Page 56 of Tell Me No Lies

More than me, that’s for sure.

“I wouldn't have faulted you if you had. I know how those people can be. I just wanted to make sure I understood exactly what we were working with.” Christian’s calm tone is almost amusing. Like he hasn’t been paying any attention at all to the woman beside me.

And maybe hasn't. Either way, he sure doesn't know that taking that calm, placating tone with her is not gonna go over well.

To my surprise, Piper doesn’t go after him, ready to bite back. It shocks me so much, I glance her direction, and almost laugh out loud when I see the expression on her face. Her jaw is clenched tight, nostrils flared and her eyes are narrowed. I know she’s dying to lay into him but is holding back. Because there are little ears listening.

Her restraint is amazing and enviable, like everything else about her. The more I learn about Piper the less likely it is she's gonna make it out of this without becoming my wife.

I never expected that desire would flare. Sure, I wanted someone at my side, but never did I expect to want that person to become my wife. My father had enough for both of us, and I always felt like if a woman wanted to be with me, she could. No strings attached.

Not that I ever did anything to make one stick around. I can see that now. I was talking out both sides of my mouth. Complaining that I was lonely while refusing to let anyone in.

Deep down I worried if temptation was dangled in front of me long enough, I’d start to want what my father wanted. It was in my blood and there might not be any way I could fight it. That ultimately, I would want to own whoever I was with. That the need for possession and control would finally hit me, and my worst nightmare would come true.

But no one will ever own Piper. I won't be able to control her, and I don't want to. If anything, I want to give her more room to be who she is. I want to be the one to maintain the perimeter so no one gets in her way and she can spread her wings.

The realization is fucking liberating. Like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

Off my soul.

“The GPS says we’ll be there in forty-five minutes. Be ready. I want to get on the road.” I disconnect the call before Piper can tear Christian a new asshole for the tone he took with her.

When the call ends, she blows out a breath, letting her head drop back to the rest. “As soon as we get to the hotel, I'm changing into something comfortable.” She thinks for a minute before turning to me and lowering her voice. “We should make sure they’re comfortable too. It's gonna be a long drive, and I don't want them still feeling trapped in any way.”

And there it is. Another reason I never had a chance of staying away from her. Piper’s so many things I need, but she's also so many things I want. Yes, she's fearless and direct and independent, but she's also kind and empathetic and gentle. The kind of woman who’ll put me in my place and then cuddle up to me on the couch.

“I think that's a good idea.” I glance up in the rearview mirror, taking in the eyes staring back at me. “I bet Myra’s already thought of that. Hopefully we have everything we need and we can get on the road.

Piper checks her watch, chewing her lower lip. “At least we have most of the day left to drive. We should be able to get pretty far before the sun goes down and we have to stop.”

I turn to her, because she must have missed the part where we discussed what would happen after we left Mountain Oak. “We’re not stopping, Sugar.” I give her a grin, because even though I'm about to spend two days straight in a car, it's also two days straight with her right beside me. “You might want to get comfortable, because it's gonna be a while before we stop.”

22

FIVE MEDDLING SISTERS AND A HUNTING LODGE

PIPER

WHEN WE FINALLY pull into the tiny village of Amlina, I’m ready to claw my way out of the Jeep.

I love an adventure as much as anyone else. A nice road trip over a long weekend can be wickedly fun. What we just finished was not fun. It was fucking miserable. I understand our reasons for driving nonstop, but me spending almost sixty hours straight in a car is never happening again.

Never.

Tate reaches across the console to grab my hand, squeezing it with his own. “How are you feeling?”

“I'm not gonna puke on your floorboards in the next five minutes, if that's what you're asking.” I don't normally get carsick, but I learned ten hours in that my stomach has limits. I've spent the bulk of this trip trying not to dry heave into a convenience store shopping bag. Even taking breaks to walk around with the little girls for fifteen or twenty minutes every five or six hours didn’t help. It just added time to my misery.

But we’re here now, so I can finally eat something besides crackers and sleep somewhere besides an upright seat.

Although, based on what I'm seeing outside my window, my options are going to be pretty slim. This place is in the middle of freaking nowhere. It's been almost four hours since we saw anything I would consider civilization. And, while I can understand the women's reasons for coming here the same way I understand why we drove straight through, I'm still questioning everyone's decision-making skills.

“Are you sure this is where you want to live?” I swing my eyes to the seat behind us where Anna sits along with her two daughters. “There's nothing here.”

Anna gives me the brightest smile I've seen on her so far, but it's still pretty lackluster. “I know.”

She's kind of hard to read, but it seems like she's sure, so I face forward since looking back makes the nausea that keeps creeping into my gut flare back to life. “Well if you change your mind, just let us know. We’ll turn around so fast it’ll make your head spin.”

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