“Once I’ve cleaned up, it’ll stay that way now that Sophie’s moved out. But y’know, some of us like clutter, stuff that holds memories to comfort us, to help us remember good times.”
“And bad times? Do you keep stuff that reminds you of all the shitty things that happen?” He picked up Stanley’s empty beer can, crushed it, and looked her hard in the eye. “It’s hard enough to forget some of the shit in my life as it is. Reminders I do not need.”
She didn’t want to go any further with this. Even though she ached to know what had made this man so averse to putting down roots or forming ties, she sensed it would pull her more into his orbit. She couldn’t risk taking a glimpse of this tortured hero’s past history. It would be like following Alice down the rabbit hole and she only had ten days to find her way out.
“We’re very different, you and I,” she murmured and cast her eye over the piles of magazines, junk mail, and pens lying about the place. “You must think I’m crazy, too.”
“I think you’re amazing and beautiful and…” He pulled a crochet blanket off the back of the sofa and wrapped it around her shoulders. “And you’re worth so much more than all this.”
Piper made a snorting noise. “I must also be delirious. You’ll never guess what I thought I just heard you say.”
“Huh?”
“Amazing and beautiful. I don’t think anyone has ever said that to me before.”
“You must have only dated jerks before in that case.” He squeezed her shoulders through the blanket. “Are you sure you won’t let me stay and look after you? I’ll take the sofa.”
She shook her head. “I’ll be fine, really, and I’d prefer to be alone right now. This is my home, and it’s kind of sacred right now, a place for just me and Aspen to live in. Does that make sense?”
He nodded. “All right, but someone will be watching this place until I’m convinced you’re safe. At least until that police report is filed.”
“Okay, I know there’s no point in arguing with you, and I need some sleep.”
“You can sleep after tonight?”
“I’m exhausted, I need to try. So should you.” She closed her eyes as he kissed her on the cheek. “I need to be alone now, Matt.”
And within seconds, she actually was. When she opened her eyes, Matt DeLeo had left as surprisingly as he had arrived and had taken a crushed beer can with him.
Chapter Twelve
“You look amazing,” Matt said two days later, as Piper slid into the backseat of the luxurious limousine that had been waiting outside her apartment for ten minutes. “I’m sorry we’re starting a little earlier than planned, but I need to talk to you about something before we get to the wedding.”
They were heading to the wedding of the year in a vehicle with blacked-out windows and Piper was dreading it. “Is that why your driver isn’t actually driving and is propped up against wall smoking a cigarette? I have this sudden sinking feeling…”
“Did you file that police report?”
Piper sighed. “Yes, boss, I filed the police report just like I said I would. They’re doing what they need to do.”
Matt nodded stiffly. “And if they want to speak to me or Frank—”
“They have your number, don’t worry.”
“Good.” Matt glanced at the chauffeur outside for a second and then gave her all his attention. “I’ve been thinking things over in the last couple of days. Longer than that. The thing is…” He stared at her and she was sure she saw a spark of something in the chestnut depths of his eyes, like the fizz of a comet in the night sky, gone before you even knew it was there. “Piper, the chemistry between us is off the scale. Look what happened in the elevator two nights ago and how close it came to happening in the cabin during the storm. This isn’t a one-sided infatuation we’re dealing with here.”
Infatuation? Is that what he had once thought it was?
“I wasn’t expecting that.” She raised her eyebrows with surprise. “I don’t really know what to say—”
“Don’t say anything yet, just listen.” His face became animated. “I have a new proposal for you.”
“Oh God, no.”
“Listen to me, hear me out for just a minute.”
She was tired and cranky, but she knew by now he wasn’t the kind of person who ever gave up, so she might as well listen. “Go on.”
“I’ll release you from all future engagements, even the spring beer launch party at the mayor’s mansion if you like, if we can agree to find a way to burn this thing out between us. A fling, let’s call it that. Lots of fun, no stress, maybe some no-strings sex, just enough to get Piper and Matt out of our systems. The strain of this will kill me otherwise.”
She shook her head. “You’re crazy.”
But the really scary thing was that she secretly agreed with him. She hadn’t been able to get him out of her mind since they’d last been together, in spite of what Stanley had done. As the shock of the assault faded, the tenderness Matt had shown her, the caring gestures, and his protectiveness had a deep effect. She wanted to be near him in spite of everything, and the way her hormones were now going wild… He was right, they had to do something, but she needed to guard her heart.
“I’m crazy?” he said. “So is this thing going on between us. We can’t risk another event where we have to have sex in a public place. It’s only a matter of time before we get caught.”
Remember, it’s just great sex, nothing more.
She let out a laugh. “You could blame it on the pink beer.”
She could tell by his expression that he was genuinely considering the idea. “Maybe my excellent beer helps things along, but I still can’t get you out of my head. I’m crazy about you.”
Those were strong words, and maybe she should feel scared by his admission, too much too soon, an infatuation on his part driven by the amazing sex they had shared. This was probably just a guy thinking with his dick and saying what she wanted to hear to get her in the sack. But wasn’t she crazy about him too? For real?
She was also reluctantly impressed by how far he was prepared to go for her. Trashing his precious PR campaign at this late stage to get what he wanted was a serious sacrifice, she knew that. Maybe his suggestion was a good way to move forward, a clinical solution to the physical symptoms they were experiencing. She didn’t need any more hassle and stress, but…