Page 33 of Captivated

“Hey, gorgeous,” I greet her as she stands in the doorway.

“You’re early.”

“I’m trying to make a good impression here, Piper. Showing up late would definitely negate that.” I hand her the bouquet of flowers I had hidden behind my back, a bundle of lilies that called to me when I was picking out an arrangement. But before I can deliver them to her hands, they slip from my grasp and tumble to the floor. My first attempt to woo her and I failed miserably. The smooth movements I’m usually confident in are taking on a more bumpy ride every time I’m near Piper.

“Shit. Sorry.” I fumble to pick them up, the stems breaking free from the plastic wrapper that encased them, disheveling the picture-perfect arrangement into more of something mimicking a hot mess.

The corner of her mouth tips up in a playful grin as she moves aside when I stand tall in front of her again, flowers clenched in my hands. “Well, you’re off to a good start. Thank you for the flowers,” she says as she wrestles the heap from my hands. “So, this is my place.” With a wave of her hand, she moves around me before walking to the kitchen, filling up a vase with water and placing the flowers inside as I admire her quaint living room and kitchen.

For an apartment, the place is actually quite spacious and Piper’s added decorative details make it feel like a home. The furniture and décor is all in varying shades of grey and white, with teal accents. A few paintings hang on the walls, a TV sits in the corner on a stand that the couch faces, and her kitchen sits just behind that with a small dining table between. It’s bright and airy, somehow mirroring the aura that she has around her. I know I’ve caught the more fiery and dark sides to her, but she still has a glow around her when she enters a room.

“It’s exactly how I would imagine your place to look.” I turn to her, studying her face as she watches me, admiring the shimmer on her eyelids, her long lashes highlighted with mascara, and the subtle cherry tint to her lips, all framed by her silky blonde hair.

“Thank you. So, are you ready to go?” She reaches for her purse and then starts walking towards the door.

“Absolutely. Bring a coat though, just in case. The temperature is going to drop tonight.”

“Will we be outside?” She asks, opening a small closet by the front door, retrieving a dark brown coat with a fur-lined hood.

“Maybe,” I tease, not wanting to give too much away about my plans for the evening. I spent all week planning out this date, knowing I had one shot to make an impression, so every detail counted. We have reservations at a fondue restaurant about thirty minutes away called The Melting Pot, a very romantic spot where we can feed each other bite-sized food dipped in cheese and chocolate, while sipping wine and engaging in conversation. I took a page out of Kane’s book, Cooper’s future brother-in-law, and have a list of questions ready to ask her tonight. Then after dinner, I want to drive out to this spot up on one of the mountains that offers a spectacular view of Emerson Falls and the surrounding towns, where we can lie in the back of my truck and stare up at the stars while I point out the three constellations I know I can locate with confidence. Maybe that will lead to a make-out session and some heavy petting, but I’m not gonna push it. However, I know for certain that I’m ready to show Piper that this date and chance means everything to me and each second has to count.

Piper turns to lock her door once we’re outside and I guide her to my truck, placing my hand on the small of her back. I’m looking for any excuse to touch her tonight, and this was the first opportunity I found. The current that flows between us every time our bodies connect gives me a high like nothing I’ve ever felt, and I feel like a junkie, chasing that feeling with wild abandon.

“Thank you,” she says as I open her door for her and help her up inside. “Such a gentleman.”

“Birdie would have my head if I didn’t open your door for you. So in case she ever asks, please make sure to give me a five-star rating.”

“The date’s just begun. You’ve gotta earn those stars, Cash. Right now you’re acting as my Uber. Later, you’ll be my date, and then the true test is how you act at the end of the night. Don’t think this will be easy,” she replies as I close the door and make my way around to the driver’s side, shaking my head at her sass, and then firing up the engine and taking off for the next town over where we’ll have dinner.

“So, Piper… I know you said you’d just moved here when I pulled you over on Labor Day, so I’ve got to know… what brought you to Emerson Falls?” I flick my eyes over at her, trying to see her and make conversation while still keeping my eyes on the road.

Piper’s line of sight falls to her hands in her lap as she plays with her fingers nervously. I shouldn’t find it amusing how reserved she seems now that we’re driving, especially when this woman has just shown me her heated disposition. But her fidgeting tells me I’m not the only one anxious about the evening.

I’m in unchartered territory here, taking a woman on a date without the sole intention of it leading to sex. And believe me, I can’t wait for that to happen with Piper because I’m dying to make her unravel beneath me, touching every inch of her skin and discovering all of the spots on that luscious body that make her cry out in pleasure. But Piper deserves the whole shebang—the dates, the wooing, the sweet gestures that I’ve always avoided showing women because it made them think there was more to our arrangement than just sex. So I’m rattled with the pressure to make sure everything is perfect for her tonight, securing a second date instead of letting her go, like she made me promise I would if I couldn’t prove myself.

“Well, I guess I just wanted a fresh start,” she mutters, looking out the window instead of over at me.

“A fresh start, huh? Care to elaborate?” I’m trying to not read too much in between the lines, but now that she said that my mind is running. My thoughts instantly veer back to when she looked around the bar at Tony’s that night when she slapped me. She was searching for something, like she felt like she was being watched. I mean, I understand that need for a fresh start, looking for the same thing when I moved to Oregon after I graduated from high school, desperate to escape the life my parents made me live. But something about the way Piper makes that declaration invites a shit ton of questions in my mind.

“I guess I just needed to spread my wings,” she says.

“I can understand that. Where are you from exactly?”

“Uh, Charleston.”

“Nice. I’ve never been but would love to visit one day.”

“It’s beautiful, especially in the summer time. So what about you? You said you were from Washington the other night… which part?” She tucks her hair behind her ears as she turns, listening intently.

“Well, I was born in Seattle, but then my parents moved us out to Sammamish when I started school. My mother wanted me to have a more traditional upbringing outside of the city where the best schools were and all of the families had money like us.”

“Oh, were you one of the little rich boys?” Her grin grows wider, finding humor in this new piece of information I offered up.

“Unfortunately, yes. And if it weren’t for Birdie, I’d probably be just as awful as the majority of them are.”

Piper huffs besides me. “Oh, I know all about the thoughts and behaviors of the privileged. My family has money too.”

“Really? Are we talking country club memberships and debutant balls?”

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