank top one last time, exposing just a little more cleavage and opened the door. Mason was standing in front of her wearing khaki shorts, a black Boulders shirt, baseball cap and sandals. He was sporting his sexy five o’clock shadow and, when she made eye contact with him, she noticed the fire of want blazing in his eyes as he took in her outfit. Yup, he was definitely not interested in being just friends at the moment, but she was going to make sure they remained friends. That’s what this was all about, nothing more. “Hey,” she said sheepishly, while running her hand through her hair. He cleared his throat. “Hey.” He looked her up and down again and returned her stare with a huge grin. “You look sexy as hell.” Piper couldn’t help but smile, but wanted to make her intentions quite clear. “Mason…” she drawled out. He shrugged. “What? A friend can’t tell a friend they look good?” “I don’t think friends call each other sexy.” “Sure they do,” he said, while wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her out the door. “Let’s get going, Ryker and Hannah are waiting for us.” Piper almost forgot that Ryker and Hannah were going to be there. She immediately relaxed, knowing that she was going to have someone to lean on if things got uncomfortable with Mason. They got in Mason’s Range Rover, which she tried not to be impressed about and saw that Ryker and Hannah were sitting in the back, chatting away. Hannah had a Boulders shirt on with the sleeves rolled, little denim shorts, Keds and her hair was in a high curled ponytail with a headband. She looked adorable, like she always did. Ryker was dressed like…Ryker. Salmon colored Bermuda shorts, white

and orange gingham shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows and tan boat shoes. The boy had style, Piper had to give him that. She looked over at Mason and realized, even though Mason was wearing basic clothes any man would wear, he made them look stylish with how he fit in his clothes, tight but not too tight. God, he looked sexy, but hell if she was going to tell him that because, like she said, friends didn’t tell each other they looked sexy; it only led to bad things. “Hey Piper, you’re looking sexy,” Ryker said, when she got in the car. Mason laughed and Piper rolled her eyes. So much for ‘friends don’t call friends sexy.’ They drove to the stadium and talked the whole time about the season the Boulders were having; it was one of their best seasons to date, opening up their chances to make it to the playoffs. Both Ryker and Mason hoped for a winning season because then the Stallions would follow it up with their own winning season, making Denver one of the premier cities for sports. Mason pulled into the players’ parking lot, one of the perks of being the starting wide receiver for the Stallions, and led them to their seats. Of course, he would have tickets for the cushioned seats right behind home plate where servers came to you and brought you anything you needed, so the only thing you had to do was drink and watch the game. Piper secretly was giddy about the seats they had. Baseball was always one of her favorite sports to watch and she’d always dreamt about having seats behind the plate, but she tried to compose herself and not act like a little school girl. They sat so Hannah and Piper were in the middle and the boys were on the outside; of course, Mason chose the seat next to her, but Piper didn’t mind because she enjoyed talking to him and the smell of his cologne filled her senses…making her feel incredibly happy. Piper couldn’t believe the view they had. They had the first seats along the fence, giving them a perfect view of home plate. They were slightly off to the side, so the catcher and the umpire weren’t blocking their view, which was nice. The field was prepped, foul lines crisply white and the grass cut in a pattern that blew Piper’s mind. The players were being called out and the game was about to start. It was going to be a great day for baseball. As the announcer called out the starting line-up, Hannah and Piper leaned in together and giggled together about the pictures of the players, making the men next to them incredibly jealous. “I don’t know if this was the smartest plan you’ve ever had,” Ryker said across them to Mason. Mason laughed. “Hey, they can look all they want, since we’re just friends.” Mason winked at Piper when he said it, making Piper feel a blush creep over her cheeks. “Speak for yourself. I’m sitting next to my future wife.” “Ryker!” Hannah pushed him, making him laugh. She looked at Mason and Piper with sincerity in her eyes. “Don’t listen to him. We’re just friends.” Piper took a quick glimpse at Ryker, who was burning holes through Hannah’s back with his eyes. Hannah might want to be friends, but it looked like Ryker was not kidding. In one look, he’d told the world his intentions. He wanted Hannah and he wanted her bad. The game started and Piper settled into her comfy chair. Ryker and Hannah sparred back and forth, but Piper and Mason sat in a comfortable silence. There was something to be said about being able to be comfortable with someone and not having to fill the silence with awkward conversation. Piper felt at home with Mason, which was scary, scary as hell. Their armrests were right next to each other, so Mason’s muscular arm would occasionally brush up against Piper’s. At first, the tickle of his arm hair made her jump and shift, but after a few times of her arm brushing against his, she felt her arm drift over to his more. She would occasionally look down and notice the compelling contrast between their arms. Her creamy white skin compared to his tanned, tattooed and corded skin. It was fascinating. Mason caught her staring at their arms, but didn’t say anything; all he did was smile at her and brush the back of her hand with his knuckle. The stroke of his knuckle against the back of her hand sent more butterflies through her stomach than a thousand text messages from Jax. She knew it was bad, but she stroked him back without looking at him.

She for some reason, she wanted to return the comforting touch; friends could comfort each other, she told herself. They continued to watch the game as Mason occasionally brushed her sensitive skin, whispered something in her ear, or just turned and smiled at her. She couldn’t remember having this much fun in a while, except for when she was with Jax. How could that be? How could she have fun with two men? Was that normal? Mason leaned over and slid his hand down, so his hand was pressed against her mid-thigh. She froze and a pounding started to take place in her heart. The pounding started high in her chest, but as his hand remained in place, the pounding slowly traveled down her body and nestled in her core, making her want to squirm. She felt the callouses on his hands from lifting weights and catching footballs, making his touch that much more intriguing. His touch made it hard to sit next to him because it opened up her senses to everything around her, making her want more. The intoxicating scent of his cologne floated around her, making her feel delirious and she thought, if he moved his hand any further up her thigh, she might explode. He leaned into her ear and said, “I’m going to get a beer, do you want anything?” “Beer,” Piper was able to squeak out, while trying to casually catch her breath, making no attempt at showing Mason how much he affected her. “Alright.” He gave her a wink and started to get up, confusing Piper. “Hey, can’t the servers just get us some beer?” “Yeah, but I want to stretch a little. Don’t worry babe, I’ll be back.” Then he left. Piper’s heart pounded out of her chest. She put her hand over her heart and tried to catch her breath. He called her babe. It was just a little four letter word, but the way he said it in his deep baritone voice caused Piper’s brain cells to fry…match that up with the way his hand gripped her thigh and she was a goner. Hannah leaned into her, “Hey, you okay?” Piper nodded, trying to get control of her emotions. She needed a cold shower or some ice for her head, or maybe she needed to get the hell out of the situation she put herself in. She thought about all the possible excuses she could use to leave and get away from Mason before things started to escalate. What could she say, she got her period? No, way too gross. She had a headache? No, way too obvious. She got called into work? No, Hannah was not a liar and would be confused and ask too many questions. She could just blame it on Jax…say he called and wanted to hang out. He didn’t have many free nights and wanted to surprise her. Yeah, that was it, she would blame it on Jax…that way, she could leave and Mason would get the hint that she was taken. Piper pulled out her phone and sent Jax a text message. If she was going to use him to get out of the situation she was in, she might as well take advantage and spend some time with her man, her perfectly amazing, southern man. Piper: Hey handsome, what are you doing? Piper watched a rookie from the Boulders strike out with bases loaded while she waited for Jax to text back. Poor guy, she thought. She always pulled for rookies, even on other teams because making it in the big leagues was such a hard thing to do…to make your major league debut and do well. Piper’s phone chimed back with a message. Jax: Hey gorgeous, just drinking a beer, hanging out, and wishing you were in my arms. A warm fuzzy feeling washed over Piper’s body. Jax was amazing, beyond amazing. He made her feel

so complete and at peace. He was the perfect gentleman; he wasn’t controlling or barbaric and he liked her…possibly even loved her. Crazy thing was, she felt the same way. She saw the love he had for her in his eyes, especially the other night when they were sitting outside on his patio, sitting around his little camp fire and making s’mores. That night, she wore his sweatshirt because it was chilly out and they had a blanket over their laps. He had his arm around her shoulders and her head rested in the crook of his arm while they fed each other mostly burnt marshmallows. The words “I love you” were on the tip of her tongue. She wanted to say it so badly to him, but didn’t want to scare him away. She was seconds from saying it to him the other night, but stopped when he looked her in the eyes. They didn’t have to say it because they communicated their feelings to each other through their gaze. Piper smiled to herself thinking about the other night and how crazy Jax would be right now if he saw her in the outfit she was wearing…with another guy. One of his favorite things about Piper’s body was her breasts and the fact that they were on display today would have driven him crazy. If she was with Jax, they probably wouldn’t have made it out the door without satisfying the burning need they both felt for each other. She needed him; she wanted him. She was going to have him come get her because, even though the seats were nice at the game, she would rather be wrapped up in her boyfriend’s arms than sitting next to Mason as he gently spoke to her and played wicked games on her skin. Piper was just about to text Jax to tell him to come pick her up when a shadow fell over her. Piper looked up and found Mason grinning like a fool, looking down at her while holding two beers and a pretzel with cheese. Piper’s stomach dropped and she smiled back. He was so adorable, it washed away any thoughts of her previous plans. Maybe she would spend just a little bit more time with her friends; she didn’t want to insult them. At least that’s what she told herself to lessen the guilt that was clawing away at her heart. “Here you go. One large beer and half a pretzel.” Mason handed her a drink and the pretzel while he sat down next to her, placing his drink in his cup holder. “Half a pretzel?” He broke the pretzel in half and tapped her on the nose with it. “You really think I’m going to let you eat this pretzel all by yourself? Fat chance, beautiful.” He then proceeded to dip his pretzel in the cheese that was now resting in her lap. Before he plopped the cheese-coated pretzel chunk in his mouth, he gave her a big grin and chuckled at the look on her face. She felt like all the women around them gave a collective sigh as he smiled at her; the man was charming…she’d give him that. Piper sat still, not knowing what to do. She was so torn, she wanted to see Jax and be with him, but Mason just got her a beer and was sharing a pretzel with her, which was…adorable. She hated herself for being so indecisive. Mason saw her indecision and leaned in closer so their faces were inches apart. He grabbed a piece of her pretzel, dipped it in cheese and held it next to her mouth. She involuntarily opened up and he placed the chunk in her mouth, leaving some cheese on her lips. She slowly licked it off and watched as his eyes blazed with desire as her tongue ran across her lips. What was happening was dangerous; she was playing with fire, but she couldn’t stop herself. A little moan erupted from the back of her throat as the hot cheese and salty pretzel played around with her taste buds. Piper watched Mason gulp as his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down in his well-defined throat. Electricity bounced between the two of them while they just stared at each other. Piper felt herself gravitate toward him as if she was a piece of metal and he was a magnet; there was no pulling back. A ball came screaming toward them off the bat and hit the net that was hanging right in front of them. Piper jumped back and thanked the batter for hitting a foul ball because it was like a cold bucket of water that was poured over both of them. Mason adjusted himself in his seat and took a big gulp of his beer.

Piper did the same. She needed to relax. Mason had her all wound up. They resumed their distance and finished their pretzel in silence. Piper didn’t even talk to Hannah and Ryker, who were having their own animated conversation. Piper was impressed with Hannah; she normally kept to herself, but Ryker brought out Hannah’s outgoing personality that she usually kept hidden…unless she had some drinks in her system. It was nice to see her friend so talkative. Piper started to feel a little awkward, since Hannah and Ryker were talking up a storm while there was dead silence between her and Mason. Wanting to break the silence, she asked him a stupid question. “Who’s your favorite player?” “Umm, well, I can’t really have a favorite.” “What do you mean?” Piper asked, confused. Mason turned his head toward her, but kept his arm next to hers that was, once again, stroking the back of her hand. She didn’t move away from his touch, but she didn’t reciprocate the action. “I think Parker would have my head if I admitted to liking any baseball player other than him. He is kind of a diva like that.” Mason rolled his eyes, making Piper laugh. “You act like you two are married.” “Not married yet, just engaged.” Piper laughed again, this time harder. Mason was so easygoing and fun, how could she not want to hang out with the man? They continued to talk about Mason, Jake and Parker’s college days. They had some interesting stories only college boys would have. It was endearing to hear how Mason took Jake in their freshman year when Jake’s parents died in a horrible car accident. Mason spoke of Jake as a true brother, not just a friend. Piper was able to see the man Lexi talked about, the man that Mason was before Brooke broke him. Piper found herself leaning in more toward Mason and that was when she realized that the entire time they’d been talking, she was turned toward him, blocking off Hannah and Ryker, and she was running her fingers gently over Mason’s open palm. Once she noticed what she was doing, her brain told her to pull away, but she didn’t. Instead, she grabbed his hand with hers, making him grin even wider. She told herself friends held hands all the time. It was no big deal. “You are so lucky to have parents who would do such an amazing thing like take Jake into their family while barely knowing him. I don’t think my parents would have done that. My dad is kind of a coldhearted bastard and my mom is so drugged up on Prozac that I don’t think she even knows her name these days.” Mason touched her face with his free hand. “I’m sorry. If you want, my parents will take you in too.” Piper’s heart skipped a beat. “Would they really?” “In a heartbeat.” Piper leaned back in her chair and squeezed Mason’s hand, bringing it down on her lap. She knew she shouldn’t be holding his hand, but she wanted the comfort, the comfort of a good friend, the comfort only a strong man like Mason could give her. Mason would take her into his life and make her a part of his family; the thought made her feel elated. Piper grabbed her drink and took a sip, when her phone chimed with a text message. She glanced at her phone and saw a text from Jax. Jax: Are you at a Boulders game with Mason Dashel right now? Piper froze on the spot and instantly let go of Mason’s hand. Pure panic crept through her body, as she thought about what Jax might have seen. Busted. ***

Jax had a long day and it was all because he couldn’t get Piper out of his head. The one day he had off, Piper was spending with friends, which was fine; he just wished that she might have wanted to invite him along. He’d met Hannah, her friend from work, but that was it; he knew she’d just moved to Denver, so maybe she was trying to establish her own friend base. Jax could understand that; he just wished she didn’t do it on his day off. Instead of hanging out with Piper, he decided to do some yard work. His lawn was looking like the crazy house from The Burbs and he thought the physical exertion of taking care of his overly grown weeds would keep his mind off of Piper, but boy was he wrong. Every minute he was out in the sun, pushing the lawn mower, weed whacking or plucking weeds, he thought of his gorgeous girlfriend, who he would rather be handling with care. The last couple of weeks had been glorious, beyond anything Jax could ever think of. After he lost Kiera in the car accident a year ago, he didn’t think he would be able to survive, let alone meet someone else that made his mind turn to mush. Piper made him feel alive, like he wasn’t alone anymore. She was so vivacious and full of life, not to mention hot as sin and a rabbit in the bedroom. Any spare minute they had when they were alone, she was pulling his pants down. He wasn’t complaining…it was just interesting that he was able to meet a woman who seemed to have it all. It was almost too good to be true. When Jax told his family about Piper, they thought he was moving too fast after his wife’s death, but he didn’t seem to think so. He needed to move on with his life; that’s what Kiera would have wanted, that was what she said in the letter she left him that he had no clue she’d written him. She told him to live his life and find a hot little thing to keep him company. He laughed, thinking about what Kiera might say about Piper. Kiera would like Piper, for sure, but she wouldn’t agree with Piper’s height. Taller women always freaked Kiera out, since she was a petite little thing. Jax actually liked Piper’s height; it made making out with her so much easier. Jax took a shower after mowing his lawn and decided to sit down with an ice cold beer, day old pizza, and tune into the Boulders game. He always believed in supporting all the local teams, even if baseball wasn’t his favorite sport. The last thing he expected to see on the television was his girlfriend, looking awfully friendly with the Stallions starting wide receiver, Mason Dashel. “What the hell?” Jax shouted, as he sat up to get a closer look at the TV. There she was, sitting in the front row with Mason, laughing and having a great time. He knew it was her because her hair stuck out like a sore thumb. There was no mistaking her for someone else. Also, the cameraman zoomed in on Mason, showing how the Stallions starter was supporting his fellow athletes. They went on about what college he went to and rambled off his stats. Jax didn’t give two shits about Mason’s stats, all he wanted to know was why his girl was out with a guy that was not him. He sent her a text message. Jax: Are you at a Boulders game with Mason Dashel right now? If Piper lied to him, he didn’t know what he would do. He couldn’t take it if she was cheating on him. He’d made it quite clear that they were exclusive. He didn’t want anyone else in his life; he only wanted her. He wanted her more than anything, he even…loved her. He knew he did, he just hadn’t said it yet because Kiera was the only woman he had said those three sacred words to. He received a text message back from her. Piper: I am. I’m sorry, we’re just friends. Do you want me to leave? Leave? Hell yeah, he wanted her to leave. He wanted her to end all ties with the man, pack up and move away with Jax, far, far away from Mason “Dash” Dashel. He wasn’t just called Dash because of his

speed, the papers claimed he took women in and then dashed the next morning. He was quite the player. Jax hoped the man didn’t have his eye on Piper. Jax made himself snort. Of course Mason was after Piper, what guy would not be after Piper? That’s what Jax gets for dating a beautiful woman. He would always have to deal with the horny men who thought they could woo her. That would be his life moving forward with Piper, always beating men off with a stick who thought they could have a piece of his woman. He got another text. Piper: I just left the game. I’m on my way over to your place. Great. Now he looked like a jerk. He didn’t want her to leave the game because of him, well that’s not true; he did want her to leave the game, but he didn’t want her thinking he couldn’t handle her being out with other people. He blew out a frustrated breath and ran a hand through his hair. He used to have longer hair that he could tug on, but he recently buzzed everything off, leaving his hands feeling empty; so instead, they twitched with anxiety. He looked down at himself and thought about changing, but decided not to. He was wearing a pair of Nike shorts and that was it. His boxer briefs peeked out the top, but he didn’t care and there was no way he was going to put a shirt on in this summer heat. He had the air conditioner on, but with the way his body was raging, he felt like it was one hundred degrees in his place. What would he say to her when she got to his place? That he didn’t want her hanging out with other men? No, that would pretty much give him the door on their relationship. He had to word it in a way that made him not look like some jealous idiot, but his mind wasn’t working at the moment. He just kept seething in anger. He looked back at the game and saw that Piper was no longer in the seats, but Mason was. That was a relief; at least she wasn’t going to bring Mason to Jax’s place and it was good that Mason had not decided to follow her. Jax paced back and forth in his house until he heard a little knock at his front door. When he opened the door, he was nearly knocked over with Piper’s beauty. God, she looked so damn good, beyond good. Her breasts were practically spilling out of her shirt, which turned him on, but also made him insanely jealous because he didn’t want any other man looking at her. He just needed to remember that, no matter how this conversation went, he couldn’t be overbearing or go all Alpha male on her because she would shut down, since that was what her father used to do to her. Jax took a deep breath and let her in. She brushed up against his bare chest and he inhaled the sweet coconut scent that radiated from her hair. He was a goner; no matter what she said, he was going to forgive her. Not that he needed to forgive her for anything, but he was pretty much putty in her hands. She took a seat on his couch and he followed her over. When she looked at him, she had tears in her eyes. Oh shit, what was going on? He grabbed her and pulled her on top of him, so she was sitting on top of his lap. “Darlin’, what’s going on? Why are you going to cry?” She looked at him with those silver eyes and he felt himself slipping, slipping into her trance. He couldn’t help it, any time he was with her he got lost in the world of Piper. “Are you going to break up with me?” she asked in a tight voice. Taken aback, Jax looked at her as if she was crazy. “What are you talking about? Why would I break up with you?” “Well, you seemed angry and then you didn’t text me back. I thought that my being friends with Mason was something you couldn’t handle and you were going to break up with me.” She was right about not being able to handle her being friends with Mason, but he wasn’t about to say that. He needed to be the good guy, like he always was, even though he wanted to forbid her to ever see

the wide receiver again. He gave her a light kiss on the lips and said, “I would never break up with you, sweetheart.” He touched his chest. “You own me…mind, body, and soul. I was just concerned, that’s all. Sometimes you don’t realize how incredibly gorgeous you are. I didn’t want Mason getting the wrong idea. I was just shocked, that’s all.” She nodded. “I understand. I should have told you who I was hanging out with.” He stopped her. “No, you didn’t have to. You can hang out with whoever you want; that’s your choice; they’re your friends. As long as your…male friends know you have a boyfriend at home who is madly in love with you.” Piper’s eyes went wide at his confession. Then she grabbed his face and kissed him, deeply. As if she was pouring all her love into his body with one sweep of her lips and a flick of her tongue. He groaned in her mouth, as she pulled away. “I love you, too. You are so beyond amazing, Jax. I can’t believe I was able to meet such a kind, caring and sexy man like you.” “You think I’m sexy?” he asked with a grin, while rubbing her thigh. “Mmm, how could I not?” She brought her hand up and started rubbing his bare chest, putting his little guy straight into attention. He was already geared up when he laid eyes on Piper, but now that she was kissing him all over and rubbing his chest, he was ready to seal their love. He brought her head down to his and made sure she knew how much he loved her. He kissed her, sending bolts of electricity through his body. She touched him all over and finally straddled his legs, deepening their kiss a little more. She felt amazing in his arms, like she was meant to be his. She slowly rocked her hips on top of his. With every stroke of contact their hips made, he felt his sensations heighten even more. “Darlin’, if you keep doing that, I’m going to explode in my pants.” “Well, we don’t want that, do we?” she said with a wicked grin. She gave him a wink and shimmied down his body until she was kneeling between his legs. He gulped and started breathing heavily when she pulled down his pants and his erection sprang out, looking willing and ready for any kind of action. Jax wanted to take charge and sweep her off her feet, but the moment her lips met his erection, every last thought he ever had completely left his body. He was literally floating on air right now. He had never felt anything as good as Piper’s soft lips wrapped around his hard dick, strike that, his dick deep inside her felt better, but what she was doing with her lips at the moment was almost as perfect. She squeezed, sucked, licked, grabbed and hummed on every part of his manhood. A sheen of sweat broke out on his body and he knew he was going to explode, and quickly. “Fuck that feels good…ahh.” He wanted to tell her to stop, to hop on him, but he couldn’t; he was way too close and he was ready to finish. Right before he thought he was going to fall over the edge, she got up and stripped for him. Her shirt was the first to go, followed by her shoes and shorts, leaving her in a light blue lingerie set. She looked exquisite and, if it wasn’t for his burning need to release, he would have taken more time to explore the sight in front of him. Instead he grabbed her and ran her into his bedroom. She giggled the whole time as they tripped and ran into walls, trying to make it to his bed. He tore the rest of her clothes off and threw her on the bed, while grabbing a condom. She slid it on for him while he spread her legs. In one big swoop, he planted himself in what was his. Piper was his. She told him she loved him. Three perfect little words changed him in a matter of seconds. He was devoted to this woman and would do anything to make sure she stayed in his life. “God, I love you so much,” he told her. She smiled up at him. “I love you so much, too. I didn’t think I could ever love someone this fast, but I do. I love you.”

Jax picked up the pace of his thrusts and felt his entire body start to tingle, he was going to lose it any second, but he didn’t want to go it alone. He ran his hand up Piper’s body and tweaked her nipple; she screamed out loud and her walls contracted around him, squeezing Jax for every last drop he had. He was completely milked dry and spent. He didn’t think he could move after such an explosion, but he slowly got off Piper so he didn’t crush her. He pulled her in close and held onto her tight, kissing her temple and rubbing her exposed stomach. “You’re amazing,” she said. “I could argue that you are just as amazing.” She chuckled. “I’m not going to deny you the compliment.” “I hope you know you can hang out with who you want, just please make sure you’re careful. Any man would love to be with you, but I want them to know that there’s only one man for you.” Piper was silent for a second, as if she was debating something, but then he realized she must have been asleep. So instead of pestering her, he snuggled up close and went to sleep as well. *** Piper lay there, wrapped in Jax’s arms, full of love, but was unable to answer him when he said there was only one man for her. There really should only be one man for her, so why did Mason’s face keep flashing in her mind when she was making love to Jax? She felt so guilty for such thoughts that she almost took off to Jax’s bathroom so she could ease the knot in her stomach. She had never felt so sick before. She loved Jax, more than anything. She didn’t think she could ever love a man like she loved Jax, but she did. He was so safe, comfortable, and caring. When she was around him, she felt like nothing bad could happen to her, but that didn’t stop her from thinking about another man at the same time. The baseball game was a bad idea; if she was having thoughts about Mason, then there was only one thing she could do. Stop whatever she was doing with him before something bad happened. Friends was most likely not going to work for them, especially if she thought about him while she was having sex with the man she loved, her boyfriend. She had to keep her distance. She would still talk to him at the bar because she didn’t want to make him feel bad, but that was it. No more outings where they could be close and intimate. The feeling of Mason’s hand in hers at the baseball game crossed her mind. It felt so right. How was that possible? How could two men feel so right to her? She was so confused, but one thing she knew was that she loved Jax. She didn’t love Mason. She barely knew Mason. Therefore, she needed to stick with her plan and call things off. She was done. She was going to focus on Jax now. Jax was her man and she was going to keep it that way.

Chapter 10 “Get your damn head out of your ass Dashel and catch the God damn ball! A fucking butterfly could do a better job than you.” Mason ran back to his position on the field, ignoring everything that spewed out of Coach Ryan’s mouth. The offensive line had stayed at practice later than everyone else on the team, once again, working on routes and making sure their turns and jukes were precise. Mason could feel the burn in his legs and couldn’t wait to stick the bottom half of his body in the ice bath, even though the ice bath would feel like a million needles piercing his skin. He was so damn sore. Mason looked over at his coach, who was looking at the plays on his clipboard and discussing with Jesse, their quarterback, the routes he wanted to run. Mason didn’t know how much more he could take from his coach. He knew the man was new and young, but he didn’t think he was going to be a giant douche and work the players until they were practically six feet under. They had a week until their first pre-season game, then the season would be underway. Mason knew he was more than ready; but if he didn’t get a break soon, he wasn’t going to be physically ready for their games. He needed a little bit of time off to rest his body. “Run green forty six again and this time, actually run to your spot Dashel. We know you’re a prettyboy, but we don’t need you prancing around on the field like a Nancy.” Mason bit down on his mouth guard and warned himself not to make any kind of comment toward his coach, now was not the time. Jesse counted out and the center snapped the ball. Mason ran straight toward the end zone and then quickly hooked to his right where the ball smacked him dead in the chest and then bounced onto the practice turf. Shit. “God Damn it!!! What the fuck is wrong with you? You are a worthless pile of shit, you know that? Why the hell are we paying you an obscene amount of money to catch a God damn ball, when all you do is let it hit you in the chest? Jesse, I’m afraid we’re going to have to start having you run the ball to him and toss it gently. Mason can’t handle catching such accurate and precise throws. Shall we send him back to pee wee ball?” Their coach looked around and all the players had their heads lowered, either playing with their straps or kicking the turf with their cleats. “Is no one going to answer me?” Mason felt his fist starting to curl and an itch to punch his coach square in the face crept over his body. He started to raise his hand when Jesse chimed in. “Coach, we can’t keep doing this. You’re running these guys ragged.” “You seem to be doing fine.” “I’m not sprinting up and down the field, being knocked around by my teammates. If you keep running us this hard, you’re not going to have an offensive line come the first game of the season.” Coach Ryan got right in Jesse’s face. “Well, at least one of you is man enough to say something.” He looked around the field and said, “Get the fuck out of here and take the next three days off. I better see some improvement when you get back here.” Coach eyed Mason, but Mason turned away before he lost his ever-loving mind. Mason shucked off his gear, grabbed his phone and headed for the ice bath. He didn’t want to talk to anyone. He just wanted to isolate himself. The last couple of days had been hell. He tried contacting Piper to see if she wanted to hang out, but she either didn’t answer him or was busy. When he went to visit her at work, she barely spoke to him. Her early disappearance from the baseball game a few days ago disturbed him. He thought they were having a great time, until her phone went off. He wondered if it was the guy she was seeing. Of course it was, what else could it have been? She didn’t speak to her parents and she really only talked to Hannah, so that only left one other person, the other man.

The thought of Piper with another man made him want to bury his fist down someone’s throat. Piper belonged with him and only him. Why couldn’t she see them together the way he did? When they were at the game, he thought he was making a lot of headway with the slight touches, knowing glances between them and, at the end, she was holding his hand. He felt so genuinely connected with her, more than he ever did with Brooke. Ryker busted through the doors of the training room and took up the ice bath next to Mason. “Dude, what the hell is your deal? I know it’s not because you’re tired.” Mason shrugged, he didn’t want to get into it with Ryker and, contrary to what Ryker thought, Mason was tired. He was tired from the sleepless nights he’d been having from constantly thinking about Piper and her boyfriend together. He wondered if she thought about him the way she consumed his mind on a daily basis. He thought that maybe she did think about him, but ever since she shut Mason out, he was starting to think she didn’t have any kind of feelings for him, like he did for her. “It’s not Piper, is it?” Mason didn’t say anything, giving Ryker the conclusion he was looking for. “Come on, man; you can’t let her affect you like that. It’s not like anything was really going to happen anyway; you two are like water and oil…you don’t mix well. Unlike me and Hannah, now there’s a good couple.” “You are delusional, man. Hannah is never going to break it off with her boyfriend or soon-to-be fiancé. You’re fishing around in the wrong lake.” “Speak for yourself. You’re trying to make a girl fall for you who started off hating you and is currently in a serious committed relationship with another guy.” “It’s not that serious,” Mason said, trying to convince himself. “Oh yeah? Hannah told me she told the guy she loved him.” Mason couldn’t feel the piercing cold water touch his body anymore because all feeling left his nerves at hearing Piper was in love with another man. His lungs seized up and all breath escaped his chest. Piper was in love with another man? How could that be? Lexi and Jake’s wedding wasn’t that long ago. He thought about their wedding and it was about a month and a half ago. Was that enough time to fall in love with someone she didn’t know? Of course it was. Mason was terrified that he had fallen in love with Piper himself. He wasn’t going to address those current feelings, but he knew it was possible. “Shit.” Did he just say that out loud? “Lighten up man, there are many girls who’d love to be with you. You’re one lucky guy. Stop dwelling on Piper and move on.” Mason ignored Ryker and reached for his phone. He pulled up Piper’s name and sent her a text message. Mason: Hey, beautiful. Are you free tonight? I’m looking for a friend to help me with something. Mason knew he was using the friend excuse, but anything to get close to her again. Ryker started talking about his new haircut and how it looked like it ran off on one side, but Mason drowned him out. He didn’t care about Ryker’s uneven hair, purple Capri pants or new cologne. Sometimes Mason really wondered if his friend was gay. It wouldn’t be a problem, since he had many gay friends, but if Ryker was gay, Mason would be happy enough to hook him up with someone he knew. His gay friends had been more than vocal about wanting to get their hands on Ryker. Mason received a message back. Thank God. Piper: Sorry, can’t. I’m hanging with my boyfriend. Mason gritted down on his teeth. Why couldn’t she just say she was busy? Why did she have to say she

was with her boyfriend? It was as if she was trying to warn him off. Point taken, message is clear, but he chose to ignore it. Mason: Tomorrow. Please, you’re the only one I trust in this matter. Piper: Are you okay? The fact that she cared a little bit about his well-being eased the vise that was gripped around his heart. Mason: I’m fine. I just really need some support. I’ll pick you up at two tomorrow. Dress casual. Piper: Uh, okay. See you tomorrow. Mason was thankful she conceded. He thought she would put up more of a fight, but she didn’t, which was nice. Maybe he did have a chance, whatever chance it was he was going to take advantage of the opportunity. Being with Piper was like being on a roller coaster; there were so many ups and downs when it came to her, he was starting to get used to the ride. *** “Where are you going, sweetheart?” Jax said, while rolling over and grabbing Piper around the waist before she could sneak out of bed. “It’s almost one o’clock. We’ve been in bed all day. I have to get back to my place and get some things done.” He smiled at her, grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his chest. “Or, you can stay in bed all day with me.” Kissing him on the nose she said, “I can’t.” She quickly wiggled away and looked at him while she threw on yesterday’s clothing. He looked completely deflated and she felt bad that she was leaving, but she had to meet up with Mason. She didn’t know why she said yes to him. Maybe it was because she was just a glutton for punishment. Jax sat up on one elbow. “You’re really leaving?” “Yes. I have to get some things done. I’m sorry.” He gave her a quizzical look, as if she was missing something, but she had no clue what was going on and didn’t have time to explore it. She ran over to the bed and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “I’ll call you.” “Are we going to have dinner tonight?” he asked, bright eyed. Piper melted right on sight. She leaned over him and gave him a more in-depth kiss, exploring every facet of his mouth. “Did you want to have dinner together?” “Well…yeah, I kind of expected us to have dinner together.” “Alright…” He was being weird. She gave him another quick kiss and told him she would see him later. When she got home, she took a quick shower, shaved and put on her make up. Thankfully, her hair was able to air dry after a quick run-through with the blow dryer. She dried her hair just enough so she didn’t look like a drowned rat. She had no clue what to wear, so she went with a typical Piper outfit. She put on an old Aerosmith concert T-shirt that hugged every part of her body, a pair of tiny jean shorts that had holes in them and her black Chuck Taylors. Just as she finished tying her shoes, there was a knock at her door.

She got up quickly, grabbed her purse and headed for the door. She didn’t even bother letting Mason in her place because she didn’t want to get stuck in a closed area with him where no one else could see them. She needed to be in a public place. “Hey.” He gave her a giant grin and she felt her legs go weak. Stupid attractive men in her life. He was wearing simple grey shorts, flip flops and a semi-tight black shirt. There wasn’t much color to his outfit at all, but he looked damn good. He always had the perfect amount of hair on his face, like he just got out of bed and forgot to shave. Her hands begged her brain to let them touch his face and feel his stubble, but she denied them the pleasure. There would be no touching of Mason. “Hey,” she replied back, as they walked down to his car. He opened the door for her and tried not to think about how what they were doing seemed like a date. When he got in the car, she turned to him. “Where are we going?” “You’ll see.” Annoyed with his ability to keep a secret, she folded her arms over her chest and stared out the window like a petulant child. She heard Mason laughing. “What’s so funny?” she snapped. She didn’t mean to sound so harsh, but her emotions were skating on thin ice. There was no way for her to control them. “You don’t like to be surprised, do you?” “I just like to know the plan, alright? Especially when I have a boyfriend I left in a warm bed for this.” She knew it was the wrong thing to say, but for some reason, she wanted to put Mason in his place…just so he knew where he stood. She looked over at him and knew for certain he heard her loud and clear. His jaw was tight and his eyes raged. “If you didn’t want to come, then that’s all you had to say.” Mason got in the left turn lane at a light and did a U-turn. He was headed back to her place. Great, she didn’t mean to make him this mad. “Don’t be a girl. I’ll go with you…wherever you’re going.” “Don’t do me any favors.” He pulled up in front of her apartment and put the car in park. He rested his head in his hand that was on the side of the window as he waited for her to get out of the car. Her mind told her to open the door, but she didn’t budge. One of these days, she hoped her mind and body would actually start working together for the betterment of herself. She would have to work on that. “Mason…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I just never had control growing up and was always surprised when I got home and my room was packed in boxes and a moving truck was out in the driveway. I moved so many times, I can’t even count them and I never knew when it was going to happen, so to say I have control issues is an understatement.” “Sorry. I just didn’t want to tell you because I really wanted you to go.” “I will go. I’m here for you…as a friend. I’m sorry I upset you.” Mason shrugged and threw the car into drive. They didn’t talk on their ride; instead they listened to music, classic rock and enjoyed the magical rifts played by Brian May as Freddie Mercury sang his heart out. When they got to their location, which looked like a creepy warehouse, Mason got out and opened her car door. “I can’t get enough of Queen,” he said, while holding out his hand for her. She took it and looked around, worried that she might be getting herself into trouble. “You didn’t bring me out here to whack me off, did you?” She laughed nervously. He grabbed her hand and led her to the warehouse. Any other time she would have protested the gesture, but right now, she needed all the comfort she could get. He turned and smiled at her. “I did not come here to kill you. This is the back entrance. I didn’t want anyone seeing me.” They walked in and Piper heard a faint familiar buzzing. What was that? She knew that sound distinctively. It wasn’t until they walked into a room full of color, piercings and tattoos that she realized they were at a tattoo parlor, a very nice and expensive tattoo parlor.

“Are you getting a tattoo?” she asked, feeling excited. “Yeah, I was hoping you could help me out.” Piper smiled at the fact that Mason chose her to take with him. It felt nice to be needed…even though it was Mason. A bald muscular man, who was wearing all leather and had gauges in his ears came up to them and wrapped Mason in a big bear hug. “Hey man, it’s been a while. When you called yesterday, I couldn’t wait to get you in here. Let’s get you in a private room.” They walked past a kitchen that looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in a month, a corner where they must do their piercings, and into a dark room, closed off by a red velvet curtain. When the tattoo man turned on the light, Piper was surprised to see the room was very posh looking. It had red and white checkered flooring, expensive looking chaise lounges and some very beautiful tattoo art on the walls. This place was way better than any tattoo parlor she had ever been to. She was a little jealous. “How have you been?” “Great.” Mason turned to Piper and said, “Piper this is Wolf, Wolf this is my friend, Piper.” Piper took his hand and gave him a quizzical look. “Wolf?” Wolf looked her up and down and answered back, “Piper?” He scrunched his face up imitating her expression, making her laugh. “Fair enough.” They laughed and Wolf turned to Mason. “What do we have going on today?” Piper wasn’t expecting what happened next, but all of a sudden, Mason pulled his shirt off and Piper lost all ability to think; all she could do was stare at the beautiful landscape of muscle across Mason’s chest. Jax had a great body, but Mason was absolutely ripped. She could serve chips and multiple dips in the crevices of his six pack and the “V” that led down to his waistline. His boxer briefs poked up from his shorts, making Piper’s mouth water. The man was completely bare of any kind of hair and all she wanted to do was feel how soft his skin was. She scanned his body and took in his tattoos. His body was, literally, a work of art. She loved his tattoos. They were sexy and meaningful and covered him in all the right ways, framing his massive pecs, down to his arms. She wouldn’t make any changes to his body art, so she wondered why Mason came to the tattoo parlor. Both men started laughing and Piper realized they were both staring at her while she was staring at Mason. “See something you like, babe?” Mason asked. Piper shook her head and sat down on a chaise lounge, feeling completely mortified at being caught staring by not just one man, but two. They kept chuckling while Mason told Wolf about his plans for coming today. “I’ve finally decided that I want to get rid of this black hole that sits above my heart. I feel like it’s sucking the life out of me.” “Not a problem. Let me make sure my schedule is clear and I will be right back to get started and we can go over designs.” “Perfect.” When Wolf left, Piper got up and stood in front of Mason. She stared at his chest and saw the spot above his heart he was talking about, it was blacked out. She felt her arm raise and her fingers graze the blacked-out tattoo. Mason did a quick intake of breath, but Piper didn’t care that she startled him with her touch. She looked into his eyes. “This used to be a tattoo for Brooke, didn’t it?” He nodded, not saying a word. “I noticed it on the beach that one night and figured as much. How are you going to change it?”

‘I’m going to do white ink over the top.” “Interesting. I’ve never heard of that before. What are you going to get?” “Not sure, that’s where you come in.” “Oh?” she asked, while still touching his chest where the black hole was; how ironic that it was right above his heart. He touched her cheek with his giant hand and skimmed the back of his knuckles across her cheek. “Do you think you can help me?” She nodded, while pressing her face against his hand. There was something so vulnerable about Mason right now; it touched Piper’s heart. That was why she was going against all her rules she set for herself. When she was near Mason, she lost herself in him and forgot about the world around them. She forgot about Jax and the love they shared and she forgot about the consequences she faced while being with Mason and what she could lose. “I would love to help you. Do you have anything in mind?” Mason brought his hand from her face and down to her neckline. He traced her collarbone with his fingers, ever so gently. “I like your saying that you have here. I think it would be symbolic to have, right above my heart.” “I think that would be perfect.” “You wouldn’t mind?” he asked, while stroking her collarbone. Somehow, her arms found their way around his waist, holding him still. They were a couple of inches apart…too close, but she didn’t move. She didn’t want to move. She wanted to be closer to him. “I don’t mind at all, as long as I can copy one of your tattoos.” His eyes brightened. “You want one of mine?” She nodded and traced a saying that was scrolled across his right arm. It read, “The secret of happiness is freedom. The secret of freedom is courage.” “I love this tattoo and, the minute I saw it, I wish it was scrolled across my body instead of yours. It speaks so much for what I believe in, I just need it.” He lifted her chin so she was looking him in the eyes. “It’s yours baby. A tattoo for a tattoo. You want to get it today? Wolf is the best.” “Could I really?” she asked, almost jumping up and down she was so excited. “Of course you can.” Piper was so excited she grabbed the hem of her shirt and took it off; she knew exactly where she wanted her tattoo and she couldn’t wait to have it written across her body. *** Mason froze in his spot when Piper tore her shirt off. She was smiling brightly in a deep purple lace bra that framed her breasts perfectly. Mason took in the full sight of her and felt himself go hard immediately. It was crazy what this woman could do to him. She laughed at him and pushed his chest. “Like what you see…babe?” she said in a deep voice, mocking him earlier. He wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her up against his chest. Instant sparks flew from her eyes and she looked up at him with what seemed like adoration. Was he reading her wrong or was she actually liking that fact that he was holding her close to him? Her skin felt so incredibly good against his; he never wanted her to leave his side. Her breath quickened as he stared down at her. She was nibbling on her bottom lip while staring into his eyes. She was driving him crazy and he was about to drag her to a locked room and take her as his if she didn’t stop being all sexy cute. “I like what I see…a lot.”

“Is that right?” She flipped her hair to the side and licked her lips. The silk strands of her curly vibrant hair brushed his shoulder, sending off a coconut scent that surrounded his nose. His body became even harder and he was slowly losing control. He knew he needed to respect the fact that she was with someone and not make the first move, but he didn’t know how much more he could take. She was tempting him way too much. He just nodded to her question while resting his hands on her hips. Her jeans rode low so he was able to get a good peek at the tattoos on her hip bones. “These are my favorite,” he said, while stroking them. “Why’s that?” “Because only the luckiest people get a glimpse of them.” “Who says you’re lucky?” He rubbed them and his thumbs gravitated under the waistband of her shorts, just shy of the underwear she was wearing. He felt her squirm under his touch, but she never stopped looking him in the eyes and she never pushed him away. He decided not to go any further. He didn’t want to push his luck. “I’m pretty damn lucky right now.” She licked her lips, looked at his mouth and then back at his eyes. He wasn’t going to make the first move; he kept telling himself that. If she wanted him, she was going to have to take him. He felt her hands skim down his body until her fingers tugged on his belt loops pulling him closer. His erection pushed up against her stomach and she smiled at the fact that she turned him on. It wasn’t a hard thing to do where Piper was concerned. She was sex on a stick. Her fingers looped in his belt loops and her thumbs started to mimic the torturous pattern he was running along her skin, occasionally dipping under the waistband of his shorts. Fuck he was hard. “Tell me, Mason, why are you rubbing me, making me incredibly wet when we are supposed to be friends?” Shit, damn it….fuck! Mason was dying a slow painful death. He would not give in and take her. She would have to make the first move. He cleared his throat. “I always make my friends wet. Ask Ryker, one look of me with my towel on and he’s exploding in his pants.” Piper laughed and slowly moved her hands down his pants so they were on either side of his erection, rubbing the side of his legs. She smiled up at him like the little she-devil she was and continued to rub against him. “Fuck, Piper. What are you doing?” “Seeing how far I can push you.” “I’m trying to be good here.” “Why?” She skimmed a hand across his erection for one second, sending stars through his eyes. He thought he was going to black out. He was going to fucking black out while waiting to get a tattoo. Wolf would come back into the room, see him flat on his back while pitching a tent big enough for the entire Stallions team and their family to sleep under. Mason was about to pull her down on the chaise when Wolf came back in. Mason turned Piper so her back was pushed against his chest and her bottom was right up against his erection. He wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled at Wolf. Wolf laughed. “Well, sorry I must have interrupted something. If you wanted a little more privacy, you should have let me know. We have a room that locks.” Mason laughed. “No privacy needed. The little lady is just trying to embarrass me by turning me on in the most unfair way.” Wolf winked at Piper. “Good, this man needs to be brought down a few pegs. I was able to free some time.” He nodded at Piper. “Nice art, you looking to get something done as well?”

Piper nodded and Mason answered for her. “Do you think we can get worked on together? Is Jason free too?” “Let me check…uh continue what you were doing. I’ll be right back.” Wolf left and Piper tried to turn around, but Mason didn’t let her. He kept her in place. He had one hand wrapped around her stomach where his thumb was stroking her belly and the other hand was pulling her hair back, exposing her ear. “Payback can be a bitch, babe,” he whispered in her ear. He didn’t dare kiss her, but he would touch her, just like she touched him. He ran his free hand down the side of her face, across her collarbone, down her side, slowly touching the side of her boob, making her breath catch in her throat. Her head fell back so it was resting on his chest. He ran his fingers down her ribcage, brought them gently back up and caressed the underside of her boob, but never fully touched her. She squirmed in his grasp and silently moaned under her breath. He moved his hand down her stomach to just above her waistband. She was completely leaning against him now, so he took his other hand and pressed his palms on her hipbones and his fingers caressed the side of her bikini line, but never touched her sweet spot. He kept that torture up until she finally broke away from him, spun around, and stared at him with fire in her eyes. Her chest was rapidly rising up and down as she glared at him with her silver eyes. She ran her hands through her gorgeous hair in frustration. “Fuck, Mason what are you doing to me? I have a boyfriend who I spent the morning having sex with and now, here I am about to fucking come in my pants from your breath on my shoulder and your hands on my hips.” Mason had no clue what to say. He was happy to hear that he could affect her as much as she affected him, but he didn’t care to hear that she was fucking some other man this morning. “We were supposed to be friends. I was supposed to hate you, but I think about you and wonder what it would feel like to have you inside of me. When I’m around you, it’s like you suck me into our own little world and I forget about all my morals.” She paused for a second and then continued, “I love another man, a man who is kind and caring. I shouldn’t be doing this. I shouldn’t let you touch me, since I have a boyfriend, but I can’t help it.” “Will you shut up about whomever it is you’re dating? I don’t want to fucking hear about him,” Mason said angrily. “Every time you mention him, I feel like you’re throwing a dart into my soul. He does not exist. Do you hear me?” Shock first registered across her face at his angry expression, but it was soon replaced by fury. “Are you telling me what to say?” “I’m telling you that when you are with me, you are with me, you are not with him and you will not mention him.” “I can mention whoever the fuck I want!” Piper shouted. Mason came up to her, pushed her against the wall with his body, grabbed her hands and put them above her head. His face was inches from hers, so close he could practically taste her. “You will not mention him when you are with me. He does not exist; you are mine, Piper. You hear me? You might not be right now, but you will be. You feel that, that pull between us? We are meant to be and if that means I have to be your friend until you realize we are meant for each other, then so be it, but I refuse to hear you talk about another man around me…a man who’s only a filler until you’re ready for me. I will respect the fact that you are with someone else and I will not make a move until you do. You call the shots, but I swear to God, if you mention him one more time, you will not like the consequences.” Their chests were rising and falling together, as they tried to catch their breath. “Is that a threat, Mason?” “That’s a promise, baby.”

“Fine.” Mason felt like he had to shake his head and clean out his ears. Did she just concede? “Fine?” “Fine, I won’t mention him. But we are friends, that’s it.” “I’ll take what I can get.” Mason let her go and stepped away. He turned away from her because he needed to gather his composure. She pushed every single one of his buttons and pushed them to the limit. She would be the death of him, he knew it, not football…nope, Piper Shores would make him keel over and die either from heartbreak or eternal erection syndrome. When he turned around, Piper was lounging in one of the chaise chairs with a bright smile plastered across her face. Her hair was fanned out around her and her creamy skin stood out against the red velvet of the chaise. Her long legs stretched out on the length of the chair and her tattoos peeked out from her waistband. Her breasts were weighing against her chest and were lifted from her bra. Fuck him. She giggled, because she knew what she was doing to him. “You’re the devil, you know that, right? The actual devil.” She twirled a curl with her finger. “What’s wrong? I’m just lying down.” Mason shook his head as he lay down in the chair next to her. He grabbed her hand and entwined their fingers together. He looked over at her and smiled. “Tease.” “Ass,” Piper countered. “So, are you all right to get a tattoo right before the season? Isn’t that going to hurt?” “No, what will hurt is two, two hundred and fifty pound men tackling me from both sides. I’m not worried about a tattoo.” Piper winced and rubbed his hand with her thumb. “You’re safe, right?” “As safe as I can be, babe.” She turned away from him and stared at the ceiling. Mason’s heart soared at the thought of her caring about his safety. She might want to be friends right now, but sooner or later, she was going to be his. There was no denying the pull that drew them together; it was impossible to miss and he was going to make sure she knew that. They spent the rest of the day together, holding hands and getting their tattoos. Piper’s tattoo was placed across the side of her ribs in loopy cursive and “Free Yourself” was written in the black hole over Mason’s heart. They shared stories about their tattoos, their first ones and which ones hurt the worst. They also talked about random things like favorite movies, hers being The Wizard of Oz and his being Rudy, as well as their favorite types of food and, of course, music. Wolf talked about the upcoming season and Piper, surprisingly, chimed in about some of her predictions for the season. She was obligated to say the Stallions would make it to the Super Bowl, but she also said the Thunder looked like they might have a good season, given the amount of rookies they’d have starting. Mason almost had a full-on boner when they started talking about their love for classic rock and bands like Queen, ELO and Led Zeppelin. The more time Mason spent with Piper, the more he knew she was it for him and he would be damned if he let her slip through his grasp. They admired each other’s tattoos and drove home in silence. It was late and he forgot about dinner. “Shit. I didn’t feed you.” Piper was smiling, but then her face went white. “Fuck,” she said, under her breath. “Is everything alright?” “Uh…yeah.” They pulled up to her apartment and she practically flew out of his car, while checking her phone. “I have to go. Thank you for the tattoo.” She looked at her phone again and winced. It must be the boyfriend, Mason thought.

“Not a problem. I will…uh…see you around.” “Yeah…see ya.” She shut the door and flew up the stairs to her apartment. Well, that was a very sour ending to an almost perfect day. Mason was going to have to hunt down the man who currently owned Piper’s heart and get rid of him. Even though she said she loved him, Mason knew that she wasn’t fully in love with him because today, she gave him a little bit of her heart and he was going to cherish it until he could be in possession of the full thing.

Chapter 11 Piper sprinted up the stairs to her apartment, feeling like she was going to either throw up or start crying hysterically. She could not believe that she forgot to text Jax about dinner. When she looked at her phone, she had five text messages from him and three missed calls. She felt awful. When Mason said he didn’t want her to talk about Jax when they were together, she apparently took his request to a whole new level and completely forgot about Jax. The time she spent with Mason was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. The damn macho man was right¸ there was some kind of pull that was bringing them together and she couldn’t deny it. The fact that she was in love with Jax, but felt up Mason in a tattoo parlor, teased him and in return was turned on by him to the point of an almost-orgasm was inexcusable. Before she opened her door, she sat on the step in front of it and put her head in her hands. What was she going to do? She banged her head against her door and leaned into it, trying to think of a way to get out of her predicament. Why couldn’t Mason continue to be a giant ass? Why did he have to turn on the charm and claim her as his? Shouldn’t that be turning her off anyway? She never liked to be told what to do. All of a sudden, her door flew open and she landed on her back…half in her apartment half on the stairs outside. She looked up and saw Jax standing over her. “What are you doing?” Piper scrambled to get up and walked into her apartment to see a cold dinner on the table, two empty beer bottles on the counter and a disappointed Jax staring at her. She felt like a massive pile of dog shit. She went to put her hands around him, but he moved away from her. Her throat instantly clogged up and tears threatened to fall. She couldn’t do this; she couldn’t make Jax upset. “Jax, please I’m so sorry. I lost track of time. I didn’t know you were planning dinner for us.” He sat down on her couch and massaged his head with his palms. When he looked up at her, his face looked so tired and distraught Piper thought she was going to start crying right there on the spot. “Where were you?” She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t want him to know she was with Mason because he would get upset, but she didn’t want to lie either. Instead, she didn’t say anything. She couldn’t even if she wanted to because her throat was so tense from not wanting to cry. She felt like she had a grapefruit-sized lump in her throat. “You were with him, weren’t you?” Piper couldn’t hold back any longer, the tears she was so desperately trying to hold back came flooding out of her eyes. “It’s not what you think. We’re just friends.” “Then why are you crying?” “I feel bad that I forgot about dinner and I know how sensitive you are about my friendship with him, but there is nothing to worry about, Jax.” Jax blew out a frustrated breath and looked at her with total despair in his eyes. More tears fell from her eyes. “It’s not that you went out with him and left me alone in my bed, although that does sting. It’s the fact that you forgot it’s your boyfriend’s birthday today…the man that you supposedly love. I’m a little rusty when it comes to relationships, but I’m pretty sure birthdays are a big thing.” Piper felt like a speeding train smacked her into a brick wall. She felt dizzy and lightheaded. She sat on the floor and put her head in her hands. She could not stop crying, she could not even comprehend the awful twisting in her stomach. She forgot her boyfriend’s birthday and, instead, spent it with another man, holding his hand, laughing with him and almost climaxing from his touch. She knew what she was doing with Mason was wrong, but it felt so right and now she was facing the consequences. She hurt Jax, terribly.

She couldn’t even look at him, she felt so ashamed. How could she ever forgive herself for doing such a thing to him? He had been nothing but loving and caring toward her. She didn’t deserve him or his love. She looked up at him to find him looking at his hands. He couldn’t even look at her, either; she didn’t blame him. “Jax…I’m so sorry,” she sobbed. She got up and pushed him back on the couch so she could straddle his lap. “I don’t expect you to forgive me, but I’m so, so sorry.” Jax put his head down and shook it. “Do you even love me?” “How can you even ask that? Of course I love you. Jax…” A shattering sob escaped her as she tried to catch her breath. “I love you so much. I feel at home when I’m with you.” “It just seems like you would rather be with someone else. Maybe this isn’t working….” A tear fell from his eye and she quickly kissed it away. “No, please, don’t say that. Please Jax. I’m so sorry. I told you, Mason and I are just friends. There is nothing to worry about. If you want, I won’t ever see him again. I promise. I only want you. I need you.” “You would do that? You would stop seeing him for me?” She gripped both sides of his face and stared into his eyes. “I would do anything for you. I love you so much. Please don’t walk away from me. You’re the reason I’m here, the reason I hung curtains, the reason I haven’t left for a new city. I don’t want to go anywhere now that you are in my life.” “You really mean that?” “I wouldn’t lie to you. I promise.” As she said those words, guilt washed over her because she would lie to him and she had lied to him. She said Mason was nothing to her, but that wasn’t true. Mason was something to her, she just didn’t know what. She couldn’t stop thinking about him, his touch, the way they connected on a deeper level or how she wanted to explore every last inch of his body, but the thought of losing Jax was incomprehensible. He made her realize that running to a new city every month wasn’t the key. He helped her find a home. “I can’t tell you how good that makes me feel. I love you Piper and I don’t want to lose you. I don’t want to tell you who you can hang out with and I know we have talked about this before, but I only want you for myself and myself alone. I can’t handle knowing you are with a man who thinks he can get whatever he wants.” “He can’t have me, Jax. I’m not his for the taking and he knows that. I’m yours, only yours.” “Good.” She swept his lips against hers and she took the initiative to deepen the kiss, while moving around on his lap. She could feel his erection already and smiled to herself. “I can’t help myself. It happens the minute I see you.” “Good to know you will always be ready when I’m around. So about your birthday…” “What about it?” He smiled, while she undid his shirt. “I need to make it up to you.” She took his shirt off and started working on his pants. “And what did you have in mind?” he said in his husky southern voice that got deeper whenever they were intimate. She wiggled her eyebrows at him and slid down his body so she was kneeling between his legs. She grabbed his jeans and boxers briefs to slide them off; he obliged by lifting his bottom so she could fully pull them down. When she returned from putting his pants to the side, she got a fantastic view of how turned on he was. Piper licked her lips and smiled up at him. “Whatcha doing down there, darlin’?” She ran her hands up his thighs and leaned over so she was an inch from his surging cock that seemed to continue to grow. She stuck out her tongue and circled it around the head of his cock. Jax threw his head back and moaned. “Damn…uh Piper, please don’t tease me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, while she licked him on one side and then the other. She slowly cupped his balls in one hand and stroked him with the other while maneuvering her tongue around strategically, but never fully taking him in her mouth. His hips rocked forward begging her to take him in, but she never did; she just kept up the slow torture she was giving him. “Fuck…fuck, please darlin’.” “What do you want?” “I want you to fucking suck me, please for the love of God.” Piper giggled. “I’m glad…you find this so damn amusing. Fuck, come on.” Piper decided he had enough and took him in her mouth. He let out a loud groan and his hands went to her head, keeping her in place. She giggled, which only turned him on more. She continued to stroke him, cup him and suck him until he was fully satisfied. With one last moan where her name was called out, he sank into the couch, completely spent. “Jesus…thank you, Jesus. “I don’t think Jesus had any part in what just happened. I think you’re thanking the wrong person, handsome.” He chuckled and brought her up between his legs so she was sitting on his lap. He was now semi-hard and Piper knew with a few moves and less clothing, she would have him hard once again in no time. “I hope you’re not done, mister. I have plans for us and a couple of them involve the dining room table with me bent over, the shower, maybe the balcony, who knows.” “Balcony?” He cocked an eyebrow at her. “Well yeah, wouldn’t it be so thrilling? The possibility of someone watching us?” “No, nope, never going to happen.” “Why not?” He grabbed her ass and said, “I’m the only one who gets to see you naked. I don’t want some creep pervert from the street getting the privilege of seeing your fine-ass body. Nope, only for my eyes, but I will concede to doing it on the table and in the shower.” “It’s your birthday sex, tell me where you want it and how you want it.” “How?” She ran her finger up his bare chest, causing him to spring into action again; she knew it wouldn’t take long. “Anything you want.” “This might be the best birthday ever!” *** Hannah was sitting around her apartment trying to act like she enjoyed the peace and quiet that surrounded her, even though she hated it. She hated being alone all the time and wished that she was in a relationship with someone who didn’t have a job that required travel. She loved Todd, but it was times like this that she wished he was someone else. She wanted to be able to spend a weekend with the man without worrying whether or not he was going to get a call and have to leave. The last time she saw Todd was before the baseball game she went to with Ryker, Piper and Mason… and that was a while ago. She would never say it to anyone because she would be too shy, but she was a little hard up too and needing a man at the moment. She also wanted the comfort of strong arms wrapped around her and a man’s head buried in her hair. She wanted a man to take care of her, tuck her in at night and kiss her good morning. Ryker tried convincing her throughout the baseball game that he was the guy for her and not Todd. He told her that if they were together, he would never leave her alone and would always be there for her…no matter what. She told him that was impossible since he traveled around the country to play ball. He didn’t

have a retort for her comment. It was endearing and great for her ego that a man as hot as Ryker would want anything to do with her. She didn’t think Ryker was serious about marrying her; he was a showman, he exaggerated and made a big deal about everything. It was nice to get the attention from him, though, because she was not receiving it from anyone else. She poured herself some more wine and took a big gulp. It was just her and her bottle of wine tonight. She thought about Piper and hoped she was finally able to make it up to Jax for forgetting his birthday. She couldn’t believe Piper would do such a thing. Hannah was shocked when Piper told her. Hannah could tell Piper felt awful, though, because Piper cried on the phone when relaying the story. Hannah thought there was more to it, but she wasn’t going to pressure her friend. When Piper needed to talk, she would. Hannah was flipping through the channels on her TV when her phone beeped with a text message. It was from Ryker. Ryker: Hey there, future wife. Hannah laughed and sent him a message back. Hannah: Keep dreaming. Ryker: Oh, I’ve been dreaming alright, about you and me. Hannah: Knock it off. Ryker: I can’t. I told you, we are getting married one day. Hannah: You don’t want to marry me. I’m nothing a mom would be proud of. I work at a bar and wait around for a man who doesn’t love me enough to stick around longer than two days before he’s off on his next trip. Hannah didn’t know why she sent that last message. She was feeling really sorry for herself and extremely pathetic. Now that she thought about it, she wished she hadn’t confessed her feelings to Ryker; he would only use that against her in his pursuit to get her into bed. That was the only reason she could think of him wanting to be with her. Ryker: Are you alone? Hannah: Of course. When am I not alone?” Ryker: I’m coming over. Hannah: Please don’t, that’s not a good idea. I don’t know why I said that to you in the first place. I’m just having a lonely day, that’s all. Ryker: All the more reason for me to come over. Come on, we can play a board game or something. Hannah so desperately wanted to say yes, but on the off-chance that Todd actually showed up, she knew it wouldn’t be a good idea. Todd would flip out on her if he came home and saw her sitting next to Ryker on the couch playing a board game, even if it was all just innocent.

Hannah: It wouldn’t be a good idea. I wouldn’t want Todd to walk in on us and get the wrong impression, but thank you for the offer. Ryker: I hate that you are alone. Hannah: I hate it too. Ryker: I hope you know that if you were mine, I’d make sure you were never alone, at least not for days on end. Hannah exhaled. She wanted to believe Ryker, but she couldn’t believe many men these days. Todd was always telling her that he would see her soon, but he never did. Instead, she had the pleasure of spending her nights alone pining for a man who would never put her first. Hannah: Well, I’m going to go. I’ll talk to you later. Hannah put her phone down and drank the rest of her wine, while she rested her head against the back of the sofa. She let her eyes drift shut and thought about the wedding, family, and husband she would never have. Hannah started to go into a dreamlike state where she was half conscious and half not. She was running down a very long aisle, wearing a bright orange wedding dress. There was no end in sight to the aisle, so she just kept running. On the sides, she passed all her friends growing up who were holding their husband’s hands and pushing their kids in strollers. When she reached the end of the aisle, there was no groom waiting for her; instead, there was a coffin. She went over to it and was just about to look inside when her front door burst open, startling her awake and scaring the hell out of her. She grabbed her chest with her hand and breathed heavily. Todd stood in the front doorway holding a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of wine. “Todd, you scared me half to death. What are you doing here?” He gave her a quizzical look. “I’m home, of course.” She sat up and looked him in the eyes. “Is this really your home Todd? Because a home is supposed to be a place where someone resides; you don’t reside here…ever. You’re here maybe a couple of times a month, I wouldn’t call that a home; it’s more of a hotel.” He shut her door and sat down next to her on the couch. “I know I’ve been MIA lately, but that doesn’t mean you can be a bitch when I finally get back. I’m here…you should be happy.” “Don’t call me that word. I’m not being a…B. I just wish I was able to see my boyfriend more often than I see our mailman. I love you Todd and I miss you like crazy; this long distance relationship is killing me.” “It’s not long distance.” “It feels like long distance. I never see you. I get you for a day and then you’re off again. I want more and I’m not afraid to say it anymore.” “What if I can’t give you that?” Hannah was not expecting him to say that. She thought that maybe he would throw himself at her and tell her how sorry he was and how he wished he could be with her more. She was completely thrown off and didn’t know how to respond. She didn’t want to lose him; she loved him and wanted to be with him, but she also didn’t want to be dragged around anymore. She wanted to start her life, so she decided to give him an ultimatum that she hoped worked out in her favor. She was just about to deliver her sentence when her phone chimed. They both looked down at her

phone. It was from Ryker. Ryker: I’m coming over. I need to see you. Todd snatched her phone up before she could and looked through her text messages. She didn’t even bother to grab it out of his hand. She had nothing to hide. She’d done nothing wrong, or at least that’s what she thought until Todd turned his angry eyes on her. “Who the fuck is Ryker?” “He’s a friend.” “Doesn’t seem like a friend. Seems like this prick wants to marry you and give you exactly what you want. Is that what you’ve been doing when I’ve been gone, looking for my replacement?” Hannah slapped him across the face and stood up. “How dare you accuse me of such a thing? I’ve been nothing but loyal to you. I would never stray from the love we have or go looking elsewhere. You should know that about me and, frankly, I’m insulted that you would think otherwise.” Todd ran his hand through his slicked-back hair, making it stand up slightly. “Then who is this Ryker guy and why is he convinced that he is going to marry you?” “I don’t know why he thinks that, but I don’t encourage him.” “Doesn’t seem like that. Seems like you’re complaining about me and how lonely you are. That is a green light for any guy. Do you want him Hannah?” “NO!” she shouted. “I want you….you…you moron!” Hannah stormed off to her bedroom and slammed her door shut. She threw herself on her bed and buried her head in her pillow. She let out the tears she had been holding back. Why did the guy she want so badly not want to make a commitment, but the man she barely knew would take her to a chapel this very instant and make her his wife? Hannah heard the front door slam shut, leading her to believe that, once again, Todd had left. That was what Todd did best; he left. Hannah didn’t even bother changing out of her clothes into pajamas; instead, she pulled the covers over her body and drifted off to sleep. It wasn’t until she was being nudged awake that she realized she wasn’t alone. She looked up and saw Todd leaning over her. She blinked a couple of times to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. “Todd?” “Hey.” “What are you doing?” “Asking for your forgiveness.” “Oh?” “Listen, I’m sorry for never being around. It’s not that I don’t want to. I want nothing more than to be with you all day every day, but if I want us to have a secure life in the future, I have to put in the time now. I know it’s hard, but I’m just asking for you to give me some more time. I promise you I will make it up to you and I promise I will make more of an attempt to be here longer.” “Really?” “Really.” He pulled her into his grasp and hugged her tightly. She took in the scent of his expensive cologne and wrapped her arms around his waist, that’s when her handed collided with something hard in his pocket. She looked up at him, confused. He smiled at her and said, “I don’t want you being around other men or other men thinking they can be with you. You are off limits.” He pulled out a small box and smiled at her. “This isn’t an engagement ring, but it is a promise. A promise that, one day, I will be waiting for you at the end of an aisle, ready to make

you my wife.” He opened the box and, sitting inside was a tiny diamond ring, almost like it belonged on a baby’s finger strung by a thin silver necklace. He pulled it out and put it around her neck. “When the time comes, I will replace this with a proper ring, and then I will add a forever ring to that. I promise you.” Hannah held the little ring in her fingers and cried…happy tears. She gripped his face and kissed him until she thought her lips might be bruised. “Thank you. I love you so much.” “I love you too, Hannah. Promise me I’m yours and yours alone.” “I promise. It has always been you.” “And one day you will be my wife?” “Whenever you ask, I’m ready to say yes.” He smiled brightly at her. “Perfect.” He brought her in for another kiss and this time, lowered her to their bed that they only shared on occasion, but it was their bed. She could do it, she could live like this for a year or two more; as long as she had that promise from Todd, she could do anything. Maybe she would take advantage of his offer and start having him pay her bills; that way, she could focus on her artwork. She would have to talk to him about it tomorrow; right now, she was going to enjoy being in the presence of the man she loved.

Chapter 12 Mason looked at himself in the mirror to make sure there was nothing hanging out of his nose or food stuck in his teeth; after close inspection, he didn’t see anything, so he checked his fly to make sure it was closed…all good there too. He fussed with his hair to make sure it was in place; he messed it up a little because that was the look he always went for. He noticed that he was wearing the same button up shirt he had worn the last time he was at the bar, shit! He didn’t want to look like he only owned one shirt. He sniffed it, just to make sure it was clean, which it was; he smelled amazing, thankfully. So what the hell was the problem? Why was Piper acting like he didn’t exist? Ever since he arrived at the bar, he’d tried to talk to her, touch her and just flat-out get her attention, but she wanted nothing to do with him. Since it wasn’t his appearance, there was only one other reason why she was ignoring him and it had to be the boyfriend. Mason shook his head as he leaned against the counter. Why was she being such a stubborn woman? Did she not get the hint that they were made for each other the other day when they got tattoos? It was so frustrating not being able to get what he wanted. He had women pawing at him every day, but the one woman he so desperately wanted didn’t even want to be in the same room as him right now. Something must have happened when she left him after the tattoo parlor. He wondered if lover boy threw a little hissy fit; that’s the only explanation Mason could think of. Ryker came into the bathroom wearing a pink polo and navy blue man capris. Mason would never be caught dead in most of the outfits Ryker wore, but Mason had to admit, the man pulled them off. “Are you going to spend the rest of the night crying in the stall of the men’s bathroom?” “Fuck off,” Mason said, while still trying to fix his hair. “If it didn’t look good when you left, it’s not going to look good now. Stop being a pussy and come out and do some shots with me. It’s our last night off before we have to report back to practice; let’s enjoy it.” “Fine, but you’re paying.” “Me?” Ryker said, while pointing to himself. “You’re the one who’s raking in the dough.” “Keep it up with those outfits and you’ll be drawing all the attention soon.” “What’s wrong with my outfit?” Ryker asked, while spinning in the middle of the bathroom, flipping up his collar and then strutting like Danny Zucco from Grease. Mason pushed Ryker out of the way, sending him into the wall and walked out of the bathroom. Ryker came flying out the door, hopped on Mason’s back and started whacking his ass yelling, “Giddy up” and yipping like a cowboy drawing the attention of every patron in the bar. Mason slammed his back against the wall, causing Ryker to drop off of Mason’s back instantly. Sucking air, Ryker said, “Fuck man, lay off the Twinkies. What do you weigh, like three hundred pounds?” “It’s called muscle dick stick, try growing some.” Ryker flexed his pelvis at Mason and started humping his leg. “Don’t need muscle when I have Russell,” referring to his dick. Mason swatted at Ryker’s crotch. “Get the hell away from me.” Mason couldn’t help but chuckle. They went to the bar and ordered two shots of whiskey, each. Hannah was very generous with her shots, so after five, they were feeling really good. Hannah took off for the bathroom so that left Piper having to deal with their antics, which now included making their shot glasses French kiss, calling every patron in the bar Herbert, and trying to see who could spin the most times on his bar stool. Ryker and Mason were acting out another scene from their shot glass soap opera when Piper came up and swiped the glasses away from them. “What the hell?” Ryker whined. “Things were just getting good between Scotchy and Vooodka.” Piper leaned over the bar and looked them both in the eyes. “You’re making every person in the bar

uncomfortable with your shot glass sex-capades.” “Don’t you mean Herbert? We’re making Herbert uncomfortable,” Ryker said, while throwing a hand full of peanuts in his mouth. Piper cocked an eyebrow at them both and shook her head. She turned to grab some more liquor when Mason grabbed her hand and pulled her around the bar so she was standing between his legs. Piper struggled to release his grip, but he didn’t let her go. “Mason, let go,” she said with a stern voice. If Mason wasn’t drunk, he would have been taken back by her tone, but since he was, it only made him laugh. “Where do you think you’re going?” “I’m trying to work.” “Yeah, it seems like you have plenty of time to flirt with the old Herberts playing poker, but you can’t even say hi to me? What did I do Piper?” “Mason, I told you; we are only friends.” “Friends, yes, but right now you’re treating me like some piece of shit you got stuck under your Converse.” Piper looked at him and blew out a heavy breath. “Mason, I can’t do this alright? We’re better off just being cordial to each other. I don’t want to hurt my boyfriend and being around you is hurting him.” Mason released her. “I fucking knew it.” He slapped the bar counter and then went to grab the darts from the dart board. He needed to put harm into something and the only thing he could think of that wouldn’t get him in trouble was throwing darts at a dart board. Ryker followed him. Mason turned toward the board and spoke to Ryker at the same time. “That stupid lover boy of hers is ruining my fucking life.” “Dude, she’s not worth it. You could have any girl you want.” Maybe Ryker was right, maybe she wasn’t worth it. He was spending too much time trying to get the un-gettable get, he should be focusing on slamming as many woman as he could. He was in his prime and he shouldn’t waste his time trying to attract one woman who wanted nothing to do with him. “You’re right man. She’s not worth it.” “I’m glad you feel that way because you better get your dick ready. Look who just walked in.” Ryker nodded toward the door as he licked his lips. Mason turned and saw Brooke walking straight toward him and, God, did she look fucking good. She was wearing hot pink shorts that came just below her ass, a black tank top that dipped low, showing off her cleavage and high strappy black stilettos. Her hair was curled at the ends and she sported a light pink lipstick. Fuck him. She looked bend-her-over-a-table good. “Fuck…,” Mason said out loud. “My thoughts exactly, man. Damn, I think I have a boner.” “Down boy,” Mason said, while slapping Ryker’s crotch, making him buckle over. Brooke walked, well more like strutted, toward Mason, never taking her eyes off of him. She was on the prowl and he was her bait, her object of affection. Damn, if he wasn’t turned on. Mason stole a quick glance in Piper’s direction and saw her scowling at him and Brooke. Brooke came up to Mason and put her hand on his chest, slowly moving her fingers up to his neck. She smelled like heaven and he was just drunk enough not to be bothered by the fact that he couldn’t stand the woman; no, all he could see was how damn hot she looked. “Hey Mace.” “Hey Brooke. You’re looking fine tonight” She rubbed her body against him, sending a signal to his little man to stand at attention. “Yeah? I was hoping you’d think so.” “Is that right?” He wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her in closer.

“Uh huh, I dressed for you and here’s a little secret, I’m not wearing any underwear.” He moved his hands down to her butt to inspect, just to make sure she wasn’t lying. He didn’t feel any sort of panty line, so she must be telling the truth. He looked at Piper again and this time it looked like she was trying to kill him with her eyes. Mason smiled to himself. Brooke hanging all over him was killing Piper and she was not good at hiding it. Mason found it very interesting that she would let her little jealous monster out to play, especially since two seconds ago she said she wanted nothing to do with him. Oh, he was going to play Piper’s little game and he was going to have a good time doing it. “You want a drink?” he asked Brooke. She nodded while pulling her bottom lip with her teeth. Oh yeah, Brooke wanted him and he was going to use that fact to his advantage to drive Piper crazy. He grabbed Brooke by the hand, entwined their fingers and pulled her toward the bar, where Piper was wiping some glasses. Brooke gave Piper a disgusted look which slightly surprised Mason, but he didn’t think much of it. “Can we get a scotch for me and a sex on the beach for this vixen here?” “Ooo, I love sex on the beach,” Brooke said, while rubbing his forearm. Mason looked up at Piper and said, “So does Piper, or more like tease on the beach. Isn’t that right?” Fury flashed in those silver eyes of hers right before she turned around to make their drinks. Bingo, he was pissing her off, just what he wanted. This night was starting to feel so much better. Once they had their drinks, Mason decided he would stay at the bar, just to drive his plan home. He sat on a stool while Brooke stood between his legs with her hands caressing his thighs. She whispered what she wanted to do to him in his ear once they left the bar. He wouldn’t lie, he was fucking turned on, but he wished it was Piper whispering in his ear, not Brooke. He made sure to touch Brooke in every way possible, but without completely crossing the line. He made sure to never kiss her and to avoid any kind of advancement with her lips. He wanted to piss Piper off, he didn’t want to drive her away. Piper came up to them and cleared her throat. Mason peeked over Brooke’s shoulder and asked, “Can I help you?” “We’re closing, so you can take your little free porn show somewhere else.” Brooke looked Piper up and down and then turned to Mason. “Let me go to the bathroom and then we can go to your place, alright?” “Sounds good, sexy.” Brooke sauntered away and Mason swore he saw steam come out of Piper’s ears. Mason laughed out loud at Piper’s obvious display of jealousy. She was way too easy to piss off and he loved it. He loved every shade of green she showed tonight; it felt great to know that she was all talk when it came to them, she so wanted him and she had made it known tonight. “Why the hell are you laughing?” she said, while punching his side. “You so fucking want me.” Outrage spread across her face. “You are so full of yourself.” Mason brought Piper into his grasp, brushed her hair to the side and whispered gently in her ear. “You wish you were the one I was touching tonight, the one I was talking to and the one I was planning on fucking.” Her breathing grew heavy as she leaned into him, but just as quickly she’d leaned into him, she pulled away. “I don’t care who you fuck tonight.” He tipped her chin up and smiled at her. “That’s where you’re wrong. I can read you like a book, babe. You want me to fuck you tonight. You want me to take you back to my place and finally have my way with you. You want me to make you scream so loud tonight that you lose your voice.” She didn’t say anything; she just stared at him. Her eyes sparkled at his insinuation, but her jaw was tight, as if saying she would never think such a thing, but he knew better because her eyes spoke a

different story. “Get out of here and take your slut with you. I need to clean up.” With that, she turned on her heel and went into the back. *** Piper pressed her back against the hallway in the back of the bar. She felt like she couldn’t breathe; she put her hands above her head, trying to catch her breath, but she was having a hard time grasping air for her lungs. She shouldn’t have this reaction to Mason being with another woman, but the minute she saw Mason grab Brooke around the waist, she felt like her body was falling into a black abyss. She couldn’t take the sight of the two of them together and when Mason started saying what he wanted to do to her or what she wanted him to do to her, she lost it. She lost her ability to breathe and had to get away. He was going to go home with her; he was going to make love to her and Piper would spend the rest of her night wondering what it was like. She slid down the wall until she sat on the sticky floor. She pulled her legs into her chest and rested her head on her knees. She couldn’t stand the thought of Brooke being with Mason; she didn’t want Mason to go back to Brooke, not because Piper had some freak obsession with Mason not being with anyone, but because Brooke hurt Mason and she didn’t want Brooke to hurt Mason again. Piper heard a door slam, which forced her to look up. Brooke was standing over her with her hand on her hip. “You want him, don’t you?” Wow, Brooke got strait to the point. No hey, how’ve you been, you look nice tonight. “No, I have a boyfriend.” “You can’t fool me with that bullshit line. I can see it all over your face. You want him. God, and I thought you were nice, but no, you have to step in and try to ruin my relationship with Mason.” Brooke must have lost her mind in the days since Lexi and Jake’s wedding because she seemed so normal back then. “What relationship?” Piper asked. She knew it was the wrong thing to say at the time, but she couldn’t help herself. “Listen bitch, you stay away from him or I’m going to make your life a living hell. My dad is a very rich man. I can make sure you’re flat on your ass out on the curb in no time. Stick to yourself and leave Mason the hell alone or you’ll regret it.” Brooke turned around and headed toward the main room. Piper saw Mason wrap his arm around her waist and escort her out the door, out of the bar. Piper buried her head in her hands and let out a sob. What was going on with her life? Why wasn’t one man good enough? Why couldn’t she just be happy with Jax or why couldn’t she just let Jax go and pursue someone else, someone like Mason? The thought of letting Jax go made her want to throw up, so that wasn’t an option. Piper got up and headed toward the main room, trying to hold back the bile that was threatening to make an appearance. Hannah left early to be with Todd, so Piper was on her own once again. If she wanted to leave the bar at a decent hour, she needed to get started on cleaning up. Piper struggled through clean up…thoughts of Brooke and Mason together flashed through her mind, making her want to bang her head against the wall. Brooke didn’t deserve Mason. She had her chance with him and she lost it because of her own stupidity. Piper was finishing up the floors when someone came through the front door. Crap, she forgot to lock the door. She gripped the broom tightly, ready to swing at whoever came after her. Her heart rate picked up as she turned around and found Mason staring at her, without Brooke attached at his hip.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, while her heart pounded uncontrollably. “I realized I left with the wrong woman.” “Mason…” “Don’t Piper, please don’t. Just…just hang out with me.” How could she say no to that face? His big brown eyes pleaded with her. There was no denying him when he tore at her soul with those chocolate eyes. She nodded toward the pool table and said, “Rack them up, big man.” Mason’s face lit up with a smile, as he walked over to the pool table and started placing the pool balls in the triangle. She watched at how his back muscles rippled beneath his shirt and then there was that backside of his, sweet Lord, was it delightful. He was so damn sexy and he didn’t have to do much to look the way he did. Jeans and a button-up shirt and she was a goner. She grabbed a cue and started chalking it up. She watched him watch her intently, while still smiling as if he was a kid in a candy shop. “You know how to play?” he asked. “I’ve dabbled here and there.” She broke the balls to start off the game and followed up by sinking three more balls until she missed the fourth. She turned to Mason, who was rubbing his jaw, so he could have his turn. He looked at the ground and shook his head while laughing. “I think I’m being worked.” “You like it.” He looked her up and down and said, “I do like it.” When he walked past her to set up his shot, he rubbed against her making the hairs on her arm stand on end. Sending goose bumps down her leg, he bent over and took his turn at sinking some balls. The man affected her so easily. It wasn’t fair. They spent the next hour drinking beer, playing pool, and trying to mess the other one up. Mason would hit her cue right before she took her shot and she would put her cue between his legs before his shot, throwing him off completely. After her leg trick stopped working, she started using her feminine moves to distract him. She pulled off her button-up shirt, leaving her in short black shorts and a spaghetti strap shirt. Mason licked his lips while looking at her. He pulled on her red bra strap that she was wearing, making her giggle. “I didn’t know we were playing strip pool.” “We’re not. I just want to make sure I distract you. I don’t need to lose my undefeated status now.” “That outfit is not going to distract me enough. I’m two balls away from winning.” Piper walked over to him and pressed her chest against his. “So you don’t think I can distract you?” Mason shook his head no, seeming like he couldn’t answer her. “Game on, Dash.” He chuckled and set up for his shot. Right before he was about to make his move, Piper removed her tank top, revealing her red lace bra. She sat on the edge of the table right in front of the ball Mason was aiming for. Mason snuck a glance at her and then stood straight up when he saw what she was wearing. “What are you doing?” he asked in a strained voice. He was so adorable. “Distracting you.” “You’re playing with fire,” he said, while moving closer to her. “I’ve had a few too many drinks tonight and I can’t promise you I’ll hold to my promise of not making a move on you.” She shrugged. “What if I like playing with fire?” He stood directly in front of her now. His hands gripped her thighs and he leaned forward so their noses were almost touching. He must have put his pool cue down on the table because it was nowhere in sight. He rubbed his nose against hers and she felt his breath on her lips. Her mouth went dry as he ran his hands up her thighs so they sat at the edge of her shorts, his thumbs drawing small circles, driving her

crazy. “What do you want Piper?” What did she want? She couldn’t even think, let alone breathe, with him so close to her. How the hell was she supposed to know what she wanted? The man was driving her crazy being so close; she wasn’t thinking rationally and she knew she wasn’t because when he asked her his question again, she licked her lips and said, “You. I want you Mason.” Mason didn’t give her time to take back what she said because he had his lips on hers before she could stop him. He glided his hands up her sides and gripped her waist as if she was going to float away if he didn’t hold onto her tight enough. His lips caressed hers, sending bolts of sensual electricity down to her core. Every last part of her body throbbed with need and she felt like she couldn’t get close enough to Mason. She gripped his head and brought his lips close, so he was practically bruising her with his mouth. She didn’t care; she wanted more. She needed this man, as if he was her drug of choice. She didn’t care about consequences; she needed him and she needed him now. She opened her mouth and invited him in. Each stroke of his tongue against hers made her throb even harder. She knew she was wet and ready for him. She wanted him to touch her all over, she wanted to explore his body and take what she’d wanted so desperately that night on the beach. She moved her hands to his shirt and tugged it over his head, undershirt and all, revealing his perfectly sculpted Adonis body and his body art. He was beautiful and so perfect. She sighed as she took him in, making him chuckle. “You are so damn hot,” she said, while moving her hands from his pecs to his shoulders. “Same to you, babe.” He moved his hands to her back and popped her bra open, letting her breasts bounce free. He took her bra off and marveled at the sight of her bare breasts. “Fuck me, you are gorgeous.” “I plan to,” she said with a saucy grin. Mason ran his hand over his face, gathering his composure, then attacked her. He laid her down on the pool table and unbuckled her shorts. He slowly slipped his hands under her waistband and played with the fabric of her thong, while he drove her crazy with kisses across her body. When he sucked her nipple in his mouth, she cried out in pleasure. If he kept that up, she was going to cream herself before she even got a chance to get a good look at Mason in all his glory. Gathering strength, she sat up and worked on pulling down his jeans. Once he was out of his jeans, she took a good look at him. The thin fabric of his briefs didn’t leave much to the imagination. She tore them down and released him. Piper’s eyes widened as she took him in. “Oh my…” Mason grinned at her while reaching down and grabbing his wallet. He set it next to them on the pool table. She watched his muscles ripple with each movement and thanked the strength team at the Stallions training center for producing such a beautifully sculpted man. She ran her fingers over his new tattoo, marveling at the contrast of the white ink against the black. “It looks so good.” He trailed the same tattoo on her collarbone and said, “Yours looks better. It’s sexier.” She looked into his chocolate-brown eyes and brought her hand up to his face so she was cupping his cheek and rubbing her thumb against his bottom lip. “You’re so sexy, Mason. I know you don’t need to hear it because your ego can’t get any bigger, but you are sexy as hell.” “My ego has taken quite a beating this past year, so to hear those words come from your gorgeous lips means more to me than you will ever know,” he said sheepishly. Piper knew it wasn’t the time to bring up Brooke, but she couldn’t help herself. “There’s a screw loose

with Brooke. She was crazy to leave you.” His eyebrows shot up at her proclamation. “Is that right? Does that mean there might be a possibility for something to happen between us?” Flashes of Jax entered her mind, making her feel incredibly guilty for where she was, who she was with, and what she wasn’t currently wearing. Panic set in and she realized that what she was doing was so incredibly wrong that she hopped off the table and started looking for her bra. Mason stopped her before she could get very far. “Don’t, don’t bring him in here. It’s just you and me Piper.” He caressed her face and brought his lips down to hers, slowly nipping away until she forgot where she was again. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he pushed her back on the pool table. “It’s just you and me babe, no one else.” Piper nodded her head, agreeing with him. “Now, you mentioned something about me being sexy?” Piper giggled against his mouth and slowly worked her hands down his body, putting all thoughts aside for the moment because she wanted to be with Mason, even if it was only for one night. Her body was calling to him; her soul was reaching for him and she couldn’t deny herself any longer. His hands moved up her body as he kissed down her neck. He cupped her breasts at the same time, making her moan in delight. His hands were so big that they covered her entire breasts, turning her on even more. Her breath became ragged as he slipped his head down to her breasts and started working them with his tongue. Each lap and suck on her nipples had her begging for more. Her body felt like it was floating and there was only one way to get her down and that was Mason. His hands worked their way down to her shorts and panties and tore them off her legs so she was completely bare to him. He sat up and took her nakedness in. He blew out a ragged breath in response. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve dreamt of this moment, of you being naked in my arms. Now that it’s here, it doesn’t even compare to what I conjured up in my head. You are perfect Piper, so fucking perfect.” If it was possible for a person to erupt in flames, then she just did. His words set her core on fire, making her need for him that much stronger. She tried to pull him down closer, but he was taking his own sweet time. He kissed her all the way down her stomach until he reached the tattoos on her hips; he gave each tattoo a kiss and then looked up at her with a grin. “My favorite tats in the world.” “Mason…please,” she squirmed. “So impatient. What do you want baby?” “You to fuck me, please Mason…” He grinned at her again and lowered his mouth so he hovered right above her core. The muscles that helped her breathe were paralyzed at the moment; no air was coming in as she anticipated the touch of Mason on her most sensitive part. Mason stuck his tongue out and teased the skin right above her mound. “Fuck…Mason.” She squirmed, trying to connect his tongue with her folds, but struggled since he was holding her hips down. When she thought she couldn’t take it anymore, he dove in, spreading her legs farther than she thought they could go and licking her until she thought she wouldn’t be able to see anymore. It happened so fast she wasn’t ready. She screamed his name, literally screamed as her hips convulsed against his tongue. She heard rustling when she was trying to come back down from heaven and felt Mason flip her over on her stomach so she was now bent over the pool table. He leaned over her body and she felt the first nudge of his erection against her body, making her even wetter than before in anticipation of him being inside of her. He leaned over her ear and said, “I want you to stay bent over, but I need you to spread your legs. Can you do that for me?” She nodded and spread her legs for him. He was being a little bossy, but she didn’t

seem to mind. “Perfect.” He gave her ass a slap, sending sparks straight to her core and making her moan. “You like that?” Piper didn’t say anything because she was too embarrassed at her reaction. She didn’t want him thinking him spanking her was a turn-on. Before she could respond to his question, he slapped her ass again, this time on the other cheek. She bucked her ass up in the air and buried her head in her hands, once again moaning. “Fuck, that’s hot, Piper.” He pushed her head down further, raised her hips and played with her opening. She was so ready for him and she wanted him, now. “For fuck’s sake, Mason…” She felt him chuckle on top of her and she was just about to turn around and slap him for torturing her so much when he fully inserted himself in one swift move. They both screamed out in ecstasy. Mason held himself still so Piper was able to feel the full effect of his erection inside of her. She had never felt so full in her life. Wanting to move and feel more of him, she started to rock her hips. He quickly stopped her. “Don’t move.” “Mason, please I want to feel you.” He groaned as she felt his head against the back of her shoulder. “Baby, please don’t move. I’m trying to gather myself. If you move, I’ll explode in two seconds.” “Oh?” Piper smiled to herself and started rocking her hips as much as she could. Payback is a bitch, she thought. “Damn it Piper…God, I’m going to fucking come; stop moving.” She couldn’t if she wanted to because he just hit her pleasure spot and she was about to go over...once again. She moved her hips one last time and started screaming his name. Her inner walls contracted around Mason and he yelled in frustration. He grabbed her hips tighter and pumped hard into her as she felt his release. He slumped over her and kissed her back, where the birds flew across her spine. “You vixen.” She felt him smile against her back. He pulled out and deposited the condom in the trash next to the pool table. He looked back at her and gave her a huge grin. He held out his hand and pulled her in close to his chest, kissing her on the forehead. “We are doing that again. Come home with me?” His face was grinning, but his eyes were vulnerable; if she said no, he might crack into two. She couldn’t do that to him and she didn’t want to. She wanted to spend the night with him and see what it would be like to have Mason for one whole night all to herself. “Where do you live?” “Only a couple blocks away.” He picked her up and started walking toward the door. “Mason! We’re naked.” He looked down at both of them and shrugged, heading for the door again. “Oh no you don’t!” She was able to wiggle herself loose from his grip and took off for her clothes. They spent the next half hour chasing each other around the bar naked, making out on separate occasions and then finally walking to his apartment, holding hands. Being with Mason felt so right, so effortless, as if she had known him forever. She tried not to think about what that meant; she just wanted to spend one night with him and she did, making love every which way possible and in every room available.

Chapter 13 Hannah gripped the bottle of wine she got for her and Todd in one hand with her purse and unlocked the door to her apartment. Piper covered for her for the last part of Hannah’s shift so she could spend a romantic night with Todd. Last night, they had spent their time together holding each other and making love; she planned on doing a repeat. She was so thrilled to have Todd home and she was thrilled that he made a solid commitment to her. For once, she felt like their relationship was moving forward and, to top it off, he told her last night that he wouldn’t have to leave for work for a little while, so she was excited to have Todd all to herself for days on end. She walked into her apartment and almost dropped the wine that was in her hand. Sitting in the middle of the living room floor were Todd’s garment bag and carry-on laptop case. Was he leaving again? “Todd?” she called across the apartment, as she set her purse, keys, and wine on the table in the entryway. “Todd?” she called again, looking around the apartment. Todd came out of the bedroom, wearing one of his impeccably tailored grey suits, a white dress shirt, and a deep blue tie. His blond hair was slicked back, like usual, and he looked ready for business. Hannah felt her lip start to tremble. “Todd, what’s going on?” He looked at her regretfully. “Sorry sweetheart, but I have to go.” “What? No, you just got here. How on earth do you have to go again?” “I just got called and have to be in New York for a meeting tomorrow. I’m sorry.” “Can’t someone else go? You just got here; I planned on spending the night with you, drinking wine and…you know…” she trailed off, too embarrassed to say making love to him. “I just don’t think it’s fair that you have to be the one who keeps flying around when there are plenty of other people who can go around doing the same thing you do. Why do you always have to be the go-to guy? I think you’re being used because they know you won’t ever say no; maybe if…” “Hannah!” Todd shouted. “Shut up!” Hannah almost stumbled back from Todd’s anger and hateful word. He had never talked to her like that and it scared her that she had never seen that side of him. She didn’t like that he could flip a switch on her so fast and change his mood dramatically. She didn’t know what to say, so she just stood there. Todd grabbed his bags and started heading for the door. Hannah didn’t want him leaving on such bad terms, so she went after him. “Todd, wait! I’m sorry. I was just so excited…” He turned around and the man that looked her in the eyes was not that man she knew and loved. The man staring at her was angry, with a hint of scary lacing his pupils. His jaw was clenched tightly when he talked to her. “I told you not to bother me about my work. I’m working to provide for us so you can have fancy things and not have to be a bar maid anymore. Don’t you want something better for your life than waiting on tables?” Ouch that hurt. Hannah knew her job wasn’t the most valued job, but she enjoyed the people she worked with, the money was decent, and she liked the patrons who came in. “I only want you. I don’t care where we live, what we have, or how much money is in the bank.” “Well, I fucking care, so stop harassing me.” He never swore at her because she knew she didn’t like it, so for him to drop the f-bomb on her was very odd. Something must have happened that he was not telling her. He started walking out the door toward the stairs, so she chased after him. “Todd, wait…” She lunged at him and grabbed his shoulder, but he pulled away, sending her off balance and tumbling down the stairs. The wall at the bottom of the flight of stairs stopped her in her place. The side of her head was throbbing and her right eye had already started to swell shut. She looked up and saw Todd staring at her, not making a move. Was she dreaming? Did she just fall down the stairs

and her boyfriend didn’t seem to care? As if someone slapped him out of his haze, he dropped his bags and went running down the stairs and dropped before her, cupping her face. A look of horror flashed in his eyes as he took in her appearance. “Jesus, Hannah…I don’t, I…” He was speechless and she was glad; she didn’t want to hear what he had to say. She propped herself up and found that every bone in her body was aching already. Great, work would be interesting the next day. Without a word, Hannah went up the stairs and headed straight for her bathroom. When she looked in the mirror, she stared at a frazzled woman with blood running down her face and a swollen eye. Her hand was shaking as she examined the cut that was near her hairline. It didn’t seem too deep, thankfully, because the last thing she wanted to do right now was head to the emergency room and explain why she needed stiches. She pulled out her first aid kit and tended to her wound, closing the one-inch cut with a couple of butterfly strips. Piper would have a cow when she saw her tomorrow. Hannah put away her kit and turned to leave, but was startled by Todd standing in the doorway. She was so engaged in fixing her cut that she didn’t realize Todd was standing there watching her the whole time. His face looked ghostly white and his eyes looked like they were watering. She tried to move by him, but he gently stopped her. “Hannah, please I’m so sorry.” “Just leave, Todd. You wouldn’t want to miss your flight.” “I’m not going.” Hannah rolled her eyes. “Oh, is this where I say ‘no Todd, it’s okay, you have to work, go.’?” “No, I already called. Someone else is covering for me. I’m staying and I want to make sure you’re going to be okay. We should take you to the emergency room. You might have a concussion.” “I’m not going to the emergency room. I’m fine. I think its best that you stay somewhere else tonight, Todd…maybe think about your priorities.” Todd ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Hannah, I don’t know how to explain this to you. In order for me to get anywhere in my job, I have to go on these trips; I have to work, but it’s going to pay off, sweetheart. I promise. Remember, just give me two more years and I’ll be ready. We can do it. I just need you to be more understanding.” “I just hate that you have to leave right when you get here, it’s not fair.” He pulled her in for a hug. “I know, sweetheart. Believe me, I don’t like leaving you here alone. I want to be with you and hold you every night, but just remember, I’m doing this for us so we can have a life and a family together.” “I know,” she sniffed, not realizing that she was crying. “Come on,” he pulled her into the bedroom and started undressing her and himself. “I thought you were going to leave.” “No, I told you, I called in. I’m yours all night.” “You really called in…for me?” He cupped her face and kissed her forehead. “Of course. You fell down the stairs…because of me. I need to make sure you’re okay. You’re my world Hannah. I love you.” “I love you too, Todd.” Hannah let Todd fully undress her and take her to bed. Even though it was heartwarming that he wasn’t going to leave, she still knew he was going to leave at some point. He always gave short notice, so it was hard for her to enjoy the time she had with him, since she was dreading the time he had to leave. *** Daylight peeked through the windows of Mason’s bedroom, waking him to find a warm, soft body in his embrace. Flashbacks of last night ran through his head. Piper on the pool table, Piper on the kitchen

table, Piper in the shower, Piper beneath him and so many other positions and places. She had worn him out and, when he thought they were spent for the night, she reached down grabbed his manhood and started stroking him back to life. Never in his life had he spent a night full of lust like he did last night. If he hadn’t already fallen for her, he definitely fell for her last night and it wasn’t even because of her insatiable appetite for sex. It was in between the sessions of lust that made him go crazy for her. They talked about everything ranging from elementary school to family to most embarrassing stories. He felt like he had known her for years after last night. He told her some of his deepest secrets and fears and she talked about her controlling father and childhood of moving from place to place, without a warning or care. They found they had the love of classic movies, music, food and sex in common. Mason liked to take charge and she, to her dismay, didn’t mind relinquishing control. At one point, he had a wad of her hair bunched in his hand, his dick coming at her from behind, and she was bent over the couch, offering her entire body for him to take control of. He had one of the biggest orgasms of his life while gripping her hair and taking what he wanted. He was a goner after that. She lightly stirred, but stayed sleeping. Mason buried his head in her hair and inhaled. The woman smelled like lavender and her hair was soft as silk. He didn’t want to pull away, but he knew he would have to soon, since he had practice to get to and if he was late, Coach Ryan would have his head. He rubbed his thumb up and down Piper’s stomach, silently calling her name. “Piper, babe. I have to get up and get ready for practice.” “Hmm?” She turned in his arms and he watched her hair fan out across his pillow. He would never forget what she looked like in the morning. She was a goddess. She opened her beautiful eyes and made eye contact with him, which turned out to be a horrible idea. Her eyes started searching Mason’s face and it was as if she realized she was in bed with a shark. She hopped out of bed, tripping and struggling to free herself from the sheets, while picking up her clothes that were scattered across the room. “Shit, shit, shit,” she muttered under her breath. Mason sat in bed, confused. What the hell was going on? She knew she’d spent the entire night with him, shared stories with him, and swapped bodily fluids, so why was she acting like he was a stranger? “Piper, what are you doing?” “I need to get out of here.” He sat up and slipped on a pair of sweats, not bothering with a T-shirt. “Why?” She stopped what she was doing and looked at him as if he was stupid. She gestured between them and said, “Because of what I did.” She gripped her head in frustration and tugged on her hair. “Jesus, I have a boyfriend. What was I thinking?” Rage boiled up Mason’s spine as she charged toward her. “What did I tell you about bringing him up?” Piper stood right next to him and pointed her finger at his chest. “Don’t tell me what to do. This was a colossal mistake, Mason. It was a one night thing and it sure as hell won’t happen again.” Mason felt like a rusty shiv was being repeatedly stabbed through his heart as he watched her frantically put her clothes on and grab for her purse. He couldn’t let her leave like this, not after the night they had. The night full of honesty, lust, and what he wanted to think was the start of a relationship. He went after her and stood in front of his door so she couldn’t leave. “Piper, wait. Please don’t do this. Last night was amazing, beyond amazing. You can’t tell me you didn’t feel something last night… besides my erection.” He tried to make light of the situation, but she wasn’t buying it. “Last night was great, but Mason, I’m committed to someone else and you have to realize that.” She shoved past him and opened the door. Before she left, she took one last look at him as a tear fell from her face. “You’re amazing and I’m so sorry I can’t give myself over to you.” With that, she left him standing in his entryway wondering where the hell he went wrong. He was still thinking about where he went wrong when he was strapping on his gear getting ready for practice, as well

as in between water breaks from getting slammed left and right on the field. Mason took his helmet off and squirted water in his mouth. Not only did he have the shittiest morning ever, but now he had to suffer through the wrath of Coach Ryan and he was out for the kill today. Maybe giving the offensive team a couple of days off wasn’t the best idea because Coach Ryan was riding Mason. Every move Mason made, Coach Ryan had something to say about it. Mason squirted water on his face as Ryker came up next to him. Ryker patted Mason on the back as he squirted water in his mouth. “Great catch out there, man. I swear you have go-go-gadget arms sometimes.” Mason laughed, thankful for his friend’s reprieve. “That’s why they pay me the big bucks. You’ll get there, sonny.” Ryker flipped him off and leaned against the water table. “So…how did last night go after you went back to the bar? Brooke was livid, by the way. I swear she was ready to kill.” “Yeah, sorry about ditching you with her. Last night was amazing.” Ryker comically wagged his eyebrows at Mason. “Do tell.” “I don’t think I’ve exploded that many times in my life. I fucked her every which way you could think of and even got rough with her, which spurred her on even more. One minute, I’m trying to recover and the next she is stroking me to the point where I didn’t think my dick would ever be back to normal. It was insane.” Ryker laughed. “Damn, I should have gone after her.” Mason gave him the death stare, which made Ryker laugh even more. “If it was so great, then why have you been sulking all morning?” Mason blew out a frustrated breath. “This morning, she ran out on me without even a thank you for multiple orgasms. She blamed it on the boyfriend again, but I swear to you, she felt what I felt last night. When we weren’t fucking, we talked about everything. I feel like I’ve known her for years. I just don’t get it. I don’t know what else I can to do make her realize that I’m the man for her.” Ryker was about to respond when his eyes locked on something behind Mason. “Maybe she changed her mind.” “Why do you say that?” Ryker nodded to something behind him. “Because she’s standing over by the bench looking around.” Mason snapped his whole body around and saw his redheaded beauty behind him, looking gorgeous as ever in torn jean shorts, a white T-shirt and her ever-present Converse. Mason felt his heart soar at her appearance. He had no clue how she got into the practice facility, but he didn’t care; he just wanted to throw his arms around her and take her back to the locker room. He started walking toward her when he stopped and watched her spot someone in a crowd of guys. She took off running and that was when Mason’s life went completely black. The world stopped turning and everything around him was in slow motion as he watched Piper throw herself into Coach Jax Ryan’s arms. She started kissing him all over, while the guys hooted and hollered around them. He watched her smile at the man he despised, actually hated, the man who was making his life a living hell and not just on the football field now. Mason could not believe what was happening. Was he dreaming? Was Jax Ryan really the guy she was in love with? Was he the boyfriend that was ruining his life? No way, no fucking way. Mason felt Ryker’s hand on his shoulder and Mason shook him off, not wanting to hear any snide remarks from his friend. “I don’t want to fucking hear it.” “I wasn’t going to say anything. I’m not that much of an ass.” “I can’t fucking believe this. Please tell me this is a dream. This is a fucking dream, right man?” Piper’s laughter echoed through Mason’s ears, causing him physical pain since he wasn’t the one who made her laugh so wholeheartedly. Coach Ryan piped up so the guys could hear him.

“Hit the showers, men; you were saved by my little lady.” Mason envisioned slamming his fist through Jax’s chest after that comment, but restrained himself. Mason just kept staring at the happy couple. Finally, Piper looked away from her boyfriend and made eye contact with Mason. She mouthed “I’m sorry” to him and then wrapped her arm around Jax’s waist and walked through the tunnel with Mason’s now worst enemy. All the men started walking off the field, but Mason stood in place. He couldn’t believe what just happened. The woman he was meant to be with just walked off with the biggest douche Mason could think of. Piper had brought back the first happy feeling since Brooke had left him and now it completely vanished and he was left feeling bitter and alone; a lethal combination that could only get him in trouble. He grabbed his helmet and walked into the locker room, bypassing the make-out session Piper was having in Coach Jax’s office. He wanted to hate her; he wanted to hurt her, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t function, let alone worry about ways to get her back. He sat at his locker and laid his head against it, while listening to the sounds of the locker room. Towels snapping bare skin, medical tape being ripped, joking jabs being thrown at teammates, but none of it really registered because all Mason could focus on was the black hole that started to take over his heart all over again. He was losing himself and he was losing himself quickly. *** Ryker left Mason to himself, sulking at his locker. He felt bad for his friend. He couldn’t imagine what Mason was feeling right now. To find out the girl he was falling for was in love with their worst enemy, let alone their coach…damn, Ryker was happy we wasn’t in Mason’s shoes. Ryker tried talking to Mason, but he’d completely shut himself down, like right after Brooke broke things off with him, but maybe even worse. There was a darkness to Mason’s glare that Ryker had never seen before; it was almost disturbing. Mason refused to join Ryker at dinner and never left his locker after the moment he came in from the field. Ryker just hoped Mason wasn’t planning on staying very long because after what Ryker witnessed in Coach Ryan’s office, Mason would want to get out of the locker room as soon as possible. Ryker got into his car just as his phone started to ring. He looked down at the caller ID and saw his agent’s name splash across the screen. Last time his agent called him, Ryker was traded to the Stallions. Since they hadn’t started the regular season yet, Ryker still could possibly be traded again. He hoped to God not because he liked his team and where he lived. Plus, he needed to stay close to Hannah. If he had a snowball’s chance in hell to win her over, he had to be living in the same city. Ryker answered the phone. “Please, don’t tell me this is bad news.” “It’s not at all. It’s very good news, actually,” his agent said. “I just got a call from C.C. Morris and they want you to be their cover model for their upcoming fall and winter line.” Shock washed over Ryker’s body. “C.C. Morris, as in the top men and women’s clothing designer in the country?” “The one and only!” Ryker blew out a long whistle. “What did you say? Please tell me you accepted.” Even though Football was Ryker’s passion, fashion was his second. He loved experimenting with his look and mixing and matching textures with color. He’d been best dressed in ESPN’s style issue multiple times since he started playing in the NFL. It was a top honor he earned that he prided himself on. “Well, I scored you a deal…big money, free clothes and multiple covers and billboards. You can buy me a Land Rover as a thank you.” Ryker laughed into the phone. “Keep dreaming pal. But wow, that is awesome. I’m so excited.”

“There’s just one thing.” “I knew it was too good to be true,” Ryker said, while shaking his head. “It’s not a big deal. You know the basic stuff, like taking pictures in your underwear…” “Easy enough. Modesty is a word that’s not even in my vocabulary.” “You will also have a partner in all the shoots. They are really trying to make C.C. Morris a little bit more edgy and want to amp up the sex appeal.” C.C. Morris had more of a preppy style, which Ryker loved, so the fact that they wanted to pump up the sex appeal intrigued him. “Oh? How do they plan on doing that?” “You know Ashlin Harris?” “Uh, Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit model? The super model for Victoria’s Secret? Yeah, I’m familiar.” Ryker’s agent chuckled into the phone. “Well, they signed her on as well and the two of you will be modeling off their new line…together.” “Huh, interesting. Like how close together?” “Let’s just say they have a new lingerie and underwear line they can’t wait to try out on you two. This isn’t a problem right? I mean, you’re not with anyone and the image of you two together even makes an old man like me all hot and bothered. Stores won’t stand a chance keeping C.C. Morris’ new bedroom line in the store.” “Is that what it’s being called? I thought we were talking fashion here, not strips of fabric.” “You will still do their regular clothes, but they really want to emphasize the bedroom line…you know, to kick things off. This is a great opportunity Ryker…what’s the problem? Why are you so hesitant? You get to lie around with barely any clothing on with the hottest woman on the planet right now.” Ryker couldn’t disagree there. Ashlin Harris was beyond fucking hot. He might have had a dream or two where she starred, but the thing that bothered him was the fact that, for one, he didn’t want to win the title of eye candy and two…Hannah kept popping in his mind and what she would say. “I just don’t want to be known as the football player who poses in his briefs all day long. I want to make sure that this is the right move for my career and not going to threaten any chances I might have on the field.” “It won’t; it will heighten your career. I’ve already talked about the deal with the Stallions PR department. They are ecstatic. They think it will bring more notice to the team from the female population. They are one hundred percent behind you and promised this won’t affect any kind of playing time on the field.” Ha, Ryker guffawed to himself. Try telling that to Coach Ryan. The man did anything he wanted and could get away with murder, so if he didn’t like the underwear ads Ryker was in, he would take away playing time for sure. “I don’t know man…” “What happened? You were so excited about this. Just because you’ll be showing off some skin with another human, it has you all bound up? What happened to ‘modesty isn’t a word in my vocabulary’?” His agent mocked. Ryker blew out a frustrated breath. “I was fine with it being clothes, or being alone, but you know what the media is going to do. They’re going to blow this out of proportion and, next thing you know, the media will have Ashlin and me with three kids and on the way down divorce road.” “That’s crap. It’s just a few ads here and there. Believe me. They’ll be too busy staring at your ripped abs to even come up with some outlandish story.” “You’ve been a little too obsessed with my body during this conversation,” Ryker laughed, “You want to tell me something?” “Yeah, you are my money maker and I am determined to have your face plastered everywhere, so if that

means I compliment you on your amazing physique, then I’m alright with it.” “Well, I appreciate it.” “So….” “Fine…I’ll do it.” “Fuck yeah! I’ll call you later on in the week with the details. You will not regret this, buddy.” “I hope not.” Ryker hung up the phone and found himself driving toward Hannah’s apartment. This was an amazing opportunity and the more he thought about it, the more excited he got and he had to share the news with someone. Since Mason was sulking and pretty much out of commission when it came to being a friend, Ryker went to see Hannah. As he approached her door, his hands started to sweat uncontrollably. He didn’t know why the fairskinned, blue-eyed beauty flipped his stomach upside down every time he saw her, but he planned on making sure he continued to see her because now that she was in his life, he wasn’t letting her go that easily. At least not without a fight. Ryker knocked on her front door and waited impatiently for her to open the door. Never did he expect to see Hannah with a massive black eye and a bruised face staring straight back at him. “Ryker, what are you doing here?” Ryker grasped her head gently and made her turn so he could take a closer look at her face. “Hannah, what the hell happened to you?” Hannah put her head down and backed away. “Nothing, don’t worry about it.” Rage burned through his body as he took in her disheveled appearance, bloodshot eyes and poor butterfly job on the cut near her hairline. “Did the fuckhead hit you?” Ryker couldn’t help himself from blurting out the words. He didn’t let her answer as he examined her body. There were bruises on her arms in weird places and some on her shins. “What the fuck, Hannah? Did he hit you?” “It’s not what you think.” The aura around him started to go black and all he could see was red. Someone had hurt his Hannah and he would bet his football career on who it was. Ryker charged in her apartment and started looking around. “Is he here right now?” Ryker went through all the rooms in Hannah’s apartment, but didn’t find the bastard. He looked over at Hannah and saw how fragile she was; there was no way he was leaving her, especially with that monster coming back, so we went into her bedroom, grabbed a bag he saw in her closet and started packing everything up. “What are you doing?” “You’re coming home with me because you sure as hell aren’t coming back here where that ass fuck can treat you like his punching bag anymore. I swear to God if I ever see that man…” Hannah placed a hand on his arm to stop him. “Ryker, stop. Todd did not do this. I fell down the stairs and banged my head against the wall at the bottom.” Ryker watched her eyes to see if she was telling the truth; she didn’t seem to alter her eyes in any way while she told him what happened, but still, something didn’t sit right with him. “How did you fall down the stairs?” Her eyes flickered away and he knew her the next sentence that came out of her mouth was going to be a lie…and Hannah never lied. She was the most honest person he knew. Before she could ruin her track record of honesty, he put his hand over her mouth. “Don’t lie to me; tell me the truth.” Her eyes flew open in astonishment at how well he could read her. Like he told her the first night they met, they were meant to be together. They were kindred spirits or as Phoebe Buffay put it so eloquently,

he was her lobster. She sighed and sat on her bed, so he joined her while holding her close. “Todd and I were fighting; he was leaving and I went to grab him to stop him from going and, as he pulled away, I lost my balance and fell down the stairs. He didn’t have anything to do with it. I’m just a clumsy fool.” Ryker gritted his teeth together, maybe the bastard didn’t push her down the stairs, but he sure as hell didn’t save her from falling. “What were you two fighting about?” “What else? Him leaving again.” Ryker pulled her in tighter and placed a kiss on her head. He had no clue why Hannah put up with so much from Todd. She should have left him a long time ago, but for some reason, she kept holding on. “I don’t see why you stick around, there’s something…” Before Ryker could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by a blond-haired man with slicked back hair standing in the doorway. “She sticks around because she is in love with me, so I suggest you take your hands off my fiancé before I call the authorities.” There were so many things wrong with what Todd just said. First off, how could Hannah love a weasel-type man like Todd? Second of all, Todd was too much of a pussy to face Ryker himself, so he threatened to call the police and third of all…FIANCÉ? Where the hell did that come from? In unison, Ryker and Hannah both asked, “Fiancé?” But whereas Ryker was looking at Hannah, Hannah was looking at Todd, as if he just proposed to her. Todd came over to the bed, snatched Hannah from Ryker’s grasp and pulled her in close to him, fiddling with something around her neck. “Well, soon-to-be fiancé. Isn’t that right, sweetheart?” “I, uh, I guess so…I thought we just promised ourselves to each other; I didn’t know there was anything official.” “What do you think this necklace is for?” Todd asked, while running his fingers over, what Ryker could only assume was, white gold and very expensive. “Todd…really? We’re engaged?” Todd waved her off. “We can talk about the semantics later. What needs to happen now is, you need to get this low-life out of my home.” “Your home?” Ryker asked. “I’m pretty sure Hannah lives here more than you do.” “Yeah, well I pay the rent, so get the fuck out before I call the police and let the media eat you up.” Ryker got up, not because of Todd, but because Hannah looked visibly uncomfortable. He walked out the door, but not before he leaned into Hannah’s year and whispered to her. “You know where to find me. I’m not through with you yet, Hannah. If I see that he lays one abusive hand on you, I will not be as civil next time.” Hannah looked at him wide-eyed and just nodded her head. To Todd, Ryker just said, “Stop wasting her life and let her go, fuckhead. You don’t deserve her.” “Ha, and like you do? Hannah deserves to be with someone who has class, not some trailer trash who happened to get lucky and is able to catch a football.” Ryker cocked his arm back to punch Todd right in the face. No one ever talked about his family life or the way he grew up, ever. But before Ryker could introduce his fist to Todd’s dainty jaw, Hannah put a hand on his chest and pleaded with her eyes. Damn her. “You’re fucking lucky, jack ass.” Ryker walked out of Hannah’s apartment and straight to his Range Rover. He needed to get the hell out of there before he went ape shit on Todd’s face. The only two reasons he didn’t lose his cool were because Todd most likely would press charges and that wouldn’t suit Ryker well with his coach and

because Hannah asked him not to. He would do anything she asked him…except leave her alone. That wasn’t an option. Ryker would never leave her, now that he knew she was the one for him. He started pulling out of his parking spot when Hannah came chasing after him, waving her hands in the air and asking him to stop. Even with her bruised face and swollen eye, she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever laid his eyes on. He opened his door and grabbed Hannah’s shoulders that were now slumped trying to compose herself. He titled her chin up so he could look into her eyes. “What is it Hannah?” “I just…I just didn’t want you to leave mad at me. Things are…moving forward with Todd and I just want you to know I still want to be your friend. Ryker felt his shoulders slouch in defeat. He pulled her in for a hug. He was still sitting in his car, but was facing her with her little body between his legs. Her hands wrapped around his body and rubbed his back up and down. Jesus, she affected him so much; there was no way he could ever be mad at this woman. “I would never be mad at you. You hear me?” She nodded as he kissed her temple. She glanced up at him and smiled. “Why did you originally come over?” “This seems stupid now, but I was excited about some news I got.” “What’s the news?” Her face brightened at his statement and he felt himself melt all over again. He brushed a piece of loose hair behind her ear. “My agent called and told me C.C. Morris wants me to be their new cover model.” “Really?” Hannah shouted and then hugged Ryker so hard, he thought she was going to squeeze the air right out of him. “Yeah, it’s going to be their fall and winter line as well as the uh, bedroom line.” “Ooo,” Hannah smiled. “Does that mean women across the country get to look at your naked body?” she teased, while poking his stomach. “Well, I wouldn’t say naked, but pretty close. At least I won’t be alone. Ashlin Harris is going to be modeling with me. Apparently C.C. Morris wants things to look real steamy.” Hannah’s smile faded to a frown instantly. “Ashlin Harris, the super model?” “The one and only.” Hannah’s face scrunched up at hearing about his co-star which only shot pride through Ryker’s body. She actually cared who he was with; that was a great first step in the right direction. “Don’t worry though, Boo. You’re the only woman for me.” Hannah pushed him away. “I don’t care what you do with your life. If you want to be with…Ashlin, then be with her. I’m not going to stop you. I have Todd and we’re going to get married.” “So I’ve heard,” Ryker said sarcastically. “Maybe this is a good thing. You and Ashlin would actually be perfect together. You’re both gorgeous human beings; it only makes sense.” “You think I’m gorgeous?” Hannah rolled her eyes. “I’m leaving. See you later.” “Bye wife.” “Don’t call me that.” Ryker laughed and pulled away from her apartment. It might not have been the best visit with Hannah he ever had, given the fact that Todd was there and her face was all bruised, but he felt good after he delivered his news about Ashlin Harris. It was nice to finally see Hannah a little jealous. He currently liked the way his future was looking for him.

Chapter 14 “Darlin’, this is the best surprise ever, but I highly doubt my men will ever let me live it down.” Piper kissed her way across Jax’s face, relishing the scent that was radiating off of him. “Mmm, I don’t care,” she continued to kiss his jaw and felt her way up his shirt. “I missed you.” “I missed you too. Do you want to watch a movie tonight?” Piper wanted to do more than watch a movie; she wanted to make love to Jax. After the night she had with Mason, she had to spend time with Jax; she had to show herself that Jax was the man for her. After she sprinted out of Mason’s apartment this morning, she went straight back to her place and cried hysterically in her shower. She couldn’t believe she’d cheated on Jax, after she promised herself to him. What the hell was going through her mind? Oh that’s right…nothing because whenever she was around Mason, everything else in the world disappeared and it was just her and Mason. She felt so guilty that she decided to surprise Jax at the field, completely forgetting about the fact that Mason would be there. The moment she saw the look of betrayal on Mason’s face, all Piper could do was say sorry. This whole time, she never thought about the two of them working together. She never imagined that her choices would affect Mason and his career. “Hey.” Jax pulled her head up so she was looking him in the eyes, his big puppy-dog eyes. “I lost you there for a second, are you okay?” “Of course,” she smiled brightly. “A movie sounds great, but I was thinking of doing something that required less clothing.” He nuzzled her neck while she sat on his lap. She felt how the heat they created stirred his lower half to attention. She rubbed against him, making him groan. Whenever they became more intimate and turned on, his accent grew heavier, turning her on even more. Even his groan was one of a southern gentleman. When she first walked on the field, she observed Jax in his environment and was instantly fired up and ready to take him when she saw him taking charge on the field and making his men follow his instructions. It was hot. She thought about how she should visit him more often on the field, but then decided that probably wasn’t a good idea, since she would be seeing her boyfriend pushing Mason around. She wouldn’t be able to take that. “We can always watch a movie naked, you know,” Jax said in a husky tone, while running his hand up the front of her shirt and grabbing her breast in one quick motion, sending her head flying back in pleasure. “Jax…” She had to catch her breath. She didn’t know why she was so worked up, but she was about ready to explode. “Let’s go home.” He let go of her breast and caressed her cheek. “I have a couple of things to do around here, but then I’ll be headed to your place. Is that okay?” She whined like a petulant child; she needed him now. She needed to make herself feel better about what happened between her and Mason. She needed to prove to Jax and her that she loved Jax, more than anything. “I know, darlin’, but I promise to make it up to you.” He grabbed her face and gave her a long, sexy kiss, sending fireworks off in her belly. He pulled away quickly and gave her a devilish smile. She swatted at his chest. “You’re evil.” “Yeah, but you love me.” “I do love you,” she said softly, as she got off his lap and adjusted her shirt. “I’ll see you at my place.” She gave him a wink and he followed her wink up with a smack to her ass. She giggled as she let herself out of his office, glancing back to see him working diligently on his computer. She was so enamored with Jax and how adorable he looked at work that she ran right into a brick wall on her way to her car. She stumbled back, but was caught by two large hands. She knew those hands, the feel of them on her body, the way they made her skin tingle. She looked up and found Mason, the brick

wall, staring down at her with wet hair, a tight T-shirt spanning across his chest and jeans wrapped around his lower half. Damn, he looked so good. She felt tongue tied; she didn’t know what to say, so she said nothing while he looked down at her, searching her eyes. The stubble on his face was more prominent than normal, he must not have shaved at all this morning, making her feel awful because she knew it most likely had something to do with the way she treated him. He smelled like heaven and she slowly found herself slipping into the world that only Mason could take her to. “Uh, sorry. I didn’t mean to run into you.” He smiled at her, actually smiled. She couldn’t believe it. She didn’t deserve his smile, she deserved to be slapped across the face. “It’s alright, babe,” he said, while stroking her hair. Why was he being so nice to her? What was he up to? “Mason, I’m sorry about today. I should have told you I was seeing Jax Ryan. I guess it never crossed my mind.” Mason waved her off, as if the news about her dating his coach didn’t have any effect on him. Did he take some kind of Prozac or something? Why wasn’t he screaming in her face? “Don’t worry about it. I’m not.” “What does that mean?” she said, while propping one hand on her hip, slowly becoming irritated with the man in front of her. “Jax doesn’t concern me. What concerns me is that you didn’t give me a proper goodbye when you left my place this morning.” “You have got to be kidding me. Are you some kind of masochist? I told you whatever this is between us is over. I can’t do this, Mason. Why can’t you get that through your thick skull? Have you been pounded into the ground for so many years that you’ve lost all ability to absorb information?” Piper was breathing heavily. The audacity of the man in front of her, she thought. The mere fact that he refused to acknowledge the fact that her boyfriend was his coach and how that was a problem made her irate. Before she could yell at him more, he backed her up against the concrete wall in the hallway and placed his hands on either side of her head, trapping her from escape. “Listen up and listen closely.” His low baritone voice shook her to her core and not in a bad way. “What happened between us is not just going to go away. Just because you are ‘in love’ with my coach doesn’t mean that I’m going to stop going after you because what we have together is more than anything you will ever have with that pencil dick.” Piper’s mouth dropped open. “He does not have a pencil dick, he’s actually quite…” “Finish that sentence and I will plow into you right now to show you what a real dick feels like.” Piper shut her mouth because she knew Mason was serious and she didn’t want Jax walking out to see Mason slamming into her, most likely from behind, since he loved taking her that way and if she had to admit it, she loved it too. “Good girl.” He kissed her from her ear to her jaw and around her mouth but never touching her lips while talking to her. “You are going to see me tomorrow night. You are going to come over to my place and you are going to wear the sexiest lingerie you have. I plan on fucking you until you can’t scream any longer.” He finally kissed her lips, making her moan in the back of her throat. “And if you don’t show up, you are not going to like the consequences, you hear me?” He bit her bottom lip, making her squeal. Piper found herself nodding in agreement, but she had no clue why. She had no intention of going to Mason’s place tomorrow night, especially since she was going to make things work with Jax, but she would cross that path when she got to it. “Good.” He licked her bottom lip before fully taking both her lips with his. He moved his tongue in

and out of her mouth, making her do the same. She couldn’t stop, even if she wanted to. One last taste… that was all she needed. “Now get your sexy ass out of here and I will see you tomorrow.” Piper tore away from him, but not before he could smack her ass just like Jax. She quickly ran down the hallway and into her car. She buckled up, but didn’t start her engine. Instead she put her head on the steering wheel and started crying. This was all so unfair. *** “Who was that?” Lexi asked, while rubbing the front of Jake’s chest while he leaned his back against her. Jake would never get sick of the feel of Lexi’s hands across his body. He was beyond lucky that he was not in the same spot as his three best friends. Ryker had been pining after a girl named Hannah ever since he got to Denver and kept saying she was his future wife. Jake was shocked to hear such words come out of his playboy friend’s mouth. The mountain air must be getting to him. Parker was having a hell of a time with the ladies over in Atlanta. Apparently, he was the hottest rookie at the moment and couldn’t seem to escape the crowds for some peace and quiet. Any little move he made was either captured in a photo or on film. He kept asking about Margo, one of Lexi’s best friends, giving Jake the idea that Parker was crushing on the gorgeous dark-haired beauty. Jake wasn’t too shocked about Parker’s feelings, since he and Margo had always had a connection, ever since they were freshmen in college. Then that left Mason…poor, poor Mason. “That was Ryker,” Jake answered his beautiful wife. She moved to his front and straddled his lap. He was sitting on the couch, so he leaned back and enjoyed the view of his wife in her bikini. She spent most of her time in a bikini now that they lived on the beach and her skin did a glorious job soaking up the sun. She had a mouthwatering tan covering her body that made her gorgeous blue eyes stand out even more. Her hair was hanging down over her shoulders, just covering her breasts and was in long waves from the beach water. He fingered the light blue two-piece suit she was expertly wearing. The fabric barely covered her large breasts and had a really skimpy bottom that he enjoyed. He picked the bikini out for her to wear around the house and that was it. He made sure she wore more conservative bathing suits out in public, but this one, this one was for his own enjoyment. He played with the straps barely containing her breasts as she wiggled around on his lap making him grow larger by the second. She smiled at him, knowing exactly what she was doing to him, the little vixen. To think she had only barely been with one other man before they met. “What did Ryker want? Was he trying to trash talk before the game on Saturday? They know they’re going down, right?” Lexi said seductively, making him think differently about the words “going down.” Boy did he want to go down. He shook his head and thought about what a coincidence it was that he would be playing the Stallions for their first pre-season game. Jake had spent the last couple of months really getting ready for the season and when he was on the field with the rookies, he made sure he worked them and they understood his way of passing. He did that because it was the only way they were going to meld well together. If he wanted a winning season, then he needed to learn how to work with what he was dealt and, after weeks of training, he felt good about the season and their chances. Lexi kissed his jaw. “Earth to big guy, what did Ryker want?” “Sorry. You make me forget everything when you wiggle around like that.” She wiggled again, making him even harder, if possible. He gripped her hips to keep her still. “You are such a tease.” She shrugged her shoulders. “You like it. Now tell me what Ryker wanted.”

“He called to talk about Mason and a new campaign he’ll be a part of.” “Really? That’s exciting, what kind of campaign?” “Some bedroom line with C.C. Morris.” Lexi screeched. “C.C. Morris…seriously?” “Yeah, what’s the big deal?” “Jake, you know that black garter you like me to wear with the light pink bows on it?” Jake thought back to the other night when Lexi came out of their bedroom wearing one of the smallest bras he had ever seen with a matching panty-less garter belt, he nearly exploded on the spot. “How could I forget? You were so fucking hot in that.” “Well, that’s from C.C. Morris. It’s a new line they’re starting. I got a free sample the other day. I can’t believe Ryker is going to be a part of their campaign. I heard they are really trying to amp up the sex appeal and steer away from the preppy look. He has a great body for it.” “Excuse me?” Jake said in a joking tone. “Oh please. You have the best body I have ever seen…ever, but Ryker has a good body too and he could totally pull off their style.” “Yeah, well guess who he’ll be working with?” Lexi shrugged, not even trying to guess. “Ashlin Harris.” “Shut up! Holy crap. That is going to be one hot ad. I can’t wait to see it.” “It will be nice to look at Ashlin,” Jake said jokingly. “Watch it, big guy. I can very easily go into our bedroom and change into sweats and a ratty old shirt.” “I would still want to fuck you up against a wall.” “Jake!” Lexi squealed. “You dirty man. So what about Mason? Is he alright? I worry about him.” “Ryker was inviting us out the night before the game to a bar him and Mason frequent often; Ryker thinks it might be good for Mason, since he just found out Piper, who he’s been obsessed with, is dating and in love with, get this, their offensive coordinator.” Lexi’s mouth dropped in shock. “So the man Piper has been raving about to me is Mason’s coach? Doesn’t Mason hate his coach?” “Despises,” Jake said, while playing with the strings to Lexi’s top, slowly loosening them. “How does Mason feel about it?” Jake shrugged his shoulders as he finally released Lexi’s top from her breasts and reveled in the sight in front of him. God, she was so perfect. He moved his hands up her tight body and gripped her breasts, slowly massaging them so her nipples got hard. “Jacob Taylor!” Lexi swatted his hands away. “Focus.” “I am focusing,” he said with a wry grin, while taking her breasts back into his hands. “I’m concerned about Mason,” Lexi said, while flying off his lap and putting his erection on display. “Not so fast.” He grabbed her, spun her around and sat her on his lap so her back was leaning against his chest. He peeked over her shoulder and nuzzled her neck, right in the sweet spot that he knew drove her crazy. “Mason will be okay,” he said, while moving one hand across her breasts, tweaking her nipples while the other one traveled down to her skimpy bottoms. “You don’t know that,” Lexi said breathless. “He’s had a rough year.” “I know baby and I will make sure I talk to him. Please tell me you are going to go with us.” “I don’t know…” Jake slipped his finger under her bottoms and found how wet and ready she was for him, making her groan. “Are you sure you don’t know?” he whispered in her ear, while playing with her sensitive spot. “I can make it worth your while.” Jake grabbed one of her breasts and stroked her at the same time he applied pressure to her nipple. He brought his mouth down on her neck and licked the groove where her neck met

her shoulder. “Um…what was the question?” she asked, while moaning at the same time. “Tell me you’re coming with me to my first pre-season game.” “I, uh don’t….ahh, Jake.” He stopped his hands and didn’t move them, making her squirm. “Damn you Taylor, finish what you started.” “Not until you answer me, sweet thing.” “I’ll go. I was always going, now please, finish…” Jake went to town on his wife, stroking her, licking her, feeling every last part of her body until she literally exploded in his hands. Even though he wasn’t inside her and she was reaping all the benefits of his hard work, he still enjoyed it just as much as she did. He was one of the luckiest men to be married to such a gorgeous and sweet woman who cared, not only about them, but about his friends as well. “I love you,” he whispered in her ear. Grinding her hips into him, she turned and shimmied down his body, pulling his pants down. She looked up at him and gave him a devious grin. “I love you too, big guy.” She put her lips around his eager cock, making his head fall back. She started working him up and down, making him ready to shoot off in three seconds. “Damn, I really fucking love you.” She giggled at his sex-induced proclamation and made him scream for more. *** After Lexi was done having some fun with her husband, she decided to get to the bottom of the little love triangle that was going on between her friends. She still couldn’t believe Piper was dating Mason’s coach. She asked Jake about the age difference, because NFL coaches were usually older gentlemen, but apparently Jax Ryan was an up and comer in the football scene who had a lot to prove, but a bunch of talent. After doing a little research on the internet, she found out that there was only a seven year age difference between Jax and Piper, which wasn’t terrible. She also found out that he lost his wife a year ago and he was quite the hunky southern gentleman. She watched an interview he gave and Lexi felt her cheeks go red from his accent. His voice was so smooth. She could see why Piper was crazy about him. Lexi pulled out her phone and sent Piper a text, she wanted to feel her friend out, see where she stood with the two men and the only way she could do that is if she tricked her friend a little. At the wedding, she saw there was a spark between Mason and Piper…whether it was pure hatred or lust, there was a spark nonetheless, so Lexi wanted to see if Piper had feelings for the dark and handsome wide receiver as well. Lexi: Hey girl. So, you and Mason, huh?” That would get Piper going, Lexi thought and just like that, before Lexi could take another breath, her phone started ringing with Piper on the other line. “Hey Piper. How are you doing, girl?” “I cannot believe Mason told you two!” Piper practically screamed in the phone. “Who else has he told? Oh my God, please tell me you have not talked to anyone about this.” Yikes, bad idea, Lexi thought. She should have started this conversation a completely different way, but it was too late. She would just have to do damage control, not to save her own ass, but to save Mason’s. “Slow down, girl. Mason didn’t say anything to us. I don’t think Jake has talked to him in a while.”

“It was Ryker, wasn’t it?” Even though Ryker was a good scapegoat, she could not do that to him. He could be dramatically annoying at times, but she still liked the guy; he always made their outings together fun. The panic coming through Piper’s voice warned Lexi to tread lightly. Obviously, her situation with Mason and Jax was wearing her thin. “No, I just had an inkling. I heard Mason was having a hard time and I haven’t heard from you in a while, I guess it was best friend intuition.” Piper blew out an exaggerated breath. “God, L, where do I even start?” “What about from the beginning?” “Well, you know all about Jax and how things are amazing with him and how much I love him.” “Of course. You two seem perfect for each other.” “Right? So everything is great with him, but then Mason has to come in and ruin everything. He is hellbent on making me his…his words, not mine. He has absolutely no respect for boundaries or that I have a boyfriend and he is very free and willing to touch me wherever and whenever. I mean, he made out with me right in front of Jax’s office. Jax could have seen us. And then he goes and has sex with me on the pool table, well that was before the make out session in front of Jax’s office, but still. We had sex like freaking horny teenagers, I mean everywhere all over his apartment. I don’t think I have ever had that many orgasms in my life. He just won’t leave me alone and, I swear, anytime he is near me, my body knows and starts reaching out to him. I can’t help it. But I love Jax, I love Jax so much.” Piper stopped rambling for a second, so Lexi was able to throw in a quick question, even though her mind was reeling from what Piper just spat out. “Do you love Mason?” “GOD, NO! Oh sweet Lord, wouldn’t that be something. The man is infuriating most of the time, acting all macho and puffing out his chest. He doesn’t know how to be a decent human, but then he’ll lay in bed with you, caress your forehead, and listen to your stories about your father and kiss away your worries. Ugh, no, the man is so beyond irritating; no, I don’t love him.” Lexi was smirking on the other side of the phone. Piper was so in love with Mason and she had no clue, but this caused Lexi to worry about Piper because her friend was also very much in love with Jax. “So then, leave him alone. Let him off easily.” “Like I haven’t tried already. The man won’t take no for an answer, ever. He told me the other day after our make-out session that I better show up at his house dressed in my best lingerie so he could fuck me and, if I didn’t, then I wouldn’t like the consequences.” “Did you go?” Lexi was intrigued by this new development, this new Mason. “Of course not! I fucked Jax that night, a couple of times just out of spite.” “Well good. See that’s all you need to do. Just ignore him.” “That’s what I thought too, but then I got a text message from him the next morning and it wasn’t good.” “What did it say?” Lexi felt like she was watching her own romantic drama unfold. She loved her life with Jake, but she missed the first months with a budding relationship, trying to figure everything out. “He said, and I quote, ‘I’m very disappointed in you Piper. You will receive your punishment Friday. Get ready to beg for forgiveness.’ I mean, who says that?” A shiver went up Lexi’s spine. “That’s kind of hot.” “Lexi! That’s not helping.” “I’m sorry, but it is.” There was silence on the other side, but then Piper spoke softly. “It is kind of hot.” Lexi burst out in laughter. “Listen, don’t fret about it too much. I’m coming out with Jake for the pre-season game. I don’t have to work just yet, only the regular season games, so I’ll be there Friday night. I guess everyone is getting together. I’ll make sure everyone is on their best behavior.”

“Thank you. Oh, do you know if Brooke will be there?” “Yeah, she texted me earlier and said she can’t wait to see me. Why?” Then it dawned on Lexi. “Oh shit. Does she know about Mason?” “Well…I don’t know how much she knows, but she did give me a pretty good warning the other night to stay away from him.” “Sounds like her. Don’t worry about it. I’ll make sure she doesn’t hurt you. I’ll see you Friday, alright?” They said their goodbyes and Lexi got off the phone, not believing everything her best friend just told her. She would not want to be in Piper’s shoes right now because when Mason put his mind to it, he could be a very persuasive person. Jake came up behind her and placed a grilled cheese sandwich in front of her as well as a bowl of soup. “Eat up, baby.” “You’re such a good man.” She grabbed his head and pulled him down to show him how much she appreciated him. She ran her tongue across his lips and then dipped it into his mouth. “Wow. I’ll make you grilled cheese every night if this is the kind of thanks I get.” “I’m just grateful that we found each other.” “You didn’t make it easy on a guy. I swear you tore my gut out a few hundred times.” Lexi winced a little from the accurate depiction of what they went through to finally get to where they were today, but it was worth it. Every heartbreak, break-up and fight was worth it because she would never trade anything for what she had now. “It was worth it, big guy.” “So worth it.”

Chapter 15 Knots formed in Ryker’s stomach as time ticked down. He was going to meet Ashlin Harris, so they could get to know each other before their upcoming photo shoot, but that wasn’t why his stomach was in knots. The reason he had the cold sweats and felt like he was going to throw up was because of the woman who just walked through the door. Hannah’s shift had started. Ryker was nervous to see her because he hadn’t seen her since he went to her apartment. He was too nervous to see her and see her battered face again. He didn’t think he could stomach looking at her angry bruises. When he looked up and made eye contact with her icy blues, he was relieved; her bruises were covered up with makeup and her eye was no longer swollen. She looked as beautiful as ever. “Hey, Boo.” Ryker said, while swinging around on his bar stool so he was able to talk to her while she got ready for her shift. “Hey Ryk, isn’t everyone meeting a little later?” She was referring to the get together he, Mason and Jake were having. Ryker was pretty excited about it. “Yeah, but I have to meet someone beforehand and thought, why not here?” “Good choice.” She gave him a wink and filled up his glass. He was about to ask her how she was doing when she interrupted him. “Don’t you guys have a game tomorrow?” Ryker nodded, while taking a sip of his beer. “Then why are all of you drinking before a game? Isn’t there some kind of rule or something?” Ryker laughed at the way her cute little nose scrunched up when she asked the question. “No, that was only in college. Basically, as long as we don’t show up hung-over, we’re good. Plus it’s a pre-season game at night, so we’ll be good. And hey, the starting quarterback of the opposing team will be here, so we can make sure we get him all liquored up.” Hannah tapped her head with her finger. “Good thinking.” “So, how has it been…?” “Oh my God. Ryker, is Ashlin Harris the person you were meeting here?” “Yeah, how did you know that?” “She just walked in the door.” Ryker turned on his bar stool and instantly felt his pants get a little tight. Ashlin Harris walked in the bar and acted like she owned the place. Her skin was a beautiful bronze color. Her brown hair was naturally streaked with golden highlights and her mint-green eyes pierced his soul. She was wearing one of the tightest dresses he had ever seen, which showed off her famous cleavage and long-ass legs. Damn, she was hot and, even though she stirred his loins, she was still nothing in comparison to Hannah. “She’s so pretty,” Hannah said, while drying a glass. Ryker tilted her chin up to look at him. “You’re prettier.” He waved Ashlin over, while Hannah guffawed at Ryker. “What planet are you living on? I could never be that pretty. She’s so exotic looking and I’m…I’m just the girl next door.” “Ryker?” Ashlin interrupted Ryker before he could disagree with Hannah. “Ashlin. It’s great to finally meet you. Let’s take that booth over there.” He pointed to the booth that he and Mason usually sat at. “What would you like to drink? I’ll grab it and bring it over there.” “Sex on the beach.” She winked at him and sauntered over to the booth. Hot damn! He turned to Hannah, who was now staring at the two of them. The look in her eyes nearly killed him. She really truly thought Ashlin was prettier than she was. Yeah, Ashlin was pretty in an obvious way, way too obvious, but Hannah…she was simply beautiful. A natural beauty who didn’t need all the finesse like Ashlin. “Look at me.” He was now around behind the bar with her. He grabbed her hand in his and rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. “You are so beyond beautiful, sometimes it hurts me.”

“Ryker don’t…” “Just listen to me, damn it.” Hannah was shocked at the tone of his voice. “You are more beautiful than Ashlin could ever be. You’re real. She looks like that because of makeup, push-up bras, dye jobs and everything else you can think of. You, you are naturally beautiful.” She gave him a weak smile. “It doesn’t matter anyway because I’m with Todd, but thank you for the compliment.” “It matters to me.” “Come on Ryker…” “You think this is a game, don’t you? Well, it’s not; when I say you’re going to be my wife one day, you will.” Ryker grabbed his drinks and went over to Ashlin, who had her legs crossed in the booth, showing off a good amount of leg. Lord help him, he hadn’t had sex in a while, thanks to Hannah, and Ashlin was here to flaunt it. When she saw him approaching, she gave him a bright big smile with her amazingly straight white teeth. She was gorgeous, but she was also fake and he didn’t really do fake, so working with her wouldn’t be a problem…he hoped. “Here you go.” He set the drinks on the table and sat in the booth across from her. “Thank you.” She looked around. “This place is kind of awesome. It looks like a dump from the outside, but it’s actually quite modern inside. Not to be rude, but at first I thought, where the hell is Ryker sending me?” Ryker laughed. “Yeah, I bet a lady like yourself never had to walk down rough areas like here, not that it’s much of a rough area.” “Oh, how little you know about me.” Ashlin became very serious and twirled her glass with her fingers. “Everyone thinks I’m some kind of spoiled hot girl, but I worked my ass off to get to where I am today.” She waved her hands up and down her body and said, “This is all a façade.” “Getting a little deep for the first date aren’t we?” Ryker said, trying to lighten up the mood from the black cloud Ashlin had cast over them. “You should probably know about me, since you will most likely hear it once we start working more closely together. I mean, we’ll practically be having sex in front of a studio full of people.” Ryker’s eyebrows shot up. “What?” “Have you seen some of the stuff I have to wear? I looked at the picture boards this morning and they have us in some compromising positions. It’s a bedroom line, so they want to make it look like we are in the bedroom…together. Are you okay with that? I said yes because I knew you would be a gentleman about it. I’ve heard great things about you, Ryker Lewis. You are the main reason I agreed to such extremes.” Interesting. What had she heard about him? Ryker liked to keep his life personal, for the most part… well, his family life, anyway. That was a grey area he never talked about and one of the main reasons he didn’t really do interviews because that was a topic they were bound to touch upon. “What have you heard about me?” he asked, while leaning back in the booth, draping one hand over the back of the bench and taking another sip of his beer. “That we come from the same low-life childhood: trailer parks, drugs, being homeless and doing whatever it takes to put some food on the table,” Ashlin said, while looking down at her hands. Ryker was shocked and angered at the same time. He leaned in and said, “Who told you that?” “Ryker, you really don’t recognize me?” Ryker looked at her closely and then it hit him like a ton of bricks. “Ashley?” She nodded as a tear fell down her face. “Holy shit!” Ryker quickly sat on her side of the booth and pulled her in tight for a hug. He could not believe it. Ashley, his one and only friend from his childhood, was sitting next to him. She was the main reason why he didn’t turn to drugs like the rest of his family, she was the reason why he was able

to make it through school and she was the reason why he worked hard to make a name for himself. “I can’t believe it. Where the hell have you been? I thought I lost you forever the day your dad beat the shit out of your mother that one night.” Ryker was holding her face with his hands. He couldn’t believe Ashley was sitting next to him. They were best friends, each other’s first and the reason why both of them were alive today. He would never have made it through the hell hole of his childhood without her. The night her dad lost control and beat Ashley’s mom to the point of being unrecognizable, Ashley was taken away and he never heard from her again. He was brokenhearted, but realized he needed to keep moving forward and make something of himself, for her. “I don’t want to get into the sordid details now. I’m just glad you recognize me. It’s been so long and, damn boy, did growing up treat you well. You’re no longer the skinny little boy I used to love.” Ryker playfully squeezed her nose. “Speak for yourself, twiggy. You kind of grew into those legs and, damn, can I just say you are one fine-ass woman?” “Why, thank you,” she said with a shy smile. “Damn, I can’t believe I never put two and two together. Why the name change?” She shrugged her shoulders. “I wanted a new start, but that’s a long story for a different night. Let’s celebrate our reunion and talk about this photo shoot. I hope it won’t be too awkward, now that you know who I am.” It might be a little awkward, Ryker thought, but he would get past it. This was Ashley, the only girl he ever loved. At that moment, Hannah came to their table and set down two refills, one for each of them. Ryker looked up at her and noticed there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. He quickly popped out of the booth and sat back down in his own seat. “Hannah, this is Ash, uh Ashlin Harris. Ashlin, this is Hannah.” “It’s lovely to meet you. You are just absolutely gorgeous. You are going to give Ryker a run for his money. It’ll be good for him.” “I sure hope so,” Ashlin said, while looking straight at Ryker, making him gulp. They were no longer teenagers and the look she was giving him meant business. Ryker looked up at Hannah and saw her shoulders slump in defeat. His heart reached out to her. “I guess I’ll get going. Please let me know if you need anything else. It was nice to meet you Ashlin.” “You too.” Ashlin gave Hannah a sweet smile and then turned to Ryker, replacing her sweet smile with a devilish grin. “Who’s the eye candy girl next door? You like her don’t you?” “Yeah. Is it that obvious?” “I feel like you practically started drooling when she came to our table. What’s her deal? Why haven’t you made a move yet?” “Oh, I have. She has a dickhead of a boyfriend and, even though I told her she was meant to be with me, she refuses to acknowledge it.” Ashlin took a sip of her drink while she looked Ryker up and down, making him feel completely naked. “Her loss, my gain.” *** She could get through this night. Mason was not going to do anything to her. He was all talk. He had been at the bar for over an hour and had yet to say anything to her. Maybe that was her punishment, being completely exiled by him. She could do that; that’s what she wanted, wasn’t it? When he walked in the bar earlier, her heart skipped a beat when she took him in. He was wearing his typical leg-hugging jeans and button-up shirt with scruffy face. He was gorgeous as ever. His sleeves were always rolled up, showing off his corded forearms and tattoos. He was pure perfection in her eyes.

She wanted him to talk to her; it was torture having him around and having him not acknowledge her. She knew she shouldn’t want his attention, but it hurt that he didn’t even say hi. The gang was hanging out over in the corner and the patrons of the bar, once again, left them alone. Ryker was sitting next to Ashlin Harris, who was beyond beautiful. He had his arm draped over the bench behind her and she noticed they were very close, which surprised her since they just met. Hannah refused to acknowledge the denial that was radiating off of her, so Piper let her friend stew about Ryker and Ashlin. Jake and Lexi arrived not too long after Mason. Of course, Lexi stopped and gave Piper a giant hug before Piper shooed her away so she could do her job. Once the night calmed down a little, she would hang out with her dear friend a little while longer. Piper was filling up some beers for a couple of the old guys at the poker table when Mason startled her, making her overfill the glasses of beer. When she looked up at him, he wasn’t smiling; he wasn’t happy to see her, no he was pissed. His jaw was tense and it almost looked like he was grinding his teeth. “Back room, five minutes.” “Excuse me?” “You heard me.” “Where do you get off ordering me around?” “If you did what you were supposed to, then I would have gotten off the other night.” “You’re awfully sure of yourself. Who’s to say you could even get it up?” Mason leaned in closer so his breath was tickling her ear. “You know damn well I can get it up and more than a few times in one night. Don’t fuck with me Piper, back room. You now have three minutes and if you choose to disregard me this time, you really aren’t going to like what I do.” “Don’t you dare threaten me.” “Don’t make me.” He turned and went toward the back room. Ugh, he was so infuriating, she thought. She hated that he thought he could get everything he wanted, just like her dad. She dropped off the beers she was refilling for the poker players and almost didn’t go to the back room out of spite, but decided to because she didn’t want Mason to cause a scene. She knew he really didn’t give a crap, so he would embarrass her if he wanted to. When she got to the back room, she was yanked into the room, spun around and pushed up against the door. Mason pinned her to the door and stared into her eyes. “Where were you the other night?” “Fucking my boyfriend and, let me tell you, it was fan-fucking-tastic.” Mason gritted his teeth and moved away from her, as he raked his hand through his hair. He turned on her and pure rage flew through his eyes. She knew he would never hurt her, but she was slightly nervous about the way he looked at her. He came up to her again, but this time grabbed her hands and put them above her head with his. “Please don’t talk about him,” Mason said in a whisper and as he looked back up at her, her heart broke in half. He was visibly upset about her confession. If she knew she would upset him this much, she wouldn’t have said that. “I’m not going to stop talking about him. I’m in love with him Mason, not you.” “The hell you’re not. How come I caught you staring at me multiple times in the past hour?” “I was checking to see if your drinks needed refills,” she lied. “Bullshit. I saw the way your nipples hardened when I walked in the bar and the way your breath hitched when I walked by you, but didn’t say a word to you, and I saw the way you longed for my attention when you thought I didn’t notice. You want me, Piper, so stop denying it and just be with me.” “You’re wrong. Why would I want to be with a Neanderthal, macho, alpha male who always thinks he’s right? Yeah, my body might be physically attracted to you, but your soul is miles away from mine and

slowly drifting further away with every interaction I have with you.” Did she just say that? From the look in Mason’s hurt eyes, she did. “Mason, I didn’t…” She couldn’t finish her sentence because Mason placed his lips on hers and guess what? Her treacherous lips reciprocated the action. He kept her hands above her head as he explored her mouth. With every swipe of his tongue across hers a tiny flame ignited in her body, making the room turn into a burning inferno. Her chest heaved while she tried to catch her breath from the attack of Mason’s lips. He glided them gently against hers and occasionally pressed harder when she reciprocated his moves. He lowered his hands and she started to drop hers when he said in a low husky voice, “Keep them there.” Why she obeyed him, she would never know, but she did. Mason moved his hands down the sides of her body, making her squirm at his touch. It was as if his fingers were like ten vibrators running over her body, igniting the fire in her panties. She knew she was already wet and ready for him and, unfortunately, she wanted him. Her damn, stupid body and mind wanted him. He made it down to her black skirt and lifted it up to her waist. She was wearing white lace panties today and she could tell Mason liked them by the way he grunted from looking at her. He shimmied her panties down and stuck them in his back pocket. “Those are mine.” “But Mason…” “Speak again and I will spank you, although that’s not much of a punishment for you now, is it?” Piper felt her face get completely red from the revelation she had while having sex with Mason the first time; she liked it rough and she liked being spanked. Mason pulled out his wallet and took out a condom, which he stuck in the cup of Piper’s bra. He brushed up against her nipple making her throb between her legs. It was one swipe of her nipple and she was already going to lose it. She hated, but loved, how much Mason affected her. “Pull my pants down.” “We can’t…” “Tsk, tsk, sweetheart. Did I tell you, you could speak?” “Mason you can’t…” “That’s two, Piper.” Two what, she thought, but before she knew what was happening, he had her turned against the door so her hands and feet were splayed out against it and her back was to him. In a matter of seconds, there was a crack in the air sending a burning sensation to her ass. She was just about to say something when another slap landed on the opposite cheek, making Piper bite down on her lips to not scream in pleasure. “Speak again and you can expect me to not be as gentle.” That was gentle? He grabbed her skirt and pulled it all the way up her waist, so her bottom half was completely exposed. “Damn, you have the creamiest skin I have ever seen and that ass is truly a gift from God.” She felt him lean down and plant a kiss on both her cheeks, then rub them out, exactly where he slapped them. “I don’t like the red marks I leave on you. Your skin is too beautiful for such marks. Promise me you’ll be good.” She just nodded. Why was she going with this? She secretly knew why, Mason’s dominance turned her on in some sick and perverted way. She liked it when he talked dirty to her, told her what to do and took charge. She liked to see what he had planned for her and see how far he could push her. She was a sexual creature and couldn’t help herself when she was around Mason. “Turn around, baby.” Piper turned around and came face to face with the most gorgeous man she had ever seen. His eyes spoke a million words in one look. He wanted her, he wanted her to be with him…he was practically

begging with his eyes, pleading with her to stay with him. It was heartbreaking. He grabbed her face and brought it close to his so their foreheads were touching. “God Piper, I don’t know how much more of this I can take. When you walked out on me the other morning, I thought I would never recover from my heart being ripped out of my chest, but then you show up at practice and my heart soared. I thought you were there for me and then the worst thing happened.” Mason put his hands on either side of her head and started kissing her neck, making her head fly back and hit the door. Mason’s head shot up from the sound of her head meeting the door. “You okay?” She nodded, touched by his concern. “I can’t believe you’re with him, Piper. I just can’t believe it. Put me out of my misery, please.” The only thing Piper knew that she could do was make his pain go away temporarily, so she unbuckled his pants and pulled them down, along with his boxers. On her way back up, she took ahold of his massive erection and started stroking it, making Mason moan out loud. She slipped her mouth over his head and lightly teased him with her tongue, reveling in his size. Jax had a big penis, but Mason was ungodly huge and she knew how it felt to have him inside her, which was all she was craving. She pulled out the condom from her bra and slipped it on over Mason. As she stood up, she looked Mason in the eyes and said, “Make your pain go away. Take me Mason.” Mason didn’t even give her a second to change her mind. He lifted her up against the door and slipped himself inside of her. The amount of pressure she was feeling inside of her was incredible. She was resting on his cock and could feel him deep inside of her, touching all the right spots. He didn’t even have to move, he could just stay still and she would get off, but he didn’t allow that to happen. Instead, he captured her mouth with his and started moving her up and down, using the door as an anchor. “You feel so good, Mason.” “Piper, please, please stay with me.” “I wish…” Mason stopped her from talking and explored her mouth with his tongue. He moved her up and down at a more frantic pace, sending her body skyrocketing into ecstasy. Her whole body went numb all the way to her toes and her core was burning with desire. Mason followed right behind her and groaned in her mouth. When they both stopped convulsing and stretching their orgasms out, Mason gently placed her on the ground, while pulling her skirt down. There was a knock on the door that scared the crap out of Piper. She tried to fluff her hair to make it more presentable. She wiped her mouth and pushed Mason to the side, so whoever was on the other side of the door couldn’t see him. She opened the door a crack and saw Hannah on the other side. “Hey Hannah, sorry I’ll be out in a second.” “Okay. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Jax called and he’s heading over.” Piper instantly thought she was going to throw up. Why was Jax coming to the bar? He never came to the bar. “Okay, thanks.” Hannah studied Piper for a second and then said, “Oh my God, Piper, is that beard burn on your face?” Piper’s stomach fell as she gripped her face. The door swung open and Mason walked up behind her. “Sure is, isn’t it Piper?” He nodded at Hannah and walked out of the back room, leaving Piper completely in shock and Hannah staring at her as if she had three heads. “Piper! Are you serious right now?” “Please Hannah. I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t even know what happened.” “Fine, but you might want to go fix your face. I have some foundation in my purse; go cover up, but you owe me an explanation.”

“Thank you,” Piper said, while squeezing her friends shoulder. Piper ran to the bathroom and tried to not think about what she just did, but it was pretty much impossible. Not only did she just have sex with Mason, again, but she had sex with him in the back room when anyone could have walked in and Mason didn’t seem to mind making it known to everyone. She could see him now, high fiving his friends and telling them about how easy it was to make her pull his pants down. Damn him! She was furious and he did not want to see what a fiery redhead could do to him. If he wanted to play games, then game on! *** Mason watched Jax drape his arm across Piper’s shoulder as he talked to Jake about the upcoming season. The only people left in the bar were his group of friends. Piper and Hannah kicked out everyone else early for the Stallions and, since the patrons were all fans, they quickly obliged. Jax eyed Mason the second he arrived at the bar. Mason didn’t know if it was because of the fact that Mason was maybe lightly toasted and they had a game the next day, or if it was because of Piper. Whatever it was, Mason was getting sick of it. It would be so gratifying if he could introduce his fist to Jax’s face, but he knew that would only start trouble. So instead, he sat back in his booth and listened to Ryker and Ashlin talk about their childhood stories. Mason was surprised to find out they were long lost friends. Mason wondered what Ashlin looked like in high school, probably gangly just like Ryker. Mason had seen pictures of Ryker back then and, boy, was he an ugly little fuck. Ryker admitted to Mason that those pictures were the reason why he dressed to impress now. Which was exactly what he was doing tonight in a grey pair of jeans, navy blue T-shirt and a black and white scarf wrapped around his neck a couple of times. Mason would look like such a dick if he dressed in half the stuff Ryker did. “You like her don’t you?” Ashlin asked Mason. “What? Who?” “You are being so obvious,” Hannah said. She was sitting next to Mason across the booth from Ryker and Ashlin. “That’s why Jax looks like he’s going to rip your head off.” “Jax can suck my giant cock. He’s such a tool. What does Piper see in him?” “No one wants to suck that tree trunk you have between your legs,” Ryker said. “That’s not what Piper said an hour ago in the back room.” “Mason!” Hannah scolded. “Why don’t you just shout it?” “Don’t mind if…” Hannah clamped her hand over his mouth to shut him up. Fury ran through her blue eyes. Mason licked her hand to get her to remove it, causing her to squeal and rub her hand on her pants. “Ew, gross.” Ryker kicked Mason under the table. “Don’t be licking my girl. That’s my job.” He winked at Hannah. “Your girl? I thought she had a boyfriend,” Ashlin looked between the two, confused. “I do. Ryker can’t get it through his thick skull that I’m with someone else and soon to be engaged. Ryker keeps telling me I’m going to be his wife one day.” “Ha, he fed me the same line in middle school,” Ashlin said, while taking a sip of her drink. Hannah shot a look at Ryker, a look that nearly split Mason in half. She looked like someone just ripped her puppy away from her and refused to give it back. She got up out of the booth and walked away. “Thanks, Ashlin,” Ryker said, while getting up to follow Hannah. “I didn’t mean to offend…” Mason studied Ashlin as she watched Ryker chase after Hannah and pulled her to the side.

“You two have a lot of history. It should make it interesting for the upcoming photo shoots.” “You can say that again.” “So…how intimate are we talking here?” “Practically naked intimate and they want to get some clips of us together as well for a commercial. We’re going to have to get comfortable pretty quickly.” “That’ll be easy for you,” Mason said, calling it like he saw it. Ashlin studied Mason for a second. “You know, you can be an ass.” “Tell me something I don’t know, sweetheart.” *** “Hannah, what’s wrong?” The last thing Hannah wanted right now was to talk to Ryker. What she wanted to do was kick him and his friends out of the bar, close up, and go home. She was not in the mood to watch Ashlin Harris fawn all over Ryker, even though she was actually a really nice person; Hannah didn’t want to watch Ryker get all hot and heavy with his old “friend.” Ryker pinned Hannah behind the bar so she couldn’t get out, bad move on her part. “What’s wrong?” he asked again. She looked at him with those light green eyes that were pleading…for what? Forgiveness? Yearning? Understanding? “Nothing’s wrong. I just want to tidy up the bar so we don’t have a massive mess to clean once you fools leave. Which…don’t you have a game tomorrow?” Ryker waved her off. “We’re fine; we’ll sleep in. I know you didn’t come over here to tidy up the bar. Ashlin didn’t mean what she said.” “So you’re telling me you didn’t feed her the same line you fed me?” “It’s not a line, Hannah. I’m not kidding you when I tell you the minute I saw you for the first time, I knew we were meant to be together. You were made for me.” Hannah rolled her eyes. “Did you or did you not say the same thing to her?” “I might recall saying that…” Hannah threw her hands in the air and tried to get past him, but he didn’t let her. “But it was some childish proclamation. She was the only girl I ever knew, I thought that was it. Obviously, I’ve grown up.” “It doesn’t matter, Ryker, because we’re never ever going to be an item.” “That’s not true.” “You’re delusional. Stop wasting your time chasing after something that’s never going to happen and indulge yourself with Ashlin. “I don’t want her.” Hannah cocked her hip to the side and put her hand on the counter, studying Ryker. “Do you think I’m an idiot? I see the way you look at her; I see the yearning in your eyes. You want her. I get it. She’s gorgeous. Stop trying to prove to whomever it is that you can nail the waitress and, instead, just go after someone who’s more your type.” Ryker gripped her wrist tightly and gritted through his teeth. “And what type would that be Hannah?” “Super model, materialistic, big boobs, fake, you know the type,” Hannah said, while nodding toward Ashlin. Ryker instantly released Hannah and looked her up and down. No longer was the playful Ryker in front of her, nor the flirtatious Ryker. No, a pissed-off Ryker stood in front of her ready for an attack. “You know, maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m not meant to marry you because I wouldn’t want to be with some judgmental bitch, who is only making fast-assed assumptions on what she sees. You know nothing about me or Ashlin, so do a little research before you go assessing people because let me tell you

sweetheart, you can’t always judge a book by its cover.” Hannah felt like a piece of crap. All she wanted to do was back Ryker off a bit, but instead, she’d insulted him. “Ryker…” “Save it, Hannah. I don’t want to hear it. Thank you for helping me see the real you.” Ryker grabbed two bottles of beer from the cooler in front of them and brought them over to his table. He handed one to Ashlin and gave her that devilish smile that he used to give Hannah. He draped his arm around her and looked over at Hannah, while he took a sip of his beer. Hannah knew she shouldn’t care, but she did. Ryker had become a wonderful friend and she’d just destroyed that relationship in a matter of seconds. *** Jax didn’t like the atmosphere of the bar the minute he walked in. He knew his players were able to make their own decisions and, if they wanted to kick back some beers the night before the game, that was their choice, but that wasn’t what was bothering him. What really had his gut twisted in knots was the way Piper would occasionally glance at Mason and the way Mason returned her looks. Jax could feel the heat flowing between the two of them and he didn’t like it, at all. The last thing Jax wanted to do was go over and talk to two of his wide receivers; they were cocky bastards to begin with, so he didn’t want to find out what they were like when they’d been drinking. That was why he stuck to Piper’s side and talked to Jake Taylor, who was actually a really nice guy, and his beyond beautiful blonde wife, Lexi. He had seen occasional photos of the gorgeous couple together in magazines, but the pictures did not do the couple justice. Jax thought about what Piper and he would look like on a cover together. She would steal the show for sure with her vibrant red hair, liquid metal eyes and creamy skin. He watched her as she talked to Lexi about some of the shenanigans they played on their parents when they were younger. Jax could only imagine what a little Piper looked like running around her parents’ backyard with a head full of curls; the image warmed his heart. God, he loved her so much. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and Piper smiled at him, returning a peck on his lips. He wished he could deepen the kiss to show everyone just who she belonged to, but he knew Piper would be pissed if he pulled such a move. “Ugh, you two are so cute together,” Lexi said, while resting her head on Jake’s chest. “Don’t you think so, big guy?” Jake, who was at least a foot taller than his wife, placed a kiss on her head and said sarcastically, “Just the cutest.” Jax laughed at the high-pitched tone Jake used. Lexi elbowed him in the stomach while rolling her eyes. “Men! So tell me, Jax, are you serious about my friend here?” Jax looked at Piper who returned his stare, love radiating from her eyes. “More serious than I thought I ever could be.” Piper placed a soft kiss on his lips and, when she pulled away, he saw her eyes flicker to Mason. Jax tried to ignore her distraction, but it was slowly wearing on him. He leaned in so only Piper could hear him. “Is there something you want to tell me darlin’?” Shock registered through Piper’s eyes. “What…what are you talking about?” “Did Mason do something to you? You keep looking his way. I just want to make sure he’s not giving you a hard time,” Jax lied, but he wanted to gauge her reaction to Mason’s name and, so far, it wasn’t going so well. She started to stutter and look around, as if she was looking for a scapegoat. “No. Everything is fine.” “You would tell me, right? You would tell me if he was bothering you?”

“Of course.” Piper glanced over at Mason again, but then turned around quickly and kissed Jax on the lips. “I love you.” Jax felt some of the tension that was building up in his body ease as those three little words came from her mouth. After his wife died, he didn’t think he would be hearing those words directed toward him again, but then he found Piper. She was everything he needed and wanted. She made his life bright again and he felt like he was starting to balance his life back out again. “I love you too, darlin’. When do we get to get out of here? I’m thinking about you and me, naked.” Piper rubbed against him. “Mm, that sounds amazing, but you’re going to have to wait. I don’t want to be rude to our friends. Think you can hold out?” “I’ll try, but I can’t tell you the little man will be happy about it.” “The little man will have to suffer a little, but I promise, when we get back to my place, I’ll make it up to him.” Just what Jax wanted to hear. He gripped her ass and pulled her in closer for a hug, rubbing her up and down. He took a peek at Mason, who was consumed in conversation. Jax hated that the guy was so talented; if Mason wasn’t so good at catching a stupid football, Jax would cut him from the team out of pure spite. Jax didn’t like how Mason looked at his girl. Jax studied him for a second, while continuing to snuggle into Piper and rub her ass. Mason had something white hanging out the back of his pocket and it was lacy. Was that underwear? What a creeper. Who had underwear hanging out the back of their…? Jax froze for a second and then rubbed Piper’s ass again. He peeled away from her and looked at her metallic eyes. She smiled at him as she went in for a kiss, but he stopped her. “Are you wearing underwear?” Piper froze for half a second and then rubbed up against him. “Of course not.” “But you’re wearing a skirt…what if you tripped or something?” “I’m graceful; tripping isn’t in my vocabulary.” She tried to kiss him again, but Jax stopped her. “What’s wrong?” Jax nodded toward Mason and said, “He has underwear hanging out of his back pocket, it just seems…” Piper shot off him. “Are you accusing me of sleeping with him?” Anger flashed through her eyes and Jax instantly felt sorry. “Piper, I’m sorry. I just don’t like how he looks at you. Come here.” He pulled her in close, but she was rigid now. Good going Jax, way to ruin the night. Now, he most likely wouldn’t be getting five-star treatment in bed. “Don’t be that jealous asshole; you know I hate that.” “I know. I’m sorry. I think I need a beer or something to relax. Can I just go grab one?” “Yeah, sure. I’m going to go freshen up.” Jax watched her walk away and admired her pert behind. He was insecure about their relationship for many reasons, but the biggest reason was standing a couple feet away from him, sipping on a beer and making the people around him laugh hysterically.

Chapter 16 Piper almost puked when Jax questioned her about Mason. For some reason, she thought Jax found out about her little escapade in the back room and she nearly passed out from his questioning. When Jax assumed Mason and Piper were together, Piper went into instant denial mode and turned the argument around on Jax, making him feel like an ass, which made Piper feel like an even bigger ass. Jax was right, Piper was fooling around with Mason and she couldn’t even fathom why. It was as if, every time she was around him, there was some kind of magical attraction that was pulling him into her. Piper walked in the bathroom and splashed some water on her face, not caring what it did to her eye make-up. She needed to cool down. Her last conversation with Jax was almost too much for her to handle. Thankfully, she recovered quickly, but she didn’t know if she could lie to Jax again if he asked. He was a good man and she needed to get her shit together or else she was going to end up hurting him. The bathroom door flew open and Mason walked in with a huge grin on his face. He sauntered up to Piper and pinned her against the counter. His arms were on either side of her and he was inches from her face. She pushed at his chest, but that did next to nothing, since he was a brick wall and she was a feather compared to him. “What’s wrong, babe? Don’t want me around?” “Stop calling me babe!” She reached around and pulled her underwear out of the back of his pocket. Holding them up she said, “This almost got me in trouble.” She shook the underwear in his face and then threw it in the trash in the bathroom. “Hey, I wanted to keep those.” “Get out of here. I don’t need someone walking in on us and getting the wrong impression.” Mason gently caressed her face and, damn her head, for moving into his touch. “And what impression would that be?” “That we’re fooling around.” She looked into his deep chocolate-brown eyes and felt her insides melt like butter on a hot day. “But we are and I want to make it more than fooling around. I want you to be mine. When is that going to happen?” “Never!” She pushed him away and went out into the bar where everyone was still drinking, playing pool, and having a good time. Jax was distracted by Jake when Mason came tumbling out of the bathroom after her. He walked by her, but before he was past her, he reached down and rubbed her ass while whispering in her ear, “Sooner or later, we will be together, Piper.” “Don’t count on it, ass.” Piper tore away from him and went behind the bar to fix herself a drink; she was going to need some more liquid courage to get through the night. She looked back at Mason and he did not look happy. His stare felt like he was boring a hole in her soul. She wished she could tear her gaze away, but she couldn’t; she was transfixed. He sucked her in wherever they were. No matter the circumstances; she was always amazed at how he could easily control her body without even using his words. The bar door swung open, disturbing Piper from her staring match; she looked over and saw a gorgeous Brooke walking in. She was dressed in amazingly tall high heels, royal blue hot shorts and a black tank top that cut all the way down to her black lace bra that was peeking through. Her outfit might have been a little slutty, but she classed it up with a black hat, some necklaces and bracelets. She looked stunning, like some kind of movie star. Piper felt herself shrink. She looked over at Mason, who was staring at Brooke and licking his lips. What a pig! Brooke sauntered over to Mason and pulled him down to kiss him on the lips. Piper was shocked when Mason let her. Piper watched at how Mason circled Brooke with his arms and pulled her in close. His hands were placed just above Brooke’s bottom, sending a direct dagger of jealousy through Piper’s heart.

Mason looked over Brooke’s shoulder straight at Piper, winked at her and then started nuzzling Brooke’s neck. Piper felt her blood start to boil, starting at the bottom of her feet all the way up to her ears, where steam poured out. This meant war. The group was now all hanging out around the pool table, the same pool table Mason and Piper had sex on for the first time. Memories of that night flooded Piper’s mind as she made her way toward the group. Flashes of Mason’s naked body crossed her mind, the way he touched her, the way he smelled, the way he caressed her. It was one of the best nights of her life, but that was all it was, a night. Mason was like a drug to Piper; he was hard to resist and she was always chasing that first high when she was with him. She couldn’t help herself and now Mason was deliberately trying to make Piper jealous and it was working. “Who wants to play?” Jax asked, while grabbing a pool stick and chalking it up. “I do,” Piper said, “But I don’t know how to play. Will you teach me?” Piper grabbed Jax’s bicep, gave it a squeeze, and planted a kiss on his lips. “Sure thing, darlin’. I don’t mind showing you how to shoot.” Piper knew how to play pool, she was actually very good and Mason knew that, so the look of confusion on his face was priceless. That was until Piper bent over to shoot and Jax Stepped up behind her, bending over her so he could guide her properly. That was when she returned the same sarcastic smile Mason gave her. Two could play at this game. Piper knew it was going to drive Mason crazy for him to watch Jax have his hands all over her, showing her how to play pool, even though he knew damn well she knew how to play because she beat his sorry ass multiple times. Payback is a bitch, she thought, as she bent over, letting Jax take her hand in his and show her the proper way to shoot. *** Mason stood to the side of the pool table with Brooke up against his chest and a beer in his hand while he watched Jax put his hands all over Piper. He was five seconds away from pushing Brooke to the side and putting his fist through Jax’s face. Jealousy soared through Mason’s body and he knew he deserved it. The minute Brooke walked in the bar, he took advantage of the situation and used her to make Piper Jealous. Clearly, his idea worked, but he didn’t think about the repercussions. Now he had to act like Jax groping Piper wasn’t bothering him. Mason wanted to rip the pool stick out of Piper’s hand and take her to the back room again. He was so mad at her. She knew how to play pool, she hustled him the night they finally had sex for the first time. Watching Piper play pool with Jax almost felt like she was having sex with Jax in front of him. Mason couldn’t take it. “Why are you so tense?” Brooke asked, while rubbing her hands up and down his chest. She looked beautiful, he had to admit that. She looked damn sexy walking in the bar, so it wasn’t very hard for him to take one for the team and make out with her in front of Piper. Although, it did burn him a little, since the woman was like an incurable disease. He just couldn’t get away from her. “Not tense. That’s just muscle you’ve been missing out on…you know, since you broke off our engagement.” Mason whispered in Brooke’s ear. He wanted to make it seem like he was having an intimate conversation with Brooke, when in fact, he was shooting out words of hatred toward her. “Mace, you know I told you I was sorry for that.” Mason brought Brooke closer by placing his hand on her lower back and pulling her in. He took a quick peek at Piper and noticed she was looking at him. Mason lowered his mouth so it was right against Brooke’s ear.

“Sorry isn’t going to cut it, Brooke. If you want to make it up to me, you have a lot of sucking up to do, and I mean a lot of sucking up.” Mason made sure to emphasize the word “sucking.” If things continued to not work out with Piper, he was going to have to get pleasure from someone. Brooke moved her hand from Mason’s chest, down to his crotch and gave it a squeeze, jolting him from his position. Ryker started laughing and pointed at Mason. “She totally ducked you, man.” “Ducked me?” Mason said, confused. “You know…” Ryker said looking around, but everyone had no clue what he was talking about. Ryker rolled his eyes and continued. “You know, when someone gooses you, they grab you from behind; well, she totally grabbed your dick…so she ducked you.” Ashlin shook her head and hugged Ryker. “There is something wrong with you.” “You want to be ducked?” Ryker asked, while wiggling his eyebrows?” “Tell me when and where.” “Looks like you’ve met your match,” Jake said, while holding Lexi in front of him. “No, I think Ashlin is far above Ryker. She has class; Ryker is just…an ass,” Lexi said, while smiling. Ryker held his chest and faked being hurt by Lexi’s words. “How you wound me, doll.” Mason was barely paying attention to the ribbing that was going back and forth amongst his friends. How could he focus when Jax had his arm wrapped possessively around Piper’s midsection and was nuzzling her neck? Mason felt like his veins were going to pop and bleed out from the amount of fury running through his body. He couldn’t take the disgusting display of affection between Piper and Jax much longer; the scene between them was slowly eating him alive. “Mason, were you even paying attention?” Lexi asked. Mason shook his head. “Sorry, what?” Lexi pointed at Brooke. “She asked you a question.” He looked down at Brooke, who looked upset. He hated that a little piece of him felt guilty for making her upset. He didn’t want to feel bad for her because she put herself in the position she was currently in, but a little part of him did pity her. She tried so hard to get his attention; it was pathetic and hard not to feel sorry for the pleading woman standing in front of him. “What did you ask?” Mason said gently, since everyone was watching him, including Piper. “If you wanted to get out of here with me,” Brooke said, with a twinkle in her eye. “Yeah! Get it on, man!” Ryker said, while thrusting his pelvis toward Ashlin, with his hands on his hips. “You’re a pig,” Hannah said, throwing everyone for a loop. “Jealous, much?” Ryker asked, while throwing an arm around Ashlin and pressing a kiss to her temple. Hannah rolled her eyes and walked back toward the bathrooms, making the smile vanish from Ryker’s face. “You’re a dick, man,” Mason whispered. “Speak for yourself.” “So…” Brooke asked, as she rubbed her hands from Mason’s shoulders down his stomach and then looped her fingers into his waistband, slowly stroking his bare skin that she was able to expose. Mason jerked at her touch and caught Piper staring at him with fire radiating from her eyes. Mason smiled at Piper and then looked down at Brooke. “Sure. Let me settle my tab and I’ll walk you out. I need to get some sleep anyway, if I plan on kicking this douche bag’s ass tomorrow,” Mason said, while pointing to Jake. “Bring it man. My rookies will be running circles around your sorry ass tomorrow.” Mason scoffed and lifted Brooke’s chin up so he could place a kiss on her lips. She smiled up at him with complete satisfaction as he turned and talked to Piper.

“Do you mind pulling yourself away for a moment to settle my tab?” Piper rolled her eyes, placed a gentle kiss on Jax’s lips and walked toward the register, away from everyone. Mason watched as her perfectly round ass strode toward the register. Damn, he didn’t think he would ever be able to get over the walking wet dream that was in front of him. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders in vivid dark shades of red and her shirt clung to every curve of her body, making Mason’s mouth water. He knew he just had her earlier in the evening, but good God, he needed her again and Brooke was not going to satisfy that need, but that information didn’t need to be communicated to Piper. Piper went around the bar and started pressing buttons on the touch screen register. Mason went up next to her, so he could be close enough to smell the sweet scent that permeated from her body. He was pathetic. “How much?” Mason asked in a clipped tone; he was having a hard time masking the frustration the night had produced. “Fifty-six dollars, not including gratuity,” she said, while not looking at him. “Service was poor tonight, so don’t plan on getting your twenty percent.” “What does that mean?” “It means that, maybe if you would have spent less time on acting like some ditzy blonde who didn’t know how to play pool and more time doing your job, then maybe you would be getting a bigger…tip.” Mason laced his words with malice and emphasized the word tip, alluding to the fact that she could have Mason over Jax. “Who’s to say I even want your tip,” Piper asked, cluing in on what Mason actually meant. “You were begging for it earlier.” “I can hardly think what happened earlier was begging, more like you attacked my body and I had no chance to fend you off.” “Is that right? Well, I might as well not waste my time then. I have a willing and able body ready to fucking pleasure me from my toes to the top of my God damn head. Lord knows, she’ll give me whatever I want, wherever I want and not fucking sass me about it.” Piper’s eyes lit with fire once again, sending instant satisfaction through Mason’s body, so he continued his spiel. “And, God, does she look good tonight. Her tits are so…” Piper cut him off. “Finish that sentence and expect your dick to be cut off.” Mason threw his hands up in defense. “Seems like my little firecracker doesn’t want me taking another girl home.” Piper got in his face and poked him in the chest with her finger. “I swear to God, if you take her home tonight, if you fuck her, you can kiss any chance you have with me goodbye. I don’t want that whore near you, you hear me? All she wants is your dick.” “And what do you want?” Mason asked, trying to hold back the smile that her instant jealous rage caused him. She dropped her head in defeat. “I don’t know what I want.” She looked up at him and her silver eyes pierced through his soul. She was no longer angry; she was upset and the look she gave him cut through to his core. “All I know is, I don’t want you near her. I can’t take it if you fuck her. I know it’s not fair of me, since I have Jax, but if you fuck her Mason, it’s over.” Her confession took him by surprise. So she didn’t necessarily want him, but she didn’t want anyone else to have him either. How was that fair? “Come home with me, Piper. Come home, not to fuck me, but come to spend time with me. I want to be near you, please.” Mason held his breath as he waited for her reply. If she really had feelings for him, she would spend the night with him. “I can’t Mason, Jax is here.”

“Fuck Jax. Spend the night with me…or I spend the night with Brooke.” Mason didn’t want to have to threaten Piper, but he so desperately wanted her to be with him tonight. He needed to hold her in his arms, breathe in her scent and show her that what was going on between them was not just physical. There was a deep pull between them that was unmistakable. “Please, Piper.” Piper looked over at the group and then back at Mason. “Fine. I will meet you at your place. She better not go home with you.” “She’s trash compared to you, baby. You know you’re what I want, what I need.” “Alright. I will see you tonight.” Satisfied, Mason walked away, grabbed Brooke by the arm and pulled her out the bar, but not before he said goodbye to everyone, even Jax. Piper eyed him and silently asked what the hell he was doing with Brooke. He gave her a quick wink and walked out the door. He wanted to make it seem to everyone else that he was going home with Brooke, when in fact, he was dumping her in the first taxi he saw so he could hurry home and prepare for Piper. He wanted everything to be perfect when she came over. *** Ryker walked Ashlin to her car once everyone left the bar. They didn’t stay out too late because they did have a game the next day and they respected their sport enough to not throw it away by partying. Ryker didn’t know what the hell was going on with Mason and Piper, but when Piper didn’t go home with Jax, the party at the bar got very awkward. Piper spouted out how she needed to clean the bar and didn’t want Jax waiting on her; it seemed a little sketchy, but then again, Mason did leave with Brooke in tow. Ryker felt bad for Brooke, Mason was clearly stringing her along to make Piper jealous, but the girl kept going back to him, so it was her own damn fault, in Ryker’s eyes, if she got hurt. Ashlin and Ryker walked in silence to her car. Ryker was too busy thinking about Hannah to even come up with some topic of conversation to fill the silence between him and Ashlin. Ryker still was playing the last conversation he had with Hannah over in his head. He tried to act like the words he said to her and her judgmental tone didn’t bother him, but they did. Hannah acted out tonight in a way he had never seen before and Ryker wondered if it was because of Ashlin’s presence. Hannah seemed to tense up once Ashlin was around; he couldn’t blame her, Ashlin was gorgeous. She had grown up to be a gorgeous, brilliant woman, but she still did not compare to his Hannah. For some stupid reason, his heart was on reserve for Hannah, even though his brain and…little brain were telling him otherwise. Ashlin stopped in front of a sporty red car a couple of blocks down from the bar. Ryker frowned at her for parking so far away. “I don’t like you walking these streets by yourself. You should have parked closer, or you should have asked me to walk with you once you got here.” Ashlin giggled. “Don’t be ridiculous, but thank you for your concern.” They stood there for a second, just staring at each other. For some reason, Ryker found himself tongue tied when he was staring into Ashlin’s eyes. There was so much history between the two of them. They had been through hell and back together; they were each other’s firsts for pretty much everything and the reason why they survived their shitty lives and the reason why they’d made something of themselves. “Soo…are you ready for tomorrow and Monday?” “What’s Monday?” Ryker asked, confusion etching his face. “The practice photo shoot. Didn’t your agent call you?” Ryker shook his head no and Ashlin sighed. “C.C. Morris wants to do some practice shots on Monday to make sure her vision is met.” Ashlin said in a dramatic voice, making Ryker laugh. “It’s an all-day photo shoot, so she can test out different styles on

us. We will be modeling her fall line and then, of course, her bedroom line.” Ryker nodded, since he couldn’t really think of an appropriate response. Ever since he found out Ashlin was his Ashley from when he was a kid, he couldn’t get over the fact that he was going to have to be practically naked with her…again. But this time, she would be a mature woman, not a young teenager seeking love. “Are you going to be okay with this?” Ashlin asked, as if reading his mind. “Yeah, why not? I’m excited about the clothing line.” “And the bedroom line…” Ryker shrugged as he positioned his body up against the side of Ashlin’s car. She joined him. “I mean, it’s going to be a little awkward. When I didn’t realize it was you, I was pumped because, let’s be honest, you’re fucking hot, but now that I know I will be practically naked with my Ashley, I don’t know…it just seems awkward.” “I wouldn’t describe it as awkward, more like meant to be.” “Maybe,” Ryker said with a sigh. Hannah’s face kept flashing through his mind, which bothered him because he pretty much blew her off tonight and he wanted to keep it that way. Maybe it was for the best if he cut ties now and possibly pursued a relationship with Ashlin, but he knew he couldn’t. Hannah was his forbidden fruit that he needed, he craved, and that he wanted. Hannah was it for him, he knew it, deep in his gut he knew he and Hannah were meant to be, but thanks to Hannah’s frosty exterior, he’d made no leeway whatsoever. She was still practically engaged to Douche McGee and he was soon to be “engaged” by the media to Ashlin. It seemed like, instead of Hannah and Ryker getting closer, they were being torn apart, inch by agonizing inch. “You really like her, don’t you?” Ashlin asked, with concern in her eyes. “Who?” Ryker asked, even though he knew exactly who Ashlin was talking about. He was just trying to buy himself some time from answering her question. “You know exactly who I’m talking about.” Ryker sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t want to Ash. She is slowly tearing me apart inside by staying with that moron and not giving me the time of day, but damn it if I can’t stop thinking about her.” “Is it worth it, Ryker? It seems like she’s serious about this other guy. Maybe you should let her go.” “I want to believe she’s worth it, but I can’t be sure.” Ashlin kicked a rock that was on the sidewalk and they both watched it tumble across the cement and land in a planter. “Can I be honest with you?” Ashlin asked, as she turned toward him. “Always, doll. What’s on your mind?” Ashlin took a deep breath, like she was gathering all the courage she had to approach him. “When I heard I would be modeling with you, I got really excited. I flew out here so I could be with you and work with you and around your schedule. I don’t ever do that, but I wanted to make sure that there would be nothing to stop you from taking the job.” “I like you Ryker, I miss you and I…I want to be with you again.” Ryker was taken aback. He knew Ashlin was flirting with him tonight, but he never thought she was actually serious. “But I don’t want to get in the way of your happiness and if Hannah is just that, then I want to make sure I don’t deter her from finally making the connection you so desperately want with her.” “Ashlin…” “Let me finish.” She held up her hand and then continued. “I will back down, but if there is any inkling that you might have feelings for me, I want you to explore them. I miss you and you are the sole reason I am here today. I love you Ryker and I always have.” “I love you too, doll,” Ryker said, as he pulled her in for a hug.

Jesus, what was he supposed to say? Russell the love Muscle was screaming to be let out and take Ashlin up on her offer, but his heart was telling him otherwise. His body felt like it was being ripped in two. Was he really ever going to be with Hannah? Did he really have a chance? If he did, he didn’t want to mess it up by screwing around with Ashlin. Plus he didn’t want to lead her on either; that wouldn’t be fair to her. He wasn’t a dick like Mason. “I just don’t know. I have to think about it, I don’t want to mess up our friendship.” “You could never do that,” she said, while burying her head in his shoulder. “I lost you once, I don’t want to lose you again and I don’t want to ruin anything for you.” “What would you ruin for me?” She pulled her head back and looked Ryker in his eyes, piercing him with her light pools of green. “Ryker, do you realize how sexual these pictures are going to be, how kinky?” “It’s just some lingerie…” Ashlin laughed. “It’s lingerie, but it’s very revealing. They want us to act out scenes to capture the true essence of what C.C. wants to get from her lingerie, the feeling. I have seen some of the ideas and it’s intense. I don’t want this to ruin anything with you and Hannah.” Ryker hugged Ashlin tight from being touched by her concern. “I appreciate the thought, doll, but right now Hannah and I are non-existent and I’ve been looking forward to modeling with C.C, Morris, even if I have to shed my clothes for some of the shots. Don’t worry about it. We’re in this together.” “You sure? Hannah might not understand.” “Fuck it.” Ashlin smiled and snuggled closer, making Ryker feel warm for the first time in a very long time. He wasn’t sure if it was because an old friend loved him or if it was because a gorgeous woman was hugging him, but whatever it was, he liked it. It was much better than the coldness that was radiating off of Hannah. Why would he want to be with someone who was cold and distant from him when he had a warm and caring person on the sidelines, waiting for him? He had some serious thinking to do and he planned on using all the organs in his body to make an executive decision.

Chapter 17 Mason paced back and forth in his living room. His bare feet dragged across the plush tan carpet that covered his apartment, but the feeling of the soft carpet on his bare feet didn’t register in his brain. It had been an hour since he left the bar. Piper was not supposed to be that far behind him when he left, so what was taking her so long? He really hoped she hadn’t changed her mind because that would absolutely crush him. Watching Jax put his hands all over Piper’s body during the night was pure torture. Thank God Brooke was there to ease some of the pain that was roaring through his body. Not that he liked her, but it was easier to watch Piper make him jealous when he was doing the same to her. He knew the whole night was some kind of fucked up madness, from taking Piper in the back room, to fighting, to turning each other into insanely scary green-eyed monsters. If he was honest with himself, he couldn’t believe that Piper actually agreed to come over to his place, so her not being here really didn’t surprise him at all. It wasn’t the first time she said she would meet up with him, but then never showed. It was midnight and he had a game tomorrow. He needed to get some sleep if he wanted to be somewhat coherent during the game. He went to his bathroom to brush his teeth and get ready for bed. As he brushed his teeth, he stared at his reflection in the mirror. He looked…pathetic. Even more pathetic then when Brooke left him and that was a dark time in his life. He had lines around his eyes that he never noticed before and his scruff was growing to a possible beard length, which was not like him. Was he really letting a woman affect him this much? He spit out the toothpaste that foamed around his tongue and rinsed his mouth. He splashed some water on his face and then dried off, not bothering to hang his towel back up. He tore his shirt off and threw it in the hamper. He was just about to pull his mesh shorts off when there was a light knock on his door. He almost thought he imagined the sound, but then he heard it again. He took off for the front door and held his breath while he opened it up. “Hey,” Piper said, as she looked at him through her eyelashes. “Hey, come in.” She hesitated for a second, making Mason’s heart plummet, but then she moved forward and stood in his entryway. He shut the door, locked it, and then grabbed her hand, guiding her into the living room to sit on the couch. She looked nervous, but there was also a bit of excitement in her eyes. There was a slight sparkle to them that sent his pulse to sprinting pace. “Do you want anything to drink?” Mason felt awkward. He didn’t quite know what he was going to say to her. He wanted her with him and the only way he could get her in his place was if he threatened to bring Brooke home. Once Piper showed up, he didn’t really know what he was going to do with her that didn’t require them both getting naked. “I’m okay, thanks though.” They just stared at each other in the middle of the living room, her sitting on the couch and him standing above her. She looked more pale than usual. She had the creamiest skin that Mason loved indulging in, but right now, it looked more ghostly white. Her foot was fidgeting and he hoped that her nervous tendencies and ghostly complexion weren’t signs of something bad to come. Mason sat next to Piper on the couch and pulled her hands into his. “Why did you come, Piper? Why didn’t you go home with Jax?” She shrugged her shoulders and refused to make eye contact with him, so he placed his finger under her chin and forced her to look him in the eyes. “Why are you here?” Water lined her eyes, but she blinked back her tears. “I don’t really know. All I know is that I didn’t want to be anywhere else tonight. Not after what happened in the bar. I wanted to be the only girl in your home tonight.” Piper sighed and then got off the couch to pace the room. “Why did you have to be such a

dick tonight? Do you know what you did to me?” “What I did to you? Oh, I’m sorry, I was under the impression you actually knew how to play pool and didn’t need some douche bag feeling you up the whole night.” “That’s my boyfriend! At least I’m actually attached to him, unlike you, who teeter totters between flimsy whores and slutty ex-girlfriends.” Piper stuck her head up in defiance and her hair fell around her shoulders, making her look even more beautiful than usual, but then what she said registered in his head. He shot off the couch as well and went toward her. “I haven’t been with anyone since you, so don’t shoot off shit that you don’t know.” “You’re telling me you have not been with Brooke at all?” “No, not since we first fucked.” “Eloquent,” Piper said with a huff. “But you have fucked her.” “What kind of question is that? Of course I have, she was engaged to me. Do I really look like someone who would wait until marriage?” “I mean, since you met me.” Mason went still for a second. He replayed images of him screwing Brooke when she came to his place to surprise him. Piper and he were barely speaking then, but when he was screwing Brooke, he thought of Piper the whole time. “I knew it!” Piper shouted. “What the fuck!” Mason shot back. “Why the hell are you mad at me when you have been fucking dickweed for…how long now?” Shock registered across Piper’s face and then anger replaced it. “Like I said, he’s my boyfriend.” “Fucking say that again and I’m going to lose it on you,” Mason gritted out. “What, am I supposed to be celibate until you decide that you’re going to be a whore for the night and cheat on your boyfriend?” The minute the words left his mouth, he knew he was wrong. Piper’s hand met Mason’s face in a huge slap. “You fuckhead! How dare you call me that?” Tears welled up in her eyes. Mason tried to quickly recover by pulling her into his arms. She fought him, punching his chest and trying to tear herself away, but he wouldn’t allow it. “I’m sorry,” he tried to say, but she wouldn’t calm down enough to hear him. So, instead of talking, he grabbed her around the waist, threw her over his shoulder, and walked her down the hallway toward his bedroom. “Let go of me!” “Shut the hell up, woman. God, the neighbors are going to think I’m abusing you.” “Let. Me. Go!!” Mason flung her on his bed and then shut his bedroom door, making sure to lock it. Piper sat up and looked around the room, taking in her surroundings. She finally realized she was in his bedroom and put her hands on her hips. “You really think I’m going to have sex with you, after what you said about me? You’re fucking insane, you know that?” “Just shut the hell up for one damn second.” Mason pinched the bridge of his nose. “God, I just wanted you to relax for a minute while I compose myself.” Piper crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a look that said, “Well, explain.” “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything. For tonight, for sleeping with Brooke, even though we weren’t together, for blowing up on you and making things difficult for you with Jax, even though I hate him. But you have to understand, you’re all I think about. I can’t get you out of my head and I don’t want to. I won’t even try. You have ingrained yourself in my body and my soul and all I want is you. When I see that you’re with someone else or pushing me away, it makes me beyond angry and I lash out. It’s not the most mature way of handling things, but that’s how I work.”

He took a step closer and placed his hand on her face. “I want to be with you, Piper, more than anything and all I want is for you to want me too.” She shook her head at his words, deflating his ego instantly. He was mostly a very confident man, but lately, he’d been striking out in the love department and it was slowly eating away at him. “What am I supposed to say to that, Mason?” “That you feel something for me.” Mason held his breath as he waited for Piper’s response. He watched as she chewed on her bottom lip and searched his eyes…for what, he had no clue, but he tried to give her a look of sincerity...and maybe a little bit of desperation. Silently, he pleaded to whoever wanted to listen to him for Piper to give him a chance, any little piece of her, he would welcome. He didn’t know how much more of this roller coaster behavior he could take with her. He felt sick most of the time around her because all he wanted to do was claim her as his, but he couldn’t. It twisted his stomach in knots making him extremely uncomfortable most of the time. She occupied his thoughts and had driven him to a new level of insanity. “I do feel something for you, Mason.” Mason felt his body turn into liquid with her confession. “I just don’t know what to do about it. I can’t stop thinking about you either and it’s turning my stomach inside out. I shouldn’t have feelings for you; I shouldn’t be thinking about you and I sure as hell shouldn’t be getting insanely jealous when you touch another woman, but I don’t know what to do. There is some kind of electric energy between us that I crave when you’re not around; I crave your embrace and your touch, but I’m with someone else. How am I supposed to deal with that?” Mason pulled her into his arms and buried his head in her soft silky hair. His heart was soaring at her statement and he didn’t even care that she mentioned the lucky shit, Jax. All he cared about was the fact that Piper had feelings for him. He kissed her temple and whispered in her ear. “Leave him, baby. Be with me. I need you more. I can’t even describe to you how you’ve changed my life. I didn’t think a sassy redhead was going to make me feel alive again. After Brooke left me, I didn’t think I would ever feel again; I was completely numb, but then I met you and slowly, but surely, feeling started to tingle back into my body. You are an addiction, baby…my addiction and there is no way I want to kick the habit. You’re it. Be with me, be brave and be with me.” Piper pulled away and looked up at him. Her eyes were darker than usual and tears threatened to spill over her red-rimmed lids. He kissed her eyes gently, trying to be as gentle as possible, since most of the time he was anything but gentle. He was rough, overbearing, demanding and a domineering alpha male, but that was who he was; he couldn’t help it. His behavior caused many fights between the two of them, but he reveled in their fights because he felt they brought them closer, in a weird way. “I think I need you too, Mason.” Mason rested his forehead on hers and exhaled a breath he had no clue he was holding in. “Jesus, I can’t tell you how amazing that makes me feel.” “I don’t know what to do now.” Mason brought her to his bed, pulled down the covers and invited her in. She hesitated and was about to protest when he interrupted her. “I just want to hold you tonight and talk.” “Promise?” “Promise, baby,” he said gently. She smiled at him, pulled her shoes off and then looked around his room. “Can I borrow a shirt? I kind of smell like a bar right now.” Mason chuckled at the way she crinkled her nose. “You smell amazing, but by all means, help yourself to one of my shirts. I would be so lucky to have you wear one.” Mason gave her a shirt to wear and made himself comfortable in bed while she changed. He couldn’t

believe his luck right now. He finally had Piper heading in the direction he wanted her to. She was giving him a chance. Now he just needed to help her find a way to break things off with Jax. Jax wouldn’t be happy, but the douche could go fuck himself for all Mason cared. Mason could give two shits about Jax and his feelings, especially after the hell of a pre-season he put Mason and his teammates through. He deserved to be dumped for being such a dickhead. Piper opened the door to his bathroom and stepped out in one of his dress shirts. She rolled the sleeves up to her elbows and the hem landed just above her knees, giving him a good peek at her long, luscious legs. She must have fluffed her hair or messed it around because it was a little wild looking, which framed her face perfectly. Mason felt his mouth water and he had to remind himself that he was just going to hold her tonight, no frisky business. “Don’t look at me like that,” she said with a slight grin peeking out of the corner of her mouth. “Sorry, but it’s pretty much impossible when you look that good. Now come here.” Mason held the covers back for her and once she slipped in, he pulled her against his chest, burying his head in the expanse of red curls that covered his pillow. Her hair smelled like vanilla and coconut mixed together, putting his senses on high alert. He kept reminding his little man to keep things under control. Godzilla didn’t need to scare her away with his excitement. “This is where you belong Piper, in my place, in my bed, in my arms.” She snuggled against him, wiggling her bottom more into place, which sent a jolt through his crotch. Mason cleared his throat. “Baby, if you could refrain from squirming around, that would be great. My body can’t be held responsible for any actions that might take place if you continue to move around like that.” She giggled, sending another jolt of lust to his balls from the cute little sound that came out of her mouth. Jesus, she was going to be the death of him. “I don’t want to think about tomorrow, or Jax, or what I’m going to do. I just want to be with you for tonight and then we’ll figure out what to do from there.” “Sounds perfect to me. We’ll get through this together, baby. You and me, that’s all we need.” He pulled her even closer and snuggled into her backside. He felt like he couldn’t get close enough and he knew it was because of the barrier of clothes between them, but he was a man of his word and he would keep his promise of no frisky business, even though it was tearing him up inside. He wanted to feel her skin on his, feel her heat, but he would settle for what he had right now. After they settled everything between them and she was his, he would make sure there were no clothes between them, ever. He wanted to be as close to her as he could get, for the rest of his life. This was it for him. He wanted no one else. Piper owned him. *** Piper felt the breeze kiss her skin as strong arms wrapped around her. She noted that it was early in the morning because the sun was just peeking through the curtains. The urge to flee, escape and forget her decision to stay with Mason ran through her mind, but she tamped it down. She was here for a reason; she was here because of the strong pull that ran between her and Mason. She wanted to know what it was all about and why she felt the need to be near him, with him. Once she heard Mason’s breathing even out last night, she knew he was sleeping and she was able to actually think about her decision. While he was still awake, she was on edge, just waiting for him to make a move. The only move he made on her last night was running his hand across her stomach which, to her disgust, turned her on. She wished she didn’t have such strong feelings for Mason, but she couldn’t help it. Once he fell asleep, she thought about the predicament her raging hormones and heart put her in. She couldn’t just go and break up with Jax, not if things were going to be rocky with Mason. Whenever she

was around Mason, they either fought or fucked; that was not much of a relationship. With Jax, he treated her with respect, he loved her, cherished her; he was her safe haven and it was hard to step away from the loving relationship that they’d created together. She thought about the first time she met Jax at the 7-Eleven, getting Slurpees. He was so adorable with his ball cap and perfectly worn jeans. Little did she know at the time that she was going to fall for the man with the southern drawl and impeccable taste in Slurpee concoctions. She pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a long sigh. She couldn’t step away from both men, it was practically impossible. She knew she needed to choose, but she needed more time. She needed to figure out which man she was meant to be with because, at the moment, it seemed like both. She giggled to herself, thinking about proposing a possible threesome to both men; that way everyone would win. Knowing Mason’s hatred for Jax and Jax being such a gentleman, a threesome would never work. Not to mention, Mason was extremely alpha male and would most likely not be in the business of sharing his woman. Still, the thought made her laugh, thinking of their faces if she did make such an absurd proposal. Mason squeezed her closer. “What’s so funny?” he asked in a very deep and husky voice. Oh God, Mason’s morning voice was beyond sexy, he sounded at peace and…all male. “Nothing,” she said, as she turned in his arms and looked him in the eyes. His lids were heavy from just waking up, but she got a great peek at his dark eyes. It seemed that in the morning, they were darker than normal. It was as if his eyes were almost black. “You have beautiful eyes,” Piper said, while stroking his cheek, relishing in the overgrown stubble on his face. She loved his stubble, even though it left beard burn all over her body. She didn’t care because his stubble made him drop-dead gorgeous to look at. He was tall, dark, and handsome and not to mention…thick. He gave her a lazy smile. “I have beautiful eyes? Look in the mirror sweetheart. You might be surprised to see what beautiful eyes actually are.” “Smooth Dashel, really smooth.” He kissed her nose. “I like you like this, with me, in bed, joking. I hate it when we fight.” “Me too,” Piper said softly. Mason peeked over Piper’s shoulder and grimaced. “I have to get up and get ready for the game today. I would rather stay here in bed with you, but I highly doubt the Stallions’ organization would take kindly to me missing the first pre-season game.” “That’s alright. I should get back to my place anyway. We’ll have a packed bar tonight, thanks to you and the boys.” Mason leaned over her body and brought his mouth to hers. His lips were surprisingly soft for such a rustic kind of man. He had callouses on his hands from the many practices, days in the weight room and days on the field, but his lips were a stark contrast to his hands. He was gentle at first, but once she reciprocated his kiss, he became more urgent, as if he left her now she would disappear. Her stomach fluttered at his light touch and the way his tongue did a light exploration of her mouth. She felt a dull ache starting to take form between her legs, causing her to moan into his mouth. Mason pulled away instantly and looked her in the eyes. “You can’t do that. You can’t moan while I’m kissing you when I made a promise to you.” “Well then, don’t go kissing me like that,” she smiled at him. “What are you going to do?” Mason grew serious and Piper realized the question he asked was not about the kissing. It was, in fact, a conversation she didn’t want to have. “What do you mean?” she asked, trying to prolong the inevitable. “You know what I mean. What’s next for us?” And there it was, the question she didn’t want to answer because she had no clue. The look in his eyes

when he asked the question was pleading. He had the whole puppy dog look going for him and it was killing her. She swallowed hard and felt tears threaten to spill over onto her cheeks. Mason noticed because he instantly scooped her up and set her on his lap, while he leaned against his headboard. He stroked her arm up and down and kissed her temple. The sweet and kind gesture only made her decision that much harder, causing the tears to fall. “Baby, please don’t cry. I’m sorry. I’m just…scared, I guess. I don’t want to lose you.” “I know,” Piper said, while wiping her tears away. “I don’t know what to do Mason. I feel so confused.” “Can I help in any way?” Mason asked, while nuzzling her neck. “That’s not helping,” she giggled. Mason lifted his head and turned her head so she was looking at him. “I would think that my seduction techniques would, in fact, help. I must be getting rusty.” “That’s your way of seducing a woman? Oh God, I must be really easy then.” Mason laughed. “You are.” She swatted his chest, but then grew serious again. “Give me time, Mason.” “How much time, Piper? I can’t wait forever.” “I know. I just need to figure things out.” “Can I still see you?” Could he still see her? Jax would get suspicious if she was spending her nights with someone other than him, but then again, how would she be able to make a proper decision if she didn’t see Mason? She was just going to have to balance two men. She could do it, not for long, but long enough to clear her head and make a proper decision. “Yes,” she said, while looking at him through her lashes. She caught a hint of relief as it shot across his face, making her heart flutter. It still blew her mind that a man like Mason, a strong, confident, alpha was attracted to her. It was kind of crazy for her to think that two men, for that matter, were attracted to her. She had always been the odd quirky girl growing up, so having two men come after her was hard for her to even imagine. “Are you still going to see him?” Mason spoke with a firm tone. Piper sighed and looked him in the eyes. “You know I am, why do you even ask?” “Because I want you for myself,” Mason raised his voice, making Piper jump. She pulled away, but he pulled her right back into his chest. “Don’t ruin this Mason, don’t start a fight now. I asked you to give me some time, so please respect that. I promise I will make a decision soon, but I just need some time to think.” “Fine.” Mason kissed her cheek. “I’m not happy about it, but I don’t want to lose you either. I swear, though, if you sleep with him, I won’t be able to forgive that. I will not share my woman in the bedroom. I don’t want to share her at any time, but especially not in the bedroom. Do you understand me?” The tone of Mason’s voice meant he was not kidding. She nodded in agreement because she didn’t want to lose a chance with Mason by sleeping with Jax. If Mason was the one she was meant to be with, she didn’t want to ruin it because she messed around. Then again, she thought about it and Jax was her boyfriend, the guy she loved, how was she supposed to just turn off her hormones around him? Mason must have seen her pondering his statement because he jerked her head so he was staring her in the eyes. “I am dead fucking serious Piper. If I find out you slept with him, it’s over.” “Okay!” Her statement came out harsher than she wanted it to, but she was annoyed…annoyed with herself, annoyed with the situation she was in, and annoyed with Mason for making things so damn difficult. If only he’d kept his distance, then she wouldn’t be in this predicament. If only he stayed an ass and didn’t show the soft side of him, the side that Lexi always spoke of, then life would be easier. She

would be waking up next to Jax right now, not Mason. Mason was about to say something when there was a knock at his door. “Expecting someone?” Piper asked. Mason frowned. “No. Maybe it’s Jake wanting to go to the stadium together.” Mason got up and told Piper to stay in bed while he answered the door. As much as she wanted to stay, she knew she needed to get going and get the hell out of Mason’s web he’d tangled her in. She needed to clear her mind. Piper got out of bed and grabbed her clothes that were folded on top of Mason’s dresser. She caught a glimpse of herself in his mirror that sat above his dresser and she took note of her appearance. She looked…happy, surprisingly. She looked tiny in Mason’s shirt, since he was so much bigger than she was, but it fit her in an odd way. Her hair was disheveled, like always, but her face was smiling; she didn’t even realize it. The worry lines that crowded her forehead recently were gone and the bags that took up residence under her eyes were not present. She looked well-rested and satisfied and it was at that moment that she realized she belonged with Mason. Even though it was going to be difficult, she belonged with him. He made her sparkle, a trait she never considered herself to have before…ever. Piper smiled into the mirror and took off into the living room to kiss Mason for what he gave her, for how he transformed her. When she reached the living room, she stopped in her tracks. Wrapped around Mason and clawing at his body, was Brooke. Mason’s back was to Piper, so he couldn’t see her, but Piper could see that Mason’s back was tense and rigid from having Brooke wrapped around him, most likely not by his choice. “What the fuck?” Brooke shouted, once she made eye contact with Piper. “I knew it. I knew I couldn’t trust you the moment I met you.” Brooke released herself from Mason and Mason turned around quickly to see Piper standing in the entrance of the living room off his hallway. His face was full of shock and anger. He went to say something, but Brooke cut him off. “Who the hell do you think you are, coming in here when you already have a boyfriend and trying to be with someone else’s man? I’m sure Jax would be very happy to know that you’re fooling around with his starting wide receiver.” “Brooke, get the fuck out of here. I told you I want nothing to do with you.” Brooke turned on Mason and pointed her finger at him. “You don’t mean that and I know it. I know the way you look at me, the way you touch me and the way your dick gets excited when I’m around. Don’t act like I didn’t feel it last night. I’m supposed to be with you and, once you realize that fire crotch is not what you want, I’ll be waiting at your side, to take your hand in marriage like we were supposed to.” Brooke spun on her heel and headed out the door, but not before she grabbed Mason and pulled him down for a knee-buckling kiss. Piper watched Mason intently when his lips were on Brooke’s and she was happy to see that he didn’t engage in her lip lock. He also seemed very angry. He pulled away and wiped his mouth as Brooke walked out the door. Mason slammed the door shut and ran his hands through his hair. The tension radiating off of him was almost suffocating. He finally looked up at Piper and worry ran through his eyes. “Piper…” “Don’t,” Piper said. She walked up to him, grabbed his head and matched her lips to his. She poured every ounce of emotion into her kiss. If her reflection in the mirror didn’t solidify her decision of being with Mason, then seeing Brooke hanging all over Mason did. She didn’t want to lose Mason; it wasn’t an option. Mason pulled away and looked at her in confusion. “I’m so sorry baby. I didn’t know she was coming over. Please, you have to believe me.” Piper placed her finger over Mason’s lips to silence him. “I know, Mace.”

“You sure?” “Yes, I’m positive.” She smiled at him, making him smile back, showing off his beautiful, mouthwatering grin. “Mace?” “Yes?” “I want to be with you.” Pure shock and astonishment crossed Mason’s face. “You what?” “I want to be with you. I want to make this work.” “You’re not kidding with me right now?” She kissed him on the lips again and he lifted her up by her butt and twirled her around. “Jesus, please tell me you’re serious.” “I’m serious,” Piper said with a smile that was permanently plastered across her face. “Thank fuck!” Mason threw Piper on his couch and straddled her. “Baby, I can’t even tell you how happy you have made me right now. Jesus.” Mason ran his hands over his face and then looked at Piper again. Utter joy radiated from him, making Piper smile even more. It was as if someone told him he won the lottery. He hovered over her, giving Piper a great view of his toned and tattooed body. He was irresistible. Piper couldn’t blame Brooke for wanting to come back to him. Piper had the same problem fighting off the man. He was too good to be true and, even though he was too alpha male for her most of the time, for some odd reason, it turned her on. He was strong and confident, yet sweet and understanding at the same time. He was what she needed. “Give me a little bit more time, Mason, but my heart belongs to you and you alone. You make me happy…oddly enough.” Mason chuckled at her reference to their fights. “I can give you time, as long as I know you’re mine.” “I’m yours, Mason. I’m all yours.” Mason shook his head. “Never thought I would hear you say those words. That is, by far, the greatest thing I have ever heard to date. You have made my day, babe.” Mason looked at the clock and swore. “Perfect timing. I have to get to the stadium. Will you come here tonight?” Piper thought about it for a second. “I’m not sure. I’ll let you know.” “Don’t go to him,” Mason said in an agitated tone. “I’m not going to. Like I said, give me some time, Mason. It will be worth it, I promise. Just know that my heart is with you, alright?” “Alright…” Mason said uneasily. “Trust me?” “Yes. Just please come back to me. I need you Piper. I can’t live without you. I can’t tell you how you’ve changed my life. Please promise me you’ll come back to me when you’re ready.” “I promise, Mason.” Mason smiled brightly at her, captured her mouth with his and showed her how much she meant to him. He was such a stark contrast to his exterior. He was rough and harsh on the outside, oozing male ego, but deep down inside, he was caring, sweet and kind. She could get used to this grizzly bear of a man; all she had to do was break if off with Jax. How the hell was she going to break up with a man she loved? *** Mason adjusted his jock strap just before he laced up his pants. He had an amazing warm-up and he knew it was because Piper had given him the most amazing news this morning. Never in a millions years did he think she was going to concede to be with him so suddenly. He, for sure, thought it was going to

take a lot more coaxing, but she must have felt the same pull he felt when he was around her. He hated leaving her, but he knew if he didn’t get his ass to the field for warm ups, he was putting a huge “X” on his back for Jax to fire at and he didn’t need that, especially since Mason was stealing Jax’s woman. Pure satisfaction spread across his face at the thought of Piper finally breaking it off with Sir Douchea-lot. Mason had no clue what she saw in the guy in the first place, but he wasn’t going to hold it against her because, obviously, she had good taste in men in the end by choosing to be with Mason. Her words from earlier, stating she wanted to be with him, still floated through his head. All he wanted to do was go back home and hold her, but he knew she wasn’t going to be there, which was disappointing, but she was worth the wait. Mason adjusted his shoulder pads so they were secured in place. The last thing he needed was to get hurt in the first pre-season game of the year. He grabbed his jersey and put it over his head, but then turned to Ryker for help. “Ryke, a little assistance, please.” “Sure, but first are you going to tell me why you have that shit-eating grin on your face? Does it have something to do with Piper? Because, if it doesn’t, then something definitely crawled up Coach Ryan’s ass. He’s in one hell of a mood this morning.” “Isn’t it great?” Mason said, still smiling. Ryker punched Mason in the arm. “Dude, please tell me you got some last night, so at least we all know it was worth putting Jax in a shitty mood.” Mason grimaced. Jax was being a giant dick today and his attitude could be taken as first game nerves, but Mason knew what the real reason was. It was because Piper didn’t spend the night in Jax’s arms. Instead, she spent the night in Mason’s arms and, damn, was it good. “We talked last night.” “Jesus!” Ryker said, as he finished pulling down Mason’s Jersey for him. “When did you turn into a pussy?” “Fuck you, man. You have no clue what I’ve been through with her. Last night was monumental because, this morning, she told me that she wants to be with me. So you can shove it up your dick.” Ryker falsely shivered. “Ooo, sensitive too today. Better not let the other team know or they’re going to take you out.” “Doubt it, dick stick. I’m feeling fan-fucking-tastic today and no one can change that.” The guys finished getting ready and headed through the tunnel that led out to the field. The announcer was calling out the opposing team as fans booed. Mason smiled to himself, wondering what Jake might be thinking right now. Stallion fans took no prisoners and showed no mercy where the opposing team was concerned, one thing Mason loved about his team. Fog started to billow in the tunnel and their walk-out music blared through the speakers that surrounded the field. Pre-game goose bumps scattered over Mason’s arms. No matter what game was at stake, whether it was a playoff game or a pre-season game, he always had the same reaction before every game: nerves, excitement and feeling blessed. He was blessed for so many reasons, Piper being one of them, but he was blessed to be able to play the sport he loved for a living. The team took off for the field once they were announced. Mason ran out on the field and felt the vibration of the crowd’s excitement. This was going to be a good day. The Stallions lost the coin toss and the Thunder chose to kick the ball now, so they received the return after half time. Mason put his helmet on in preparation for running out on the field once the ball was returned. The Thunder kicked the ball and their kick returner, Maverick, took off with the ball in his hands. The crowd was roaring as Maverick dodged tackles and came up short at the opposing team’s forty yard line, good return.

Mason sprinted out on the field while snapping his chin strap into place. Jesse, their quarterback, huddled the offense on the field to deliver the play relayed from Jax. “Blue forty.” He looked directly at Mason. “Coming to you, man; catch the fucking thing and start the season off right.” “Throw it where it needs to be and there won’t be a problem.” The two players exchanged grins and then clapped their hands to break their huddle. Mason got into position and stared down the opposing tackle. Mason had a couple inches on the guy and maybe a couple more pounds, this was going to be easy. Jesse called out the play and then hiked the ball, giving Mason the cue to take off. Mason sprinted straight forward, then hooked to his left to find the ball sailing in his direction. Mason tracked the ball all the way in and was just about to catch it, when the corner back grabbed Mason’s arms and pulled them down, making a deliberate show of pass interference. They both fell to the ground and the ball dropped into the arms of the opposing team to gain a twenty yard interception. No big deal, though, because it was clearly pass interference, but when Mason looked up at the referee, there was no flag on the field and Jax was throwing his clipboard on the ground. Shit. Mason got up he went over to the referee to argue, but it didn’t help. The referee stated it being a clean play, which was complete bullshit because the little bitch-ass rookie that covered Mason in the play was laughing his way off the field. Mason got to the bench and ripped his helmet off. “That was bullshit,” Mason shouted at Ryker while pointing at the field. “Yeah, apparently the ref’s wore their moron goggles to the game today.” “Fuck!” Mason shouted “Dashel!” Coach Ryan shouted from the sidelines. “Shit,” Mason said, while he walked over to his pansy-ass coach. The last thing Mason wanted to deal with right now was a bitch session from Jax, especially since what just happened on the field was not his damn fault. Mason sidled up next to his coach, the man he despised, the man who was soon going to find out that the woman he thought he was with would no longer be with him. Mason smiled to himself, making sure not to show his glee about Piper leaving the dick wad soon. “You can sit your ass down for the rest of the game.” Shock rolled through Mason’s body. “Excuse me?” Jax turned on Mason and stared him in the eyes. Mason was a few inches taller than Jax, but the man, surprisingly, held his ground. Fury lined Jax’s eyes and Mason knew at that moment the fury was not from what happened on the field, it was from what happened in the bar the night before. “You heard me. You clearly aren’t fit to play tonight due to your…partying last night.” “You have got to be shitting me right now. I left before you and barely had anything to drink. I have multiple people who can vouch for me.” “Save it, Dashel. You’re out, pack it up.” “Fuck!” Mason shouted, as he walked away. He tossed a sleeve of cups that were next to the water bin onto the ground. “Mace!” Ryker shouted after him. “Mason, wait. What the fuck is going on?” Mason spun around and got in Ryker’s face. “That fuck head is what is going on. He says that I partied too much last night and that was why I missed the pass, but really what it comes down to is that he can’t stand the fact that I’m moving in on Piper.” Mason ran his hands through his hair and then shouted. “This is bullshit!” “Dude, you need to fucking cool it. You know the cameras are on you right now and the media will spin this big time. I suggest you do what you were told and get the hell out of here. Talk to Coach Flarity

after the game.” Ryker was right, he needed to talk to their head coach and clear everything up. Mason had done amazing things for the team in the last couple of years and not only on the field. His jersey was second in sales, just under Jesse the quarterback, of course. He did more volunteer work than any other player on the team and he was a leader. He needed to clear his name with the head coach before Jax had a chance to sully it. “You’re right. I’m out. Fuck some shit up out there, man.” “I will.” Mason walked back to the locker room, trying not to grind his teeth at the absurdity of the situation. There was no way Jax could sit Mason for the entire season, not only would the team rebel, but the owner would have something to say to Jax Ryan, especially when Mason was such good friends with the owner and his family, thanks to when Mason taught his son how to catch a football. Mason would solve this cluster fuck and, hopefully, make Jax look like a complete fool in the end. *** “Why isn’t he playing?” Piper panicked as she watched the Stallions game at the bar. “I don’t get it; that was clearly pass interference. Do you think he got hurt?” “I don’t know, Pipe, but if you don’t calm down for one second, we won’t be able to hear the announcers.” “Turn it up,” Piper said to Hannah, as she paced the bar that was crowded with begging customers, but she didn’t care at the moment. All she cared about was why Mason was not playing. She wished she could go up to the rookie corner back for the Thunder and kick him in the dick for obviously grabbing Mason’s arms so he couldn’t catch the ball. Then she was going to twist the balls off of the ref who missed the blatant move. Hannah turned the TV up and everyone in the bar quieted so they could hear why their favorite wide receiver for the Stallions was no longer on the field. “Well Bob, I just got news from the locker room that Mason “Dash” Dashel is not hurt, but he has been taken out of the game.” “What a move from the new offensive coach, Jax Ryan. I sure hope he knows what he’s doing because Dash has never looked better than he does this year. I had a chance to watch some of their training camp practices and the man is a machine.” “I agree. Ryker Lewis can only do so much by himself. If Jax Ryan isn’t careful, he could hurt his other wide receiver, leaving Jax with no one but second and third string.” “We will have to tune into the after show to see what happened with Dash, but from what we saw on the field, he was not happy and neither was Coach Flarity, so Jax has a lot of explaining to do.” Piper blew out a frustrated breath and took some much-needed orders from customers. “This is crap!” One of the patrons said. “Jax Ryan is an idiot. We are going to lose the game if Dash is sitting on the sidelines. Ryker is good, but he can’t do everything.” Piper tried to ignore the shouting fans, but it was hard not to listen when she agreed with them. What the hell was Jax thinking? She just hoped to God it had nothing to do with her because, if that was the case, she didn’t know what she would do. She didn’t want to put Mason in a position where he wouldn’t play because of her inability to choose one man. The room felt like it was closing in on her from all the shouting fans; she needed to take a second for herself. She turned to Hannah and asked her to handle the bar for a second while she gathered her wits in the back. Piper excused herself and went to the back room to breathe for a second. She sat on an empty crate and rested her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. She shouldn’t overreact right now.

She had no clue why Mason was out of the game and it might be something that was completely irrelevant to her current predicament. Piper shook her head as she felt a tear fall down her face. How did she get here? How did she end up in the middle of two men? Why did she let this happen? Never in her life had she acted like such a…tart. When she had a boyfriend, she was solely with him and no one else. She didn’t even think about another person, so why was she unable to stop thinking about two men at the same time? Why was she telling Jax she loved him, but then giving her heart to Mason? It didn’t make sense. She was disgusted with herself. Piper worked through the rest of the game on auto-pilot, trying to ignore the booing fans in the bar when the Stallions couldn’t pull together a win without Mason. She didn’t want to acknowledge the game because, deep down inside, she knew the reason Mason wasn’t playing was because of her. She couldn’t get rid of that sinking feeling that she had screwed everything up for him. “Shhh…” a man at the bar shouted to everyone. “They’re about to interview Jax. He has a lot of explaining to do.” Piper stilled in place and turned to the television; she needed to hear what Jax had to say. She needed to know if she was responsible for today’s loss, or if it was something else that happened on the field. The bar fell to an eerie silence as one of the regulars turned up the TV. Jax filled the screen, wearing his white Stallions baseball cap and white polo with the Stallions logo right over his heart. He looked good; he looked really good. Piper hated herself for not being able to control her emotions. Jax spoke up. “It was a tough loss today, but it’s only pre-season so I am glad we can work our kinks out now, rather than later. I have no doubt in my mind that the offense will only go up from here.” A reporter who was off-camera spoke up with the question that everyone was waiting on pins and needles to hear the answer to. “Why did you take Dash out? Did he hurt himself in a play on the field?” Jax shifted uncomfortably in his chair and took a swig of water before he answered the question. Piper grew nervous while waiting for his response. Beads of sweat started to form at her brow while she pleaded to Jax silently. She didn’t want Jax taking his anger out on Mason. “Mason Dashel showed a lack of good judgment last night and came to the field unprepared. After he missed the ball on the first play, I knew his poor decision was only going to affect the team further on today, so instead of putting the team in a tough spot, I decided to ask Mason to leave the field and disrobe in the locker room. It was a tough choice, but I felt it needed to be done in order to show him I mean business this year.” Piper sank into a seat at the bar. What was Jax talking about? Mason was perfectly fine this morning, more than fine. He was happy, not hung over one bit and then that was when it hit her. Jax wasn’t talking about Mason being at the bar, he was talking about Mason hitting on Piper, that was his poor decision and now Jax was making Mason pay for it. Her stomach fell to the ground as she felt her head start to go heavy with concern. She did this to Mason, this was all her fault. The interview continued, but Piper was barely able to pay attention with the rapid thoughts running through her mind. “Jax, have you watched the replay of the pass that was intercepted? It was clearly pass interference; there was nothing Dash could do about it.” “I have not watched it yet and I can imagine there was some pass interference, but if Mason was on top of his game, he would have outrun that rookie and there would be no discussion.” “If that’s the case,” one of the reporters said, “Then what was the poor decision Mason made last night that would take him out of the game?” “That is between me and my player. I would like to move on. If you have any other questions about the game, I’d be happy to answer them.” That solidified it. Jax was mad at Mason because of Piper. Shit, what was she going to do now? If she broke up with Jax for Mason, then Jax would have no problem making Mason’s life a living hell. So

where did that leave her when it came to having a relationship with Mason? Her heart felt like it was hollowed out because she knew at that moment, any chance she had with Mason was non-existent at least for as long as he was playing for the Stallions and that didn’t seem to be changing anytime soon.

Chapter 18 “Tell me what the fuck happened out there,” Jake said, while sipping on one of the beer bottles Piper had silently brought over to their booth. She was surprisingly quiet when Mason walked in with Ryker and Jake and he didn’t like the silence very much at all. He knew she must have seen the game because she worked at a damn sports bar, but he didn’t understand why she was so standoff-ish with him. It was like he took one step forward with her and wound up taking two giant steps back. “Jax is a dickhead, that’s what fucking happened.” Mason downed the rest of his beer just so Piper would come over again. “I get that, but why? Not that I’m too upset that we blistered your asses today,” Jake said with a wry grin. “Please, that was our second string defense the second half of the game when you scored. Notice how you weren’t moving an inch the first half.” “At least I played.” “Fuck off, that dick Jax took me out. What the hell was I supposed to do about it?” “Maybe stick up for yourself,” Ryker said, while rubbing the top of his legs. “Jesus, I’m sore because your pansy ass was sitting in an ice bath while I ran around like a chicken with its head cut off. Does he realize he could have blown my legs, all because of some kind of vendetta he has against you?” “Is that it?” Jake asked. “He has a vendetta against you?” “I think so,” Mason responded. “I think he knows about me and Piper and he’s dicking around with me on the field.” “Did you get a chance to talk to Flarity?” Ryker asked. “Fuck yeah. I wasn’t leaving the stadium until I talked to him. I know that Jax is the offensive coordinator, but I don’t need our head coach and the fucking Stallions organization thinking I’m some kind of train wreck. I told him everything that went down from the moment I met Piper to the moment I saw her on the field with Jax. I wanted to be completely honest with Coach because I didn’t want anything to come back and bite me in the ass.” “What did Flarity say?” Jake asked. “Just that, if what I said is true, Jax is in the wrong and that he will be having a conversation with him. Flarity had no clue why Jax took me out until after the game and Flarity said decisions like that needed to be brought to him. I told Flarity that I had witnesses that could vouch for me last night. So needless to say, Jax is most likely getting his ass handed to him right now,” Mason said with a grin. “Thank fuck,” Ryker said. “That guy is a total prick. I don’t know what Piper sees in him.” Ryker swallowed the rest of his beer. “Speaking of Piper, where is she with our refills and where do you two stand?” “I don’t know. She hasn’t been very chatty tonight. It makes me fucking nervous. I swear, I get close to her and I finally think , hey this is going to work for me, but then something stupid happens like today and she shuts me out completely. A guy can only take so much.” “Is she worth it?” Jake asked solemnly. Mason took a second to think about Jake’s question. Was Piper worth the agony and the rollercoaster ride that she made Mason ride frequently? Was she worth all the heartache and second guessing? He looked over to where she was at the bar, serving a beer on tap to a customer at the bar. Her hair was swept up into a ponytail this evening, exposing her long creamy neck and her shirt was unbuttoned to a risky level where she was showing too much skin for Mason’s liking. He wanted to be the only man who saw what Piper had to offer. “She is. I’m going to get us some more beers.” Jake and Ryker grinned at him, but he ignored them and went up to the bar, where Piper was pouring another glass of beer for a patron. He studied her movements as he waited for her to direct her attention his way. She was so beautiful, it

hurt sometimes to look at her. He wished that when he first met her he hadn’t fucked around with her. He should have laid it all on the line then, instead of denying the feelings she made him have. If only he’d done that, then he wouldn’t be in the predicament he was in right now. If he only set aside his stupid pride and asshole ways, then Piper would be his for sure, sharing his bed and his life. She handed the glass to the customer and then glanced up to make eye contact with Mason. Surprisingly, a smile lit up her face that made Mason’s heart skip a beat. “Hey, baby.” “Hey Mace. Do you guys need refills?” “Yeah, do you mind?” “Not at all. Sorry I’ve been busy tonight.” She pulled out three beer bottles from the cooler and started popping the caps off. “Sorry…about the game.” Confused, Mason asked, “What are you sorry about? It’s not your fault some asshole rookie decided to find me attractive and run his hands all up and down my body while I tried to catch a pass.” Piper chuckled and then shot him a look. “You know what I mean.” Mason leaned over the bar and rested his head in his hand. “No, I don’t, so please enlighten me.” He was trying to keep the mood light between them because the last thing he wanted was another fight with Piper. He thought he’d just found a good place with her and didn’t want to ruin the bond they formed this morning. “Jax…taking you out.” Mason waved his hand in front of his face, brushing off the asshole move Jax made earlier as if it was nothing, even though Jax could have possibly put a huge dent in Mason’s career if he hadn’t run media control with his head coach. “Don’t worry about that. Just some miscommunication.” “But Mace…” “Stop.” He put his finger over her mouth to shush her. “I don’t want you worrying about the game or any other game, for that matter. That’s my job and I will worry about it. I want you to think about good things, like where you want me to take you on a date.” She smiled at him, creating a warm atmosphere between them again. If all she did was smile at him for the rest of his life with those luscious lips, then he would be a happy man. “How am I supposed to compete with the threesome you’re on tonight?” They both looked over at Jake and Ryker who were staring intently at them. Ryker waved daintily with his fingers, while Jake blew kisses in their direction. “It’s hard to compete with such…pretty ladies.” Mason laughed. “They are gorgeous, aren’t they? Not sure if they will put out, though. I’m feeling it, but I’m not sure if they are. Any suggestions?” Piper leaned over and unbuttoned a couple of buttons on his shirt. “Showing skin always helps and don’t forget to touch them…seductively.” “Yeah? Show me.” Piper leaned over some more and stroked Mason’s arm with her fingertips. “When you’re talking to them, like we are right now, just move your fingers up and down their arm like this, they’ll be putty in your hands in no time.” Ryker came over to the bar and grabbed his beer. “Dude, I know you want to fuck her and all tonight, but we’re dying of thirst over there.” “Feisty one, she is,” Piper said jokingly. Mason pressed his hand on Ryker’s face and stroked his cheek with his thumb. “But she’s worth it.” Ryker backed away quickly. “Dude! What the fuck? Don’t touch me with your creepy clammy hands. Especially when you know I have the hots for you. You don’t want me to jump your bones right here.” “If you want to meet me in the back…”

Piper cut in. “Alright this is getting weird.” She handed Mason the other beer, pecked him on the cheek and gave him a wink. “Get out of here, you two. I have customers to serve.” Mason tried to act like the kiss to his cheek was an act of normalcy between them, but he couldn’t help but feel the imprint of her lips on his cheek, like she lit him on fire. The mixed signals she was sending him were undeniably frustrating as hell, but when it came down to it, he was happy there were good signals coming his way because that meant he still had a chance. He still held her heart like she said earlier and he promised himself he was going to take care of her heart to the best of his abilities. *** Jax rested his forehead on his steering wheel, contemplating whether he should go up to Piper’s apartment or not. He fucked up today; he fucked up big time and almost lost his job because of it. He should never have let his emotions out on the field. He knew better than that. But the minute he saw Mason’s cocky ass step on the field, he wanted to punish him and he was looking for any reason to do so. What a fucking idiotic move. Jax couldn’t stand the fact that there might be something going on between his girl and his arrogant starting wide receiver. He saw how Piper looked at Mason at the bar and the way her eyes lit up when he made eye contact with her. He didn’t miss the little exchanges between them and he sure as hell wasn’t stupid enough not to know why Piper didn’t go home with him last night. He was losing her and he was losing her fast. It pained him to see the one woman he had fallen in love with, since he lost his wife, slowly exit his life, without even having a clue on how to win her back. How could he go up against Mason Dashel? What did he have that could compete with Mason…nothing. Fuck. Jax shook his head, took off his hat and ran his hand through his hair. Even though he knew going up against Mason Dashel to win Piper’s heart was a fool’s idea, he still couldn’t think of not going after her, especially after all that she had done for him, helping through the fog that clouded his life for so long. He got out of his car and went up to Piper’s apartment, sending a silent prayer to whoever wanted to listen that Piper still wanted to be with him. He knocked on her door and held his breath while he waited for her to open the door. It seemed like forever, but once she opened up, he sighed at the sight of her. “Hey darlin’.” “Hey, what are you doing here?” “Can I come in?” “Of course.” She stopped him in the door frame and brought him into her warm embrace before he entered. He rested his head on her little shoulder and squeezed her tightly. When he was with her, wrapped in her arms, he knew everything was going to be okay. She made all his problems vanish. She brought him into her place and they both sat down on her couch. Her place was very minimal; she didn’t have much, but what she had was comforting, warm. He could see himself living with her, marrying her, spending the rest of his life with this woman. He never thought he could think of a forever with someone other than his first wife, but Piper changed all that. She was a breath of fresh air and he wanted to bottle her up and keep her all for himself. “Sorry about the game today.” “Don’t be.” Jax shook his head at the disappointment he could only blame on himself. “It was my own damn fault. I shouldn’t have taken Mason out. He was looking good this morning during practice and… and…” Jax couldn’t get the words out. If he finished the rest of his sentence, he’d be putting his thoughts of Mason and Piper out in the open and he didn’t know if he wanted to hear the answer. “And what Jax?” She stared at him intently with her beautiful gray eyes that sparkled no matter the time of day or where she was.

He put his head in his hands, feeling completely helpless. If he didn’t talk about this now, he would never talk about it and always wonder if there was ever something between Piper and Mason. And what if there wasn’t, would he always wonder? He would and then he would end up destroying one of the greatest things that happened to him in a long time. Fuck, he could do this. His heart pounded in his chest as he gained the courage to finish his sentence. He looked up at her again and put his hand against her cheek, reveling in the softness of her skin. God damn it, did he love her. He loved her so fucking much; he didn’t want to lose her, he couldn’t stand the thought of losing her. Not being able to touch her when he wanted, not being able to kiss her, love her, and spoil her. He needed her. His gut twisted itself into seven different expert sailor knots. Blowing out a pent-up breath, he went for it. “And are you involved with him?” He watched Piper’s reaction carefully and he was sadly disappointed with his accusation. Shock didn’t register across her face, instead she looked…guilty. Shit, damn it…fuck! She looked down, but Jax didn’t give her the option to turn away from him for long. “Piper, are you involved with Mason?” Tears started to well up in her eyes and she shook her head yes, making Jax’s stomach drop to the floor, turning him completely nauseous. “I’m so sorry, Jax, I don’t know how it happened. I, I…” She broke down and started crying. She placed her head in her hands and started shaking uncontrollably. Jax wanted to pull her into his arms and comfort her, but his body didn’t register the signals his brain was giving him. He sat still as stone, unable to move any sort of muscle in his body. A coldness seeped through his body, making him think he would never feel again. His throat grew tight and he asked, “How long?” “What?” Piper asked through tears. Jax stood up, paced the living room while running his hand through his hair and asked again, “How long Piper? How long have you been fucking him?” His tone was harsher than he wanted, but he couldn’t help it. She shattered his heart with the tiny little nod of confirmation that she was seeing Mason. Just the slightest head movement had tipped his world. Utter shock registered across her face at his strong language. He never talked to her using such foul language because his mama taught him better, but he snapped; he had snapped right in front of the woman he loved. “I…I don’t know.” “What do you mean you don’t know? Jesus, Piper.” He stopped pacing and stared down at her. “Do you even love me?” Piper stood up so quickly, she tripped over her coffee table, sending her flying across the room. Luckily, Jax was able to catch her so she didn’t run into the wall. He stood her up and tried to let go, but she wrapped herself tightly around him. “Jax…” She was sobbing now. “Of course I love you. I love you so much. You’re the reason why I haven’t moved yet; you’ve grounded me.” Her words touched him, but then again, they were so hard to believe. “Do you love him?” Silence laced the air between them. He knew he was supposed to be fighting for her and making sure he kept her in his life, but the moment she confirmed being involved with Mason, something switched in him, as if he couldn’t bear to be around her. He removed her hands from around him and headed for the door. He needed to step away for the moment before he said something he didn’t mean. He still loved her and he still wanted her, but he needed to gather himself. He was not in the right place at the moment. He went to the door, but Piper ran in front of him and plastered herself against the door. Her face was

pale and the contrast of the mascara dripping down her face was somewhat frightening. His hands itched to reach out to her, wrap her up in his arms, carry her off to bed and comfort her until all the worry lines that formed on her face disappeared. “Please Jax….please don’t go.” Her hands ran across his chest as if she was searching for something. “Please stay with me Jax, I’m sorry.” Jax looked up at the ceiling, searching for something, some kind of help. Some kind of sign as to what he should do, but nothing came to him. The only thing he could register was the sadness that floated through Piper’s usually-vibrant eyes. “Please…” she said in a faint whisper. Jax was lost where she was concerned. There was no way he could deny her what she wanted, no matter how upset he was with her and no matter what she did. He would give her what she wanted. He pulled her into his embrace and walked her back to her bedroom where he would hold her tight and make sure that he washed away the sadness that laced the silver in her eyes. He didn’t know what he would do in the morning or how he would handle his relationship with Piper, but all he knew right now was he was going to hold the woman he loved, no matter what she might have done to him because she owned him, she owned his heart. *** Ryker stared at his reflection in the mirror and passed judgment on himself. What the hell did he get himself into? The test shots for C.C. Morris’ fall line went spectacular. The clothes were just his style, preppy with a hipster flair. He wore multiple layers and thanked God for the giant fans and air conditioning they had in the building or else he would have been sweating bullets. The clothes were in fall hues, browns, maroons, navys and deep yellows. He loved the combinations C.C. Morris used with stripes and patterns. The scarves were like velvet caressing his neck and he didn’t want to take off the leather bomber jacket he had to model with skinny navy blue jeans, and a maroon hoodie. Rumor was, the models were able to keep what they wanted of the clothing line, which Ryker was hoping was true because there were quite a few items off the fall line that he wanted to take home with him. He was almost positive free clothes were in his contract. The modeling job was a really good gig, up until the point where he had to strip down. It was time to do the bedroom line and that was when Ryker started judging himself. He currently wore dark eye liner to help his eyes stand out more, since some of the photos were going to be in black and white and he was wearing short boxer briefs that were, in fact, comfortable as fuck but short, very very short. He had done most of his alone shots earlier on, but now he and Ashlin were going to have to be together for the next test shots and he could feel himself start to get nervous. He was a confident man when it came to the bedroom, but when there was a crew of onlookers, his nerves started to skyrocket. How the hell was he supposed to be intimate with a woman when he was in a fake bedroom that was built in a warehouse with an extremely vocal photographer and lights shining in places that he didn’t want lights to shine? “Ryker, we need you on set.” Ryker shook his head and walked out on set, where multiple females gawked at him. “Someone oil him up please.” Five women came flying at him with baby oil in hand. They poured it all over his body and rubbed it in, giving his body a somewhat perverted looking shine to it. If he didn’t know any better, he would have thought he was preparing for a porno rather than a photo shoot. The women’s hands ran all over his body, up his legs, down his arms, across his flat stomach and under his pecs. By the time they were done, he could have been a personal slip and slide for some lucky

woman. He was grateful there were no mirrors around because he would not want to look at himself all slicked up, with eye liner on and little briefs. Jesus, what would the guys say once they saw these pictures? Mason would never let him live this down. “Can someone please get Ashlin?” yelled the photographer, Jeffery. “Ryker, please lie down on the bed and prop yourself up against the headboard, legs apart. Jesus. The bed was a king-sized four-poster bed in dark wood with black silk sheets and dark transparent curtains enclosing the bed. There were a couple of pillows, but everything was thrown about as if someone just had sex in the bed, just what C.C. Morris was looking for. Ryker took a deep breath and flopped on the bed, positioning himself the way Jeffery asked him to. He watched as people around him busied themselves with taking measurements, fixing the lighting and swirling the sheets around Ryker’s legs. Ryker just sat there, watched everyone and prayed for the test shots to end sooner, rather than later. “Ah, there’s my girl,” Jeffery said as Ashlin walked out in a fluffy white robe with matching slippers. Her hair was curled, but uniquely out of place to give her that, ‘I just had wild hot sex’ look. Her face had minimal make-up on, but what she did have on made her eyes brighter than he had ever seen; she was… beautiful. “Hey Ryker.” She looked him up and down and then smiled. “You look…oily.” She giggled and then turned to Jeffery. “Where do you want me?” “Well we’re going to take a couple of shots here, just to see how the chemistry is with you two. I have no doubt in my mind that it’ll be sizzling, but C.C. wants to make sure. So, we’re going to have you start off by holding one of the bed posts, as if you’re trying to seduce your man, then we are going to have you straddle Ryker, really showing off the underwear you have on. Do you think you can do that?” “Of course, not a problem.” Jeffery turned to Ryker. “Ryker, you’re merely a prop for Ashlin; she gets to do most of the work for this photo shoot. I just need you to keep looking hot with those smoldering eyes.” Heat crept through Ryker’s face. “Sure, man.” Damn, this was embarrassing, but he was going to try to feed off of Ashlin’s energy, since she didn’t seem to have a worry or care. “Alright, baby girl, take the robe off and go to the farthest bed post.” “Sure thing.” Ryker watched as Ashlin slowly untied the knot in her robe. Her back was toward him, so he only saw her arms moving around. She opened the robe and then dropped it, kicking it to the side with her slippers. Ryker felt his mouth go dry at the sight in front of him. If C.C. Morris’ plan was to turn people on and get them thinking sex with this photo shoot, then good God, she nailed it on the head. Ryker quickly started to think about anything other than Ashlin’s tight little toned and tanned body in a hot pink lace bra, and a matching thong that had a garter belt with thigh-high fishnet leggings. She had a pert little ass that was mouthwateringly good and her breasts were begging to be touched by his aching hands. Shit, he shouldn’t be having these thoughts about her. She was his friend, his good friend, he shouldn’t be clawing to maul her the first chance he got. It had been a long time since he’d been with a woman, ever since he met Hannah, so maybe it was his raging hormones that were talking. That was what he blamed it on, his hormones. He silently told Russell the Love Muscle to calm himself and take a breather, he was not welcome in any of the photos, even though he so desperately wanted to come out to play. Ashlin moved up against the bed post and started working the pole as if she was a seasoned professional. Ryker stared at her in amazement. She was so graceful, she knew how to tip her head to give the most seductive look possible and she knew exactly how to thrust her ass out to send a man over the edge, begging for more.

“That’s it, Ashlin, you’re looking real good, baby girl. Ryker, keep eating her alive with your eyes, that’s perfect.” Shit. Was he really eating her alive with his eyes? Not like he could blame himself. Any guy in his position would act the same way. Ryker actually congratulated himself for not hopping off the bed, throwing Ashlin to the ground and humping her brains out right there on the spot. Good God, he needed to get a hold of his libido and quickly. Jeffery put his camera down and wiped his forehead with a towel one of his assistants gave him. The man was a squirrely looking guy with no hair, big glasses and long-ass fingers that Ryker knew he used to his advantage. The guy most likely could have any girl he wanted because he could make people look beautiful with a camera, but without his photography gear, the man would be begging his way through local bars looking for any woman to put their lips on his chapped ones. “Time to get on top of Ryker, sweetheart. Do you think you can handle that?” Ryker gave Jeffery a look of indignation. What did Jeffery mean by asking if Ashlin if she could handle getting on top of him? It’s not like Ryker had some kind of incurable disease or bad breath like gingivitis man who was handing out coffee earlier. “Not a problem at all,” Ashlin said, as she adjusted her bra and started to move toward Ryker. He admired Ashlin. She didn’t care that there were a bunch of men on set, aching to get a look at her barely-clad body and women sneering at her for getting a chance to be with him, which he didn’t blame them for. “You ready for this, Ryke?” Ashlin asked with a smile. “Bring it on, toots.” She crawled up the bed, giving him a perfect view of her bountiful, natural cleavage and straddled his lap. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. He adjusted himself underneath her, but there was only a little piece of miniscule fabric separating his friend Russell and the warmth of Ashlin’s lower half. Ryker cleared his throat and tried to adjust again. Ashlin leaned into Ryker’s ear and said, “Don’t worry about it, I’m used to it by now. There’s not much you can do when you’re in a situation like this. At least it’s with my friend and not some creep I barely know. That’s when it gets really uncomfortable.” Ryker tried to muster up a smile. “Sorry. I uh, I just, you know….it’s been a while and, let’s be honest, you’re fucking hot.” Ashlin laughed. “Thanks. Let’s just get this over with, huh?” “Fine by me.” “Ryker…” Jeffery said, while grabbing his camera again. “Put your hands on Ashlin’s derriere and give her cheeks a little pressure I want to see your fingers burying themselves in that plush little behind of hers.” “Jesus.” Ryker did what he was told as Ashlin arched into him and threw her head back. Jeffery clicked the camera, capturing what Ryker could only imagine was a very erotic shot. Ashlin kept arching into his grasp and inhaling air while parting her mouth, turning Ryker on more than he could imagine. This was so not good. Why wasn’t his humiliation taking out his erection? Being a guy was so not fair, especially in situations like this. Ashlin was acting like everything was fine and dandy, as if she was just strolling in a park without a worry or a care and there was Ryker, sweating, trying to control his dick from playing with Ashlin’s pussy and conjuring up any kind of non-sexual thought that would pop up in his mind. “Stop, stop. I just don’t like what I’m seeing.” Ashlin turned to Jeffery with genuine concern in her eyes. “What’s wrong Jeffery? Is it something I’m doing?”

“No, it’s the bra. It’s making your back look odd when you arch. Would you mind taking it off? I can get a good side shot of the two of you and maybe slip some side boob in the picture, if you’re comfortable with that.” “Sure, no problem.” What!?! Before Ryker could say anything, Ashlin reached behind her back, unclasped her bra and tossed it to the side, revealing two perfectly round, tanned globes dangling in his face. That was it, Russell took over the photo shoot and decided he didn’t care what Ryker wanted, Russell wanted some play time. Ryker gulped and tried to shift again, but Ashlin stilled his hips. “What did I tell you? It’s a compliment, really. So stop shifting around and enjoy yourself.” “If I enjoy myself any more, I’m going to fucking explode.” Ryker pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fuck, this is humiliating. I never should have signed up for this.” Ashlin leaned in, letting her boobs graze Ryker’s chest as she whispered in his ear. “Ryker, relax okay? It’s natural for that kind of reaction. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t turned on as well; now, let’s make the most of it and get a good shot for C.C. so we can start making our money.” She tacked on a smile and then turned to Jeffery. “We’re ready.” “Good, baby girl. Let’s get going then.” Ryker took a deep breath, looked in Ashlin’s eyes and placed his hands back on her ass. The rest of the shoot, he forgot about Jeffery taking pictures, he forgot about gingivitis man eying Ashlin up and down and he forgot about the women who sat there gawking at him as if he was a designer purse on sale. Instead, he ran his hands up and down Ashlin’s body, reveling in her fantastic curves and enjoyed the warmth of a woman’s body. *** There was a pounding on Piper’s front door that stirred her from her spontaneous slumber. The last thing she wanted was company and, with her luck, it was going to be either Jax or Mason. Neither of them had given up their pursuit of her heart and it was slowly starting to tear her apart. She had no clue what she was going to do. The minute Jax called her out on her relationship with Mason and threatened to leave, Piper felt her heart leap out of her chest and she had to stop him. Later on, she was cursing herself because she should have walked away and let him go. Jax deserved someone who wouldn’t sneak behind his back with another man, but she was selfish and she begged him to stay. Piper sauntered over to her door and just prayed that Mason and Jax were not behind the pounding. Piper whipped the door open and instantly started crying. Standing in front of her was Lexi with a bottle of wine and a box of chocolates. “What are you doing here?” Piper asked, in between tears. “I thought you went back to San Diego with Jake on Monday.” Lexi invited herself in and went straight for the kitchen to grab some wine glasses. “I was going to, until I heard about your little predicament. Once you refused to answer my calls and texts, I thought it might be best if I paid you a little visit. Tell me what’s going on.” They both sat down on Piper’s couch with a glass of wine in hand and the box of chocolates wide open, ready to be eaten. “I don’t even know where to begin.” “Well, you’ve been seeing two men. That’s a good start.” Once again, tears welled up in Piper’s eyes as she looked at her friend in shame. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. The minute I met Jax, I knew he was special. I knew he was the kind of guy I wanted to be

with, that I could spend the rest of my life with. I was doing great until Mason decided that he had feelings for me and started acting like a decent human being. Then, my hormones took over and, before I knew it, I was fucking the man on a pool table, in the shower, on the kitchen floor…” “I get it,” Lexi said, laughing and holding her hand up. “You had a lot of hot sex with the man.” “We did and it was amazing, Lex. I have never had such a connection like I have with Mason. There is some strange energy in the air when we’re together, as if the universe is pulling us together. Whenever I’m around him, I find it impossible to keep my distance; even when we’re fighting, which we do often, but I think the fighting stems from jealousy.” Piper shook her head. “I just don’t know what to do. I love Jax so much, but when Jax asked me if I loved Mason, I didn’t say anything because I think, deep down, I might love Mason. Is it possible to love two men at the same time?” “Of course, sweetie.” Lexi put her warm hand on Piper’s arm to comfort her. “Sometimes your heart can be torn in two. The real question that you need to ask yourself is, who can you live without?” How could she even answer that? She couldn’t fathom not being with either of them. Jax was sweet, caring, and the perfect man any woman would want to be with. Mason was intense, demanding and irresistible. He was a challenge. They were different, but both very loving in their own way. “I don’t even know how to answer that,” Piper said, her gut swirling with anxiety over her situation. “You know what I’m going to say…” “No, I really don’t. Lexi help me.” “I can’t make the decision for you, Piper, but if you care about them, then maybe you just need to let them both go. It’s not fair, what you’re doing to them and you know I love you, so I wouldn’t want to hurt your feelings. I’m just trying to be real. I think you need to take a step back and be done with both of them for now.” Piper started to get an itchy feeling. That feeling she got every time she’d been living in a city for too long. Maybe Lexi was right; maybe it was time for her to pack up and move on. She wasn’t doing anyone any good right now. It would be best for everyone if she did them all a favor and just left, like she always did. “You’re right, Lex, you are so right. I’ve been here too long anyway; I don’t know what I was thinking, staying here for so long. I am way overdue for a move.” “Wait, oh no. That’s not what I meant. Don’t go running away from your problems, Piper. You finally found a place to live, a place that you love.” “Are you crazy? I can’t stay here, not with Jax and Mason being so close to me. No, I need a fresh start.” Piper got up and started rummaging in her hall closet for her boxes. She might as well get a head start on her packing now. She didn’t know where she was going, but then again, she never really did. Would she go east or west this time? Either way, she was going far away from Denver to a place where football was not worshipped and talked about all the time. Lexi got up and steadied Piper. “Piper stop. You are not moving. You need to stay and face your problems. You need to talk to each guy and let them know what’s going on. You owe them that much.” Ugh, Piper hated when Lexi was right. She did owe it to Jax and Mason to talk to them and to let them go, but she didn’t want to. If she thought about it, the reason she was still in Denver was because of Jax, because he helped make Denver her home. “What if I did pick one of them?” Piper asked sheepishly. “Would you be able to do that? Would you be able to end all ties with the guy you don’t pick?” Piper didn’t know, but then again, she thought about what happened on Saturday. Mason was punished because of his connections with her. When Jax came to her apartment the other night and told her how wrong he was for taking out Mason, he said he would never do it again. But would he really stop punishing Mason if Jax saw Piper walking around with Mason? She couldn’t blame him if he didn’t; she

wouldn’t be able to handle seeing him with someone else. She knew life with Mason would be more intense, demanding and passionate, which deep down, she knew she wanted in her life, but she couldn’t risk Mason’s career being played around with; she loved him too much to let that happen. Jax was safe; he was sweet and caring and he would possibly make a great husband someday. Jax would be the safer choice, whereas Mason would fill her soul completely. She knew what she had to do. She knew who she was going to choose. She was too selfish to let both go and Lexi was right, she shouldn’t just get up and leave like she always did. She had to be a grown up and she had to finally stop fooling around. It was time to make a choice she had been dreading for a while. “What are you thinking about over there?” Lexi asked. “I think I know what I’m going to do.”

Chapter 19 It had almost been a week since the last time Mason heard from Piper. Last he knew, she gave him her heart and was going to call him, but ever since the game against the San Diego Thunder, Mason hadn’t heard one word from her. He tried to call her, text her, and even visit her in the bar, but she was nowhere to be found. If it wasn’t for Lexi telling Mason that Piper was still alive, he would have thought something happened to her. Mason barely felt like he was living. He had gone through the motions of life for the past couple of days, living by the sound of his phone, begging for it to ring. After Brooke broke off their engagement earlier in the year, Mason found himself in an incredibly dark hole, one that he didn’t think he would ever climb out of. He was a very bitter man who leaned on alcohol and being an ass to get him through his days, but then Piper showed up and turned his world upside down. No longer did he feel numb inside or broken. No, Piper was a bright light in his life and helped him feel again. He was able to enjoy his friends, his job, and his fans. He was able to laugh and…love. Damn it if it didn’t happen to him, he fell in love with Piper, the hung-over sassy chick from the airplane. The hot topless redhead from Jake and Lexi’s wedding. The tempting silver-eyed waitress at his favorite bar; he fell bone-deep in love with her and there was nothing he could do about it. He paced the length of his living room as he searched his brain for options. What was he supposed to do? Piper was slipping away and there was nothing he could do about it. She wasn’t answering him, she wasn’t around and she wouldn’t visit him when he asked. She had completely cut him out of her life and Mason was terrified. Losing Piper would be way more detrimental to his soul then losing Brooke. Brooke was a stepping stone in his search for love. Piper was the end zone; she was what he wanted, what he desired, what he needed. He was barely functioning as it was. He didn’t sleep because all he could think about was Piper and Jax ending up together and he couldn’t eat because his stomach was occupied with tying itself in knots. He felt weak, deflated, and rejected. He needed Piper; she was his lifeline, his love, his soul mate, the one true thing that would make him happy in life. Mason picked up his phone and decided he was going to send Piper another text. He was getting worried and he would do just about anything to hear from her. Even if it was just a text. Mason: Hey, baby. Are you okay? I haven’t heard from you or seen you in a couple of days and I’m really starting to get worried. Mason set his phone down on his wood coffee table and took a seat on the plush rug in his living room. He needed to expel the nervous energy that was running through his body, so he decided to do some pushups. It was the one thing that he knew would keep him busy and focused on something other than Piper. He got into position and started counting out his pushups, one by one. He started with fifty, but when he got to his allotted amount, he didn’t even feel tired. So, he started doing wide arm pushups and then one armed pushups and then pushups with a clap, then pushups with one leg up and then the other. Mason did so many pushups that the pain from his arms radiated down his body and masked some of the pain in his heart from not hearing from Piper. Mason finally collapsed on the floor after he lost count and couldn’t feel his arms anymore. Even though the pain from his arms was overwhelming, he still felt the pain from Piper. Was he that pathetic that he couldn’t take a hint? Clearly, she’d fed him some line on Saturday about giving her heart to him because, if she meant it, she wouldn’t be putting him through this kind of pain. He knew she needed time to figure out how to handle Jax, but he didn’t think that meant a complete exile. He at least thought she would talk to him, maybe even want to see him.

Mason sat on his floor with his arms on his knees and his head in his hands when his phone dinged with a text message. Mason practically flung himself onto his coffee table to see if it was from Piper. God, he was pathetic. Mason’s heart soared to dangerous heights as he read the front of the screen on his phone; it was Piper. Piper: Hey, Mace. Sorry, I’ve been out of town. I’m doing alright. Mason’s heart pounded loudly in his chest as he figured out what to say. He was treading a thin line; he didn’t want to push her, but he knew he wanted her to know he wanted her, needed her. Mason: Out of town? Go anywhere fun? Piper: My mom’s been sick, so I went to visit her. Mason: I hope nothing serious. Piper: No, she’s alright. Wow, this conversation was going nowhere quickly. Piper seemed really short with him and it was terrifying. He debated calling her so he could hear her voice, but settled with texting her; he didn’t want to push his luck. Mason: That’s good. I’ve missed you. Mason waited and prayed that Piper would say she missed him too, but minutes ticked by with no response. Sweat started to trickle down his back as he figured she was not going to reply. That was it; she was done with him and he had no clue why. Should he have not given her time? Should he have pushed for her more? Fuck. He felt like his chest was splitting in two as his heart was being ripped out. Mason was about to throw his phone in frustration when his phone beeped again. Piper: I’ve missed you too… Thank fucking God! Those four little words parted the dark clouds that had been looming over Mason ever since Saturday. The pressure that was pounding down on Mason’s heart eased up slightly, giving him a little bit more room to breathe. Mason: You don’t know how happy that makes me feel, baby. Listen, I don’t want to be too pushy, but I have two tickets for Sunday’s game with your and Hannah’s names on them. I would love it if you would be there. Piper: That’s sweet. We’ll see if I can make it. No Promises. Feeling slightly deflated, Mason texted back. Mason: Alright, well can I drop the tickets off? I miss you and want to see you. Piper: I need more time Mace. I have to go; have a good night.

And just like that, the sun that was slightly shining through the darks clouds in Mason’s life was covered up instantly. She was pulling away; there was no doubt in his mind. He was losing Piper, and at a rapid rate. He had no clue how to stop the hemorrhaging of his broken heart, but if he didn’t stop it soon, he would have no chance at living. *** “Show them to me already,” Hannah said, while placing another beer in front of Ryker. Ryker was surprised that Hannah was actually talking to him, especially after their last interaction when he tore into her for being judgmental toward Ashlin. Ryker still didn’t know why he blew up at her, but he was glad the little spat was past them. He didn’t like feeling awkward around Hannah and, ever since Ashlin came back into his life, he had felt nothing but awkwardness around Hannah. Their usually playful, flirty demeanor was non-existent and it was as if they were practically strangers again. Ryker knew he was crazy for claiming Hannah as his future wife, but he never second-guessed himself. The moment he saw Hannah, he knew she was it for him and he would do whatever it took to make sure she understood that. They were currently having a good time; Piper was gone and so was Mason, so it was just Hannah and him hanging out and it felt good. There were uncomfortable moments, like when Ryker nicely asked how Todd was and when Hannah brought up the photo shoot with Ashlin, but they moved past the awkwardness and carried on with their carefree relationship. Except, at the moment, Hannah wanted to see the test shots from Ryker’s photo shoot, but he was too nervous to look at them with her. The moment he got them, he brought them straight to the bar so he could share them with Hannah, but now he was worried there might be shots of Ashlin and him together, in compromising positions. He assumed the test shots he received were just pictures of him in the fall line, but now that he thought about it, there most likely were steamy pictures in the envelope as well, that Ryker didn’t really want Hannah to see. “Ryker…come on,” Hannah pleaded. He ran his hand nervously through his hair and said, “Okay, but if there are shots of me and Ashlin, I want you to skip those.” “Why? They’re going to be all over the place anyway. Aren’t they?” “I suppose they are,” Ryker cringed. Damn. He wished he hadn’t get himself into this predicament, but he really wanted to be a part of the fall line and that came with being a part of the bedroom line as well. Hannah grabbed the envelope from Ryker faster than he expected, so he was unable to grab them back. She pulled the pictures out and gasped at the first one, quickly looking up at him with amazement in her eyes. “Ryker…you…you look hot.” Ryker’s face turned into a bright smile at the compliment Hannah tossed his way. “And that’s a surprise to you?” Ryker joked. Hannah quirked her eyebrow at him, but kept flipping through the pictures. He actually looked pretty good, if he did say so himself. The colors in C.C. Morris’ fall line were incredible; Ryker was in love and he was luckily able to keep the bomber jacket that he instantly fell in love with, as well as pretty much everything that touched his body that day…except for Ashlin. “These are great, Ryker. They totally picked…” Hannah paused for a second and then looked up at Ryker. “Oh.” Ryker shuffled his body so he was standing over Hannah’s shoulder. The minute he looked over her tiny shoulder, he saw Ashlin’s scantily clad ass propped in the air, her bare back and Ryker’s hand gripping her lithe little body with a look of pure desire in his eyes. Shit, that was erotic.

Ryker cleared his throat and quickly took the pictures away from Hannah before she could look at any more of them. “The other ones don’t really matter. But you liked the fall line? How about that jacket?” Ryker asked, trying to change the subject and hopefully get the image of Ryker squeezing Ashlin’s ass out of Hannah’s head. “Why do you do that?” Hannah asked, with one hand on her hip. “Do what, Boo?” “Act like I can’t handle seeing you and Ashlin together? I can; you two look really good together. I think you should go for it.” Ryker rolled his eyes. “Please, Hannah, let’s not start this. We were having such a good time.” “You were the one who took the pictures away. I want to see them.” Frustrated, Ryker threw the pictures on the table and said, “Fine, look at them. I don’t care.” Hannah picked up the pictures and started looking through them again. “You don’t have to be a child about it. We’re all grownups here.” Hannah flipped through the pictures, studying each one intently, making Ryker squirm in his seat. Finally, when she finished, she set them on the table, looked at Ryker, gave him a quick smile, and then turned to the bar. Oh, hell no. Ryker caught up to her and turned her around quickly, so she was looking him in the eyes. Tears welled up in the beautiful light blue pools, making his heart break in half. “What’s wrong?” She shook her head and said, “It’s so stupid.” “Nothing you think is stupid. Please tell me.” Hannah let out a long breath and then looked Ryker in the eyes. “I know I have no right saying this because I am with Todd and nothing will come of you and me…” “That’s not…” “Please Ryker, let me finish.” Ryker nodded for her to continue. “It’s just that, in those pictures, you’re looking at Ashlin as if she is the only woman in the world that you want, that no one else will even compare, and that makes me sad because I thought I was the only one that you looked at like that. I guess I was wrong, which is fine because, like I said, I’m with Todd. What’s going on in my head is so screwed up.” “But, you don’t get it,” Ryker tried to counter. “No, Ryker, I get it. You’re a player and that is why I am with Todd because I know when I come home, I can rely on the fact that he will be there waiting for me.” “More like you waiting for him,” Ryker muttered. “What did you say?” “Oh, come on, Hannah, who are you kidding? Todd will never be there for you the way that I will be. I can give you so much more than he can.” “Oh, and what’s that? Anxiety over whether or not you’re cheating on me?” Fire flamed in her eyes and Ryker was so confused as to why Hannah had all of a sudden flipped a switch and turned into a nasty bitch. “What is your problem?” Ryker shot back. “We were having a nice time before you looked at those pictures. I told you not to look at them and now you’re pissed at me, even though we aren’t in a relationship. Jesus, this is so fucked-up Hannah. You’re acting like my jealous girlfriend, yet we aren’t in a relationship because, if we were, you can bet your ass I’d be spending time with you in my bed and not at a bar.” “That’s all I am to you, isn’t it? Just another notch on your belt.” “Fucking Christ on a cracker. You are psychotic.”

“You are…you are…” Hannah looked around and then said, “You’re a fucking ass.” Then she walked away, while throwing the towel that was in her hand on the bar. “Stay away from me, Ryker. I don’t need your toxic energy surrounding me. Go torture another girl; I’m sure there are others just waiting in line to be with you. Oh hey, I heard Ashlin is available.” She closed the door to the back room and Ryker stood there, stunned. Hannah never swore, ever. She didn’t believe in it but he just caused her to go against her beliefs. Hearing the harsh words out of Hannah’s mouth felt like daggers piercing his heart. Normally, such a comment wouldn’t bother him coming from someone else, but from Hannah it was a giant slap in the face that coursed through his body. Fuck. The moment he thought things were normal between them, he goes and screws them up again. Maybe he should take her advice and just be with Ashlin. At least he knew he would be getting some hot fucking action with Ashlin and he wouldn’t have to deal with the hot and cold torture Hannah was giving him. *** Hannah sat down on the crate box that was in the back room. She breathed heavily as her hands held her head in disgust. Why did she just swear like a sailor at Ryker and totally lose her cool? All she knew was, the moment she saw Ryker gripping Ashlin in such a provocative way, her vision turned red and she wanted to hurt Ryker; she wanted to hurt him for the way she was hurting. She hurt because her boyfriend was…nowhere to be found in their relationship. The guy that showed interest in her was now groping other women and completely unavailable in her eyes, and all she wanted to do was throw herself into Ryker’s arms because she knew he would give her more comfort than Todd ever could, but she couldn’t trust Ryker the way she trusted Todd. Todd might not be around as much, but she knew that when he was gone, he was faithful. He made sure to call her, send her gifts and show her as much love as possible when he wasn’t around. Ryker had women throwing themselves at him all the time and now was in a very heavy sexual campaign with one of the hottest girls in the country. How was she supposed to trust the fact that he wasn’t getting frisky with Ashlin? And why did she care? Ugh, she wanted to slap herself across the face and wake herself up. She was only thinking crazy thoughts because she hadn’t seen Todd in a while and she was looking for comfort in other forms. If anyone should be called names, it should be her. She was the one who was bordering the line of being unfaithful. She hadn’t done anything unfaithful, but she did have thoughts. But that was normal for any redblooded human being, right? Disgusted with herself, she stood up, brushed off her apron, and went back to work. Luckily, when she returned, Ryker was gone but there was a note with a twenty to cover the cost of his drink that was next to the register. Hannah opened the note and felt even more awful. Hannah, I’m sorry for upsetting you. I don’t know what you want, but if you really want me to back off so you can be happy, then I will. Ryker Why did life have to be so difficult? ***

Game day. Mason was pumped. He kicked ass this past week at practice, wanting to shove Jax’s face in his own stupidity for taking Mason out last week. Plus, Mason was pumped for Piper to watch him play in person. Mason hooked her up with seats on the fifty yard line, on his side a couple rows back from ground level. Any beer-guzzling, belly-painting die-hard Stallions fan would give his left nut and first two children for the seats Mason secured for Piper. He was feeling great, better then great, he felt like he was twenty-one again without a worry or care about whether or not he was tackled wrong. He was primed and ready. Jesse and he connected all week on the practice field, reading off of each other and pulling plays out of their asses that they didn’t even know existed. They shut Jax right up all week, which was almost as gratifying as Mason stealing Piper away from him. Even though he had yet to confirm her break up with Jax, Mason was feeling confident about his ability to win Piper over. He had never stopped talking to her all week, telling her how much he cared for her, how beautiful she was, and how much he wanted her and needed her. He knew he was destroying the badboy image he’d made for himself, but Piper weakened him; she made him turn into complete Jell-O. The game started and Mason took off as if he had a jet-pack strapped to his back. He caught every single pass Jesse threw his way. It was as if his hands were magnets and the ball was made of steel. “Dude, you are on fucking fire right now,” Ryker said, while clasping him on the back. “Thanks, bro. I feel awesome.” Mason turned around to look into the stands, but he didn’t see Piper; he didn’t let it deter him though…she might be in the bathroom. But every time he turned around during the game to see if she was watching, the seats he gave her were empty. Slowly, his confidence started to waver and it started to affect his game. “Dashel, get your head in the game and stop scouting for possible hook-ups in the stands,” Jax shouted at him. “We need your head on the field…not in the clouds.” Mason’s middle finger itched to show Jax just how he felt, but he knew he couldn’t. He knew if he showed any kind of distaste for his coach, he could get in trouble and give Jax some more fodder to not play him and hell if Mason was going to let that happen. The rest of the game, Mason put in the same effort that he did at the beginning of the game and helped his team squeak out their first win of the pre-season. The win was bitter-sweet because Piper wasn’t there to enjoy his win with him. He tried to not think about what her absence meant, but it was hard to not worry that it was her trying to tell him that she chose someone else, that she chose Jax. Mason sat on the stool in his locker room and tried to ignore the media that was making their way around the room looking for interviews. They had Jax cornered and the damn prick was taking all the spotlight when, in fact, Jax wasn’t the one who was making the plays out on the field. It made Mason despise the man even more. “Your men were great on the field today. What did you change from last weekend?” someone from the press asked Jax. “Well, we worked hard this past week and concentrated on making accurate throws and catches. I think the extra practice and time with each other really made the men connect this week.” “Does it have anything to do with the fact that Mason Dashel played this weekend?” Mason leaned in to hear Jax’s response because Mason sure as hell knew that he was a main contributor to the game today and Mason wanted to see if Jax could admit it. “Dashel was spectacular today. He really showed everyone why he is a fan favorite and possible future hall of famer.” Mason sat back by his locker, stunned. Even though he hated the man, Mason had to give him credit for setting aside their differences and calling it like he saw it. Maybe he wasn’t the biggest shithead Mason had ever met. “Well, congrats coach on your win and hey, congrats on your engagement as well.”

Mason’s head shot up as he stared Jax down. Jax just smiled, eyed Mason, and walked away. Did the reporter just say engagement? No fucking way, no God damn fucking way! Mason threw his helmet in his locker and took off to find Ryker. He needed someone to tell him it wasn’t true. There was no way in hell Piper was engaged to Jax; it couldn’t be true. Fear pricked at the back of his neck as clues started to connect with each other. Piper was very short with him in her text messages; she wasn’t at the bar all week and she didn’t show up at the game. Jax was actually complimenting Mason and admitted to Mason being a contributor to their win. Was it because Jax felt bad for him? Fucking shit. Ryker was in the shower and Mason spun him around so they were eye to eye. “Dude, what the fuck man? I know we are close and all, but I kind of like to keep some things a secret between us,” Ryker said, while cupping his hands in front of his junk. “Quit the bullshit man and tell me the truth.” Ryker looked around and so did Mason. They were causing a scene in the showers and all the guys on the team were staring at them, judging them, but Mason didn’t give a shit. “Dude, this so does not look good. Can we finish this when I am not naked and wet and you don’t have death in your eyes?” “Is Jax engaged to Piper?” Ryker’s face registered total shock. “What?! Fuck, I have no clue. Where did you hear that from?” “The reporter said…” “He is,” confirmed one of the offensive linemen. “This morning, he asked.” Mason spun around to look at the man who just delivered Mason the worst news of his life. What the hell? “How do you know? Who fucking told you?” “Jesus? You in love with Jax?” The guys all laughed and Mason tore out of the showers, even though Ryker was calling his name. He didn’t want to deal with anyone right now. Pure rage coursed through his body as he dug around in his locker, looking for his phone. He needed his phone. He sent a much needed text. Mason: Meet me at my place in twenty minutes, please. I need you…badly. Mason had never changed and showered so fast in his life. He passed up any sort of interview and ignored all the guys on his team. He had one thing on his mind and it was to get home, to release the pain he was feeling. *** “Put the dirty trays over there,” Hannah said to the new girl, who had just started at the bar. Hannah couldn’t help but stare at the girl. She had a slight Italian accent, long brown hair, dark eyes and a beauty mark right under her right eye. She was gorgeous and would sweep any man off his feet. She was going to school abroad and needed a part time job. Their boss was paying her under the table, so she wouldn’t have to deal with the hassle of a green card or turning in her student visa. Hannah knew it wasn’t right, but then again, she wasn’t there to judge. The girl just needed some extra cash while she was studying her last year. “Perfect, Leela. You’re doing great for your first night.” “Well you’re a great teacher,” Leela said with a smile. Lord help the men who walked in the bar; they were going to be falling head over heels in love with her. “See you next Sunday, Hannah.” One of the regulars waved to her as he walked out the door.

The Stallions won their first pre-season game, which was great for the bar because tips went up for her and Leela. No matter if the Stallions won or lost, the bar made great money on Sundays because fans were either drinking away their sorrows from a loss or celebrating a win. Her tips were what suffered when the Stallions lost. Fans seemed to be stingier in the tip department, as if she was the one who had caused the Stallions to lose. But thankfully, the Stallions won, so she would be going home with a good little chunk of change. The patrons started to fizzle out after the game to get home and get ready for the work week, only a couple of the retired men stayed behind, giving Hannah the perfect time to train Leela. It was a good thing their boss hired someone part-time because Piper was showing up less and less for work. It was starting to scare Hannah because she knew Piper was a runner. She never really stayed in one place and she could sense that the stress of Mason and Jax was only encouraging her to put her running shoes on and pack her bags. Hannah didn’t want to lose Piper; she knew they would always stay in contact, but it wouldn’t be like seeing her at the bar almost every night or having their girl time together. No, it would be completely different and Hannah wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the close bond she had formed with Piper. Piper was an amazing outlet to have when it came to Hannah’s relationship with Todd. Piper always listened to Hannah’s complaints about Todd and spent time with her when Hannah was feeling lonely and sad. Who would be there for her if Piper left? She used to have Ryker, but then she blew that relationship the other night and now that she thought about it, it was probably for the better because things were starting to get a little uncontrollable with him. Hannah found that she was starting to have feelings for Ryker and that wasn’t good for so many reasons. One of them being that he was a lady’s man, another one…well she was in a relationship with someone else, and then there was the fact that Ryker was a famous football player, that was just setting up her heart for failure. Hannah knew the reason why she blew up at Ryker the other night for having his hands all over Ashlin during the photo shoot. She cared for Ryker. Hannah knew she was overreacting and being crazy, but then again, she couldn’t help herself. Then, when he called her psychotic, she lost it. She didn’t like how Ryker made her react; she never swore or acted out and she did both of those things, acting like some crazy, jealous girlfriend. She was embarrassed and ashamed of herself. Just thinking about the encounter made her ears heat up from embarrassment. She tried to push the awful memory behind her as she tallied up the night’s tabs. Todd was supposed to be coming back home in two days, so she should think about things she wanted to do with him when he got back. She thought maybe they could go for a hike or maybe rent some kayaks or possibly go camping. The cold weather would be on its way soon, bringing in the leaf changes and brisk air, so she wanted to get in as many outdoor activities as possible. Todd wasn’t much of an outdoorsy kind of guy. He would rather hang out at the pool or ride around on a Segway then trek up a mountain to enjoy a view, but Hannah knew with a little bit of coaxing she would be able to get Todd to strap his hiking boots on. “Shall I go check the bathrooms for…grime?” Leela asked. Bless her soul, Hannah thought. “That would be great, thanks. The cleaning supplies are in the closet next to the bathrooms. If you need help, let me know.” “I’ll be fine, thank you.” Leela sauntered off and Hannah noticed that all the old men watched Leela sashay her way to the back of the bar to clean the bathrooms. Yup, she was going to be a serious heartbreaker. Hannah was wiping down the bar when she heard someone clear their throat. Hannah looked up and made eye contact with a beautiful blonde, with blue eyes and a cute little toddler on her hip. Hannah checked the clock and thought that it was a little odd the lady would have her child in a bar at this hour… well, that she would have a child in the bar at all.

“Hi, can I get you something?” Hannah asked, while putting on her best smile. “Yes, I’m looking for a girl named Hannah?” The hairs on the back of Hannah’s neck started to tingle, making her feel incredibly uneasy. “Uh, that’s me. What can I do for you?” “You’re Hannah?” the lady said, while looking her up and down making Hannah feel more exposed than ever. “Yes. I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.” “That’s because I didn’t give it to you,” the lady snapped. Whoa, what was her problem? “Well, uh, what would you like?” “Oh, I just wanted to stop by and tell you to stop fucking my husband.” Hannah’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets, not just from the brash language the lady used, but from the obnoxious accusation she’d just laid out. “I beg your pardon?” “Drop the doe-eyed look, bitch. I know you’ve been screwing my husband for years now. How dare you destroy my family? We have a child together and now that child is going to grow up in a broken home because you couldn’t keep your little pussy inside your pants.” Hannah was speechless, absolutely speechless. She had no clue what to say. Her stomach was starting to roll and she knew she was going to lose the contents of her very small dinner all over the bar if she didn’t get a handle on her emotions soon. “I don’t know…” “Todd, you’re dating Todd, right?” “Yes…” Hannah drawled out. “Yeah, Todd is my husband, you dumb whore. Ever wonder why he’s never around? It’s because he has a house, a wife and a two-year-old daughter in New York. Does he always say he’s on business? News flash, on business means he’s home with his family. He does business out in Denver, not in New York.” Hannah felt her world flip upside down. The room started to turn and she was unable to breathe. Her arms caught the back of the bar as she fell backwards, shaking her head no. There was no way Todd was married…was he? Clues from the past started flashing in front of Hannah. The asinine reasons as to why he was never with her for holidays, his extremely long stays for business, the indent from a ring on his ring finger that he claimed was from his class ring. God, she was a moron…no one wore class rings anymore. “I didn’t…I don’t…oh my God,” Hannah was speechless. The lady approached Hannah, so she was inches away from her face, while still holding her child, who must have been asleep on the lady’s shoulder. Todd’s…wife pushed Hannah up against the bar and got in her face. “Don’t act all innocent. I am so sick of your little woe-is-me expression. No one can be that stupid.” “I didn’t know…” The lady slapped Hannah so hard, Hannah thought her cheek was on the floor somewhere. Hannah’s eyes started to water and she wondered why no one in the bar noticed the crazy blonde with the baby on her hip attacking Hannah. The lady was just about to slap Hannah again, when her hand was stilled. “Slap her again and I won’t care that you’re holding a baby. I’ll make sure you regret ever laying a hand on her.” Ryker. The lady looked over at Ryker and then back at Hannah. “Stay the fuck away from my husband and out of our lives. I swear to God, if I find out that you’re still fucking him behind my back, you’ll regret the day

you ever laid your eyes on him. Todd is mine; he belongs with me and his daughter, in New York where his family is. You are nothing but a two-bit whore that caught his eye. You are nothing to him and you will never be anything to him…or anyone, for that matter.” The blonde turned on her heels and stormed out of the bar, crashing the door into the wall. Hannah just stood there and stared at the bar exit. She couldn’t believe what just happened. Todd was married? He had a whole other life. Everything he said to her about getting married, loving her and wanting to be with her was all a lie. The last few years of her life had been a big fat lie. Hannah slid down the bar and sat on the floor with her head hanging between her hands. Tears fell from her eyes as she realized that her life as she knew it was over. No longer did she have a fiancé, technically, nor did she have a boyfriend; she was alone in the world. “Hannah…,” Ryker placed his hand on her shoulder, but she pulled away. “Don’t touch me,” Hannah said in a nastier tone than she expected. Ryker stood up, shocked at her tone and looked at her while running his hand over his forehead. She felt bad that she snapped at him, but then again, Ryker was a player, just like Todd. She didn’t want to be near any men right now that could hurt her. “You know, I’m not the one who lied to you.” Hannah looked up and she knew fire was burning through her eyes. “You might as well be. You are a player, just like every other guy in this world. You are no better than Todd.” “Don’t you fucking compare me to that dick weed. You know I’m nothing like him and I’m insulted as hell that you would compare me to such a manipulative ass.” “Manipulative, isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black?” “What the fuck does that mean?” Hannah stood up and got in Ryker’s face. “This whole time, you’ve been manipulating me to like you, to get into your bed by telling me how you are going to marry me one day and how you just can’t live without me, but then you go and run your hands all over another woman’s body…multiple times. You are just as bad as Todd.” Ryker’s hands flexed at his hips as if he wanted to knock someone’s head off. He blew out a heavy breath and said, “That’s it. That is fucking it. I don’t have to take this shit from you anymore. I can’t believe I’ve lasted this long. I was ready to give you everything, Hannah. I genuinely wanted to be with you, but you clearly have a different opinion of me, an opinion I don’t deserve. I’m out.” “Fine!” Hannah practically screamed, drawing attention to her and Ryker’s conversation. “Just leave, like every other man in my life.” Ryker shook his head and left. Hannah fell back down on the bar floor and cried until Leela came over to help her up and out of the bar, so she could go back to her apartment…her very empty apartment. *** Piper walked back and forth in front of Mason’s door. She knew she shouldn’t be there, but she couldn’t help herself. She had to see Mason. She needed to hear his voice, she needed to hold him. When Jax came over earlier in the day, Piper was a little shocked to see him. She hadn’t heard from him all week, but then there he was, wearing his worn jeans, a white shirt and his white Nike hat. He looked just as good as the day she first met him and her heart squeezed at the sight of him. Little did she know he was going to confess his undying love for her and propose. The man actually proposed and she said…yes. It just came out of her mouth, before she could even think about the consequences. The consequences being having to say goodbye to Mason…forever. The minute Jax left her apartment for the stadium, a huge wave of guilt washed over Piper’s body. What the hell was she doing? She couldn’t marry Jax. She loved him, but…she wasn’t in love with him. No, she was right all along

when she said her heart belonged to one person and one person only…Mason. It was going to be okay, she told herself, as she raised her hand to knock on his door. She could do this. She was going to tell him she loved him and he was the one she had chosen, no more games, no more lying. It was over with Jax. She gave him back the ring and now she was going to claim the person who owned her heart. Sweat trickled down her back as she knocked on the door. It seemed like ages before Mason came to the door. When he opened it, her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. He was wearing sweatpants… and that was it. His bare chest glistened in the light and it took all of Piper’s energy not to run her hands up and down the expanse of his muscles. Shock registered across Mason’s face as he took in the sight of Piper standing at his front door. “What the hell are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be with your fiancé?” She deserved that, Piper thought. “He’s not my fiancé,” Piper said, trying to hold her head up. “That’s not what I heard. It was really fun to find out about your engagement from the media while I was in the locker room, a couple feet away from your douche bag of a fiancé.” Mason shook his head and then said, “I have nothing to say to you besides stop fucking with me and get out of my life.” He went to shut the door, but Piper stopped him by squeezing her body in the doorway. “Stop. I broke it off. I don’t love Jax, I love you. I’m in love with you, Mason. It’s always been you. I have been an idiot this past week…these past weeks. I’ve been too damn stubborn to give in to my real feelings for you, but it wasn’t until I realized I could lose you forever that I knew I needed to be with you. Mason, I can’t be without you. I love you so much. I need you just as much as you need me.” “What are you doing to me?” Mason asked in a strangled voice. Piper took a step forward and put her hands on his chest, reveling in the warmth of his skin. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry for everything Mace. Please believe me when I say this is it for me, you are it. I want to be with you. I want to be able to walk down the street, holding your hand and not worry about who might see us. I want to go on vacation with you and experience new things with you without juggling my other life. Please forgive me.” “Jesus. Piper, I don’t know what to say. I’ve been waiting so long to hear you say those words, but how can I believe you?” Piper didn’t give him another chance to speak. She pulled his head down to hers and captured his mouth with the passion that was running rampant through her veins. She wanted to show him how much she loved him, how much she cared and how he was the only man for her. She moved her lips across his as she pulled his body as close to hers as she possibly could. “Excuse me?” Piper froze mid-kiss at the sound of someone else’s voice. Piper pulled away and, out of the corner of her eye, saw a figure in the doorway of Mason’s bedroom. Piper whipped her head around and made eye contact with Brooke wearing Mason’s shirt and nothing else. Piper instantly backed away from Mason and started shaking her head, while saying no repeatedly. “Piper wait…” Mason said, while pulling her into him. “Get the fuck away from me. Don’t you dare fucking touch me.” Piper made eye contact with Mason and saw instant regret and hurt in his eyes. “How dare you fucking touch me when she was in the other room. This is over. I told you I would not tolerate you being with her.” Fire enveloped Mason’s eyes. “You are such a fucking hypocrite. You’ve been with Jax this whole time and I’ve dealt with that. The only reason she is here is because I thought you were engaged.” “Wow, you really took some time mourning our relationship.” “What relationship? I wouldn’t consider a few fucks behind everyone’s back a relationship.” “Fuck you, Mason.” “NO! Fuck you, Piper. Get out of here. I deserve someone better than your pathetic ass who strings men

along by their hearts, not caring whether or not you break them. You are a conniving bitch and I should have left you alone a while ago, but for some God damn reason, my heart needed you. For some damn reason, you made me feel again and you made the light come back in my life, but boy, was I wrong. If I knew you were going to break me in half more than Brooke ever did, then never in my life would I have gotten involved with you. You have completely broken me, Piper.” With that, Mason shut the door in Piper’s face, ending any kind of chance she had at being with him and any future she might have in Denver. She knew she had overreacted to Brooke, but then again, she couldn’t bear the fact that Mason was with Brooke and now that he was, she couldn’t stay around to see how their relationship blossomed in the public eye. No, she had to get out of Denver. She needed to go elsewhere. Where she was going, she had no clue, but all she knew was it was going to be sunny and she was going to go to a place where there was no football… To be continued… Thank you for reading Double Coverage! I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, please help other readers find this book: 1. This book is lendable, so send it to a friend who you think might like it so she can discover me, too. 2. Help other people find this book by writing a review. 3. Come like my Facebook page 4. Find me on Goodreads. 5. Don’t forget to visit my website.