After the chill of their dip, Aiden and Piper reveled in the relief of the sun-warmed sand as they made their way back to Lobos Creek, which fed into the bay. Colin and Sophie followed at their heels, still excited by the human game that began by splashing in the water. Whatever it was, even the doxies could tell it wasn’t over, like they could sense the same tension in the air that made Piper overly aware of Aiden. His nearness, his breathing, and once in a while she’d catch him gazing at the wet clothes that clung to her body—when she wasn’t busy staring at his, of course.
Finally, they reached the low wooden stairs at the base of the cliffs that led to Aiden’s house. She went ahead of him, and after the third time he hissed from the pain of stubbing his toe on the uneven steps she knew exactly what his eyes were focused on. The steep climb up the low sand-covered steps warmed them up, but when they burst through Aiden’s double front doors and into the central-air-controlled interior, Piper gasped at the cool wall of air that hit her.
She wrapped her arms around herself and danced on the spot to keep warm. Colin and Sophie thought it was part of the game and danced with her. She briefly wondered how much body heat they would throw off if she picked them both up and cuddled them.
Her teeth chattered. “I’m still soaked.”
“Would you like to borrow some clothes?” Aiden asked.
“A tie feels a bit formal right now.”
“I do own clothes other than suits, you know!” he called back as he disappeared down the hall.
Aiden returned with a luxuriously puffy towel, large enough to encompass two people. He unfolded it and held it up for her. “Here, this might help.”
Desperate for its warmth, she rushed toward him. He wrapped it around her, only once he had, his arms were around her too. It was like an accidental embrace. One of those things that just sort of happens, and neither of them saw it coming until they were there, so close, his arms still around her.
Aiden seemed to realize it at the same time. But neither of them went to move. Instead, Piper shifted a half step closer, so that her body rubbed against his. His hands began to trail over her back, drying her with the towel.
For the first time, she was confident of how he felt. After everything he’d said that day, maybe more the way he’d said it, how relaxed he’d become around her since they’d met, there was no doubt.
The heat of his hands warmed her skin through the linen, or maybe it was the nearness of his body, the way his hands began moving slower, pressing her body against the contours of his. It had grown so quiet in the foyer that she could hear the sound of her heartbeat in her short breaths.
Her arms were pinioned to her sides by the towel. If they hadn’t been, she might have reached up and pulled him toward her, wrapped them around his neck. All she could do was tilt her face up and let him do the rest.
For a moment, she worried she might be left standing there, head cocked at a weird angle like a burrowing owl, waiting for a kiss that would never happen. A wrong impression. Her heart lurched a beat, and another. Then his half-lidded eyes closed and his head dipped down to hers.
And then the doorbell rang.
He pulled away and straightened up. “Tamara.”
“No.” She pointed at herself. “Piper.”
He shook his head as though in a daze. “I mean, I made an appointment with Tamara for this afternoon.”
He stepped away and the towel crumpled to the floor. Cool air hit Piper’s skin, shocking her out of her lusty fog.
There was a very distinct transition when Aiden transformed into his professional alter ego. He reached up, Piper thought to maybe adjust his tie, but when he found it missing he dropped his hands and reached for the door handle. She sighed, realizing the moment was over. Whatever had been about to happen, well … wouldn’t.
“Hi, Tamara.”
The graceful brunette stepped across the threshold with a radiant smile for Aiden. Then her eyes landed on Piper and it looked more like she was baring her teeth. She eyed the state of their clothing, still dripping seawater onto the floor. “Is this a bad time?”
Yes, Piper thought. “Hi, Tamara. Nice to see you again.”
“We had a bit of an accident at the beach today,” Aiden said in explanation, as though sweeping the experience under the rug. “I’ll just go change. I’ll be right back.”
He climbed the broad, curving staircase to the second floor. The moment he disappeared from sight, Tamara took a step toward Piper, until they were practically nose to nose. Or rather, nose to chin, since Tamara was taller.
“Aiden is a busy man. He doesn’t have time for distractions,” she said as she swept her eyes over Piper’s disheveled clothing.
Piper jolted in surprise. A smile formed on her lips like it was some kind of strange joke, but Tamara wasn’t laughing. Her serene face had transformed, like her porcelain skin had cracked to release some kind of creature festering beneath the smooth surface.
Was it just Piper’s imagination? Creating competition where there wasn’t any? Let’s face it, Pipe, she told herself morosely. There was no competition there.
“You’re taking him away from his work.” Tamara’s eyes widened so Piper could see the whites.
“Away from his work?” she scoffed. “Or you?”
Tamara hissed. Actually hissed, like a feral cat. Piper took an automatic step back, unsure if she’d take a swipe at her next. Her foot caught in the towel lying on the floor. She tried to right herself, but Tamara was bearing down on her, all eyes, and teeth, and hissing.
Feet wrapped up, Piper fell straight back. Out of instinct, she reached out and grabbed hold of the nearest thing—which happened to be Tamara.
Her hand clamped around neatly curled hair. Tamara screamed out. Together they dropped to the floor in a heap, landing in the puddle of water that had formed beneath Piper.
They scrambled, their slick limbs slipping on hardwood and over each other. Piper thrashed to get away, but Tamara’s efforts were more hinder than help. And painful, Piper thought as she felt a vicious tug on her hair, followed by a scratch of nails down her leg. She screamed out.
Colin and Sophie were jumping, growling, barking all around them, unsure if it was a new game or if Piper needed help. She slipped again, falling hard on her butt. Tamara rolled on top of her, that wild look still in her eye, her hands reaching out toward her. To what? Strangle her? Claw her eyes out?
Piper pushed her away with both hands. Aiden’s footsteps pounded down the steps.
“What’s going on down here?” he asked. “I heard—”
Like a tableau from a play, both Piper and Tamara froze. Piper only then realized where her hands had landed. Right on Tamara’s supple breasts—which were far too perky and firm for their size. Come on, Piper thought, like it wasn’t enough that she was utterly perfect? Besides the psychotic mood swings.
Aiden laughed, and Piper glanced at him in surprise. How could he possibly think this was funny? But then she looked at Tamara. Her expression appeared so docile that she had to do a double take. Her pretty face flushed as though from embarrassment, not from the effort of practically trying to kill Piper. The porcelain had smoothed out, the monster tucked back inside.
Aiden reached down to help Tamara up. “You two ladies wouldn’t be fighting over me, now would you?” he joked.
If he only knew, Piper thought. “Actually—”
“The floor was wet,” Tamara interrupted. “Piper accidentally slipped and I tried to help her up.”
She got to her feet and stumbled against him, her hand sliding down the front of his shirt—the buttons still gaping open near the top. Tamara locked eyes with Piper, her hand lingering possessively on her boss.
Piper gaped at her. “What are you talking about? You attacked me.”
Aiden just laughed, completely oblivious. “Piper clumsy? Now why doesn’t that surprise me?”
“What? I’m serious. You don’t believe me?”
“Don’t worry. I’m sure it was just an accident.” He reached down to help her up, but she brushed his hand away.
“I’m fine.” She untangled herself from the towel and scrambled to her feet. Without looking at either of them, she moved to the door, patting the side of her leg. “Come on, Colin.”
Aiden froze in surprise at her reaction, but he seemed to recover and held the door open for her. “Thank you for coming”—he hesitated—“Miss Summers.”
Piper automatically reached out to shake his hand. He took it, but his grip was weak, with disappointment maybe. She waited until she stepped outside to roll her eyes, but whether it was at him or herself she wasn’t sure.
Clenching her keys in her hand until it hurt, she fixed an I-don’t-give-a-shit look on her face—fake it till you make it, right? The sopping clothes that clung to her body no longer felt cold. She didn’t notice the chilly breeze blowing off the ocean or the rocks under her bare feet as she carried her shoes down the driveway, past Tamara’s Prius, and to her car parked on the road. She didn’t feel any of it. She felt numb.
Piper marched back to her car, determined that tomorrow would be different, that it would be just a job again, that she was done trying to figure out which Aiden was the real Aiden and if either of them liked her. It wasn’t worth dealing with a crazy bitch like Tamara. Besides, she was fine on her own. Just fine, fine, fine. Better, in fact. She didn’t need anyone. Especially a confusing man like him, however handsome he was, and thoughtful, and there was the loving dogs, and making her skin tingle just by being in the room.…
She heard the door open behind her, but she kept her eyes forward until Aiden’s voice carried down to her.
“Pleasure!” he called out.
Against her will, her legs stopped moving. She glanced down at Colin, who seemed to shrug at her. No help there.
Unable to keep the annoyance off her face, she spun around. “Excuse me?”
“It’s pleasure,” Aiden repeated. “At the center, you asked me if this was business or pleasure.”
He closed the distance between them. She knew the I-don’t-give-a-shit look was still in place, but mostly because her face didn’t know what expression to make.
Undeterred, he braved on. “It’s pleasure,” he said again. “That’s … that’s if you want it to be. For it to be more than business, I mean. And if you don’t, I wouldn’t want you to feel like you have to leave this job. I know you need it until you’re done with school. And it’s yours for as long as you like. I’ll understand if it’s just business for you.”
He was babbling, speaking so haltingly, so hesitantly, the opposite of his usual well-spoken, confident self. Every word rang so earnest. So him. Not the world’s version of Aiden, CNN Aiden, but hers. He wasn’t hiding behind handshakes and ties.
He ran a hand through his hair until it stuck up, stiff with seawater. “It has been, right from the start. I saw you and thought, how can I say no to that pretty face?” He paused. “Sorry, that was a reference, from before. What we said at the beach? About our dogs?” He held up his hands. “Not that I thought you were like a dog.” Running a hand over his face, he groaned. “God. That sounded a lot smoother in my head.”
And it was then that she knew he wouldn’t convert back, not now. She wouldn’t let him. Tamara she could deal with later. She’d found her Aiden and she wasn’t about to let him go.
“Well, Mr. Caldwell.” Piper held out her hand in front of her like she was waiting to shake his.
Aiden stared down at it, deflating a little at the sight, but he nodded and took her hand in his, anyway. He shook it once, but Piper didn’t let go. Instead, she tugged him closer, until their bodies were as near as they were before, no towel to separate them. Before he could react, she stood on her toes and kissed him.
His mouth was warm and soft, and soon she forgot all about how cold she felt because all she could focus on were those lips, and his hot hands that slid up her bare arms to cup her face. The touch was sweet and hesitant until he pushed her wet, tangled locks back and pulled her in closer, kissing her deeper, pressing against her.
His body heat was much more effective than a pair of dachshunds. Soon it was more than shared heat that ran through her veins. It warmed her until she thought her clothing might dry from that kiss alone. When she finally pulled away, she half-expected to see steam rising from their clothes.
Piper grinned up at him. “It’s definitely pleasure.”
Aiden returned the look. She’d never seen him smile so big. “Trust me when I say, it’s all mine.”