“Bullshit.” Lincoln’s eyes were angry and hard. “
You
did this, Mick. Lewis was acting for you, and you need to be the one to make it right.”
“I don’t know how to do that.” He was no good at the big gesture. He’d never had to do it before.
“You’re ‘Mick
Fucking
Blackwell.’” Lincoln’s derision was highlighted by the air quotes he knew Mick hated. “You own this town, and you’ll do anything for your career. But you can’t do something for Piper? If you really love this woman—if you finally decided to grow the hell up and give a shit about someone else—then figure out how to make it right.”
Mick stared at Lincoln, unable to say anything. He suddenly saw himself as his oldest friend saw him, and it made him sick with shame. This was his fault—maybe not all of it—but enough to where he had to make it right.
And he knew if he didn’t, he’d never get Piper back, and that was something he wanted desperately.
If he didn’t make it right—he’d never deserve her anyway.
Chapter Twenty-one
For the first time in years, Piper had no looming deadline. No career. No book on the horizon. She’d left her apartment earlier in the day and had drifted about until she’d finally found herself at Chris’s apartment. He’d given her a key, so she’d let herself in and had proceeded to make herself at home. Now, she shifted her gaze to the bustling activity of New York City outside the window and stared. So many stories out there on the streets of her favorite town and not one of them spoke to her right now, not one begged her to commit it to pixels and code.
It wasn’t that she couldn’t write—she just didn’t feel like it. When she sat at the keyboard, her fingers moved like they belonged to someone else. Words appeared—good words, commercially marketable words—but none of them gave her the joy or peace that were to her like endorphins to athletes.
She missed Mick terribly, and nothing could break through the ache that constantly permeated her muscles, bones, and tissue. Antonio had been a body blow—swiftly painful and quickly numbed—but this was different. Maybe it was because she’d been the one to walk away this time. Maybe it was because she woke with Mick’s name on her lips and her skin aching for his touch. Maybe it was because she’d never loved Antonio the way she loved Mick.
“Should I knock?”
She turned to see Chris standing at the door to his own apartment. He was as handsome as ever, but the worry shadowing the lines on his face marred his otherwise perfect appearance. It was the same look he’d worn every time he’d come by to see her since she’d ended things with Mick two weeks ago. She regretted causing her friend that kind of worry.
“Hey.” She smiled at him and gestured to the mess on the countertop. “I got tired of being at my place and decided to make you dinner.”
“Ah, death by charitable food poisoning. My favorite way to go.” He edged into the room, caution mapped over every inch of his former football player’s frame. “Have you eaten today?”
“Yes, Mom.”
“You should at least call me Dad when I treat you like a toddler.”
“At least you can admit you’re being an overbearing pain in the ass,” she countered.
“Only because you’re starting to scare the shit out of me.”
His expression said he wasn’t kidding, and her heart did a little flip with the knowledge that she was causing this much concern. Time to put on her big girl panties and stop scaring her friends.
“Sorry. I know you’ve had a hard time lately. I just…”
“I know.” She reached up and squeezed his hand where it rested on the back of her chair. “And I love you for it.” They locked eyes for a while until they both chuckled with what had become a staring contest. Chris always could make her feel better. “So, here is my report for today: I did not adopt ten cats and change my will to give it all to the feline rescue shelter. Sound good?”
“More than I could hope for.” He set his messenger bag down on the coffee table and turned on the TV. He eased himself down on the couch, staring straight ahead as he surfed the channels. “Scott Crews is interviewing Mick in a few minutes.” He turned to look at her, the tension in the lines of his body telling her he was braced for impact. “You need to watch it.”
Her heart lurched and skipped a beat, which caused her to have to take a moment to catch her breath. “Why? I’m not going to comment, so I don’t know why I would bother.”
“Piper.” Chris waited until she looked at him. “Even if you don’t want to comment, it’s going to cause a stir, and you’ll be asked about it in the future. You need to be prepared.”
Hell. He was right. She didn’t want to, but she planted herself down on the loveseat across from the TV as Chris found the correct channel. The screen was filled with stupid commercials for a few minutes, and then the familiar title sequence for Scott Crews’s show came on.
The screen went black for the briefest moment before Mick was before her, larger than life and so very sexy. She stared, drinking in all the details: he was wearing one of her favorite shirts, and his face was a little thinner, more angular, since she last saw him. He was cautious, but only someone who knew him well would know the smile wasn’t genuine.
Scott leaned forward and shook hands with Mick, and then the interview began with them talking about his latest Dark movie and his career, namely the multiproject deal he’d just inked with the studio, which granted him executive producer status and backing for two non-Dark projects of his choosing.
“Good for you,” she breathed out.
“What did you say?” Chris asked.
“Nothing,” Piper answered, feeling her cheeks heat with embarrassment. She tuned back into the interview at the mention of Lewis King. Scott had mentioned that Mick had fired Lewis.
Mick responded, saying, “Lewis was my manager for ten years, and in that capacity he had access to private information involving not only me but the people close to me. I fired him and am now suing for breach of contract and other counts of violating my privacy. We have incontrovertible proof of his betrayal.”
“According to the evidence—which include texts, e-mails, and electronic data trails,” Scott said, “Lewis sold several tabloids information about you. And he and Tanya Roberts orchestrated the sexually incriminating photos of you that were published just a few weeks ago.”
Piper’s heart beat a heavy, rapid tattoo in her chest that almost drowned out the TV. She grabbed the remote and adjusted the volume higher. Mick had told her someone had set him up from the inside, but she never would have guessed it had been Lewis.
Mick nodded at Scott’s comment, saying, “Lewis paid the man who let the photographer onto my private estate in Hawaii and took intimate pictures of myself and a friend.”
“The author, Piper James?” Scott probed.
Mick paused for a moment, and Piper could see the pain flickering in his eyes for a moment before he used his impressive acting skills and wiped it away. She felt a selfish wave of comfort knowing he hadn’t moved on so easily.
After clearing his throat, Mick said, “Yes, Piper. The photographs and the accompanying articles hurt her deeply and embarrassed us both. What was supposed to have been a private time together was ruined by a jerk with a telephoto lens.”
“But Mick, it isn’t like you haven’t spent the last decade splashing your love life all over the headlines.”
Piper flashed a glance at Chris, who gave her a look of compassion.
“You’re right, but those were my choices. This particular incident was without permission and was done with calculated malice.”
She wasn’t sure she could watch another moment.
“Wait,” Mick said suddenly. “That isn’t entirely true. Lewis worked for me, and I was the one who told him to do whatever he needed to get me publicity. I didn’t know exactly what he was doing, but people warned me.” Mick gave a half-smile and pointed a finger at Scott. “In fact,
you
warned me, and I ignored it because Lewis made my life easier, my career more successful. I didn’t really care about the consequence as long as they were to my benefit. And those consequences ended up harmful to other people.”
Mick looked like a spring, coiled and tight, but ready to erupt at any minute. Piper’s palms grew damp as apprehension crept along her skin and settled in the tender spot at the back of her neck.
On the TV screen, Scott leaned forward, closer to Mick, and lowered his tone. “Ms. James ended your relationship because of this situation? She didn’t believe you? She couldn’t stand the heat?”
Piper’s face flushed, and she knew she had the telltale pink patches on her cheeks. An entire menu of emotions crashed through her system—embarrassment, anger, anxiety—but she remained riveted, straining to hear what Mick would say.
He sighed. “Piper was tired of being the subject of gossip, rumors, and lies, and I don’t blame her. I am not an easy man to love—”
Scott interjected. “Love?”
“Yes, love. I know it will come as a shock for most,” Mick said, “but I fell in love with her. I had no choice but to get all the facts necessary to prove the newspapers wrong about us. About her.”
Chris reached over and grabbed her hand. She squeezed for all she was worth.
“So, all of this—the investigation, the lawsuit—it’s all for her?” Scott asked.
Mick nodded. “When it comes down to it—yes. I was betrayed, but she was the one who paid the price.” He leaned forward and the camera zoomed in, making sure every nuance of his expression was clear as crystal.
Piper found herself leaning forward as well, drawn in by the drama unfolding before her.
“She was the one cheated on by Antonio Rojas,” Mick continued. “A man who’d pledged to marry her and said he loved her—but the press made it out that she was the stupid one for loving him. They made a painful situation even worse so they could sell a few more newspapers, and she fell apart. Understandably. But now this whole thing has cost her the career she loved and I was selfish. Ignored the way it impacted her.”
He paused, rubbing a hand over his face and through his dark curls. His movements were jerky with frustration and anger. She longed to steady them with her own.
“Piper took a chance on me, and I was too stupid to see what I had in front of me. She finally came to her senses and made the right decision—to get away from me.” He laughed bitterly, the emotion behind the sound not quite reaching his eyes. “Look, I’m the worst bet when it comes to relationships. I have no idea what I’m doing, but she was willing to take a chance I’d get it right. I made a promise I didn’t keep, and I let her down. She weighed the odds and decided to cut bait before I really screwed up. So, when everyone reports on this tomorrow, make sure you get that straight. I screwed this up. Not Piper.”
Scott sat back in his seat, a wry grin on his face. “Sounds like she could write you two a happy ending if she wanted.”
Mick slowly shook his head. “That only happens in books and movies.”
The segment closed out with publicity stills and Scott’s narration about Mick’s new Dark movie premiere, which was set for the day after tomorrow. Chris grabbed the remote and turned off the TV, the sudden silence punctuated by the faint sounds of New York City traffic.
“Oh shit.” Piper leaned her head in her hands as she sorted through her emotions.
“What’s going on in that noggin of yours?” Chris asked.
“I don’t know.” Piper fell back onto the cushions, staring up at the wood molding arranged in a pattern across the ceiling. “He didn’t have to do that for me.”
“No. He didn’t.” Chris leaned back next to her on the sofa, his position mirroring her own. “I know I was ready to clock him when he showed up here two weeks ago, but everything turned out the way he said. He filed the lawsuit this morning, and I got a look at the documents. It’s all there. Lewis, the photographer, Tanya—all of it down to the last detail.”
“So what do I do?”
“Well, I’d fly to California and jump the man. He looked hot in that interview.”
“Chris—”
He scooped up her hand, dwarfing it his own and giving it a squeeze. “I don’t know. You guys still have the same issues—distance, crazy schedules, and his hordes of fans—but I think you could get over that if…”
“If I wanted him enough to take the plunge and trust him.”
“No. I don’t think it has anything to do with wanting him. I think you need to trust yourself. Let the past stay in the past,” Chris said.
“That sounds so easy. But it isn’t. Mick could…”
“He could hurt you. You could hurt him. Six months from now you could decide it’s too hard, he could develop a fear of flying or discover what a slob you are.” Chris smiled, rolling his eyes when she pinched him for being a smartass. “But that’s just the chance you have to take, or you could miss out.”
Piper knew he was right. There were no guarantees, and she sure as hell couldn’t feel any worse than she had the past two weeks. Two weeks of missing out on Mick. Two weeks where he was busy making sure he could find out what truly happened. Two weeks that ended with him using an interview that would be watched by millions to set the record straight—for her.
Every time they’d hit a snag, he’d been the one to stay in the game and fight for them. She’d caved at the first sign of trouble—it was instinct now, and she reacted at the first whiff of pain. But he’d stuck it out, fighting to the end because he thought she was worth it.
“I’m scared,” she whispered.
“I know. That just means it’s something worth taking a chance on.” He nudged her with his elbow. “The best stuff always is.”
Mick was the best stuff.
Loving Mick was definitely worth taking a chance on.
“So, did you decide what you’re going to do?” Chris asked.
She wouldn’t let the heroine in her book get what she wanted without making a leap of faith. It was time she did the same.
“I need to get a flight to California.” She stood, her legs a little wobbly, but it was from excitement and not fear this time. “It’s my turn to make the big gesture.”
Chapter Twenty-two
Mick stood on the red carpet, the camera flashes going off all around him and the seemingly endless crowd of fans screaming his name. He waved, smiled, signed autographs, and posed for photos. It was something he’d done hundreds of times before, but this time the wave of excitement didn’t pick him up and carry him along. His legs were as heavy as if he were wearing a pair of concrete shoes on the beach.
This was his big night. The LA premiere of the latest John Dark movie—the film that had garnered incredible reviews and already promised to be the most lucrative one to date. He’d even learned that morning that the studio was thrilled with his performance in
Regan’s Gift
. He should’ve been on top of the world, but all he could think about was what this evening lacked.
No Piper. No red dress. No stepping out for the first time as an official couple.
“Mick!” Scott Crews waved him over, and he headed to where the interviewer stood with a microphone and his film crew. Time to get to work.
“Hi, Scott. You look lovely tonight,” he joked as they shook hands.
“Thanks, Mick. Your fans were so excited to hear this will not be the last Dark film. Do you think this is the best one yet?”
“You know, I do. The stunts are amazing. The plot has tons of twists and turns to keep the viewer on the edge of your seat to the very end. It was fun to make and a blast to watch.”
“Your costar, Tanya Roberts, isn’t here tonight. Did you have anything to do with that?”
He’d known this would come up and was now glad he’d rehearsed the perfect answer. “Tanya and I decided we didn’t want our personal stuff to overshadow the LA premiere, so she opted to stay home. But I’ll see her in a couple of weeks in Toronto. It’s all good.”
Scott nodded, his smile widening, and the white light bouncing off his teeth warned Mick that the next question was going to be the ringer. “Fair enough. The fans are all wondering if Piper James will be here with you tonight.”
“No. That’s all over. Piper is in New York, getting on with her life.” He made sure his smile was even bigger to cover up the slice of pain shooting through his chest.
“I guess we hoped you guys would get back together after our interview.”
Mick opened his mouth to offer some witty retort that didn’t include “mind your own fucking business,” when the crowd just over his shoulder near the drop-off point for the limousines started screaming with renewed fervor and excitement. Film crews craned their necks to see what was going on, and after a few seconds, many of them swiveled to include him in their shot. All along the walkway people parted like the Red Sea.
Mick walked forward two paces, Scott following close at his elbow. He edged around a couple of people and saw what was causing all of the commotion.
“Holy shit,” Scott murmured.
He couldn’t have agreed more.
Piper stood on the red carpet looking a little overwhelmed but all kinds of gorgeous in the red Keiko dress. His dress.
Their
dress.
Her hair was pulled up in a loose hairstyle that left lots of it curling down and around her shoulders, highlighting the creamy expanse of skin on her shoulders.
Mick fought the urge to sink to his knees under the weight of the shock and confusion. What did this mean? He knew what he wanted it to be, knew what his heart was screaming for as it beat hard enough to leap out of his chest. He gulped for air, steadying himself as he walked the dozen steps to stand in front of her.
“Nice dress.” He had to lean in close to make sure she heard him over the crowd and caught the citrus scent that was unique to his Piper.
“This old thing?” She reached down to make the skirt swish back and forth. “I had it in my closet just waiting for the right place to wear it.”
He laughed, the joy at just being this close to her escaping from him and making her smile wider in return. They must have looked like a couple of idiots to the million cameras turned on them right now, but he didn’t care. As long as she was looking at him like that—love and desire warring for dominance in her eyes—they could film whatever the hell they wanted.
“Piper, what are you doing here?”
Her smile faltered a little, lips trembling slightly as she took a deep breath. Did she really think he wasn’t glad to see her?
“I’m making the big gesture—breaking the rules—just like you taught me.” She lifted a hand to touch him but pulled it back. “Am I too late, baby?”
Mick stepped even closer, his body now brushing against hers as he snagged the hesitant hand and held it to his chest. “Too late for what?”
“For us. Am I too late to ask for another chance?”
“A second chance.”
“What?” Her nose scrunched in that adorable way he loved and he gave in to the urge to kiss the tip.
“Technically, it’s your second chance, since you kind of broke up with me over the phone that time.” He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her tight as she wove her arms around his neck. “But who’s counting? I think I’d give you a million chances.”
She sobered a little, her eyes muddying with regret. “I’m sorr—”
He shut her up with a kiss. She hadn’t hurt him on purpose. He didn’t need an apology. At this moment, all he needed was her mouth. She opened to him and he dove in, tasting her, possessing her, and saying without words that she never needed to apologize again. They broke apart, breathless but laughing.
“I love you, Mick,” she murmured against his lips in a tender kiss.
“I love you, too.” He touched her forehead with his own, letting his fingers skim down the exposed skin on her shoulder and arm until he could weave them with her own. “Don’t ever do that to me again. I almost gave up on you.”
“Never again. I promise.”
The sound of applause, catcalls, and wolf whistles drew them out of their own little world. Mick looked around—even the most jaded journalists were smiling and offering up their congratulations. It was all very touching, but he didn’t want to be in the middle of a crowd any longer.
“Wave at the nice people and then head over to the limo still parked at the curb,” he said, his lips brushing her earlobe with a kiss.
“What?” She waved as he instructed but looked up at him in confusion. “Don’t you have a movie to watch?”
“I saw it already. Now, follow me on the count of three. One. Two. Three.” He grasped her hand in his, making a beeline for the back of the limousine. Opening the door, he was relieved to find it unoccupied. He maneuvered Piper inside and closed the door behind them.
She moved first, hiking her dress up to allow her to straddle his lap. Mick gripped her hips, trailing his hands upward to sweep over the exposed skin of her back as she initiated the kiss. It wasn’t a tentative get-to-know-you-again kiss. This melding of their mouths was as if they’d never been apart, and Piper was demanding in her touch.
A voice over the internal intercom, disembodied and deep, sliced through the silence and broke them apart.
“Mr. Blackwell, where would you like to go?”
“Back to the hotel.” Mick ran his tongue along the tender outer shell of her ear, doing it again when she shivered. “And take your time.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Don’t we have to go to the premiere?” Piper asked as she arched her neck, inviting him to continue to kissing her.
“We’ve got a least two hours before the viewing is done. Plenty of time to go to my hotel and then hit the after-party later.”
Piper stilled, pulling back to look down at him. His heart ached because of the sadness in her eyes. He reached up to smooth away the lines of worry, but she shook him off.
“Piper, don’t—”
“Mick, let me.” She traced a finger over his lips, her eyes searching his own for something. When she found it, her own mouth lifted in a smile. “You didn’t screw up, baby. You get it right all the time.”
“Give me enough time and I’ll fuck it up plenty.” He tightened his grip on her, cupping her face so that she couldn’t look away. “We’re in this together. You and me, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Now, by my calculation, we’re down to an hour and forty-five minutes before we need to make a reappearance. All this apologizing is getting in the way of some awesome make-up sex.”
He claimed her mouth in a kiss that was dominating, full of the pent-up sexual heat that had simmered between them since they met and threatened to boil over every time they touched. He had no reason to hold back now. She was here. She was his again, and nothing was going to steal this moment from them. Suddenly ravenous for her, he plunged his hands into her hair, holding her still while he reclaimed possession of her mouth.
Piper whimpered, the sound rising in her. He gently traced a hand down the silky strap of her dress and drifted lower to cover her breast.
Hell
yes.
She shivered against his caress, her nipple tightening against his palm as this exploration went from needy to voracious in a second.
Mick had intended for this to be an appetizer to the lovemaking he would serve up once they reached his private suite, but Piper had other ideas. He bucked upward when she cupped his erection, giving his aching length a squeeze and a stroke through the thin silk of his tuxedo pants. He could feel the heat of her against his skin, even through the fabric, and the need for her touch was overwhelming.
“Mick. I need you inside me. Don’t make me wait.” Piper’s breath was hot against his fevered skin, her soft lips skimming along his ear as she made quick work of opening his pants. When she spoke the sexy pout in her voice almost made him come. “Oh, I hate it when you wear underwear.”
He licked his lips, clearing his throat with another groan when she wrapped her slender fingers around his cock. “Special occasion. Commando seemed a little casual.”
Ghosting his fingers along the hem of her dress, he pulled it up as he traveled to the place where he needed to touch her the most. He watched her face as he made his journey; the sight of her eyes dilated almost to black and the way she bit her bottom lip in anticipation of his touch made him want to draw this out—but even he had his limits when it came to this woman. At the apex of her legs, he found her hot and wet, covered by the skimpiest bit of silk he’d ever touched. It took no effort to break the flimsy straps holding it in place, Piper’s gasp her only reaction.
She was beautiful with her hair tumbling over her shoulders, her lips wet and swollen, her dress rucked up. She was everything he could ever want—all he would ever need.
When she looked down at him, her smile tender and full of joy, he forgot how to breathe.
Yes, it was cliché and sappy, but in that moment he realized his world
could
narrow down to one person.
He shifted, looking for his wallet, then found a condom and sheathed himself quickly. As if she read his mind, Piper lowered herself down on him, and the world fell away as they joined as one body. Mick didn’t know where she began and he ended, and it was the most
right
thing he’d ever felt. The slide of flesh against flesh, hot breath mingling with wet tongues and sharp teeth was all he knew. Premieres, publishers, and fans all fell away as he lost himself in this moment with her.
Piper reached up, unhooking the latch on her halter strap to let the fabric slide down in a swoosh of silk. And then she removed her glasses, trailing one of the earpieces across her lips and in the lush valley between her breast before tossing them to the side. Her wicked smile told him she knew how much he loved it when she played off his “naughty librarian” fantasies, and he rewarded her with a quick thrust of his cock and a caress of her clit with his thumb. She gasped and tightened around him, and he got his own prize.
“Piper.” Mick whispered her name against the soft skin of her breast, his tongue circling the pink, tight bud her nipple.
Piper tightened her grip on his shoulder, fingers weaving through his hair to anchor him in place.
“Suck on me baby.” She gasped against his neck, her hips moving faster as she covered him with her wet heat over and over again. “If you do, I’ll come. I promise.”
Once again, she’d reached into his brain and tapped into the primal, animal side of him. Nothing switched off his brain, disconnected the part of his mind which told him to go slow and draw this out, like her husky voice whispering dirty nothings in his ear.
Mick circled her nipple one more time, flicking the tight bead with his tongue once before drawing the sweet morsel into his mouth and tugging in a sensual rhythm that matched the thrust of his hips. Piper cried out—not once, but in a steady pattern punctuating the rhythm of their bodies. She tightened around his cock, and he knew she was close, her moans and whimpers becoming sharper and more urgent with each joining.
“It’s been too long,” Mick ground out between his harsh pants of air sucking into his lungs. He was so close, but he wasn’t going without her. “I love you.”
At his words she stiffened, grinding down on him as her body rippled around his hard, aching length. Even though he wanted to see her come apart, he closed his eyes when the pleasure hit him like a flow of white-hot lava—surging up his spine and along his veins until every inch of his skin was tingling with the power of his release.
Piper collapsed against him, her muscles limp and relaxed. She nestled her head against his neck, breathing heavily in concert with him. The close quarters, the scent of leather and sex mixing together in their own private cocoon, reminded him of their first time together in his car.
“This has a little more room than Ali,” he observed.
“Hmm…?” Piper pushed up enough to look at him. She was stunning—hair slightly disheveled, lips swollen, and skin flushed with her passion—she looked sated, happy, and thoroughly fucked. Just the way he liked her.
“I was just remembering our first time together.”
“The night you seduced me into breaking the rules.”
“Hey.
You
were doing all the seducing.”
She raised an eyebrow at him disbelief.
“Okay…we were both doing our fair share of the seducing.” He pushed a curl off her shoulder, caressing the exposed soft skin. “I couldn’t help myself. From the first moment, I knew you’d be the one to make me throw out the rule book.”