Authors: Casey Griffin
“I think I’m all right,” she said, but groped her head just to make sure it was still attached.
“Can you squeeze out of there?”
“I’ll try.”
Rolling onto her stomach, Piper wormed her way to the front of the car, ignoring the sharp bits of gravel that scraped her arms and God knows what else that squished under her hands. Colin scuttled around, licking her face and shoving his snout in her ears and hair to assess for injuries.
“Not helping, Colin. Yes, I’m happy you’re okay too.”
Once she’d wiggled her way between the front tire and the brick wall, Aiden helped her to her feet. She didn’t even have a moment to catch her breath before he crushed her against his chest.
She held on to him for physical support as much as emotional. Her legs were shaking, her hip and elbow throbbing, and her world still spun.
When she glanced back at what little space was left between the Buick and the wall that she’d been sandwiched between, Piper the juicy jam squished in the middle, she thought it was a miracle she escaped. And Colin had tried to warn her. He sensed something wrong, like he could smell the danger. It was that inexplicable instinct that animals had—they just had a way of knowing.
“Are you hurt?” Aiden asked, his eyes dark, his hands moving over her like he wasn’t convinced she was safe in his arms yet.
Adrenaline-soaked as her body was, she wasn’t ready to believe her senses. She took stock of her injuries, counting limbs and fingers to make sure they were all present and accounted for. To her surprise, she found very little wrong. Some missing skin on elbows, gravel imbedded in her palms. It was likely she’d discover new injuries for days to come as aches surprised her and the bruises blossomed. Oh, how there would be bruises. Zoe’s dress, on the other hand, had seen better days. Piper’s dry cleaner would have to be a magician to save it.
Colin circled her feet, sniffing at her ankles, coming up with his own diagnosis. After a moment, he sat back on his haunches and barked up at her anxiously.
She bent down to pick him up and cradled him in her arms, letting him give her kisses. “I’m not bad. But the night’s still young.” She said it jokingly, only she wished she were joking.
“I’m not letting you out of my sight for another second.” Aiden pulled her back toward him, like he couldn’t stand to not be touching her. “I wish they’d find that taxi already.”
“The taxi?”
“Yeah, maybe there will be some clues as to who’s doing this. This can’t be a coincidence. It has to be related to the attacks on the center.”
Piper realized that he’d been blaming himself all this time, for everything. That he thought it was because of his briefcase and the information contained in it. Meanwhile, the entire time, she figured it had something to do with her.
She didn’t bother responding, since she couldn’t be sure. The fact was, she did piss off a lot of people; at least she had recently. It could have been the person targeting the center or Laura, or Barney Miller, or even Tamara for that matter—although a catfight in Aiden’s house was a lot different from vehicular homicide.
“Did you happen to see the plates on that car?”
“No.” He pulled out his cell phone. “But I’ll call the cops. Maybe they can track them down before they get too far.”
“I should have them on speed dial by now,” she said dryly.
He still hadn’t let her go. For once, she didn’t mind him looking after her. “Well, hopefully this will be over soon.”
Piper hoped so too. Only she hoped it was because they caught the guy. Not because he got what he wanted.
The elevator dinged as it reached the top floor of Caldwell and Son Investments. Remembering how things went for her the last time she was there, Piper hesitated before getting off. She dreaded facing that snooty admin assistant. But Piper’s assets were covered a great deal more than they were the last time. And besides, what did she have to feel out of place for? She’d been invited by the boss, after all.
Tightening the belt on her raincoat, she stepped into the foyer and strode right up to the reception desk. It might have been Piper’s imagination, but the girl working the desk appeared more orange than the last time, as though she’d swapped her tangerine self-tanner for a lovely shade of marmalade. The girl recognized her, because she smiled, a little devilishly, Piper thought.
“Hello.” She glanced around like she expected to see the horse head.
“Hi. I’m here to see Aiden Caldwell?”
“Are you here for another singing telegram?” Her face lit up, not unlike a big orange jack-o’-lantern.
“Not today. I’m just here to speak with your
boss
.” Piper made sure to emphasize the word
boss
.
It had the effect she was looking for, because the girl’s mouth tightened like a drawstring purse. Standing up, she tugged her pencil skirt down and smacked the release button on the secure doors. “This way, please. He’s expecting you.”
Piper pressed her lips together to hide a triumphant grin. She followed her through the glass doors and down the long corridor lined with offices. She was only limping a little that day, although she’d had to skip her high heels for her telegram gigs. But it could have been much worse.
It had been two days since the attempted hit-and-run and the cops had found no leads. Nor did they receive any tips about the rescue center vandalism like she’d hoped they would after her appearance on the news. Their “one week” was up that night, and they had nothing.
The receptionist led Piper down a hallway with walls that were top to bottom glass, including the door to each office that faced on to the corridor. She imagined the staff probably felt like the ladies did in their fish tank. However, each room was outfitted with blinds in case privacy was needed. The space was modern, the furniture included, reminding Piper of Aiden’s home.
She saw Aiden long before he saw her. His office sat at the end of the hall, the space larger than the others, with a view of Montgomery Street down below. He was on the phone, pacing back and forth behind his desk, stroking his tie. It stirred something deep in Piper’s belly. He looked so professional, so powerful, so in control. She wanted him to use some of that control on her.
The door was open, so orange girl tapped on the glass door to announce their presence. Aiden turned to see who it was, and his eyes fell on Piper. Her knees buckled.
“I’m sorry. I’ll have to call you back.” He hung up the phone. “Thank you, Veronica.”
The moment she left, Aiden crossed the room and closed the door. Piper couldn’t help but notice that he glanced out the glass wall to make sure no one saw before giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. Maybe he wasn’t just afraid of Holly seeing them together, or Tamara, but anyone. Or perhaps it was his “I don’t like mixing business with pleasure” motto.
“You made it.” He moved around to the other side of his desk.
“Are you sure it’s okay that I’m here?” she asked after the cool reception. “I mean, I could study at Starbucks or something.”
“No. You have your exam soon and there are plenty of spare offices you can use. If the boss catches you, though, just say you’re the new temp.” He winked.
It was obviously easy for him in that setting. To be the boss, to be in control. It was a comfortable role for him. He had his safety blankets like his tie to readjust, his desk to hide behind, papers to reshuffle. Piper found it quite annoying. Naughty thoughts forced their way into her mind, making her want to break the rules, to toss those papers aside and create some chaos.
“Oh, I’ve already got a cover story,” she said. “I can say I’m here for a singing telegram. I just finished a gig a few blocks from here. I haven’t had a chance to change.” She raised her backpack that contained her clothes and textbooks in explanation.
He stopped straightening the papers on his desk. “You’re still wearing your costume?” He gave a fleeting look over her shoulder, out to the hallway. Since his office was located at the end, it could be seen by anyone who stepped out of their door and looked that way.
His eyes drifted back to her. He cleared his throat. “Which one is it?”
She batted her eyelashes. “You’ll just have to use your imagination.”
He perched himself on the edge of his desk, eyes darting back and forth from her coat to the hall. The temptation lit his face. Temptation of experiencing pleasure while in his place of business.
“Surely”—he hesitated—“you can give me just a peek.”
She followed his gaze down the hall. Seeing no one coming their way, she reached for the belt on her raincoat. Slowly, she untied it, running the length of the belt ends through her fingers until they dropped to her sides. Gripping the collar, she slid her hands down, keeping it closed, teasing him.
His eyes remained fixed on hers, flirtatious until she spread open the coat, revealing the costume beneath. The short skirt was striped red and white, exposing nearly every inch of her smooth legs. White stars speckled her collared vest, in Old Glory Blue. It hugged her waist and pressed her breasts up so that they bulged out the top of her sparkling gold bra underneath.
He remained very still, contemplative, like he stood in an art gallery appreciating a masterwork.
Closing the coat again, she tied the belt around her.
He snapped out of wherever he’d gone—which was certainly not at work. “Hey. I wasn’t finished.”
“That was more than a peek. That was like a gawk,” she said, “or a stare.”
“No, no.” He slid off his desk. “It was barely a glance. A glimpse at best.”
“Well, maybe you should have thought about that before you installed all these revealing windows.”
“I can take care of that.” Crossing the room, he brushed past her and hit a knob next to the light switch. There was the whirring sound of a motor as the blinds slid across the glass wall, completely obscuring the outside world. He locked the door and loosened his tie as he moved toward her.
Piper gasped. “But Mr. Caldwell,” she teased. “This is completely inappropriate for the workplace. What would Larry Williams say?”
“I don’t care what he would say,” Aiden growled, his voice low and thick. “I’m feeling rather … patriotic at the moment.” Bending down, he grazed his lips across hers.
“I can tell,” she muttered. “I can feel your flag flying at full mast.”
His eyebrow quirked up and his smirk was so delicious she wanted to bite his lip. “That’s only half-mast. You’ll know when it’s full.”
Her eyes widened, but she couldn’t think of a comeback as his lips drifted down her neck, tickling her skin. Moving her hands up his chest, she groped the hard muscles beneath his shirt. She peeled off his jacket and dropped it to the floor in a rumpled heap.
Her hips were squirming to press closer even as she said, “But you’re at work.” She wanted to hear him acknowledge the pleasure, to throw away the business side for a moment and give in to it. To give in to her.
He pulled her collar aside to kiss the curve of her neck. “You’re not trying to prevent me from expressing my love for my country, are you, Miss Summers?”
“No, sir,” she breathed. “It’s your constitutional right.”
He backed her up until her butt hit the desk and leaned her back. “It’s my duty.”
“You’re obligated, really.” She reclined across his desk, dragging him down by his tie until he laid his mouth against hers.
“I don’t think I’ll get much studying done here,” she said between kisses.
“No.” He moved his kisses down her plunging neckline. “But I might get a little done myself.”
“Oh, and what will you be studying?”
“Anatomy.” He tugged at the top golden button on her vest until it popped open beneath the pressure of her breasts. “Particularly yours.”
He slipped each button free until he could slide his palm across her bare stomach, exposing her golden bra. Pulling away, he took a moment to run his eyes over her body. When he bent to kiss her again, she reached out for his flagpole to discover it at full mast.
“Oh, glory,” she breathed.
At her touch, he moaned against her mouth. Pleasure had clearly won.
Aiden’s hand burned hot over her calf, her knee, and all the way up her leg. She squirmed on the desk. His fingers crept higher up the soft skin of her inner thigh. She gasped for air, unable to stand it. Her heart hammered, her head spun with anticipation, until she heard ringing in her ears. It wasn’t until Aiden grunted in frustration that she realized he heard it too.
Reaching over to the phone on his desk, he pressed a button. “Veronica, I’m busy at the moment. Hold all my calls.”
“Sorry, sir. Larry Williams would like to speak with you regarding the rezoning for–”
Aiden practically leapt over the desk to pick up the receiver. “Veronica, I have Miss Summers in the room. Please refrain from discussing business around other clients”—he hesitated—“err, people.… Yes. Fine. Tell him to wait for a minute and I can speak to him privately.”
The moment he hung up the phone, he began tightening his tie again. Back to business. So hot and heavy one moment, but then to be ushered unceremoniously out of his office the next was jarring, to say the least. Piper slid off the desk and pulled her raincoat back on.
“I’m sorry,” he said, picking up his jacket. “But this is important. We’re on a tight schedule with this project.”
“Of course, I understand.” Which was a lie. She didn’t, really. Aiden was the boss. He could have told Larry to come back. What was Aiden’s receptionist about to say that he didn’t want her to hear? Why was he being so secretive? It was taking his mixing business with pleasure thing a bit far.
“The bathroom is down the hall if you’d like to change,” he said. “Ask Veronica to show you to a spare office after. Stay for as long as you like. Maybe we could do a late dinner tonight?” he asked, a kind of pleading hopefulness in his face.
Piper softened a little. She’d felt his flagpole rise and knew that he was as sorry as she was. “Yeah, sounds good.”
There was a knock on the door. Piper fumbled to check that all her coat buttons were done up, hiding any evidence of the American flag beneath. Once she was all sorted, she gave Aiden a nod and he opened the door.