Her wide eyes meet mine. “I don’t know.”

  I tug her toward me and hold her tight, still staying in the shadows of the dim entrance to the screening room. “I’m sorry, Piper. I really thought this would be safe. If you’d rather go home instead of heading to dinner and the beach, I understand.”

  She shudders against me, and I hate myself so much right now. I shouldn’t have risked things so soon. We were finally getting settled into a good place, and I have no idea how much this is going to set us back…or worse, destroy my chance at having a real relationship with this wonderful woman.

  If Steve did see us and he asked me about why I was here with Piper, I’d quit. I wouldn’t ruin her career when she isn’t ready for anything else. I couldn’t do that. But that doesn’t mean she’d still keep me around. And that was what scared me most.

  She nods against my chest. “Yeah, I think I’d like to go home now.”

  Fuck.

  The drive home consisted of nearly no conversation between Piper and me. She did some texting on her phone and stared out the window a lot. There was so much I wanted to say, yet nothing sounded good enough in my head to say out loud.

  Instead, I stewed while she seemed to ponder a little too deeply.

  When I dropped her off, I watched as her eyes scanned every person walking their dog down the street or out for a jog. She even checked the neighbors’ yards to make sure nobody was outside. And then, she barely kissed my cheek before darting for her door.

  That night, I lay in bed for hours unable to sleep, yet I could think of no solution to make any of this better.

  At least, that was the case until I finally fell asleep.

  The dream I have is so vivid, just like the words it was inspired from. I watch helplessly as the woman runs from the beast, screaming for help, but there is nothing I can do.

  When the silver wolf has her pinned beneath him, I think for sure I am about to witness her last breath, but then another wolf shows up, midnight in color and twice the size of the first wolf.

  He plows the attacker over and the girl escapes, but I still don’t know what becomes of her, because that’s when I wake.

  And now I know what I’m going to do to make everything okay.

  At least, that’s my hope…as long as nothing else blows up in my face.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  A SHITTY THING

  Piper

  It’s Friday, and for the last five or six Fridays, I’ve had an unspoken standing date with Colin. Yet, after the abrupt way our first official date ended, I’m just not sure I can pretend nothing has changed.

  His boss, who really is both of ours, saw us the other night. There’s no way he didn’t. Though, the workday is almost over and I haven’t seen Steve around in two days.

  I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or bad, but either way, it’s a thing, one that is out of my control. I don’t like not knowing what is going to happen.

  Shannon knocks on my doorframe. “Happy Friyay! What are you doing tonight?”

  I wish I could say having fantastic sex, but that’s not happening.

  “Not sure. What about you?” I ask, fidgeting with the paperclip on my desk. We have this same conversation nearly every Friday, and each time it gets harder to tell her I’m busy. She probably thinks I’m lying, because I don’t have any other friends here.

  She smiles brightly, toying with a lock of blonde hair. “Well, I might have tickets to get into a club tonight where there’s said to be a pop-up concert happening, but they’re not saying who. Matt can’t go and I thought I’d ask you.”

  My chest tightens, and a weight settles in my stomach. Shannon is my friend, and she clearly sees me as hers. Yet, she has no idea why I’ve been avoiding her outside of work.

  I’m officially a terrible person.

  In an attempt to fix that, I say, “I would love to go.”

  She leans against the door and tilts her head forward. “Seriously?”

  I laugh, not at all offended. “I can say no if you’d rather.”

  She waves a hand back and forth in front of her. “Absolutely not. You’re not getting out of this now. Do you want to meet me there or at your house? The club isn’t too far from your place I don’t think.”

  My fingers drum over the desk, and I grin. “My house. Then we’ll call for a ride, so we don’t have to worry about parking.” Normally, I get a ride so I don’t have to worry about drinking, but since Shannon is pregnant, I’ll likely keep the alcohol to a minimum anyway.

  She claps her hands and lets out a quick squeal. “Yes, I’m so excited! I was going to go by myself if you said no, and I’m so glad I can have my wingwoman to keep any unwanted people away from me while I’m just trying to enjoy some good music, you know?”

  Did I know? Would I feel that way if someone hit on me tonight or asked me to dance and Shannon interfered? Would Colin be the reason I say no? Did this week really change anything for me? The fact that I’m not sure confuses the hell out of me.

  Taylor mother-freaking Swift. I nearly died when she stepped onto the stage. In none of our guessing had we considered her. Yet, there she’d been, singing and dancing along with everyone in the club as if she was just another person.

  I mean, I realize she is, but still, I was starstruck and took a billion pictures and videos to remember the night by.

  My arm wraps around Shannon as we make our way to a line of waiting cars. “Thank you for this. You have no idea how badly I needed it.”

  She rests her head against mine and squeezes my hand. “I’m glad you could join me. I was worried that new guy you’re seeing would steal all of your attention and we’d never get to know each other outside of work.”

  “Yeah, I wouldn’t worry too much about that,” I say with a frown.

  She gets distracted with finding us a car and my thoughts go dark for the first time all night. Colin hasn’t texted or called since I told him I was busy tonight. I thought that would make me feel better, but instead, I feel like garbage and miss him.

  I’ve had fun with Shannon and don’t regret hanging out with her, but I wish my date with Colin had never happened and that I could be sharing the joy over my amazing night with him and not left wondering if Steve already talked to him without me knowing yet.

  “This one is ours,” Shannon says, tugging my hand until I’m following her into the back of a black sedan.

  Once we’re settled and have confirmed he has my address, Shannon shifts in her seat toward me. “So, that guy? He’s not working out?”

  I bite the inside of my cheek and shrug. “I don’t know. It’s just more complicated than I wanted things to be.”

  “You know when I first met Matt, we worked in the same department. Clearly, that was going to be an issue, but our meeting led me on a path I never saw for myself. Complicated doesn’t always have to be bad if you don’t want it to be. If you really like this guy, try to have a little faith that everything will work out if it’s supposed to.”

  I hadn’t known that about Matt and her. I only assumed one of them had joined the company after meeting, but I didn’t want to change my career with Alliteration. There aren’t any other positions there that I would consider taking.

  I guess I could transfer genres and possibly end up at one of the other publishing houses they own around here, but I said yes to this one because they promised I could stick with what I loved most: fantasy.

  Could I settle for something different while still doing what I enjoy and getting to be with Colin at the same time? Am I the only one of us wondering what they have to give up in order to make this work?

  I don’t think so. What I already know about Colin tells me he’s not selfish like that, but I don’t see any other options for us without asking him to likely take a step down from his current role. And that is something I’m equally not okay with.

  Complicated might not always be a bad thing, but it sure is a shitty thing.

  The next day, and after a verbal lashing from Kenzie and Ella to stop being a chicken shit, I finally call Colin.

  My hand shakes as I wait for him to answer, wondering if he even will. The phone keeps ringing, and I’m about to hang up when I hear a meow.

  “Seriously, furball. Go away,” Colin says from further away, then there’s some rustling before I hear a deep “Hey.”

  “Everything okay over there?” I ask, fighting a smile even though he can’t see me.

  Colin sighs. “Yeah. Charlie was laying on my phone and I had the ringer off, so while I could hear the faint vibrating, I didn’t realize it was being swallowed by his arse. And now I realize that sounds like I’m holding an arse phone to my ear and I’m kind of grossed out.”

  He gags, making me finally laugh. “I wasn’t thinking that, but now that you’ve said something, the picture isn’t great.”

  A few beats of silence later, he finally says, “Did you have fun with Shannon last night?”

  My head leans back against the couch cushion, and I close my eyes. “I did. Taylor Swift showed up and sang a few of my favorite songs.”

  “No shit? I bet that was amazing. I’m glad you went.” The excitement and sincerity in his voice hits me in the chest.

  “Yeah, me too.”

  “Why doesn’t it sound like you had fun?” he asks in a softer tone. I wish I could see him.

  Reopening my eyes, I cross my ankles and sit up straighter. “I did, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been stressing about other things.”

  His sigh is light, but I still hear it clearly. “I’m sorry, Piper. I tried to talk to Steve, but I guess he’s out of town for a week and I missed the email before we left that day. Last-minute family getaway. I haven’t heard anything from him, but I promise you, if I do, I will make this right.”

  That is the problem Colin isn’t understanding. I don’t want him to make this right. I didn’t want to be in the situation where someone had to give something up. It’s not fair to either of us, and I finally say as much to him.

  “I promised you before that I would figure something out and I meant it. Please trust me for now. I know that’s a big ask, but I still think everything will be okay,” he says with a conviction in his voice that I haven’t heard before.

  “I think I can do that, but I don’t know for how long, Colin. This is getting harder by the week.”

  Even he can’t deny that last part is true.

  “Just a little bit longer. I promise.” He pauses, and when he speaks again, I can hear the smile in his voice. “Aren’t Kenzie and Ella going to be here in a few days?”

  I laugh. “Good diversion. Don’t think I don’t see what you’re doing, but yes, they’ll be here Wednesday and leave on the following Monday.”

  “Since I don’t want to bother you while they’re here, do you think I could come see you today or tomorrow?” he asks, and the confidence he had moments before is gone.

  I nod, even though he can’t see me. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

  “Good. So would I.”

  After we make tentative plans for a time later, I lay on the couch and stare at the ceiling. I hope like hell I’m not letting myself get more attached to the sexy Brit only for us to be forced apart in the coming weeks.

  That is the kind of heartbreak I’m not sure I can handle right now when I’m here, seemingly all on my own.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  LITERALLY KILLING ME

  Colin

  Wednesday has arrived, and I’m not sure how I feel. I officially “met” Kenzie and Ella on a video chat this weekend with Piper, thinking that might be a good way to prepare for their arrival, but instead, I was met with smirking faces and very few words.

  I absolutely didn’t expect that.

  Knowing they’ll be here tonight and I’ll meet them in person tomorrow, I’m at a loss on how I can attempt to be ready for whatever they’re going to throw my way.

  They’re the two most important people in Piper’s life. With how precarious things have been between us since last week, I know this has to go well. I can’t be too pushy or aloof. I can’t be too nice or rude. There’s a balance somewhere that I have to find or everything I’ve been hoping for will never come to fruition.

  I have my phone in hand and am sitting in bed. Piper should be back from the airport soon with her friends. I want to check and make sure they arrived okay, but I decide to wait until I hear from her. She said she’d text, and I can have more patience.

  With a groan, I run a hand through my already tousled hair. “It’s like I’m a bloody teenager all over again.”

  Then, I freeze and glance at Charlie, who’s snoring on the bed. If he didn’t budge, maybe I was just hearing things, but I swore I heard laughter.

  Sliding the covers back, I get out of bed and head for the living room. There’s a woman peeking through my window, and she waves when our eyes meet.

  “Oh hell,” I mutter. I’m only wearing sweatpants, and it’s too late to turn around. Kenzie is pointing to the door and twisting her hand as if to tell me I need to unlock the door.

  Charlie finally makes his way out of the bedroom, whining loudly, but I ignore him and let the ladies in.

  Piper is standing between Ella and Kenzie. She’s not smiling, but she’s not mad, either. I’m not sure how to read the situation.

  “I tried to warn you, but that one stole my phone.” Piper points to Ella, who wiggles her fingers at me.

  “Hi, there. Are you going to invite us in?” she asks coyly.

  I smile and nod. “Of course. Come on in. I’ll just go put a shirt on.”

  Kenzie fans her face. “Shit. You weren’t kidding. The accent is even more powerful in person.” Then, she winks at me. “You really don’t have to get dressed on our account.”

  I chuckle and smile at Piper who is now cringing with flushed cheeks. “Thanks, but I think I need to for myself.”

  Piper mouths an apology, but it’s not needed.

  “Well, go on then. We’re just going to make ourselves at home,” Kenzie adds when I take a step toward my room.

  Ah, I understand now. This is a surprise visit to see how I am when I’m not expecting their company.

  Well, I have nothing to hide. Kenzie can look around as much as her heart desires, but she’s not going to find anything untoward.

  When I walk out of my closet, she’s peeking in my bedroom, and I raise a brow at her. “Can I help you?”

  She grins, not at all ashamed of her snooping. “Nope. Thanks, though.”

  I watch as she enters and heads toward the bathroom, flicks on the lights for a few seconds, then comes back out, looks around my bed, then walks toward me.

  She pats my shoulder. “You passed the first test, Colin Adamson. I’m impressed.”

  “Uh, thanks?” Piper said Kenzie had no filter, but I had assumed she exaggerated on some things. Now, I know better.

  I follow Kenzie back down the hallway and find Ella poking through my cabinets. She looks at Kenzie and nods. “Clean here, too. No expired food or weird shit in the medicine cabinet.”

  Piper is sitting on the couch with her head between her hands. “You guys are killing me right now. Like literally killing me.”

  Kenzie jumps on the cushion next to her, then lays on top of Piper. “Oh, come on, Pipe. Did you really expect anything less when you told us you were fucking the handsome English man?”

  “I’m going to die. Right here,” Piper mutters into the couch. I decide to go and save her.

  I pull on her hands, and she slides out from underneath Kenzie. My arm wraps around her waist, and I drag her toward me. “No dying tonight, and while I approve of your friends poking around, I don’t approve of making my woman miserable.” I meet Kenzie’s and Ella’s surprised gazes. “Can we be done with the torturing, at least for tonight?”

  The two women share a look that tells me absolutely nothing while Piper hides against my chest.

  Ella finally nods. “I think because you asked that can be arranged. For tonight.”

  Piper looks up at me, and I meet her gaze to finally see the joy I expected to find earlier. “Thank you. I owe you big for this,” she whispers.

  I kiss the top of her forehead. “No thanks necessary, but you could always send me some of those chapters I’ve been dying for.”

  She tenses in my hold, but not nearly as much as I expect before she shrugs. Interesting. This is the first time she hasn’t told me no. While I haven’t been pressuring her to share the work she’s been so private with, I’ve made it clear I haven’t lost interest. My hope is that it encourages her to keep writing.

  Finally, we take a seat in the chair, and I position Piper in my lap. “How was the flight over?” I ask Kenzie and Ella.

  Now, it’s Ella who groans, then points at Kenzie. “That one told the pilot it was my first time on a plane and asked him if he wouldn’t mind giving me a tour of his cockpit.”

  Air gets stuck in my throat. “Aren’t you married?”

  She nods. “And happily so.”

  Kenzie shoves her shoulder into Ella’s. “I could have slipped you another dildo. You should be thankful my antics have calmed down some.”

  Ella glares, and Piper giggles in my lap. “Do I even want to know?” I ask her.

  She nods. “But I’ll tell you later.”

  And that’s how the next hour goes. The three women bantering back and forth like no time has passed since they parted, and the stories? They are something else entirely. I find myself wondering about the men Owen and Bentley that they keep mentioning. Those poor blokes have been through some shit with these ladies.

  Except even hearing all the crazy, I can’t help but hope my future will be filled with the same insane stories.

  The next morning, Piper isn’t at work, but when I log into my email, I see something from her that she sent just twenty minutes before. The message is titled “Thank you”, and I quickly open it to find an attachment with a very short message.

 

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