As the sun shone brightly through the windows of her apartment, Piper trudged into the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee. Surprised to see Jace already standing in front of the refrigerator, she smiled, happy to see him. She hadn’t slept well, tossing and turning through the night as she thought about the fact that she had a truly gorgeous man sleeping on her couch, one she’d like to feel curled up next to her through the night, yet she couldn’t let herself just give into her feelings of longing. Then there was also all of the unknown danger that he was facing.
“How long have you been up?” she asked as he reached into the fridge and pulled out a carton of eggs.
He shrugged. “Ahh, not long.” He didn’t even turn to look at her. “You like omelets?”
“Sure,” she replied, trying to ignore the fact that he stood there in nothing but boxers. She couldn’t pull her gaze away from his flawless back, taking in the line of tattoos and watching the muscles stretch as he worked efficiently, cooking breakfast for the two of them. No man had ever cooked for her before, and despite the circumstances, she rather liked it.
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“No, I got it. I wanted to show a little appreciation for everything you’ve done for me.”
“You don’t need to do that,” she quipped as she sat down in a chair at the table, smiling. She could get used to having such a sexy man kicking around her apartment.
“I wanted to.”
Within minutes, Jace presented her with a huge omelet stuffed with sausage, bacon, bell peppers, and cheese. It was absolutely delicious.
“Where did you learn to cook like that?” she asked, smiling.
“My dad. It was just the two of us for most of my life. My mom ran off when I was a kid so he was stuck taking care of me. Had to feed myself, so he taught me how to make a few quick meals, and omelets were one of those dishes that you could throw together regardless of what you had in the fridge.” He looked away with a slightly embarrassed smirk. “And there were times where there wasn’t much to put into the pan.”
“I’m sorry it was so rough,” Piper replied slowly. “Were you and your dad close?”
Jace nodded, his eyes dropping to the table. “Yeah, really close. He was all that I had, you know? But a few years back he got caught up in a bad deal...” he paused, clearing his throat, his gaze returning to Piper. “Trusted the wrong guys and found himself without protection. How ironic that I repeated his mistake, huh?” He laughed with self-derision. “My old man thought he was doing the right thing for the club. The Iron Soldiers was like family to him, so I get it. He would have done anything for them, and well, he did. He lost his life for the club.”
Piper was staring widely up at him and he reached out, taking her hands into his. She shook her head sadly, squeezing his fingers gently. “I’m really sorry, Jace. I can’t imagine.”
“Yeah, it wasn’t easy, that’s for sure. It was the first time that I felt truly alone.” He shrugged, forcing a smile. “But enough about that. It’s pretty heavy for a morning conversation,” he chuckled, but she caught him wince in pain. “So, are you working today?”
“I’m supposed to go in for a meeting this morning, but I’m technically off the clock. I shouldn’t be more than two hours, though. Do you need the car for something?”
Jace considered. “I need to figure out how to contact the ATF agents, see if I can talk to them about a deal.”
“One of the agents left a card at the nurses’ station. I’ll see if it’s still there while I’m at the hospital.” Getting up, she headed toward the bedroom to get dressed. She needed to be at the hospital in a little over an hour, and she just wanted to get it done and over with.
* * *
Over the next couple of days, Jace spoke with Donnie, who kept him up to date on all that was happening. According to him, several club members were considering abandoning Alec and the club in order to stand behind Jace. Everyone but Alec wanted out of the gun-running business, especially now that there was so much heat on the club.
Jace agonized over calling the ATF agents, not sure what the best move would be. If he helped them nail Alec, it would ultimately destroy the club forever, but if he refused to help, he could be on the run for the rest of his life.
He had no choice.
With a heavy heart, he dialed the number on the card and was greeted by voicemail. Cursing under his breath, he left a brief message and hoped that Agent Morris would return his call quickly.
Jace thought about everything that had happened over the last few days and how much his life had changed. In such a short time, he had lost the backing of a club he loved with all of his heart, turned on his friend and leader when the dirty deals became too risky, and met a curvy nurse who turned him on more than any woman ever had.
Her name rolled off his tongue in a whispered sigh...Piper. Always there to help him, tending to his wounds and willing to go the distance for a man she barely knew. That either made her desperate or crazy. He still wasn’t sure which, nor did he really care anymore. He enjoyed being around her, and despite all of the danger that stood just outside the door, Jace found himself caught up in his fantasies about her. They hadn’t kissed since the first night when she had brought him back to her apartment. He had respected her wishes and avoided getting too close, but last night his body had been so demanding he’d had trouble sleeping. All he could think about was how beautiful she would look sprawled naked across the covers on the bed, her hair fanned out around her, a sultry smile on her face inviting him to claim her as his own, her thick frame, curvy ass, and delectable thighs waiting for him to hold on tight and take her wherever he pleased.
And when he’d finally fallen asleep, his imagination had been so vivid he’d woken up in agony.
Her voice shook him from his thoughts.
“Jace, you hungry? I was thinking about going out and picking up food.”
He thought about the risk of being seen in public, about how many people could recognize him and cause problems, but there were parts of town where the brothers didn’t hang out. He was starting to go stir-crazy and needed to get some fresh air. He wasn’t used to staying put for too long.
“You know what? Let’s go out to eat.”
“But what if someone sees you?”
“I need to get out of here for a bit. We’ll just stick to this area. No one will see me.”
“You sure?”
Jace chuckled. “Yes, woman. I’m sure. You ready?”
Within minutes they found themselves in a little out-of-the-way restaurant, sharing a booth in the corner. As they ate, Jace watched her, noting a difference in the way she held herself. He would never have thought she could be more attractive, and yet he felt his heart racing just watching her.
“I’ve never been to this place,” he said as he tried his first bite, “but it smells great.”
She waved her fork in the air, nodding. “It’s been around for like thirty years or something...pretty good food, huh?”
He was so enthralled with his meal and conversation that he didn’t notice anyone approaching until a voice behind him made his hackles rise.
“Jace?”
He glanced up at Piper as the deep voice rumbled from just behind him. Turning, he came face to face with Ron, one of his old friends and club member.
Cautiously, he greeted his biker brother, his eyes narrowing. “Ron.”
Ron’s hand reached down to squeeze Jace’s shoulder in a friendly grip. “Oh man, it’s good to see you, brother. We’ve been worried as hell. Word has it you got shot, but no one knew if you were dead or what was going on. Alec’s been looking everywhere for you.”
Jace forced a smile. Clearly Ron wasn’t aware that Alec had put a price on Jace’s head.
“I’m fine. Whatever rumors you heard was exaggerated.” He started to turn back to his food, hoping he could blow Ron off and just disappear after this.
“Who’s your friend here?” Ron asked, his focus now on Piper. He held out a hand to her as if he expected her to shake it.
Before she could introduce herself, Jace cut in, “This is my step-sister, Elaine. She came in from Atlanta for a week to visit me.” He caught the flash in Piper’s eye as she realized he wasn’t sure if he could trust Ron and nodded.
With a quick smile, Piper shook Ron’s hand. “Good to meet you. Any friend of Jace’s is a friend of mine.”
Eager to get back to the safety of her apartment, Piper returned to her food, ignoring Ron until he and Jace finished talking. Then they quickly slipped out of the restaurant and disappeared into the night.