“No. You know I want….need you here.” She couldn’t bring herself to tell him how much she appreciated his help. Because she needed it didn’t mean she wanted it.
“Then we’re staying.”
Chapter Eight
By late afternoon the next day Piper was edgy and disgruntled, again. Shortly after moving to Hope and becoming friends with Haley, Haley had talked her into attending Sunday services with her. Much to Piper’s surprise, she not only enjoyed the service, but the social gathering afterward. A good majority of the town attended that church and over the small town ritual of coffee and donuts afterward she had come to know her neighbors and had been welcomed into their community with open arms. She soon discovered she wasn’t the only one who had ended up in Hope because of a painful past. Hans and Greta Borg who ran the local grocery had spent years in the witness protection program after testifying against a notorious gang leader in Chicago who had robbed and beaten them, giving up their family grocery store, their friends and relatives to put him away for life. It was only recently that the man had been killed in jail and the elderly couple felt safe enough to let their friends know what happened to them. Mary and Clem owned the diner and had moved to Hope ten years ago from Branson, leaving the home they had raised their only child in because of the memories his death in Iraq had left. Haley too had found a safe haven in the small, close knit community and, Piper suspected Crack, who had opened Rowdy’s shortly after she had moved here, had a past he wanted to leave behind.
But this morning she had opted to stay home instead of visiting with her friends as usual. As well-meaning as they all were, she wasn’t up to answering questions about the incidents she had no answers to. And she definitely didn’t want to answer questions about Brody and Ian even though she suspected word had already made it around about who they were and why they were here.
Last night the three of them had seemed to call a truce. Ian didn’t grumble over the vegetable casserole and homemade bread, however he did take off shortly after and returned with several hamburgers for both he and Brody from the greasy burger joint down the road. Rolling her eyes, Piper hadn’t said anything as they ate them as if they hadn’t just eaten a plateful of food. Then, much to her surprise and pleasure, Brody suggested watching a movie together. After raiding her rather impressive collection, they each chose one. She sat through Ian’s war movie and through Brody’s medical thriller, but when it came time to put in her chick flick, she, unbelievably, fell asleep. She woke this morning in her bed, wearing her tee shirt and panties, remembering how Brody had carried her up and how she, in her half-awake state, had clung to his neck as he lowered her onto the mattress and asked him to lay with her.
“I’ll be good, I promise.” With mortification, she remembered saying those words to him as well as the way he had simply stated, “Not tonight, darlin’,” and walked out.
Having not only Brody, but Ian living in such close quarters with her was proving to be more trying than she had imagined, her attraction to Brody and her lust for apparently both men a constant reminder of what she desperately wanted and couldn’t have. Those two erotic spankings as well as her memories of what had taken place between the three of them when they had first arrived had reawakened needs in her she was just now realizing hadn’t been met with Cole, even though the sex with him had always been more than satisfying. And she was resenting the hell out of both men for taunting her with what she had been missing then refusing to give it to her.
Looking out the window in her sewing room where she had been holed up all afternoon, she saw Ian pacing, his phone to his ear and a scowl on his face. She had seen Brody head into the woods a few minutes ago, probably scouting around again. It seemed one of them was always taking off to scout. And here she sat, pining for the one man she shouldn’t have any residue feelings for and lusting after two men who teased and tormented her only to reject her over and over.
Sitting on the floor, she was surrounded with swatches of silk and satin, lace and chiffon, designing and sewing lingerie items that, at one time, she would never have dreamed of wearing herself. Now, well now she’d look good in her creations, no, she thought cynically, she’d look damn good in any one of her designs. Yet here she sat wearing another pair of comfortable gym shorts and a tank top, her underwear plain white cotton. She had always gone for comfort over style and, even though her body had changed and her attitude had undergone a much needed adjustment, who she was hadn’t changed.
So why the hell was she hiding in here instead of doing what she normally did? She never worked on Sundays, that day was hers to do as she pleased. If Haley was free they’d spend it together, take a trip to Branson and shop and get dinner or make a picnic lunch and hike some of the trails. If Haley couldn’t get away from the shop, Piper had no problem entertaining herself, doing those things alone and enjoying them almost as much as if she had a friend with her. Yet she was moping in here, hiding from her embarrassment over her actions last night when Brody took her upstairs, hiding from the frustration that having those two around was causing while constantly trying to reign in not only her sexual cravings, but her emotional ones, hiding from the hurt of their rejections. Just like five years ago. Despite knowing why they refused to have sex with her, she couldn’t help but revert to that insecure girl she used to be, the one who strove so hard to gain first Charles attention and approval then Brody’s only to have both of them leave her.
“The hell with that,” she muttered as she jumped up and stormed upstairs to get her bathing suit. One of her favorite past times was taking her little rowboat out and spending a few lazy hours with a pole in the water and a book in her lap followed by a dip to cool off. But just as she was pulling her suit out of her dresser, an idea came to mind that would go a long way towards improving her mood. Maybe, just maybe, it was time to get a little payback on the two men responsible for all her current woes.
“Where’re you off to?” Ian asked her when she walked by him carrying a towel and a book.
“I’m going fishing. You’ll be able to see me easily from the bank so I don’t need you glued to my side.”
Brody returned in time to hear her and watched her walk saucily down the path that led to the lake. “I don’t trust that grin.”
“I don’t know her as well as you and I don’t trust that grin.”
With a resigned sigh, Brody grumbled, “I guess we better go see what she’s planning.”
“You go see. I’m going to raid her movie collection again. Just remember, the next time you want me to take her in hand, I’m not stopping with the punishment if she’s willing to be rewarded.”
Brody knew just how his friend would reward her, by fucking her so hard, so deep she’d come over and over, just like she had the other night. While he had no problem imagining Piper’s small body sandwiched between the two of them, their cocks taking her pussy and ass with alternating thrusts that would drive all three of them wild, he was having a distinct problem picturing Ian with Piper alone. This possessive streak he seemed to have developed for her was new to him and something he was going to have to get control of. He had a job to do, a job he wanted to do, that very well might include imprisoning the man she loved like a father. He wouldn’t be content until Pasquino and his organization was shut down, he had worked too long and hard to see that happen, had put too much time into seeing that happen to drop the ball now.
Carlos Rodman, the agent that had managed in get in undercover with Pasquino, had relayed that they were spending a lot of time at the Empire, Charles’s casino, and in the past year Pasquino had managed to become a favored patron, one who w
as catered to hand and foot. It was just another indication that Pasquino had proof or suspected Sandoval was alive and was baiting him to show himself. Which made it all the more imperative that they find out whether the incidents against Piper were coming from Pasquino in another effort to make Sandoval show his face, or if she had a different problem altogether.
Frustrated at the stalemate, Brody took the path that led down to the lake and saw that Piper had already managed to row herself several yards away from the dock and plant her pole. With a floppy hat shielding her face, she waved at him before turning back to the book in her hands. She looked so small and defenseless out there, but he knew she was tougher than she looked. She had received a hard knock when she had witnessed Charles’s shooting and learned about Brody’s undercover job, but she didn’t let it keep her down. On the contrary, she had picked herself up, dusted herself off and taken responsibility for her life in a way he couldn’t help but admire. It had taken guts and determination for her to walk away that night, and even more guts and determination to accomplish what she has ever since.
But as strong and as independent as she was now, he could occasionally catch a glimpse of that shy, insecure young woman he had first been drawn to and he knew behind her newly toned body and tough bravado that much of that softer woman still existed. After thirty minutes, Brody got bored just standing there and decided she was safe where she was for a few minutes. He could use one of those beers she liked so much as well as a sandwich, that is, he thought ruefully, if he could find something appealing to make one with. While not as opposed as Ian to Piper’s healthier way of eating, he was starting to crave a big, juicy steak cooked medium rare.
“Did you get me one?” Brody asked hopefully when Ian got out of his car holding a large bag from the hamburger joint they were patronizing almost daily.
“No, I got you two. You owe me, again.”
“When we get back home, a steak dinner’s on me.”
Good timing, Piper thought when she spotted both men coming back down the path to the lake, stuffing their faces with greasy hamburgers that made her shudder. She’d been putting off her swim until she saw them again, and now she wasted no time stripping and diving in, prepared to torture them a little. The water was cool on her sunbaked skin and felt decadently soothing as she swam underwater for a few seconds. Her nipples beaded instantly from the shock of the cold water, but her pussy stayed warm, pulsed with an ever present desire to be filled again, Thankfully, Cole was due to come through Hope again soon and she would be able to relieve some of this tense filled arousal.
She didn’t dare look over to the dock as she surfaced even though it was tempting to see both men’s reactions to her skinny dipping. Smiling to herself, she dove under again, making sure her ass rose all the way out of the water before disappearing underneath. When she came up again it was straight up until not only her head cleared the surface, but her bare breasts also, their fullness bouncing with the surge before floating on top of the softly lapping water, her nipples prominent pinpoints aimed in their direction. Slicking her hair back, she smiled and waved to where Brody and Ian were standing on the dock. From what she could see from this distance, they weren’t too happy with her. Oh well, that was their problem. She on the other hand, was quite pleased with herself.
Brody’s first reaction when spotting the empty rowboat had been panic, but when he caught a flash of bare leg followed by the enticing sight of Piper’s white buttocks, that was quickly replaced with lust masked as irritation. “What the hell does she think she’s doing?”
“That’s pretty obvious,” Ian drawled crossing his arms over his chest as he enjoyed the show. “I think she’s decided to tease us with what we keep turning down.”